HONNA March 2013 Quarterly Newsletter

Historic Old NOrtheast NeighbOrhOOd News

St. Pete’s Jewel on Tampa Bay

HONNA Neighborhood Meetings are held at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 126 11th Avenue NE

Social: 6:45pm—Program: 7pmMarch 15 -- Neighborhood-wide Yard Sale (see page 15)

March 18 -- All Neighborhood Pot Luck (see below)

Volume 41 Issue 1 / March 2013 / www.honna.org Published Quarterly

continued on page 8

Crime Issues & Tips ....................5 & 22Rock ‘n’ Roll in Old NE .................... 14Rescuing an Old House ...................... 18Talking Tragedy to a Child ................ 16Candlelight Tour Recap ..................... 23Easter Egg Hunt ................................. 29Ode to a Pink Tree.............................. 33

Jay MarshallAssociation President

continued on page 2

and the Company of Neigh-bors and Friends, Both Old and New…and It’s Family-Friendly So Bring the Youngsters

Come to our first Potluck of the year. The date is Monday,

Enjoy This HONNA Favorite Our March Neighborhood

Meeting is a

POT LUCK

Be Careful Out ThereThis is not the article or theme that I intended to write -- I

usually try to find something upbeat or “inspirational.” However, a tragic event happened recently that has trig-

gered much concern and has brought some of us to the tipping point. I never met Gloria Mastell or Roger Wurr, at least knowingly.

But I sense that my wife Barbara and I must have passed them on the walkway somewhere along the waterfront. This couple was one of hundreds that take in the beauty of our neighborhood every day, greeting passers-by and relishing the time together. They were like Barbara and me when we walk along this space, discussing what we are doing today, tomorrow and years ahead. Gloria and Roger were just ordinary folks, who just happened to be in the wrong place and at the wrong time. They were struck on Coffee

Meetings, Socials and Community BuildingHeld quarterly neighborhood meetings on

subjects ranging from gardening and lawn care advice to how to throw a block partyHeld eight Porch Party socials on the third

Friday of the month and a July Family Porch Party picnic at the St. Pete Shuffleboard Courts Hosted annual December holiday party for

neighborhood residents at The Old Northeast Tavern and collected Christmas gifts for needy children Hosted three potluck “socials” (as part of

HONNA Activities and Accomplishments During 2012

Pot Boulevard by an alleged drunk driver on January 25. Ms. Mastell was instantly killed and Mr. Wurr was taken to the hospital with life threatening injuries; he died on February 6. Two thoughts immediately come to mind upon learning of this tragic event.

The first is that life is frag-ile. What we take for granted one day can be taken away the next, even by events over which we have no control. This is not stated to cause fear but rather to acknowledge that we need to make the most of our time and talents with our family, friends and neighbors.

The second is that this tragic event is just the latest in a con-tinuing stream of speeding, reckless driving and disregard for the safety of our residents and visitors who live in or visit The Historic Old Northeast neighborhood. Often times our neighborhood is a

Celebrating 100 Years of Community

1911-2011

Porch Party

quarterly meetings) Held a joint meeting with 4th Street Busi-

ness Association and continued dialogue with them about issues and concerns of mutual interest Sponsored two Board members to at-

tend Council of Neighborhood Association’s

continued on page 2

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*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 three weeks prior to the publication month. The next deadline is May 7th. Payment for new ads should be submitted at the same time that the ad layout is 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/Cof-fee Pot Bayou Blvd). There are approximately 2,500 active home mailing addresses.

Contact Sue Strott: www.honna.org/Newsletters/Advertising-Questions.htmlAd space is limited so please make arrangements early.

AD SIZE 1 Qtr 2 Qtrs 3 Qtrs 1 Year Business card 50 93 128 1601/4 page (H 4.9” x w 3.7”) 100 186 256 3201/2 page (H 4.9” x w 7.8”) 200 372 512 640Full page 400 744 1024 1280Back Cover 1/2 page 1400*Inserts and Premium Placement: Rates Upon Request

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Published quarterly – March, June, September and December and mailed to all households in The Old Northeast

P.O. Box 76324, St. Petersburg, FL 33734 e-mail [email protected]

The Newsletter of the Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association

Circulation Joe O’ConnorContributors All our Old Northeast neighborsNewsletter Layout & Design Sharon Bond: [email protected]

ADVERTISING INFORMATION: Sue Strott www.honna.org/Newsletters/Advertising-Questions.html

Editor Rick Carson Columnists and Reporters

Jill McGrath Sue Strott Courtney Ellis

Mike DaileyBarbara MarshallMike Panetta

Susan CoffeyLaura FageMandy MinorSara Wolski

President’s Perspective from page 1

Pot Luck from page 1

convenient pass through for non-residents to get from 4th Street east to the waterfront or to traverse north and south, especially along 1st Street and Bay Street (which are mostly one way) and Beach Drive. Ms. Mastell and Mr. Wurr are victims of a dramatic change in how Bayshore Drive/North Shore Drive/Coffee Pot Boulevard are used. Originally designed to be a “scenic drive” along the waterfront with sweeping curves and narrow lanes, these roadways have now become major arteries for non-residents commuting to and from downtown. Beach Drive is another artery that is heavily used for commuting. And we have significant traffic coming from Snell Isle using portions of Coffee Pot Boulevard to access downtown and 22nd Avenue.

Speeding and reckless driving through our neighborhood is not a new issue. I was reminded that some time ago 8th and 9th Avenues were one direction roadways. They became two way traffic pat-terns, in part, because of speeders – that this would inhibit vehicle speed. Perhaps, that worked for a while. Today, every now and then, I hear my neighbor yell out “slow down” to passing vehicles. Needless to say, speeding goes on throughout the neighborhood.

I guess living in an open community, as beautiful as The Historic Old Northeast is, means there are certain drawbacks. Speeding on our roadways is certainly one of them. And we need to get it under control. We have many families whose small children love

to play on the sidewalks and, unfortunately, go into the street to catch an errant ball or dash across the street to see a friend. We have seniors who need the extra time to cross the street or go out into the street to get into their cars. Some youngsters and seniors are not as watchful as they should be. As a matter of fact, most of are not. We just go out into the street and assume that vehicles will give us the right of way. Not so.

Gloria Mastell and Roger Wurr could not have predicted the tragic event and sought to be somewhere else. The alleged drunk driver should not have been on the road in the first place, but we know drunk driving happens too often. The tranquility of our neighbor has been breached, hence the tipping point.

Representatives from HONNA will be meeting with Joe Ku-bicki, who heads the City’s Transportation and Parking Manage-ment Department, and his staff to consider solutions. Until we get this issue resolved, we all need to vigilant. If you see someone driving erratically, immediately call the St. Petersburg Police De-partment at 727/892-7780. Before going out into the street, look in all directions to make sure you have safe passage. If you are driving through the neighborhood, obey the speed limit. In fact, we are so densely populated with residents and parked cars, go under the speed limit.

We send our thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of Gloria and Roger. [For more about this tragedy go to page 25]

March 18th at our regular gathering place, Westminster Presbyterian Church at 126 11th Avenue NE.

HONNA will provide the main entrée (meat and meatless), bev-erages and you can bring a favorite dish to dazzle our taste buds.

Here’s our request of you. Depending on where you reside, here’s what you can bring:

Between 5th-9th: a salad of some sort (examples: greens, cold pasta or Jell-O)

10th-14th: a dessert 15th-22nd: vegetable dish (hot or cold) 23rd-30th: bread or appetizerMake enough to serve 6-8, depending on what it is you’re bring-

ing (of course, you get to take home any leftovers – unlikely!).If you are kitchen-challenged – or even if you’re not – we en-

courage you to bring a can or package of non-perishable food which we’ll donate to the church’s food pantry to pass along to those in need.

Plan to arrive between 6:45-7pm so we can lay out all the food and begin dining by 7 or so. There will be no formal program – just neighborly conversation at tables over dinner. If you can’t arrive by 7, come when you can as the food should hold out until we start to close down around 8pm.

Not a HONNA member? You’re definitely invited anyway. And if you decide to join, we won’t stop you.

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Association News & Activities

At the January quar-terly neighborhood association meeting, a

representative of the Police Department provided an overview of the past two months of criminal activity in The Old NE. Part of what he shared was there were 14 burglaries, and the residential thefts were mostly of bikes from open sheds or garages. Of the 16 vehicular burglaries, nine were from unlocked cars. There were 42 directed patrols through the neighborhood and 164 traffic stops. The officer announced that the City is instituting a “gun bounty” program by which residents can report illegal or stolen guns and receive a reward for doing so. It is definitely not, however, a gun buy-back program. During a Q&A period questions were asked about more speed limit signs and installing speed bumps on Coffee Pot Boulevard, residential alarm systems and homeowners leaving garage doors open.

Sharon Kantner, the co-chair of the Candle-light Tour of Homes, presented a report on the event [see article on

page 23]. She presented a check in the amount of $5,298 to Patti Hanks, the Executive Director of Clothes to Kids (and an Old NE resident), the designated local charity to receive a contribution from the proceeds of the Tour (see photo and box below left).

The remainder of the meeting was devoted to hearing from resi-dents about neighborhood issues of concern and topics for future quarterly meetings. Subjects mentioned included: Developing a closer relationship with residents of the West-

minster Palms communitiesReaching out to renters and making them feel more a part of

the neighborhoodHearing from architects and/or contractors on home renova-

tion ideas and issues, permits and tax incentivesDisaster preparedness, including for hurricanesCity policies regarding barking dogsDiscussion of Old NE neighborhood amenities: what we have

to offer, what is planned and what might be desirable to haveDevelopment of community gardensService projects to improve the neighborhood, including land-

scaping of monument and medians and offering service projects for high school studentsMembership drive which would include encouraging volun-

teering for specific HONNA programs and eventsEnlisting volunteers to serve as ”block captains” or liaisons

between HONNA and residents

Several 2012 Board members chose not to run for another term at the election held during the November association meeting. HONNA and the neighborhood sincerely thank them for their service:

Chris Avren was the Board Secretary and coordinator of recent neighborhood-wide yard sales

Sarah Bogdanovich worked on membership and improvements in the association’s data base

Paul Boudreaux served as HONNA’s representative to the Council on Neighborhood Associations

Douglas Haan (after 13 years on the Board!) had been Board Treasurer for many years and helped coordinate recent Candlelight Home Tours

Rick Kantner assisted with governance and legal issuesSusan McGarry was instrumental in planning quarterly meet-

ings, programs and other eventsRobin Reed was deeply involved in historical preservation and

neighborhood planning issuesEach of these neighbors contributed considerably toward efforts

to improve the quality of life here in The Old NE, and we hope they will continue to share their talents and time on behalf of the neighborhood. When you see them, please thank them for their service on our behalf.

