On The Move: Capt. Brien's thanks Chamber members for support

A weekly roundup of business news

• Thanks, Marco Island Area Chamber of Commerce members.

That was the message June 7 from Brien Spina of Capt. Brien's Seafood & Raw Bar restaurant at Marco Walk as he lavished about 150 chamber members with free food and entertainment to acknowledge their support during the past year.

Photo by QUENTIN ROUX, Marco Eagle

Capt. Brien Spina chats with Marco Beach Ocean Resort employees, corporate director of spas and Tarpon membership Ginger McLean, from left conference services manager Danielle Vogelheim and national regional sales manager Joy Simeonova at a Chamber appreciation night held at Spina's Capt. Brien's Seafood & Raw Bar restaurant.

Attendees munched on items such as macadamia mahi-mahi, snow crab clusters, peel and eat shrimp, sushi, broiled grouper, blackened scallops and garlic roasted mussels from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

"I was pleased with the turnout," Spina said afterwards. "It was just our way of saying thanks for the chamber support."

Spina said the event also signaled the start of the summer season, which he will seek to boost by bringing in more comedy acts, as well as a Las Vegas "flair bartending" show in mid-July.

"We're going to have to pack the house with all these good acts coming in," Spina said, "so we're going to do plenty of promotions during the summer."

• Business owners interested in the finer details of sales tax can enlighten themselves by attending a seminar to be presented today, June 14, at Marco Community Bank from 4 to 6 p.m.

The seminar, presented by the Marco Island Chamber of Commerce Business Alliance Committee, will feature a talk by Fredrica Cosper, a tax specialist with the Florida Department of Revenue.

The flier released by the chamber emphasizes that Cosper is not in the compliance division of the revenue department, hence people can ask her anything they want to know about sales taxes without fear or threat.

Cosper will talk about the following tax-related issues:

• Knowing the different between sales and use tax.

• Becoming familiar with Form DR-15, the sales tax remittance form.

• Understanding sales tax for transient rentals or commercial rentals.

• Knowing when a sale is considered a sale.

• Finding out about the taxes paid on a lease.

• Finding loopholes.

Seating is limited. Call 394-7549 if interested.

• Touting itself for the past five years as independent and locally owned, The Marco Island Sun Times has sold out to the Gannett Company, owner of the The News-Press, USA Today, 90 daily newspapers and about 1,000 non-daily publications throughout the country.

Publisher Matt Roseboom assured his staff in a memo that the staff will remain the same, and that the newspaper will not deviate from its content policy.

In a release announcing the acquisition, The News-Press described the Sun Times as having a "solid track record of providing community news and information," and added that editorial, sales and production teams will remain in place.

The News-Press employs about 700 people.

The Sun Times, which is distributed free, claims a circulation of 13,000, but is not audited by the Audit Bureau of Circulation, the "gold standard" of auditing publications in the United States.

• Wine lovers gave it the thumbs-up last year, so it's coming back.

It's The Glory of the Grape wine-tasting party, to be presented Sunday, June 25, at the Marco Island Yacht Club by experts Dan and Jim Bono of the Marco Wine Seller.

Proceeds will benefit the Marco Island Area Chamber of Commerce.

The 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. session will feature pours and questions by the Bonos as they present 20 different wines from 10 countries, including origin countries France, Italy, Spain, Australia, Argentina, Chile, Austria, the United States, South Africa and New Zealand.

Bono chose wines from his store based on popular labels from countries well known for their products — such as Argentina, Chile and Australia — and others that most tasters haven't tried from more unusual places, such as Austria and South Africa.

Delegates from the winemakers will also pour at the occasion and will share their knowledge with party-goers.

Bono plans to have information sheets available with the names, regions and prices of wines so attendees can track which of the wines they like and may choose to purchase in the future.

Eats supplied by the yacht club kitchen will complement the wines.

A live auction also is planned with surprise guest auctioneers. Packages donated by local businesses will be sold to the highest bidder.

Tickets, at $60 per person, are available from the chamber at 1102 N. Collier Blvd., or by calling 394-7549.