Fourth Quarter • 2009
“Public Safety,” from page 11
SPPD Reaches Mark
Of Excellence
Recently, the St. Petersburg Police
Department (SPPD) went through the
rigors of two intensive assessments.
The first was through the Commission
on Accreditation for Law Enforcement
Agencies (CALEA), an international
agency; and the second, through the
Commission for Florida Law Enforcement
Accreditation, Inc. (CFA), a state agency.
The culmination of the assessments
resulted in the St. Petersburg Police
Department receiving the CALEA’s
Enhanced Certificate of Meritorious
Accreditation, an award earned by agencies with 15 or more years of continuous
accreditation. Additionally, SPPD earned
the Flagship Award which recognizes
accredited public safety agencies that based on previous awards, current assessment and overall professional standing
in the public safety community - have
proven to be exemplary models for “best
practices” for newly accredited agencies.
The process is extensive. Both the
CALEA and CFA assemble assessment
teams that are composed of law enforcement representatives from across the
nation and the state respectively.These
teams are charged with performing a
number of assessment tasks which
include inspecting files; conducting interviews with officers, civilian employees,
and volunteers; conducting a public hearing; ride-longs; read-offs; and observation
of operations in several departmental
units. Overall, SPPD had over a thousand
documents reviewed and had to meet
more than 350 applicable commission
standards. Accreditation is a voluntary
process entered into by law enforcement
agencies desirous of ensuring that the
highest level of professional law enforcement services are provided to their
community. For more information on the
law enforcement accreditation process,
awards received or SPPD programs and
services, call Rich Berman, 892-5463.❁
“Deputy Mayor,” from page 1
to advocating for Midtown Economic
Development as defined by the
Midtown community and relentlessly
promoted Midtown in all sectors of the
city – north, south, east, and west.
An avid history buff, Mayor Baker is
the author of “Mangroves to Major
Leagues”, a historical account of the city
from 23,000 B.C. to the beginning of the
millennium. With his passion for history,
he readily sought to preserve five historical venues in Midtown that had fallen into disrepair (the Seaboard Railway
Station, the Manhattan Casino, the Royal
Theatre, Mercy Hospital, and the Jordan
School). All of these venues have been
restored and with the exception of the
Manhattan Casino, all are occupied and
operating in accordance with the community’s wishes.
The Seaboard Railway Station is the
largest pottery co-op in the nation and
serves as a retail venue as well as a
venue for training pottery clay artists
from around the country and abroad.
Its artistic value is felt throughout
Midtown and the larger community.
Young men and women enjoy the Royal
Theatre under the direction of the Boys
and Girls Club. Seeking to add art and
culture to their mission, the renovation
has allowed for the installation of a
recording studio, a parlor for music lessons, renovated dressing rooms for live
performances and a dance studio.
The renovation of the Jordan School
was recently completed and the venue
has been returned to operation Head
Start for the pre-school training needs
of young children. More than 150
Jordan School alumni joined city staff,
elected officials, neighborhood organizations and the community to celebrate
the grand re-opening.
Johnnie Ruth Health Center at the historic Mercy Hospital site provides valuable community health care to members
of the surrounding community and
beyond. Clients are afforded pharmacy
care by Florida A&M University, dental
care, and a host of other services by a
cadre of medical professionals and staff.
Renovation of the Manhattan Casino is
not complete pending an opportunity to
secure an operator who can provide
services consistent with the community’s vision. During the visioning process,
the attendees expressed a desire to cre-
Economic Development
Continuing the Progress
12
Vol.VI • No. 20
ate a catering/restaurant venue at the
Manhattan in order to host wedding
receptions and other community and
church functions.
The need to provide basic services was
also identified as a critical component of
Midtown Economic Development. As a
result, a library, post office, GTE Credit
Union and Sweetbay grocery store are
now resident in Midtown. With the
exception of the post office, all of the
other venues have been constructed
during Mayor Baker’s tenure. The postal
facility was previously a carrier station
that was renovated and expanded to
provide previously absent full service
postal accommodations.
Important infrastructure improvements
have also been completed, ranging from
traffic mast arms to landscaping, significantly improving Midtown’s visual image.
Dell Holmes Park and the boundless
playground and water features are big
draws for the southern end of 22nd
street south.
The retention and recruitment of new
businesses to Midtown is also a result of
the Baker plan. EuroBake, Greeno’s
Painting and Job Corps are essential to
Midtown’s quest to address the issue
of living wage jobs with benefits.
Additionally, the Business Assistance
Center works with budding entrepreneurs and existing businesses throughout Midtown and the city.
With the expansion of the Midtown
strategy to the Childs Park community,
identified needs have also been met.
Working in collaboration with the
YMCA, a new facility was constructed
and opened in 2008 and contains a
Midtown library. Additionally, infrastructure improvements are ongoing
and assistance to residents in energy
conservation, public safety, and home
restoration has been provided. Much
has been accomplished and the work
continues. However, the question invariably asked by businesses, governmental
officials and prior Midtown/Childs Park
residents touring or returning to the
area is: “Who did it?” The answer of
course is simple -- “ The Baker Did It.”❁
Goliath J. Davis, III, Ph. D.
