Gulf Coast Journal with Jack Perkins; 112; Mabry Carlton Ranch, Historic Spanish Point, Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, Towles Court Artist Colony

Oh. The following is a special presentation of w. we do you Tampa-St. Petersburg Sarasota. They come along we're going you know an old fashioned cattle drive on an old fashioned ranch run by three quite modern women. Before I tell a young artist. Court of Florida. Colorful street in town in this failure of a Gulf Coast Journal. This w edu production is exclusively brought to you through a generous grant from the Gold Coast Community Foundation of Venice envisioning a region known for endowed philanthropy a vital nonprofit community and the ability to address emerging issues.

Dear Journal. Folks on the Gulf Coast seem to long for what they call the old Florida open spaces nature rugged people. Well we were delighted to find that such a place still exists and such people. What a joy to visit them. Seventy five. Far from the cultural heart of downtown Sarasota from the chatter of beachgoers of Sarasota County that is remarkably different.

The thing that compliments. Me. Coastal area is what it does is it completes us. Filled with mossy Oaks citrus maybe a palmetto Flatwoods. Here is a slice of old Florida that has remained virtually unchanged for more than 100 years. It's just a feeling of tranquility and it's just a feeling you know this is this is the land as most of this land is the way God made it that's been untouched. Untouched unspoiled undeveloped. It is a special place to Lisa Carlton who was born and raised here on what is known as the 17000 acre Maybrick Turlington range. I think this ranch represents a lifestyle. That I've. Grown.

And I never lived anywhere else so I really wouldn't know anything else any other kind of life leaving the country would be blasphemous to Lisa Maybrick Carrollton ranch symbolizes a deep seated family tradition preserving Florida's endangered open space from urban sprawl. It represents the past it represents the future because we built on what our forefathers have done and given us a. Wonderful piece of property and we preserved it intact for four generations which is difficult to do in the agricultural business these days it's a tough challenging. Business to be in. The ranch is named after Lisa's father Thomas Mayberry Carlton Jr. cattle rancher. One time county commissioner third generation Floridian and a major influence on his life. From very early on in my life my father always trust me and my mother always stressed to me the duty of public service. You have made a good

living here. You have you have a successful business and it's your responsibility to get back to that later to public service as a state senator for her district. The implementation of a constitutional amendment requires this body to act with the highest regard to voter's intention. There is probably not. One issue in the Florida legislature that I haven't encountered in a small way shape or form in this agricultural business. Her father died tragically in a plane crash in 1989 leaving behind three strong women of his wife to run the family's cattle ranch. Our business is wholly owned by my mother my sister in law and my mom this president of the company. There's probably very few. Agricultural businesses where you do have you know their sole owner as are our women and I think in the agricultural world and agricultural families women have

always been the back bone of the family and the business. There no time clock to punch no traffic jams to fight no office politics to play with the exception of adding computer the family's business has remained virtually the same for generations. This this is our lives and it's hard. It would be very difficult to get fat or to succumb to some of the very easy options which would be to sell this ranch is what we are 24/7. On a cool autumn morning long before most city dwellers have ordered their first mocha latte leisure and the Cowboys head out for their semiannual trout front of I'm thinking if you don't mind you could ride the slew sadly you know I like him. You mean gather up my cows from the very southern portion of our property which is almost going you know six miles off the highway and bring them up

to the cow pens and we sell them in the fall market and we are a traditional operation it's called a cow calf operation. Rounding up hundreds of cattle over several acres of wooded rough terrain is back breaking hard work. Coaxing them out of the woods can be tricky. A swamp buggy is about the only way to keep up with the hooves and hatch. The ride is slightly treacherous in this tank like vehicle which is actually a 78 Chevy pickup cloaked in wood. Looked at it when he brought it home and I said. Rob. It's man applied. It's not steel for metal he said. This Okay and I said so why don't we make cars.

What. Back at the bunkhouse family matriarch Barbara Carleton prepares for a decades old one tradition. Everybody knows they just come. People are you know they're coming they're just calm. You always welcome everybody. Well. We have friends that we invited out to lunch and you know they get to enjoy a little bit of country life in a little bit of swamp cabbage and the sweet iced tea and those things that. Really if you live on the coast of Sarasota and you don't ever travel east you really might not ever get to experience a real Florida home cooked meal. Your That's all right. Food is prepared over an open fire and inside the old bunk house just like it has been for more than four decades. You must be the best. World. War II. This is the Russians where. They just taste better outside. The menu is not for the diet conscious or the feel of this hideous

