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May 12-18, 1999

May 12-18, 1999 / Vol. 15 / No. 19

Hopeful projections

By all logic, the movie business should have come to a screeching halt last weekend, with cinema buffs busy procuring advance tickets to Wednesday’s opening of Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace instead of venturing out to sample any of its less-hyped competitors. Apparently, the David-and-Goliath scenario didn’t frighten Frankie Messina of the…

Steve Schneider

Watered-down Celebration

As much as it must be tired of the spotlight, Celebration just can’t get out of the harsh light of scrutiny. When you’re built from scratch by Disney as a righteous experiment in traditional living, you’ve got to expect attention. Case in point: What other city in America would get a New York Times write-up…

Theresa Everline

The last sideshow

Artificial light delays the progress of night along the midway of the Florida State Fair. At the far end, beyond the clamorous rides, games and funnel cake vendors, a line is forming across from a large sideshow. As you make your way toward it, you see a dozen or so people taking in the breadth…

David Jasper

Occupation hazards

David Senes Rodriguez was standing guard just outside the observation tower at Camp Garcia, a U.S. Marine base on the island of Vieques at 7 p.m. on April 19. It was a clear night, light breeze. Same as usual on this tropical paradise just off the main island of Puerto Rico. Inside the tower building,…

Ericson, Edward Jr.

Whistle blowin’ a new tune

Former assistant State’s Attorney Donna “Chris” Lindamood has been “floating the past couple of days,” she says, because of a ruling Friday in her legal battle with Orange-Osceola State’s Attorney Lawson Lamar. The 5th District Court of Appeals said Lamar must rehire Lindamood in her old position, from which he dismissed her without cause last…

Orlando Weekly Staff

The loan gunman

The state Legislature didn’t do anything to curb the usurious title-loan industry this year, and Orange County is merely making promises to reform. So Orlando lawyer Ken Mann, on behalf of Donna Schwilm and James Jadloweic, filed a new lawsuit last week against U.S. Title Express — and against the law that condones a 264…

Orlando Weekly Staff

Logo and behold!

Apparently downtown Orlando wants to boost its identity by masquerading as folksy Spring Hill, Tenn. That’s where General Motors builds its Saturn cars, whose widely recognized logo is a near-mirror image of the one that Orlando’s Earthbase Idea Group devised as the linchpin of its campaign to “rebrand” the city center. The cost: $50,000. Convinced…

Orlando Weekly Staff

Going through a dry run

The Kanda Tsushin Kogyo firm of Tokyo, Japan, announced in April that its child’s anti-bed-wetting machine had finished clinical tests and was awaiting approval by the Health and Welfare Ministry. The device measures the depth of a child’s sleep and fullness of the bladder and sounds an alarm when it’s time to get up and…

Chuck Shepherd

‘Pioneering’ political fund-raising

George W. Bush, who wants to be your president, recently wowed the political pundits. Not with his grasp of issues (he says he’s still studying them), not with his achievements as governor of Texas (he does little but run errands for his business cronies), but for the fact that he raised a haybarn-full of campaign…

Jim Hightower

‘Trail’ leads Hornsby down improv path

You can’t judge a book by its cover. But musicians often attempt to convey something about the tone of their recordings via the art that adorns their CD booklets. So what was Bruce Hornsby — the expressive singer, sensitive songwriter and pianist extraordinaire — thinking when he fronted his latest release, the double-disc “Spirit Trail,”…

Philip Booth

Menace to society

If you’ve ever been pierced, you know the trick “on the count of three. One … two …” and then they pierce you before three. Catching you off guard is supposed to make it easier, but you’re still holding your ear going, “What the hell happened?” Or, if it was your nose they pierced, “Wha…

Liz Langley

Fancy but friendly

We didn’t make the connection at first, but anytime you visit Heathrow, the community where frozen-pizza baron Jeno Paulucci has played such a pivotal role for more than a decade, you can assume he’s somehow involved. Luigino’s Pasta and Steak House is indeed Paulucci’s brain child, taking its title from his formal name. (Jeno’s Pasta…

Orlando Weekly Staff

Disneyâ??s culinary cram sessions

The art of Mediterranean cuisine takes the spotlight this month at Disney Institute, where all-star chefs and other notables in the profession will offer a multifaceted, interactive cooking program. The Mediterranean Cooking Techniques event includes classes, dinners, tours, tastings, discussions, celebrity demos and many other other Disney-inspired options. Two sessions will be offered, May 20-22…

Colleen Moore

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