Best of categories:
Have I told you how excited I am about this year’s "Best
of"?
Staff, family, friends and even total strangers have heard me repeat that mantra ad
nauseam for the past month.
I do it every year, tongue planted firmly in cheek, to provide a bit of comic relief
and to symbolize the daunting and at times totally exasperating process that consumes us
each year as we try to wrestle this beast to the ground, teach it manners and turn it
loose on the public.
But today, I am really excited about the sixth annual "Best of Broward and Palm
Beach." With nearly 450 categories, ranging from the Best Hair on TV News (Belkys
Nerey) to Best Wine List (Café Maxx) to the Best Place to Propose Marriage (the stadium
formerly known as Pro Player), I think this issue has something to amuse and enlighten
everyone.
This annual "Best of" issue, along with our Music and Art issues, supports
the City Link mission statement, which says, in part, that we strive to be the most
knowledgeable, useful and compelling news, arts and entertainment alternative to the mass
media in South Florida
For the uninitiated, some basics: Although we gather information and collect ideas for
this issue throughout the year, we begin the process in earnest in December, distributing
ballots to editorial staff, freelancers and members of City Link’s "extended
family."
The judges gather and review submissions in January, and after the requisite arguing,
hair-pulling, negotiating and name-calling, we reach a consensus.
The writers get to work, the winners are notified, editors and designers bid farewell
to their families for the duration, we throw a big party the night before the issue
officially hits the streets and we all swear that next year we will be better organized
and get the beast put together without a slew of late-night and weekend marathons.
The issue itself is broken down into six sections covering People,
Sports & Recreation, Entertainment, Shopping,
Restaurants & Food, and a grab-bag
of everything else in Etc. This year, we’ve added a
separate Staff section that includes the personal bests of
each member of the City Link editorial staff, hopefully to give you a bit more insight on
the people who lovingly labor over this publication every week.
In my introduction to last year’s "Best of," I portrayed City Link as a
champion, and I believe it even more strongly this year.
We are champions of the wild, multicultured and many-hued South Florida community.
Champions of the local arts, music and entertainment scenes. Champions of the afflicted
and disenfranchised. Champions, that is, in the sense of acting as an advocate, of acting
as ardent defenders and supporters of the people, places and things we believe in. And, as
I hope you will discover within this 256-page tribute to the best of Broward and Palm
Beach counties, this year we’ve scored a knockout.
Some well-deserved recognitions: Writer and City Link columnist Jeff Rusnak wrote
and/or coordinated the entries again this year, along with able assistance from Anna
Collins, William Fox, Candice Russell, Lauren Hoyt and the entire City Link editorial
staff.
As we faced the first "Best of" of the new century, it quickly became clear
that our only choice for an artist to illustrate the issue was Laurence Gartel, a West
Palm Beach visionary who is considered by many to be the "father" of computer
art.
Gartel started experimenting with analog computer systems in the art-making process
back in 1975. Probably best known for his ABSOLUT GARTEL, created for Absolut Vodka, his
digital works have been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art as far back as 1982.
Gartel is the first digital artist to have a permanent piece of art included in the
Smithsonian Institute’s Museum of American History. In addition to the two covers
commissioned specifically for this issue, six digital collage images from his Florida
series are reproduced as covers for the "Best of" categories.
You can check out more of Gartel's work at www.gartel.com
or view images from his show in Russia last month at Gartel2000. One final thought: I would be
surprised, shocked and stunned if you completely agree with each and every one of our
choices. And if you do disagree, I would love to hear from you. Call, write, fax or e-mail, and I promise that we will check out your
suggestions for next year’s issue.
So, sit back, relax and all of us here at City Link hope you enjoy the read.
By the way, have I told you how excited I am about this year’s "Best
of?"
Michael Farver
City Link editor
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