Barbara Jenness, ABR, AHWD, e-PRO, GRI, PMN, TRC

Replacement of the two Summer Haven Bridges along Scenic & Historic A1A in St. Johns County, FL is to start in August 2009 and continue for 2 years.

A Construction Open House will be held on August 20th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and again from 5-7 p.m. at Whitney Labs at Marineland. The bridges will be significantly wider and a bit higher than they are now. There will be shoulders, bike paths and fishing areas.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has issued the following press release so the public can view the plans and better understand the timeframe and possible inconveniences.

ST. AUGUSTINE The replacement of the Summer Haven Bridges along State Road A1A just north of the Flagler County line is scheduled to begin in August and take approximately two years to complete. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has scheduled a construction open house to provide more information and details, including traffic impacts on this major project in St. Johns County.

The open house is scheduled for Thursday, August 20 at Whitney Laboratories located at 9055 Ocean Shore Boulevard, across from Marineland. For the convenience of the public, it will be held twice -- between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and from 5 to 7 p.m.

FDOT staff will be available to go over the plans and answer questions. There will be no formal presentation so those interested in the project are encouraged to drop by at any time.

For more information about the open house or FDOT construction projects in St. Johns County, contact Sandra Mancil at 800-475-0044 or sdmancil@pbsj.com.

Another fun-filled weekend is in store for those of us in St. Augustine. Won't you come join us?

Here's the calendar of events with a summary below.

Concerts

I'll be going to Counting Crows tomorrow, Friday, August 14th and hopefully doing many of the other fun things that are happening in St. Augustine this weekend.

In addition to the Counting Crows, Judas Priest and Whitesnake will be performing at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre on Saturday, August 15th.

There will be an Elvis Tribute Concert at Flagler College Auditorium on Sunday, August 16th.

Theatre

Wild Dreams, a performance about Henry Flagler, will be on Friday & Saturday at the San Marco Theater (formally 3-D World). Friday night you can buy one, get one free.

Nature

GTM Research Reserve Beach Walk on Saturday from 9 - 11 a.m.

Kayak tour at Pellicer Creek Aquatic Preserve on Sunday from 9 a.m. - noon.

Other

Pub Crawl from 7 - 11 p.m. on Friday.

Pro Rodeo at the St. Johns County Fairgrounds on Friday and Saturday.

FREE weekend at Castillo de San Marcos.

More details for all of the above: calendar of events.

Barbara Jenness has lived in the North Beach, St. Augustine area since 1998 and is an active community volunteer. She is President of Friends of A1A, vice-president of the local community association North Shores Improvement Association (NSIA), Board member of Vilano Beach Main Street since 1998 and has assisted with the redevelopment of Vilano Beach since 1998. She is a member of the Porpoise Point Homeowner's Association. She was selected as Businesswoman of the Year last year by the Women's Council of REALTORS in St. Augustine because of her community involvement. Additionally she was selected as the 2008 REALTOR of the Year for St. Augustine.

Whetstone Chocolates - St. Augustine Family Business since 1967

Tomorrow is my mother's birthday, so I had to stop by Whetstone Chocolates to get her some dark chocolate truffles and dark chocolate. She likes all kinds of chocolate, but I am partial to dark chocolate and was hoping she would share. Every year I get her Whetstone Chocolates. Every year I wrap the box and we both laugh as we both know what is inside (or what had better be inside!). She doesn't live in St. Augustine, but Whetstone Chocolate is her favorite chocolate (and mine, too!).

Virginia Whetstone, President of Whetstone Chocolate, is a friend of mine. Yes, I do choose my friends wisely. I was first introduced to her years ago when I first moved to St. Augustine by my college roommate, a local CPA and native of St. Augustine (as is Ms. Whetstone). My former roommate introduced us as she thought we would share similar interests as I am industrial engineer and Virginia owns a "factory". Once I learned she owned a CHOCOLATE factory, I became a great friend and fan of hers.

Virginia gave me a personal tour that evening and said I could help myself to some chocolates. I didn't know her well enough at the time (nor did she know me well enough either or she would not have made such a generous offer that could have bankrupted her!), so I only sampled a few pieces. I had found my new home away from home.

