Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood News - December 2008

8/8/2019 Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood News - December 2008

1/28PagHISTORICOLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Published Quarter

Old NortheastNeighborhood News

HistoricSt. Petes Jewel on Tampa B

Volume 35 Issue 4 www.honna.org December 2008

December15th

Holiday Party

January 19th

Souvenir of St. Petersburg

Meet the author

February 16th

Yvonne Swanson, Master Gardene

MarkyocalendarNew HONNA Offerings ...........Pages 2-3

RESPECT .......................... Page 10

Going Green ..........................Pages 20-21

Watering NO-NOs ..................Pages 26-27

HONNA NeighborhoodMeetingsare held the third

Monday of each month (exceptAugust and December) at

Westminster Presbyterian Church126 11th Avenue NE

6:45pm, Social 7pm, Business

UPCOMING MEETINGSIN THIS ISSUE

continued on pag

Old NortheastHoliday Partyfor all Old Northeast neighbors

DATE: Monday, December 15th

TIME: 6pmLOCATION: Old Northeast Tavern,

201 7th Avenue N

Heres a chance to mix and mingle withyour neighbors from The Old NE. In the midstof the holiday season, we think it would be agreat time to take a break! We hope that youwill be able to join us for this casual gatheringat the Old Northeast Tavern. There will be atasty all-you-can-eat pizza/salad bar for just$5 per person plus a cash bar for your drinks.

Please RSVP to [email protected] or call

Susan at 368-8419 by Friday, December 12th,so we have some idea about how many folksto expect!

Please bring a can or package of non-per-ishable food that we will be donating to theSt. Pete Free Clinic. Or you may wish tocontribute a new unwrapped childs or teenstoy or book which Smith & Associates RealEstate will be giving to needy and deservingchildren (these items may also be droppedoff at the Smith & Associates office at 330Beach Drive NE). In this way we can do asmall part in helping brighten the lives of those

who otherwise would be facing a less thanmerry Christmas.

We thank Bob and Mark, the proprietorsof the tavern, for hosting us!

The goodwill and festivities of the holiday season are best when shared witfamily, friends and community. Our community has certainly come together isupport of the 11th Annual Historic Old Northeast Candlelight Tour of Homes!

On December 7th from 3-8pm this highlight of the holiday season allowvisitors -- on foot, by car or bicycle or riding in chauffeured vans staffed bknowledgeable guides -- a glimpse inside eight of our neighborhoods lovliest homes, representing diverse architectural styles.

Whether the Tour has been a part of your own holiday tradition foyears now or youre a first time attendee, be sure to notice the new looof our posters, booklets and other printed materials. Tour Committemembers were stumped for fresh ideas when Anne-Marie Stephensodecided to call in the experts and approached Dr. Joani Spadaro, Asso

ciate Professor and Director of FSUs Graphic Design ProgramDr. Spadaro presented our challenge to her advanced graphidesign students and the results were stunning. The creatio

Candlelight Tour of Homes

Making Our Spirits Brightby Julia Brazier

Chair of the Candlelight Tour of Homes


2/28Page 2 HISTORICOLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

*Preprinted inserts that you provide are delivered within the newsletter.Due to delivery restrictions, inserts are available on a limited basis.

The newsletter quarterly publication dates are March, June, September,and December. The deadline for accepting new ads and ad changes is threeweeks prior to the publication month. The next deadline is February 8th.Payment for new ads should be submitted at the same time that the ad layoutis provided and should be addressed to HONNA Advertising.

The newsletter is distributed by mail to all homes in The Old Northeast(boundaries are 5th Ave N to 30th Ave N, and 4th St N to North Shore Dr/Coffee PotBayou Blvd). There are approximately 2,800 active home mailing addresses.

Contact Rachel Sartain: [email protected] space is limited so please make arrangements early.

AD SIZE 1Qtr 2 Qtrs 3 Qtrs 1 YearBusiness card 50 93 128 160

1/4 page (H 4.9" x w 3.7") 100 186 256 320

1/2 page (H 4.9" x w 7.8") 200 372 512 640Full page 400 744 1024 1280

Single page insert* 300 600 900 1200

AD RATES

The Presidents PerspectiveMary Alice LangeAssociation President

New

Members

Carolyn Hill, Kathryn Ruetz ................11th

Avenue NEDoris Chapel, Charles Strub ............... North Shore Drive NE

Julie Kline ..........................................7 th Avenue NE

Peter Androski, Heidi Trilsch ..............15th Avenue NE

Russell and Maria Winer ....................16th Avenue NE

As the daylight fades with the sunset and the cooler nightssignal festive occasions, the Candlelight Tour of Homes will wel-come in the holiday season on Sunday, December 7 th from 3-8pm. Some of the most magnificent homes in our neighborhood

will be showcased on the Tour while residents and visitors strollalong the historic streets of The Old Northeast. With Tour goersand our houses decked out in the holiday spirit, come start theseason with us while honoring community and friendships.

Celebrate and share with others while reading and giving as agift the Souvenir of St. Petersburg, Views from the Vinoy bookpublished by your neighborhood association. This coffee tablechildrens history book honors our past while looking to the fu-ture. Educational partnerships with the Pinellas County SchoolSystem and Sunken Gardens connect 4th graders throughout St.Petersburg with exciting classroom and field trip experiences.The Souvenir of St. Petersburg may be purchased by contactingone of the retail outlets listed on www.honna.org or cited on page

5 of this issue. This project was entirely funded by the generousgrants and individual donations (listed on page 3), who directedthe funds be used specifically for this project:

Holiday giving be-gins by helping oth-ers in our commu-nity. We hope wevemade it easy for you toparticipate! This yearwe will be collectingnon-perishable fooditems for the St. Pe-tersburg Free Clinicand unwrapped toysfor various local chari-ties. Check page 1 ofthe newsletter fordrop-off locations.

Neighborhood Ap-preciation Potluck Din-ners will be one of the many exciting additions to the neighbhood-wide social opportunities that will be held in March, Juand September. HONNA will provide the entre and neighbwill be invited to bring salads, appetizers, desserts and soft drinAll neighborhood residents are welcome to come, bring a dishshare and enjoy socializing with your neighbors! Check owww.honna.org and the March newsletter for additional infmation. Mark your calendar now: Monday, March 16th; MondJune 15th and Monday, September 21st.

As you can see 2009 offers many new and exciting opportuties in the neighborhood. Join us at one or more of the evenmonthly meetings to visit with neighbors and experience our neiborhood at its best.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Please Support Our AdvertisersWho Support This Newslett

No Advertisers = No Newsletter

And tell them you saw their ad here

January Monthly HONNANeighborhood Meeting

For Children (yes, children!) andTheir Parents and Grandparents

Bring the children, meet the author and have her sign

their copy (a great Christmas gift!) of the Associationseagerly-awaited heritage publication, Souvenir of St. Pe-tersburg, Views from the Vinoy.

Author Robin Gonzalez will be on hand at the January19th meeting to read selected chapters from our recentlypublished book to neighborhood children, engaging themwith souvenirs from her personal collection, includingold postcards, china and local historical memorabilia.

Dont forget to bring your cameras afterwards chil-dren can have their photos taken, looking out from acut-out replica of our familiar neighborhood monument.And the meeting will end promptly at 8pm since its aschool night!



Association News & Activities

Septembers monthly meeting provided an opportunity forresidents to personally question candidates running for local andstate offices in the November election. Virtually every candidaterunning for office appeared, including those for State Represen-tative, Election Supervisor, County Commissioner, School Board,Property Appraiser and Sheriff. Each candidate briefly presentedreasons why he/she should be elected and then entertained ques-tions from the audience. The League of Women Voters moder-

ated the program.At the October monthly meeting, representatives from the

Police Department fielded concerns and questions from neigh-borhood residents regarding a number of issues. They includedhomeless persons sleeping in North Shore Park, suspicious ac-tivity near the tennis court restrooms, motorists driving the wrongway on one-way streets or otherwise disregarding speed limits,residents parking on the wrong side of the street (its the law thatthe passenger-side wheels must be to the curb) and the circula-tion of an erroneous e-mail about a rapist in the neighborhood(see In Case You Missed It elsewhere in this issue). At a grinsand gripes session which followed, residents expressed con-cerns about the Venetian steps, hex block sidewalks in disrepair

(phone the City Engineers office at 893-7171), burned-out streetlamps (phone Progress Energy at 800/228-8485 to have themreplaced) and recycling.

The November meeting occurred after the newsletter went topress and information about it will be in the next issue, includingthe names of the new association officers and Board members.

