Sunday, October 4, 2009

• Fantasy Costumes, a new adult costume store, has opened in Searstown near the Outback restaurant. In addition to costumes, the store carries wigs, masks, hosiery, makeup and other accessories.

Fantasy Costumes is open from noon to 7:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and until 6 p.m. on Sundays, with extended hours pending for Fantasy Fest. Call 305-296-1853 for more information.

• Island Water, a Big Pine Key-based water filtration company, is celebrating its three-year anniversary this month.

The company's filtration machines tap directly into a home's or business's water line and dispense filtered cold or hot water. The purification coolers, which come in different colors and sizes, are more sanitary than 5-gallon water coolers.

"We are happy to help reduce the overall carbon footprint throughout the Keys by eliminating the use of thousands of plastic water bottles that, for the most part, end up in landfills," said company founder and President James Margolles. "Many of our customers in the Keys are happy to find a solution to help them move in an eco-friendly direction while at the same time save money and have a more convenient alternative to bottled water. ... We want to thank all of our customers throughout the Keys for their business and faith in our products and service."

For more information on the company, call 305-587-9000 or go to http://www.islandwater.net.

• Small Chef at Large catering business is alive and well and operating out of the VFW building on North Roosevelt Boulevard.

In return for her use of the VFW's industrial kitchen for her catering business, chef Jennifer Cornell has agreed to cook lunch and dinner each day for members of the VFW and the bar's patrons from the public, who are asked to simply sign in at the door.

The menu changes daily, and all items are under $10, Cornell said, adding that much of the food will be "good, home-cooked comfort food."

To reach the catering business, use the purple door on the right side of the building. Small Chef at Large can cater large events such as weddings and can also provide party platters for smaller gatherings, Cornell said.

Lunch at the VFW is served from noon to 3 p.m. and dinner is available from 5 to 8 p.m. The public is welcome.

Call Cornell at 305-294-1943 for more information.

• Coldwell Banker Schmitt Real Estate Co. has announced the launch of an internal "Going Green" initiative with the goal of reducing the company's impact on the environment.

Each of the company's five offices between Key Largo and Key West is implementing policies and procedures to reduce the use of products and services that adversely affect the environment.

Coldwell Banker Schmitt was an early adopter of "paperless office" technologies, implementing a sophisticated scanning and document imaging system used in processing real estate and rentals transactions.

The company is now widening the scope of that initiative, enhancing its support for Internet-based and e-mail communications with its customers and prospects to cut down on the use of paper, envelopes, toner, electricity and mail services.

It is in the process of moving recipients of its 20,000-circulation newsletter from postal delivery to e-mail. Documents will be printed only as needed rather than in preset quantities, office thermostats are being adjusted upward, lights are being turned off in unused areas of the offices and the blank sides of printed paper are being utilized for in-house use.

Despite the lack of recycling services for commercial enterprises in parts of the Keys, the company's Realtors and staff are increasing recycling by bringing recyclable products home from the office for residential pickup.

Anne-Margaret Swary is The Citizen's business editor. Her column runs exclusively every other Sunday. She can be reached at amswary@keysnews.com.