wcw AUGUST 2023

just some
thoughts
Louise Bruderle
Editor and Publisher
She’s a working artist and an art instructor. Linda’s
paintings are collected by many across the U.S.
and beyond and she has won many awards for her
creative efforts.
This profile of Linda should be of great interest
to WCW readers since it’s predominantly women
who attend Linda’s online, in studio and on location
classes.
What sounds like sheer bliss are her art trips.
Linda had one this summer to Provence in France.
Linda Richichi They paint, then critique after dinner in the evening
Photo: Louise Bruderle - maybe over wine?
Her artist statement says, “For me, painting is
a pilgrimage – a journey into the soul and the mystery of creation.
Through color, lines and brushstrokes I portray the essence of my subjects
at their highest moments. Each color, line and shape is carefully
curated to take the viewer on a joyous journey.
“Whether I am painting on a sun-drenched beach in Florida or Maui,
in the Hudson Valley, near Italian castles or French chateaus, my plein
air paintings capture the spirit of nature at their most inspiring times.”
Virginia Haley
Nancy’s BBQ has Returned to Sarasota!
Nancy Krohngold, owner of Nancy’s Bar-B-Q, “downtown’s original and
only BBQ joint, has left Lakewood Ranch and returned home to downtown
Sarasota,” according to her Facebook page.
She writes, “Nearly three years
after our original downtown
store shuttered at the end of its
lease and in the midst of COVID,
Sarasotans still clamor for us to
reopen downtown and so we are.”
Her Lorraine Corners Lakewood
Ranch store closed July
8. Her new location will be one
well-known to Sarasota dining
out fans: Nancy’s Bar-B-Q will be next to where the Blue Rooster used
to be and is now Food+Beer. Her new address is 1525 4th Street, in the
Rosemary District, across from Station 400 Sarasota.
As many of you know, 13 years ago Nancy’s Bar-B-Q was a “stealth”
pop-up cart at a different venue every Friday at lunchtime. At her new
location they’re open from 11a.m. seven days a week with her full menu
of smoked meats, salmon, wings, appetizers, loads of sides plus a full bar.
WCW profiled Nancy when she was at her last Sarasota location near
Burns Court on Pineapple Ave. in downtown Sarasota. Details: nancysbarbq.com.
Erin M. Duggan
West Coast Woman
Linda Richichi
Virginia Haley Has Time to Travel now
Happy retirement to Visit Sarasota County (VSC) President
Virginia Haley who started with the organization in
1999. Visit Sarasota County markets our region to tourists
and visitors from around Florida, the country and the
world.
Virginia completes her 24-year tenure in September.
And her hard work can be seen in the growth in tourism
in Sarasota County — one of the fastest-growing tourism
markets in the U.S.
Stepping into her shoes is Erin M. Duggan whom the Visit
Sarasota County Board of Directors voted to appoint. Erin
is currently VSC’s Vice President. She’s been with VSC
since 2005, serving first as Public Relations Manager then
Brand Director and most recently as Vice President since
2016.
VSC is a great resource for anything related to travel
in our area. If you prefer to talk to a visitor information
specialist, call or text 941-706-1253 or visit their downtown
Sarasota Visitor Center located at 1945 Fruitville Rd.,
Sarasota. Info: www.visitsarasota.com
Worth Noting:
Women’s Equality Day is Aug. 26
The continuous struggle for
women’s participation and
equality in all spheres of life and
society is observed on Women’s
Equality Day on August 26.
Women’s Equality Day
commemorates the passage of
women’s suffrage in the U.S.
and reminds us of the hurdles
overcome by the heroic women
who faced violence and discrimination
to propel the women’s movement forward.
In the early 19th century, American women, who generally couldn’t
inherit property and made half of a man’s wages in any available jobs,
began organizing to demand political rights and representation.
By the early 1900s, several countries including Finland, New Zealand,
and the United Kingdom had legalized voting for women as the movement
continued to sweep across the world.
In the U.S., the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was first introduced
in 1878, but it failed to gain traction. It wasn’t until women’s
involvement in the World War I effort made their contributions painfully
obvious that women’s suffrage finally gained enough support. Women’s
rights groups pointed out the hypocrisy of fighting for democracy in
Europe while denying it to half of the American citizens at home.
In the U.S., decisions about who could vote were left up to the states.
The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, ensures voting rights for everyone
regardless of gender. Today, Women’s Equality Day celebrates the
achievements of women’s rights activists and reminds us of the unique
daily struggles that women face, and in this case, overcame.
Women’s Equality day was first celebrated in 1971, designated by Congress
in 1973, and is proclaimed each year by the United States President.
In every U.S. presidential election dating back to 1984, women reported
having turned out to vote at slightly higher rates than men, according to
the Census Bureau.
Blobfest, Phoenixville, PA
It’s personal in a full circle kind of way. Many years
ago I would often go to Saturday matinee movies in
my hometown of Havertown, PA. One weekend back
in the ‘60s the featured movie was “The Blob” - an
amateurish, borderline campy movie made in 1958
about a “carnivorous amoeboidal alien that crashes
to Earth from outer space inside a meteorite,
landing near the small communities of Phoenixville
and Downingtown, Pennsylvania.”
Fast forward and there I was at the Colonial Theatre
in Phoenixville this past July 14, experiencing
the movie again, but this time as a volunteer as
compared to the last time when I ran out of the
movie theatre. Find my recollections in this month’s issue.
Coming Up in West Coast Woman
The heat will eventually let up. Hurricane season will end, also
eventually. We’ll one day be able to step outside and stand in our yards
and not melt. For now, we’re inside working and putting together another
great season of special issues, interesting content and beautifully
designed issues for you to enjoy in print and online.
Here’s what we’re working on now:
■ October: Lifelong Learning Issue
■ October: Women’s Health
■ November and December: Focus on the Arts
If you want to be a part of any of those issues, email us at
westcoastwoman@comcast.net.
Louise Bruderle | Editor and Publisher |
westcoastwoman@comcast.net
We welcome your thoughts and comments on this column and on other columns and features in this issue.
You can reach us at westcoastwoman@comcast.net. We’re on the web at www.WestCoastWoman.com.
4 WEST COAST WOMAN AUGUST 2023