Committee Reports

Published quarterly March, June, September and Decemband mailed to all households in The Old NortheastP.O. Box 76324, St. Petersburg, FL 33734

e-mail [email protected]

The Newsletter of the Historic OldNortheast Neighborhood Association

Editor Rick CarsonColumnists and Reporters

Peter StanhopeMike PanettaJohn GeeChuck Lindeen

Keaton GreenBarbara RhodeAmy LabieJill McGrath

Circulation Cathy Leonard and Joe OConnorContributors All our Old Northeast neighborsNewsletter Layout & Design Sharon Bond: [email protected] Information Rachel Sartain: [email protected]

Mike DaileyDavid FormanYvonne SwansonLinda Dobbs

Planning/Historic PreservationCommitteeRobin Reed, ChairPlanning:

Bob Jeffrey continues to work towards completion of the Neigborhood Plan. This past month he requested information ablandscaping. Wendy Mansfield and the Tree Committees recowere delivered to him for inclusion in the Plan. Fortunately,were quite detailed and included a list of where the neighborhoparkways need trees and specified the oak as our tree of chofor parkway plantings. They also recorded details of HONNAparticipation in the Mayors flowering tree planting program awhere we planted trees that were received as part of that prgram. Thank you, Tree Committee, for your valuable contrtion to the Plan!

Historic Preservation:The draft of the Childrens Education Project, Souvenir of

Petersburg, was sent to the printer the first week in NovembBy the time you read this newsletter, we will have received tbooks and they will be on sale. It is charming and very eductional in an exciting and fun way. It contains scavenger hunsuggested things to do and beautiful photographs of the neigborhood throughout the book.

The Neighborhood Association is partnering with Sunken Gdens and the Pinellas County School System to get donated coies of the books in all the elementary schools in St. Petersbuand to have children visit both Sunken Gardens and the neighbhood on field trips. Linda Whitley, Social Studies DirectorPinellas County Schools, is extremely enthusiastic about the pgram and has offered to encourage teachers to participate. HONNwill be joining Sunken Gardens to sponsor an after-school traing session for teachers after the FCATS in March. We will aoffer an optional Saturday tour of the neighborhood for teachfollowing that session.

This project is generously funded by contributions from the flowing foundations, corporations and individuals: the Verizon Fdation, the Frank E. Duckwall Foundation, Julia McGinty (CFLPL Financial), Buckley & Fudge, P.A., Florida Bank, Homes

Some of the candidatesmaking their presentations atSeptembers monthly meeting

NEW!FREE Drawings at the

HONNA Monthly Neighborhood Meetings

All residents attending a monthly meeting will be eligible toparticipate in a drawing for that meeting. Items may includea Preserve Old NE flag, Views from the Vinoy souvenir book,Old NE notecards and more!

Neighborhood Appreciation Potluck DinnersBeginning in 2009 HONNA will host a quarterly Neigh-

borhood Appreciation Potluck Dinner. All neighborhood resi-dents are invited to come, bring a dish to share, enjoy yourneighbors and good food. Mark your calendar for the dates:Monday, March 16th; Monday, June 15th and Monday, Sep-tember 21st. Reminders and more info will follow closer tothose dates.



JOIN OUR COMMITTEES

Candlelight Tour of Homes (December):

Chair Julia Brazier, 895-4443

Co-Chair Anne-Marie Stephenson, 897-9398

C.O.N.A. Rep: Maureen Stafford, 488-8154

Crime & Safety: Ron Magray, 502-9065

Membership: Douglas Haan, 488-5514

Neighborhood Design Review:

Rick Field, 744-6697

Newsletter: Rick Carson, 898-7834

Planning/Historic Preservation: Robin Reed, 825-0480

Programs: Susan Lahey 368-8419

Traffic: Bob Watts, 821-8997

Website: Nona Peebles 894-3529

Your volunteer involvement in one of our com-

mittees will help enhance your neighborhood and

our association.

Please contact any committee chair for infor-

mation.

Historic Old NortheastNeighborhood

Association MembershipThe Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association wasfounded in 1974 to promote civic improvement of ourneighborhood. We invite and welcome all residents of theOld Northeast to join the association and become involved.Annual membership dues are $30 per household.

Send this completed form to:Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood AssociationP.O. Box 76324St. Petersburg, FL 33734

Name(s): ________________________

Address: _______________________________________________________

_______________________________

Phone: __________________________

E-Mail: __________________________When did you move into the neighborhood

(month and year)?: _______________

$30 ANNUAL DUES ENCLOSED

Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood AssociationOFFICERS and BOARD

HONNA Board meetings are held the second Monday of each monthat 6:30pm and are open to the public. Check with HONNA for the location.

PresidentMary Alice Lange 251-2034 [email protected] PresidentMaureen Stafford 488-8154 [email protected] Haan 488-5514 [email protected]

DirectorsJulia Brazier 895-4443 [email protected] Carson 898-7834 [email protected] Field 744-6697 [email protected] Lahey 368-8419 [email protected] Magray 502-9065 [email protected] Reed 825-0480 [email protected] Stephenson 897-9398 [email protected] Watts 821-8997 rwatts7@t

Crime Watch Fact SheetName_____________________________________

Address ___________________________________

City/State: St. Petersburg, FL Zip: _____________

Home Phone: ______________________________

Office Phone: ______________________________

Cell Phone: ________________________________

E-mail: ____________________________________

Emergency Contact Person ___________________

Contacts Phone #___________________________

HONNA Member: Yes____ No____

Would like more info on membership Yes___ No___

Signed: ___________________________________

HONNAPO Box 76324, St. Petersburg, FL 33734

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 2 3 4

Like our neighborhood?Want to make it even better?

Volunteer with one of our committees

CLIP AND MAIL



Helen, Inc., Interior Motives, JMC Communities, Renaissance VinoyResort and Golf Club, St. Petersburg Preservation, Inc., SunkenGardens, David and Mamie Evans, George Rahdert, Joseph andRobin Reed, Louis and Linda Santoro, Maureen Stafford and Fam-ily, James and Cathy Martin and Strobel Building. Our many thanksgo to each and every one for making Souvenir of St. Petersburg areality! Please note that because it was funded by grantors andothers, HONNA will be required to use the money raised frombook sales for future historic preservation education projects.

The kick-off/press conference for the book will be held on

December 3rd

, 10am, in the Vinoy Tea Garden. The Mayor will beattending, along with a possible 140 additional invited guests. Bookswill go on sale at that time for $14.95 and will be available at theVinoy Resort Gift Shop, Sunken Gardens Gift Shop, InteriorMotives in St. Petersburg and at Inkwood Books and the HenryPlant Museum in Tampa.

Walking Tour: Look for photos of HONNAs fall walking touron the website, www.HONNA.org. Rob Wertz and Mike Dailey(8th Avenue NE) led an interesting and entertaining tour in mid-November of our waterfront parks and older condos along NorthShore Drive.

New Research Tool for House Histories: Google has launchedan effort to scan in old editions of newspapers from around the

country. One of the first papers to sign up is the St. PetersburgTimes. The newspapers in the Google News Archive will eventu-ally trace back through more than 100 years of Tampa Bay his-tory, according to Times Research Editor Tim Rozgonyi. This isan exciting site for house-researchers! A wealth of informationwas written about individual houses and real estate in general inthe early years of our Citys history. Check it out its greatfun! (www.tampabays10.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=89392&catid=8)

TrafficBob Watts, Chair

The North Bay TrailThe newest section of the Pinellas County Trailways plan isheaded our way. The first major section of what has been dubbedThe North Bay Trail will meander northward from 1st Avenue Salong the waterfront to 30thAvenue N. The starting point at DemensLanding is the termination point of the recently completed segmentof the Pinellas County Trail. Another leg will eventually take the trailsouthward to Albert Whitted Park. And there are long-range planswhich will extend the trail northward to connect to a trail alongGandy Boulevard (and the Friendship Trail over the Bay, pendingdeliberations on the future of the old Gandy Bridge).

Downtown the new trail will run along the water from BayshoreDrive to 5th Avenue N and then east into Vinoy Park. Parts of thissection trail will replace the existing six-eight foot sidewalks witha paved path from 1015 feet wide. Like other parts of the trailsystem it is designed to accommodate both bicycle and pedes-trian traffic. Special consideration was taken to be sure to pre-serve the oak trees along Bayshore Drive and in Vinoy and NorthShore parks. At the northernmost end of the parks the trail joinsCoffee Pot Boulevard NE. While lane striping will indicate bikelanes on that paved portion of Coffee Pot, no markings or physi-cal changes will be made to the cobblestone streets that begin justnorth of 22nd Avenue NE. Signage will encourage drivers to sharethe road, and to further enhance safety for cyclist and pedestri-ans alike the speed limit will be reduced to 15mph on Coffee Pot.

Work on the initial phase of the project will begin immediately

at 30th Avenue N and continue down to the north end of NoShore Park. After the first of the year work will begin on tsection on Bayshore Drive NE across from Straub Park. Onfunds are available work will begin on the section of the trrunning through Vinoy and North Shore parks to complete thphase of the trail.