protein fact carbon Laden sugar filled with You could be of the pure downhome delight. Right. Next. To gash. It's an escape from the city. Through the cold winter. It's a way of life. And one that Lisa is determined will last for many generations. Well I think I would like the name to be remembered as was a responsible family that has taken. Property and has taken a business that's been passed down through many generations has has has worked hard to preserve that. For the next generation of family members and to preserve that. For the benefit of all for radians. I hope that we're remembered as good stewards of the land. Developers might look at this land and see golf courses and condominiums

but the Carlton's have seen to it legally that that will never happen. Because when they look at this land. They see. Past. Present. Future. For them. And they see their own family tree. Speaking of visionaries who helped protect the past for the future. Consider now a woman named Ray Palmer. Palmer as in the famous Palmer House Hotel in Chicago. She and her husband accumulated great wealth and after his death she came to Florida and began buying up thousands and thousands of acres of land. And creating a heritage starting right here on Spanish point. In the town of osprey not far from us 41 is a living breathing

window into the past. You. Feel. Like breathing Exactly. All our family has. Become an. Institution over the years. And real estate is the foundation of baboons. Welcome to historic Spanish point a 30 acre museum shrouded in mangroves pines and other sub tropical plant life. A small staff along with some dedicated volunteers act as the keepers and tour guides of this crew Gulf Coast treasure. One of the great things about Spanish point is not only that it's a historic museum but that we have all kinds of wonderful biological collections and archaeology things for people to learn about. So no matter what your interest you can always find something here that captivates you. Captivating Mindy leaving the hustle and bustle of Sarasota County behind you step into a tranquil basis and find yourself strolling through meticulously landscaped gardens and tearing off other

worldly canopies. We encourage people however are they at all possible to visit the museum. Because once you get away from the highway and back into the beauty of historic Spanish point you really can capture an earlier time period. It's quite amazing. But as Executive Director Linda Mansour Berger also points out the scenery is only part of what makes this site unique. Historic Spanish point. It was the first site in Sarasota County to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. And what really intrigues me about the property was the different areas of history that are represented here from the burial mound built by prehistoric Indians to the elaborate walkways designed by visionary Bertha Palmer in the early 1900s. Thousands of years of ancient Florida history unfold before your eyes. During Spanish point's heritage holidays visitors absorbed the

beautiful Victorian trimmings and experience a colorful and live history lesson. Not that you will change it for a job where I may not have lived here long but I know you. As your journey continues conversing the many trails with their push them turn. You'll find around each bend awaits another slice of olden time. It's just like the circle of life I guess from The Lion King but it's really just a way to be back to the past. Something that just strikes me every moment that I'm out here. Some historical sites also play host to the future. Nestled deep in the woods this quaint chapel known as Mary's chapel is a popular oasis for lovers to say I do. Next to Mary's chapel is a Pioneer Cemetery in the Pioneer Cemetery or.

John and Eliza Webb for their children and their spouses are buried in the cemetery. Children and grandchildren as well as some early other families of this area. One of those families was the GUP dolls whose house sits majestically on top of an archaic maiden that overlooks little Sarasota Bay. Finally your stroll ends here in the jungle garden. Where Shell paths meander past classical urns and tropical vegetation leaving you with a truly peaceful feeling. Like curious landscapes breathtaking scenery snapshots of time historic Spanish point reveals an imprint of Florida's

past preserving it for the future. And time travelers are yet to come. One of the reasons Sarasota is for Sarasota is today is because of that great visionary John Ringling. He envisioned this area as a place of culture. And so indeed today in Sarasota there are great theater great museums ballet opera. And music. And. As many of us are leisurely winding down for the day. Others are just getting warmed up. Violinist Jefferson for rock may be the first to arrive for rehearsal but from the

looks of things out on Van ways away he'll soon have plenty of company. It's like this every Monday at Symphony Center around 5 p.m. kids from around the Florida west coast area show up by the dozens raring to go ready to play. All of these musicians are in the Florida west coast Symphony's youth programs. But the group that gathers here in cone Hall on Monday night is. The cream of the crop. 70 strong. They are the youth Philharmonic. Yeah. And on this night in early December guest conductor Oscar boost B.O. was getting the youth Philharmonic ready for its annual holiday concert. One. Oh yeah. The owner. The assistant director of the Florida west coast symphony but studio gives these teenagers

high marks for musical skills advanced technique and sheer dedication. Just one listen to five I'm told by a French classical composer George BSA. And you know these young folks are good. Aspiring musicians all of them and when the rehearsal chairs are occupied by so many gifted players no wonder your sense of passion for music. And the passion that has given flutist clingy weight some beautiful dreams for this scene you're a chair a sort of high school. Her attachment to music is an unbreakable bond. So after class work and before homework the 17 year old honor student heads for practice.

