Coastal Breeze News

Eligibility The “Southwest Florida Native Flora & Fauna” photo contest is open to all amateur photographers that reside full or part time in Collier County, FL from the age of 14 years and older.  Entrant must be an amateur who has not received monetary compensation for photography whether in exhibits, by sale or through any facet of journalism.  Photos can be submitted at City Hall between February 1st thru April 5th, 2010.  All entered photographs will be displayed at the City Community event held on Saturday, April 10th, 2010, 10AM – 1PM at Mackle Park, 1361 Andalusia Court, Marco Island, ... Read More »

In addition to hosting the Sundance Film Festival, Park City, Utah is also home to headquarters of the United States Ski and Snowboard Association(USSSA) and Utah Olympic Park.  In July, the USSSA  opened a state of the art facility, the  Center of Excellence, to provide training and education for today’s and tomorrow’s Olympians, as well as to serve as a showcase for US skiing and snowboarding. Utah Olympic Park was the site of 14 events during the 2002 Winter Olympics. It has the fastest sliding track and highest elevated jumps in the world and remains an important training venue for ... Read More »

The Day After Today on the local radio station, the DJ said, “Be sure to spend time outside today as it is beautiful, sunny, and 25°. Yes, it is sunny but I’m still wearing three layers and a down jacket.  Since there is no film until tonight, it gave me the opportunity to do some shopping.  Park City is home to the largest outlet mall in Utah. Sundance, to show appreciation to the residents of Park City, screens two award winning films free for locals.  This gave me the opportunity to catch one more film (my twenty-fifth), Wasteland, winner of ... Read More »

Awards Day Yes, the snow is back again, but the town has emptied out.  Main Street is almost deserted and we didn’t have to wait for a table for breakfast at the Eating Establishment, a popular restaurant.  Today, the various award winners will light up the screens. The Grand Jury Prize for US Documentary went to Restrepo.  The film chronicles one year in the life of a platoon of soldiers in Afghanistan; Restrepo is an outpost that was named for one of their medics who had been killed. Two things struck me: how primitive the outpost was and, given the terrain ... Read More »

The sun was out all day today! Twelve, based on the novel written by acclaimed writer Nick McDonell when he was 17, focuses on the drug culture of upper Eastside New York young people.  The title refers to a fictional super ecstasy type drug.  The film said a lot about bad morals, the idea of celebrity, and, as director Joel Schumacher said, bad parenting.  The film is narrated by Keifer Sutherland and features Gossip Girl’s Chace Crawford.  In the end, I liked it better than I thought I would as I was watching it, but I don’t know that it ... Read More »

I sure am tired of wearing 3 to 5 layers of clothing!  I’m beginning to feel like a giant marshmallow! The good news is that there was no snow today; the bad is that it is supposed to snow tomorrow night, Sunday, and Monday. The Romantics was a disappointment.  Directed and based on the novel by Galt Niederhoffer who has produced at least two dozen films, it is the story of  a group of friends who gather for the wedding of one of them.  We’ve seen this film before, only others have done it better.  The ensemble wasn’t convincing as ... Read More »

Today on the way to the theater, we passed a herd of elk…and the SUN came out for a while in the afternoon. Bilal’s Stand is a film in a new category at Sundance called ‘Next’. These are films that are supposed to help Sundance get back to its roots as a true indie film festival.  They are by new filmmakers and all the films in this category are very low budget. Based on the writer/director’s life, this film takes place in Detroit, was four years in the making, and a project of an inner city outreach program founded by ... Read More »

Still snowing…… I started my morning with a 3D documentary, Cane Toads: the Conquest, or, as the filmmaker quipped, Avatoad, with humor, it presented the plight of the cane toad in Australia; 150 were imported to help solve a problem with a sugar cane destroying insect.  As so often happens when man tries to control nature, it didn’t work and the toad population has grown to 1.5 billion. I was disappointed with Night Catches Us, the story of former Black Panthers in 1970s Philadelphia. Sympathy for Delicious was directed by and stars Mark Ruffalo as a recently disabled DJ who ... Read More »

OK, Day 6 and, guess what?  It’s snowing!!!!!! It looks like a mini blizzard out there.  I am skipping an early film and won’t venture out until noontime. Jake Scott, the son of prolific producer and director Ridley Scott, directed Welcome to the Rileys, which provided a break from his typical roles for James Gandolfini as a grieving father who takes a young runaway under his wing.  Melissa Leo gave another amazing performance.  The film also stars Kristen Stewart.  It was another good festival entry. It’s a Wonderful Afterlife, written and directed by Bend it Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha is ... Read More »

Week of Febrary 1 Amelia – Hilary Swank stars as Amelia Earhart; Richard Gere costars. Rated PG Love Happens – Romantic drama starring Jennifer Anston. Rated PG 13 More Than a Game – Documentary about NBA star, LeBron James. Rated PG New York, I Love You – From the producer of Paris, je t’aime, features 11 short films that personify love in New York City. Cast includes Natalie Portman, Orlando Bloom, Ethan Hawke, John Hurt, Christina Ricci, James Caan, Robin Wright Penn. Rated R Zombieland - Zombie comedy featuring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin. Rated R Week of February ... Read More »

Renowned speaker Ken Smith to keynote the 2010 Marco Island Community Prayer Breakfast. The 27th Marco Island Community Prayer Breakfast will be addressed by Ken Smith, on Wednesday, February 3, 2010 at 7:30 a.m. at the Marriott Marco Beach Resort. Tickets are available by advanced purchase from the Marco Chamber of Commerce and most Marco Island Houses of Worship. Cost is $20 and includes a full breakfast. Groups may purchase tables of ten. Music provided by Mega Ministries. Ken Smith is renowned for his encouraging and inspiring messages. He served as Chaplain for Florida State University, MSU, and University of ... Read More »

Dear Editor Glassman; First, I would like to congratulate you and your staff on this new endeavor. It is certainly a breath of fresh air. (sorry I could’t help myself) The article about Robert College written by Mr. Ayasun was of extreme interest as it gave information about my family that was all new to me. I knew Hannibal was a great, great,— Uncle but did not know about Cyrus and his endeavors. My grandfather Hamlin had a bakery in Brunswick, Maine, so I guess it was kind of a family calling so to speak. And. I guess, I followed ... Read More »