Twang

I used to deride country music as twang, especially bluegrass. I grew up listening to classical music and pop.

Then Susan introduced me to WMNF. I started listening to the folk show and somehow moved in to the old timey show and then the bluegrass shows. "O' Brother Where Art Thou" was our first bluegrass purchase.

Now things have changed, the twangier the better. Iris Dement helped pushed me in that direction. I especially like old timey and early country, 20's to 50/60s. Hank Williams Sr, Fiddlin John Carson, Little Jimmy Dickens, Ernest Tubb, Hank Snow, The Carter Family, Ralph Stanley. Twang is vey penetrating music.

Funny how tastes change.

If I had a chance, I'd now watch Heehaw.

Kevin Changes Clothes

In the Times today:

A change of heart over campaign expenses
County Commission candidate Kevin White decides not to use $6,100 in campaign money to pay for Italian suits and other garb.
By Times Staff
Published August 15, 2006

Also

"In related news, White is featured in the spring issue of the slick Tampa Bay's Best magazine under the heading "People With Style."

In a question-and-answer segment of the feature, the magazine asked White this: What is your greatest extravagance? His answer: Clothes and jewelry."

West Side Stories - a new blog

Sophia Nakis created a blog for West Tampa called West Side Stories

"Welcome to the West Tampa neighborhood blog. This is a place created to exchange contacts, referrals, advise, tips, communicating on forming a neighborhood watch, invitations to parties, a welcome committee, our whatever we decide. I believe it is a great resource for the growing West Tampa community at large. Living in Seminole Heights for nearly seven years I've seen the tremendous affect our local blog here has made on bringing the neighborhood together. Most of us have met each other already and with focus on our growing community, I'm sure it won't be long before a list of twenty grows to hundreds."


So now we have Port Tampa and West Side Stories (West Tampa) Okay other neighborhoods, where is your blog?

Safe Home Grants

An email from my neighbor Diane:

"Here is the website for the grants to upgrade homes. Sadly, hurricane windows are not amongst the choices, which I was hoping for, but perhaps some of you may want/need the other upgrade options. Good luck. http://www.mysafefl oridahome. com/FreeHomeInsp ections.asp "

. Who will be eligible for free home inspections?

A Floridian whose primary residence is a single-family, “site-built” home and
who has a valid homestead exemption, and
whose home has an insured value of not more than $500,000.
A Floridian whose primary residence is a unit in a residential building of up to four units, and
who has a valid homestead exemption, and
whose unit has an insured value of not more than than $500,000.
NOTE: All unit owners in a residential building must agree to participate in the program to be eligible for free inspections.

Properties not eligible for free home inspections include:

• Mobile homes or manufactured homes
• Second homes
• Rental properties
• Apartments
• Businesses

2. When can I request an inspection?
We will have information available by August 2006 to inform Floridians when they can begin to apply for free inspections.

3. How do I request an inspection?
By August 2006, we will begin to offer qualified homeowners options for applying for free inspections, including an on-line application that homeowners may fill out and submit electronically or by mail. Floridians who do not have internet access will be able to call our Department’s toll-free consumer helpline – 1-800-342-2762 – to request an application be mailed.

4. Who can I use to do an inspection?
When your application is approved, the Department of Financial Services will notify you who will be available to perform the inspection. The new law requires the Department to assemble a group of qualified inspectors who have undergone background checks, have verified inspection experience and have received specialized training in strengthening homes against hurricanes.

5. What will the inspection report tell me?
The new law specifies that the inspection report must:

Outline what eligible improvements may be made to your home to increase resistance to hurricane wind damage.

Provide a range of how much each improvement would cost to do.
Explain what insurance discounts may be available for each improvement.
Offer a hurricane resistance rating scale that shows the home’s current ability, and future ability with improvements, to withstand hurricanes.

NOTE: There are seven categories of improvements that are eligible for matching grant dollars. The inspector’s report will detail each of these as they relate to your home.

