Small dog found

While following up on a lead about Pearli this evening, I found this adorable dog. She was running back and forth across Sligh Av. in front of Sligh Middle School. She was running with one back leg lifted as if it were hurt. A very nice man helped me catch her and now she's at my house waiting for mom and dad to claim her. If you know this dog please email me with your name and phone number and I'll call you just as soon as I'm able.

Lake Roberta

I went to the meeting last night and didn't learn a whole lot. Learn more about Lake Roberta by clicking on this site.

http://www.hillsborough.wateratlas.usf.edu/lake/default.asp?wbodyid=5652&wbodyatlas=lake

Kevin Settles Suits Fines

According the the Tribune, Kevin White has " has agreed to pay a fine of $9,500 for election offenses that included spending campaign money on tailor-made suits and ties" and "The settlement drops charges that White used $1,915 in campaign money to buy a computer for personal use. "

What is most significant to me is this comment by Kevin:

"White said Thursday he thought that when he spent $6,100 in campaign money on clothing, the purchases were legitimate expenditures because of the personal appearances he had to make. He said he now realizes buying the tailor-made suits "rubbed people the wrong way."
"I made a mistake. I recognize the mistake. I replaced the money for the mistake, and I'm paying the fine," he said. "I apologized. I'm not going to do it anymore."

Of note, is that nothing would have occured had not Tampa resident Lawrence R. Schuler made a complaint.

Found Dog

found this dog in Rivercrest Park on Thursday morning about 8:45. He had a black collar but no tags. He seems to be in good shape, and is very sweet. He appears to be a pit mix, and is big (aboout 40-50lbs) but just a puppy. Contact me at 813-758-7247

Seminole Heights Bike Ride

Alan Snel is ogranizing "a local Seminole Heights bike ride of about 6 miles or so on Saturday morning starting at my house and ending at the garden center park on Central Avenue. It's not an official organized ride -- just a fun pedaling session, mostly for kids and newbie bike riders."

For more details see:
http://alansnel.com/blog/2007/05/in-bicycles-we-trust-bike-ride-on.html

The Speaker Exchange up For Sale

Not a sales pitch -- just pointing out another opportunity for S.H. revitalization. (Knowledge is Power, right?)

1242 E. Hillsborough Ave.

Tampa, FL 33604

13,668 square foot, 2-story retail and office building. Three parcels zoned CI - allows a large variety of uses (retail, office, flex). Lot size is 100' on Hillsborough Ave. with 108' depth. Two 50'x132' lots behind property for parking. 48 parking spaces. All remaining leases in building are short term.

Frog Eats Roach

This is so sad for me, I've worked for the Burke family for 17 years, but before David Burke, Sr. passed he set the wheels in motion.

Middleton Acquires Tampa-Based Florida Exterminating Company

ORLANDO, Fla. – Middleton Lawn & Pest Control, a subsidiary of Fort Lauderdale-based Sunair Services Corporation, announced that it acquired the assets of Florida Exterminating Co., a family owned business built and grown on more than 37 years of experience.

Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., Florida Exterminating provides household pest control, drywood and subterranean termite control as well as home inspection services to residential homes and select commercial properties throughout the Tampa, St. Petersburg, Land O’ Lakes and Lakeland areas of Florida. For more than 37 years, Florida Exterminating Co. prospered under the leadership of the Burke Family, most recently under CEO David F. Burke, Jr.

"Florida Exterminating Co. is a great fit for Middleton since it mostly falls within our existing service area, thereby supporting our ‘tuck in’ approach to strategic growth by cost-effectively leveraging existing resources to provide existing and newly acquired customers with uninterrupted superior service," said Greg Clendenin, chief executive office of Middleton Lawn & Pest Control. “This acquisition strengthens our current position in the growing Tampa market and allows us to naturally extend and serve fringe areas in our footprint. Also, this addition speaks volumes of Middleton’s reputation and commitment to our customers and employees that the Burke family trusted us with their legacy. We welcome Florida Exterminating to the Middleton family and are excited about the additional business opportunities we expect this acquisition to generate.”


Thursday, May 3, 2007

Urban Improvement?

Well, I was hoping for better news, but I finally found out what's replacing the Blue Ribbon Supermarket in our adjacent southern neighborhood, Tampa Heights, at the sw corner of Columbus and Tampa St. I'm told through reliable resources that it's going to be a Family Dollar.

I guess the good news is it's no worse than what it is now (i.e., unkept vacant building).

