Pope John Paul II

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

His Holiness John Paul II, may he rest in peace.

In 1981 I was a Protestant attending a Catholic (Jesuit) College in the Philippines. The country at that time was under the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos (Imelda Marcos' husband.) I had a chance to see the Pope speak and it was one of those heart stirring events in my life. There were hundreds of thousands of people there. I stood in the hot sun for hours, but it was worth it because I had a good spot close to the stage and was 20 feet away from an aisle he used after he was finished. The closeness of his presence was very emotional.

Philippine political scientists now believe that his visit sowed the seeds for the eventual overthrow of the Marcos regime in the People Power Revolution.

Starbucks

Starbucks is trying to open up a store at the NE corner of Hillsborough and Central, the site of a torn down gas station. (See Commission Set To Decide Fate Of Coffee Break.) However it is running into some problems with the Architectural Review Commission (ARC) (See Starbucks Design Impedes Proposal) According to the article, the ARC has said "the design doesn't fit with the character of the Seminole Heights Historic District, where commercial properties historically abut the sidewalk. The commission has asked the developer to turn the building to face Central Avenue, next to the sidewalk." The land also needs to be re-zoned to accommodate the store. Starbucks wants to put up a sign visible from the Interstate and but nothing in that article indicated the ARC's position.

The Old Seminole Heights Neighborhood Association (OSHNA) supports the design submitted by Starbucks.

Why grant an exception?

1. We need Starbucks because we need coffee. Since Rigo's restaurant died we have not had a good sit-in coffee shop in Seminole Heights. At least 2 others had tried but nothing got off the ground.

2. We need Starbucks because they are a major player. That Starbucks has confidence in our neighborhood should attract notice from the local and regional/national business community. (Hey business community - we need a UPS store.)

3. We need Starbucks at that location because it will draw people off the Interstate and into our neighborhood. If we can get them to Starbucks then maybe we can then lure them to our other businesses.

We should be concerned whether this will establish a precedent, that some other business can use. However I think the precedent established is "what the neighborhood supports should be allowed to come and what it does not, should not."

There are two meetings coming up that are very important:

ARC
MONDAY, APRIL 4TH 5:30 PM
TAMPA CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS
315 EAST KENNEDY BOULEVARD, THIRD FLOOR

CITY COUNCIL MEETING
THURSDAY, APRIL 14TH 6:00 P.M.
TAMPA CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS
315 EAST KENNEDY BOULEVARD

First Home Realty is leading a drive to support having Starbucks. They are encouraging people to go to the ARC and the City Council meetings. They will have a carpool/caravan leaving from their office on those days. (5725 N. Nebraska, phone: 877-7767) They are asking that at a bare minimum please email your name, address, phone number and comments of support to Info@seminoleheightshomes.com that they will then present to ARC.

Bo's Ice Cream is for Sale

A Seminole Heights landmark, Bo's Ice Cream, is for sale, according to a sign on the property. It noted that after 50 years Bo is retiring. What a shame. I hope whoever buys it keeps selling ice cream and does not tear it down for a Walgreens or something. Of course to recoup the cost of the sale they will have to increase prices and sell of some of the land. It will never be the same!

After dinner relaxation

Life in a 1922 bungalow is so interesting. We have been remodeling our kitchen since the beginning of January. A project that was supposed to be finished in one month. (Boy, were we naive!) New cabinets, flooring (concrete backer board and vinyl composition tile), drywall, counter, sink, bead board panelling, lights, outlets and etc. Everything is taking longer than it is supposed to, usually because some sort of problem is discovered. Tonight, after coming home from a hard day at work (does anyone come home from a soft day of work?) , I enjoyed a good meal and conversation with my wife, Susan. After dinner I was planning on working on the kitchen floor molding. I needed to get this done so we could move our appliances into the kitchen this weekend. We have not had a stove for 3 months and toaster-oven food is getting tiring. First the dishes needed to be washed. I was hand washing the dishes in my usual Zen-like state, enjoying the view out my new window. I looked down and discovered my sink was not draining. Since I just put this sink and new plumbing in 2 weeks ago, I knew it was not a stopped up p-trap. I knew it was not a blockage under the house because early on in the remodeling project I had replaced all of that cast iron piping due to several leaks. After two hours of digging up my backyard I discovered the problem.


At some point the main waste clay pipe that ran from the bathroom to the city sewer line was replaced with PVC. However the clay pipe that ran from the kitchen to the main line was not replaced. I knew this and thought the clay pipe must have collapsed, perhaps at the juncture of the clay pipe and the main waste PVC pipe. Not so. The intellectual giants who put in the PVC pipe never connected the kitchen clay pipe to the PVC pipe! Aaargh!

