Gulfport! Magazine, fall 2010

Fall 2010 • $2.00

Elizabeth Brown-Worthington

Happy

100 years!

Gulfport then, now & in between.

1910-2010

Senior Center • Historic Buildings • 1938 Map • Stetson Law School • Lynne Brown •

FALL 2010 GULFPORT! MAGAZINE | 3

Editors Rob Fowler and Ester Venouziou • Design director Patrick Roberts • Advertising director Jane Bruce Cover photo by Lisa Barry

Contributing writers & photographers Mike Baggs • Lynne Brown • Elizabeth Brown-Worthington • Sandy Hanna-Duffy • Jan Dutton • Karen Gates • Cathy Lees • Cindy Linville • Theresa Magaz • Cheryl Mansfield • Lynda Shehan

On the Web Find us on GulfportMagazine.com and on Facebook, facebook.com/gulfportmagazine

Story suggestions [email protected] or [email protected] Advertising information call 727.723.5660 or e-mail [email protected]

Gulfport! Magazine is a co-production of LocalShops1.com and GulfportFlorida.us Gulfport! is published quarterly and distributed throughout our beautiful city.

Fall 2010HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GULFPORT ........... 4-5WELCOME TO GULFPORT! .................. 6-7THINGS TO DO ........................................ 8-9ALL ABOUT GULFPORT ......................... 11ARTIST SPOTLIGHT .................................... 13AROUND TOWN .................................. 15-19COMMEMORATIVE MAP .................. 20-21COVER STORIES ................................... 22-29HISTORIC BUILDINGS ........................ 31-33CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS .............. 34FROM OUR FACEBOOK FRIENDS ......... 35MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS .................. 36-37MEET YOUR FURRY NEIGHBORS .......... 38

CONTENTS

Beach Blvd. @ 1925

Beach Blvd. @ 1958

GULFPORT HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTOS

100 HAPPY BIRTHDAYS, GULFPORT!

4 | GULFPORT! MAGAZINE FALL 2010

Ayla Ann Beavers Krager: Happy Birthday GP

Vanessa Chlapowski-Long: Happy Birthday to Gulfport! After growing up on St. Pete Beach, my husband and I bought our home here in Gulfport over 7 years ago. The best decision we ever made. This little town is more like a family. Neighbors actually know each other!

Julie Latimer: Happy Birthday beloved Gulfport!

Kim Morrissey: Happy Birthday Gulfport! I’m so happy to finally be a full-time resident, this city is the BEST!

Barbara Nicolazzo: Happy birthday, Gulfport! After 15 years as a Gulf-portion, I just moved to a suburb (47th Street), but I still love it. I love looking at all the houses and cool mailboxes. I buy my Lotto tickets in Gulfport, so when I win, it’ll say, “Winning ticket purchased in Gulfport.”

Delia Davidson: Happy Happy to the best little city around! Gulfport we love you!

Liane May Caruso: Happy Birthday Gulfport!!

Maggie Pollard: Happy Birthday Gulfport!

Scott Drzewiecki: Happy Birthday Gulfport! And many more!

Lisa-Marie Aylor Begerow: Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lucy Ziegler Tucker: Happy 100th Gulfport!!!

Maria Johannesen: Happy Birthday Gulfport!

Kelly Garber: Happy 100th birthday Gulfport!

Lewis Zajac: Happy Birthday Gulfport! WOOT WOOT!

Kevin Moore: Happy B’day Gulfport! and 100 more!

Ronald Schaaf: Happy Birthday Gulfport!!!

Sean Rommell: Happy Birthday to my home for the past 6 years! Hopefully there are many more years to come!!!

Lori Polichette McDermott: Happy Birthday G! Cheers from New York!!!

Daniel Hodge: Happy birthday, Gulfport, and thanks for making my hometown feel like home.

Rebecca Meyer: Happy Birthday Gulfport, wish I could be here for 200, but we’ll just have to wait and see : )

Theresa Magaz: Happy Birthday Gulfport! 100 years and you are just getting started!

Lynda O’Dear Shehan: Happy Birthday, Beautiful City

Claudia Moon Zikuda: Happy B-day!

Diane Yost Roush: Hoppy Birdies two Ewes, Gulfport!!

Michele Lambert D’Alessio: My neighbor across the street is 101 today!

Stefanie Florida: 100 years - and still look-ing and feeling young. :-) Happy Birthday, Gulfport!

Julie McNeil: Here’s to 100 more. Happy Birthday Gulfport!

Toni Spagnoli: happy!

Carol Hitchcock: Happy Birthday!

Jamey Frisen: “Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you. Happy birthday Dear Gulfport. Happy Birthday to you.” And Many More!!!!

Rene Smith Jalbert: Happy Birthday!

Alice Janisch: Happy Birthday dear Gulfport.

Denise Diaz: Happy 100!

Susan Dalby: Happy Birthday Gulfport!!!!!!!!!!

Anna Scott: všechno nejlepší Gulfport!!

Carol Rivera: Happy Birthday Gulfport!!!!

Charlene Metrano: Happy 100th Birthday Gulfport. I think we share the same date.

Jon K. Ziegler: Happy Birthday Gulfport!

Lisa Sax Brennan: Happy Birthday Gulfport!!

Jodie N Patty Buckallew: Happy Birthday Gulfport!

Margarete Tober: Happy Birthday Gulfport

Gail Pacillo-Wiley: Happy Birthday Gulfport!!

Lupe Schillari: Happy Birthday Gulfport!

Bob Usher: Happy Birthday Gulfport!!

Lori Rosso: Happy Centennial Gulfport (did you know we are older than Pinellas County? They turn 100 next year!)

Chelle Heldt: HAPPY BIRTHDAY GULFPORT!

Tinamarie Hansen: Happy Birthday Gulfport! I know there’s a reason why I ended up coming to this town 14 years ago. I still haven’t figured out

why, but it sure has been an experience.

Jessica Sager: Happy Birthday GP, my whole story is some-how inexplicably entwined with your existance.

John Chartier: A very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Gulfport!!

Gwendolyn M Brown: Happy Birthday Gulfport many happy memories for me there

100 HAPPY BIRTHDAYS, GULFPORT!


Autumn Self: Happy Birthday Gulfport!!! Love Ya!!

Kim Bianca Campbell: Happy Birthday Gulfport!

Melanie J King: Happy Birthday Gulfport!

Monique McLaughlin: Happy Birthday Gulfport!!!! :)

Sandy Hanna-Duffy: Happy Birthday Gulfport! I am proud to live here and thrilled that I get to share in your 100-year celebration.

Jen DeLand: Happy Birthday Gulfport!!! Love living here!

Teresa Magaly Magaz Delamoneda: Happy Birthday!

Gary Clark: BIRTH-DAZE come & go....but GULFPORT ROCKS ON 4EVER!!!!...

Jenny Ven: Happy Birthday

Heather Lindsay Sell: Happy Bday Gulfport!

Kelly Nelson: Happy Happy Day!!!

Jane St Cyr: Happy Birth-day Gulfport. You rock!

Marcella Ruso: YaHoo!! Gulfport!!!

Mary Kay Apple Jungers: Happy Centen-nial Gulfport! I’m glad I found you!

Lisa Callahan: Ross Happy Birthday Gulfport !

Beth Osting Lutes: Happy Birthday Gulfport! I miss you.

Cathy Lees: Happy Birthday Gulfport. Long live your vibe!

Holly Furlong: Happy 100th Birthday Gulfport!

Kimberly Colbert: Happy 100th Gulfport!

Heather Davies: Happy birthday Gulfport!! We visited your wonder-ful town from Ohio a few months ago, loved it so much, and now we are searching the area for a per-manent move in October!!

Robin King: Happy Birthday Gulfport!

Hilda Neily: Today is Your Birthday by the Beatles should be playing loud somewhere on Beach Blvd. all day today. Happy birthdayGulfport!

Christine Vasconcelo: happy 100!!!!

Kae Yauchler: Happy, Happy Birthday, Gulfport!

Cheryl Mansfield: Happy 100th Gulfport

Suzin Buzas Carr: I choose Gulfport for its Amazing ArtWalk, great restaurants and tremendous community spirit.

Phil Bishop: HAPPY 100TH GULFPORT!

Dawn L Vocals: Happy Birthday!

Chris Willis: I love Gulfport! Happy Birthday Neighbors!

Sandra Rodriguez: Happy Birthday Gulfport!

Ester Venouziou: Happy 100th to the most awesome place in the world!

Cindy Loving: Florida Happy 100th Birthday Gulfport!

Tammi Baker Ziccardi: I grew up in Gulfport and have so many amazing memories of our close-knit community. Marriage and life have taken me away from Gulfport, but it will always be a great part of me. Happy 100th birthday! I am happy to have been a part of 25+ years of those.

Kymberlee Gaston: I’ve lived in NJ, Pitts-burgh, Washington DC, and Greenville SC. I’ve traveled in Asia, France, Denmark, London, Italy and Ireland and I can tell you that there is nowhere I’ve enjoyed living more than Gulfport! Happy 100th!