Robles Park to be made over

In the Tribune:

City Preparing To Polish Robles Park's Rough Spots
"TAMPA HEIGHTS - Robles Park could get an interactive play fountain, wider sidewalks, a community garden, entry plazas and a bridge across its retention pond.

The city and the nonprofit Mayor's Beautification Program have raised $375,000 for improvements at the 17-acre park just west of Interstate 275. The money came from the city and the F.E. Lykes Foundation.

The city will seek bids before setting project dates, city landscape architect Karen Cashon said. More money is needed to complete all of the goals, and the city is seeking grants."

I wonder how much was spent on unfinished Giddens Park?

Cooks & Company - Personal Chefs

Greg (Mal Carne) and I have just opened our Personal Chef biz in the hood and were hoping you could put a post up about it.

Our concept is to create a nice sized clientele (the more in Seminole Heights the better) performing in the clients home and then (once we have established business) to open a commercial kitchen (here in the hood) where we will deliver our services, offer cooking classes, and a small retail area for culinary equipment and utensils.

For now, we will operate from the clients kitchen, using organic and ethically treated meats whenever possible. Our goal is to market to the working professionals, not just the uber rich. We'd like our services to be affordable to everyone.

We offer a personal chef service, in-home cooking classes, and small catering. Check out our website for a more detailed description http://cooksncompany.com and don't worry David! we'll service Lutz, too! We actually are catering a grad party in Lutz this Sunday!

We'd like to hear what everyone has to say about the website. Is it attractive? Are our prices reasonable, taking time saved into concept? What would neighbors like to see?

By the way,do you like our logo? Maria (of Two Dogs and A Girl) did it! She's awesome! Greg designed our website. He's awesome too!

Thanks,
Michelle Baker
(813) 500-3205

Strong Backs

Help I need some young strong backs for a yard project... I live in
Seminole Heights please call Denise 236-0459!

Business Guild of Seminole Heights MAY MIXER

Business Guild of Seminole Heights MAY MIXER

The BGoSH May Mixer will be held Wednesday night, May 9th, starting at 6:00 pm, and hosted by Amy and Charles of the Tampa Street Market: 4906 N. Florida Avenue

Network and socialize with a diverse group of Seminole Heights professionals, business owners and residents in a friendly, fun, business-casual environment.

• Eat, drink and browse unique furniture, art and collectibles.

• Seminole Heights business owners, bring your business cards
and brochures to network with people looking for you!

• Residents, come and learn more about the businesses
right here in your neighborhood!

• Meet local artists featured this month:
Jeff Jacoby & Josh Pearson

• Free raffle! Join us and you may be a winner!

S.H. Auto Business For Sale

I just found this property posted for sale as of 4/16. It's located at 114 W. Hillsborough Ave., Tampa, FL 33604 and appears to be just east (but on the same block) as Thunder Bay Custom Cycles.

http://www.loopnet.com/xNet/MainSite/Listing/Profile/Profile.aspx?LID=15093794&RecentlyViewed=true&ItemIndex=6&PgCxtDir=Down

The $1.8 million listing includes the following blurb: "Confidential listing. Do not approach employees. Property is currently used as Automotive on a busy Street, on a corner/ intersection. Property can be purchased with existing business or as real estate only. Great potential for redevelopment. Brokers welcome."

As always, it's a prime site for re-development. Let's cross are fingers.

Bob Ross Reviews

After getting thrown off and run over by the Tribune bus, former Trib movie critic Bob Ross is driving his own vehicle - BobRossMovies.com Check it out.

He is asking for your help. Tell him everything you wanted in a movie review website. He wants to design the first People's Movie Review website.

Bigger Seminole Heights

Seminole Heights is a bigger than life neighborhood. it's like one of the guys or gals in a room everyone talks about but that person always has something going on.

This reputation also means Seminole Heights gets a larger footprint than it really has. Often times I will read a story that will indicate something occur in Seminole Heights or that Seminole Heights residents were involved in civic fight.

For example: In the recent issue about the crematorium that wanted to move in to Florida Ave south of MLK Blvd, often times in news stories and blog article or comments people would say the facility would be located in Seminole Heights or that Seminole Heights people were fighting it. We were not. this faciity was located in Arlington Heights/Tampa Heights.

Today in the times was another story described as being in Seminole Heights. It is a very touching story. Lessons in comfort - A student learns that for the dying, listening can be the best medicine.