At the December Board meeting, officers were selected for the new year. Elected were: Jay Marshall (President), Peter Mot-zenbecker (Vice President), Donna Guillaume (Secretary) and Ann Caviness (Treasurer). All had been serving in those positions during 2012 except for Donna, who succeeded Chris Avren who did not run for reelection to the Board.

From Patti Hanks, the Executive Director of Clothes to Kids (and who is also an Old NE resident):

Thank you HON-NA from Clothes to Kids (CTK) for the wonderful gift from the proceeds of the Candlelight Tour. We couldn’t be more grateful! Thanks to Sharon Kantner who chaired the event and everyone that helped out and attended the Tour.

The mission of Clothes to Kids is to provide new and quality used clothing to low-income, school age children in Pinellas County, all free of charge. CTK will provide more than 12,000 wardrobes in 2013. The average cost to distribute a full week’s worth of school clothing to a child in crisis is $50. This means that HONNA will clothe more than 100 children in our com-munity with their generous gift!

If you would like to donate quality used or new clothing for kids in grades K-12, please drop by donations at our CTK St. Petersburg location, 3251 3rd Avenue N, 33713 from 9-5, Monday-Friday. Visit us at www.clothestokids.org

HONNA President Jay Marshall (L) greets Mayor Bill Foster (R) who dropped in to the An-nual Old NE Holiday Party at the Old NE Tavern on Decem-ber 17. Attendees brought toys and books which were donated to Toys for Tots.

Patti Hanks (L) with Sharon Kantner (R)

http://www.clothestokids.org


The Young Northeasters, the 40-and-under social/

professional networking group of Old NE residents, had its first annual holiday party this past December. The turnout was amazing with over 50 40-and-under Old NE residents attend-ing. The Signature Place party deck was a perfect venue and the aerial view of downtown was amazing. We are looking forward to getting to know the many other “young Northeasters” out there during this year. Our next event will be a casual neighborhood tradition...our own “Young Northeasters” Porch Party. The date is Friday, March 1, at 7pm. It will be hosted by Chad Boyd at his home at 636 16th Avenue NE. To RSVP or with questions, please reach out to [email protected].

HONNA was excited at the chance to serve our community in two ways, all in the same breath. The Palladium, a valuable trea-sure located right here in our neighborhood, hosted the Calidore String Quartet, which included Ryan Meehan, a former resident of St. Pete and grandson of John and Adelia Samaha, Old NE resi-dents. HONNA collaborated with the Palladium, which provided discounted tickets to our residents at $10 each, by providing a modest financial contribution to the Quartet to defray some of their travel expenses. Moreover, this assistance enabled The Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood to support this event under the “Young Concert Artist Series” in which the Quartet visited some of our neighborhood schools to promote music education for young people.

Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood AssociationOFFICERS and BOARD

To contact an officer or Board member via e-mail, go to honna.org/get-involved/volunteer/ where you can click on the name of the office/person you wish to contact and send him/her a message.HONNA Board meetings are held the first Monday of each month at 6:30pm at West-minster Presbyterian Church and are open to the public. Check beforehand with the Board president in case the meeting day has been re-scheduled.

President ......................................Jay MarshallVice President ..................Peter MotzenbeckerTreasurer ....................................Ann CavinessSecretary .............................. Donna Guillaume

Board Kristi Alexander

Chad BoydRick Carson

Mary Alice LangeRon MagrayLarry Smith

Traffic & ParkingRon Magray, Chair

1st Street N Changes…The process to change 1st Street between 22nd Avenue N and 9th Avenue N is underway. 1st street residents will be asked to approve a change by petition which is expected to be completed by March 1. An informational general meeting covering the details will follow in March or April.

The new 1st Street will have: one (1) vehicle driving lane, one way south, and five foot curb lanes on the east and west sides designated as bicycle lanes. The change is expected to make the street more pedestrian friendly by slowing traffic speed, reducing the number of wrong way drivers and centering the traffic away from the curbs, making for a more neighborly street.

MembershipLarry Smith, Chair

March is officially being named HONNA “Membership Mad-ness Month.” In the last few weeks, you have probably received attached to your front door a “HONNA Neighborhood Yard Sale Flyer.” On the back is a HONNA membership application (and you will find one in this newsletter). Many thanks to all those who have already renewed from our mailing in January; however, with over 2,500 residences and multiple apartments in our neighborhood (you do not have to own property to be a HONNA member) and just over 400 members, we should have many more.

For our March 16th Old Northeast Neighborhood Yard Sale, in order to have your items listed on the map and on our web page, you must be a HONNA member. Please take this opportu-nity to support your neighborhood and join HONNA. We have been working hard for the last several years to improve and increase our sponsored neighborhood events and activities. In addition to the Yard Sale, March will be action-packed with a Porch Party on the 15th, a Pot Luck on the 18th, a New Resident Meet-and-Greet on the 25th and the Easter Egg Hunt on the 30th. With the HONNA Board being reduced in size this year, we need more volunteers to help with specific tasks.

If you have an interest helping out, even if it’s just for a single instance, please go the HONNA web page for our specific needs or contact any Board member or me at [email protected].

Members of the Calidore String Quartet, with Board member Larry Smith (second from left) and proud grandfather John Samaha (center) next to Ryan Meehan.

Old Northeast Tavern, 201 7th Avenue NFor more info, contact Larry at

[email protected]

NEW RESIDENT MEET-AND-GREET

MONDAY, MARCH 25, 6-8:30PM


http://www.honna.org/board-and-committees.html






Your volunteer involvement in one of our committees will help enhance your neighborhood and our association. Please contact any committee chair for information.

Like our neighborhood?Want to make it even better?

Volunteer with one of our committees!

Communications Anna Costello & Rick CarsonNewsletter Rick Carson Programs Chad Boyd Neighborhood Planning Mary Alice Lange Neighborhood/Historic Preservation Peter Motzenbecker

& Kristi Alexander Membership Larry Smith Public Safety Peter Motzenbecker Traffic/Parking Ron Magray

To contact a chair via e-mail, go to honna.org/get-involved/volunteer/

where you can click on the name of the person you wish to contact and send him/her a message.

CommunicationsRick Carson, Chair; Newsletter Editor

We would love to feature your photos from around our neigh-borhood on the HONNA Facebook page and website in our photo gallery. Please send the photo(s) -- with the name of the person who took them along with a brief description of what is being sent -- to Anna Costello (former Board member and webmaster) at [email protected]. Thanks for sharing!

We are always looking for residents who have an itch to write and would like to contribute to the quarterly newsletter. Aspiring novelists, retired English teachers, well-meaning social “busybod-ies,” frustrated investigative reporters, observers of the profound and profane – all are invited to be a part of our newsletter. For example, we haven’t had a “garden” column for several years, and with all the gorgeous (and aspiring-to-be-gorgeous) gardens in the ‘hood, it would be great to have someone sharing ideas and insights. You need not be a “professional” or master gardener – just someone with an interest and ability to mine resources for help. Sound interesting? Contact me at [email protected].

Crime & SafetyPeter Motzenbecker, Chair

We have Crime Watch “We Notice and Report Suspicious Activ-ity” yard signs for interested residents. Please contact me if you’d like to arrange to obtain one ([email protected]). We are always looking for people interested in getting involved in Citizens On Patrol so let me hear from you so I can tell you what is involved. Also, we would like to see if any residents are interested in joining a Bike Patrol Team – a great way to get some exercise and help out in the ‘hood at the same time!

A neighbor, on 1st Street near 10th Ave had a vehicle break-in mid-January between 8-8:30pm. Police were called. I checked trash bins in a three block radius and looked for suspicious persons in the area for about 45 minutes. The neighbor who was victimized made the unfortunate mistake of leaving valuables in the car. Over the past six months, there were at least 30 thefts from vehicles in The Old NE. If you scan other neighborhoods on the Crime Reports (CR) site, you notice our area ranks about as high as many, except for Snell Isle. So it appears that we have the reputation amongst the bad guys that ONE is a solid bet for hitting the jackpot because so many people do not lock their vehicles.

Another neighbor reports that while she and her family recently were out of town, someone climbed over their back fence and stole both of their bikes – which were hanging and visible from the al-ley. Then they just walked out and left the back gate open. She is now reminded not to have anything of value visible from the alley and has since installed motion-sensor lights in their backyard and alley – with no “uninvited guests” problems since.

More recent anecdotes. A car on 16th Avenue NE rummaged. Seven bikes stolen – security chains cut -- from the garage of Harbour Hill Condo (Beach at 7th Avenue NE) in mid-day.

The following advice is “borrowed” from a neighbor in Ken-wood: “Residents have asked me, ’How do we get more police presence?’ Easy. First, call or report all incidents of car burglaries, thefts etc., so that the stats are real. Resources get allocated based on trends. If you hide the incidents, the police can’t see a trend. Second, call the police when you see suspicious people or suspi-cious circumstances BEFORE they happen. 893-7780 When you call the police, they respond. Keep in mind, on some calls, like burglary, they show up in an undercover car/truck, so don’t blow a gasket if you don’t see a patrol car. Remember, our first line of

HISTORY

PRESERVATION

BEAUTY

v

EIgHBORHOOd TOUR10 Am – 3 Pm wEEkdAYS

Minimum number for a tour is 15For the inclusive price of $40.00 per person, enjoy the following:

An in-depth, guided tour of Sunken Gardens • highlighting the history and horticulture of this famous tropical paradise

A self-guided tour to lead you through the • Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood

A copy of the recently published “Souvenir of St. Petersburg, Views from • the Vinoy”

A delectable 3-course lunch in the historic dining room, Marchand’s Bar • & Grill, at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort

A one hour, guided tour of the historic Renaissance Vinoy Resort with an • experienced and entertaining Vinoy Docent

Bill O’grady Sunken Gardens Supervisor

(727) 551-3148, bill.o’[email protected]

~or~

Elaine NormileRenaissance Vinoy Resort Historian

(727) 824-8033, [email protected]

RESERVATIONS ARE REqUIREd; PlEASE cONTAcT:

N P A c k A g E d I N O N E

defense is us! Please lock your vehicles and remove valuable items. When you feed the thieves, they will be back for more. These spikes in crime happen every now and then, yet we always seem to beat them down. Now is the time to act.”