Another exciting project that is already underway is the adtion of sidewalks on both sides of 22nd Avenue NE where it intsects Coffee Pot Boulevard NE. New crosswalks will also installed at that location. You can also look forward to some

working of that intersection as well as the intersection at Snell Isle Bridge designed to enhance safety, slow traffic amake it more pedestrian-friendly.

So you can look forward to a safer bike ride to downtoalong the waterfront and better access to Coffee Pot Bayouthe months to come. If you need specific details or have qutions about these projects or any other traffic and parking issuplease send me an e-mail, [email protected].

Crime & Safety CommitteeRon Magray, Chair

Crime appears to be on the rise in our neighborhood. We experiencing repeated home burglaries. The modus operan(MO) include daytime attempts, incidents occurring from ab6:30am through mid-day, an individual looking for handymwork, casing of residences to determine when your home is uoccupied and perpetrators working as a team with a lookout.

We all need to be aware. When you see a suspicious perssomeone who does not appear to belong in yoneighborhood, call the St Petersburg Police non-emergency nuber 893-7780; save this number in your cell phone. You willasked why you think the person is suspicious. Be prepareddescribe the individual (s) and the direction they may be walkior driving. If needed tell the operator that our CommuPolice Officer told us to call. Let the police decide if the ividual is a criminal. Awareness can be our most effective det

rent. If you have any questions please contact me at 502-90([email protected] ). To join Crime Watch, go honna.org or complete and mail in the form on page 4.

NewsletterRick Carson, Editor

Its always encouraging when a neighbor volunteers to bcome involved in the newsletter. Most recently Mike Panestepped forward and offered to pen a column on ways we cgreen where we live and how we live. We welcome his adtion to our merry band of writers and thank them all for contruting to this communication vehicle. If you enjoy and appreci

what they are doing, please let them know it doesnt cost yanything to compliment them. And if theres something we cbe doing better or differently, please let me know that, too.

We continue to thankRachel Sartain for the thankless jshe does as our advertising coordinator. Without our ad revenwe cant have a newsletter. And in this economic climate its neasy to convince business folks its worth their while to advtise in this publication. So if you or someone you know can hby taking out an ad, please contact Rachel ([email protected]).

And anyone wishing to get involved in the mechanics of pting this newsletter together, let me know.



of Ms. Shavonta Otis now adorns postersthroughout the Tampa Bay area!

Our sincere thanks to thefollowing individuals and

businesses for their donations:Southern Exteriors

Bill and Julie FeeleyFourth Street Shrimp Store

Molly Kottke

Front Porch Produce Caf & Market

Evos

Linda and Ken Garrity

Lisa Koelsch

Kevin and Lori Mussmacher

Marc Nadeau and Peter Stanhope

Bev and Bob Noun

The generous support of our HospitalityHouses -- Dickens House Bed & Breakfast,Westminster Palms and the Westminster Pres-byterian Church -- provide respite and refresh-ment again this year.

And, of course, our homeowners and their families -- a se-cret until December 7th but definitely one worth waiting for!

Tour proceeds benefit the St. Petersburg Free Clinic, Big Broth-ers Big Sisters of Pinellas County and The Historic Old North-east Neighborhood Association.

A Taste of What to Expect

This years tour emphasizes the synergy created when thebest of old and new comes, painstakingly, together. Considerone of the homes youll visit. Originally a 1925 bachelors li-brary, its now a childs bedroom. The trolley stop next to thishollow tile and stucco home was the only one in The Old North-east, and this year a baby daughter will celebrate her first holi-day season. Soon to be crawling, will her pudgy fingers probethe tiny holes which once held buzzers to call for servants?Perhaps shell learn to stand by grasping onto the leg of thesame chair another child clutched 80 years ago, as Mom andDad have been collecting period pieces -- they were thrilled tofind a matching pair of 1920s theater lights which now adornthe living and dining rooms. The structure and layout of this

home are original with the exception of the remodeled kitchen.Original green tile around the fireplace, checkered tile floors inthe sunroom and an ornate doorknocker on the master bedroomdoor are all original details reminiscent of the 20s.

One can believe that Aymer and Stella Laughner would heart-ily approve of the meticulous restoration of their 104-year-oldhome, this years featured work in progress. Mr. Laughner,truly a driving force behind the Citys early growth, is best knownfor developing the landmark Vinoy Park Hotel and many of thehomes in The Old Northeast. The renaissance of his formerresidence is almost complete after a four-year major undertak-ing to restore the main house to its original grandeur and to

renovate the circa 1920s carriage house. Its all been the visiand passion ofMaureen Stafford, chosen by St. PetersbuPreservation as the winner of the 2008 Preservationist of tYear award. When Maureen, a restorative developer, purchasthe property in 2004 it had suffered from years of neglect. Sgutted it to the studs, enabling forensic research of the struture, and then lovingly reassembled this grand old lady. Mausalvaged many of the fine original features and also used origin

materials from both local and New Orleans period homes. Stook great care to incorporate recycled materials and to implment best practices of green technology. The melding of old anew throughout all three levels cable and computer networing, historic moldings, central vacuum, four fireplaces, state the art sound and security systems is harmonious.

Another Tour home is a two-story Americana charmer whioriginally served as a boarding house for the skilled craftsmwho helped build our city during the boom era of the 1920Originally it was somewhat utilitarian with small, dark bedroomtiny closets, sparse insulation, odd angles and an enclosed porcThe interior transformation of this gracious home is stunninand features an open floor plan, raised ceilings, wide-plank

teak floors and carrera marble kitchen countertops. Thomeowners took advantage of the renovation to fully insulatheir home not exactly vogue in the 20s and made use recycled materials while maintaining the historical beauty of toriginal fireplace, moldings and staircase.

Speaking of transformations, the owners of our featured penhouse condo kept only one bathtub and some kitchen cabinewhen they purchased the unit in 2003. Fortunately, they alrealived in the building and were able to remain sane while livinga lower floor unit during the year-long renovation of this fablous home. The decision to purchase the penthouse was no douinfluenced by a balcony they believe to be one of the largest

Candlelight Tour from page 1

This is the outside before wait til you see the after! And you wontbelieve the interior!



St. Petersburg where one savors autumn sunrise andsunsetviews over the water and downtown, cruise ships in the Bay(they sail on top of the trees!) and countless fireworks dis-plays. Visitors will notice a forever valentine mosaic in the fronthall, paintings by the homeowners father and fine craftsmanshipthroughout.

We greatly appreciate the cooperation of the following St. Pe-tersburg businesses where advance tickets are now available forpurchase for $15:

Consumer TipWhen contracting servicesfrom any business its always agood idea to check with theBetter Business Bureau for

priorcomplaints.Ask forreferencesandconfirmthat yourcontractorislicensed.

To purchase tickets in advance by mail, please send your chewith a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: HONNA Home TouPO Box 76324, St. Petersburg, FL 33734. Tickets are also avaable the day of the tour for $20 at Westminster PresbyteriChurch, 126 11th Avenue NE, and Westminster Palms ColonnaGuest House at the corner of 9th Avenue NE and Beach DrivAdditional information is available at honna.org or by calling 72895-4443.

A Green & Yellow Basket205 1st Street NE

Davis Anthony Home & Garden300 Beach Drive NE, Ste 128

Dolins Garden Center801 62nd Avenue North

Florida Craftsman Gallery501 Central Avenue

Marions

1301 14th Street N

Prudential Tropical Realty2331 4th Street N

The Papery235 2nd Avenue S

Treehouse Gallery2835 22nd Avenue N

Uncorked2706 4th Street N

Pondscapes4213 S. Manhattan Avenue

Tampa



KI DZKI DZKI DZKI DZKI DZ

KORNERKORNERKORNERKORNERKORNERWith the steady influx into our neighbor-

hood of new residents, were seeing an

increasing number of families withyoung children plus the stork is

keeping pretty busy around here as

it is. So we thought it might be help-

ful to share with parents of young-

sters (as well as grandparents welcom-

ing visiting grandkids) ideas of family-

friendly activities and destinations nearby,

especially ones which are free or inexpensive. If you have any such

good secrets youd like to pass along, let us know.

Linda and her husband Bob moved to The Old Northeast Valentines Day 2003 (they wanted to be near their two granchildren who live in our neighborhood). Over the past 30 yLinda has been editor of a weekly newspaper, a magazine andmedical journal as well as numerous newsletters.

Our Own Santas Workshopby Linda Dobbs

This year you can do it you can be one of Santas elves! right here in St. Petersburg. Not just to your own kids, but also tokids who wont have any Christmas at all this year unless you

help. Your kids, the neighbor kidswhy, the whole neighborhocan all be involved. How? The answer: The Christmas Toy Shon 16th Street N.

We exist so no child will be without Christmas, says tmotto. Its true. The Christmas Toy Shop provides toys to lfortunate children in lower Pinellas County and has done so sin1921. Just last year alone, 900 bicycles were distributed and average of 3,000 children a year have a Merry Christmas at cost to their families. How do they do it?

