THE WIRE Confusion, relief mark start of new health care reforms PAGE 1 Pick of the Day Bowflex Xtreme, $200 In Today’s THE WIRE PAGE 1 Classifieds! Charlotte Sun AND WEEKLY HERALD SHIP PASSENGERS RESCUED WELCOME BACK, LOVIE All 52 passengers have been rescued from an icebound ship, Tampa Bay announced a five-year deal with Lovie Smith, who which has been trapped in the Antarctic since Christmas Eve. started his coaching career as the Bucs’ assistant. SPORTS PAGE 1 AN EDITION OF THE SUN VOL. 122 NO. 3 AMERICA’S BEST COMMUNITY DAILY FRIDAY JANUARY 3, 2014 www.sunnewspapers.net $1.00 SIDE DISH Salad bars for Foreclosures down, not out New Year’s diet Judicial process to blame for backlog By GARY ROBERTS second with 50,000, CoreLogic reported. month — were less than half the number t’s a new year filled with vows of STAFF WRITER Local experts say the state’s high from the same period a year ago. lost pounds and added green leafy foreclosure numbers are largely due to “Our foreclosure filings are way I substances. (For those of us not in While the number of homes entering Florida being one of 22 judicial foreclo- down,” she said. “We’re back to a state with new marijuana laws, please foreclosure across the nation is at its sure states, where the courts intervene. pre-bubble levels.” know I’m referring lowest level in years, Florida continues The result is a drawn-out foreclosure Last year, 25 percent of Charlotte to things like let- to lead the way with the highest percent- process and a backlog pipeline of cases. County’s single-family home sales were tuce, spinach or the age of homeowners in default. “It does delay the process,” said distressed sales, meaning they were trendy kale.) According to real estate data provider Maryann Mize, senior vice president of either short sales or foreclosures. This Unless you’ve CoreLogic, 7.1 percent of the mortgaged Charlotte State Bank & Trust. continues a downward trend that saw already chosen to homes in Florida are in some stage of But Charlotte County, one of the first distressed sales comprise scrap those healthy foreclosure. Florida also has the highest areas to fall into the foreclosure abyss, 36 percent of the sales in 2012 and resolutions, you number of completed foreclosures for appears to have turned the corner, she 47 percent in 2011. may be looking for the year ending in October 2013, with said. The county’s 66 foreclosure filings in a place where green 115,000. Michigan registers a far distant November — down from 90 the previous FORECLOSURES | 11 leafy substances Christy can be mixed with beans, corn, peas, FEINBERG cucumbers, etc., COLUMNIST in a cornucopia of earth foods … also known as a salad bar. Ah, the famous salad bar. So lovely and fresh, and yet so hard to find these Fun on days. I seem to remember more places offering salad bars when I was growing up near Chicago. I recall piling ham cubes on my salad at Ponderosa. I seem first day to remember poorly spearing a tomato from the salad bar, sending it into orbit across the restaurant at Carson Pirie Scott. (This was back when department stores still had restaurants.) Grocery in stores sometimes offered delicious salad bars as well. There are lots of stories on the Internet about who invented the salad bar. paradise Most credit The Cliffs restaurant in Springfield, Ill., which had a Yellow Pages listing in 1951 for its “salad bar buffet,” though The Freund’s Sky Club Supper Club in Plover, Wisc., also may be among the first to offer such a buffet. Other early salad bar pioneers in- clude Chuck’s Steak House in the 1960s and Rax Restaurants in the mid-1960s. Norman Brinker, however, may be the man responsible for popularizing the salad bar, according to Wikipedia (the most reputable site for salad bar history). “Mr. Brinker, the retired chairman SUN PHOTO BY BETSY WILLIAMS of Dallas-based Brinker International and a longtime Dallas resident, was The first day of 2014 brought children to Bayshore Live Oak Park in Charlotte Harbor Wednesday for a day of play. Sandra Trapp, 5, Summer credited with inventing the salad Quinn, 5, Anna Bevelacqua, 4, and Charles Trapp, 3, enjoy their time on the swinging saucer, a one-of-a-kind playground activity in Charlotte bar at his Steak & Ale restaurants in County. More photos on page 12. the 1960s, and the singles-oriented ‘fern bar’ concept when he created Bennigan’s,” states his 2009 obituary in the Washington Post. Locally owned Howards on the Water Local flight woes continue in Englewood is known for its salad bar. For $8, guests can select from a By ADAM KREGER rescheduled flight, the pair learned is dealing with “tight holiday schedules.” wide selection