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By ZAIMARIE DE GUZMAN

When Howie Mandel came to Fort Pierce’s Sunrise Theatre last year, a ringing cellphone interrupted his routine. But instead of stopping, the comedian took the phone from the audience member and answered it, speaking in a funny voice and saying nonsense before hanging up.

The unexpected prank made the audience roar with laughter.

Mandel comes back to the Treasure Coast Jan. 2 and 3, this time to The Lyric Theatre in Stuart. Aside from going on tour, Mandel also is hosting the FOX series, “Mobbed,” and judging the gutsy performers on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.”

“It looks like it might be a sellout show (at the Lyric),” said Port St. Lucie resident Richard Rompf, who saw Mandel live for the first time last year in Fort Pierce. The fan said he had been watching seat availability since October for Mandel’s upcoming show and gave his wife tickets on Christmas.

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By SHELLEY OWENS

The taste-testing public descended on Jensen Beach on Dec. 20 for the 14th annual Taste of Jensen, sponsored by the Jensen Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Among 25 entrants, five were singled out for “Best” awards. The winners were:

2011 Peoples’ Choice: Dolphin Bar & Shrimp House

2011 Critics Choice: Dolphin Bar & Shrimp House

Best Featured Entrée: Crabmeat Stuffed Shrimp, Dolphin Bar & Shrimp House

Best Presentation: New England Seafood Market Restaurant

Best Soup/Appetizer: Clam Chowder, Crawdaddy’s N’awlins Café & Raw Bar

Best Dessert: Chocolate Ganache Brownies, Hayes Gourmets Bakery & Café

Best Beverage: Stella Artois, Southern Eagle Distributing, Inc.
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By ISADORA RANGEL

The 14th annual Taste of Jensen will showcase the town’s local eateries and old-school Florida charm, filling the sidewalks on Dec. 20 with 25 different food stations.

The event, sponsored by the Jensen Beach Chamber of Commerce, is a chance to attract costumers from outside the area, Crawdaddy’s owner Mark Kren said.

“It brings out new people down to Jensen Beach so they can experience the flavor of the village,” Kren said.

The event features longtime favorites such as Crawdaddy’s N’awlins Café & Raw Bar, which has been part of Taste of Jensen for 12 years, since before it officially opened its doors. Its roasted pork loin in wild mushroom sauce previously won the event’s people’s choice award. The restaurant will bring a clam chowder this year.

But visitors also can try the flavors of newcomers, such as Hayes Gourmet Bakery & Café, Aunt D’s Kitchen, Marciano’s Wine & Dine, The Landing Restaurant and Bagel Break.
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By MAUREEN KENYON

Early in her career, folk-pop singer Dar Williams opened shows for Joan Baez.

“It was a dream come true,” she said. “She was the perfect person to tour with because she had been treated like she was on the way out, and throughout it all, she had a lot of grace and a lot of humor. She really was doing it for the right reasons.”

Touring with Baez launched Williams’ career.

Her debut album, “The Honesty Room,” was released in 1995, and it became one of the top-selling independent folk albums that year. Compared vocally to Joni Mitchell and Patty Griffin, Williams will perform Dec. 15 at The Lyric Theatre in Stuart. She will be accompanied by a keyboard player — Williams plays guitar — and she said the show will be a mix of older songs and newer songs as well as selections from her new album that drops in April.

Directions, nearby dining

“I’m just touring with seven albums worth of material that I enjoy playing,” she said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
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Boyz II Men members, from left, Shawn Stockton, Nathan Morris and Wanya Morris.

By Zaimarie De Guzman

When Boyz II Men took the stage last year at The Lyric Theatre, they were greeted by an audience of screaming young and middle-aged fans.

It’s that broad age spectrum of local Boyz II Men followers that made theater executive director John Loesser invite the band to perform in Stuart again this year.

“This is a group that has been around for so long, that people in their 20s, 30s and even 50s got to enjoy the show,” Loesser said.

The multiple Grammy-winning band will perform at The Lyric again Oct. 21 and 22.
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By TYLER TREADWAY

Before “Spanky,” before “Buckwheat,” before “Alfalfa” and, for that matter, before “talkies,” William A. “Billy” Naylor was a member of “Our Gang.”

Naylor, 95, thought to be the last surviving star of the silent era “Our Gang” comedies, died Oct. 5 at Royal Palm Skilled Nursing Facility in Vero Beach.

The “Our Gang” kids, aka “The Little Rascals,” were featured in dozens of short comedy films from the mid-1920s to the early 1940s about the adventures, and misadventures, of a group of children. The cast changed several times over the years. Billy Naylor appeared in several early silent films when the main stars were Mickey Daniels, Joe Cobb, Allen “Farina” Hoskins and Ernie “Sunshine Sammy” Morrison.

The more famous George “Spanky” McFarland, Billie “Buckwheat” Thomas and Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer joined the gang for “talkies” in the 1930s.
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By KIM HUGHES

Choral groups from two local schools have been invited to participate next spring in the Festival at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Opus, from Martin County High School, and Jubilate, from Jensen Beach High School, both earned the opportunity to perform by being awarded a Gold rating for a superior performance at a Heritage Festival last year.

The Carnegie Hall event is part of Heritage Festivals’ Elite Performance Series, designed to offer talented musical ensembles the opportunity to “celebrate musical artistry” in some of the country’s premier performance venues.

Ron Corbin, Opus’ director, said that although it is an honor to be invited, plans for next year are still uncertain.

“We’re looking into it,” Corbin said. “It would definitely be quite an experience for the kids and for me.
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Carl Gardner as featured on his autobiography, 'Yakety Yak, I Fought Back'. (Courtesy The Coasters Web Site)

Carl Gardner, the last surviving member of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Coasters, died Sunday night in Port St. Lucie Hospice Home, according to his wife, Veta, on the Coasters’ official web site.

According to Veta, Gardner suffered from Alzheimer’s and congestive heart failure.

Gardner moved to Port St. Lucie in 1990 to escape the cold New York winters, according to a story written Bill DeYoung for Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers in 2003.

Gardner was the lead singer for the Coasters, the comedy-styled singing group that gave the world the 1950s classics “Yakety Yak, ” “Charlie Brown, ” “Youngblood” and “Along Came Jones.”

The first group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Coasters sold 15 million records and scored more than a dozen gold singles.
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By Adriana Montoya

Fort Pierce native Arthur Davis’ twist on fried chicken has caught the attention of some television foodies.

Davis’ juicy fried chicken landed him a spot on the Food Network show “The Best Thing I Ever Ate,” which airs Monday at 10:30 p.m.

While in high school, Davis worked at Tradewinds Cafeteria in Fort Pierce, where he acquired much of his expertise in southern cooking. His experience at Tradewinds and his love of food led to a successful career in southern cuisine when he opened Old Country Store restaurant in Lorman, Miss. Read the full story

Highwayman artist Mary Ann Carroll. (Photo by Sarah Grille)

By Joe Crankshaw

FORT PIERCE — The only female artist in the group of 26 black painters known as the Florida Highwaymen, Mary Ann Carroll, presented one of her paintings to first lady Michelle Obama during the First Lady’s Luncheon at the Congressional Club in Washington on Wednesday.

“I feel like a champ,” said Carroll Thursday morning after she returned to Fort Pierce. “It was a gracious thing that did not have to happen, but it did. I never expected this to happen and did not look for it.”

Carroll said the first lady was gracious and sweet in accepting a painting depicting a royal poinciana tree on the riverfront in Fort Pierce.
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