6. Does obtaining a free inspection obligate me to make any repairs or upgrades to my residence?
No.

Political Questions

A comment from the Suit and Hat Post:
"I do think that we (through Scott and his Blog) have power! Scott I think you have the power to put together questionaires to send to the candidates to have them answer. I would love to have a side by side comparison. When I say you have power, I mean that your site is so well read and well respected a candidate would be foolish not to respond. When you consider the readership on this blog, in their district of interest, I think it would be an awesome service."


Okay, Will do.

Questions please?

CDBG Funds for traffic claming

"What was happening with the CDBG grant monies we recieved last March? I know that we were asking the City Council to pledge these funds for traffic calming devices on 12th, but am not sure if this will work. The traffic dept did a study at 12th and McBerry and determined that a 4 way stop was not justified. 12th and Chelsea got a 4 way stop after Rose made a visit, which is great. Perhaps we could use this money to landscape some of the areas near I-275 in the neighborhood, since the DOT is not putting up sound walls for us?

Urban Fitness - Fall Fitness Open House

Obey Your Potential
at Urban Fitness in Seminole Heights!Come check out our wide range of fitness options available at our Fall Fitness Open House!
• FREE Sample Pilates & Yoga Classes •
• Membership Info & Personal Training Seminars •
Urban Fitness is a state of the art fitness facility
located in the heart of Historic Seminole Heights.
We take pride in our cozy, intimate gym,
which has fitness options available for everyone!

Fall Fitness Open House
Saturday August 26, 200610:00 a.m. - 12:00 Noon

Urban Fitness to add Pilates and Yoga classes!
Seminole Heights residents Jana Poat, owner of Urban Fitness; and Jessica Landerfield, owner of Serendipity Puddle Studio are joining forces to help the Seminole Heights community get fit for fall.

Private, semi-private, and group sessions in Pilates mat and Yoga, along with private sessions on Pilates Reformer equipment will be available beginning August 28th at Urban Fitness.

The Pilates and Yoga group class schedule will be finalized soon.

Discount rates will be available to Urban Fitness members!

FREE Pilates Mat or Yoga class!
Call 813.679.2631 or email: serendipitypuddlestudio@verizon.net
to sign-up for a free class at our Fall Fitness Open House!

4705 N Florida AvenueTampa, FL 33603 Phone: 813.232.5952ufitness@tampabay.rr.com

A Suit versus a Hat

The Tribune endorsed Chloe Coney today, as its pick for the Democratic Candidate for County Commission District 3.

Running against her is SE Seminole Heights own Kevin White. I know Kevin. He is my neighbor two blocks over. I thought Kevin had done a good job as City Council member.

Earlier this week I was prepared to publish an endorsement of Kevin. Then the story broke about Kevin's use of his campaign money to purchase suits to campaign in. The disturbing element of the story was the perceived attempt to disquise the purchases. This may have cost him the election. It has given me pause. I was very disappointed.

I like that Chloe Coney has been a neighborhood advocate. However, I was disappointed to read in the Trib that Coney was not going to take a stand on gay rights ""I'm not going to be sidetracked," said Democrat Chloe Coney, one of five candidates for the seat being vacated by term-limited Thomas Scott. "If we go and poll our community, [gay rights] would not be our top issue. We need to stay focused on what the community needs."

However, gay rights is an issue in this community of Seminole Heights.

I don't know Kevin's stance. However, he is surrounded by gay neighbors.

I am also concerned as to whether Chloe will pull a Gwen Miller. At election times when Gwen Miller was running for the city council seat that includes SE Seminole Heights, she'd be in the neighborhood, but after she won, you would never see her here. Frankly, in the larger scheme of things, SE Seminole Heights is a white minority neighborhood in the majority black East Tampa. A black former elected official told me that race was an issue in her lack of involvement with SE Seminole Heights. Chloe has already come to at least one Seminole Heights function (BGOSH meeting) After being elected would Chloe come to Seminole Heights and listen and represent us in addition to her majority constituents?