Tiffany Anderson- Taylor: Happy 100th birthday, Gulfport! In this modern era of cheap, disposable and insignifi-cant, it is a blessing to live in a city so warm, reliable and timeless. Here is to the next 100 years!

Jana Broder: HAPPY BIRTHDAY GULFPORT!!!!

Soren Kirchner : Happy Birthday Gulport from a future resident and founder of the Gecko Party (political)

Rhonda Kay: Happy Birthday you mad, sexy, relentless city of love, rainbows and margaritas.

Margarete Tober: Happy Birthday to the wonderful little city by the sea!!

Jodie N Patty Buckallew: HAPPY BIRTHDAY GULFPORT!! I loved visiting you so much when I was a child that I moved here as an adult!! Here’s to another 100 years!

MsGoody Haines: Had breakfast at the Gulfport Diner this morn-ing... I love being a townie!

Iris Plowman: Happy Birthday Gulfport--from Michigan!

Faun Weaver: Happy B Day to a seriously funky and wonderful community! My chickens and I love and truly appreciate you!!

Joey Goodrich: Happy Birthday Gulfport

Rob Fowler: Have a happy next 100 years, Gulfport!

Melissa Ferner: Happy bday!

Jennifer Valley: Like a fine wine, you keep getting

better with age...Happy Birthday Gulfport!

Cathy Tyson Marsh: Happy Birthday !!

Cyndi Neuman: Happy birthday Gulfport! I love ya!

Katie Grundon: Happy birthday gulfport!

WELCOME TO GULFPORT


By ROB FOWLERG! Magazine co-editor

Hello to all of you great Gulfport people in 2110! I’m writing this 100 years ago, in the year 2010, which is Gulfport’s 100th Birthday year.

I’m happy this issue of Gulfport! Magazine has survived the years and all of us want to say a big HELLO to you and Happy 200th Birthday, Gulfport!

Congratulations on all the amazing accomplishments you have made in your past 100 years! Who of us in 2010 would have even come close to guessing all that you would do between our time and yours!

Good job on surviving the tropical storms and !nancial ups and downs on the century too. We knew you could do it!

I’m sure your historians have a lot of information about

Gulfport in 2010, so I won’t spend much time describing our lives to you. Of course, we are still using fossil fuels and carry cash and plastic credit cards on us, but that is just where we happen to be in 2010.

I do wonder what the casino looks like in your time. Did they ever install a programmable digital sign in front? Yes, O’Maddy’s is here and is as popular now as it is in your time. 2010 is the year that "e

Special message for our readers ... in 2110!

Dive Bar and Grill opened. How is their 100th Birthday Party going?

I am sure the 100th Birthday Party of Gulfport! Magazine was one to go into the history books! I would love to see the holographic Gulfport! Magazine website of 2110.

I’m sure you’ll be pleased to know that one thing that has not changed is the character of Gulfport. I don’t think the attitude of the people has

changed since Gulfport became a city in 1910. So everything you are feeling about Gulfport in 2110 is very close to what we feel.

Gulfport is a fabulous place! We are open-minded and visionary. Our arts community is vibrant and growing and although nothing like what you have, we are excited about all that is happening with the arts in Gulfport today. Our work now is your fruit in 2110. Geckofest was 10 years old in 2010, and very successful. We had great weather this year.

"e one thing that has always made a di#erence here is that we LOVE Gulfport! Just as much as you do. So from all of us who are celebrating Gulfport’s !rst 100 years, we send you greetings and all the best of everything to you who are celebrating Gulfport’s !rst 200 years!

ROB FOWLER | GULFPORT! MAGAZINE

The Casino @2010

WELCOME TO GULFPORT


Deciding to spotlight the past in the second issue of Gulfport! Magazine was a no-brainer. A$er all, the magazine is published just as our beautiful city celebrates its 100th

birthday. We set out with an ambitious lineup of all the people we would pro!le, all the places we would feature. "e plan: a comprehensive look at the past 10 decades. "e reality: We were crazy. Attempting to dissect 100 years worth of history in 40 pages? No way. In this issue, we o#er you a glimpse into the past, and, we hope, help you connect it to the present. We bring you stories from people who have lived, worked and played here all their lives, as well as people who happened to move here, fell in love with the place, and made it their mission to preserve local history. We also spotlight just some of the homes, organizations and businesses that have shaped Gulfport into the amazing place that it is today. We’re especially grateful for the support from the Gulfport Historical Society and author/historian Lynne Brown. We know there are a million stories le$ untold. We invite you to share your stories with us. Please submit your stories and photos on our website, GulfportMagazine.com. And for daily discussions, we hope you join us at Facebook.com/GulfportMagazine. "anks for helping make Gulfport such a wonderful place!

Rob & Ester

GULFPORT HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTO

First casino & trolley @ 1925ish

Our Mayor during the centennial year:Mike Yakes, a retired regional safety and health manager with the Florida Department of Transportation, has been mayor since 1991 and has served on the City Council since !rst being appointed in 1986. He has lived in Gulfport much of his life and is a graduate of Boca Ciega High School.

GULFPORT HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTO: 1953-1954

THINGS TO DO


Oct. 11: Senior Center’s Birthday Celebration, 5501 27th Ave. S. Call 893.2237 or 893.1231.Oct. 15: Senior Center Art Show, 5501 27th Ave. S. Call 893.2237.Oct. 16: Coastal Cleanup, 9 a.m. to noon, Clam Bayou Nature Park (49th St. S. to 29th Ave. S. east to Miriam St.) Call 893.1060.

Oct. 30: Halloween Bash at Rec Center, 7-9 p.m., 5730 Shore Blvd. S. Call 893.1068.Nov. 6: Senior Center Inaugural Centennial 5K Fun Run/Walk, 8 a.m. Cost: $15 ($20 after Oct. 25). Forms available at Senior Center or online at GulfportSeniorFoundation.org. Call 893.2237 or 893.1231.

Nov. 6: Citywide Yard Sale. All day. Call 893.1118.Nov. 11: Chamber of Commerce presents a Pasadena Band Performance, Gulfport Casino Ballroom, 5500 Shore Blvd. S. Call 344.3711. Nov. 23: Senior Center Thanksgiving Dinner, 5501 27th Ave. S. Call 893.2237 or 893.1231.Dec. 3: Swing Lesson and Dance, Gulfport Casino Ballroom, 5500 Shore Blvd. S., 8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Lesson at 8 p.m. Admission: $11, www.swingtime.info or call 813.274.4950.

Dec. 6: Luminarias & Holiday Tree Lighting at 7 p.m., Clymer Park. Call 893.1118.Dec. 11: Gulfport Holiday Hoopla, Beach Blvd. S., 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Call 322.5217 Dec. 22: Senior Center Holiday Breakfast, Time TBA, 5501 27th Ave. S. Call 893.2237 or 893.1231. Dec. 31: City of Imagina-tion New Year’s Eve at the Casino, 5500 Shore. Blvd. S., 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Music, champagne toast at midnight. Tickets $20. For ticket information, call 893.1070.

THINGS TO DO


Every First Friday and Third Saturday: Art Walk along Beach Blvd., 6 to 10 p.m. Artist and crafters, entertainment, and more. For vendor information, call Suzanne King, 322.5217.

Every Tuesday: Fresh Market along Beach Blvd., 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., from 29th Ave. S. to Shore Blvd. Clothing Swap second Tues. Call Daniel Hodge, 366.4086.Compiled by Gail Biron, City of Gulfport, gbiron@ mygulfport.us or 893.1118.

For information on the Centennial Celebrations Oct. 9, 12 and 16, see page 34

ALL ABOUT GULFPORT

FALL 2010 | GULFPORT! MAGAZINE 11

City governmentCity Hall: 893-1000Utility Billing: 893-1000Zoning: 893-1024Trash pick-up: 893-1083Police Department: non-emergency: 893-1030 emergency: 911Fire: 893-1062

Business organizationsGulfport Chamber of Commerce ExploreGulfport.comGulfport Merchants AssociationGulfportMA.comSouth 49th Street Business District So49.org

Places to goClam Bayou Nature Park Miriam Street, south of 29th Avenue South Recreation Center 893-1068 5730 Shore Blvd.Library 893-1074 5501 28th Ave. S.Gulfport Casino 893-1070 5500 Shore Blvd. S.Senior Center 893-2237 5501 27th Ave. S.Historical Museum 321-0505 5301 28th Ave. S.Catherine Hickman Theater 727-893-1070 5501 27th Ave. S.

