Southeast junior gets highest Girl Scout honor

It’s good to be Gillian Palino these days.
She received her Gold Award, the Girl Scouts’ highest award, at last Sunday’s Young Women of Distinction Luncheon in Port Charlotte.
The Southeast High School junior was also named assistant drum major for the Marching ‘Noles.
Congrats from Judy, Hayden, Dawn and Kyle.

• The Principal’s Wall of Honor at Lincoln Middle School has its first 10 names, including principals spanning the era from Lincoln Memorial High School in 1949 through the transition to a middle school in 1970 to the present day.
The honorees were Carlos E. Haile, James L. Gant, James Tillman and Joseph T. Bivens, whose tenure bridged the high school-to- middle school conversion during integration, followed by James L. Dupree, Richard A. Bills, Ronald K. Hirst, Reid E. Wallace, Curtis J. Davis and Ronnie L. King.
The Wall of Honor was unveiled at Thursday morning ceremonies.

• KC and the Sunshine Dancers host “Breaking Ground 2013,” showcasing talented high school dancers from Manatee School for the Arts, Lakewood Ranch, Palmetto and Bayshore as well as Lee Middle School and SCF.
Showtime is 7 p.m. Tuesday at MSA, 700 Haben Blvd., Palmetto.

Read more Friday in Vin's People on Bradenton.com.

BBQ sauce anniversary in time for holiday weekend

I'm a sucker for different barbecue sauces.
Got a favorite, but I like to sample what's out there.
Picked up something from New Orleans when Sherri and I visited last year.
Ditto for another from a street fair in Mount Dora.
Brought some home from Mississippi, too.
Haven't had the pleasure of trying some homegrown sauce.
May have to give Elmer Hilker's concoction a try, especially with Memorial Day weekend on tap.
See what all the fuss is over his Smoky Mountain Finishing Sauce and Smoky Mountain Killer Finishing Sauce.
Sounds like the Palmetto resident is on a roll.
Good for him.
Laid off as a government defense contractor 13 months ago, Elmer and wife Jan, who works for tax collector Ken Burton Jr., took a chance on bottling and selling their own BBQ sauce.
The Palmetto Meat Shop was the first to stock E's concoction.
It's got a lot of company now.
E's Best Barbecue is now sold in 37 retailers, including stores in Manatee, Tampa Bay, the Orlando area, Tallahassee, six cities in North Carolina and a chain in Cleveland, Tenn.
Couldn't happen to better folks.
They'll celebrate their first anniversary 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday with a tasting at The Chop Shop, 5906 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.
I may have to drop by and get some.

'SAVE OUR TEACHERS! SAVE OUR TEACHERS!'

Their numbers were small, but their message was writ large.
Nearly 100 people lined the sunbaked sidewalk along Manatee Avenue West in front of the Manatee School District administration building on behalf of teachers in the face of looming staff cuts.
The rally included parents and students from elementary schools like Anna Maria, Ballard, Oneco, Orange Ridge and Rowlett, as well as Palmetto High.
Most of them held up colorful posters that shouted their ardent support:
"1-2-3-4, WE COULD NOT  LOVE OUR TEACHERS MORE"
"I LOVE MRS. MCDONOUGH."
"HONK FOR TEACHERS!"
That one and ones just like it had the desired effect, with motorists leaning on their car horns, demonstrating their solidarity as they drove by.
Folks did more than wave signs.
Children chanted:
"SAVE OUR TEACHERS!
"SAVE OUR TEACHERS!
"SAVE OUR TEACHERS!"
Unfortunately, the chorus fell on deaf ears.
One Oneco parent said 12 teachers and seven aides will lose their jobs.
Another parent said her daughter, a young teacher at Ballard, has also been notified she won't be back.
A Palmetto High teacher wondered aloud how the school district could still be in such bad shape financially even after all the pay cuts, furloughs and other financial sacrifices teachers have had to make these last few years.
Now this.
When asked where their anger was directed, several people turned and pointed toward the top floor of the admininstration building, where the suits work on the fifth floor.
"Why Must Teachers Pay For Their Mismanagement," another sign read, appropriately.
After 30 minutespeople in the rally left Manatee Avenue to make their presence felt in front of the administration building.
One person dangled a sign whose words, albeit unappreciated in these times, still ring so true:
"IF YOU CAN READ THIS, THANK A TEACHER."

