Tropical Storm Debby formed off the Gulf Coast June 23 northwest of Tampa with a poorly defined center and no obvious direction of travel. But as the wind field grew wider while it remained almost stationery, the effects of the tropical moisture with persistent rainfall and wind wore away the resistance of beaches and its inhabitants.
By Monday June 25, constant battering by 20 – 40 mph wind and 10″-16″ of rain took its toll on shorelines and low lying property. Combined with high tides, a 2-3 foot storm surge poured over seawalls, rose up through storm drains and flooded streets and yards.
Saturated ground had nowhere to drain. Streets and yards remained covered with water even as the tide dropped but the surge raised the sea-level. Onshore wind pushed the sea state higher over the shore. Softened soil and gusty winds uprooted some trees and sent limbs and palm fronds flying.
Hurricane season officially begins June 1 but sometimes a tropical storm forms before then. Since records began in 1851 there have been 23 seasons that have had storms prior to June 1. 2012 had two such early arrivals of Tropical Storm Alberto off the coast of the Carolinas, and Tropical Storm Beryl near the Georgia and Florida border.
The Atlantic basin hurricane season of 2012 forecast released April 4 by the Colorado State University Department of Atmospheric Science from Dr. Philip J. Klotzbach and Dr. William Gray predicts reduced activity for 2012 compared to 1981-2010, and below-average probability of a major hurricane landfall along the US coastline and in the Caribbean.
“The tropical Atlantic has anomalously cooled over the past several months, and it appears that the chances of an El Niño event this summer and fall are relatively high.
The forecast is based on a new extended-range early June statistical prediction scheme that utilizes 29 years of past data.
Coastal residents are reminded that it only takes one hurricane making landfall to make it an active season for them, and they need to prepare the same for every season, regardless of how much activity is predicted.”
What does medical malpractice have to do with living in paradise? Ever since moving to Florida, I have been aware of the ever-present commercials and print ads for medical malpractice and personal injury attorneys. It’s always been a strange and ominous reminder that every day here is not perfect for everyone. Sometimes things go terribly wrong. The attorneys who are ready to win large settlements for the victims can be seen either as ambulance chasers or saviors. It’s not a pleasant subject, but I took a little time to learn more, mostly in hopes of being able to lower the chances that I’d ever have personal reasons to revisit the subject.
According to a 1991 article in the New England Journal of Medicine, only about 2% of patients who were injured by physician negligence ever seek compensation through a lawsuit. Studies at Harvard University estimate that medical mistakes result in up to 98,000 deaths a year, more than twice the number who die in auto accidents.
Not surprisingly, Florida is one of the top states in the nation in terms of number of claims paid for medical malpractice lawsuits. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation state health data Web site, Florida residents won 838 court cases for medical malpractice in the year 2010. The only states with more malpractice payments were California, Pennsylvania, and New York, with a whopping 1,373. The total amount paid to Florida residents for medical claims that year was $233,141,300. The average payment in these Florida cases was $278,212. Once again, New York State topped the list in terms of total amount paid through lawsuits for medical malpractice: $667,168,500 was the total, with the average payment at $485,920. Illinois’ average claim payment was the very highest, at $626,226.
A Rare Opportunity to See an Anna Maria Artist’s Significant Body of Work
(Update: Helen passed away January 27, 2015 at her Anna Maria home.)
Anna Maria Island prides itself on its art community, which holds frequent exhibits and fairs at various venues. But not all of the island’s artists focus on showing their work. Some are more involved in their inner journey, and their painting process, without allowing the requirements of showing and selling their work to influence these priorities. The result can be work that has a great deal of integrity, and personal meaning.
Such is the case with Anna Maria artist Helen Romeike-Wisniewski, who, at 87, is still involved in her paintings every day. Her body of work is substantial, spanning the past six decades. Much of it never has been shown.
The opening of a large exhibit of her paintings, at the Palmetto Art Center (PAC) on Saturday, March 3, [ed. 2012] from 5 to 8 pm, promises to be an unusually interesting event. This relatively new art gallery and community center is a beautiful location for the serious presentation of art. The entire facility is being dedicated to the best possible presentation of Romeike-Wisniewski’s bold abstract paintings. The pieces to be shown have been selected by PAC director Gretchen LeClezio and the artist, to represent her work from various eras, including her time in Germany, in Austin, Texas, and on Anna Maria Island. Very large works on unstretched canvas will be hung, as well as more recent geometrical abstract acrylic paintings on paper, most of them unframed. The pieces are so strong that the frame is not missed. There will be some framed pieces, including an intriguing ink portrait of the artist’s brother, whom she credits with suggesting she enter the field of art.
“Hocus-Pocus” is how Helen Romeike-Wisniewski describes her work. “Now you see it, now you don’t,” she explains in her artist statement (shown in full, below). “We get glimpses of what’s out there or glimpses of what’s within…” The richness of both her inner and outer life are evident in this stunning exhibition spanning six decades of her journey to self knowledge through painting.
Helen Romeike-Wisniewski’s roots on Anna Maria Island run deep. Her parents, German immigrants, built the 1950s island home where she currently resides and still spends time creating. Her life, much like her canvas, is rich in experiences. Helen grew up in a family that followed her father’s petroleum engineering work assignments. During her married life, Helen continued to move often, this time following her then-husband’s military assignments. In the years after, Romeike-Wisniewski’s independent streak became as vibrant as the colors reflected in many of her paintings.
The 30th annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival will be held Saturday February 18 and Sunday February 19 10am to 6pm.
On display are demonstrations, museum and historical records of Florida’s oldest working fishing village. Seafood, arts and crafts and live music will also be part of the increasingly popular festival that is held every year.
Admission is $3 for adults and free for kids under 12. All proceeds are to the benefit of the F.I.S.H Preserve, the non-profit Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage.
To get to the festival head for 4600 124th Street West, Cortez, Florida 32415, but because of the popularity and small streets of Cortez Village, free parking is available east of the village off Cortez Road. Go early or late to get a parking spot. Anna Maria Islanders can take the free trolley from Coquina Beach to the parking site. More remote parking is available at G.T. Bray Park at 5502 33rd Ave W, Bradenton where a shuttle service connects to the festival for $2 round-trip.
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