I found a blog of someone who has many stories to tell about remodeling an old house The Last Nail

David West has died

According to an email I just received From Shannon Edge, director of City of Tampa Neighborhood and Community Relations, David West has died.

"It is with a very heavy heart and great sadness that I share with you the passing of David West Sunday afternoon. Words cannot do justice in describing what a positive difference David made in Tampa, especially in his North Tampa neighborhood and with Tampa Neighborhood Crime Watch. His support, kindness, commitment for change, big heart and friendship will be sorely missed but his sprit will remain with us forever.

David was everywhere in the community trying to make a difference, especially through his "Up With Hope, Down With Dope" anti-drug marches. Major Jane Castor also mentioned that David was going to be recognized for "Outstanding Citizen of the Year" by TPD at the Sykes Law Enforcement lunch. The Mayor also stated "David represented the very best of neighborhood activism. He truly made a difference.” "

David was very involved not only in his neighborhood association of North Tampa, but in city wide activities. He was a past President of the Tampa Neighborhood Watch Association, a founding member of the Hillsborough County Prostitution Task Force, and member of the Southeast Seminole Heights (SESH) antiprostitution Exercise Club (among other actvities.) He attended every anti-drug march held in SESH and assisted in getting the SESH Neighborhood Watch Vehicle Patrol started. His efforts helped reduce prostitution activity in Seminole Heights.

He was a good man and will be greatly missed.

Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, April 2, 2005
MacDonald Funeral Home
10520 N. Florida Avenue
813- 933 - 4950
5:00 PM



David West at the former U-Save on Nebraska for a late night anti-prostitution walk with the SESH Exercise Club. Also in the photo is Betty Shaffer and an unknown TPD officer.

David West with the SESH Exercise Club and TPD in another late night anti-prostitution walk. Also in the photo is Frank Roder, Marilyn Durst, Denise Toledo, and Buddy Williams

Restaurants

What is is with restaurants in Seminole Heights? The number of failed restaurants is amazing. Rigo's (What a great place in its prime!) Stoopid's (?????). Seminole Heights Bakery. Several places in the strip mall at Powhattan and Nebraska. Sugar Daddy's and etc.

One of the best (worst?) examples is 5202 N. Nebraska (cor Frierson)

Since I moved to Seminole Heights in 2000 there have been 5 restaurants at that location.

The first was Old Tampa Cafe, that underwent new ownership some time after we arrived here. The new owners did not last long. It was not much of a restaurant, but the food was not bad.

Then came the Lunch Break. Aside from a coat of paint not much was done to the decor. The outside wall still had the Old Tampa Cafe signs. They did add decorations at each holiday. But they never took them down. Food was really good, being home style cooking. However it took a while for the food to be served. It did not seem as if they did any food prep. Sometimes people were not waited on timely. Suggestions were not appreciated. They would regularly not open up on time.

Then came the Gyro restaurant. Eager to please but lacking on experience in running a restaurant. Food was not very good. No changes in decor. The hours kept changing.

Seminole Heights Cafe took over. There were great plans. All of the old signs were removed and a new one put up. The exterior was painted and interior remodeling began. Then nothing for most of a year.

Now we have Martha's Restaurant. Soon to open on April 1. It is moving from another location on east Hillsborough Avenue where it had been for years. They seemed to know what they are doing. Complete interior remodeling. Wainscoting being put up. A new paint job of more than one color. They replaced the booths with tables. The booths that were designed for 4 people but could only really seat 2 so maximum number of customers could never be achieved. They redid the counter and placed stools there for the To Go customers. At the prior restaurants To Go customers sat at tables. This again will maximize the number of eat-in customers. Their breakfast/lunch hours are good (6A to 3P) with dinner on Friday. 4 to ???

I want several things when I go out to eat. Consistent quality. Food items should taste the same every time I go. Good and timely customer service. Decent environment. Consistent hours. (When a restaurant says it will be open it should be!)

My favorites are Three Coins, Nicko's and the taco bus Restaurant. Front Porch is good but the food is cooked differently each time I go.

Welcome

Welcome to Seminole Heights. Commentary and photographs about life here in Seminole Heights. This is an interesting urban neighborhood, full of life and character. Many homes are bungalows that date from the 1920's, but all styles and can be found including the mini New Tampa style of the New Millenium homes. There is a strong diversity in race, culture, sexual orientation and political opinion. The three subneighborhoods (Old Seminole Heights, South Seminole Heights, and Southeast Seminole Heights) have very strong civic associations and the residents are known city wide for civic activism. Southeast Seminole Heights was named as 2003 National Neighborhood of the Year. This neighborhood is home to to community radio station WMNF 88.5, well known for its dedication to activism and progressive causes. City council member Kevin White resides here and council member Rose Ferlita works here. Several strong neighborhood watch groups exist, working closely with police in reducing crime.