This is really like Santas workshop. No, really. They do

just take money and buy presents (although money is gladly acepted). Instead, elves (I meanvolunteers) sort, wash, repapaint, and pack toys that have been donated (no stuffed animaguns or knives please) by people in the community.

Dont you just have visions of sugar plums (I mean elvmaking toys) dancing in your head? Havent you always wato be an elf? Gather your neighbors for a Saturday workshopSantas Toy Shop! Involve your kids sorting through their oout-grown, outdated, or no-longer-loved toys to pick theones to take to the ToyShop for needy kids.

Maybe you would

rather be Santa, helpingdistribute the thousandsof toys to the lucky chil-dren on the dates of De-cember 9th, 13th, 16th or20th. Please call the ToyShop (898-3962) to findout more about this op-tion (or www.christmastoyshop.org).

Toys (and books, too)can be dropped off at theshop at 550 16th Street N in

St. Petersburg, Mondays,Tuesdays and Wednesdays from9am-3pm. Volunteer helpers are wel-come for each of those days. Volun-teer groups can arrange exclusivetimes and days to help just call898-3962for an appointment. An-other option is a toy drive arrangedby groups of friends, neighbors or organizations.

The Christmas Toy Shop hosts events throughout the yesuch as the well-known Christmas Belles Coffee (invitation onlThe Shop also benefits from events sponsored by other organitions and individuals. How about arranging with the City to clo

off a street and hosting an Old Northeast toy drive, toy repair atoy building workshop!!! And if not this year, consider doing iOctober or November next year.

Now thatis the real holiday spirit! See you there.

Special Orders Private Wine TastingsGift Certificates On-Line ShoppingGift Baskets Free Delivery*Free Gift Wrapping* On-Staff Cert. Sommelier

Dash over, dash over to Uncorked for merriment and cheer;

Wed love to see you this time of year.

By reindeer or sleigh, whatever the way;

We hope you will join us as we celebrate this holiday.

www.uncorkedwines.comYOUR NEIGHBORHOOD WINE MERCHANT

Uncorked Fine Wines & Accessories2706 4th Street North

727.892.9463*Some restrictions may apply

Wine of the Month ClubA gift that will resonate all year longEach month brings an exclusive celebration of

two bottles of wine w/ tasting notes, menupairing and recipe call for details



Cooler weather has arrived in Florida; the kind of weatherthat makes you eager to turn off the AC and throw openwindows and doors. However, the bugs come right in

along with the cool air. The answer to this problem has beenavailable for homeowners for quite a while now: screens. Unfor-tunately, many owners of historic homes no longer have theiroriginal window and door screens. Because window screens areeasily removed when in need of repair, they usually get stacked inthe garage and added to the bottom of the To Do List. Woodscreen doors typically get removed directly to the trash. The re-sult is both a loss of historic character and a loss of comfort andfunction.

While the majority of wood window screens tend to be similar indesign, the wood screen door has a greater degree of design varietyto suit various architectural styles. The screen door also is subject to

much more daily wear than the average window screen. Add Floridashigh humidity and temperature fluctuations and you do have to spendsome time thinking about screen doors if you want them to lookappropriate and last for a reasonable amount of time.

Although basic wood screen doors are available at local homeimprovement stores, they are rarely suited to historic homes or toFloridas climate. Many of the available screen doors are built offinger jointed, soft woods with narrow frames. The result is anoddly proportioned door that tends to sag and stick shortly afterinstallation and rot within a season or two. They also are availableonly in stock sizes that often need to be modified in order to fitexisting historic door openings.

A better, longer lasting solution is to install a custom built screendoor that is designed to complement the architectural style of thehome and built of rot resistant materials using durable joinerytechniques. Screen door styles range from simple rectangularframes suited to vernacular homes to ornate ginger-breaded doorsfor Victorian era homes. Several designs are available for the Crafts-man-influenced and Mission style homes so common to Floridaas well. Materials such as cypress and dense pine are suited forwood screen doors in Florida due to their rot resistance and di-mensional stability. Strong joints, such as mortise and tenon con-nections add to the strength and durability of screen doors aswell. Finished with period-appropriate hardware, a well designedand built wood screen door can add character to a historic homeand serve as a welcome to Floridas wonderful winter weather.

Article submitted by Jo-Anne Peck. Ms. Peck is a professionalHistoric Preservation consultant with Preservation Resource, Inc.,producer of the Historic Shed line of products. She has been help-ing identify and preserve Floridas irreplaceable historic resourcesfor over 12 years.

Old FloridaScreen Doors forTodays Florida

Check out theHONNA web sitewww.honna.org



Over The Back Fence

is a collection of what weve heard exchanged in the aisles of the supermarkets,

shared waiting in line to pick up the kids from school, read in the papers, overheard in the

pew behind us in church and, yes, even passed over the back fence. If you have something

youd like to share about a special recognition, award received, birth, graduation, good-

deed-done or observation around the neighborhood please pass it along to the Editor.

Over the Back Fence is only going to be interesting if we hear from you!

S Sandby

RESPECT

Received from a resident... in response to the R.E.S.P.E.C.Tsection of this column in the last issue of the newsletter:

I enjoyed the R.E.S.P.E.C.T section in Overthe Back Fence in the September issue. I havea major traffic gripe to add to that series. Appar-ently, a number of drivers in our neighborhoodcant read basic signs like One Way, Do NotEnter, STOP, and Speed Limit 25. I cant

count the number of times Ive witnessed nearaccidents caused by inebriated or just cluelesspeople speeding along Bay and First Streets go-ing the wrong way and ignoring stop signs.Please respect the law and show some commoncourtesy toward your neighbors.

Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous (youllknow why when you read it), took the time to write the following:

Home Ownership:

Privilege and Responsibility

There is nothing quite like the privilege of home

ownership. The privilege to furnish and deco-rate your home anyway you want. The privilegeto live in your home anyway you wish. But homeownership also comes with certain responsibili-ties to your neighbors and your community.Responsibilities you ask? Yes! Including the re-sponsibility to mow your lawn, weed your gar-dens, and paint your house. The responsibilityto tent your house if its termite infested, treatmold and mildew, remove dead trees, weed gar-dens, and remove debris. Once upon a time,homeowners seemed to understand this unspo-ken agreement between neighbors the simpleidea that I will take care of my property, andyou will take care of yours. More and more oftodays homeowners seem to forego all the afore-mentioned, in favor of any number of other pri-orities.. When I was a boy in the 1960s, Sat-urdays, and to a lesser degree Sundays, werethe days of the week that Dads and Moms spentthe day mowing, edging, weeding, gardening,trimming, painting, and otherwise keeping up thehomestead. I remember my Dad weeding thecracks in the sidewalk. I even remember himsweeping and weeding the curbs. What has hap-pened to todays homeowner? My neighbors not

only have knee high weeds in their yards, andweeds the size of shrubs growing in the middleof their sidewalks, but small trees growing outof the gutters! Paint is peeling. Wood is rot-ting. Half completed projects remain forgotten.No time perhaps? Ah, but there is time for fish-ing, boating, drinking, loafing, and lounging. So,all of this brings me to my dilemma: what is agood neighbor, interested in neighborhood har-mony, to do? Well, for fear of insulting my im-mediate neighbors, I am going to make an ef-fort on behalf of all of us who face the samedilemma, and write an article on behalf of thoseof us who give a damn. And I will begin withthe assumption that my neighbors are not rude,nor inconsiderate, but rather ignorant of thesimple courtesy and rules of responsible homeownership. So, on the assumption that theywant to be good homeowners, and good neigh-bors, the good news is that there are only twosimple rules of homeownership! Rule #1:Maintain your yard including mowing yourlawn regularly, edging, and weeding.Rule #2:Maintain your house including powerwashing, painting, replacing rotted wood, re-moving debris, etc.Believe it or not, its really

that simple. Homeownership is a privilege anda responsibility.

Neighbor Marc Nadeau... (15th Avenue NE), an informatitech director for PriceWaterhouseCoopers, accepted an awafrom Chief Information Officermagazine on behalf of PWC one of the 100 for 2008.

New Gallery... The Nature of Art Gallery has relocated froPass-a-Grille to 1100 4th Street N. It represents some two dozeplus artists with works in glass, copper and cypress among othmedia. The shop also offers items such a note cards, wind chimeboutique accesso-ries and potpourri.

Live NativityEventWestminst-er Palms Retire-ment Communityis having their an-nual live nativityto share the holi-day spirit with theirneighbors. Theevent is Thursday,December 18 th,from 6:30-8:00pm.