Deputy Mayor
Midtown Economic Development
Economic Development
Continuing the Progress
Produced by the City of St. Petersburg in cooperation with Economic Development Department
Phone: 893-7100 • Fax: 892-5465 • Web site: www.stpete.org • Editor: Tyna Middleton • E-mail: [email protected] • Phone: 893-7894 • Fax: 892-5323 • Graphic Designer: Janeth Brown
“T
Goliath J. Davis, III, Ph.D.
he Baker Did It”
In 2001, a corporate and business lawyer with a history of civic involvement to include
serving as President of the local area Chamber of Commerce, launched his campaign for
Mayor of the fourth largest city in the state of Florida – St. Petersburg. A graduate of
Florida State University with a B.S. in Management and a MBA and Juris Doctor, which
were completed concurrently, the President of Fisher and Sauls, P.A., campaigned on the
slogan, “Making St. Pete Best: A Seamless City”, and unveiled the “Baker Plan”.
Rick Baker successfully ran for two terms as St. Petersburg’s Mayor and spearheaded
award winning initiatives which have revived the City of St Petersburg and Midtown.
Utilizing a recipe created through community input and collaboration, Rick, “the baker”
has successfully guided the redevelopment of the city’s inner core. The Baker plan listed
Midtown Economic Development as one of its four pillars and with the appointment of
a Deputy Mayor for Midtown Economic Development, Rick Baker has devoted himself
Deputy Mayor’s article continued on page 12
▲ Mayor Rick Baker
A Passion For
Making A Difference
Inspired and challenged to go into business for herself by an uncle, himself an
entrepreneur,Veronica Martin opened
her first venture into entrepreneurship,
Veronica’s Cozy Cottage.Veronica had
worked in the helping profession since
she was 15 years old - working summers
at PARC, a non-profit organization for
children and adults with developmental
disabilities. Before that fateful visit with
her uncle, she felt she was ready for a
change and was contemplating leaving the
profession. After the visit,Veronica says
she immediately wrote a business plan,
something she had never done. A friend,
Veatrice Ferrall, told her about the
Business Assistance Center and she set
up an appointment with one of the
SCORE counselors.
According to Veronica, he “provoked” her
about her decision to open a business,
making her look critically at herself and
her commitment to running a business.
She felt she was ready. She sought a loan
from several banks but was turned down
each time. Discouraged but not defeated,
she applied for and received a loan from
the Tampa Bay Black Business Investment
Corp. (TBBBIC). Since that venture in
2003, she has opened three other group
▲ Veronica Martin, owner of Veronica’s Cozy Cottage.
homes in St. Petersburg.Veronica
describes her services as “residential
habilitation” - a training home setting
where she and her staff help equip people who may have mental illness or developmental disabilities, those who are elderly, or who have experienced a debilitating physical trauma, with the skills to do
the everyday things that they most want
to do.These everyday things range from
opening a bank account, learning to
cook again, moving into independent
living quarters, or taking a trip to the
Bahamas.
Veronica finds that her biggest challenge is not the 25 clients in the four
homes whose ages range from 19 to
71, nor the budgets she describes as
being so tight that it “makes a penny
scream.” Her biggest challenge is finding
the people who share her vision and have
the right mix of creativity, compassion
and desire to help their clients be all that
they can be. “It takes a special kind of
person to do this work—it’s not for
everybody, but that’s okay. Having the
right staff is key.They are the ones who
provide the services and implement the
ideas that I put forth. My staff is my best
marketing tool. Ninety-nine percent of
my clients are by referral through my
staff,” she shares.
Veronica has set up an appointment to
go back to the BAC and meet with a
SCORE counselor. She says, “I want to
re-evaluate where I am, what I should
be doing and determine where I need to
be going.” For more information about
either of Veronica’s facilities, call 3283594. For more information about the
BAC and its programs, call 893-7146. ❁
BAC Offers
Website Series
▲ Mayor Baker, Alex Ho, Deputy Mayor Davis and Council Member Newton
cut ribbon ar grand opening of Cajun Corner • 2101 34th St. S.
September 22 marked the grand opening
for Cajun Corner, 2101 34th St. S.
Cajun Corner, according to owner Alex
Ho is Cajun cuisine with an Asian twist.
His menu includes fried or blackened
seafood and chicken combos and platters,
Po’ Boys, fried rice, egg rolls, jambalaya
and fried pickle chips. Store hours are
11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday,
and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and
Saturday. It's closed on Sundays. Call
329-8924 for more information.
On September 29, CrossFit9 held its
grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony.The franchise focuses on core
strength building, fitness conditioning and
the fundamentals of fitness. CrossFit9
has certified personal trainers on staff,
offering regular sessions that teach various lifting techniques, using kettlebells
and CrossFit 101 training. For more
information, call 687-2866.
City staff and members of the community
joined Mayor Rick Baker, Council
Members and Deputy Mayor Goliath
Davis as they brought greetings and
welcomed Cajun Corner and CrossFit9
to the Midtown community. Both businesses were assisted by city departments
such as Development Services,Water
Resources, Economic Development, and
the Business Assistance Center's Business
Corridor Program. ❁
Service In A
New Location
To find out about the next scheduling of
these classes or to learn more about
other BAC programs and services, call
893-7146.❁
On July 20, the Business Assistance
Center (BAC) opened at its new location
in the historic City Hall Annex.The transition did not curtail services nor did
it hinder business owners’ quest for
knowledge to build and sustain their
businesses.The first class offered at the
new location was How to Write a
Business Plan. Tracey Smith, Economic
Develop-ment Coordinator/Training and
Counseling, proudly announced, “We had
28 attend our first class in our new home
tonight!” This is near capacity since the
maximum for most classes is between 30
to 35 participants. For a listing of other
classes and services offered at the BAC
go to www.stpete.org/BAC , call 8937146 or visit the new location at 440
Second Ave. N. Most classes are free and
there is free on-street parking along
Second Ave. in front of the new BAC
entrance. ❁
▲ Bussiness Assistance Center •
440 Second Ave N.
Mayor Baker and Crossfit9
owner, Steve Ashton, chat • 9 MLK
St. S.
