harlotteSHELD N HERALD 'TONALIST WINS BELMONT California Chrome fails in his bid to win the first Triple Crown in 36 years. SEE SPORTS FATHER'S DAY GIFT IDEAS If his shirts are looking a bit faded, or his jeans are more than a little frayed, consider a wardrobe update for Father's Day. SEE FLAIR An Edition of the Sun VOL. 122 NO. 159 AMERICA'S BEST COMMUNITY DAILY SUNDAY JUNE 8, 2014 www.sunnewspapers.net GOOD MORNING Sharing with the squirrels I have always favored those plants that could feed me. When we lived on the edge of the Hudson River palisades in New York, Derek DUNN-RANKIN CHAIRMAN we could mark the seasons' progress with the gener- osity of nature. Thick-skinned, wild purple grapes grew in the woods in the back of our old green house. An ancient cherry tree behind the garage oozed a tasty chewable sap, even before the reddening cherries pleaded to be picked. A window to the garage roof put the 5- and 7-year-old brothers in reach of climbing limbs. The green apples ripened before the red ones, and required a lot of testing before they were ready for pies or applesauce. A prolific pear tree called to have its green fruit taste-tested as the harvest ripened. Our mother canned the ripened fruit, melting wax to seal the Mason jars. I complained about the abbrevi- ated harvest and was told that I could plant a pear seed and have my very own tree. It grew handsomely, but we moved to Florida before it was mature enough to bear fruit. The generous branches of a black walnut tree on the farm next door to our backyard shared its largess on our side of the strands of a rusty wire fence. Our mother insisted we had to offer the harvest to the owner, who said we could have all we wanted, as long as we stayed on our side of the fence. In the fall, with the grapes and cherries long gone, we spent many an hour using rocks to pound open the green hulls before getting to the nut itself. We learned that hickory nut stains do not wash out. Just after the Christmas of 1936, my brothers and I left our grandpar- ents' home and the slush and snow of Long Island to join our parents in Miami Beach. The second day we were there, our mother bought us all shorts and threw our corduroy knickers in the garbage. We were in the tropics to stay. The next day, we learned how to snag coconuts from a tree the hurricane of 1935 had bent to a low angle. Florida in the 1930s opened wide new horizons for scoffing up a variety of easily acquired sweet, fresh tastes for a roaming band of brothers. Many a wealthy homeowner had adorned their property with generous plants, and then gone north for the summer. While the citrus season was past, the kumquats were ready to be plucked. When we moved north to Surfside, the empty yards with summer Surinam cherry bushes kept us busy. Avocado and mango trees loved our slice of the tropics. Later we moved to Winter Park with a loquat tree great for climbing that had a brief season of all the fruit you could eat. A lemon tree with fruit as large as a small grapefruit made a great summer lemonade. When Betty and our five children lived on Key Biscayne, prolific banana trees just outside the laundry room provided bunches of small, sweet fruit. This past season we had our first avocado crop from a seed I planted several years ago. Next year, I hope to persuade the squirrels to share with us. Derek Dunn-Rankin is chairman of the Sun Coast Media Group. He can be reached at derekdr@sun-herald.com. Doctor: 'Don't wait fOr VA' SUN PHOTO BY PAUL FALLON Vietnam veteran Bob Conetta stands in front of a flag at the Military Heritage Museum in Punta Gorda. Conetta has numerous complaints about his treatment in the VA medical system. By PAUL FALLON STAFF WRITER Vietnam veteran Bob Conetta has a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart from his service in Southeast Asia. The Punta Gorda resident also has questions about his medical care from the Veterans Administration system, questions that have not been answered. Conetta, who lost a leg and an eye to a mine near the city of Hue in 1968, "I would have been in a lot of trouble if I would have waited for the VA. Bob Conetta, Vietnam veteran suffered from prostate cancer in 2008. Although he is now in remission, he went outside the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System in order to have the procedure done quickly, he said. "I would have been in a lot of trouble if I would have waited for the VA," Conetta said. On July 14, 2008, Conetta, 67, underwent a biopsy at the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System out of St. Petersburg. On July 29, 2008, he received his results from aVA doctor. "It took them from July 14 until July 29 to get me the results," he said. "That's just too long." The doctor told Conetta that his condition was serious and that he didn't have time to wait. "He told me not to wait for the VA," Conetta said. Conetta's story isn't unique, and the recent national scandal involving wait times at VA hospitals in Arizona and secret lists WAIT110 By BRENDA BARBOSA STAFF WRITER PUNTA GORDA Every Monday afternoon, yoga teacher Virginia Williamson welcomes her students as they shuffle into a dimly lit room at Charlotte Behavioral Health Care. The students are by no means seasoned yogis. For many, it's their first introduction to yoga an ancient practice aimed at uniting mind, body and spirit. The group is part of Charlotte Behavioral's addiction-recovery program. Students have checked Peace River By GARY ROBERTS STAFF WRITER DESOTO COUNTY- At first pass, the quarry lay quiet in the brush along the Peace River, nearly hidden from view of those in pursuit. But the pontoon boat filled with sharp- eyed "hunters" turned around for a second look, confirming the sighting. An empty chip bag, carelessly tossed aside, soon would join the rest of the trash recovered from the river. The weekend's 20th Annual Peace River Cleanup, sponsored by the Nav-A-Gator Grill & Marina, got an themselves into the center's detox facil- ity voluntarily to begin the difficult and lifelong journey to sobriety. With any luck, students will leave Williamson's yoga class with a few tools to ease the journey. According to CBHC Chief Operating Officer Vickie D'Agostino, research shows that incorporating gentle movement and mindful breathing into addiction recovery hastens improve- ment time. "We wanted to provide our patients with skills to manage their stress during the detox process," D'Agostino said. "Many of our patients simply do Cleanup reels in early start Saturday morning, when members of the Charlotte Harbor Parrot Head Club headed up the day's eco-friendly scavenger hunt. And, befitting the "party with a purpose" slogan of the local Parrot Head Club the second largest chapter in the country with almost 700 members there was plenty of recreation to go along with the work. "We all like to have a good time and do community service," said Charlotte Lanier, the club's member- ship director. John Bojarski And they have been doing it for a spots a discai long time. For 15 years, Lanier, even site on a bead CLEANUP 10 not know how to relax or calm down without using substances, and it's im- portant that they quickly develop some alternative, healthy ways to cope." Started about four years ago after the detox facility opened, Williamson's yoga class is a staple in the recovery facility's treatment program. It offers a respite in the often-chaotic lives of addicts and alcoholics. Like treatment, yoga class is volun- tary. No one is forced to go. But those who do attend say the benefits are immediate. On a warm Monday afternoon in YOGA 112 big haul SUN PHOTO BY GARY ROBERTS i of the Punta Gorda Sailing Club rded bucket next to a campfire ch along the Peace River Saturday Oth Annual Peace River Cleanup. during the 2( INDEX I THE SUN: Police Beat 41 Obituaries 5 Viewpoint 81 Opinion 91Legals 11 I THE WIRE: Nation 2, 5-61 State 31 Travel 6 World 6-81 Health 71 Weather 8 Sunday Edition $2.00 1 1111 111 000751 High Low 91 73 Isolated inland thunderstorms -=- Look inside for valuable coupons SUN CO U P0N This year's savings to date VALUE METER $40p959 CLASSIFIED: Comics 16-181 Dear Abby 17 TV Listings 19 SPORTS: Lotto 2A CALL US AT 941-206-1000 CHARLIE SAYS ... Did you bet for or against the Triple Crown? Tiki bar, $350 In Today's Classifieds! $2.00 Yoga offers respite to patients