TransportationGulfport Trolley: mygulfport.us/TrolleyG.E.M.S. (for elderly/ handicapped): 893-2242Pinellas Transit Authority: psta.net

OrganizationsBoca Ciega Yacht Club 543-1031Garden & Bird Club

321-6282Crime

Watch 327-3509

Gulfport Yacht Club

321-8634Historical Society

343-4398

MediaGulfport! Magazine GulfportMagazine.comBeachLife BeachLifeFL.comGabber newspaper thegabber.comSt. Petersburg Times tampabay.com

Important Local websitesmygulfport.us city’s official Web siteGulfportFlorida.us Events, directory & moreLocalShops1.com Local independent businesses

and us!GulfportMagazine.com

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

SUMMER 2010 | GULFPORT! MAGAZINE 13

Owen Pach is the featured artist at Tampa International Airport’s new exhibit, Fiery Passion: !e Beauty of Elements. Made possible by Aviation Authority board members and the Airport Public Art Committee, the showcase, which opens Oct. 7, will feature the beautiful glass creations by the highly acclaimed Gulfport artist. "is is huge exposure for Pach: Almost 17 million people traveled through TIA in 2009. On this centennial year, Gulfport is sporting a giant diamond of an artist for the entire world to see while Tampa International Airport proudly shines a spotlight on him. Gulfport! Magazine will be at the opening ceremony of this spectacular event honoring Pach, one of our most visible ambassadors. We hope you join us. — ROB FOWLER, G! Magazine co-editor

Owen Pach

AROUND TOWN: HISTORIC BUSINESSES


By KAREN GATESG! Magazine contributor

"e prestigious Pasadena Yacht and Country Club and R.W. Caldwell Realty, two icons of Gulfport history, are both along 22nd Avenue South within a mile of each other.

"e country club, established in 1924, began in the early 1900s as Pasadena Estates. It was touted as “"e Social Center of Grand People from Every Where” and that glamor still exists today.

Jack Taylor bought a tract of land for $500,000 and began development of a resort, the Rolyat, and a golf course. Walter Hagen designed the original course in the 1920s and Arnold Palmer renovated it in the 1980s. Taylor su#ered during the economic downturn of the ‘20s and %ed in 1926, leaving behind a monkey house and a rare bird aviary. (Are these the ancestors of “"e Mystery Monkey of Tampa Bay?”)

A$er Taylor le$, the golf course and its clubhouse changed hands frequently. In the ‘80s, U.S. Steel (USX) bought the club and the remaining property.

Eventually, USX hired R.W. Caldwell III as project manager for the development of the Pasadena Yacht and Country Club. He suggested USX might let the city of Gulfport annex the project and they did so, creating a lucrative tax base for the small city.

R.W. Caldwell Realty used to be on Shore Boulevard, near the Gulfport Casino. Established in 1937 by R.W. Caldwell, it was initially a real estate and insurance business. R.W. (Bob) Caldwell, Jr. opened the building division of the company and soon a$er, in 1953, they moved to their present location on Gulfport Boulevard. "e o&ce, still family-owned, employs 20-50 people.Freelance writer Karen Gates can be reached at 727.492.8605.

Along Beach BoulevardPHOTO: ROB FOWLER, G! MAGAZINE

Along 49th St.Gus Kiriopoulos isn’t one to beat around the bush. “We have the best Greek salad,” he tells us. “If you bring me a better Greek salad, I’ll give you mine for free.” Tempting o#er, but we’re betting he’s never had to give a free one yet. Kiriopoulos credits quality dining at reasonable prices as one of the reasons Gulfport Family Restaurant has been around since 1948, making it the oldest restaurant in the city. “Everything is made from scratch,” says Kiriopoulos, who has owned the Gulfport institution at 2025 49th St. for the past 20 years. Best part of owning a restaurant, besides being his own boss? “I know everybody,” he says. “Everybody passes by every day.”

Ester Venouziou, G! Magazine co-founder

Meet people! Have fun! Volunteer @ the Chamber

By CHERYL MANSFIELD G!! Magazine contributor

At !rst glance, "e Gulfport Multipurpose Senior Center looks like a simple white concrete o&ce building nestled into a primarily residential part of town. A new visitor may think it a quiet little place.

But inside the center is a bustling hub of activity, with people playing card games, enjoying the snack bar, and socializing. "ere are smiles and laughter. Lots of laughter.

Built in 1983 to bring clubs and programs happening around town into one central location, the center has grown to more than 2,000 members, more than half of whom live outside Gulfport. "e center is run by two full-time sta#, two part-time sta# and about 100 volunteers.

Not only has the center grown in size, it has grown in stature. What started out as a meeting place has become a full-service support system for local residents age 50 and above. With a mission to “support the independence and increased quality of life of its participants encouraging involvement in programs and activities that promote their health, welfare, safety and

dignity,” the center realized that dream when they were fully accredited with the NISC in January 2010.

“It was a two-year process,” says center supervisor Susan Frank. Part of that process was the formation of a leadership committee that functions as the “eyes and ears” of the members. "is allows the center to provide the services most needed by the members.

But work at the center isn’t !nished. Plans are under way to expand the community partnering program. Teaming with local businesses that have a mutual interest in the people they serve allows the center to branch out in the types of services they o#er. Also in the future is the expansion of the !tness center. Frank says the !tness center has changed the thinking and interest of its seniors who see the value in staying healthy.

Clearly, the Senior Center is a treasured resource to Gulfport and surrounding communities. Probably the biggest treasure is the sense of community and family that you feel the moment you walk through its doors. Oh, and don’t forget the laughter.

Cheryl Mans!eld is a freelance writer from Tampa who dreams of living in a Gulfport sorbet-colored house.

AROUND TOWN: THE SENIOR CENTER


‘We watch out for each other’PHOTOS BY ROB FOWLER | GULFPORT! MAGAZINE

Center sta!ers Susan Frank and Cynthia Dean “are the go-to for everything.” says one member. “"ey will drop what they are doing to help someone.”

AROUND TOWN: THE SENIOR CENTER

SUMMER 2010 | GULFPORT! MAGAZINE 17

Karean Dorn“Snow. I hate snow,” Karean Dorn says

when asked what brought her to Gulfport three years ago. “I came to visit family and fell in love. "e city is eclectic, artsy and fun.” Back in Ohio, Dorn loved to volunteer so it seemed only natural for her to do the same once she settled in Gulfport. She stopped by the Senior Center to see if they needed help. Today, Dorn volunteers in the !tness center about eight hours a week.Best thing about the center: "e Reassurance Program, a morning call-in, wellness check. If a participant doesn’t call in by the prescribed time, volunteers check on their well-being and safety.One-stop shop for seniors: “It’s a great place for references to local businesses and services,” says Dorn, who praises the center’s two full-time employees, Susan Frank and Cynthia Dean. “"ey are the go-to for everything.” she says. “"ey will drop what they are doing to help someone.”Why join? “"e center keeps you alive, involved, and your brain working. "ere is no age barrier here.”

Pam McGinnisMcGinnis has fond childhood memories of

spending time in the Gulfport cottage behind her grandmother’s home. Today she lives there with her dog, Birdie. A longtime city employee with the Recreation Department, McGinnis struggled a$er an illness forced her to go on disability. “I felt like I wasn’t needed,” she says. "en former Senior Center employee Sarah Peele asked for McGinnis’ help. “Volunteering at the center gave me a purpose,” McGinnis said. "at was 10 years ago, and McGinnis is still busy at the center. She works with the Neighborly Care Network, is involved with special events and serves on the Leadership Committee. Best thing about the center: “"e family atmosphere. ... We watch out for each other.”Why join? “It gives people a reason to get out each day,” she says. “"ere is always something festive going on. ... Every day is a holiday.”

Rita "ompsonRita "ompson has been a member of the

senior center for more than 19 years. She !rst joined with her husband and the two would play pinochle there. A$er her husband died, she got involved with the arts and cra$s program. Eight years ago, "ompson became a volunteer and ran the snack bar, single-handedly, for seven years. Today she works in the !tness center at the check-in desk.

“Mostly we just laugh and joke,” she says.

But it’s not all just games. “She is one of the hardest-working people,” says friend and co-volunteer Karean Dorn. In 2008, "ompson was named Volunteer of the Year. Best thing about the center: "e family atmosphere, she says. Many friends from the

center visited her during a recent hospital stay. “"ere is cooperation here. People work together, work with each other’s di#erent abilities. It’s a second home, one big family. "ese people are my lifelong friends.”

Fran WorthingtonFran Worthington moved to Gulfport

from New Jersey 35 years ago with her !rst husband. At !rst, she had no plans to stay, but a$er his death, she realized Gulfport “felt right.” Twenty-eight years ago, she married Gulfport native Robert Worthington. "e couple’s four children also stayed in Gulfport and married people from around the area. Worthington, a longtime volunteer of the Gulfport History Museum and the Chamber of Commerce, started going to the Senior Center to use the !tness center a$er a shoulder injury in fall 2009.

A year later, Worthington works out !ve days a week and says not only has her shoulder healed, but she has also lost weight.Best thing about the center: "e people. “You get to see your friends,” she says. “It feels comfortable here. ... Everyone cares about each other. We get concerned and worried over no-shows.”

The details5501 27th Ave. S. 727.893.2237 gulfportseniorfoundation.orgHours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday–Thursday

The programsHealth and wellness Support groups for caregivers Blood pressure screening Stretch exercise Yoga, Tai Chi Line dancing Fitness CenterEducational:Art classes Bridge instruction Computer classes Investment club Knitting, quilters club Writers club Foreign language Housing, legal issuesCommunity servicesFood pantryTelephone Reassurance ProgramCommunity Law Program, with Stetson Law SchoolHarmonica Club Big Band ClubGEMS: Gulfport Extended Minibus Service; 55 & upSocial activitiesSeasonal and celebratory dinners, lunches, socialsEntertainment: instrumental & voiceFlea marketsNeighborly Care Network Lunch programCard games: bridge, canasta, pinochle, euchre, mah-jongg, bingo

Meet some of the members

“You get to see your friends” - Fran Worthington

AROUND TOWN: STETSON L AW SCHOOL


The past decade2000The International Law and Business program opens. International exchange programs have been developed with many countries, and students are encouraged to study abroad. Stetson has formal agreements with the University of Granada in Spain and Tec de Monterrey in Mexico for students to attend law school for up to one year at one of these institutions.