“Business Assistance,” continued on page 3
2
October - Fire
Prevention Month
Pinellas County
Urban League’s
First Annual “Go
Green Career Fair”
On November 5, Pinellas County Urban
League’s (PCUL) Career Connection
Center hosted its First Annual Go Green
Career Fair. The event took place on the
Pinellas Technical Institute Campus
(PTEC), 901 34th St. S.
The goal of the event was three-fold.
First, it offered local businesses an opportunity to showcase green job positions
they offered and to brand their business
as a partner of Florida's "Green" initiative. Second, it offered participants an
opportunity to become educated on the
green movement as it relates to the environment and sustainable energy. Dr.
Christian Wells from the University of
South Florida’s Office of Sustainability
shared information. And lastly, participants had the opportunity to submit
applications and resumes for available
positions with participating companies.
For more information about PCUL or
the Career Connection Center call 3272081, ext. 112.
Pinellas County Job
Corps Center Comes
To Midtown
▲
Grand Opening
The Business Assistance Center (BAC)
recently hosted a three-part Web site
series. Part 1 focused on SEO or
Search Engine Optimization,
designed to help participants understand
the basics of what they could do themselves and when it is best to hire someone else to do it. Additionally, presenters
explained how search engines and Web
sites operate and how Web hosts can get
a higher ranking for their site. In part 2,
Website 101, participants learned what
consumers look for on Web sites and
how to create a call to action; how to
collect visitor information to build a marketing database; what to look for in a
Web hosting company and questions to
ask before hiring a web designer. Part 3
dealt with Blogging and Social Media.
It provided the basics of how to set up
and use a blog and social media and how
to develop a strategy to market your
business.
The new Job Corps, located on the corner of 22nd St. and Fifth Ave. S., has
been a long-term goal of the city of St.
Petersburg and Pinellas County, and is
expected to open in Spring, 2010. City
and county officials announced that they
are very pleased to welcome ResCare,
the agency selected to operate the facility, to the community and look forward to
partnering with the operator to create
new jobs in Midtown and to provide an
integrated vocational and academic training experience for the Job Corps students.
Job Opportunities
ResCare is directly responsible for all hiring decisions. Neither the county nor the
city will accept resumes or make employment decisions at the new Job Corps
Center.Though ResCare cannot accept
▲ Katrisa Winston, Career Connection
Program Coordinator and Gregory
Johnson, President & CEO of the
Pinellas County Urban League at the
League's Green Career Fair
Pinellas County's Boley Center seeks
Green Job Employment Partners.The
Boley Center has recently announced
its new Pathways Out of Poverty Initiative, a
green job training program to teach
workers the skills required in the emerging energy efficiency and renewable energy industries. Boley would like to hear
from Pinellas County employers who are
interested in partnering to help secure
grant funds to advance this initiative.
Please contact Lori Polachy at 528-8400
ext. 4242 or lori.polachy@boley centers.org for more information.❁
phone calls regarding jobs at this time,
they are accepting emails. Please forward
all resumes for employment to resumes
@rescare.com. It's always best to include
a cover letter, specify the position you'd
like, and attach your resume or paste it
into the body of the message. You can
also see Job Corps available positions at
the new center and apply through www.
CareerBuilder.com.
Business Opportunities
Vendors should inquire directly regarding
business opportunities by email to
ResCare at PinellasJobCorpsVendor
[email protected].
On October 3, St. Petersburg Fire and
Rescue(SPF&R) kicked-off the first of
three events celebrating Fire Prevention
Month.The first event was its 20th annual
Block Party held at Walter Fuller Park,
7891 26th Ave. N.The free event included
a safety walk to learn about fire prevention, child seat safety, drowning prevention, interactive touch-a-truck activities
for kids, vehicle demonstrations, games
and more. Other activities included
declaring Fire Prevention Month during
the October 8 City Council meeting and
the dedication of the Walk of Honor
brick memorial to fellow firefighters and
SPF&R staff at Fire Headquarters, 400 Dr.
MLK St. S. Contact www.stpete.org/fire
for more information on the services and
programs of the SPF&R Department.❁
“ “Public Safety,” continued on page 12
Summer Youth
Intern Program
The Summer Youth Intern Program (SYIP)
is an employment program that provides
temporary job placement for youth from
economically disadvantaged families.
Students were placed in either a private
or public work setting. One hundred
fourteen of the 124 student placements
completed the program. Fifty-nine students were placed in the public sector
which includes city facilities and 65 students were placed in the private sector.
Boley Centers, Inc. administered the
Summer Youth Intern Program (SYIP)
2009.❁
Student Recruitment
Student recruitment will be directed
through WorkNet Pinellas and its partnership with Jackson Pierce. Interested
potential students should contact
Carolyn Michael with Jackson Pierce at
[email protected] or 6082492. Please visit the WorkNet Pinellas
site for more information regarding
recruitment.❁
11
MED Week 2009
“Business Assistance,” from page 2
“Education,” from page 9
St. Pete Schools
Participate in AVID
AVID (Advancement Via Individual
Determination) is a program used by
Pinellas County Schools to help underachieving middle and high school students
prepare for and succeed in colleges and
universities.The program targets students
in the academic middle — B, C, and even
D students — who have the desire to go
to college and the willingness to work
hard as well as the ability to go to college. Students in the program take AVID
as an elective and commit themselves to
improvement and preparation for college.