"But when Robben pulled up to the little old house on Orleans Avenue, Albury was corralling his pit bulls in the yard with an oxygen tank slung around his shoulder. "

and

"He had lived here when Seminole Heights was surrounded by dirt roads and the Kmart behind his house was prime hog hunting ground. In his big yard, Albury raised dozens of dogs to help him hunt." Kmart is in Sulphur Springs. Albury is likely living in Riverbend or Lowry Park Central.

Here is a map of all of the neighborhoods in Tampa.

A couple of nice quotes form the article:

""Just cause I'm old and ugly don't mean I can't take them, " Albury told Robben. "I remember. I don't forget nothing.""

and

"Treat people well, " Albury told him. "Don't give 'em no hard time. Just tell them the truth, and they won't hurt as bad."

Tampa Oak Tree

Another blog out of Seminole heights - Tampa Oak Tree

"This blog is named for the very old Grand Oak Tree in my front yard. I live in the Old Seminole Heights Historic District just north of Downtown Tampa. A previous owner of my house, who moved away approximately ten years ago stopped by and told me that this is one of the oldest oak trees in Hillsborough County. How she knows this, I have no idea but it sounds good so I won't argue.She also told me that this tree was the artist's inspiration for the Old Seminole Heights Neighborhood Association Logo. I have heard the logo story from a neighbor and a realtor so there is likely something to it.

This blog will track my progress in restoring the home which was built in 1917."

He has a question on today's entry on asking for help regarding Planting Coverage Juniper

Neighborhood Blogs

Here is a interesting article in the NY Times that was sent to me by a reader:

April 30, 2007 The Latest Must-Have for Yuppies: A Blog About the Neighborhood By MARIA ASPAN

First come the renovated condominiums, the latte bars and the expensive baby strollers. Next, apparently, come the bloggers.

"One Web site’s survey of the prevalence of blogs in urban neighborhoods found a link between gentrification and the number of people who feel compelled to think out loud about the changes in their backyards. The site, Outside.in, crowned Clinton Hill in Brooklyn as the most blogged-about neighborhood in America"

The (Big Square) Money Pit

A new blog in Seminole Heights - The (Big Square) Money Pit

"Our costly and labor intensive adventures through "Big Old House" restoration and maintenance.In the ever changing borough of Seminole Heights, Tampa, Florida"

Here is an excerpt:

"I have been thinking about my downstairs bathroom lately. These thoughts kind of pop in and out of my head, there are so many things I want to do....for the most part, the "have to dos" come first. This bathroom is so small, I'm contemplating tackling it anyway. It works...the toilet flushes, the sink provides water, heck-even the door closes, which is pretty good in an old house. It's just a little ugly, not so much because of what the previous owners did, but how they did it and the fact it is undoing itself a little now. The bathroom is very small, there is a shower stall (tiled), a toilet, a pedestal sink and a window. The tile is on the walls as well, halfway up with dark brown paint on the walls above. The previous owners tried to update the look by doing a two or three step faux finish on the tiles, in a deep brown. It looks a little (and I mean a little) like stone. This was done with regular paint and is now coming off in some places. The color is......aqua! I don't know if I mean that in an excited good way or an excited horrified way;"

Blood Drive - Merino's Deli

Merinos Seminole Heights Deli
BLOOD DRIVE
Saturday, May 12
11:30 AM - 3:30 PM
FREE can of soda & choice of cookie for all donors!
All donors will receive a T-shirt, a wellness checkup including a cholesterol
screening, and a buy-one-ticket, get-one-free coupon, good for up to
6 FREE tickets at both Silver Springs, Nature's Theme Park,
and Wild Waters Waterpark, plus the chance to save lives.

It's fast! It's easy! Visit www.fbsdonor.org to make an appointment
for your next donation. Use Sponsor Code N0116

ID REQUIRED TO DONATE
Age 16 with Parental Consent 􀆔 Minimum 110 lbs.
QUESTIONS? 1-800-68-BLOOD (25663)
www.fbsblood.org

Update on I-275 Walkway Closure

There was an article in Saturday's Tribune about the closure of the walkway under I-275 just south of the River. This is where the Troll of Seminole Heights lives.

"Within a few weeks, state highway officials will close a crosswalk that runs under Interstate 275 just south of Sulphur Springs Park.

That's welcome news to residents living along and near Hollywood Street. They have lobbied for months to close what they say is a dangerous, isolated path that links Hollywood and Hanlon Street."

Here is a comment from a blog reader about this article:
"I'd like to get some conversation going on about the impact this has on pedestrian Tampa. The idea of just closing it down instead of improving it and making it safe just slaps in the face of urban progress."

A prior discussion occured in New Neighborhood Watch Group