OOOOOvvvvveeeeer Tr Tr Tr Tr The Bhe Bhe Bhe Bhe Baaaaaccccck Fk Fk Fk Fk Fenenenenence is ace is ace is ace is ace is a

SSSSSoooooaaaaapbpbpbpbpbooooox..x...x..x...x...STEP ON UPSTEP ON UPSTEP ON UPSTEP ON UPSTEP ON UP

andandandandand

LLLLLEEEEETSTSTSTSTSHHHHHEEEEEAAAAARRRRRFFFFFRRRRROOOOOMMMMM YYYYYOOOOOUUUUU

e-mail: [email protected]: [email protected]: [email protected]: [email protected]: [email protected]


11/28Page HISTORICOLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

would never look!

hiding place?

898 30th Avenue N

where they

This holiday...

(727) 894-3303

100% Climate Controlle

Hide the presents

Need a more clever

Children are able to participate and pet the animals. The nativity ison Beach Drive NE between 8th and 9th Avenues.

The Perfect Stocking-Stuffer BookThe hot-off-the-presseschildrens history book, Souvenir of St. Petersburg, Views fromthe Vinoy, published by The Historic Old Northeast Neighbor-hood Association, received some publicity in the NeighborhoodTimes section of the St. Petersburg Times (October 26th). Thearticle talked about historian Robin Gonzalez who researched andwrote the colorful 80-page photo-packed publication. The booksare being given to public elementary schools in the area and areavailable for sale to the public for $14.95. They may be pur-chased at the Vinoy Hotel and Resort, Sunken Gardens gift shop,Interior Motives art gallery and at the Annual Candlelight Tour ofHomes on December 7th. [See page 2]

Totally the In PlaceThe recent Rays phenomenon did awhole lot to put St. Petersburg on the map (even though some inthe media couldnt help placing the team and The Trop in Tampa).In May of 07 the City and most specifically our own Old North-east neighborhood was the beneficiary of a delightful and lengthyarticle in the New York Times. But apparently the folks at the OldGray Lady cant get enough of our surprise, surprise de-lightful city. Revival Beyond the Beach was the title of a travelpiece about St. Petersburg in the August 24th edition of the Times.Writer Paul Reyes begins:

Long known as little more than a cheaper spring-break alternative and a retirement capital, St.Petersburg has idled for decades in obscurity,frequented mostly by half-hearted tourists rum-maging through thrift stores or admiring itshushed, Jazz Age architecture.

But in recent years, the old beach resort has ex-perienced a kind of cultural revival, spurred bynew condos and the resuscitation of historichotels, much of it centered around downtown.Elders idling in park benches have been replacedby artists and young professionals gathering atcafes and restaurants, lulled by the breeze thatmade St. Pete so popular to begin with.

The author goes on to cites places like the Ponce De Leon hoteland Ceviche, the Independent on 3rd Street N, Studio@620 on 1st

Avenue S, Mesh on Central and Kahwa Coffee on 2nd Street N.Scattered throughout the piece are phrases like elaborately tat-tooed music types, architects in seersucker suits and an eclec-tic crowd of yuppies, suburbanites and salonistas. Says RaphaelPerrier, a native of Leon, France, and now the owner of KahwaCoffee, Paris is done, Miami is done. St. Pete is wide open.

Aesthetically-Challenged ...The Citys new sign for the NoShore Pool complex lacks the class of the nearby carved wosigns designating the palm arboretum and park areas. But consering that the design of the new contemporary entrance to complex also fails to reflect the overall architectural style oneighborhood Yes, the sign is informative and practical bcouldnt it also look ...good?



W

e met again for our third book club gathering, whichwas hosted by Patricia Calvert and since Patricia

hosted she picked our book which was Here BeDragons by Sharon Kay Penman. This is the first novel inPenmans trilogy of 13th-century England and Wales. The secondand third are The Shadow and The Reckoning.

Patricia, who has spent time in Wales, placed a Welsh flagoutside her home so we surely did not need to worry about driv-ing by and having to look for numbered houses. She also gave usa great history lesson of Wales and England with her photos andmemorabilia from there. It made the discussion much more in-teresting.

Here Be Dragons is not for the light reader. Its 700 pages ofintense history of Wales and its fight for freedom from Englishlaws and lords. There are many stories within the main story,

one of them being the marriage between Llewelyn the Great ofWales who at 14 began a civil war, by 21 held all of NorthWales and Joanna, illegitimate daughter of King John of En-gland. King John loved Joanna but yet used her as a politicalpawn by marrying her off at 15 to Prince Llewelyn. At first anunwilling bride, she slowly falls in love with her husband for hiscourage and tenacity. But with King John and Prince Llewelyn

fighting over control of England and Wales she has todecide to whom she owes her loyalty.

Here Be Dragons has it all bloody wars, siblingsturning on one another for power, infidelity, illegiti-mate children, love affairs and the most destructiveof all greed. This is a novel which does combinehistory and fiction. There is great detail and Penmancertainly did her homework.

Overall, our group really liked the book; the onlynegative was that it was 700 pages long. We wouldrecommend it to read but make sure you havelots of time for reading.

We now have a waiting list for our bookclub, but if people are interested there couldbe a sister club started. Guys, that means

you, too. For more information about ourbook club or ideas about starting anotherneighborhood sister or coed book club,you may contact me [email protected].

As The Pages Turn...

Neighborhood Book Groupby Susan Coffey

WWWWWednesday,ednesday,ednesday,ednesday,ednesday,December 31December 31December 31December 31December 31ststststst

FFFFFirst Night information:irst Night information:irst Night information:irst Night information:irst Night information:823-8906823-8906823-8906823-8906823-8906

firstnightstpete.comfirstnightstpete.comfirstnightstpete.comfirstnightstpete.comfirstnightstpete.com



Ponderings

Baseballby John Gee

John and his wife Kathy moved to St. Pete from New Mexicosix years ago, and he currently teaches history at a Sarasota highschool. He has served on the HONNA Board where he co-chairedits Historic Preservation Committee. You can also read more fromJohn in the Northeast Journal.

Have you been to a

See page 16 for the upcoming schedule

PPPPPorchorchorchorchorchPPPPPartyartyartyartyarty

LLLLL AAAAAT E LT E LT E LT E LT E LY ?Y ?Y ?Y ?Y ?

When talking about the recent history of our town, Ilike to say the turning point from a dead zone tourban modern was the renovation of the Vinoy. This

opinion is backed with no data, but it seems to make sense andit makes me feel like I know what Im talking about. As a teacherof history, I know that historians are always trying to provevarious turning points so I dip my feet into this murky waterevery once in awhile to feel like I am living up to my job. Inreality, St. Pete probably would have entered the 21st century nomatter what happened to the venerable resort so my theory holdslittle value -- but it works for me. I am now tempted to use therise of the Rays as another symbol of our citys rise from itsgreen benches to becoming the Envy of the East.

Using the Rays as a metaphor of our step into the spotlight canbe tricky. When we were out of the country last summer, I triedto follow the progress of our team. Although the InternationalHerald Tribune gave me the recent standings, there was scantinformation about the games. The other news source, CNN,was a disgrace. In a sellout to advertisers, the only baseball newsyou could get from this pathetic source was how the Cubs, An-gels, Yankees and Red Sox were doing. It was as if the Rayseither were living up to their usual loser status or the blow-driedanchor people were unable to locate St. Pete on the map. Obvi-ously the whole world was notwatching.

When we returned, things were not much better. Throughoutthe rise of our teams talent and promise, the local news was aseffusive as the national was absent. In the ESPN highlights barelya Rays uniform could be spotted. All the heads would wax andwane about the demise of the Yankees and dream of a WorldSeries with Chicago and Boston while ignoring the crazy uncle inthe attic. We all knew that the advertising people were not happyabout the prospect of our team doing the impossible -- but why?You would think that such a Cinderella story would sell enoughbeer to fill Yankee Stadium, but I guess this only would work ifthe object of all the attention actually came from New York andnot some nowhere place with a stadium named after an orangejuice carton.

Two more events told me that our city was not going to get

any traction on this story. The Rays had won in the AmericanLeague and a national radio media provider did a story aboutthe upcoming World Series. I was surprised to discover thatthe real story was not about the Rays but about how all thereal baseball teams failed to live up to their promise. Theonly mention of our team was when I discovered that theRays had somehow moved across the bay and now residedin Tampa. Finally, my brother in law an avid baseball fan told me that he, and probably all of the west coast where

he lives, would not be watching the World Series. We justwerent cool enough to deserve the time of the terminally hipwest coasters.

So if the Rays are a metaphor of anything, what kindare they? Are they a symbol of all we have achieved withlittle going for us other than a beautiful town, a strangelooking stadium and limited funds? Or do they show ushow far we still have to go for acceptance in this country?This whole problem begs the question of why should wecare about what other people think of us anyway. If weare so invisible to these large market people, why do theykeep coming down here to see how nice we have it? Sorryto say it, guys, but get off our beach -- it looks like your

old dynasty days are over.