Arts Icon Turns Five
Studio@620, a gallery and performance
space at 620 First Ave. S., has become an
integral part of St. Petersburg’s art and
cultural community. Noted for its diversity and strong sense of community, the
gallery has brought the community
together with a mix of art, culture and
dinner discussions on social justice issues,
poetry readings, dramatic productions,
art exhibits and musical performances drawing a variety of international, national
and local performers, writers and visual
artists. Call 895-6620 or visit www.
studio620.org for information about the
calendar during the venue’s sixth year of
service to our community.❁
The program creates an atmosphere of
positive peer pressure for the students,
so that they are pushing each other to
strive for success rather than perpetuating failure. Supported by tutors, the students work on organization, time management, study skills, writing, note-taking,
reading, and public speaking.
Fifteen Pinellas County middle and high
schools currently participate in the program. St. Petersburg schools that participate in AVID are: Boca Ciega, Gibbs,
Northeast, Lakewood, and St. Petersburg
high schools and John Hopkins, Meadowlawn,Thurgood Marshall, and Tyrone middle schools. Student enrollment in the
program is growing. Last year 875 middle
school and high school students from 13
Pinellas County schools were enrolled in
AVID. Seventy-one of these students
were seniors of whom 52 were the first
in their families to go to college. For the
2009-10 school year, the number of participating schools has increased to 15
and 1,050 students enrolled in the program during the first semester. Christie
McMullen, AVID District Director, states
that they “expect to see a rise in the
number of seniors next year because
there are 153 juniors” currently enrolled
in the program. For more information
about the AVID program, visit the school
board website, www.pcsb.org/asae/
AVIDmiddleschools.html or contact
Christie Mcmullen, at 588-6044.❁
▲ Carter Woodson Museum • 2240
9th Ave S.
Obama: A Perspective
In Photographs On
Exhibit
On August 15, the Dr. Carter G.
Woodson African American Museum in
St. Petersburg hosted an opening reception for the “Obama: A Perspective in
Photographs” exhibit.Through
December, the exhibit will feature compelling photographs and well-publicized
magazine covers of President Barack
Obama during his campaign, his inauguration and a few intimate behind -thescenes pictures from the White House.
The Studio@620 hosted the Fourth
Annual Midtown Through Our Eyes, a
photography project involving students
from Melrose Elementary, John Hopkins
Middle and Lakewood High school.This
year, the reporting and photographic
skills of 43 energized student journalists
graced the walls of Studio@620, documenting their experiences in the neighborhoods of Midtown.The 100-photo
exhibit is the culmination of three weeks
of class work, interviewing and snapping
pictures.The exhibit was available for
public viewing at the October 2
Opening Reception, which featured
student-guided tours of the exhibit, a
performance by the Mt. Zion Drumline
and other student performances. At the
Midtown Poetry Night on October 7,
student poets performed poems about
their experiences in Midtown and shared
poems inspired by the exhibit photos.
And, the Taste of Midtown Finale
took place Friday, Oct. 9. In addition to
a performance by the Melrose Youth
Drumline and Choir, this event offered a
sampling of food from Cajun Corner, Mrs.
Green’s Bakery & Sandwich Shop,
Atwaters Cafeteria, Island Flavors and
Tings, and Lorene’s Fish House - all
restaurants that service the Midtown
community.
For more information about the
Journalism program, call Melrose
Elementary at 893-2175; John Hopkins
M.S., 893-2400; or Lakewood H.S.,
893-2916.❁
The photographs and magazine covers
included work from Time, The
Associated Press, The St. Petersburg
Times, St. Louis Post Dispatch and official White House photographer Pete
Souza.
The Dr. Carter G.Woodson African
American Museum is located at 2240
Ninth Ave. S. Museum hours are 11 a.m.
to 3 p.m.Tuesday through Thursday; and
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday; Saturday by
appointment only. Call 323-1104 or visit
www.woodsonmuseum.org ❁
10
Midtown Through
Our Eyes
▲ Melrose Drummers perform at
A Taste of Midtown
CAPI Hosts
Workshop for
Businesses
Persons with disabilities are an
economically viable and growing
population. Almost 1 out of 5
people in the U.S. has some type of
disability (49 million people). People
with disabilities control $220 billion
in discretionary income.These bits
of information were shared during
Disability Awareness and ADA
Compliance training hosted by the
City's Committee to Advocate for
Persons with Impairments.
Participants learned about:
● Tax incentives to comply with
American Disabilities Act
(ADA) law,
▲ Council Member Curran, Stephanie
Shorr, SCORE counselors and
Shrimatee Ojah-Maharaj facilitate
meeting of artist at SPARC meeting.
SPARC Catches On
Since its initial SPARC (St. Petersburg
Artists’ Resource Collaborative) workshop in May at the St. Petersburg Clay
Company, local artists have created the
SPARC Exchange and formed a SPARC
steering committee.The Exchange serves
as a forum to help artists resolve common business issues and challenges.
The steering committee is comprised
of local elected and city officials and
members of the arts community. At its
September planning session, SPARC
established a regular meeting schedule
and topics for training and counseling.
Pertinent issues will be addressed during
monthly sessions and will be facilitated
by successful local artists. Another outgrowth from this forum of artists was
the presentation of training opportunities
on using state-of-the-art Web technology
and sound marketing practices.To
become involved in SPARC, or to take
advantage of any number of the services
offered by the St. Petersburg Business
Assistance Center, please call 893-7146.