Kevin was in this neighborhood a lot before the election. He and his wife marched in drug walks
with us. After election I see him while walking my dog or at porch parties or other events. I know he is representing me because I can talk with him.

I think Kevin can represent Seminole Heights well, however I am going to hold off on making a recommendation until much closer to the election, to see what happens.

Tribune Picks Rose

The Tampa Tribune picked Rose Ferlita as its recommendation for Hillsborough County Commission District 1 Republican Candidate

"The clear edge in experience goes to Tampa City Council member Rose V. Ferlita. She has worked effectively in her neighborhood and in eight years on the council has voted with independent thoughtfulness. She correctly says the commission has supported too much growth in the wrong places."

They go on to say:

"The candidate promising the least change is Brad Swanson, who works for a consulting company. Despite the backlog of county needs, he is campaigning for lower fees and more sprawling growth.

Swanson would expand the urban service area and put more houses farther from the county's business centers. He thinks, incredibly, the county does too much to preserve land.
Swanson's campaign has made irresponsible attacks on Ferlita. He is jovial but gives the impression of a candidate being told what to say." A zing at Raph Hughes

Ferlita is by far the best choice. She has been active in improving the city neighborhood where she runs a drugstore. She understands that Tampa is a vital part of Hillsborough County.

When tax dollars are at stake, she pays careful attention to detail. Ferlita tolerates no nonsense and is feisty without being petty.

Most appealing is her independence. She told us, "I would rather go back to my drugstore full time than to be a puppet." A second zing at Ralph Hughes

In the District 1 Republican primary, The Tribune endorses Rose Ferlita.

Interestingly for a vice president of marketing, Swanson is doing a lousy job of marketing himself.

Scientology and Christianity

As previously posted, a minister in East Tampa (Rev. Charles L. Kennedy of the Glorious Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is teaching his congregation Scientology techniques.

Today there was an article in the St. Pete Times about a minister who wrote a booklet: "A study of Scientology, a Decidedly Non-Christian Perspective"

"“I have developed this primarily as a means to help Christians understand three important things. First of all, that Scientology — despite its language — is not Christian, and they will admit to that fact. Secondly, that their attempt to use modern technology to improve the lives of individuals can be misleading,’’ Miller said.

He tries to make another important point, Miller said. Scientology’s “clash with Christianity is whether or not one can earn or develop one’s own salvation as opposed to letting God come into your life and without earning the transformations,’’ he said, referring to the cost of Scientology’s classes and counseling sessions."

Is Rev. Kennedy selling out his congreagation? I wonder what the COGIC hierarchy thinks about this? For example: Bishop Harvey D. Bryan, Sr. of the Florida, Western Jurisdiction or The Most Reverend Gilbert Earl Patterson Presiding Bishop for COGIC Worldwide.

New Office Building

There is going to be a new office building built at New Orleans and Nebraska. There is a permit box with plans in them. this will be the first new commercial construction in a long while. More details will follow as I get them.

Merino's??

Well, it look like some work has started at the possible future site of Merino's Restaurant

200,000 plus

I just noticed that yesterday, the blog passed the 200,000 page view mark since it was started on March 2005.

Monthly stats.

Month Page Views Unique Views Repeat Visitors
Jan-06 9,163 5,024 1,699
Feb-06 11,417 5,894 2,118
Mar-06 17,306 8,589 3,446
Apr-06 20,399 9,873 4,060
May-06 28,896 11,397 5,214
Jun-06 32,375 12,334 5,808
Jul-06 29,891 11,237 5,476

Is Greenprinting Dead?

The Giddens Park at 12th and Giddens became the first park to participate in the Greenprinting Program initiated by the Mayor's Beautification Program.