2004Stetson’s Tampa Law Center opens as a major hub for legal activity, housing evening law classes, the Tampa branch of the Florida Second District Court of Appeal, and legal conferences.

2010U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is guest lecturer at Stetson. Thomas rarely makes public appearances, with the exception being in front of law students. Thomas has a passion for reaching out to law students, said Stetson professor Michael Allen.

Now: School’s grand entrance (photo: Stetson Law School) Then: Spanish dancers, Rolyat (photo: Historical Society)

AROUND TOWN: STETSON L AW SCHOOL


By CATHY LEES G! Contributor

In 1898, the United States declared war against Spain for Cuban independence and for temporary control of Cuba, Guam and the Philippines. Tampa became the primary staging area for U.S. troops, as Teddy Roosevelt and his rough riders boarded ships headed for Cuba. Egmont Key was further forti!ed and the construction of Fort De Soto began.

It was also in 1898 that DeLand Academy in DeLand changed its name to John B. Stetson University, the state’s !rst private university.

Rumor has it Henry A. DeLand speculated on agricultural investments that froze in a harsh winter, and founding trustee, John B. Stetson, right, (yes, the one that made the Stetson hats famous) had to take over the endowment.

In 1890 the school’s name was shortened to Stetson University. And 10 years later, on Oct. 2, 1900, Stetson University College of Law o&cially began with !ve students. It was Florida’s !rst law school.

Fast forward to 1953. "e nation saw a boom of victory and prosperity. World War II was now a memory as some G.I.’s got married, had children and returned to school. For Stetson University, this was a time of much growth. "e College of Law needed to

expand to larger facilities in a metropolitan area. Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa all competed to be the new home of Stetson College of Law.

Prominent residents of St. Petersburg raised the capital to buy a historic 1920s resort, Rolyat Hotel, that had become a victim of the Great Depression. It was operating then as the Florida Military Academy, and it was in foreclosure. "e asking price was $200,000 even though appraised at more than $1 million.

"e former Rolyat Hotel, at 1401 61st St. S. in Gulfport, included 17 buildings, and almost 21 acres, so it more than !t the law school’s requirements. In 1954, Rolyat o&cially became Stetson University College of Law.

Behind the wallsAccording to Ghost Stories

of St. Petersburg, the grounds are haunted! I.M. Taylor (Rolyat spelled backwards), nicknamed “Handsome Jack,” had married Evelyn DuPont, as in the DuPont chemical company. Whenever Handsome Jack wanted to make an investment in

Gulfport, he would just turn to his wife, and she would li$ out a wad of $100 bills from her garter. "e marriage ended in divorce, but Stetson students today still claim to see a woman in a %apper out!t checking on her old investment.

"e Spanish-Mediterranean architecture was designed by Paul Reed of Miami-based Kiehnel & Elliot. Professor Michael Irven Swygert, co-author of Florida’s First Law School: History of Stetson University College of Law, says the Rolyat hotel was styled a$er a medieval Spanish village, replete with appropriate towers, arches, arcades and walled enclosures. "e main entrance to the Plaza is a reproduction of the Aleantara Bridge in Toledo, Spain, and the main tower is based on the Torre del Oro in Seville.

Stetson is certainly one of the most distinctive law campuses in the United States.

Stetson statsIn the 1960s, Stetson’s main

campus became the !rst white private university in Florida

to admit a black student. In 1974, Stetson Law’s College in Gulfport graduated its !rst African-American student.

According to spring 2010 statistics, Stetson has about 984 full- and part-time Juris Doctor (J.D.) students; 12 Master of Laws (LL.M.) in international law, and 28 LL.M. in elder law students.

Stetson’s student population is about 22 percent minority, 53 percent female. "e school’s faculty includes 55 full-time, 61 part-time; and 19 visiting.

Stetson Law graduates have included eight Florida Supreme Court justices, several federal district and appellate court jurists, scores of state judges, numerous public o&cials, renowned trial lawyers and corporate executives.

Stetson Law started Florida’s !rst clinical program in 1963. Stetson was also the !rst law school in Florida to require pro bono service of its students and faculty. Today, Stetson Law students complete more than 16,000 hours of public service annually, assisting people at more than 100 locations in the Tampa Bay area and across the state. Stetson is one of the top four regional universities in the South according to the annual US News and World Report college rankings.

"is October, Stetson University College of Law celebrates 110 years. Half of those are right here in Gulfport!

Lees is a freelance writer and Gulfport resident.

Historic towers

Happy 100th Birthday!

GulfportMap @ 1938

from Gulfport! Magazine

GULFPORT HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTO G!

COVER STORY: THEN & NOW


Gulfport Historical Society @ 2010 Elizabeth Brown-Worthington, left, and Lynne Brown.



The storiesWhen it comes down to it, it’s the local people that de!ne a community. So here, we introduce and intertwine three of Gulfport’s legendary residents. First, we chat with Gulfport historian Lynne Brown, author of Gulfport: A De!nitive History and other books. Brown then writes about Elizabeth Brown-Worthington, 12, who recently portrayed her own great-great-great aunt in Gulfport: "e Musical, which takes audiences on a journey through time. And Elizabeth closes the circle with an interview with her uncle, Bob Worthington, lifelong resident of Gulfport and former city councilman.

Lynne Brown An interview by ROB FOWLER, G! Magazine co-editorI decided to check out the Historical Society to see what kind of cool stu# we could !nd for this special 100th birthday issue. On my !rst visit, I sat down with Lynne Brown and was immediately fascinated by the immense work she has been doing over the last several years. I knew we had to spotlight not only the history of Gulfport, but also of this amazing woman, the “Keeper of the Archives.” Brown has meticulously organized thousands of Gulfport documents, articles, and photographs. We are very fortunate to have someone with her passion and skills to do this for all of us. Following are excerpts from our discussions.

If I went back in time and walked into Gulfport right a#er the signing of the papers to become a city, what would stand out in my mind?Mud%ats! (laughs) Gulfport started out as a !shing village. You can’t really farm here.

Everybody had chickens, maybe a pig or a cow. ... "ey couldn’t make any money o# the !sh because there was nobody to sell it to. "ere was no transportation. When the trolley came in, it was a good thing because then they could get the !sh to St. Pete. "en it became a little more of a livelihood. Gulfport did try canning at one point; in the 1880s they tried a mullet canning project. It didn’t work.

What was the population in 1910?About 38 men, they didn’t count women at the time. "ey had 38 households, so you !gure maybe a wife and two kids in each household, so maybe 100 people. Here look, (pointing to papers) 300, 500, 600 to 800, 1,400, then look what happens in 1950, post war. Wham! It doubled. "at’s when all the houses were built north of Gulfport Boulevard. Practically every house up there.

Why did everybody come here in that post-war time?It was because they were building houses and these were guys coming out of the service. A lot of people had been stationed here in the Tampa Bay area and came to like the area. You had companies like Florida Builders. What they’d do is make a whole wall in their factory in downtown St. Pete. "ey’d put in the windows frames and everything, then truck it to the site and put it up. "ey could build a house pretty darn fast. "ose houses became cheap, good houses. Street a$er street a$er street north of 22nd Avenue you just see one house a$er another like that. It just !lled right up, didn’t leave many spaces there. And they all sold.

What is the oldest house in Gulfport?"e one down on 52nd (Street) and 31st (Avenue), a gray house on the water side (More on the house, page 32). "e

PHOTO CREDIT: LISA BARRY

front part of the house is pretty much original to 1876. It’s the only one anywhere close to that old.

It survived the 1921 hurricane! Yea! I think everything survived the hurricane except the boats and the casino. "at house may have been in a di#erent location, but it is truly the oldest building in Gulfport. Next to that, there are some up on Tangerine that are very old. Next would be the ones on Beach. You can tell the trolley came down in ’05, around there. And that’s when all those houses were built. "ere wasn’t anything there before that. "ere were really no roads. "e only other way to get anything in was by boat.

Is there one person you would say has been the most important person for Gulfport?

Cli# Hadley, the mayor. He was mayor twice, in the ’30s and during the war time. He came back to save the town. I have immense regard for him. He was like a Roosevelt !gure, he even looked a little like Roosevelt and had a bad leg, too. Cli# Hadley just sort of took charge of everything during the war time. He was an ultimate administrator. "ings could have really gone south here without him.

Was this the most critical time for Gulfport?"e storm of ’21 was the most critical time because the !shermen lost their livelihood. "at’s when they all turned to making moonshine. "ank God it was Prohibition because that gave them another occupation. You know, there’s been so many critical times for Gulfport. "is town has verged on disaster.