of salad options. On STAFF WRITER Tuller’s houseguest would be staying a Thursday morning, Sheneman still a recent visit, guests could choose to little longer. didn’t know when he’d be getting back decorate their own lettuce salad with PUNTA GORDA — Ray Sheneman Sheneman’s flight was one of at least home. cucumbers, tomatoes and dressings. was supposed to be back in Niles, Mich., three delayed. And four more Allegiant “I don’t know what’s going on,” he said. Howards also offers various other kinds Wednesday, after spending some time in flights to or from Punta Gorda were “I feel I should get a free flight down here of vegetable salads and pastas such as the area with his friend. Instead, he had postponed. next year, you know?” pea salad, corn salads, potato salad and to stay an extra night with his buddy, Jeff Allegiant Air spokeswoman Jessica Tuller was glad to have Sheneman macaroni as well. Tuller, in Cape Coral. Wheeler said Thursday that the slew of around, but was annoyed at the flight Howards on the Water, 1400 Aqua Sheneman’s Allegiant Air flight to recently rescheduled flights — affecting woes. View Lane, Englewood, has been South Bend, Ind., was one of several to travelers to and from Punta Gorda, and “It brought on an uncertainty about family-owned since 1955, which is or from the Punta Gorda Airport that a handful of other Florida destinations how to make plans,” he said. downright ancient in Florida years. was postponed or delayed on the first of — were caused due to staffing issues, not The issues — similar to inconveniences Howards is a warm (no need for a the year. When Tuller drove Sheneman weather. She couldn’t elaborate on crew sweater or jacket), comfortable envi- to the airport Thursday to catch his availability problems, but said the airline FLIGHT | 11 ronment with cushioned chairs that also offer strong back support as well. Of course Howards serves more than a salad bar. You can check out the full menu online at www.howardsonthe ‘Breaking Bad’ contest winner water.com. Live entertainment also is offered during many dining hours. Ruby Tuesday (in the Port Charlotte faces drug charges Town Center mall), Jason’s Deli (1100 El Jobean Road, Port Charlotte) and Sonny’s PROVIDED BY THE FORT MYERS NEWS-PRESS Carroll, 28, was arrested New Year’s chemicals, including toxic CARROLL Real Pit Bar-B-Q (1152 Tamiami Trail, Eve on charges of synthetic narcotic Acetone, according to Port Charlotte) also offer large salad bars A “Breaking Bad” contest winner possession with intent to sell, drug the Sheriff’s Office. They added flavors for those looking for a lighter meal. originally from Punta Gorda was arrest- such as jungle juice or electric banana. If you know of a good salad bar in possession and keeping a shop or ed on several drug possession charges vehicle for dangerous drugs. Deputies The drugs were then packaged in col- Charlotte, DeSoto or South Sarasota this week. seized more than $1 million in synthet- orful wrappers bearing several dozen County, let me know. I’m trying to Lee County deputies charged Ryan ic marijuana from the manufacturing different brand names, and shipped via incorporate more green leafy sub- Lee Carroll, 28, of San Carlos Park, with operation headquarters in the 1700 the U.S. Postal Service to other states. stances … you know, spinach and the multiple counts of drug possession, The Sheriff’s Office declined to block of Meadow Lake Circle, accord- not-so-appealing kale. including possession of synthetic release where the drugs were shipped ing to the Sheriff’s Office. Christy Feinberg is a senior writer/col- narcotics and controlled substances, and how long the operation has been umnist for the Sun newspapers. You can according to information from the Lee Carroll and his associates used a email her at [email protected]. County Sheriff’s Office website. cement mixer to mix plant matter with CHARGES | 11 INDEX | THE SUN: Obituaries 5 | Legals 6 | Police Beat 7 | Viewpoint 8 | Opinion 9-10 | THE WIRE: Nation 2 | World 5 | Business 6-7 | State 8 | Weather 8 | SPORTS: Lotto 2 | CLASSIFIED: Comics 9-12 | Dear Abby 12 | TV Listings 13 Daily Edition $1.00 Look inside for valuable coupons High Low This year’s savings to date ... CHARLIE SAYS ... SUN COUPON CALL US AT Yep, our winter storms are 61 45 VALUE METER $1,236 941-206-1000 vicious. I might have to dig 7 05252 00025 8 Breezy and cooler. out a cardigan! Our Town Page 2 C www.sunnewspapers.net The Sun /Friday, January 3, 2014 Wishing all a happy New Year ll of us at the “snow” photos we re- times, the team members • • • a masterpiece artist in Punta Gorda ceived, as well as seeing may still have problems On Jan.