Preserving the Characterof Old Northeast Houses

Learning fromAnother CityBy the Bay

Im writing this article enroute to Tampafrom San Francisco, where Ive just had afew days vacation. It was my first visit tothat other city by the bay, and as expected ithad the affect on me that it has on everyone:

I fell in love with the hills, the views, thechilly and foggy weather, the people and thecharacter of the city. No other city in theworld could stand in for San Francisco. Ithas done a remarkable job of retaining itssense of place and the character-defining el-ements that make it unique.

San Franciscans place a high value ontheir citys character. They organized andvoted to force the city to keep the cablecars in operation long after they could havebeen replaced by bus lines. Now the cablecars are a symbol of the city and a must-do on most tourists checklist when v

it ing the city. Queen AnnItalianate and Edwardian buildinfrom the citys boom years retfeatures that are nearly impossibto duplicate today for both cost acraftsmanship. Many have elabrate terra cotta tiling or stonewocurved double hung windows at tcorners, impressive brackets awoodwork.

New residential buildings are dsigned to be sympathetic to t

citys stock of historic architectuThe common theme is three-fostories, bay windows and strelevel garage doors with the main ling level elevated above. Some nhomes built in former industrial eas South of Market use industrmaterials such as corrugated mesiding on their facades while retaing the characteristic massing abay windows of their historicounterparts.

by Mike Daily



Mike, an Old Northeast resident since 1996, holds a Mas-ter of Architecture degree from the University of SouthFlorida.

126 11th Avenue NESt. Petersburg, FL33701727-822-5906

Ages 2 - VPKState ApprovedLIC. #C610108

APPLE ACCREDITED

St. Petersburg and San Francisco share some commonali-ties. Both are on peninsulas enclosing a bay with a majorcity on the opposite side. Both have a famous bridge span-ning the mouth of the bay. Both date from the 1800s. Bothhave character worth protecting. But it seems that San Fran-cisco is doing a better job of protecting its character than St.Petersburg. We need to figure out what it is that makes St.Petersburg unique or special and then work like heck to pre-serve and protect that.

I visited Kenwoods Bungalowfest 2008 a couple of weeks

ago and met a window restorer named Steve Quillian whospecializes in rebuilding historic wood windows and creatingnew replicas of old windows. Hes not cheap, but he doesquality work and rebuilding is generally cheaper (and greener)than going with new high-quality windows. He quoted me aprice of around $100 per window to gasket and retrofit myleaky windows. Since our house has more than 45 windowswell do it on a per room basis as we can afford it. Ill befeaturing his work on our house in a future article.



PORCH PPORCH PPORCH PPORCH PPORCH PARARARARARTIESTIESTIESTIESTIESPorch Parties are held the third Friday of themonth from 7:30-10pm (except December).Porch Parties are strictly social and provide andinformal and fun way to mix and mingle with yourneighbors. Bring your own beverage. Cups, ice andlight snacks are provided. Ask a neighbor to ride or walkover with you. For more info, contact Julie Feeley (822-4969; [email protected]).

Youre

Invited DecemberNo Porch Party

All Neighborhood Hoiliday Party in lieuMonday, December 15th, 6pm

Old Northeast Tavern(see page 1 for more info)

January 16th

Steve Hall and Cyndi Thomas400 22nd Avenue NE

(Corner of Locust and 22nd)

February 20th

Don Culpepper and Dino Cappelli732 Oak Street NE

Property TransfersFollowing is a listing of recent property transfers in our North Shore neighborhood. The individuals listed are n

owners of the properties cited but not necessarily the residents of those properties. The properties are listed

chronological avenue and chronological and alphabetical street order.

If any of these folks live near you, make sure you welcome them to the neighborhood.

Source: Compiled from public records by FNBR Inc. andprinted in the St. Petersburg Times.

555 5th Avenue NE #711 Theodore and Mary Henter

265 8th Avenue NE Patrick and Denise Leary

319 8th Avenue N #6 Thomas Turner

206 11th Avenue NE Kathryn Ruetz

125 15th Avenue NE Joy and Chester Thomas Rose

636 16th Avenue NE Kelly and Patrick Shane

376 18th Avenue NE Charleen McGrath715 18th Avenue NE Arnold Cummings

318 21st Avenue N Rochela Pagsibigan

105 25th Avenue N Becky Ann Parra

176 26th Avenue N Kris and Lisa Hansel

196 28th Avenue N Terrence and Kim Brett

604 2nd Street N Bethana Bennett

2005 3rd Street N Conrad De La Torres

524 Bay Street NE #2 Bart Wolf

1225 Beach Drive NE J.Mark and Julie Lawson

1876 Coffee Pot Blvd NE Mark Blocker

1120 North Shore Drive NE #205 Chris Paradiso

1200 North Shore Drive #515 Linda Tyler Bonnemann

The St. Petersburg Times did a housing profile of The Old

Northeast in its 10/29 edition entitled Prices up, sales down in

Old Northeast. The median sale price of a single family house

went up 8.9% ($32,000) in the first half of 2008 compared with the

second half of 2007. The median sale value was $391,000 versus

$359,000. The decline in sales for the first half of 2008 was about

18% (seven fewer sales 32 houses compared with 39 in 2007).

Property transfer information involving Joan Parishwhich appeared in the June 2008 issue was incorrect. Weregret the error.



Individual and Business

Tax Returns

Small Business

Accounting &

Consulting

St. Petersburg424 22nd Avenue North, St. Petersburg, FL 33704

Seminole7700 Seminole Blvd, Ste 200, Seminole, FL 33772

(727) 393-1922 office (727) 392-3266 fax

Monica M. Vernon Garth A. Vernon

A R C H I T E C T A R C H I T E C T A R C H I T E C T A R C H I T E C T A R C H I T E C T

Specializing in Residential Design

Renovations, Additions and New HomesCall for a Consultation visit to your homeCall for a Consultation visit to your homeCall for a Consultation visit to your homeCall for a Consultation visit to your homeCall for a Consultation visit to your home

AR12159

7 2 7 - 8 2 3 - 1 5 6Web Site trhode.com

T I M R H O D E



In Case You Missed It:Updates and Follow Ups

Keeping You Current on Some NeighborhoodStories That Have Been in the News

The city has converted both 1st and 2nd Streets be-tween Central and 5th Avenue N into two-way streets makingthings a bit easier for drivers frustrated by one-way streets in

downtown. However there are no signs indicating the changesso be careful when turning onto 1st Street[source: St. Peters-burg Times, 10/19; personal observation]

Police have discredited a chain e-mailhoax about a serial rapist in northeast St. Pete.Two isolated incidents one of which was foundto be false precipitated the rumor which soundedvery much like an earlier encounter involving a fe-male jogger that was true. Recipients of the origi-nal e-mail forwarded on to others and the errone-ous story spread throughout the city. Adding cred-

ibility to the e-mail was a reference that the infor-mation came from someone in the sheriffs depart-ment. [source: St. Petersburg Times, 10/19]

Preservationists and developer Dan Harveyare discussing a proposed 22-story, four-star hotelproject on 4th Avenue NE which would displacetwo historic buildings: the Henry-Bryan house at146 4th NE and the Bay Gables house (now theChateau France restaurant) at 136 4th. Both struc-tures were designated local historic landmarks in1994. As we went to press, the Citys CommunityPreservation Commission was considering the pro-

posed demolition of Bay Gables and preservationists were tempting to locate an empty lot, perhaps in The Old Northeato relocate Henry-Bryan. [sources: St. Petersburg Times, 22, and St. Pete Preservation]

The City has dispensed with providing free dog wabags in city parks (except for dog parks). The bags, whinumbered 1.7 million last year and cost the city $48,000, arcost-saving measure that has enraged many dog owners whave come to appreciate the amenity (city ordinance requidog owners to clean up after their pets). Environmentalists concerned about the harmful effects of waste to humans athe water. [source:St. Petersburg Times, 10/29]

Still not a member ofThe Historic Old NortheastNeighborhoodAssociation?Just havent gotten around to it?Dont think its important?