The BAC is located at 440 Second Ave.
N. (behind City Hall). ❁
● Increasing your market share
of customers with disabilities,
● Serving your employees
better, and
● How to outflank your competition and increase your
profits while showing you
care.
MED Week 2009 held its annual conference, September 15-17, at the Tampa
Airport Hilton. Over 250 local business
owners, corporate representatives and
government officers networked at this
year’s conference. Aubri Shauger-Haley,
Small Business Enterprise Specialist
with Midtown Economic Development's
Business Assistance Center (BAC) played
significant roles in the planning, instruction and celebration processes.
Aubri represented the BAC for a second
year at all the planning meetings. She
served on several planning committees.
Additionally, Aubri developed a marketing plan for advertising promotion commercials, working with city of St.
Petersburg’s Channel 35/stpeteTV.
Some of the highlights this year included;
a full day of seminars several of which
were taught by instructors from the
Business Assistance Center, a panel discussion on "Doing Business with Public
and Private Sector" in which a representative from the City of St. Petersburg's
Purchasing Department, Lawanda Bodden
answered questions.
The biggest highlight of the conference
was the recognition of the Minority
Business of the Year for 2009. During
the Awards Luncheon, St. Petersburg
business A & G Environmental, owned
by Alphonso and Courtney Gwyn, won
the distinguished honor of 2009 Pinellas
County Minority Business of the Year.
Keynote speaker for the event was Lenny
F. Springs, President & Chief Executive
Officer of S-Group, Inc. and President of
Queen City Venture Partners, LLC. ❁
For more information on CAPI or
the American Disabilities Act contact
Theresa Jones at 893-7347. ❁
▲ Aubri Shauger-Haley with the award
winning family.
“Bits of Business,” continued on page 4
3
“Bits of Business,” from page 3
Destination Retail
Marketing Webinar
The city of St. Petersburg has joined
forces with a senior retail consultant –
Jon Schallert – to present a three-part
Destination Retail Webinar. The series
is free and hosted at the BayWalk Retail
Shopping complex.The first of the series
“Tips & Tactics to Increase Customer
Traffic Today” was presented October 20
to local business owners. And, on
November 20, the second session
focused on “How to Get Locals to Buy
from Local Businesses.” Subsequent
Webinars will air live inside the Muvico
Theaters from 8:30 to 10 a.m. and
include a live Q&A with business expert
Jon Shallert. Each session is preceded by
a complimentary continental breakfast
from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. in the BayWalk
courtyard.The third in the Webinar series
event date and topic:
● Nitally’s Thai Coffee House, 2462
Central Ave., combines not only the flavors of the cultures of the two owners,
Nit and Ally, it also combines their names
in the name of the restaurant. In addition
to the traditional Thai offerings (stir-fry,
curry, fried rice and noodle dishes), look
for a unique blend of Mexican and Thai
cuisine such as the Panang Burrito or
Chorizo Fried Rice. Soups and salads are
available and most dishes can be made
vegetarian or vegan.There is a wide variety of beverages including hot and iced
coffee and tea and specialty drinks. For
more information, call 898-8424. ❁
● January 2010 – Capturing Customers,
The Critical 7 Seconds
Since 1983, Jon Schallert has been working with independent business owners to
teach his acclaimed business improvement methods, addressing not only how
to survive, but more importantly how to
become a destination business and thrive
in the current economy and beyond. For
more information, call Economic
Development, 893-7100. ❁
● Delphi Studio, at 21 MLK St. S., is a
multi-purpose rental facility equipped to
host special and recurring events including corporate functions, banquets, bridal
or baby showers, private parties, off-site
training, meetings, and graduations ceremonies. Rent a small intimate space or
the whole building.The studio is available
for lease seven days a week and Delphi
staff are available to assist with planning
and coordination. Customized photography and videography services are also
available. Call 490-4515 for prices and for
scheduling your event. ❁
▲ Delphi Studio • 21 MLK St. S.
▲ Nitally's Thai Coffee House • 2462
Central Ave.
● Painting with a Twist is a franchise
business located at 2527 Central Ave.
that offers new-and- never-been artists
the opportunity to create their own
masterpiece.Classes are taught by local
artists. Guests choose what they’d like to
paint from the gallery’s wide selection of
art work and are encouraged to bring
their own beverage and snack items.
Paint, canvas, easels, aprons, and paint
brushes are provided as are ice and
glasses. Regular classes are offered on
Tuesdays and Thursdays. Private parties
and parties for children may be booked.
To sign up for a class, book a party, or
get information, contact them at 727327-4488 or paintingwithatwist@verizon.
net. ❁
“Community Bytes,” from page 8
Be The Wall
Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker and City
Council members along with Nancy
Hamilton, president of Operation PAR,
and officials from several bay area children's agencies, joined forces to sign the
“Be The Wall” mural at Banyan Scapes,
932 49th St. S., on August 25.
The intent of the event was to promote
the belief that parents and adults CAN
make a difference and influence teen's
choices by simply taking the time to talk
to them about the dangers of underage
drinking and explaining that not all youth
drink.
