Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Hungry Harry's BBQ In Seffner

All in all, a great value for all-you-can-eat BBQ. If you find yourself in Seffner with an empty stomach, you'll be hard pressed to do better than Hungry Harrys for the money...........here

Matriarch's Love Lives On As Ybor Family's Legacy

With three generations of my family in Ybor City, my childhood memories are the catalyst for the ideal of a kinder, gentler society. I remember an integrated neighborhood in segregated times, speaking to people as we walked to and fro. I remember devil crabs made from chunks of fresh crabmeat and the best Cuban sandwiches from the Silver Ring Cafe........more

Cuban Connection Long and Deep In Tampa

For most Floridians, the mention of Cuba generates immediate thoughts of Fidel Castro, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Mariel Boat Lift and the United States' long-standing trade embargo. But, Florida and specifically the Tampa Bay area have longer, deeper and richer ties to that island nation than what's occurred in the last half century........more

The Tampa Bay Blues Festival

Each year since 1995 the Tampa Bay Blues Festival has been staged at beautiful Vinoy Waterfront Park in downtown St. Petersburg. The park is located on the shores of scenic Tampa Bay, with the famous St. Petersburg Pier providing a brilliant backdrop for the festival. With its acres of plush grass and palm trees, Vinoy Park is the perfect tropical setting for one of the world's greatest blues festivals............here

South Tampa Neighbors Oppose Cell Tower Proposal

The possibility of a cell phone tower rising in their neighborhood has Virginia Park residents taking a stand..........more

Woodpecker Terrorizes Tampa Neighborhood

The woodpecker normally prefers softwood deciduous trees…except in one south Tampa neighborhood...........here

Friends Of Stogie

At The Firehouse

Michelle Patty And Buddy Johnson

Tampa black activist Michelle Patty took to the airwaves earlier this week to dispute a St. Petersburg Times investigation. The report found she had gone from a onetime critic of Hillsborough Elections Supervisor Buddy Johnson to an active campaigner after he funneled $16,000 in taxpayer dollars to her firm for "voter education."............more

Bartlett Park Community Garden In St. Pete

If you haven’t had a chance to drive by the Bartlett Park Community Garden in St. Pete, I’d urge you to stop and smell the cabbage. The year-long effort has already paid off with a bountiful harvest of vegetables and fruits, as well as promoting some goodwill and friendship in a tough neighborhood...........more

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Hookah Lounges Breathe New Life Into Tampa Bay Music Scene

Two venues in particular that have caught the attention of music lovers in the area are the Extraordinair Lounge in Clearwater, and the Meridian Lounge in Tampa...........here

Tampa Bay Desalination Plant In Trouble Again

Just at the time it is really needed, the Tampa Bay seawater desalination plant has hit trouble again. For some months now, the plant has been operating well below capacity - at a time when the rainfall in that part of Florida is at record low levels...........more

New Latin Chamber for Tampa

The Tampa Latin Chamber has formed to provide leadership and education to the Hispanic businesses community in the Bay area. The organization will hold a launch event on April 28 at the Valencia Garden Restaurant, 811 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa........more

Tampa Web Site: Syfy

When Michael Hinman first got the idea to name his Tampa-based Web site after a funny-looking synonym for science fiction, his goal was to find a trademark term that would instantly spell out what he and his geeky pals were obsessing over...........more

Big Cat Rescue on Front Page of Tampa Tribune

Are You Living Next To An Exotic Animal?...........here

The St. Pete Police Chief Interview I’d Like To See

Maxwell’s Fluffed Up Interview With The City’s Top Cop
Is so PR-friendly I’m tempted to call police PR flack Bill Profitt and ask if he’s retiring. Is Maxwell positioning for a job as the newspaper industry falters?...........here

The Corrs - Lough Erin Shore

Friends Of Stogie

At The Tally Ho

Monday, March 16, 2009

Pamela Anderson “Save The Chimps In Florida” Campaign

Pamela Anderson is campaigning to free chimpanzees kept in captivity in the State of Florida. The former Baywatch babe has teamed up with animal rights allies at PETA to pen an open letter to Florida Governor Charlie Crist, targeting the state’s roadside zoos, where Pamelas claims chimps and other animals are kept in inadequate conditions............more

Calling All Tampa Bay “Green” Vendors

Improving the local economy is a large part of being sustainable. Pinellas County Extension is committed to educating and informing our community about the available resources in the Tampa Bay Area.We need your help identifying who our local “green” vendors are. Please complete and submit this Green Vendor Information Survey...........more

8th Annual Cigar City Celebration

March 21, 2009 from 7pm to 11pm
Riverwalk at the Tampa Convention Center, 333 South Franklin Street

David Rodgers Of Tampa, Florida

He could have just kept on driving. But
Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin White
said he could not pass by and do nothing as a man beat up a woman. So he made a U-turn............more

Rally in Tally

here

Hillsborough County Commission Chairman Ken Hagan

Economic Stimulus Task Force
Two months ago, Chairman Hagan proposed an economic stimulus task force to study ways to create new jobs and make the county more competitive. Hagan said that he wanted to get a “fresh set of eyes and ideas” working on the problem..........more

Honeymoon Island, Florida

Honeymoon Island State Park is located in Dunedin,Florida.It is most famous for being the gateway to Caladesi Island,America's Best Beach...........more

Friends Of Stogie

At Gapars In Temple Terrace

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Saltado
With Black Beans, Rice And Platanos
$5.95........At Rosa's On MLK In Drew Park

The Creative Native Gallery In Tampa

Friday night, I checked out the Creative Native Gallery on the east side of Tampa. The gallery, a converted and restored home on the outskirts of town, is home to the "Spotlight Tampa!" collection. This collection features artists from all over Tampa Bay and their artwork, a mixed medium collection in many disciplines............more

Drumming Up Business In Port Richey

State Road 52 And Little Road

In Memoriam

Rachel Corrie
1979 - 2003

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Largo, Florida


What should happen to the Pier?

Curious about a couple of the seemingly underestimated candidates for St. Petersburg mayor, I stopped by recent receptions for Deveron Gibbons and Scott Wagman. Both were asked about the future of the Pier, and they gave strikingly different responses...........more

The Space Shuttle

From Temple Terrace, Florida

What Stogie Had For Lunch

Beef Stew
With Moro And Platanos
$6.95.........At Pino's Cafe, 4629 N Lois Ave, Tampa

St. Patrick's Day in Tampa Bay

here

Friends Of Stogie

At The Tally Ho

Susan Stanton A Finalist For South Florida City Manager’s Job

She’s living now in Arizona, a long way from Largo where her transgender revelation as Steve Stanton cost her a longtime job as city manager, but Susan Stanton has a shot at returning to the Sunshine State..........more

Trafficking That Touches Tampa

She came from Guatemala, a woman in her early 20s smuggled into the United States for what she thought was a housekeeping job............more

Stogie's Daughter Turns 29