Well, if you value the quality of life in the neigh-borhood in which youre living (or maybe wouldlike to see some improvements), think its im-portant that there is an organization which willgo to bat for the neighborhoods interests withthe City, appreciate events and contributionswhich enhance daily living here, enjoy catchingup on things and getting helpful ideas from theneighborhood newsletter mailed to your door freefour times a year... then maybe its worth the$30 annual dues (tax deductible!) for a house-hold membership in The Historic Old Neighbor-hood Association. [See page 4]

Above: Henry-Bryan house

Below: Bay Gables house



Cell: (727) 480-0916

Fax: (727) 895-3242

E-mail: [email protected]

www.homesbyheleninc.com

"From the Bay to

the Gulf, from

listing to closing, I

will be there every

step of the way toensure that your

buying or selling

experience is a

great one."Helen Torres

Licensed

Real Esta t e Brok er

GRI-CRS-SRES-LT

(727) 895-4353

Candis Yeager727-776-5112www.DreamWeaversEvents.com

WDream eavers ventsE

D r e a m W e a v e r s

E v e n t s

DWE

Let us help make yourdream come true!

a meal service for

the 21 centuryst

-meals for an entire week

-romantic dinners and small gatherings-organic and sustainable ingredients

Emily Golden, personal chef Filling bellies

www.mindfulmealspc.com in

[email protected] St. Petersburg, FL

(813)728-3442

HONNA Board Meetingsare held the

second Monday of each month

at 6:30pm and are

open to the public.



is a new feature that will focus on the making of an eco-friendly lifestyle. We will explore what is sustainable living and allthings we can do GREEN. But first what exactly is GREEN? is it hybrid cars, energy efficient buildings, solar panels, recy-

cling trash, xeriscape plantings, carpooling, wind power, low VOCpaint, non-toxic fabrics, energy saver products, rainwater har-vesting, carpet from recycled soda bottles, composting, savinglandfills, green businesses, green energy, green incentives? Andthe list grows by the day.

So which is a better green product: compact fluorescent lightsor LEDs paper or plastic ? it gets pretty confusing even forus practitioners that deal with this every day everything underthe sun is being thrown into the green marketplace along with thegreenwashing of many things that arent. Everyone has an angleon it, but in reality green does touch every facet of our life.

It is an encompassing and complex topic but we can slowlybuild this conversation, page by page and question by question.

In the news today we find seemingly unrelated and isolated envi-ronmental issues, but they are indeed the results of a complex andinterdependent network of impacts we have caused on our globalecology over time. By definition, ecology is the comprehensivescience of the relationship of organisms to its environment. Sim-ply put, it is US in our world and everything we do affects ITand IT affects everything we do

I think initially some good questions are more important tohave than incomplete answers: what are the real issues at hand? what IS global climate change? what is sustainable living? what does good stewardship of the environment for our chil-dren and our childrens children look like? and how and whydoes it matter to me?

Our home is as good an example as any. Green homes wereonce thought only in the realm of tree-huggers huts built withmud, straw and old tires or glamorized as uber-exotic, ultra mod-ern and expensive. But, in reality, green homes are already amongus. By themselves, the many technologies, materials and prod-ucts contribute to energy-efficient building. But that isnt the bigsolution. We need to see differently, We have to see our homesand everything we do as energy-consuming machines. The greenor sustainable design process looks at buildings this way and pro-vides an important framework on how all these individual thingsthat we use and build... all the little things in our day-to-day lifewe dont even think of can affect the worlds big ecology.

Why is this an important distinction? Underneath a seeminconventional building, the premise of a sustainable design is vdifferent. Green architects, builders and designers look at: amount of the electricity it takes to heat, cool and light it; water consumed to drink, cook and bathe with; the waste genated from it or imbedded in it; together with ALL the energytakes to harvest, mine, make, manufacture, transport and dispoof all the things that go into it.

So, better choices can be made to lessen the OVERALL ergy that is consumed and embedded in a building, to increoperating performance levels and make its parts and pieces mrecyclable at the end of its life. We can lessen our impact on oecology usually with little added cost. By following a green procol, the design can result in energy savings that are far greater ththe sum of its parts by incorporating a trees shading and prevailwinds, local material products, water-saving devices, smart tenologies and controls, daylight harvesting, repurposed and recycmaterials, and using efficiently grown material that produces liwaste. And this is only a small portion of a sustainable palatt

In essence sustainable design is an energy audit that sees processes of our society as a carbon economy with energy ahydrocarbon waste as its currency. So when you hear a tecarbon neutral, carbon footprint or carbon credits, it isabout energy and waste that it contributes.

So, to bring this into perspective, the initial building of a buiing accounts for only 2% of the energy it consumes over its litime. Just 2% Look at the surprising statistics in the sidebelow. 98% is future use of energy over its lifetime. A small inicost for higher performance can compound into tremendous sings over time. Informed decisions can greatly lessen our ecolocal impacts going forward, and as energy and water costs increin the future, so will savings for the homeowner and the enviroment. Ultimately, its about building our homes, neighborhoods asocieties wisely and to effect the smallest footprint on nature

Theres a lot more to discuss. But, this is just Page One.

Michael Panetta moved to The Old Northeast in 1998 and is Predent of his newly established architectural practice, Panetta + Assoates, Inc. He can be contacted atGreenInfo@Panetta Associates.coYou can also read more from Mike in the Northeast Journal

Green Facts : The USA has 3% of the worlds population and consume

25% of its energy.

Building consumes 40 % of the world energy.

Over its lifetime, the energy used in making building

products and constructing a building = 2%

The energy used in day to day operations = 98% US Buildings Domestically Impact:

12% of water used 39% CO2 emissions

65% of waste products 71% of energy consumed

Energy lost in the production of electrical power from

oil at the powerplant = 70 %

Average transmission loss to the end user = 10%

Efficiency of the power that need to be generated vs use

= 5:1 or they have to make 500 watts of power to lightyour 100w bulb so save a watt

(From the US Green Building Counc

The

GGGGGRRRRREEEEEENENENENENPAGE

byMichaelPanetta



2350 26th St. North St. Petersburg, FL 33713-4329(727) 327-3366 FAX (727) 327-9211

[email protected] www.herrcontracting.comLic. CG-C058023

Kathe B. BierhoffRemodeling Residential & Commercial Construction

Earth Day is celebrated every spring when people fromall corners of the globe do their part to help slow globalwarming. But we should cherish the earth every day of

the year. Right here at home, many kids in The Old Northeast aredoing their part to be environmentally friendly.

You may have seen small green bins in front of your neigh-bors yards on Wednesday mornings filled with recyclables. Manyfamilies in The Old NE have started to recycle the Cohensbeing one of them. Weyman Cohen (19th Avenue NE), who isnine years old and attends Bay Vista, wanted to do his part so hegot his family to start recycling. He contacted Greg Foster fromSt. Pete Recycling Solutions. Greg Foster is in charge of a recy-cling program that picks up paper, aluminum, plastic and glassweekly for only $15 per month. To find out more information,call Greg Foster at 452-5278 or go to www.oursprs.com.

Old NE neighbors Michael Wolfe, 12, and his sister, Emory,15 (pictured on right), attend Canterbury School and help dotheir part to fight global warming. When they see appliances intheir house that arent being used, they unplug them. Thats be-cause appliances such as the television, computer and CDplayer use energy even when they are not in use.

At the Canterbury School, Katie Wells and Lee Anna Avila,both 17, started a recycling program to earn a Gold Award inscouting. Before they tackled this project, Canterbury didnt re-cycle anything. Today, the school community is recycling paper,aluminum cans, plastic bottles and newspaper. They started atradition that will be upheld by the junior class every year.

Everyone from kids to adults can do their part by simplyturning off the lights when leaving a room or getting your familyto start recycling. We can all do more. Here are 10 ideas:

Check out books from the library instead of buying yourown.

Ride your bike or walk close distances instead of having yourparents drive you.

You can help your parents with the dishes by washing themby hand instead of using the dishwasher, which uses a lot ofwater.

More Green from Keaton Green...

Worship

Service:

Sundays10:30am

This ad courtesy of HONNA in appreciation of Westminstersgenerous support of the Association

Old NE Kids are Earth-friendlyby Keaton Being Green Green

Ride the bus to school.It will keep extra cars offthe streets. If your schooldoesnt have a bus, try tocarpool with someonenearby.

Help your family startto recycle. Many itemsyou throw away can beused again.

Unplug unused electri-cal devices throughoutyour home such as TVsor stereos.

Plant a tree. Check tosee if there are any emptyspaces in your yard wherea tree could go.

To save water, turn ofthe faucet while you brushyour teeth and take shortershowers.

Turn off the light when you leave the room, and shut the do

when you go outside. Dont waste paper, and use both sides of the sheet.

Keaton Green lives in The Old NE with her parents, sisterand brother. She is an 8th grade student at the CanterbruySchool of Florida.



1st Place: 726 17th Avenue NE

2ndPlace : 805 18th Avenue NE

3rdPlace: 356 18th Avenue NE

Theme Winner: 825 18th Avenue NE Rayders of the LostHalloween: Florida Jones

1st

3rd

THEM

2nd



New Award CategoryThe judges (see photo on right), led by our decorat-

ing contest coordinator Cynthia Serra, decided that the700 block of 18th Avenue NE deserves a newly-des-ignated Team Award. When they came upon the scenethey felt as though they had been dropped into Univer-sal Studios! Our neighbors on the 700 block of 18 th

NE did a fabulous job of getting into the Halloweenspirit. Cynthia and the judges challenge other blocks or groups of neighbors to get

together and do something similar next year.

HonorableMention1630 Locust N

225 28th Avenue N

400 22nd Avenue N255 9th Avenue NE205 25th Avenue N

255 10th Avenue NE255 7th Avenue N

358 10th Avenue NE

Thanks to all ourresidents who make

The HorrorstoricOld Northeast theneighborhood to

visit on Halloween!