"Project Overview
Our vision for this project is to incorporate all members of the Southeast Seminole Heights community in the design and construction of a new playground for Giddens Park. This playground project is one component of a larger program called Tampa’s Greenprinting Initiative. Tampa’s Greenprinting Initiative (TGI) is a ten-year project to enhance one public open space resource in Tampa’s inner-city each year, with an additional goal of building residents’ capacity to address other pressing issues in their neighborhoods. TGI is based on the concept of “Greenprinting”, which the Trust for Public Land developed to ensure grassroots participation in the design and implementation of public open space conservation, development and restoration. Southeast Seminole Heights is the first of ten neighborhoods to participate in Tampa’s Greenprinting Initiative. Residents will research, visualize, plan, and then effectively develop and implement a park revitalization project, which includes a playground component."

TARGET BUILD DATE:11/30/2003

Let see. It is June 2006. What do we have?

1. A nice parking lot that many people don't park in. Too lazy to walk to the basketball area, they park on Giddens Ave, on the sidewalk or right of way in front of the No Parking Signs. Or they park on the sidewalks on Frierson where someone has neglected to put parallel parking only signs.

2. A fence that seems like it was built out of Twizzlers.

3. A large concrete donut.

Meanwhile other parks like Rivercrest get all sorts of nice stuff without having to participate in Greenprinting.

What up with the second Greenprinting Park - Robles Park / Tampa Heights? Any action there?

SWEEPing

There are several traditions in Seminole Heights.

One is The Curb. Getting rid of something but think it might be of use to someone? Put it out by the curb. Someone will drive by and pick it up.

Another tradition is Pre-NEAT (SWEEP) curb shopping. The Friday night before NEAT/SWEEP drive through the neighborhood and see what goodies are available. You would be amazed what can be found.

We would see some of these treasures while riding on the garbage truck to help pick up for NEAT. Occasionally we or the city garbage guys would keep an item. Once while on the garbage truck someone wanted to giveaway a brass fire extinquisher. I could not throw it away and I told them to take it to an antique store.

So.

What is the best find you have taken home from the Curb or Pre-NEAT?

What is the oddest thing you have seen?

What is the ugliest thing you have put out on The Curb or for NEAT that you know someone picked up?

Canning Comments on Cappy's

Michael Canning's story on Cappy's

Cappy's pizza proves hot here St. Petersburg Times - St. Petersburg,FL,USAEager eyes in Old Seminole Heights have been peeled on the property next to Starbucks since it opened in April at Hillsborough and Central avenues. ...

Preventing Public Poop Piles Program

Politics of poopers, scoopers St. Petersburg Times Thu, 10 Aug 2006 10:21 PM PDT

Nothing can ruin a nice stroll like stepping in a fresh, steamy pile of dog poop. Not as gross, but still frustrating, is seeing a dog owner slip away after his pet does its business, leaving behind the evidence.

"People usually reached for a plastic bag when their dog doo-dooed in a neighbor's yard, but when it came to scooping in public areas, forget it. Let nature wash it away."

"The staff will set up an information booth from 8:30 a.m. to noon in Rivercrest Park at Osborne Avenue and River Boulevard, east of Hillsborough River. Dog owners can pick up brochures, pooper scooper reminder magnets and fire hydrant-shaped bag dispensers that clip to leashes."

"Holland wasn't afraid to get down and stinky to monitor results of the new program. On June 4, she and her obviously adoring boyfriend counted every pile of poop along a nearly 1-mile stretch of sidewalk through Rivercrest Park.

The number nauseated: 83 piles, including one next to the poop bag dispenser.

Using GPS, Holland mapped every pile and printed the results onto a poster to display at the information booth. Every month, she will remap the poop in the hopes of showing a dramatic decrease."

Update on Misty Schroeder

A story providing an update on Seminole Heights Resident Misty Schroeder who was severely innjured in an auto accident in January.