Look at the Depression era. Nobody had anything, literally. If it had not been for the !sh and everybody had a little vegetable garden. Most men went !shing or shelling and sold door to door. What else could they do?

What about boom times?"at was before the Depression. "at’s when the city got themselves into a lot of trouble. "e property values went up so high. "at’s when we added the whole northwest, the area around Stetson was built up. "e income for the town was sky high! "ey had all these new Spanish homes, the hotel, a golf course. "e city was rolling in dough. "ey decided to pave the whole town, in brick of course. "ey bought the !re engine, they put in a sewer system. "ey got themselves so far in debt. "en a couple years later, even though the tax

books stayed big, most of the people’s entries say “Didn’t pay, didn’t pay.” Most people didn’t pay their taxes until the ’40s out of the ’20s. "e collection rate was 30 percent or so. "e town went into bankruptcy. "at was a disaster in major proportions. "e !re engine, I think they !nally paid it o# in 1960. It took like 40 years to pay o#. Just think, it cost $12,000 and they put $500 down. If another year has passed they wouldn’t have been able to do that. "ey would not have had the !re engine that saved the town many times.And the paving assessments, everybody in town had to pay for the part of the road in front of their house. "e city had contracted for so many miles, eight or 12, something like that of paving. It was all done and all owing when the Depression hit. It took a long time to get out of that. Walter Fuller and Dixie



Holland, both familiar names, presented plans all through the ’30s, whereby the town would pay o# their debts at a very small rate. I o$en wondered because the casino was bought from a private person in the ’20s. I knew that within the next !ve or six years those people were dead poor. I mean literally taking charity. I thought, I know they got a lot of money, they had the casino, the water lot to the east, and to the west, and the pier. When they sold it to the town the got like $25,000 for it. I couldn’t understand why those people were impoverished. "en I realized, the town never paid them. Like everybody else, they probably got like 3 cents on a dollar.

Who is your favorite historic Gulfport person? Mrs. Julia S. Lucky! She was a tremendous do-gooder. She was the biggest busybody there ever was in town. She didn’t have young kids, her daughter was already grown when Mrs. Lucky moved here and she decided to tell everybody how to run the town, the schools, how to run the elections. She did everything. She started a cra$ club for women teaching them to make things out of pine needles so they could support themselves. We’re talking 1910, in the area. She started a lending library using her own books. She must have been the biggest pain in the behind because she told everyone what to do. She’d write letters to the newspaper, and was very literate. She was very informed, and very much on the mark. I would love to see a picture of her, but never found one. I have a photo of the Women’s Town Beauti!cation Society and I’m sure she is in it. Her husband (Major Cornelius E. Lucky, who died in 1922) was a judge in Tennessee or

something. She came from a lot of money. She was the only person in town who had servants and lived down on the waterfront around 51st. Her house burned down three times. Every time she collected more insurance. First time it burned she got $10,000, which was unfathomable in Gulfport at that time. Books, clothing, jewelry, she collected on. "en she moved and her house burned down again. And !nally on the third time she claimed cars, and all kinds of stu#. She started this big argument about the principals. "e Principal Phillips War actually ended up with the city clerk and principal shooting it out. Such wonderful doings in Gulfport back then! You couldn’t do anything in Gulfport without gathering a crowd.

When did you get involved with the Historical Society?It actually began with the Gulfport Historical Preservation committee. In the ’90s the city decided they should have a

preservation committee as most cities do. And they put out the word for people to join. At that point I had a shop down here. "at was ’94. A committee of !ve people was formed up. Catherine Hickman was on it and that was the one time I met her. She died that year. "ey let me be chairman. "at’s how I got to know Mary Atkinson, Catherine Hickman’s sister, as she joined the committee when Catherine died. Around 1997 or so, the Historical Society board was not functioning terribly well, so Judy Ryerson, who was president of the Historical Society, and has been for the last 400 years (laughing), asked me to join the Historical Society board. I asked her what that would involve and what would I need to do, and she said, “Nothing.” (more laughter.) So I joined the Gulfport Historical Society board.

How long has the Historical Society been around?It was formed up around 1981 and has been in this building

since ’84. Catherine Hickman started it, as she started so many things in this town. "ey met down in her o&ce, which is where "e Dive Bar and Grill is today. She had her real estate o&ce there for years and years. "ey met down there and put together the plans to write the book, the famous Story of Gulfport book. And get this building. At that point the building was used by various city organizations. When the building was !rst moved here, it was the !rst Scout Hall. "en the boys got to use the one next door and this was taken on by GEM, the Gulfport mini-bus deal, the Red Cross, air patrol, and any number of city organizations. At this point "e Rec Center had been built, the new library was built, so some of the city organizations found they could move to a better functioning place. So the Historical Society petitioned the city for use of the building and it was granted. It’s been here ever since ’84.

Women’s Town Beautification Society @ 1916 Anyone know which one is Mrs. Lucky? Go to GulfportMagazine.com to vote.




Was there a museum in Gulfport prior to that?No. Luckily that was right at the end of the lifespan of the early families. "ere were still people around who really remembered pretty far back, and also had things to donate. So they set about taking as many oral histories as they could.

How did you get involved in your work researching and archiving everything in the museum?I had just done the rack over there (points to photo display in the museum), which had taken months. When Arcadia called, I guess they were calling all historical museums across America, and asked if we’d like to do a picture book. I had it all ready to go, but I didn’t “know” anything, other than the basic stu#. I had to rely on what people had told me. "ere are a lot of mistakes in that book for that reason (Images of America: Gulfport by Lynne S. Brown). Realizing that, I decided to !nd out the real answers and embarked upon the 10-year journey.

Must have been fascinating.It was. "ere were so many mysteries, and when I’d !nd

a solution to one it was like a lightbulb going o#. "ere’s a few le$, but I solved most of the things that bothered me. Most of the families here in Gulfport have done terri!c jobs on their own genealogies."e early people in Gulfport all had three names, and most went by their middle name. Many had !rst names like William, and that made it hard to !gure out. But I think I have got most of them straightened out. Ten years of research, several of those years were spent reading micro!lm. I read every page of the St. Petersburg Times, from 1892 when it began. I switched to the (now-defunct) Independent at some point since it had more local news. I have every single election here with all the council members, the losing members, the city clerk, assessors, and so forth. "e only

place you could !nd that was in the newspaper reports of the elections. "is is my treasure, it took me forever. We can see when the !rst woman ran. She didn’t get elected, but did get elected later. Mabel Beamer ran in ’39 and won in 1940. War time had changed things with all the young men away. In 1941 Mabel announced she could not do it anymore. I don’t know what happened, but Mabel quit.

What’s missing from the Gulfport archives?Photos. People have been real kind, especially now that we can scan a photo. We can appreciate someone not wanting to give up an old photo, but now they can bring it in and we scan it and I have it.

What would you like to see happen with the Historical Society?I think what I would like to see happen won’t ever happen. In the early days the membership was old families, you know. "ey had been here a long time or their families had been here a long time, so they took an interest in the history of Gulfport. But those people are gone. So I guess what I see is this being an information center.

If someone needs to research something, their genealogy, their house, they can do it. "at’s one thing I have seen happening over the last 10 or 15 years. People are starting to appreciate the past more. We have so much more history than other towns around here because we were so isolated, I think. Gulfport has developed its own kind of identity. Gulfport has always had its own sense of self.

What about the next 100 years for Gulfport?Hopefully we can keep what we have now. Hopefully we will continue to have people who care.

How would you say “Happy Birthday” to Gulfport?All my treasures to Gulfport! Everything I’ve done is a present to Gulfport. I believe in giving back, like a lot of people do here.

Gulfport! Magazine would like to put out a call for new members for the Historical Society. Brown’s greatest concern is that nobody will be in place to pick up the ball once the current members are gone. Please get involved and help keep the archives going for the next 100 years — and beyond! For more information, visit GulfportHistoricalSociety.org



“Every small town needs at least one little ol’ lady who knows a secret about everyone.” Lynne Brown, writer-historian

Second Casino & Party Boat



By LYNNE BROWNG! ContributorSettlement

One of the highlights of the musical that kicked o# Gulf-port’s Centennial Year was the performance of Elizabeth Brown-Worthington, 12, as her own great-great-great aunt. On a recent rainy a$ernoon, I talked with her about what Sa-rah Melissa Slaughter’s life must have been like, arriving here in this isolated land with only her family. No friends, no books or toys, not even the most basic comforts, and a daylong stream of chores that would only grow more burdensome as Sarah’s older siblings le$, the girl to marry and the boy to homestead further east, while more babies arrived to claim her mother’s at-tention.

“I would have done what I could to help,” said Elizabeth. With her stepdad impaired by his war injuries and !shing daily for their basic survival, much of the heavy work would have fall-en to the children. "ey would have had to carry logs to build a cabin, tend the chickens, plant vegetables, gather moss and mud and palmetto branches to chink the gaps in their shelter. Hard-est of all, perhaps, would have been the daily trek for fresh wa-ter, north through the woods to the streams than run into Clam Bayou.