OfficersJay Marshall -- President (8th Avenue NE) considers himself

at home. Although born and raised in Washington, DC, he and his wife Barbara moved to St. Petersburg five years ago and have found paradise here in The Old Northeast. He still wonders why it took so long to get here, but he and Barbara are absolutely delighted to be among great friends and family -- and residing in one of the most delightful communities ever. He and Barbara are owners of House to Home Relocation, a service to help individuals and families relocate to and from the Tampa Bay area. Jay is also a member of the City’s Commission on Aging.

Peter Motzenbecker -- Vice President (10th Avenue NE) has lived in The Old Northeast for a decade and in the St. Petersburg area for 25 years. Originally from New Jersey, Peter is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors, a father and grandfather. He and Chanda love The ONE with its homes and tree-lined brick streets -- all within walking distance of downtown St. Petersburg -- making this their “home for life.”

Donna Guillaume -- Secretary (Beach Drive NE) and her husband Edward Kidston left their boots and snow shovels in Western New York to move to an old house in beautiful down-town St. Petersburg in 1996. Besides her work as an organist-choir director, Unitarian minister and hospital chaplain, Donna has served with the Doorway Scholars, Eckerd Foundation’s Hi-5 program and the St. Petersburg Housing Authority as well as with both the Museums of Art and History. Nearer home, she has helped with several Candlelight Home tours, yard sales and Easter Egg hunts. Her Rays license plate attests to her love for the team.

Ann Caviness -- Treasurer (Beach Drive NE) spent 20 years starting up, managing and instructing in philanthropic libraries before moving to The Old Northeast in 2001. Through Robin Reed, she was drawn into HONNA projects including the Candlelight Home tours, Garden Strolls and the Souvenir of St. Petersburg: Views from the Vinoy. She has served on the board of Harbour Hill condominium in positions of treasurer or president for eight years and recently retired from a fabulous five-year job as lead Concierge at the Vinoy Resort.

BoardKristi Alexander (10th Avenue N.E.) spent most of her life

moving around until 1999, setting her sights on The Old North-east. She fell in love with the charm, proximity to downtown and the local events all within walking distance. She lives happily with her husband Nathan and two children. She has enjoyed working in her passion of interior design for over 18 years.

Chad Boyd (16th Avenue NE) is proud to call The Old NE home after living in several other great cities around the country -- none compare to St Petersburg and specifically The Old NE. He and wife Jennifer have lived in the neighborhood since 2010 and have recently had their first child (little Henry). Chad is currently the Director of Membership for the Bayou Golf & Country Club, Supervisor in the Marine Safety Group Reserve-USCG Sector St Petersburg and an out-of-state small business owner. Chad joined the Board with efforts to continue promoting the “Young Northeasters” group for residents under 40 years old.

There is an increasing number of younger families moving into the neighborhood and he has made helping them get involved with HONNA his mission.

Rick Carson (Cherry Street NE) has been editor of the Asso-ciation’s newsletter since 2002 and this is his eighth year serving on the Board. He has lived in the neighborhood since 2001 and in Florida since 1989. Prior to moving to Florida he co-owned and operated a B&B in New Jersey and before that spent a couple decades in the DC area working in political campaigns, serving on Congressional staffs and working as a lobbyist. He recently completed nine years of service on the City’s Social Action Funding Committee. Rick volunteers as editor of the United Church of Christ’s Florida newspaper.

Mary Alice Lange (15th Avenue NE) is a St. Petersburg na-tive; she and her husband Steven have lived in their home for over 20 years. They have two married sons and three grand-children with all living in St. Pete. Mary Alice has been an active member of the neighborhood association for many years including serving on the Board as its President and a number of years as chair of the Planning Committee. She helped cre-ate the first City of St. Petersburg Neighborhood Plan for The Old Northeast, and the Planning Committee has worked with the City to re-design the zoning codes which are contained in the city-wide Land Development Regulations. In 2009 she was honored with: the Florida All-State Neighborhood Award, Florida Neighborhood Conference; Community Service Women of the Year Nominee, Chamber of Commerce; and Leadership Program Graduate, Council of Neighborhood Associations.

Ron Magray (17th Avenue NE) and his wife Jan have finally settled in The Old Northeast. Ron is originally from Philadelphia, and Jan from Minneapolis-St Paul. They had quickly realized that after many years of exploring the west coast of Florida that this beautiful ‘Sunshine City” was what they had been search-ing for and what had eluded them in their previous residences. They love the diversity and multicultural aspects of St. Pete and are very happy that they have found this wonderful community in which to live. Ron previously had served as a Crime Watch coordinator and now is HONNA’s Traffic & Parking Commit-tee chair.

Larry Smith (13th Avenue N) is a native of Atlanta and a graduate of the University of Georgia. After moving to Tierra Verde from Memphis in 1998, he and his wife Betty arrived in The Old Northeast in 2002, when their youngest son left for USF. They purchased one of the “Four Sisters” on 13th Avenue N. Unfortunately, after 10 years of restoration and rehabilitation, Tropical Storm Debbie exposed some major structural damage. Thus, in 2013, they are re-restoring (if that’s such a word) the front and the rear sections of their home. Coupling that in 2012 with the restoration of a residence on 12th Avenue N for Betty’s Dad, a house on 11th Avenue N for their oldest son and a 90 year old log cabin in Montana, there’s been lots of activity around the Smith household. In addition, for the last 27 years Larry has been a financial advisor, and he recently moved his office to downtown St. Pete. As a Board member, he initially served as Secretary for one year, is now Chair of Membership and coordinates Porch Parties and New Resident Meet-and-Greet events.


(CONA) leadership course Founded the Young Northeasters group (above) by which

young professionals in the neighborhood could come together to network and socialize with one another (met four times) Delivered “welcome bags” with information about the City

and neighborhood to 104 new residentsWelcomed 113 new members to HONNA Initiated new “meet-and-greet” events to welcome new resi-

dents; held at the Old Northeast Tavern, Melting Pot and Three BirdsSent representative to Council of Neighborhood Associations

(CONA) monthly meetings; HONNA CONA representative served as HONNA’s voice at meetings and also kept HONNA officers and board members apprised about issues discussed at the CONA meetings.Made presentation about creating a neighborhood newsletter

to City residents attending Council of Neighborhood Associations (CONA) leadership courseReviewed, discussed and edited Association bylaws

Historic Preservation Offered a Spring walking tour culminating with a special

“insiders” tour and samples at the historic Melting Pot restaurantContinued distribution, promotion and sale of award-winning

HONNA publication, Souvenir of St. Petersburg: Views From the Vinoy; the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts became a new vendor for Souvenir Continued an exhibit about the neighborhood at the St. Pe-

tersburg Museum of History; in addition, Souvenir is offered for sale at the Museum Conducted three “package tours” of the neighborhood in part-

nership with Sunken Gardens and the Renaissance Vinoy Resort Sold 25 “Preserve Old Northeast” banners for residents to

display Partnered with the

St. Petersburg Museum of History and St. Pete Preservation to present a workshop for teachers based on the “Box City” model with copies of Souvenir donated to the teachers (L)

Traffic and ParkingMet with City Neighborhood Transportation Manager Michael

Frederick each quarter of the yearArranged for door-to-door distribution of City’s “Residential

Parking Regulations” booklet to entire neighborhoodContacted neighbors and handled issues on parking and speed-

ing (approximately two per month) involving but not limited to 1st Street, Locust, Bay, Beach Drive, North Shore Drive, 21st Avenue, 20th Avenue, 2nd Street and 9th Avenue and arranged for speed and volume studies by the City DOTArranged for City’s completion of speed humps on 1st Street

between 6th and 7th Avenues and 7th and 8th Avenues to slow speed-ing carsMonitored crimereports.com for number and locations of

vehicle accidents within neighborhood boundaries

Crime and SafetyProvided Citizens on Patrol neigh-

borhood watch throughout The Old NE thanks to the time and dedication of volunteers Sent e-mail blasts to residents

warning of suspicious activities in their areas Received crime updates at Asso-

ciation meetings from Community Po-lice Officers, who took questions from residents in attendance and responded to concerns expressed. Distributed Crime Watch “We Notice and Report Suspicious

Activity” yard signs for use by residents Held periodic Crime Watch meetings prior to neighborhood

association meetings

Communications Mailed four issues of the neighborhood newsletter to 2,400

households; published newsletter in color on website Provided a HONNA page in the Northeast Journal in its six

issues during the year Worked with RealSparks to launch a new website that is easier

to navigate, has more tools for residents to stay connected and is updated more frequently with news and events; had 6,215 unique visitors and 25,545 page viewsDelivered over 60 e-mail broadcasts concerning neighborhood

events to over 600 subscribers Launched a HONNA store page where residents can show

their neighborhood pride by purchasing Old Northeast items such as tote bags, t-shirts and water bottles Began tweeting this year by launching a twitter page -- twit-

ter.com/honnastpeteMaintained a Facebook page, which has over 474 “likes,” rep-

resenting a 184% growth over 2011Maintained HONNA telephone number (instituted in 2010),

voice mail boxes and info messages to provide better communica-tion links for residents to contact the association Maintained kiosk bulletin board (courtesy of the City next to

the tennis courts in North Shore Park) posted with excerpts from newsletter and other HONNA-related info

HONNA Activities from page 1

http://twitter.com/honnastpete



Coordinated with media coverage about activities which appeared in the Tampa Bay Times and TV segments about the Candlelight Tour of Homes on WTSP Channel 10 and Bay News 9.