Gibbs High School graduate, Melissa
Thomas, was instrumental in painting
the mural, developing and implementing
a teen survey about alcohol use and
convincing business owners Stefan and
Lissa Kaschkadayev to offer the side wall
of their business on 49th St. S. for a
mural. ❁
St. Petersburg
Carefest 2009
Mayor’s Top
Apple Award
The city of St. Petersburg Neighborhood
Partnership Department and Somebody
Cares Tampa Bay, working with support
from the city’s Codes Compliance and
Midtown Economic Development departments exemplified what a collaborative
partnership can accomplish.This year the
St. Petersburg CareFest completed 53
projects with the help of 73 business,
non-profit, faith based and university
groups.The total number of volunteers
for 2009 was 1700 volunteers, setting a
new record for St. Petersburg. Last year
St. Petersburg volunteers completed 37
projects with 53 groups and a total of
1,037 volunteers. St. Petersburg retains
the Care Cup, recognizing it as a “City of
Compassion for 2009” for having the
most volunteers participate. ❁
On Wednesday, August 12, Mayor Rick
Baker honored 20 St. Petersburg schools,
their principals and assistant principals
that earned an “A” grade from the state
of Florida or improved their rating from
the previous year. Successful school principals will receive $67,000 in cash bonuses. Additionally, corporate partners who
worked with schools as part of the
Mayor’s Mentors & More Initiative were
also recognized. Schools are graded by
their FCAT scores.This year, 63 percent
of all St. Petersburg schools received an
“A” or “B” rating-up from 27 percent in
2001 when the Mayor created the
Mayor’s Mentors & More program. For
more information about the MM&M
program, call 893-7174. ❁
Deputy Mayor
Encourages Dialogue
And Support
▲ Participants sign Be the Wall mural
at Banyan Scapes.
▲ CareFest 2009
Green Chili’s Indian
Bistro, which opened in March at
301 Central Ave., is already expanding.
Owner Madhu Shamas and her husband
Naresh plan to expand into an adjacent
store front.While the Indian bistro offers
fast-food with a la carte items and a
lunch buffet, the new restaurant will offer
a more upscale, multi-course dinner
menu.They hope to open Raga Indian
Cuisine soon. For more information, call
894-3663. ❁
4
▲ New Indian cuisine restauant to
open soon.
▲ Painting with a Twist • 2527 Central
Ave.
▲ Kevin Gordon, Prin. Gibbs High; Dr.Valerie Brimm, Dir. of Strategic
Partnership; Claud Effiom, Prin. John Hopkins Middle; Julie Janssen,
Superintendent P.C.S. Raquel Wigginton, Prin. Meadowlawn Middle.
By invitation from Deputy Mayor Goliath
Davis, III, community activists, educators,
clergy, elected officials and concerned
citizens gathered at Eckerd College to
meet newly assigned African-American
principals Kevin Gordon, Gibbs High;
Claud Effiom, John Hopkins Middle; and
Raquel Wiggington, Meadowlawn Middle;
and, Strategic Partnership Director for
Pinellas County Schools, Dr.Valerie
Brimm.This “Evening with the Principals
and Dr. Brimm” was designed to be a
beginning, encouraging dialogue regarding
issues and concerns surrounding the education of African American students in
these schools in particular that serve
Midtown youth and schools throughout
the system in general.The educators
shared some of their strategies for
change and attendees pledged to be
responsive to a call for support.❁
“ “Education,” continued on page 10
9
2010 Census
The census is a count of everyone living
in the United States.The U.S. Constitution requires that the population of the
country is officially counted at least every
10 years.The Census Bureau, the agency
charged with the task of collecting the
data, collects statistics about the nation,
its people and its economy.This data is
used to determine how many federal
representatives each state will have
(Florida currently has 25). Additionally,
the data helps determine the need for
social services, including community
development block grants and other
grant programs essential for our communities.The Census information is also
used to help determine locations for
schools, roads, hospitals, child-care facilities, senior centers, and more.The more
accurate the data, the more accurate the
prediction of the need for resources for
our city and state. Contrary to popular
belief, all personal information that is
shared for census records is protected by
Federal law. Census Day is April 1, 2010.
For more information about the Census,
contact Barbara Mabee, 452-0281.❁
Weed and Seed
Hosts Ninth Mental
Health Forum
The Ninth Annual African American
Mental Health (AAMH) Training and
Forum, sponsored by the city of St.
Petersburg Weed and Seed program and
the African American Mental Health
Initiative, was held Friday, August 21and
Saturday, August 22. Friday’s training,
which focused on professionals who
work in the areas of mental health, substance abuse, health care and social
services was held at the St. Petersburg
College Allstate Center. Friday’s symposium featured an overview on mental
health issues impacting Florida’s African
American youth in the juvenile justice
system, workshops and a presentation
from luncheon speakers Mac McDowell
and Dr. James W. Favorite from the Black
Leadership Commission on AIDS Tampa
Bay.
Saturday’s AAMH Community Forum,
open to the public, was held at the Childs
Park YMCA, 691 43rd St. S.The community forum workshops addressed “The
Impact of Fatherless Homes” presented
by Patrick Diggs, Pinellas County Sheriff’s
Office of Psychiatry; and “Re-Embracing
the Education of Our Children” by
Dorothy Whitlock, Employee Assistance
Program, St. Petersburg Police
Department.The keynote speaker was
Dale R. Landry, restorative justice consultant.❁
Quote...
“This is what is meant by right action: the capacity to
observe what's happening and act appropriately, without
being distracted by self-centered thoughts.