When I asked Elizabeth what she could have done to !nd any joy or pleasure in a life of such hardships, she said, “I could sing. Singing always makes things easier. And I like to be alone and quiet and have time to talk to God.” Still, when the family made the rare trek to the tiny

settlement on the shores of south St. Petersburg, she said she would have been “so excited. People! People to celebrate holidays with and picnic and play music! It would have been something to look forward to for months and remember for a long time.”Incorporation

Forty years later, when the town had grown enough to con-sider incorporation, life here would have changed drastically from the days of !rst settlement. “We had a casino. And a trol-ley,” Elizabeth said, smiling at the memory of scenes from the musical. “And a school. Other kids to play with. "ere still would have been chores, plenty of them, but not like before”

Elizabeth’s family has always been part of the town, from that day to this. Her great-great grandfather, Henry Slaughter, was a member of the !rst coun-cil elected that night in October 1910 when Gulfport came into existence. And her uncle, Bob Worthington, Henry’s great-grandson, just !nished a stint on the very same council, ex-actly 100 years later. In between countless descendants of the !rst family have served in many capacities, as elected o&cials, in the police and !re departments, and as volunteers of every kind.

“How does that make you feel,

to be so much a part of a place?” I asked her. “I feel supported and supportive,” she answered. “So supported by everyone who knows me and my family, and supportive because I want to do everything I can for them and for the town.”

“And you never want to leave?” I asked.

“No, never.”The Twenties

"at brought me to another question I wanted to discuss with her, but !rst I thought it would be fun to talk for a mo-ment about the Roaring 20s, the days when the elegant Rolyat Hotel (now Stetson College of Law) was the site of wonder-ful, extravagant entertainment attended by sports heroes and movie stars.

“We kids would have loved to see that,” she said. “To look at the dresses and try to copy them. "ey must have been so beautiful. I love sparkly stu#!”

And the stars? “Wow! It would have been like seeing the Jonas Brothers walk down Beach Boul-evard!”World War II

Our discussion got back to a more serious note, the time of the Second World War, when all the town’s boys were dra$ed and went away to serve. Many of the young women went, too, and I wondered what Elizabeth

would have done in the days of her grandmother, Iona Roberts.

She thought about it for a long time, and we talked about the options that would have been available to her. She didn’t think she could actually be a sol-dier, and I explained to her that women didn’t see battle in those days, but provided support to the front lines in many ways, from nursing to administrative work to driving and %ying. “I could do that, but ... there must have been things that needed doing here, too.”

Indeed there were, I told her, citing the example of one of her cousins who stepped into her brother’s job in a grocery store, and other girls who found war work, taking up the slack of the men who had le$. “"at would be great,” she said. “If there were factories near here, I could help make things. Like uniforms, I’d be really good at that! And I’d still be here — I wouldn’t need to desert the town and whatever it might need.”

The present & futureElizabeth recently received the

Spirit of Gulfport Award, an hon-or given to those who have dem-onstrated exceptional service to the city, in part for contributing several wagons full of food to the Senior Center pantry, which she collected instead of presents at her 12th birthday party. "e award, a rare tribute, was even more special for being bestowed on a youngster. In making the presentation, Mayor Mike Yakes happily predicted that her hopes for Gulfport’s future will include her someday serving in his job. We hope so, too.

Lynne Brown is a Gulfport writer and historian.


The lives of a little Gulfport girlGULFPORT:

THE MUSICAL


COVER STORY: THEN & NOWJan of 1,000 Jobs

We all know her as Jan the Booklady, but it turns out she hasn’t always been that way. Jan Dutton, owner of Small Adventures Bookshop on Beach Boulevard, tells us of her “illustrious, industrious, but fragmented low-salary career choices since high school.” She has had so many jobs, in fact, that her husband, Bruce, used to call her Jan of a "ousand Jobs. “Fortunately, his teaching profession kept us a%oat while I dithered along !nding a career path and giving birth three times,” Dutton says. “Finally, at age 60, we stumbled upon "e Cottage while browsing Gulfport and opened Small Adventures Bookshop two years later. I had !nally found my true calling.”

The Evolution of Gulfport’s Booklady1. Babysitting in 1948: 25 cents/hour2. Library “Page:” 10 cents/hour; raised to 25 cents a$er 100 hours. 3. W.T. Grant store: 85 cents/hour. “Stationed in lingerie department and was !red for wearing a triple-D bra on my head like a beanie.” 4. Graduation in 1952; minimum-wage job in big-city Macy’s toy department at Christmas. Away from home, cried and hugged teddy bears. Got married. 5. Telephone operator at Sears Outlet in Newton, N.J. Dropped receiver, lost callers. Barefoot, pregnant, stuck in the mountains. 6. Got married again, gave birth, moved to Florida, joined the PTA Orange Pickers Gadget Band. Stunning talent on a Kazoo trombone fashioned of gold-sprayed toilet plunger and curtain rods. Also percussionist with pot lids strapped between legs as headliner “Knee Soloist.” Big hit in trailer parks and nursing homes playing When "e Saints Go Marching In. 7. Front counter “nice lady” for bickering, knife-throwing owners in upscale %orist shop. Ducked, answered phones, stripped thorns from roses during 80-hour weeks at Christmas and Mother’s Day. 8. Sat in hours- long gas pump $ll- up lines for teacher’s cars (5 gal-lons each maximum) during nationwide fuel shortage emergency. 9. Freelance writer for small-town weekly. Covered dog birthday parties and liquor store grand-openings. Never made deadline*.10. Test checker for elementary school system in American Samoa. Students spoke Samoan. 11. Bruce gets Master’s, Jan graduates from SPJC and sells hospital scrubs by mail order.12. Private investigator intern. Delivered subpoenas, followed people. 13. Fire Department P.I.O. assistant. Taught Stop, Drop and Roll. 14. Photographer for school picture day. All county schools on dou-ble session. Toted big box camera. Worked 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Combed heads and photographed 800 students daily. Easy day, 400 kids. 15. Secret shopper for major fast food restaurants. Tested hamburger, fries, shake and checked restroom at 40 stops. Got fat. 16. Courier for blood bank. Drove 150 miles daily circling St Pete to Clearwater in truck with wobbly wheels. 17. Volunteer docent, Heritage Park. Sweated in charming 1890s costume. 18. Delivered advertising %iers door-to-door. Daily 7-mile trot on blisters. 19. Test shopper for major consumer advice publication. 20. At last! Small Adventures Bookshop grand opening in 1993! Best job ever with interesting customers. Get to sit inside in air condi-tioning, hold cat “Emily Dickinson” and READ!

* Editor’s note: She DID make deadline for Gulfport! Magazine. But it was close!

Boca Ciega BoysBy ELIZABETH BROWN&WORTHINGTONG! contributor

M y dad, Lou Worthington, and his brother, my Uncle Bobby Worthington are chock-full of

stories about their childhood here in Gulfport. Some of their memories are hard for a modern-day girl like me to envision.

"e family homesteaded on 23rd Avenue just west of 58th street. Daddy said he and Bobby o$en walked to the end of 58th street and could easily get enough scallops to feed the family. He remembers seeing net spreads in the yards of the houses from the pier all the way down to the marina. "e local !shermen would spread their nets out over two poles so the nets would dry. "e marina was always busy with mullet boats and mullet !shermen. "e back bayou was stu#ed with oyster beds, clams, crabs and all kinds of di#erent !sh.

Daddy reminisces about how they would “push-net” for shrimp to sell to Mr. Ellsworth, who had a !sh market on the pier. He and Uncle Bobby also used to work for "e Aqua Maniacs helping out with their ski shows. "ey would hire them to stand in the water and throw water on the ski jumps. Sometimes they would help their neighbor, Pop, clean out the Casino a$er Bingo night. "ey o$en used their earnings to go to downtown St. Petersburg to see a movie.

Daddy remembers picking huckleberries and other wild berries so their mom could make jelly. Daddy said sometimes they would raise chickens and rabbits for dinner. But mostly if it wasn’t for mullet, grits, and pork and beans they would go hungry.

I think the coolest thing was that they got to go to school barefoot, something I totally wish I could do.

My Uncle Bobby recalls spending hours a day along the waterfront. A lot of times they would throw fruit and dry clothes in a wash tub and %oat the tub next to them as they waded over to Mullet Key, which is now what we call Fort DeSoto. "ere were a couple of boat channels that they would swim across, but most of the way they could wade. Sometimes they stopped for fresh water at Pine Island, where Great Uncle Red Roberts and his family had a homestead for many years. Once they got to Mullet Key they would leave their washtub on the dock. "e washtub was a sign to let Capt. George Landers know the Worthington boys were on the island. Capt. Landers ran the excursion boat, "e Manatee, several times a day between Gulfport and Mullet Key. Capt. Landers was a Gulfport volunteer !re!ghter with



By MIKE BAGGS G! contributor

Living in Gulfport as a young teenager was quite the adventure. We didn’t watch much TV so we spent a lot of time outdoors on our bikes. We rode everywhere, but most of the time we went from Gulfport Beach to Osgood Point at the mouth of Clam Bayou and all parts in between. We were too cool to walk and too young to drive! "e year before high school was one of my favorites.