This chapel is just so quiet as a so serene and calming just a common long day at school and being kind of aggravated with and from the test or anything like that just coming here in Pakistan. Look at the window and it's so so peaceful and. I love how I sound in here. When I was in third grade I lived in Connecticut and my mom took me to a Pizza Hut to pick up a pizza and I heard there is a playing a song over the radio and it was some classical piece and I had flu in the backyard. But I'll play when I get older. At the ripe old age of 10 when she started taking flute lessons. I would love music and what I would like to do is I'd I'd love to end up being in mission in a major symphony orchestra Someday I'd love to be a solo.

Back to Symphony Center rehearsal is still underway for lynching weight and the other members of the youth trail are monic This is the second home every Monday night. Since the youth orchestra program began here in 1959 thousands of young students have honed their talents and developed a true appreciation of fine music. For Andrew lane principal conductor of the new focus groups which include five different levels. There is tremendous pride watching students progress. We nurture them and then they are here until they're in high school and playing in our top group was that which is our youth Philharmonic. And so you did many times you see them from the very beginning when they're in elementary school all the way until they're in high school and it's really it's really something to watch a young person mature on an instrument. Well all of the rehearsals paid off in the big home for the holidays performance finally

arrive dressed in concert black the youthful harmonic 70s strong. Deliver the gifts. The gift of music. Was. Thank. God. My. Are rich in genders art artists enjoy the company of other artists artists colonies form and rich in the communities around them. Example. A little street in downtown Sarasota probably the most colorful street in town. On a mild Gulf Coast night in Sarasota his most creative neighborhood residents and

visitors soak up art by the light of the moon. If I was if I had a house elsewhere I'd have to read a studio and just wouldn't be the same we have our gallery walks once a month and I get I get some exposure here that need a lot of great people. There are a lot of fine couldn't do that anywhere else. It was totally unique. Unique is one way to describe the Polish court artist colony. A community of sculptors painters and other creative types living and working side by side near neighbors can borrow a cup of inspiration and share their favorite recipe with one another. Matej says that art in a vacuum isn't nearly as interesting as art produced around other artists and I truly believe that this is my third year and I've really left. This eclectic column they began with one artist a decade ago.

It has grown to include more than 40 studios and galleries. Will you go see. Probably pop your head over there some time you can talk to your neighbor or. Run down the street and down to their gallery or. If it's just an incredible atmosphere that you don't hear in a lot of places. Like most neighborhoods it's made up of an assortment of people with varying tastes and preferences like Peter Karen Riccardi. It's just that everyone appreciates every different style. Like I can't draw nearly as well as the person next to me so I'm always over there watching him to see what he's doing next I mean it just sort of sharpens your skill because there are so many different types of bad talent here. Beverly Fleming's gallery exhibits the work of fellow artists Beverly is an artist

in her own right and prefers experimental techniques wax paper and spontaneity make interesting images. At innervation studio creativity plays the role of therapy here. Art is used to mend the hearts and spirits of children victimized by abuse. Art is often a much more natural language for children anyway so often they're telling their story through the art their story of what's happened to them and also the story of their own strength and resilience. Hence the name visions of hope because it is a very hopeful inspiring program to be a part of. Inside the murals dot com art is larger than life but creating it is no small task. Artist skip Derrida specializes in a realistic painting technique known as Trump lawyer a French term that means fool the eye.

You can call it trump Lloyd. You know somebody can look at it. Either it is or it isn't. You just have to know how to pull it off. Neighbors helping neighbors artists encouraging our kids. This symbiotic force of creative talent is what makes tolls court so special. The door is open. Anybody can come in and chat. I get a lot of artists come in and ask for advice. Regular public and sometimes they make a sale. It's so great to. Be able to just come out of your gallery or in your gallery and paint put it away. I've even sold a piece before you even had a mannish So you never know what's going to happen here. But if you're curious and you've never been. Wait until the sun sets. Put on your most comfortable walking shoes and discover the charm of this place.

We want you to know that starting next month the Gulf Coast Journal is going to be on the air with programs old and new. Each week. Each Thursday. We're happy about that. Now in closing. Another look at something of the past at at the entrance to KC is still present. You can order this or any other volume of a Gulf Coast journal with Jack Perkins on a high

quality DVD format for just 999 plus shipping and handling. Call 1 800 3 5 4 9 3 3 8. Or visit our website at. Org. This w production has been exclusively brought to you through a generous grant from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of envisioning a region known for endowed philanthropy a vital nonprofit community. And the ability to address emerging issues.