Special Events and RecognitionsHelped organize annual Hal-

loween activities featuring house decorating contest along with a listing on the HONNA website of the spookiest and scariest haunted houses in the neighborhoodOrganized annual Spring

neighborhood-wide yard sale on March 31 involving more than 60 households Helped promote and pro-

vide volunteers for the Florida Orchestra in the Park event in October, which was underwrit-ten by resident Helen Torres; contributed $1,000 in Helen’s

honor to the Florida OrchestraCo-sponsored annual Easter Egg Hunt in Flora Wylie Park

with residents Cynthia Serra and Connie Lancaster of Smith & Associates Real Estate Organized the annual Children’s 4th of July Parade with finan-

cial help from residents Donna Fudge of Fudge & McArthur, P.A., and Steven Lange of The Lange Corporation Architects-Planners Organized 15th annual Candlelight Tour of Homes on Decem-

ber 9th -- selling the most tickets of any Candlelight Tour -- raising operational funds for HONNA and providing a contribution to the Clothes to Kids charity Received recognition from City Council as the official

“Sunshine Ambassador” for HONNA’s outstanding goodwill and valuable contributions to the CityReceived recognition from This Old House magazine (April

issue) as the “Best Neighborhood in the South”Earned a cover story article about The Old NE in the February-

March issue of St.Pete magazineEarned a cover story, “Celebrating Old Northeast,” in the May

issue of St. Petersburg Downtown newsletterNeighborhood BeautificationMaintained entryway monuments and landscaping into the

neighborhood

New Members

Nathan & Kristi Alexander.............................................. 120 10th Avenue NERobert Bailey ................................................................... 101 10th Avenue NIryna Bandaryk .................................................................. 321 8th Avenue NRobert Bohan ...................................................................201 11th Avenue NBill & Marina Boukalis .................................................... 555 12th Avenue NESusan Cardamone & Brenda Forringer ......................... 102 13th Avenue NEClary & Sharon Croft .................................. 1012 North Shore Drive NE #31Tom & Karen Davis ....................................................2421 Brevard Road NEAnne & Mario Garneau .................................................. 606 17th Avenue NEElyse & Lou Gerber ....................................................... 140 19th Avenue NEPatti & Mike Hanks ........................................................ 322 12th Avenue NEPhillip & Melissa Harasz ................................................ 920 17th Avenue NEKristin & Bryan Harper .................................................... 150 18th Avenue NInge Hatton ...................................................... 1012 North Shore Drive NE Brett & Denise Holden ................................................... 209 15th Avenue NEJohn Johnson & Tom Yablonski ....................................... 117 6th Avenue NECarolyn Lane ...................................................... 1120 North Shore Drive NEMichelle & Michael Mason ............................................... 167 24th Avenue NPatt & Dave McBane ................................ 1200 North Shore Drive NE # 212Amy Pate ..................................................................................................Kaki & Mel Rollins.......................................................... 745 16th Avenue NEJed & Laci Schiable ....................................................... 516 17th Avenue NEScott Stewart & Kara McFadden ................................... 416 19th Avenue NEJordan & Chelsea Tawil ................................................... 143 17th Avenue NEric Wilson & Tri LeBlanc ..............................................126 23rd Avenue NEJ. A. Wood .......................................................................525 2nd Street N

Officers and Board Members for 2012 and Their Committee Responsibility and/or

Major Activity Involvement

OFFICERSJay Marshall PresidentPeter Motzenbecker Vice President; Crime & SafetyAnn Caviness TreasurerChris Avren Secretary; Yard Sale BOARDSarah Bogdanovich MembershipPaul Boudreaux CONA RepresentativeRick Carson NewsletterAnna Costello CommunicationsDouglas Haan Special Events & Projects; Candlelight Tour Rick Kantner Legal issues, bylaws; Candlelight TourMary Alice Lange Neighborhood PlanningSusan McGarry ProgramsRon Magray TrafficRobin Reed Historic PreservationLarry Smith Membership; Porch Parties


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Crime Watch Fact SheetName _____________________________________

Address ___________________________________

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

Home Phone: _______________________________

Office Phone: _______________________________

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E-mail: ____________________________________

Emergency Contact Person ____________________

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Would like more info on membership Yes___ No___

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Sue was born in Chicago and lived in Canada before moving to The Old NE in 1973 where she continues to run an apartment rental business. She lives with her dog, Foxy Lady, and is one of those people who enjoys being busy!

Are you one of those people who goes about your day-to-day life noticing things happening around you (or not happening) in the neighborhood and our City and you wonder why (or why not) but never get around to discovering the answer? We’ve decided to ask one of our neighbors, Sue Strott, who’s lived in The Old Northeast almost forever, to track down the explanations for some of those puzzling questions which bug, bedevil and frustrate us.

So here’s a start with some of those nagging, niggling WHYs? and WHAT’s?. Let us know if you have a particular issue or query you’d like The Answer Lady to check out and we’ll see what she can learn. Like FiOS... will we ever “hear them now”? Contact The Answer Lady at [email protected].

by Sue Strott

Leaf Blowers

Here’s another Pet Peeve that I hope we can solve together.All over The Old Northeast, there are folks

utilizing lawn men and women who cut and trim lawns and who then blow the cuttings along with leaves all over the place in order to make the sidewalks and driveways pristine.

Some actually blow the leaves from the street back up onto the grassy parkways without mulching them first so they can act as fertilizer for the lawns. So the leaves just blow back onto the sidewalks (I guess so that they have something to blow the next week). Some blow the leaves and cuttings into the street and even blow them into the center of the street and leave them there. Others blow driveways into areas across the alley right onto a neighbor’s property or just into the center of the alley and leave them there.

Why they don’t blow or sweep all of it into a pile, fill cans and carry it to the Dumpsters, I guess I’ll never know. That’s what most homeowners do when they don’t hire outside help. Yes, it’s extra work and time, but it completes the job.

One worker that I used for a while said, “We’re piling everything till the leaves stop falling. Then, we’ll pick them up.” I believe we have a few months of leaf drop with so many oaks in our area. Doesn’t he know that the first breeze just blows all of that around again? Needless to say, he doesn’t work for me anymore.

If we don’t insist that the workers pick up the leaves and debris, the first rain will carry all of that into the storm sewers. During a big storm, that will back up water onto our properties.

Guidelines for model ordinances to promote Florida-friendly landscapes recommend that “grass clippings, vegetative material, and,/or vegetative debris either intentionally or accidentally, be washed, swept, or blown off into storm-water drains, ditches, convey-ances, water bodies, wetlands, or sidewalks or roadways.”

Can we all get behind the effort to instruct these lazy lawn folk that we want them to actually “clean up” after they do their trim-ming and blowing? I saw a couple canning the debris and leaves today, and I wanted to rush up and give them a hug!

The trees won’t stop dropping leaves and branches -- we just have to address this problem before it escalates even more.

Heads Up AlertCampaign and Issue Signs: “In the right place at the right time”

You can review the political sign requirements in Chapter 16, Land Development Regulations, Section 16.40.120 before display-ing political signs. The basic requirements state that:

• No more than one political sign per candidate or issue can be placed on a lot.

• Corner lots may have two (2) signs per candidate or issue, one (1) sign per street facing.

• A sign may also be placed in the right-of-way provided it…

1. Is at least 6 feet back from the curb, or

2. If there is a sidewalk, it is lo-cated on the inside of the sidewalk away from the street.

• No part of any sign can be located on or extend over any portion of the sidewalk.

• Signs may not be located in traffic medians or parkland. Monetary fines may be imposed for violations. For more infor-

mation go to www.stpete.org/codes/docs/politicalsigns.pdf


http://www.stpete.org/codes/docs/politicalsigns.pdf


Over The Back Fence…is a collection of what we’ve 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 you’d 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 S and by

Over The Back Fence is a

Soapbox... STEP ON UP

and

LET’S HEAR FROM YOU

e-mail: [email protected]

Candid Cameras, Please….If you walk the neighborhood or know someone who does, then please remember to take your camera along and catch some interesting photos of people, places and activities in the ‘hood that can be posted on the HONNA Facebook page and HONNA website photo gallery. Simply e-mail them to Anna Costello at [email protected] along with the name of the person who took the photo(s) and a brief description of what is being sent.

Census Adjustment….A new addition to the neighbor-hood is Henry Boyd, born No-vember 24. Delighted parents Jennifer and Chad (16th Av-enue NE) say they couldn’t be more pleased with having their first child while living in The Old NE. They look forward to joining the ranks of so many of the other young parents in the neighborhood.

For Your Nightstand Reading….Resident author Dennis Le-hane received a nice plug from Tampa Bay Times Book Editor Colette Bancroft in the 12/30 edition for his work, Live by Night, which she called “one of the year’s big novels.” He was also the re-cipient of the gold medal in the general fiction category for the book from the 2012 Florida Book Awards (coordinated by FSU Libraries and co-sponsored by 13 other organizations). [source: Tampa Bay Times, 2/12]

Kudos to Two Neighbors….Two neighbors were singled out as “10 People to Watch in the New Year” by Tampa Bay Times (12/30) “On Business” writer Robert Trigaux. Named Num-ber 3 was Alex Glenn, the “newly anointed president” of Duke Energy-owned Progress Energy Florida, and Number 9 was Rick Baker, former mayor and now president of the Edwards Group (led by Bill Edwards, who’s involved with BayWalk, the Mahaffey Theater and the Club at Treasure Island).

It’s All Here in The Old NE… A large photograph of women exercising at the North Shore Park Centennial Sundial (“Water-front Workout”) graced the front page of the Local section of the 1/19 Tampa Bay Times. The group, under Lori Hendry’s direc-tion, meets mornings five times a week in the park... The Old NE also figured prominently on the inside page of the Local section on 2/1 with a photo of the blooming pink trumpet tree on Coffee Pot Boulevard in Granada Terrace [see “Shady Characters of The Old Northeast” on page 33] ... The HomeLink section in the 2/10 Tampa Bay Times featured the “Timeless Allure of Architecture” in the metro area. Writing that “The bay area has a few examples

of great residential design,” the writer singled out the Renaissance Vinoy Resort while citing Snell Isle and The Old NE in St. Pete as having “some fabulous homes” We already knew that, but it’s nice to be reminded by others.

There’s a Reason for Leash Laws….Neighbor and HONNA Board member Chad Boyd is sharing this message with all fellow residents, especially dog owners:

“Not even two months after mov-ing into this wonderful neighbor-hood my wife and I lost our much loved Labradoodle, Casey. The saddest part of this story is that it could have been prevented. I think being new to the neighborhood and not seeing very much traffic on the streets, we fooled ourselves into thinking it was okay to let Casey walk next to us without a leash on. After all, Casey was well behaved and trained to not leave our side while walking. On that fateful night, Casey and I were anxiously awaiting my wife›s arrival home and when we saw her pull up in front of the house we walked outside to greet her. On what was seemingly always a quiet street

with very little traffic, a car appeared out of nowhere and passed at the ex-act same moment Casey entered the street to greet my wife. Casey was fatally struck and died in my arms moments afterwards. It seemed like such a tragic and freak accident, but there was one obvious mistake... she should have been on a leash.

No matter how quiet your street is, no matter how well behaved your dog is, no matter how much your dog enjoys that little bit of freedom…please always keep their leash on.”

Through the Wringer and Back…Sue Strott, our “Answer Lady” column contributor, was in the hospital in December for some quick day surgery – two angioplas-ties and two stents. Little did she know that it wasn’t going to be that simple. We’re talking atrial fibrillation, two more operations (one to zap the heart back into proper rhythm), serious retention of water (a water pill helped her expel 15 pounds of water) plus some internal bleeding. Her doc finally took her off the blood thinner and by early February everything seemed to be getting back to normal. So much for quickie surgery!