Friends Of Starbucks Barista Lament Their 'Misty Gap'
Skip directly to the full story.
By RYAN KOST The Tampa Tribune
Published: Aug 11, 2006

Woman remains in coma.
TAMPA - The Howard Avenue Starbucks seems perpetually busy, customers standing in line awaiting their caffeine fix or lounging about the oversized patio, latte in hand.
. . .
"Misty, a second-semester senior, suffered serious head injuries. As she lay, comatose, in Tampa General Hospital's Trauma Unit, her reach in the community became clear. Misty's hundreds of customers, it seemed, were also her friends."
. . .
"It has been more than six months since Misty stood behind the cafe counter in her signature green Starbucks apron slinging lattes and mochas, but a visitor isn't likely to order his or her morning chai without hearing - or reading - about her.

A poster near the entrance is filled with get-well messages, a sign near the bar explains the story to those new to the Howard hot spot, and Sarah Sargent can't work a single shift without four or five people asking how Misty is doing."
. . .
"While the benefits continue, the small wooden lockbox atop the sleek Starbucks counters isn't for cash donations.

Instead, the box serves as a memory bank; friends are urged to write down one of their most treasured times with Misty."



Anyone have any memories of Misty to share?

Previously on the blog:
http://seminoleheights.blogspot.com/2006/01/seminole-heights-woman-in-tgh-icu.html
http://seminoleheights.blogspot.com/2006/01/misty-schroeder-benefit.html

More on Mackin Moving

A muse is moving on St. Petersburg Times Thu, 10 Aug 2006 10:18 PM PDT The gallery owner's departure is seen either as a commentary on Tampa culture or just a personal decision.

Fro mthe article:

"Is her departure another indication that Tampa doesn't support its artists? Or is it just natural for an artist to try her luck on one of the world's biggest stages? Opinions vary."

One quote:

"People here are not interested in culture. They don't have that knack for wanting a certain vision of life.""

and

"Wilborn said. "But to me, this doesn't say so much about Tampa. I think the decision's more personal. If you're in the art world, it's not a crime or a betrayal to say, 'Let's go to New York and see what we can do.' "

Wilborn, who grew up in Tampa, left for Los Angeles and later returned, noted that the arts movement here dates back only a few decades. The city continues to grow and stretch creatively, he said."

I think the City needs to treat artists the way they treat big corporations as valued commodity that needs to be brought here.

One way is for the the City to buy interior artwork for City buildings. And it should only be from Tampa artists.

Fixing Seminole Heights

1. According to the Trib: repairs are budgeted for the Seminole Heights Garden Center.

"The city's Seminole Garden Center, a 67-year-old rental facility, could get about $1.5 million to repair ceilings, floors and restrooms. "

"A fire some years ago led to poor reconstruction, he said. A dormer window is covered with plywood, and steps lead to a window where once there was a door"

"Linoleum flooring possibly covers restorable wood floors. The restrooms are in disrepair, and Baron said the association rents portable toilets when staging events.

The aluminum windows are not in keeping with the building's historical character, association member Susan Long said.

"It screams ugly, and it should be gorgeous," she said."


2. And stop signs will be placed at Henry Avenue and 12th Street and Comanche Avenue and 13th Street.

"About 60 residents attended an earlier neighborhood meeting when LaMotte said studies on Henry did not justify speed tables or stop signs.

About 600 daily trips were counted on Henry. By comparison, studies showed about 1,600 daily trips on nearby Idlewild Avenue, but no stop signs or tables have been installed there.

LaMotte said the city responded to residents' concerns by looking beyond Henry to the surrounding street grid. It became a quality-of-life issue, he said."

"Residents want the city next to consider making Ninth Street one-way from Mohawk Avenue to Hillsborough."


3. Tampa 2007 Proposed Budget
Nebraska Avenue Enhancements
Nebraska Ave: Kennedy Boulevard to Hillsborough Avenue Department:

Monetary Information FY07 Budget: $418,000

Description: This project provides for irrigation conduit substructures for running irrigation lines to landscaped areas and enhanced crosswalks. The landscaping project will be completed in conjunction with a Florida Department of Transportation resurfacing project. Priority is given to the segments of Nebraska Avenue extending from Kennedy Boulevard to the north.