Naked fulfillment [Times photo: Skip O'Rourke] It takes wits, and an appetite, to be a Naked Bridge Lady. They savor their slams and gerbers as much as retirement.

Seniors recruited in war on insurance
Bus loads of Sun City Center residents will attend a Tampa meeting to call for medical malpractice reform.

Lunch with Ernest: Brandon's greatest booster
More than a quarter-century ago, Anne Nymark started Professional Accounting Services in Brandon.

I live here
As rector of Holy Innocents' Episcopal Church, he gets to see the rich cultural tapestry of the community, as well as its flux of population.

People: Law of the land
Being a native has its advantages for the sheriff's righthand man. "When I ride through Brandon, I know a story about every corner."

RSVP: The pirates are coming
Energies shift from professional pirates in San Diego to pillaging pirates in South Tampa.

Day tripper: Creature feature
APOLLO BEACH -- Linda Chartier of Tampa visits the Manatee Viewing Center for stress relief.

Here and Gone
Here's a look at some of the new businesses setting up shop in the area:

Farmer's Market: Cultivating cures
With her husband, Maryon Marsh grows more than 150 varieties of herbs on a 3-acre farm.

Commuting: Lane Ranger: Super Bowl tieups can make Brandon look almost blissful
For about an hour and a half Monday night, I sat in my car in a parking lot outside Raymond James Stadium, having just welcomed the Buccaneers back from their Super Bowl triumph in San Diego.

Schools: Teacher talk
Two teachers discuss why they teach, the value of standardized tests and whether their own kids got a good education.

Sports & Recreation: Snapshots
Jean Lebrun, Valrico

Prep Notebook: Matchup loses zip as Brandon tires
The showdown between two of the county's best teams fizzles as Tampa Bay Tech wins 62-49.

Neighborhood Report
Brandon: Dairy revival
Restaurant owners -- and hungry customers -- anticipate reopening of eatery that was destroyed by a fire in November.

Palm River: Program offers help in raising grandchild
The county now offers classes and other support to help grandparents who are the primary parents to raise better students.

Brandon: Just add water
The Rotary is raising money to add a water play area to the All Persons Playground at Clayton Park.

Real estate: Rooms with a view
Bay Vista, a 19-home gated community under construction in Apollo Beach, offers one of the neighborhood's last bayfront locations.

Zoning: 5,380-home subdivision okayed
Editor's note: This column will follow zoning petition requests for new commercial, retail and residential developments. Our goal is to provide you with specific information about what's being planned for the orchard across the street or the empty lot around the corner. We'll also keep you up to speed on public hearings so that you can make your voice heard. Petition numbers are provided in bold to help you get more information from the county.

What's in a name?: Ruskin
The farming community got its start as a Utopian experiment named for a 19th century idealist.

Briefly: Fair offers information for families of deployed
BRANDON -- An information fair is scheduled for military support and government or civilian workers whose loved ones have been deployed. It is 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Family Life Center at St. Andrew's United Methodist Church, 3315 Bryan Road. Two types of support are being offered: Share and Smile, a weekly group to talk and network with others in similar situations; and Ask the Expert, a weekly group that will host people with expertise in areas related to deployment and support. Area churches, the MacDill Family Resource Center, the Brandon Resource Center and other agencies will be represented. Call the Rev. Susan Baron at 689-6849.

Letters: Reader letters: Growth can be good if it's managed
Dear Editor:

Homes: Artwork that soothes and moves
As people search for calming influences in their lives, the soulful sounds of a home fountain are becoming increasingly popular.

Getting rid of dreary
The house feels like a gift. The front door, framed by a white trellis and painted a zesty shade of lime green, practically shouts with happiness. Bahama shutters cool the windows. The exterior color -- a pale, beach shack yellow -- looks so perfect I want to find shoes to match.