I am a big chocoholic. I have chocolate every day and sometimes multiple times a day. So, when I say Whetstone has the best chocolate, trust me.

So, today I got dark chocolate truffles: rum, raspberry, amaretto, and chocolate. I then threw in some of Virginia's Select Blend. I just sampled some for breakfast. Hey, it is packaged in a coffee bean like bag, so I got confused. More than 1/2 of the chocolate is missing ("someone" ate it...), but wanted you to see the bag.

And besides, dark chocolate is good for you. I selected the Dark Chocolate 72% Cocoa called Menendez. Pedro Menendez is the founder of St. Augustine. She names her Select Blend after different St. Augustine Streets. Here are the different pure chocolates (Select Blends) offered:

• Menendez Dark Chocolate 72% Cocoa
• De Leon Dark Chocolate 47% Cocoa
• San Marco White Chocolate 0% Cocoa
• Aviles Milk Chocolate 31% Cocoa

Whetstones also has pure chocolate from other countries:

• Java Origin Milk Chocolate 32% Cocoa
• Ecuador Origin Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa
• Ghana Origin Dark Chocolate 60% Cocoa
• Madagascar Origin Dark Chocolate 66% Cocoa

Norma Morris helped me with my selection today. I also met Jose Lopez, Whetstone's Operations Manager. He oversees operations at their two stores (see below for locations) and their factory. Their factory moved and is no longer open to the public. It was such a wonderful attraction, but as long I still get to enjoy their chocolate, I am not complaining.

I was at the store on Anastasia Island today. There is a great selection plus a relaxing seating area.

View history on the company.

Stores

DOWNTOWN ST. AUGUSTINE
open 7 days, Sun- Thu 10am-6pm, Fri-Sat 10am-9pm
42 St. George Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084 | 904.825.1720

ANASTASIA ISLAND
8:30 am - 6 pm, Mon - Sat and 9:00 am - 4 pm, Sun
13 Anastasia Blvd, St. Augustine, FL 32080 | 904.825.1725

Please visit Whetstone Chocolates. You can thank me later.

Barbara Jenness has lived in the North Beach, St. Augustine area since 1998 and is an active community volunteer. She met Virgina Whetstone in 1995. She is President of Friends of A1A, vice-president of the local community association North Shores Improvement Association (NSIA), Board member of Vilano Beach Main Street since 1998 and has assisted with the redevelopment of Vilano Beach since 1998. She is a member of the Porpoise Point Homeowner's Association. She was selected as Businesswoman of the Year last year by the Women's Council of REALTORS in St. Augustine because of her community involvement. Additionally she was selected as the 2008 REALTOR of the Year for St. Augustine.

Pawnee's Cafe and Fine Wines in Vilano Beach, FL

There's a great retail wine store in Vilano Beach where you can find your favorite wines at discount prices---Pawnee's. Pawnee's moved from Ponte Vedra to Vilano Beach a couple of years ago and is leasing the old Barrancotto's Italian Restaurant (was Since 1946 Restaurant after Barrancotto's) at 165 Vilano Road. Here are Sam & Laurie Barrancotto at last Friday night's wine tasting.

Wine Tastings are every Wednesday and Friday from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Pawnee Weaver is the operator and is open Wednesday - Sunday. She serves lunch Wednesday - Friday from 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. and a fun Champagne Brunch from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Sundays. The Sunday Market in Vilano is held from noon - 4 p.m., so after enjoying brunch, you can pick up some produce and art from the market. Dinner is served Wednesday - Saturday from 5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

The menu is below followed by more information on Pawnee's and directions.

Pawnee personally greets all of her customers and knows most by name (and also knows their favorite wines!). Pawnee knows how to find the deal on wines and passing the savings onto her customers. Stop by and pick up some wine for dinner tonight, or you can enjoy on the premises for a $5 corkage fee. Pawnee prefers to keep her wines priced reasonably so you can enjoy them with your meal or take home and enjoy, too. She has a great wine cellar.