Looking Good.…Residents may have noticed the recent up-grades to properties along two of our major thoroughfares. A total restoration of a house and new landscaping on the 300 block of 22nd Avenue NE, a pergola, iron fencing and new paint job (grays and yellows replacing purples) for the apartment building at 8th




and Beach Drive NE and iron fences at properties at 6th and Beach NE and 13th and Beach NE. Yes, we notice these things and ap-preciate them.

Our Own (Legal) Neighborhood Speeder…. The St. Petersburg Downtown Newsletter informs us in its January edition that Shan-non McIntosh, the 24 year old racing phenom who’ll be racing in this year’s Honda Grand Prix in downtown St. Pete, is an Old NE resident. Last year in the race she was awarded the “Tilton Hard Charger Award” for passing the

most number of cars (25th to 11th). Let’s add to all the noise come race days with some loud cheering for Shannon.

Keep Wasting Your Money... For the person or persons illegally stapling bumper stickers to trees or affixing them to light poles, calling for getting a certain sitting judge “off the bench”: keep spending your money on these and we’ll keep ripping them down.

Art in Bloom Coming to MoFA...One of the many bo-nuses of living close to the active Beach Drive and park areas is that there are always interesting things to see and do within walking distance.

At our nearby Museum of Fine Arts, the Stuart Society’s “Art in Bloom” events will

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burst with blossoms beginning March 9 when that exhibit opens in the morning. Sponsored by Hancock Bank, 45 professional and amateur floral designers create an arrangement (made only of flower and plant material) to reflect a piece of art from the Museum’s stunning collection.

That evening, a preview party called “Flowers After Hours” in-cludes an Iron Florist contest between Bruce Wilson of The Flower Center vs. Greg Creamer of Artistic Flowers -- and WUSF’s Craig Kopp will be the Emcee. Delicious food from Olympia Catering and libations from Lundy’s will be offered. Other floral events by some of the designers will be held during the four days of celebra-tion. On Monday, March 11, a luncheon will be held in the Vinoy’s Palm Court Ballroom. Reservations for these events are being handled by Carol Piper (727/521-1706 or e-mail [email protected]).

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400 12th Avenue North • St. Petersburg, 33701

While the Northeast was dealing with a bliz-zard dumping many feet of snow, lucky St. Pete area residents and visitors were able to

enjoy glorious unwinter-like weather for the 2nd Annual Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon on Sunday, February 10. Estimates of some 6,500 runners and walkers partici-pated, numbers that were down a bit from last year’s chilly inaugural event.

Once again, The Old NE was the destination for the participants, who began at Tropicana Field shortly after 7am and ended around 11am as stragglers made it across the finish line at North Shore Drive and 13th Avenue. Upon finishing participants were greeted with a festival and post-race concert featuring Jamaican pop-rapper Sean Kingston.

The half marathon course (13.1 miles) went along a route from The Trop west to 29th Street S, back to downtown and south to 21st Avenue S before heading back north past Albert Whitted, out to The Pier, then through The Old NE along the waterfront into Snell Isle and back to the North Shore Park end point. The mini-course (3.1 miles) basically went from The Trop, through downtown and along the waterfront and Beach Drive to Coffee Pot and then to the finish.

All along the way were themed water stations, “energy” and medical stations and cheerleaders plus band stages playing live music to inspire and motivate the participants. Buses provided shuttle service for participants to return to their parked cars at The Trop. Festivities actually began on Friday and Saturday with a Health & Fitness Expo at The Trop and an “Official Pasta Party”

The Old NE Rocks and Rolls Again

at Ferg’s Saturday night. The official “after party” was Sunday afternoon at Jonny Reno’s.

With the number of registrants down and the onlooker crowd size smaller than in 2012, what does the future hold for a 2014 version?

Photo credits: Jerry Bushey and Rick Carson


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HONNA’s Annual Yard Sale for the Entire Old NE Neighborhood – March 16th

Clean out your attic, garage, spare bedroom, under the beds and long forgotten closets! Turn those treasures

into CA$H!!Join forces with the neighbors on your block and make

it an event. Have fun and add to your cash flow at the same time. Comments like this from last year – “The whole family participated; we had fun and made over $300.” So join in!

Flyers with all the details were delivered by volunteers door-to-door throughout the neighborhood in late February. If we missed you and to get the info as well as sign-up to get on the master list -- which will be publicized ahead of time to help treasure hunters find what you’re offering -- go to www.honna.org.

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ONE Great Book Club meets every other month, the second Thursday of that month in the evening. There continues to be a waiting list; I can be reached at [email protected]. Our sister/brother book club meets the last Wednesday of each month in the afternoon. Contact Colleen Grant at [email protected] for more information.

Neighborhood Book GroupAs The Pages Turn...by Susan Coffey

In January One Great Book Club met at the home of Kathy Estevez (18th Avenue NE). The book Kathy chose was Toxic Charity, How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help

(And How to Reverse It) by Robert D. Lupton. Sounds pretty mean doesn’t it? That’s what I and most of our book club thought when we all heard the title. The reality is there is a lot of truth in what Lupton writes.

First, a little bio on Bob Lupton. After serving in Vietnam and starting his own business, Bob had a calling to start an urban charity. He first worked with delinquent urban youth. He then decided to “walk the walk and talk the talk” and he and his family sold their suburban home and moved to inner city Atlanta. For the past 40 years he has been helping rebuild urban neighborhoods. He is a Christian and founded FCS (Focused Community Strategies) Urban Ministries -- which has helped organize multi-racial congregations, create low income housing and help start inner city businesses… just some of his work. So why is a guy as generous as this writing a book with a title calling charity toxic?

Well, he’s not saying all charity is bad, but like the old adage “Feed a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day, but teach a man to fish and he’ll eat for a lifetime” is exactly what he’s saying.

One of the many interest-ing examples he gives is when one Nicaraguan leader describes the well meaning church groups who descend upon his country with good intentions as “turning my people into beggars.” Lup-ton gives direction as how to avoid situations like this by what he calls “tak-ing the oath.” One of his “oaths,” which is quite poignant is “Never do for the poor what they have (or could have) the capac-ity to do for themselves.” That mantra is a thread throughout the book.

He also talks about the inner city. “Dogooders” from the “burbs” often go in to the poorer parts of the city and clean up, build houses, hand out free food and feel good about themselves. But Lupton feels this batters the pride of the people who actually live in these parts of the city. One statement that I felt was quite ironic was when Upton was sitting with a few of his inner city neighbors as they watched a church group descend upon the neighborhood to build a home for a family. One of the men remarked sarcastically about the volunteers coming to his neighborhood. The irony is that this same man had a home built for him and his family by a church group who had invested $20,000 and eight weekends to build this home!

This man -- although according to Lupton was grateful -- felt his manly pride had been damaged. Really?

This reaction from his neighbor made Lupton rethink how to help neighborhoods and continue to keep people’s dignity. Basically, will this help the neighborhood become more self-sufficient?

The group overall agreed with Lupton. Some looked at char-ity in a whole new light and others have always believed in the “teach a man to fish theory.”

Lupton does offer tangible ways to give that enrich people rather than disempower people. It is definitely a book worth reading and does give the reader some introspection and reflec-tion on how one wants to “give.”

A lot of the book focused on South America so Kathy served a delicious meatless chili and a scrumptious dessert called trés leches and it was muy bien.

The group gave this book a thumbs up.

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Preserving the Character of Old Northeast Houses

Scattered about in The Historic Old North-east neighborhood are

buildings, long ago the pride of a builder or family, which now sit forlornly -- abandoned, unloved or too expensive to be brought back to life. One house that fits some of those descriptions occupies a corner of 5th Avenue and Bay Street NE. Neighbors tried to ignore the Craftsman-style house; oth-ers grabbed garbage bags in order to collect the trash that collected around the sad house’s perimeter. In the September 2012 issue of the HONNA newsletter, A. Nony Mous wrote an article about dilapidated houses and overgrown, unkempt yards… sad eyesores in an historic and mainly beautiful neighborhood.

News spread quickly recently that the house had been sold and ru-mors and questions ran rampant: was it going to remain the same, were apartments going to be developed, was it going to be torn down and a condominium built in its place? The house is posi-tioned between two com-mercial rental buildings so that added to the list of concerns. Neighbors, fear no more, this once handsome house is being renovated and restored to its former glory.

Carla and Ben Rudolph lived on 16th Avenue NE and learned that the forlorn Craftsman-style house at 215 5th NE, which was built in 1917, was for sale. Their house sold quickly and they began work on their new house. The Rudolphs are architects; Carla does not practice anymore but Ben works for a British firm, Atkins North America, Inc. They knew that this was a “solid house, with good bones, with issues, but one

which could be saved.” This is their tenth personal move and they have undertaken a dozen restorations of needy houses.

Despite the Rudolph’s profes-sional and personal expertise, there have been “some sur-prises.” In the first floor studs of the bathroom, charred wood was revealed, evidence that there had once been a fire in that location. All the bathrooms are being completely rebuilt, the revealed heart pine floors are being restored and moldings and trim are being replaced or installed where they were origi-nally placed. A cement plaque was found on the ground which designated 1917 as the year the

house was built. The house retains its original layout although one wall was re-moved to give more room to the new kitchen, which is being redesigned.

For months Carla has been on site for long hours every day as she diligently works as the co-owner and contractor -- covered with sand and dust, alongside the carpenters and install-ers, carrying lengths of finish upgrades as well as 2x4 long boards. What has evolved already makes a difference; there are fence posts positioned on the front of the house where wrought-iron appearing fence sections will be at-

tached, there are new windows, a long and magnificent front porch on the avenue side of the house which “gives the house street presence” and a three-car garage being built on the alley side. The west side of the house will have a privacy fence. Be-cause of all the parking problems, having space for three cars is a little-known luxury in The Old Northeast. When asked what future plans the family had for the house, she answered, “To live here!” They hope that time will come within the next few weeks.

(Above) Before(Below) Some of the improvements include the addition of a porch, and “wrought iron” fencing. Stay tuned for thefinishingtouches

Diagnosis: “Good Bones, With Issues” Prognosis: Saveableby Jill McGrath


Jill and Ed McGrath (who grew up together in the Hudson River Valley of New York) are restoring a 1910 cottage on the corner of Bay Street and 6th Avenue NE. This is Jill’s fifth (Ed’s third) com-plete house restoration project and they have promised each other that it will be their last.

Anyone who restores an old house hopes that someone from the past would return with historical knowledge about the family who lived there. From the ‘30s through to the late ‘50s a family named Parker lived there. In order to ride out the Depression, the Parkers made small apartments in the house, which was com-mon in many other houses here during that financially strained period. One of the surprises for the Rudolphs has been the visit of a Parker granddaughter who remembered many happy times spent within the walls, and she was delighted that the house’s footprint has stayed very much the same.

