Step by step, the man ascends the stairs. Twelve flights. He reaches the top and turns to descend. He will do this six times, just as he’s done for weeks—72 flights of stairs a day, double or triple that on the weekend. “I’m going to be honest with you,” he says, “I absolutely hate it. It’s very boring and very repetitive.” But he keeps going, making his legs strong, because he’ll need them so—in less than a month, Nick Altier, account executive at Brown and Brown Insurance and Goodwill Ambassador, will be snowbound and summiting Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps, and trying to raise nearly $5,000 dollars for his local Goodwill.

A Sarasota native, Altier describes his younger self as an “outdoorsy kid,” prone to what small-scale summits he could find in his backyard or on family trips to Georgia or North Carolina, but getting his first taste of rock-climbing with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Sarasota, which used to host open night on its four-sided rock wall. Once out from under his parent’s wing, Altier capped a couple Colorado 14ks in his time, but those were day trips, he says—fun jaunts for a picnic. Mont Blanc is something else. Mont Blanc is a three-day expedition with a professional guide and the expectation of hardship. They hopefully won’t need it, but the team will learn, among other things, how to rescue fallen climbers from an icy crevasse. As Altier puts it, “This is a real climb.”

First summited in 1786, Mont Blanc stands just under 4,809 meters (15,781 ft) above sea level, where snow and ice dominate the horizon and the air grows thin. Altier learns to use crampons and an ice-axe—equipment rarely needed in Colorado day-climbs—and insulates all of his gear, particularly his water supply, which could freeze mid-climb. He trains in an acclimation mask, restricting oxygen flow to simulate the deprivation he’ll feel at the summit. He downplays: “For the most part it’s a safe climb. It’s going to be a challenge, but it’s not like jumping into Denali or Everest.”

But Altier climbs for more than bragging rights. As a Goodwill Ambassador, Altier took the opportunity to reach out to Goodwill Manasota and find a way to tie its mission to his challenge. In mutual support, the two created a donation page to raise money for the nonprofit with a goal of $4,810—one dollar for every meter Altier ascends. “It’s a great organization and they offer a lot more than people think,” says Altier, citing the group’s work with people with disabilities and assisting in job placement but particularly the White Glove Service, which supports the recently bereaved in sorting through their loved ones’ worldly effects. “If I can help Goodwill in any way, shape or form,” he says, “I’m happy to do whatever it takes.”

Leaving for France Jul. 18, Altier is scheduled to begin his ascent on the 21st or 22nd. View the Goodwill donation page at the link below. 

Visit Goodwill's webpage for Nick Altier's climb here.

Composed of just four ingredients, Ooh La La French Bakery’s Black Plum Honey Tart proves that a simple recipe can produce something that is anything but. The teeny tartine begins with currently in-season black plums drenched in a warm bath of clover honey and left to sit in order to draw out their saccharine quality—a process known as “maceration.” A sprinkling of nutmeg enhances the plums’ naturally bittersweet tang and a house-caramelized sugar shell complements the gooey honey-plum mix. The crust doesn’t require the usual custard filling—Ooh La La puts its expert cookie-making skills into play, resulting in a deliciously crunchy crust with a shortbread-like texture. C’est bon, non? 

Pictured: Ooh La La Bakery's Black Plum Honey Tart. Photo by Heidi Stone.

Ooh La La French Bakery, 2705 Mall Dr., Sarasota, 941-922-0169.

An old-time favorite, slightly revised. This is my preferred breakfast in warm weather, changing with whatever fruit happens to be in season. I like it with soy milk, but you can use any type of vegan milk that you enjoy. The little bit of lemon peel makes it especially refreshing. 

Yield: 2 servings

½ cup rolled oats, 2 Tbsp. raisins, ¼ cup chopped walnuts, ½ to 1 inch square of lemon peel, 6 oz. plain unsweetened soy milk, 1 grated apple, seasonal fruit as desired (strawberries, peaches, pitted cherries, grapes, blueberries, etc.). 

Place the rolled oats, raisins, wal­nuts and lemon peel in a blender. Grind to a coarse flour. Place the mixture in a mixing bowl, and pour the soy milk over it. Mix well and let sit for at least 10 minutes, but it can also be made in the evening and soaked or overnight. Mix well, add more milk if necessary and top with fruit and vegan yogurt.

Variation: Add 2 teaspoons of chia or ground flax seeds to the mixture before soaking. Increase the milk as necessary to have the desired consistency. 

Vicki Chelf, Pulp Kitchen

26 community leaders from across the region recently completed the 2016 Gulf Coast Leadership Institute. The group finished its final training session and celebrated its graduation from the two month leadership development program on June 24 at Venetian Golf and River Club.The class was guided through seven comprehensive sessions of leadership training by faculty from the University of Georgia’s nationally recognized J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development. Gulf Coast has partnered with the Fanning Institute to provide leadership training locally since first offering the North Port Leadership Institute in 2006. This year's graduates will join the 270 community leaders trained through the Leadership Institute: Stacy Alexander, Janet Buley, Lee Hayes Byron, Roger Capote, Nikki Curran, Patrick Duggan, Stephen Fancher, Michael Fear, Alexander Floethe, Megan Greenberg, Lauren Hersh, Carrie Hussey, Daniela Koci, Lee Kotwicki, Richard C. Lawrence, Shelia Lee, Edward Lin, Cornelle Maxfield, Silvanna Medina, William L. Mehserle Jr., Pete Petersen, Tom Rees, Kelly Romanoff, Chris Sharek, Robb Weiss and Brenna Wilhm. 

Gulf Coast Leadership Institute

Williams Parker attorney Jennifer Fowler-Hermes has been elected to the Executive Council of the Florida Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section. Fowler-Hermes is a board-certified specialist in labor and employment law. She represents private, public, for-profit and not-for-profit employers of all sizes in litigation matters and also assists employers in managing risks to avoid litigation. 

Williams Parker

Lee Wetherington Homes, a Southwest Florida luxury homebuilder, recently broke ground on the Saviano model in Seacroft inside Country Club East in Lakewood Ranch. A 2,950 square feet model, the Saviano will offer home buyers upscale features and is expected to open by the end of the year. 

Lee Wetherington Homes

2016 Aurora Awards judges have named Murray Homes as an Aurora Award Honoree in its annual competition that honors architectural design, interior design and planning excellence. The company earned its Aurora honors for both The Resolute and Intrepid, which were honored for the Single Family Detached Home category.  

Murray Homes