If you don't see your favorite wine, Pawnee will get it for you! This is such a friendly store and cafe. Many neighbors walk to it. Come enjoy!

Directions: From St. Augustine, cross the Vilano Bridge and the Intracoastal Waterway to Vilano. Take a right on Coastal Highway at the traffic light. Take a right on Vilano Road at the stop sign. Pawnee's in on the left close to the Intracoastal.

Barbara Jenness is a Licensed Real Estate Broker and friend of nature serving northeast Florida from Jacksonville to Ponte Vedra and St. Augustine, specializing in waterfront properties (ocean, river, and Intracoastal) and foreclosures. She is an active community volunteer and has been involved with redeveloping Vilano Beach since 1998. She is the current President of Friends of A1A and the Vice-President of North Shores Improvement Association, the governing board of Vilano Beach Main Street. She is a past president of the Women's Council of REALTORS (WCR) in St. Augustine and the 2008 recipient of two WCR Awards: REALTOR of the Year and Businesswoman of the Year. She was awarded the SPIRIT Award for Passion from Realty/Builder Connection.

Mike's Place - for bait, crabs and shrimp on the Intracoastal just north of St. Augustine, FL

I like crabs. I just do. I like picking crabs. I like taking a couple of hours just to eat them. You don't put on any weight this way. I am like Bubba in Forrest Gump. I like stone, Dungeness, snow, blue, king, you name it--- crabs. I like them steamed, cold, in a salad, crabcakes, baked in a casserole, you get the idea. I just like crabs.

I grew up eating blue crabs that we caught in the panhandle of Florida (okay, my brother caught them). Then I caught them (okay along with my husband) in Maryland. We have been trying to catch them here in Florida but all we keep catching are fish in our crab trap. We will try the St. Johns River soon.

We have been purchasing crabs throughout the northeast Florida area. I have noticed for years the handmade sign for Mike's Place that said "live crabs". As Mike's Place is a bait shop, I thought this meant small crabs for bait, so I never checked out my neighborhood bait shop.

But then a neighbor told me about their stone crab claws that Mike's Place got from Cedar Key, Florida. A 5 lb. bag was $30. I went over and bought the last bag. They went so quickly. So when I was at Aunt Kate's Restaurant that adjoins this property last week, I stopped in to see if they had crabs.

"Yes", said Randy Harris the operator of Mike's Place along with Janie Jones since 2005, "we do have crabs." Being a Doubting Thomas I asked to see them. There they were:

I brought them home at $3.50/lb., steamed them and enjoyed a great meal. Randy told me they usually get the crabs on Thursday (come on, no jokes here).

He also showed me their jumbo shrimp with heads on for $7/lb.

I will be back for those.

Of course, Mike's Place is the place for bait and supplies in North Beach. It is located next to a St. Johns County Public boat ramp, Usina Boat Ramp, at the end of Euclid St. See directions below. Mike's Place also has a boat dock so you can arrive by boat and get your bait and other supplies. Or grab a bite to eat at Aunt Kate's restaurant, get your bait, and have a wonderful day on the Intracoastal in St. Augustine. Come visit.

Directions to Mike's Place:

Take Scenic A1A from St. Augustine over the Usina (Vilano) Bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). Continue on A1A by taking a left on Coastal Highway and travel about 2.5 miles north to Euclid (by The Reef Restaurant). Take a left on Euclid as directed by this homemade sign

all the way to the Intracoastal. Aunt Kate's is on the right and Mike's Place is on the Intracoastal connecting to Aunt Kate's.

Mikes' Place: 614 Euclid Ave Saint Augustine, FL 32084 (904) 829-8567

Barbara Jenness has lived in the North Beach area since 1998 and is an active community volunteer. She is President of Friends of A1A, vice-president of the local community association North Shores Improvement Association (NSIA), Board member of Vilano Beach Main Street since 1998 and has assisted with the redevelopment of Vilano Beach since 1998. She is a member of the Porpoise Point Homeowner's Association. She was selected as Businesswoman of the Year last year by the Women's Council of REALTORS in St. Augustine because of her community involvement. Additionally she was selected as the 2008 REALTOR of the Year for St. Augustine.