Another surprise has been that local people, living in this neighborhood, have walked into the house uninvited. This is a sign that neighbors have taken this renovation marvel into their hearts and really care about the transformation. Their sincere interest is one of the many benefits of living here in The Historic Old Northeast. The neighborhood salutes the Rudolphs, and we thank them for caring about 215 5th Avenue NE and for bringing the grand house back to life. It will be their reward when they can relax on their new porch and watch the always interesting 5th Avenue world go by.

Photos courtesy of Ed McGrath and Joe Pavlick[A version of this article appeared in the March 2013 issue of

the Northeast Journal.]


Thoughts from the Front Porch…

by Courtney Ellis, MA, LMHC

How to Talk to Your Child After a Tragedy

On December 14, 2012, the world stopped and watched in horror as tragedy struck Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. To hear the news that innocent

lives were being taken on account of one man’s selfish ambition was heartbreaking. And to many of us, it led to some shattered expectations of how this world is supposed to operate. Surely school should be a place where children feel safe and secure, not having to worry about the evils that exist in this world we live in. And more often than not, it is. But tragedies like this lead to questions – from parents, from teachers and now from young stu-dents, who may not understand how to process or face some of the harsher truths that will come with living in an imperfect world.

After the Sandy Hook tragedy, many parents and teachers were asking the questions: “How do I talk to my children about this?”, “How do I tell them it’s okay to go to school?”, “How do I ease their fears when I am scared myself?” Unfortunately, these are tough questions to respond to and you as a parent (or grandparent or friend) must know that it is okay to not have all the answers. But there are some healthy ways that you can help your child after incidents of this caliber, or even smaller tragedies, happen through-out life. As we all know, life comes with many joys but also many hardships, and the things you teach your child at a young age about how to cope with and manage those hardships will provide a firm foundation on which they can stand.

It’s firstly important to remember that your children are form-ing certain “belief systems” about the world they live in and about themselves. Those belief systems can be positive, along the lines

of “People are good” or “I am smart.” They can also be negative, such as, “People will hurt me” or “I am not good enough.” The messages you tell your children both verbally and nonverbally are shaping the way they see things. The problem, then, with tragedies like Sandy Hook is that some of your children’s positive belief systems are being threatened. A child can go from believing that the world is a safe place to believing that no place is safe and people cannot be trusted. It is your job as a parent to help them navigate through these tough waters in order to settle on a belief system that is both positive and realistic (and age-appropriate). You are helping them to see that the world still is good, that people are still good and that bad things happen that remind us that we must be cautious at times.

One of the first ways you can help your child process a tragedy, then, is to give them the opportunity to ask questions. Start by re-minding your child that you will not have all the answers and that these things are tough for you to understand as well. But let them feel the freedom to ask. In Edgar Jackson’s book, Telling a Child About Death, he writes: “If children do not find a real explanation to fit what they sense or overhear, they may let their imagination run wild.” Kids are a lot more resilient than we give them credit for and also a lot more intuitive than we think. So we must meet them where they are rather than avoiding any discussion or assuming they will just forget about it over time. As you are answering your child’s questions, however, it is important to keep those answers age-appropriate and individual-appropriate. You also want to pro-vide every answer with a positive undertone, reminding them that this world is still a good place and that bad things happen every now and then. You want to continue to reinforce the positive belief systems but also help them adjust to the reality that things will

not always be perfect and that sometimes there will be people in the world who have “sick-ness in their brain” and who do mean things. These are terms that children can understand and can manage.

After you allow them to ask questions, it is helpful to then brainstorm methods that can help them cope with tough things that may happen in the future. They could draw, jour-nal, act things out, yell in their pillow, take deep breaths, talk to a friend, etcetera. This is an opportunity to start developing healthy practices. And as they

get older and life gets a little tougher, they will thank you for giving them the ability to be real, to be strong and to learn ways to stay strong amidst life’s challenges.

If you see that your child is developing new fears altogether by generalizing a scary situation to their everyday life, a great coping skill you can teach them is to learn to separate the rational from the irrational. A great visual for this would be to have your child draw a balance scale. This scale is to help them see realistically that they are safe and will continue to be safe. On one side of the scale, have them list things that have actually happened in their lives that reinforce this fear. The Sandy Hook tragedy could go on that side. And on the other side of the scale, have them list all the things that show them they are safe. You can try to count the number of days of school they have gone and not had anything happen, you can

Photo Credit The Newtown Bee


Courtney Ellis is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who provides individual and couples counseling to the Tampa Bay area. She lives in a cozy bungalow in The Old Northeast with her husband and two dogs. She tries to spend as much time on her front porch as possible.

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talk about how their teachers are adults who love them and you can ask them if they’ve ever felt unsafe at school prior to this. After a while, your child will notice that the side of the scale that supports their safety far outweighs the negative side. This visual helps children recognize the difference between what is true ver-sus what is untrue. They can then choose to believe the evidence – that they have

always been safe at school and will continue to be. So whether your child has a million questions or two, just re-

member that it is better to ask than to assume. You as a parent have an amazing opportunity to not only teach your child healthy coping skills but to also create a safe space for them where they feel like they can talk about their feelings without judgment or shame. A quote that often challenges me as a counselor is by Frederick Dou-glass: “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” So continue to strengthen your children in the present, for it will make them strong adults and parents in the future.


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Car Break-In Prevention Tips

The majority of auto burglaries in The Old Northeast are opportunistic – un-locked vehicles and valuables left in plain sight. The following prevention tips can reduce your chances of becoming a victim:

1. Keep your car visible -- Park in well-lit areas. Avoid having your car concealed by larger vehicles, fences or foliage; thieves like to work in private.

2. Don’t make it easy -- Keep windows and sunroofs closed and doors locked. A majority of thefts from vehicles are from unlocked cars.

3. Activate your vehicle’s alarm -- Auto-theft systems can discourage a car break-in thief who likes to work in silence.

4. Hide your valuables -- Many smash-and-grab thieves act on impulse. So keep your stuff out of sight – either with you or in a locked trunk. Don’t count on the glove box; thieves know to look there, and they’re easy to break into.

5. Hide your valuables 2 -- If you have a wagon or SUV that leaves your cargo area open, get a retractable fitted cover to keep shopping bags or other belongings hidden.

6. Don’t hand a thief your keys -- Take you keys with you. And if you think you have a great hiding place for a spare key, car break-in thieves know to look above the visor, in the center console, under the floor mat, in the trunk well, etc.

7. Stow your stuff before arrival -- Experienced thieves often stake out parking lots to watch for people putting items in their trunk. Put valuables -- like laptops, messenger bags and electronic devices -- into your trunk before you get to the parking lot.

8. Stash the evidence, too -- After you’ve put your stuff in the trunk don’t forget such telltale evidence as power plugs, MP3 adapters and navigation system windshield suction-cup mounts. Hide the electronic ac-cessories, too.

9. Trust your instincts -- If you see sus-picious activity, find another spot to park. If you’re concerned, tell the attendant or report your suspicions to police. You may be helping keep another person from being a victim of a car break-in -- or worse.

10. Take it one more step -- Many vehicles are broken into with the intent of stealing the vehicle itself. Visible anti-theft devices, like steering wheel locks, steering column col-lars or brake pedal locks may discourage the would-be thief from breaking in and trying.

For more information on neighborhood crime prevention, or if you are interested in getting involved, contact Peter Motzen-becker (HONNA Crime Watch Coordinator) at 727/415-3060 or e-mail at [email protected].


Candlelight Tour a Record-Breaker!by Sharon Kantner, Candlelight Tour of Homes Chair

The 15th Annual Candlelight Tour of Homes was a record breaking Tour as holiday cheer filled The Historic Old Northeast with 1,071

ticketholders! Gracious homeowners shared displaying their eight

homes, furnishings and artwork to over 1,000 visitors:Ron and Pat Mason, Magnus and Christine Sublett, Mi-

chael Goodin and David Bronder, David Morris and Barry Avedon, Tim and Barbara Rhode, Keith and Kim Dudley, John and Sue Arsenault and Dino Cappelli and Don Culpep-per. Volunteers were smiling, bells were ringing and carolers were singing. Thanks to all those who made the event a smashing success.

We could not have achieved this without our homeowners, volunteers (thank you coordinator Bob Hunter!), advertisers and ticket outlets all coming together to prepare and promote the annual event.

Special thanks to our gracious hospitality sites: Dickens House Bed & Breakfast (and innkeeper Ed Caldwell) and Westminster Retirement Community for their facilities, drinks and cook-ies and welcoming attitude during this year’s Tour. Big thanks also go out to our complimentary live entertainment brought to us by the Lutheran Church of the Cross Bell Ringers and First United Methodist Church Contemporary Choir. It was our largest

fundraiser for the neigh-borhood plus we were able to make a charitable contribution to Clothes to Kids for $5,298 based upon a percentage of our sales receipts. It’s

amazing the impact our donation made to this organization. [See page 3 of this issue for more about Clothes to Kids.]

Mark your calendars for this year’s tour to be held on Sunday, December 8. If you would like to nominate a home or volunteer, please reach out to us. We always need extra hands throughout the year in the planning and development process leading up to the Tour day itself. Look out for meeting dates to come this Spring and Summer if you want to get involved. And lastly, thank you attend-ees who supported the event and help us spread the word for the 2012 Tour.

Neighbor Tracey Locke (middle row, far left) and friends may have the best way of “doing” the Candlelight Tour


In Case You Missed It: Updates and Follow Ups

Keeping You Current on Some Neigh-borhood Stories That Have Been in the News

Forbes magazine has released an article which ranks U.S. metro areas where most Americans have been migrating in the past year. Tampa/St. Pete came in fourth. The article cites more affordable housing costs as one attraction helping to make the area more desirable.