Mother's Day mementoes make magical memories

Mother’s Day mementoes.
All of us have them, something to remind us of mom and cherish year ‘round, not just on this day.
Especially if she’s gone.
Like my mother, Eileen, who passed in 2008.
Keepsakes?
I’ve got plenty.
Framed snapshots on our living room wall of her with Sherri and I at my sister’s backyard pool one of our last summers together.
Another picture in our hallway of Mom and Dad on their wedding day 65 years ago last week.
A photo on my work desk of the two of us silhouetted by a sunset we gazed upon from Fort Myers Beach.

Read more Sunday in Mannix About Manatee on Bradenton.com.

St. Joseph Eagles Gulf Coast League tennis champs

Big ups to Saint Joseph Catholic School’s tennis team, new Gulf Coast League Champions. They are Courtney Berardi, Danielle Bolle, Elijah Bolle, Karissa Bolle, Abby Cuva, Ethan Hudson, Jimmy Heagerty, Joey Heagerty and Noah Koike. Coach is Joe Cuva and assistant Jay Heagerty. Krys Kolbe is athletic director.

Good luck to the Miss Manatee 8-U All-Star team at the 2013 USSSA REC Ball Tournament this weekend at Palma Sola Park. The team includes Amanda Estling, Caitlin Flitcraft, Hailey Hirter, Brooke James, Amanda Lee, Riley O’Neill, Hannah Ott, Isabelle Pettis, Taylor Shephard, Miriam Traugutt, Kelsey Vogel, Jessica Wagner and Naomi Whinery. Coaches are Joe Ott, Laura Estling, Todd Lee and Jon James.

Manatee Cal Ripken Baseball’s 8U All stars are Christopher Conboy, Justin Cook, Alex Heintz, Judson Hildreth, Ashton Lamb, Jason McReynolds, Jack Muller, Ryan O’Sullivan, Dylan Reiser, Tristan Schellinger, Rylen Stockton, Jaden Stockton and Lucas Viera.The ballclub begins district tournament play at Ocala in June.
Coaches are Lee Heintz, Mike Stockton and Shane Reiser.Anyone interested in making a donation or being a sponsor call Kristin Heintz at 941-720-2356.

Read more Friday in Vin's People on Bradenton.com.

Favorite Ronde Barber memory? Not in football

My favorite Ronde Barber moment?
No, not his 2002 NFC championship clinching interception for a TD against my Philadelphia Eagles that sent the Bucs to the Super Bowl.
Nor his two INTs for TDs against the Eagles again in that 2006 regular season game won by the Bucs on a last-second 62-yard field goal at the RayJay.
Nope.
My favorite moment and memory of the Bucs nonpareil cornerback who retired Wednesday after a 16-year career happened on an offseason plane bound for Columbus, Ohio.
I was flying up for a wedding and noticed this fit-looking fellow a few seats away.
Ronde Barber?
Can't be.
Then it hit me.
We were both going to the same wedding.
Greg Bellisari's wedding.
I had coached Greg in T-ball many moons ago in Boca Raton, followed him in high school, then later at Ohio State and remained good friends with his family.
He made the Bucs as a rookie free agent at middle linebacker, backing up Hardy Nickerson and playing special teams for one season in 1997.
His best friend? Another rookie, Ronde Barber.
Anyway, I took a taxi from Port Columbus Airport to the church and who should arrive about the same time, but Greg's former teammate.
We finally met during the reception and joked about the coincidence, small world and all that.
I flew back to Tampa the next day.
Greg is now an orthopedic surgeon in Columbus and his friendship with Ronde is as strong as ever.
How strong?
Ronde is godfather to one of Greg and Mary Bellisari's four children.

Hear our orators of tomorrow on Saturday

Hear tomorrow's orators today.
Or make that Saturday.
That's when students in fourth, fifth and sixth grade, representing 35 Manatee County public, private and charter schools, will vie for top honors at the 44th annual 4-H/Tropicana Public Speaking Competition.
The event is at the Manatee County Agricultural Center, 1303 17th St. W., Palmetto and starts at 9 a.m. with the finals around 2:30 p.m.
The inspiration for the 4-H/Tropicana Public Speaking program traces back to Inez Pettigrew, a devoted teacher at Palm View Elementary School, who began working with students on public speaking skills more than 60 years ago.
Then in 1969, 4-H and Tropicana teamed up to offer this program to all Manatee County elementary and middle school students.
The program is now offered statewide.
For details, call Diana Smith, the county's 4-H coordinator and extension agent at 941-722-4524, ext. 244.