In the summer we spent a lot of time building skim boards out of square pieces of plywood. "at didn’t work too well, but as we gained the scrapes, bruises and knowledge about hydroplaning on the water, we per-fected them by changing the shapes, sanding down the edges and coat-ing them with !berglass resin. "ey looked pretty cool and they matched the sophistication of our cut-o# jeans!

Today when I see the kayaks, paddle boards and smaller sailboats out there it takes me back to a very wonderful part of my life.

During the fall and winter my brother Brian and I would go cast netting for !sh on the pier and around the grass %ats to the east. Mostly we caught mullet, but on rare occasions we came up with other goodies. "e pier in those days was little di#erent. I don’t remember when it went to all concrete but it used have wooden landings for boats to pull up to. One day, while showing the tourists our net casting prowess we decided to cast underneath the pier. At !rst we thought we had hit the mother lode of all mullet as we were unable to pull the net up by ourselves. A couple of our winter visitors helped and we got the net, now slightly torn up, to the dock. Much to our surprise we had landed a 10-foot piling in our little 8-foot cotton net! Everyone snickered and laughed as they walked away. It wasn’t until we looked a little closer at our “catch” that we realized the bonanza that we had cast upon! "e

piling was loaded with hooks, sinkers and leaders. Brian and I took every-thing that we could o# of the piling and repositioned it back to the depths from which it came. We immediately set up our new “traveling tackle shop” and sold the inventory at ridiculously low prices to anyone who would purchase them. We were able to buy quite a bit of candy and soda with that !ne “catch”!

In the spring we didn’t spend as much time on the beach, but that year we embarked on a new endeavor. Being adolescents we were becoming quite aware of the female anatomy. We didn’t know much, but one of my friends came up with a “foolproof” way to see some untanned skin. In those days there were always quite a few ladies behind the casino sunning themselves. Not wanting to have tan lines on their shoulders they would release the straps and hold the suits up with their arms crossed. It was all very innocent. "at worked well until we worked up enough nerve to ask, “Excuse me ma’am, Do you know what time it is?”

"e idea was to have them lower their arms to check their watches. At that moment, we prayed they would forget their straps were not attached and we would see the “Holy Grail” of our dreams! Technique was everything because if their watch was on the outer crossed arm they simply turned their wrist over and gave us the time. We politely thanked them and moved on. However ... if they had their watch on their inside arm and they were engaged in conversation with someone else. ...

Mike Baggs is owner of Sail Away Realty on Beach Blvd.

Worthington Family @ 1950ish Standing is the writer’s dad, Lou Worthington, with his siblings: Jenny, le#, Jimmy, center, Nancy, right; and the little guy: Bob (as in former Councilman Bob Worthington).

Nets, boards and unseen treasures

my Grandpa, Harley Worthington. Before "e Manatee would head back to Gulfport for the last time, Capt. Landers would blow the whistle so the boys could come get a ride back home.

Uncle Bobby says Mullet Key was much di#erent than the Fort DeSoto we know today. "e forts were covered with vines, old cannon balls and military stu# lay everywhere. "ere was even a small hotel with a restaurant and a narrow gauge train to ride.

Listening to their memories, I realize just how much Gulfport has changed and how much simpler life must have been back then. Has it changed for the better? "at is something you can decide for yourself.Elizabeth Brown-Worthington, 12, lives in Gulfport.

Mike Baggs at 17, le#, and 54.

HISTORIC BUILDINGS


BUILDING A COMMUNITY

PHOTO, VELVA LEE HERATY

Writer/photographer Cindy Linville shows us some of the structures that have weathered the storms and helped de!ne Gulfport.

1912The Cusson Family Grocery Store2938 Beach Blvd.This building was built on swamp-land bought from the government. It was built for the Cusson family, which intended the bottom floor to be a grocery store with living space on the second floor. In 1929 the store was converted into Florida Playthings Inc., a toy company. It was remodeled into apartments in 1938, and it now housesrental units.

The information for this article was mainly compiled from newspaper articles, Lynne Brown’s book Gulfport: A Definitive History, and interviews with Brown and other residents.

PHOTO, HISTORICAL SOCIETY

1912The Methodist Church (now the Historical museum)5301 28 Ave. S.In 1910 Anna and Jacob Zodges bought two lots (at 2728 53 Street S.) to build Gulfport’s first place of worship. Construction was fin-ished in 1912, and the building stood at that location for several decades. When the new church was built in 1956, the old church was moved across the street to its current loca-tion. Over the next few decades the old church would serve as a meeting place for various groups. At one point, Red Cross volunteers using the old church made up to 10,000 sewn items a year for hospitals including Bay Pines Veterans Hospital. Gulfport’s Historical Society moved into the space in the 1980s, and it now houses the Gulfport Historical Museum. (GulfportHistoricalSociety.org)

HISTORIC BUILDINGS


1914The Bay View Hotel | The Peninsula2937 Beach Blvd.The Bay View Hotel was built by Malcolm McRoberts using mainly red pine, a tree that used to grow locally. It was sold in the 1940s and went through many changes and many names. In 1950 it became The Cedars Hospital, and that facility stayed open until 1964. After that, The Cedars was converted into a nursing home and then a retirement home. When the retirement home closed, it was abandoned for several decades. At some point it was named The Patron’s Inn, and that was the name it was known by when the Gulfport City Council approved it as a local historic monument. It was the third building to have such a distinction. Numerous plans for reopening fell through before Alexandra and Jim Kingzett purchased the building and supervised a $600,000 project to restore the building to its original condition. The Peninsula opened in 2002, and has 11 guest rooms, a spa and other amenities.

1876The oldest home3102 52nd Street S.The oldest home in Gulfport was built for lawyer Joseph R. Torres from Mexico in 1876. Torres not only lived in the house, he also ran a general merchandise store and one of Gulfport’s first post offices there. According to a 1999 article in the St. Petersburg Times, the home was registered as a state historic site in 1992 and is now occupied by a Gulfport family.

HISTORIC BUILDINGS


1926Gulfport Elementary 2014 52nd St. S.Most of the school was built by Eric Clausen in 1926, adding to a 1916 building. Construction cost $95,000 and the building had 16 classrooms and an auditorium. The building served as the school in Gulfport until 2004, when the new school opened. The only thing remaining from the original school is an arch outside the building.

1937R.W. Caldwell Real Estate 5201 Gulfport Blvd.R.W. Caldwell built his original office in 1937 on Shore Blvd., where it remained until 1953 when the business was moved to its current location. The agency is Gulfport’s oldest business, and the oldest independent real estate company operated by a single family in the St. Petersburg area.

1925Roebuck House 5233 Delett Ave.Alvah Roebuck, of Sears, Roebuck and Co., moved to Gulfport in 1924 and built a home on the corner of Delett Avenue. The road was so named because his wife’s maiden name was Lett. Roebuck also built a series of the Sears “kit homes” on a tract of land he purchased around Delett Avenue, and this became known as Roebuck Park. After the stock market crash of 1929, Roebuck went back to Chicago.

1922Boca Ciega Inn (Veteran’s Park) 54th Street & Shore Blvd. S.Hotel Dobler was built in 1922 by John Dobler. The hotel was a two-story building that had 42 rooms. The owner and man-ager of the property, John Dobler, wasn’t the best at promoting the hotel, and for the first 10 years it was mostly unoccupied. Mr. and Mrs. Camp purchased the hotel around 1932, and they renamed it the Boca Ciega Inn. They paid $32,500 plus $2,500 for all of the furnishings. The Inn flourished. The Camps made it a point to provide entertainment and serve three meals a day. Mrs. Camp planned all the meals using locally produced food, and at times there would be as many as 200 people for Sunday dinner. Despite the hotel’s success, it closed in 1968. The building was demolished in 1974 for a planned apartment complex that never material-ized. The space is now home to Veteran’s Memorial Park.

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS


7 p.m. Oct. 12, Gulfport Casino, 5500 Shore Blvd. S.: Reenactment of the 1910 incorporation of Gulfport, performed by Lynne Brown (Gulfport author and historian), Bob Worthington (former vice mayor and councilman) and others.

All day long, Oct. 16, along Beach Boulevard, unless otherwise noted:• Arts and craft vendors• Auto show, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.• Entertainment, Noon–8 p.m.• Water ski exhibition, 1 p.m.• Centennial Taste of Gulfport (A taste of Gulfport’s fabulous restaurants), 4 p.m.• Lions Club Shrimp Boil — Casino Deck, 4 p.m.• Centennial Art Show — Casino Ballroom Saturday, 1 p.m.–9 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.• Fireworks at dusk

For info on other events, see pages 8-9

There’s a lot going on to celebrate our city’s 100th! For more info, call the city at 727.893.1118.

11 a.m. Oct. 9, Veteran’s Park, Shore Blvd. S. & 54th St. S.: Human Sundial unveiling by Gulfport Historical Society. 4-9 p.m. Oct. 9, Gulfport Historical Museum, 5301 28th Ave. S.: Centennial Gulfport Historical Society Birthday Bash. Fish Fry, kids’ activities, cake, trolley tours, entertainment. Call 327.0505 or 893.1118.