Bill Edwards, the owner of BayWalk (under redevelop-ment as Shops at St. Pete) and manager of the Mahaffey Theater, hired former St. Pete Mayor and Old NE resident Rick Baker to be president of the Edwards Group. [source: Tampa Bay Times, 12/7]

Novelist and parttime Old NE resident Dennis Lehane has offered a cash reward and an offer to name a character in his next book after the person who finds and returns his lost Beagle, Tessa. The dog escaped the yard in Dennis’ Brookline, MA, home. [source: Tampa Bay Times, 1/5]

The hoped-for purchaser of the old YMCA building in downtown St. Pete, Thomas Nestor, has come up with the $8,000 monthly installment on his lease of the $1.4 million historic prop-erty as donors have come forth in response to his appeals for help. Until only recently he was legally prevented from accepting dona-

tions but the state has since given him per-mission. The current owner, Phil Powell, has been at-tempting to s e c u r e a p -proval from the Ci ty to raze the build-ing. In early February the City Council, at the behest of the owner, voted unanimously to provide about a dozen parking spaces adjacent to the building. Both Nestor and Powell are pleased with the deci-sion, which makes the property more attractive to investors. It is estimated that the building requires some $3 million in renova-tions. Nestor hopes to convert the building into a museum, concert venue and youth music center. Powell thinks it has potential for various other uses, including as a boutique hotel, if Nestor is un-able to secure enough funds to complete the purchase. [source: Tampa Bay Times, 1/22, 2/10]

The City’s Redistricting Commission okayed a redrawn City Council boundary plan that will maintain eight current coun-cil members in their present districts. District 4 (which includes The Historic Old NE) is currently represented by Leslie Curran (who will not be running for reelection due to term limits), was the hoped-for district in which David McKalip had planned to run, but the new plan places his residence in District 3, now represented


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by Bill Dudley. McKalip is a neurosurgeon and tea party activist. The current district lines have to be readjusted because the City lost 4,000 residents, according to the 2010 census, and districts are required to have equal numbers of residents. City Council must pass on the redrawn plan by May 12. [sources: Tampa Bay Times, 2/5, 2/6]

Downtown St. Pete has been named (along with Tampa) one of the top 44 urban places for art by ArtPlace, which is a coali-tion of national and regional Federal and private entities promoting arts and cultural institutions. Important criteria are having arts and cultural opportunities within walking distance of businesses, shops and restaurants. [source: Tampa Bay Times, 2/16]

Two pedestrians walking along Coffee Pot Boulevard were struck by a hit-and-run driver on the evening of Friday, January 25. Gloria Mastell was pronounced dead at the scene and Roger Wurr received serious injuries requiring surgery at Bayfront Medical Center; he died February 6 from his injuries. The driver -- who faces charges of leaving the scene of a fatal crash and DUI -- struck the couple near Coffee Pot and Walnut Street NE. Losing control of his pickup, the truck jumped the curb and crushed a utility box before hitting the two and propelling Ms. Mastell into the water. Since the accident various items have been placed at the site as a memorial, including a sign, potted plants and a cross. [source; Tampa Bay Times, 1/26, 1/27, 2/7] For more go to www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/man-woman-in-fatal-hit-and-run-in-st-petersburg-identified/1272394

Photo credit: Bay News 9

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/man-woman-in-fatal-hit-and-run-in-st-petersburg-identified/1272394




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Property TransfersThe St. Pete Times section of the Wednesday edition of

the Tampa Bay Times provides a partial listing of real estate transactions compiled from public records. These entries come from those listings.

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

Source: Compiled from public records and printed in the Tampa Bay Times.

205 5th Avenue N #201 .........................................................Natalya Ivanova555 5th Avenue NE #811 .................................................. Bernice McGroarty224 6th Avenue NE ..........................................................Cory & Tara Gaffney116 9th Avenue NE ...............................................................Maureen Stafford300 9th Avenue NE ......................... Kilner Family Trust & Gary Kilner Trustee615 10th Avenue NE #4 ........................................................... Juleene Carroll655 10th Avenue NE #5 ....................................... Timothy & Barbara Spofford165 11th Avenue NE .............................Nicholas Hooten & Katie Bongiovanni105 13th Avenue NE .............................Bromma Lisa Revocable Living Trust .............................................................& Lisa Bromma Trustee145 13th Avenue NE ...................................................................Warren Smith111 14th Avenue N ............................................. John & Jean Ann Echternach113 14th Avenue N.................................................................... Marci Gleicher143 15th Avenue NE ................................................ Rubin & Maria Bohlander209 15th Avenue NE .....................................................Brett & Denise Holden342 15th Avenue NE ......................................................Steve & Dorit Hudson635 15th Avenue NE ........................................... John Gray & Deborah Quilla636 15th Avenue NE .......................................................William & Lori Custer304 16th Avenue N .....................................................................Ronald Chike326 16th Avenue NE ................................................ Mark & Yvonne Swanson325 18th Avenue NE ...............................................Andrea & Abraham Tzadik176 21st Avenue N .................................................... Andrew & Victoria Hano125 21st Avenue NE ................................................Hannah Hamilton Bowton210 23rd Avenue N .................................................................Susanne Gillern126 26th Avenue NE ..................................................... William & Sally Kebler101 27th Avenue N .................................................... Denise & Jerry Williams195 27th Avenue N ...................................................... Gregory James Reese150 28th Avenue N .................................................................Shawn Macking311 28th Avenue N........ Anderson-Converse Trust & Kerry Converse Trustee638 2nd Street N #2 ...................................................... Christopher Pavlovich833 2nd Street N ............................................................................. Amijati Utji1153 Bay Street NE ...................Olsen/Eitel Living Trust & Ian Olsen Trustee700 Beach Drive NE #102 ..................................................Cynthia Cockburn700 Beach Drive NE #501 ..................................................Beverly Ann Ryan1500 Beach Drive NE ...............................................Michael & Karen Baybut1120 North Shore Drive NE #905 ....................... Hannes & Patricia Teuscher1120 North Shore Drive NE #1003 ..... Putland Family Trust & Narani Pty Ltd733 Oak Street NE ........................................................... Alexandria Euceda1235 Oak Street NE ........................................... Laura Myslewicz Harrington

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P O R C H PA R T I E SPorch Parties are held the third Friday of the month from 7:30-10pm (except December). Porch Parties are strictly social and provide and informal and fun way to mix and mingle with your neighbors. Bring your own beverage. Cups, ice and light snacks are provided. Ask a neighbor to ride or walk over with you. For more info, contact [email protected]

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ON THE DOCKET: Some Upcoming Events In and Nearby Our Neighborhood

We encourage you to go directly to the City website –www.stpete.org and look for Upcoming Events where you can click on “View All Events.” This will enable you to check updates and all the scheduled events day-by-day for the coming weeks and months.

MARCH 30EASTER EGG HUNT, (SEE PAGE 29)

APRIL 5-7 Gem Jewelry and Bead Show and Sale, Coliseum; 892-5202

APRIL 11 Mayor’s Night Out, St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts

APRIL 12-14 Tampa Bay Blues Fest, Vinoy Park

APRIL 18-21 8th Annual Sunscreen Film Fest, BayWalk Muvico

APRIL 19PORCH PARTY (SEE PAGE 28)

APRIL 20 Annual Coastal Cleanup, stpeteparksrec.orgSuperhero Saturday, Great Explorations

APRIL 20-21 Mainsail Art Festival, Vinoy Park

APRIL 22 Tampa Bay Job Fair, Coliseum; 892-5202

APRIL 26-28 St. Anthony’s Triathlon, Meek & Mighty, sports and Fitness Expo Waterfront parks

APRIL 27-28 Green Thumb Festival, Walter Fuller Park; 893-7441

MAY 3-4 Incredible Dog Challenge, Spa Beach

MAY 3PORCH PARTY (SEE PAGE 28)

MAY 9 Happy Hour with the Historian: Jeff Klinkenberg , St. Petersburg Museum of History

MAY 11 Fitness Expo with Billy Banks, The Pier

MAY 24-31 Ultimate Memorial Day, and Final Week of The Pier Celebration

RECURRING EVENTS

(see calendar at www.stpete.org for more opportunities and details and any changes in these schedules)

MARCH 1YOUNG NORTHEASTERS PORCH PARTY

(SEE PAGE 4)MARCH 1-3

25th Annual Florida’s Beach Gasparilla Classic Gym-nastic Invitational, The TropNCAA Division 1 Baseball Series, Al Lang Stadium

MARCH 2 Mobile Collection – Electronic and Chemical Cleanup, 22nd Avenue Home DepotTampa Bay Women’s Expo, Coliseum; 892-5202World of Seuss, Great Explorations

MARCH 7 Happy Hour with the Historian: Terry Tomalin, St. Petersburg Museum of HistoryFlorida-Friendly Landscaping: Landscape Mainte-nance, St. Petersburg Water Resources, 1650 3rd Avenue N

MARCH 8-10 Tampa Bay Boat Show, The Trop32nd Annual Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, Coliseum; 892-5202

MARCH 9 Southeastern Guide Dogs/St. Pete Walkathon, Vinoy ParkClown Alley, All Children’s Hospital

MARCH 14 Mayor’s Night Out, Shore Acres Center

MARCH 15PORCH PARTY (SEE PAGE 28)

MARCH 16NEIGHBORHOOD-WIDE YARD SALE,

(SEE PAGE 15)MARCH 18

NEIGHBORHOOD POTLUCK, (SEE PAGE 1)

MARCH 20-24 Pinellas County Fair, The Trop

MARCH 21 Job Fair, SPC Gibbs CampusClothes to Kids (fundraiser), Coliseum; 441-5050 x22Harvey’s 5K Run & 1 Mile Run/Walk, (benefit Pinellas County schools arts and music programs) North Straub Park

MARCH 22-24 Honda Grand Prix, Downtown; 898-4639

MARCH 23 Gluten Free for Life Expo, Coliseum; 892-5202

MARCH 25NEW RESIDENT MEET-AND-GREET

(SEE PAGE 4)MARCH 28

Senior Fun Fest, Coliseum, 892-5202

DAILYCounting on Fish, Pier Aquarium; 821-6443Yoga, Sunken Gardens; 5513102

MONDAYArt Bites (2nd), Museum of Fine Arts; 896-2667Jazz Jam (1st), Hangar RestaurantLatin Night, The Pier; 821-6443Open Mic Mondays, The Pier; 821-6442

TUESDAY Yappy Hour, The Pier

www.stpete.org

http://www.stpete.org


BUSINESS-RELATED RECURRING EVENTS, cont...