Concept from Zen Philosophy”
Chillounge
Night Returns
Returning for a second year, Chillounge
again transformed North Straub Park
into an outdoor lounge with chic decor,
lounge furniture, live music, festive lighting, and fashion shows. Proceeds from the
November 21 event will benefit the
Creative Clay, Inc. Cultural Arts Center ,
1124 Central Ave. and the Dr. Carter G.
Woodson African American Museum,
2240 Ninth Ave. S. For details on future
events, visit www.chilloungenight.com ❁
● Island Seafood Market and Bistro,
2057 Central Ave. Owners Linda Schuch
and Elizabeth Moch provide “fresh, locally
caught fish, shellfish and live cold water
lobster from Maine.” Their product may
be purchased fresh or prepared for dining-in or take-out.Their select menu
includes fish and seafood entrees, smoked
fish spread, sandwiches, salads, a lobster
or clam bake and sides such as clam
chowder, steamed red potatoes, corn
on the cob and cole slaw. Non-alcoholic
beverages as well as beer and wine are
available.To place an order or get more
information, contact Linda or Liz at
821-8181or info@islandseafoodmarket.
com.❁
Local Corporate
Foundation
Continues To
Make The Holiday
Season Brighter
The Edwards Family Foundation will
host its Seventh Annual Midtown Holiday
Gala. Each year during the month of
December, the Foundation in partnership
with the Boys and Girls Club of the
Suncoast’s Royal Theater, the Knight
Riders, and various city departments
(including TASCO, Police, Fire & Rescue,
Midtown Economic Development,
Wildwood Recreation Center, and
Marketing) transform a recreation center,
replete with festive decorations, food,
activities for the kids, holiday music, and
Santa and his elves.The gala provides
food baskets, clothing, bicycles and other
toys so more than 200 struggling families
have a brighter holiday. ❁
● For a unique travel experience without
leaving home, visit Agora, 915 Central
Ave. Agora is a Greek word for market
place.True to its name the Central
Avenue location offers unique items, large
and small from India, China and Indonesia.
Look for furniture, incense, jewelry , pottery textiles, and a wide selection of decorative and functional items for the home
and office. Store hours are Monday
through Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. For
more information call Lori at 895-6419.❁
▲ Agora • 915 Central Ave.
● Capricorn Gourmet Sandwiches,
1437 Central Ave., offers a wide selection
of breakfast and lunch sandwiches and
wraps. Breakfast sandwiches are available
throughout the day. Menu items include
several types of Breakfast Burritos,
Cubans, Italian subs, Phillys, Hoagies,
Salads, Chicken Salad,Tuna Salad, Caesar
salads, many Vegetarian options,
Smoothies and a variety of teas and coffees.You may dine in the cozy cafe, eat
under the umbrellas of the sidewalk cafe
or get your meal to go! Catering services
are also available. Monday to Friday, 7
a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. to 3
p.m.; closed Sunday. Call 329-8686 for
more information or to place an order.❁
▲ Capricorn Gourmet Sandwich Shop
• 1437 Central Ave.
▲ The Camera Cure • 2412
Central Ave.
“ “Community Bytes,” continued on page 9
8
● The Camera Cure, 2412 Central
Ave. provides camera repair services by a
trained professional.They service digital
and film cameras, lenses, flash units, and
camcorders from all major brands, including Nikon, Canon, Sony, Olympus, Pentax,
Kodak, Panasonic, Minolta and Hasselblad.
Digital SLR sensor cleaning is also available. Used and refurbished cameras and
equipment are available for purchase.
Hours are Monday to Tuesday and
Thursday to Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed on
Saturday and Sunday. Call 804-1920 for
information.❁
▲ Island Seafood Market and Bistro •
2057 Central Ave.
● Central Corporate Center and
Three C Cafe, at 685 and 695 Central
Ave., are owned by businessman Larry
Twinney.The corporate center is a complex of 40 upscale, executive suites complete with two conference rooms, a
meeting room and two kitchen areas.
Call 490-2020 to find out about the availability of office space.The cafe, located
at street level, is accessible to both center tenants and the public. Breakfast and
lunch items may be eaten as a dine-in
meal, at the sidewalk cafe or taken out.
The menu includes signature items such
as croissant and bagel breakfast sandwiches; beef, poultry and vegetarian
wraps or sandwiches; and classics such
as BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato) and
PBJ (peanut butter and jelly) sandwiches,
burgers, hot dogs, soups and salads. A
variety of hot and cold beverages are also
available. Hours of operation are 8 a.m.
to 3 p.m. Call 490-2017 to place an
order. ❁
▲ Central Corporate Center and Three
C Cafe • 685 and 695 Central Ave.
5
To that end, the SPHA Board of Commissioners has authorized the acquisition
of small developments in non-traditional
public housing areas in order to avoid
concentrated poverty in specific areas of
the city. SPHA has been involved in the
acquisition, sales and redevelopment of
several properties during the past 24
months:
Credit Union For
Midtown
On August 31, GTE Federal Credit Union
representatives, Mayor Baker, other elected officials and community representatives threw the first spades of soil to
break ground for Midtown’s first financial
institution.
● Gateway Place Apartments, 9101 Dr.
MLK Jr. St. N., was acquired in 2007 and
renovations were completed on the 20unit property in 2009.
GTE, will build its second St. Petersburg
branch at the southeast corner of the
intersection of 22nd St. and 18th Ave. S.
(across the street from a Sweetbay
Supermarket).
▲ Twinbrooks Apartments • 3450 24th Ave S.
Twin Brooks Apartments
Boley Centers' latest project,Twin
Brooks Apartments I & II is almost complete.The complex, located at 3450 24th
Ave. S., will provide 42 units of permanent housing through a combination of
14 masonry and 28 modular units.