Photos thanks toSusan Alderson andRick Carson

Entrance to the 700block of 18th Avenue NE

Walking on the Wild Side -- Down 18th Avenue NEAt your own risk you pass through the12-foot tall wrought iron fence gateway into

the dark and mysterious world of the 700 block of 18th Avenue NE on a spine-chilling,blood-curdling, hair-raising Halloween night. Skeletons swoop down from trees,coffin lids slowly creak open, mysteriously eerie noises can be heard coming from ashadowy second story window, gravestones erupt from the ground, a body hangsout the window of a crashed jeep and ghoulish figures intently watch victims likeyou trapped in this torch-lined one block long dead-end avenue, shrouded in swirl-ing fog. Oh, but if the journey is too frightful, please know youre warmly welcomedto stop at the Bates Motel for a restful evening, beginning with a relaxing shower.



ON THE DOCKET:Some Upcoming Events In

and Nearby Our Neighborhood

For a current and more detailed

listing go to the Citys website at

www.stpete.org

December 4-7 St. Petersburg Boat Show & Strictly Sail South Yacht Basin & Albert Whitted ParkDecember 5 Get Downtown Music Series Central b/w 2nd-3rd; 393-3597

DECEMBER 7 HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST CANDLELIGHT TOUR OF HOMES (see page 1)

December 7 Sunday Afternoon Fun The Pier; 821-6443December 10 Oldies But Goodies DanceThe Pier; 821-6443December 10 Boley Centers Jingle Bell RunThe Pier and waterfront; www.boleycenters.org/Special/JBR.htmDecember 13 Walking Tour of Downtowns Historic District Central at 2nd; 824-7802December 13 Bruce Watters Illuminated Boat Parade Spa Beach Park and The Pier; 821-6443December 13 Drum Circle Facilitation The Pier; 821-6443December 13 Gallery WalkDowntown galleries; 821-6767

DECEMBER 15 OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD HOLIDAY PARTY (see page 1)

December 18 Live Nativity EventWestminster Palms Retirement Community; see page 10December 21 Sunday Afternoon Fun The Pier; 821-6443December 15 Poinsettia Photo Opportunity Sunken Gardens; 551-3100

December 22 Poinsettia Photo Opportunity Sunken Gardens; 551-3100December 24 Oldies But Goodies DanceThe Pier; 821-6443December 26 Grand Central Evening Stroll Grand Central district; 328-7086December 27 Westward Ho from the Waterfront Walking tour of historic waterfront and Historic Kenwood neighborhood; 824-780December 31 Swingin the New Year Coliseum; 892-5202December 31 First Night St. Petersburg 2009 Various locations; 823-8906; www.firstnightstpete.comJanuary 2 Get Downtown Music Series Central b/w 2nd-3rd; 393-3597January 4 Sunday Afternoon Fun The Pier; 821-6443January 10 Walking Tour of Downtowns Historic District Central at 2nd; 824-7802January 10 Drum Circle Facilitation The Pier; 821-6443January 10 Gallery WalkDowntown galleries; 821-6767January 14 Oldies But Goodies Dance The Pier; 821-6443January 15 Principles of Landscape Design 101 Lunch n Learn Sunken Gardens; 551-3102

JANUARY 16 PORCH PARTY (see p. 16)

January 18 Sunday Afternoon Fun The Pier; 821-6443

JANUARY 19 NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING

January 23 Grand Central Evening Stroll Grand Central district; 328-7086January 24 Westward Ho from the Waterfront Walking tour of historic waterfront and Historic Kenwood neighborhood; 824-7802January 28 Oldies But Goodies Dance The Pier; 821-6443February 1 Sunday Afternoon Fun The Pier; 821-6443February 6 Get Downtown Music Series Central b/w 2nd-3rd; 393-3597February 7 Salvador Dali Museums 27th Annual Benefit Dinner Dali Museum; 823-3767

February 11 Oldies But Goodies Dance The Pier; 821-6443February 14 Walking Tour of Downtowns Historic District Central at 2nd; 824-7802February 14 Drum Circle Facilitation The Pier; 821-6443February 14 Gallery WalkDowntown locations; 821-6767February 15 Sunday Afternoon Fun The Pier; 821-6443

FEBRUARY 16 NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING

FEBRUARY 20 PORCH PARTY (see p. 16)

February 25 Oldies But Goodies Dance The Pier; 821-6443February 27 Grand Central Evening Stroll Grand Central District; 328-7086February 28 Westward Ho from the Waterfront Walking tour of historic waterfront and Historic Kenwood neighborhood; 824-7802February 28 A Tribute to Harry James and the Andrews Sisters Coliseum; 892-5202



Taking My Own AdviceI stopped vanity shopping on January 3, 2008, and it has been

an eye-opening experience. I was never really completely outof control, but all of a sudden I felt I should do somethingradical to break a very sticky habit.

Christmas 2008 was a bit overwhelming, accord-ing to my husband. The underside of our tree filledup not once, but twice with gifts for about 80 peoplethat I decided we should play Santa to. Granted, Ihandmade some of these items but still... 80 people?Even the women who do our dry cleaning got apresent from us last year.

So out of sheer disgust for having turned into astuffaholic, I took a pledge on January 3rd tospend the rest of the year not shopping for myselfand cut way back on the gift buying. I am alreadysurprised at the outcome.

Looking back, I have to wonder: when did I be-come such a mindless consumer? We try to live a bal-anced, semi-green life. Unlike most of our neighbors insteamy Florida, we limit our air-conditioning use to thenight time hours so we can sleep. Most of the time wehave the only house on the block that has any windowsopen at all. Four years ago we purposely downsized to onecar and routinely sit down to schedule on a weekly basiswho-gets-to-use-it-when.

This shopping compulsion just sort of crept up on me, slowlybecoming a way of life. I perfected the art of running into a storein-between meetings or appointments to quickly browse the saleaisle for no specific reason. When money was tight or my con-

science was bothering me, I could still get my shopping fix scanning thrift stores. With three kids and a growing grandsonrationalized plenty of excuses to shop.

True, I typically bought items on sale which somehow, in mmind, made it all OK. I could even justify using some of the monthat we put away for vacations or home improvements by maing sure I bought some of the stuff on vacation or threw a fe

things in the shopping cart for the house to legitimatize the eveAnd then someone e-mailed me www.storyofstuff.com, wh

turned out to be a major wake up call. Suddenly it became crysclear that I was inadvertently contributing to the wasteful ovproduction of unnecessary stuff by my mindless purchasing.

Granted, I was certainly doing my part to keep the economafloat but wasnt that just a short term solution? Third Wocountries get stuck producing most of my had-to-have stufAnd, even after I contributed our leftovers to charity, didneventually end up in some landfill some day?

To top it off, a friend came back from a trip to South Africafew months ago complaining that a lot of the leftover stuff so generously ship there was putting some of the local producand merchants out of business. I had to step back and ask myswhat I was really doing and, even more importantly, what I codo to break this vicious cycle.

When I looked a bit deeper inside myself, I realized I was acally self-medicating with my nifty shopping habit somethconfront my drug-addicted clients at Goodwill Correctional Fcility with on a regular basis. My medication was shopping theirs happened to be alcohol or drugs.

I came to realize through the weekly life skills classes I teato inmates there that the same parts of the brain that respond

illicit drugs like cocaine also light up when we self-medicwith shopping. No wonder I was so addicted!

As a child born to hardworking, blue collar parentsthe 50s, our semiannual ritual of clothes shoppiwas born out of necessity. They had to budget new school clothes my older brother and I needas we grew. My mother never concerned herswith fashion and was always content to wear whshe had left in the closet from the year(s) before

I remember poring over magazines as a youteen, looking forward to the day when I could bwhat I wanted, from where I wanted. During adlescence, labels became more and more importas I watched other girls wear chic clothes that ohousehold budget could not afford.

Now I appreciate my parents conservative haits in a whole new way. Their values were constently solid and the money they were able to save by n

becoming enslaved by stuff sent us to college, somethineither of them ever had the opportunity to experience.

Time off from shopping has forced me to realize that I doreally need all of those distractions no matter how deeply dcounted they are. I believe I am even a bit more present the

days, not quite as stressed out as I was while juggling an unnessary and destructive habit.

Maybe I am even doing my small part to reduce a bit of tstuff cluttering up Planet Earth. At least Id like to think so.

Thinking in

by Barbara Rhode, LMFT

Purple

Barbara Rhode is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapistwho provides trainings and workshops to corporations and non-profits on wellness and life balance. She lives in a very purplehouse in The Old Northeast, a place where she contemplates inshades of purple.

by Barbara Rhode, LMFT



by

Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood News - December 2008

Documents

Transcript of Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood News - December 2008