Author Archives

Chris Gerbasi

Chris Gerbasi has been a journalist for more than 30 years, writing and copy editing for newspapers and magazines throughout Michigan and Florida, and covering everything from city hall to spring training.

Entertainment: The show must (may) go on

The Sharon has an exciting, diverse lineup for 2020-21—once the curtain is raised again. Photos: Nicole Hamel ho the heck is Nonnie and what aren’t we supposed to tell her? Music, theater and comedy fans can seek the answer when…

This ‘N That: Once around the dial

T-pills, Pringles and Angels—TV has it all. Or nothing. Illustrations: Megan Mericle I was a TV baby. Rather, a TV teen. I watched waaaay too much television growing up because of the lack of a social life. Today, I watch…

A true success story

Kristin Jamieson, of Success Mortgage Partners, is Style’s 2020 Business Woman of the Year. Photos: Douglas Tyler Kevin Broughton remembers receiving a phone call about six years ago from a Kansas woman who had just moved with her husband and…

This ‘N That: In my room

Illustration: Megan Mericle I think I hear someone—oh, it’s just my brain talking. A sneak peek into the future and Day 561 of isolation … “You got the stuff?” “Yeah, I got the stuff. You got the money?” “Yeah, I…

Local Talent: Dream weaver

Toni Stokes Marshall creates uncommon artwork at her Leesburg studio. Photos: Nicole Hamel Textiles always fascinated Toni Stokes Marshall, but it wasn’t until her retirement from the health-care field that she was able to wrap herself in textiles as an…

My First Time: Leslie Campione

Lake County Commission chairwoman navigates a pandemic. Photo: Douglas Tyler Since the first positive case in Lake County, the COVID-19 pandemic has been my highest priority. I knew I needed to stay focused on one goal: protecting the safety of our…

A welcome intervention

Opioid abusers are getting help through a program guided by LifeStream and AdventHealth Waterman. A man overdosing on oxycodone is rushed into the AdventHealth Waterman emergency room. The ER staff immediately calls the LifeStream Community Substance Abuse Response Team. A crisis…

Spirits: Sunny days for beer lovers

Tap into a variety of craft brews at a bright new spot, the Sunny Pint in Wildwood. For most people, the phrase “dream job” is an oxymoron. For beer lovers, however, you can’t beat Sue Sidoti’s job. As a beer connoisseur…

This ‘N That: For whom the toll tolls

You’ll never take me alive, coppers! I was driving in Tampa and didn’t want to go through town, so I jumped on the freeway. I got mixed up for a while before I finally found an Ybor City exit. But when…

A door closes, a tent opens for Clermont businessman

With a business called iRent Everything, owner Jonathan Proto would seem to have all eventualities covered. But when the coronavirus pandemic started to take hold, he decided to make a quick pivot from serving events to serving hospitals, health-care facilities…