There can be no question that an insidious effort to dismantle growth management is bad for the state when both the Hillsborough County Commission and 1000 Friends of Florida are asking Gov. Charlie Crist to veto the legislation. 
Hillsborough County is doubling the number of pet-friendly disaster shelters it offers to four, just in time for hurricane season. Animal Services workers are seeking monetary donations so they can purchase pet crates and other supplies for the additional two shelters............here
Last night, Photographer Phil and I played Heatwave Hopscotch, skipping from stage to stage, pausing longer at some than at others though never staying long enough to get comfortable in any one place, and having a grand old time all along the way............more
There's already one group going after Democrat Alex Sink with a Web site called Don't Bank on Sink that re-uses the same "banker" talking points the state GOP put out yesterday, minutes after the state chief financial officer announced her gubernatorial bid.........more
By running for U.S. Senate, Charlie Crist has cut and run on the Sunshine State, once again taking the easy way out, avoiding responsibility and leaving the hard work of facing Florida's problems to the next governor........here
Was named this year's We Deliver award winner. The award, funded by an anonymous donor through the district's education foundation, recognizes an employee who "delivers miracles every day,"...............here
In an effort to appeal to taxpayers during his campaign for re-election last year, Buddy Johnson boasted that he had cut his office's budget by 10 percent. Instead, according to an audit released Friday, Johnson overspent his budget in the final 15 months of his administration by $2.35 million...........more
Florida Prisons Shock Kids 
You can become a Friend of SWFBUD for $25 a year and the first 100 Friends will get a free Polar Bottle water bottle.
A St. Petersburg homeowner's mercy might be the only reason a burglary suspect is still alive.............here
The Cyrano de Bergerac of Kennedy Blvd.
For Hillsborough On Growth-Management Bill
Tampa Electric is denying suggestions that its Big Bend Power Station is dumping high levels of selenium, a metal toxin, into Tampa Bay. The Washington Post reported recently that several U.S. power plants have been flushing wastewater with levels of selenium that far exceed EPA standards into U.S. waterways. 
It's a glimmer of gold and black topping out at 75 mph. No stops for gas. Just food, rest and friends. But it's a looker.......here
Former Gov. Bob Graham has endorsed Alex Sink for Florida's next Governor. Graham is the most respected Democratic politician in Florida. The endorsement is symbolically huge for Sink.........here
For all of you mass transit supporters … buses everywhere were busy last week giving you a glimpse of what really goes on down at County Center...........more
A Tampa mother who deputies say left her baby in a hot car while she broke into a home and punched a resident was arrested Monday. Colleen Sullivan, 21, lifted a sliding glass door off its track to enter a home at 1326 Autumn Drive while 
Ybor City in Tampa is my favorite place to hang out and take photos. It's been a part of my life since the early eighties when I attended college there...........more
Where is this little building. What country is it in? When I found it I drove right by at first, circled back and stopped right in front and just studied it for a while..........here
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When Alex Sink is elected in November 2010, she will be Florida’s first woman governor! 
I love the daily paper. In no other publication can you read one article full of facts, shedding light on some problem and then read a columnist in the next section completely unaware of said facts and making uneducated statements. I bring this up, because I just finished my Sunday edition of the St. Petersburg Times..........more
Propane tank exchange brand Blue Rhino has just announced its top 100 Cookout Capitals for 2009.
Downtown Tampa will be celebrating National Bike to Work Day on May 15 with group rides coming in from literally all directions. Participants will meet up afterwards at Indigo Coffee for a free beverage........here
Saw his 3-year-old sister standing on the pool ladder, a frozen expression on her face. Her hand was pointing down toward the water. She was pointing at Ashley Lawler, floating face-down. Tyler took only seconds Sunday evening to clamber over a 4-foot fence, jump into the above-ground pool and grab Ashley........here
Lisa worked at Wal-Mart on Dale Mabry Highway at Bearss Avenue where dozens of her friends and co-workers attended the ceremony in the lobby. The 26-year-old mother and her young children were brutally killed in their Lutz home on Mother's Day last year.........here
A Tampa mother has been charged with child neglect after her 3-year-old son was found wandering their apartment complex Sunday afternoon without any clothes on.........more
Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, who a few months ago expressed interest in Mel Martinez’s seat in the Senate, said today she will not run for statewide or national office in 2010..........here
Howe, who was let go by WTSP in September after more than a dozen years, has not yet found another job. She said life has been tough since she left the station, with few job prospects..........more
Schorsch said Bennett was at first reticent to bring him on as a hired campaign employee given Schorsch's previous legal troubles. He was arrested in 2006 on charges he stole nearly $10,000 
Tara Lee is a Tampa mom who dared to ask the question, “If my children’s toys were recalled because of lead contamination in paint, why has lead not yet been banned from lipstick?”........here
Letter-to-the-Editor, from Brian Moore
There are lots of blogs and websites about the Seminole Heights area. Here are some I have found.
Florida’s “fountain of youth” today may be a wastewater treatment system disguised as a cascading water feature in a building atrium. Considering Florida’s critical water shortage, suffering its third driest season on record since 1932, with less than 30 percent of normal winter rainfall, salty estuaries, and the Everglades’ marshes evaporating, it’s not surprising that the paved-over state in this subtropical climate with endless golf courses and countless housing developments is in a dilemma...........more
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida’s Greater Tampa Chapter,
At age 11, Zach Bonner has already walked farther and done more for charity than many grown-ups. Now he's about to make good on his vow to walk more than 1,200 miles from Tampa to Washington to bring attention to the plight of homeless kids in the United States..........more
Looking for some way to celebrate your mom, with your mom, but don’t want to deal with the traditional flowers-sentimental card-dinner-kiss on the cheek? Here are a trio of events taking place this weekend that are sure to be a treat for your dear old muddah.........here