What would make Gulfport a better place?Ronald Schaaf: A Mexican restaurant and an ice cream shop that’s open past 2 p.m.Julie McNeil: A cupcake shop. And a late-night service that delivers ice cream and popcorn!Claudia Moon Zikuda: A small wine cafe, a true Greek restaurant, a Bohemian res-taurant, & wait: I’ll be a resident there very soon, the best is yet to arrive in GP, ha!Daniel Hodge: More working artists and art galleries and studios. And sushi.Denise Lowe: If the city would take more recyclable items like glass.Michael V Fedele: Some streets need to be wider, example 52nd St. S. ... better/cleaner coin laundry (I miss the old one on Beach Blvd) ... another animal clinic/hospital(s).Bonnie Bray: Restructure parking on Beach. You almost have to crawl to middle of street to see if a car is coming ... more public trash cans.Kevin Moore: More cooperation/coordination with the St Petersburg police on So49.

FROM OUR FACEBOOK FRIENDS


Jamey Frisen writes: On Facebook you asked for a poem, so I wrote one. A little silly. Hope you like it.

Gulfport you are our home "ere is a place in Tampa Bay "at everyone can have their way "e dogs small to large can play And the Kids can run astrayOn sunshine or rainy days "e streets are !lled with music and art Lots of people with very large hearts "ey come here to play And then come back to stay because they truly love our ways"ere is our swings and !shing pier Places where you can get a beer And then walk home without any fear Food that melts in your mouth None better in the south "e houses are painted

red, yellow and blue A brighter place for me and you

Geckofest, art walks and gnomes

A place where you’re never alone Gulfport, Florida, you are our home

Overlooking Boca Ciega Bay

We LOVE our Facebook friends! Please join us at Facebook.com/GulfportMagazine

Photo by Hilary Oliveira Hilary Oliveira Innovations, www.HilaryOliveira.com

MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS


Joy and Jim HeadySouth Pasadena residentsWhat brought you here?A work transfer from PA.Do you know anything about the history of Gulfport?Some old guy did a lot of fishing!Where would you go to get information on the history of Gulf-port?The city web site.What do you like best about the Fresh Market?Watermelon

Fred Hofer and Helen MowryHofer lives in St. Pete BeachMowry lives in Tierra VerdeWhat brought you here?We had a time-share and vaca-tioned here for many years in the St. Pete area. We bought in 1984.Do you know anything about the history of Gulfport?NoWhere would you go to get information on the history of Gulfport?The museum or visitor’s center if there is one. If not the Chamber.What do you like best about the Fresh Market?We usually go the market in Tierra Verde. We had dinner at Isabella’s and someone told us about this one. After we eat the produce, we’ll tell you!We like that it’s dog-friendly and come to get dog snacks for a friend.

Jack and Jean GneagyVisiting from South CarolinaWhat brought you here?Mom lives here. She’s in her 90s.Do you know anything about the his-tory of Gulfport?NoWhere would you go to get information on the history of Gulfport?The internet.What do you like best about the Fresh Market?Everything is fresh; people are friendly and nice and the atmosphere.

Edward and Linda DeZwaanGulfport residents since 1986What brought you here?Parents lived in Madeira Beach in the 70s. When Ed’s job was eliminated in Michigan because he was over 40 and over-qualified, we moved here. We have a granddaughter and great-granddaughter in Largo.Do you know anything about the history of Gulfport?It was a lumber and farming (of some sort) town.Stetson used to be a hotel.Where would you go to get information on the history of Gulfport?We’ve been to the Historical Museum several times and we walk around a lot. We really like the Hickman Theater.What do you like best about the Fresh Market?It’s FRESH!

Interviews & photos by Sandy Hanna-Duffy

MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS


G! contributor profile Velva Lee HeratyVelva Lee Heraty’s mission is help people grow and thrive by helping them better understand their dreams. Velva spent nine years at the C.G. Jung Institute in Evan-ston, Ill., where she studied the application of Jung’s dream theory to personal growth. Her profession as a dream interpreter launched when she volunteered for the National Nightmare Hotline created a$er Sept. 11. Every Sunday night for a year she responded to crisis calls from all over the country. Since then, Heraty has trained clinicians as far away as Norway and Iceland in dream facilitation. Heraty recently !nished her book, "e Dream belongs to the Dreamer, and is planning a dream group. She lives in St. Petersburg.

About the photo of the purple door"e “Purple Door”(please see page 31) was taken October 2009 during a photo jaunt to Gulfport with her friend and fellow photographer, Gary Gresham. “We chose that destination a$er hearing how lively and colorful the neighborhood decorations were,” she writes. “It was a beautiful day and we not only enjoyed our photo jaunt, but lunch a$erwards on an outside patio once we !lled our %ash cards.”

What do you love about Gulfport?Margarete Tober: Friendly people, no one’s a stranger .... sitting at Stella’s having a great omelette and meeting another longtime Gulfportian whom I’d not met before. Seems you can always make a new acquaintance in G’port.Shannon Terry: The best collection of amazing LOCAL restaurants on one small, seaside street around :)Faun Weaver: Just sit at Domain and watch the impromptu parade while looking at the bay. Doris B. Sartain: Some merchants greet me with hugs after a first meeting!

How wonderful is that?Daniel Hodge: I love strolling Beach Blvd. and running into so many friends. Guaranteed hugs!Kevin Moore: No matter where you go downtown, someone has a doggie dish out with fresh water for our 4-legged friends.Ginger Zewadski: Love how quaint it is and can’t forget my favorite restaurant, PEG’S!!Jon K. Ziegler: Art Walks, Geckofest, great restaurants, water close by, quirkiness, and a great sense of community in ALL walks of life.

Caroline Bystrzycki: The small-town feeling surrounded by a big town. They take care of each other in Gulfport.Jody Zelman Robinson: I just got back from floating on my raft. Our

beach is so relaxing, close and no traffic! ... Love

all the FESTS! Love the friendliness!Jamey Frisen: I love that everyone is accepted for who they are. It is like a small town and I feel safe here. Will be here for life.Jackie Derry Oakleaf: Everything! My favorite vacation spot. We will arrive in 4 hours!!!!Tiffany Anderson-Taylor: I call Gulfport “Hello, How Are You?” town. Walk down Shore or Beach Blvd. on a Saturday morning (any morning really) and you will be hello, how are you’d half to death :)Kelly Garber: The Casino ... that isn’t a casino.

Finish this sentence: “What I love about Gulfport during rainy days is ...”Jamey Frisen: The puddles to splash in, my God we have the puddles. BIG puddles are the best.Kelly Garber: Watching the fish try to catch the

rain drops.Tiffany Anderson-Taylor: The energy of Gulfportians cheerfully splashing through the rain, happy to be in their beautiful town no matter what the weather.Rachael Schemenauer: I love how you can sit on your front porch and watch the rain fall and watch all the children play in the puddles.Doris B. Sartain: Sitting outdoors at O’Maddy’s enjoying a wind-swept mist.Caroline Bystrzycki: Seeing old friends show up at The Rocks.Cathy Lees: The feel and sounds of the wind. Woooosh! Salty air mixed with the smell of grass clippings.Bob S: It’s all of the lil’ lizards that come running out after a storm.

MEET YOUR FURRY NEIGHBORS


By LYNDA SHEHAN G! contributor

You can extend the life of your pet by as much as six years by simply getting your pet spayed or neutered. "e procedures can also help reduce the chances of health problems that are di&cult and expensive to treat, including testicular, prostate, uterine and ovarian cancer.

Mammary cancers are greatly reduced, especially if the female is spayed before her !rst heat cycle. A female is 90 percent less likely to have mammary cancer if spayed before her !rst heat; that number drops to 20 percent if spayed a$er the !rst heat cycle. "ese statistics should be enough to encourage every pet owner to o#er this low-risk surgery to their pet. But there is more.

An unaltered pet is three times more likely to roam because he or she has a natural instinct to breed.

And when pets leave the safety of their homes, they can be hit by a car or involved in !ghts with other animals.

Our pets are only safe when they are under our control.

One may feel that an altered pet will gain weight or to neuter the male will make him

lazy. A pet becomes fat the same way a human becomes fat: over-eating and not enough exercise.

As for the “lazy” percep-tions: “"e dogs that protect our boarders are neutered. If you want to call them lazy, do it from a few feet back,” the Tampa Tribune wrote a few years ago.

As an animal rescue worker, I can’t ignore the fact that 25 million unwanted animals are euthanized in this country yearly. About 30,000 were euthanized in Tampa last year and 30,000 more in St. Petersburg. "ese are adoptable animals, just unwant-ed in a pet overpopulated crisis. .

Please speak with your vet about spaying and neutering. Many low-cost programs are o#ered in our area. Some organizations will spay/neuter a pit bull for free or very little charge. Most of these organizations have websites such as SPOTUSA.org. Do this for your pet to give it a longer and happier life.

Lynda Shehan is director of Get Rescued Inc. and owner of Auntie Lynda’s Pet Care and Sitting Services. She has been involved in animal rescue for 25 years.

Easy way to give your pets a fighting chance

Happy 100th!Peninsula Inn 2937 Beach Blvd. S. 727.346.9800 innspa.net

Gulfport! Magazine, fall 2010

Documents

Transcript of Gulfport! Magazine, fall 2010