The Santa Rosa County Commission recently gave the go-ahead for the owners of Juana's Pagoda and Sailor's Grille to expand their operation, adding a portable building for a souvenir/art shop."It's more space to market the merchandise we're already marketing," said owner Ken Rudzki. "Right now, it's scattered hither and yon. The idea was to consolidate and expand."The new facility will add 300 square feet of retail space to the eatery/bar.The portable building is a way to combat hurricanes, he said."If we're in harm's way with Mother Nature, all of these goodies have to be evacuated with us," Rudzki said. "We spend days packing this stuff up. With this portable building, we'll pick it up, put it on a flatbed truck and take it with us."The complex, which started as a boat rental service 18 years ago, sustained damage from Hurricanes Opal, Ivan and Dennis.Rudzki said the new building will be camouflaged to fit in with the island look of what's already there."We wouldn't want anything that didn't seem like it was part of the establishment," he said.

Obama Must Build a Movement to Take Him Beyond the White House

On the night when Barack Obama took Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC with 20 point leads, an equally potent primary result came in from Maryland's fourth congressional district. Away from the glare of the international media, Donna Edwards, anti-war campaigner and community activist, trounced eight-time incumbent Albert Wynn in the battle for the Democratic nomination. This was no minor achievement. A sitting congressman had not been ousted in a primary in Maryland for 16 years. In 2006, a high tide for anti-incumbent sentiment, Edwards lost to Wynn by 3%. But she persevered. Wynn had taken huge sums from lobbyists. He had voted for the Iraq war, Dick Cheney's energy bill and to repeal inheritance tax. Edwards argued that this was against the wishes and interests of his mostly black, middle-class constituents.

Wine-import company offers Italian brand

KleeNagel Ltd., a Spring Township wine-import firm known for bringing Castle of Dracula Marsecco to the United States has imported a Prosecco — a light, semi-sparkling Italian white wine. Prosecco and Marsecco are bottled by Ottomar Rudolphe Vlad Dracula Prince Kretzulesco, the modern-day royal descendant of the infamous Romanian ruler Vlad Tzepes — on whom Bram Stoker's novel, “Dracula," is based. The wines are available at The Sheraton Berkshire, Wyomissing, and Bube's Brewery, Mount Joy, Lebanon County; and soon will be available at G Lounge, a new nightclub in Philadelphia. Orders also are available through the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board's special liquor order program by completing an order form in any State Store. l l l Penske Truck Leasing, Green Hills, opened a 12,000-square-foot facility that offers commercial and consumer truck rental services, truck leasing and contract maintenance in Lubbock, Texas.