> BRIEFCASE


Local teacher to

speak at Columbia

Columbia University's Graduate
School of Journalism has invited St.
Augustine teacher Susan Romaine to
be a guest speaker at their annual
convention of the Scholastic Press
Association.
Romaine is the
current adviser to
Pedro Menendez
High School's
yearbook,
Wingspan. She
was an adviser at
both St. Augustine
and Allen Nease Romaine
high schools and
has overseen award winning year-
books since 1988. She is an active
mentor to several other high school
yearbook publications in northeast
Florida.
The Mass Media class at
Menendez produces Wingspan and
will be accepting staff applications
throughout the month of March.

Course completed: Cindy S.
Chapman, broker/owner of Century
21 A1 A Realty, has announced that
Carol C.-Tunis has completed the
real estate industry's most compre-
hensive new home sales course to
earn her national designation as a
Certified New Home Specialist.
"With this designation Carol joins
a group of successful and highly
respected individuals in our profes-
sion," Chapman said.
Tunis said the course is one of the
very best offered In real estate.
"The training covered architectural
design and planning, blueprint read-
Inao. toooornhv. building a site design.


Natural. simplicity in downtown

By PETER GUINTA
Staff Writer


Lee Stoetzel and Karin Sufalko,
proprietors of St. Augustine's
newest business, say their tiny but
unique shop at 57 Treasury St. is as
much a state of mind as it is a place
to buy things.
That state of mind includes
some historical consideration, since
the shop is based in a building first
constructed in 1806. It opens
March I and the two women are
now cleaning, organizing and gen-
erally bustling about preparing dis-
plays.
Sufalko gives a little laugh when
she says, "We're wearing out a
path to the hardware store."
Downtown St. Augustine is
becoming a fertile spot for small,
unusual shops offering upscale gifts
and clothing. But Stoetzel and
Sufalko say they decided early that
they wanted to be different from
everyone else.
"Our customers will be people
who enjoy living beautifully. Life is
beautiful, but you can make it even
more beautiful," she said.
The shop plans to offer garden
items, wooden furniture, plants,
poti, tile tables, Italian bed linens,
ceramics, pewter, outdoor showers
and fountains and imported beach
baskets, among other things. Only a
few antiques will be available.
"There are many antique stores
in town. We don't want to compete
with them," Stoetzel said. "We
want to appeal to the high-end cus-
torners, though we will have less
expensive things too. Basically,
we'll be a showcase for fine things
in the house and garden, canying
q ,.** * .,i *" ****


Photos by PETER WILLOTT, Staff
KARIN SUFALKO AND LEE STOETZEL plan to open 57
Treasury next month in the building, above, constructed in 1806.


ity and curiosity. .. Second Spanish Period style.'
Called the Juan Joaneda House, .She then donated it to the state.
it was builfin 1806 and named after City officials accepted it as part
the Spanish sergeant who built it. of 32 historical properties it
William R. Adams, director of received from the state. Stoetzel and
the city Historic Preservation and .'Sufalko now rent the.house from
Heritage Tourism, said the building the, city; thogh they had tq apply
has always] & .
ty. But by-974,~1eA' .oudit fall- :.. norn.e rev f our
en into ruin and was puraased by 20 t buildings goes to help
Elizabeth Morley :P. ts, a maintain the otr historical prop-
Jacksonvile Adams d.
Pnwm 'ni I f An'fl Tnayrnp 1. Vvib


gate and sees a large sunny yard,
rain-making fountains, shaded dis-
plays of plants and pottery and neat
gardens. A gazebo is coming, but
hasn't been installed yet. Wheat
grass and terra cotta pots line the
walkway while wooden fish
mobiles swing in the breeze.
Interesting juxtapositions of
things catch the eye: An old metal
chair is recycled as a plant stand.
Bright cast' iron buckets are
warmed by plant arrangements
inside them.
Up a very tiny spiral staircase
lies the brain of the shop: the office.
Stoetzel and Sufalko, both
Crescent Beach residents, were
neighbors in Chicago who met
.'again in St. Johns' County about a
year ago and decided to go into
business together.
While they own and run the
shop, their children will also play a
nart in ito ccw- eoc rwn, ivl,,11 ,,,l ,1-


work photographs and paintings
- on the walls for sale.
The women have investors, but
are mostly financing everything
with their own money. Stoetzel said
that, besides retail sales, they'd like
to add a bridal registry and eventu-
ally book small wedding receptions
in their green and spacious yard.
"We know we're taking a bit of
a chance, but there's nothing like us
here. It's an opportunity to do
something that feels good inside,"
she said.
Sufalko, who has an art back-
ground, hopes she can additionally
find interior design consulting jobs.
She said 57 Treasury probably
isn't for the walk-by tourist.
"It's not another tee-shirt shop,"
she said. "Having one exquisite
piece is better than having a house
full of junk. It's a pleasure coming
over the Bridge of Lions to work.
Ct A i-<-;f- U,- :_ .14:1-1 -