(727)

March 5, How to Make Your Business ThriveMarch 6, Introduction to Business StartupMarch 7, How to Find a Business That Fits You (Franchises)March 11, Marketing Your Business OnlineMarch 12, Establishing a Home-Based BusinessMarch 13, How to Research and Write Your Business PlanMarch 18, Business Start-Up BasicsMarch 19, How to Do business with the CityMarch 20, SBA Loans and ProgramsMarch 21, City of St. Petersburg Incentives and Services for Business Owners and StartupsMarch 25, Estimating and BiddingMarch 26, Credit for Your Small BusinessMarch 27, Social MediaMarch 28, Disaster Preparedness and Recovery for Small Business Owners, SBA 8(a) HUBZone Certification and Federal Contracting

Hoop Dancing, Sunken Gardens; 551-3102New Parents Gallery Gathering (2nd), Museum of Fine Arts; 896-2667

EVERY TUESDAY, THURSDAY AND SATURDAYKids and Kubs Softball, North Shore Park; 893-7108

EVERY TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAYDance classes, The Pier

WEDNESDAYTea Dance (1st & 3rd), Coliseum; 892-5202Coffee Talk (2nd), Museum of Fine Arts; 896-2667Bike Night, The PierHoop Dancing, Sunken Gardens; 551-3102EDGE District Farmers Market (March), 900 CentralCoffee with a Curator (1st), Dali Museum; 823-3767

THURSDAYGenius Next Door (3rd), Dali Museum; 823-3767Opera @ The Dali (3rd), Dali Museum; 823-3767Renegade Social Run, The PierOur Town: Conversations with St. Pete Mythmakers (last), Dali Museum; 823-3767Shakespeare Shakes (2nd), Ale & Witch

FRIDAYGarden Tour, Sunken Gardens; 551-3102St. Petersburg Preservation Down-town Lunchtime Walking Tour (2nd), 243 CentralSt. Pete Shuffle Shuffleboard Courts, 822-2083Family First Friday (1st), The Pier

SATURDAYSaturday Morning Market, Al Lang Stadium parking lotBreakfast with Dali and Families (1st), Dali Museum; 823-3767Horticulture Workshop, Sunken Gar-dens; 551-3102 Pier Aquarium Book Nook (1st), The Pier; 821-6443Super Special Saturday/Family Day (3rd), Museum of Fine Arts; 896-2667Yoga & Family (1st), Museum of Fine Arts; 896-2667Historic Walking Tours, begin at 243 Central Avenue (through April)Arts and Crafts for Families, Dali Museum; 823-3767Take 5 with the Director (2nd), Mu-seum of Fine Arts; 896-26672nd Saturday Art Walks/Gallery Walk (2nd), various downtown locations; 323-ARTSSt. Pete Indie Market (1st), 600 Cen-tral Avenue

SUNDAYInspire Yoga at the Dali, Dali Mu-seum; 823-3767Music Fest by the Bay, The Pier; 821-6443


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Shady Characters of The Old NEThink Pink – Plant Pink: Ode to a Treeby Linda Dobbs

Did you enjoy the “Tabebuia Tree Festival” in The Historic Old Northeast this year? It’s always a

spectacular pink show every February right on Coffee Pot Boulevard NE. That unique and gorgeous pink trumpet tree has stood majestically in our front yard for probably 70 years or more! Our Tabebuia tree (Tabe-buia Heterophylla) can be seen from quite a distance, as it’s the only tree blooming at that time. But, this year the tree surprised us and bloomed early.

Never mind, the photographer from the Tampa Bay Times captured it in a wonder-ful photo that was published on the first of February. The crowds of admirers caught its full bloom, too. They stopped, eyes wide open and gazed upwards with open-mouthed admiration. They were drawn from the sidewalk, the roadway and cars and probably kayaks and canoes. They walked in the grass, sat on the low wall, gathered spent blooms, tossed them in the air over their heads and took pictures. Oh my, did they take pictures!

One couple laid the camera on the wall, leaned over it, threw pink flowers around their heads and kissed – I hope the photo turned out well! Little girls in tutus danced barefoot among the flowers while their moms snapped away. Little boys enjoyed the tree, too – but they were more into climbing, running and yelling. And no one got stung by a bee (they flock to the pink blooms, too)!

The tree is a classy, traffic-calming device for sure. The cars were sometimes three-deep, stopped on both Coffee Pot and 23rd Avenue for photo snapping or just gazing. The traffic was slow enough for families, bikers, walkers, etc. to cross the street safely. There didn’t seem to be any impatient, texting or speeding drivers -- I think even they slowed down to take a look!

Whatever, this is the highlight of our year. We moved into our “dream” house on Valentine’s Day ten years ago and the tree was in full bloom. We had heard from the previous owners that it was a wonderful tree and they gave us the name. But we didn’t pay much attention and had never seen it in bloom. Wow – what a show! Moving from New Jersey, the idea of having our morn-ing coffee on the porch off our bedroom in February was already our idea of paradise. That first morning when we stepped out and beheld the pink tree, we couldn’t believe our eyes! We were in paradise for sure!

Now we have loved and admired the tree for ten years and it seems to be better every year. And we enjoy sharing it, too. Over the years, all year long, we have seen strangers and friends “love” our tree. Truly, hundreds of people have taken photos, hugged the trunk, walked under its spreading “arms” or laid down on the thick carpet of blossoms while meditating or gazing up through the canopy of pink trumpet flowers to the blue sky above. We have seen them reach up to the low-hanging branches to get a closer

look or for a better photo. They have knocked on our door to tell us how much they ap-

preciate it or to ask its name. Over the years we shared print-outs on Tabebuia trees from the internet (Tabebuia is an old Brazilian name given to the bignoniaceae group of flowering trumpet trees), but now we have a semi-permanent sign under the tree itself. We’ve even become friends with some admirers! On the other hand, several people tried to BUY the tree and move it to their property. Can you imagine!?

The tree is not only beautiful and lovable in February. It is a fabulous shade tree. Our friends, our dogs, our friends’ dogs, our kids, their kids -- all flock to the welcoming shade of that huge tree. The rest of the year it is a welcoming oasis of shade – a most valuable asset in Florida.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have those trees all over our City? We have babies we would like to share with residents and the City’s parks department – whom do we contact? This is a glorious tree all year – giving off deep shade in the Summer, dropping leaves only once a year in Winter preparing for the month-long (usually February) profusion of blooms, spreading long but light-weight pods only after the blooms have gone (making lots of babies). Can’t you just picture St. Petersburg in years to come -- the February tourist destination -- totally covered in profuse pink blossoms. Why, it would rival the Cherry Blossom Festival in D.C.! Please, City officials and residents of The Historic Old Northeast, do contact us and let’s “plant pink”!!

But, remember: “Only God can make a tree” – Joyce KilmerLinda and Bob Dobbs have lived at 2296 Coffee Pot Boulevard

NE for ten years. It’s not known how long the tree has lived there, but the best guess is about 70 years. This is based on the fact that a passerby told us he remembers seeing the tree when he was a child, and he is now in his late forties. We know a baby tree doesn’t have flowers for at least six-eight years, and it wouldn’t be remarkable for another eight to ten years after that. The passerby was probably at least eight or ten when he saw it in bloom – thus the tree must be at least 70 and maybe more.) Contact us: [email protected]


by Mandy Minor

As hard as interviews can be to come by these days, it’s amazing how many people don’t truly prepare for them.

You’ve spent hours – maybe even days – perfecting your resume, reached out to oodles of past colleagues and acquaintances on LinkedIn to secure a warm introduction at your target company and earned the edu-cation and experience that’s gotten you into the interview process over dozens of others. Is now the time to start winging it?

Practice, Practice, PracticeLet’s look at an example of someone most

of us probably think was born prepared but who meticulously prepares for important Q&A session: Chief Justice John Roberts. To get ready for oral arguments, Roberts writes down hundreds of questions he could conceivably be asked on flashcards; he then writes the answers on the cards’ backs, shuffles the deck and practices answering the questions. And practices. And practices.

In 2005, when George W. Bush nominated Roberts to succeed Chief Justice Rehnquist, Roberts faced what could be considered the ultimate job interview. He prepared for the confirmation hear-ing in his usual manner, and those who watched the confirma-tion witnessed how he delivered answers quickly, concisely and confidently – essentially, the way anyone hopes to perform in an interview. He got the job.

While you may think, “I know myself, my career and my indus-try. Of course I can answer interview questions!”, the fact is you’ll likely hurt yourself in interviews if you’re not fully prepared. Be-ing fully prepared is the key to setting yourself apart from others in the interview process. So, write down every question you might be asked; Google is a great tool for researching interview questions. Then write down clear, succinct answers that draw on specific examples from your past successes. Finally, practice answering

the questions in front of a mirror and then with a friend.With this pre-interview system you’ll feel prepared,

which will boost your confidence – confidence your interviewer will pick up on. You can increase your confi-dence even more with a few actions some might consider “touchy feely” but that psychologists increasingly believe truly augment your confidence and presence.

Pre-interview Confidence BoostersWhile most people spend the time they’re waiting for

the interview sitting in the reception room fiddling with their phone, Harvard Business School social psychologist Amy Cuddy recommends a different approach: strike a power pose. Instead of rushing through your notes one last time, find a private place – a bathroom stall is ideal – and assume a strong pose where you take up as much space as possible.

In an interview with Inc. magazine, Cuddy described an experiment where she brought people into the lab and analyzed their spit for baseline testosterone (the hormone associated with

dominance) and cortisol (the hormone as-sociated with stress). Half the participants then did a high-power pose for two min-utes while the other half did a low-power pose (hunched over). After the posing she again tested their hormones to find that the high-power pose caused a decrease in cortisol of about 25% and an increase in testosterone of about 19% -- proof positive that striking a power pose helps lower stress and boost confidence.

Kathleen Hall, founder and CEO of The Mindful Living Network and the Stress Institute, offers another confidence-enhancing tactic: repeating a positive affirmation. According to Hall, repeating a positive affirmation can reduce production of cortisol and

stress hormones by almost 50%, lower blood pressure and heart rate and make you feel confident and powerful. Examples of positive affirmations include “I am con-fident in all things. I have unlimited potential” and “I absolutely will succeed in this job if given the opportunity.”

Putting It All TogetherBy employing these tactics, you’ll draw on the tried-and-true

success of preparation and capitalize on the power of positive feel-ings. If all else is even between you and other candidates, you’ll have the upper hand with feelings of confidence, calmness and capability. We all know the allure of confidence, so put it to work helping you land that job or position that’s got your name on it!

Mandy is a life-long St. Pete resident who earns her living as a busi-ness and senior resume writer and entrepreneur. She uses her ten-plus years of resume and career coaching experience to help professionals find jobs they love (you may contact Mandy at [email protected]). A former St. Petersburg Preservation board member, she lives in The Old Northeast with her husband and two daughters.

Don’t Think You’re Prepared for the Interview -- Know You Are




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IN THIS ISSUE• HONNA 2012 Recap• Traffic Safety• Leaf Blowers• Neighborhood-Wide Yard Sale• Porch Parties• Interview Tips• Lots To Do (see On the Docket)

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HONNA March 2013 Quarterly Newsletter

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