The first phase funded by a HUD grant,
provides housing for tenants with mental
Program Helps
Residents Get
Bank Account
The ‘Bank on St. Pete’ program, designed
to connect our city’s unbanked residents
to mainstream checking and savings
accounts, is under way.The initiative
offers financial services that encourage
people without bank accounts to deposit
money usually spent on check cashing
fees into a low- or no-cost checking
account. Additional services include: no
or low monthly maintenance fees and
minimum balances; direct deposit of paychecks or monthly benefit checks; free
ATM/debit cards; and access to online
banking, bill pay and money transfers.
Participants in Bank on St. Pete may also
take advantage of financial education,
including learning how to budget, paying
bills on time, or saving for a car or their
first home.
St. Petersburg City Council Member Karl
Nurse, who championed the idea for St.
Petersburg residents, became aware of
6
illnesses.The second phase will provide
affordable housing for individuals who
meet income guidelines.This development was made possible by the support
from the city of St. Petersburg. For more
information, contact Boley Centers at
821-4819. ❁
Construction has begun on the 3,000square foot credit union that will offer
full service residential and business banking opportunities.There will also be
drive-through service. Construction is
expected to be completed by the end of
the year. ❁
▲ GTE Credit Union Ground
Breaking.
Changing Face Of
Public Housing
In its quest to remove the stigma historically attached to “public housing,” the St.
Petersburg Housing Authority (SPHA) has
moved away from building large complexes. Instead, SPHA favors smaller affordable housing properties, which better
integrate low-income residents with
other renters and property owners and
adds value to their communities.The
agency’s goal is to increase the value of
homeownership for single or multi-family
units in surrounding neighborhoods that
still are suffering from the plunge in
home values since 2006.
● Saratoga Apartments, 3475 32nd Ave.
N. and 3480 33rd Ave. N., is a 34-unit
affordable rental development featuring
handicap-accessible apartments and energy efficient upgrades.
● Currently, SPHA is appling for approximately $17 million in federal stimulus
grants to revitalize the Graham Park/
Rogall congregate site.
SPHA has been recognized by HUD
(Department of Housing and Urban
Development) as a leader and innovator
in the field of affordable housing and
was the recipient of HUD’s “Best
Practices” award. Additionally, SPHA has
received several national agency Awards
of Merit from the National Association
of Housing and Redevelopment Officials.
For more information about SPHA, visit
www.-stpeteha.org or call 323-3171. ❁
The Crislip Arcade, a commercial building
located in 600 block of Central Ave., has
laid dormant and in disrepair for several
years.This is soon to change. In a effort
to revitalize the area, city officials and
community leaders are working with
property owner,Thomas Gaffney to
transform the arcade and its storefronts
into an area where artists and related
businesses have the opportunity to do
business in the downtown area at
reduced rental rates. Spearheaded by
Council Member Leslie Curran, a bevy of
arts and arts related organizations and
art lovers have worked diligently to clean
up and raise money to defray some of
the revitalization cost of the Crislip.
To apply for a bank account, go to the
nearest local participating bank. For more
information on Bank on St. Pete, including
a list of participating banks and credit
unions, visit www.BankOnStPete.org. ❁
On July 11, a community clean up of the
vacant storefronts revealed a variety of
items left by previous business owners.
These items were gathered and sold at
a sidewalk sale held on August 22.
Proceeds from the day-long sale will
More than 150 alumni gathered under
a tent in front of Jordan School on
October 13 to celebrate the restoration
of the school which had sat dormant
for more than 35 years. Deputy Mayor
Dr. Goliath J. Davis, III, presided over the
ceremony. Joining the alumni were Mayor
Rick Baker, Council Chair Jeff Danner,
Council Member Wengay Newton, III,
and Head Start Executive Director M.
Juanita Heinzen who brought greetings
and shared reflections on Head Start’s
impact on the community. Other guests
included staff from Pinellas County's
Head Start/Early Start Program, state
and local elected officials, city staff, representatives from Renker Eich Parks
Architects, Hennessy Construction
Services, and other guests.
Program highlights included the Pledge of
Allegiance recited by a group of Head
Start/Early Start children; the singing of
the school's hymn by six Jordan alumni;
comments by Head Start Alumnus Joseph
Harris (a recent graduate of Florida A &
M University) on how the lessons he
learned in Head Start laid the foundation
for his successes; and a tour of the renovated facility - which for several alumni,
brought back memories of their time in
those very classrooms.
The restored school is the city’s first
certified LEED (Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design) renovation.
The historic building will house Head
Start/Early Start classes and office
space.❁
Crislip Gets Face Lift
the ‘Bank On’ program while attending
the 2008 National League of Cities conference. St. Petersburg is one of eight
cities selected to participate in the second phase of the National League of
Cities initiative and the first in Florida to
launch its own ‘Bank On’ program.The
project is a joint effort between the city
of St. Petersburg, the Wealth Building
Coalition/Pinellas Prosperity Campaign,
the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta,
Project Prosper, the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the
National League of Cities. Bank On St.
Pete has also partnered with 14 financial
institutions as well as various community
non-profit organizations who will assist in
providing financial education and outreach to enrollees.
Jordan School
Re-Opens
▲ Work continues on the Crislip
Building on the 600 block of
Central Ave.
be used to refurbish the arcade and
the storefronts. Project Manager, Gary
Burnside stated that though they had
encountered more damage than originally
anticipated reconstruction is moving
along well.
Constructed in 1926, the vintage Crislip
Arcade is one of the few remaining commercial arcades in downtown St. Petersburg.❁
▲ Alumni of Jordan Elementary pose
with Mayor Baker and Deputy
Mayor Davis at the Grand Opening
of the historic school.
7