The Official Unofficial Seminole Heights Blog

Recently, we had a post discussing the heir apparent to the mayoral throne of
Tampa. With many likely candidates, who would be best? What should be the qualities and traits in our next city leader? I feel that our current mayor has good intentions, but seems to have a major disconnect with her ability to take a plan from concept to reality. For some reason, her vision and the final outcome seems to be a diluted final product. Looking across the bridge, we may see many qualities to consider in our next Mayor.

 

It seems that last week, Pinellas County Commissioner Steve Seibert leaked information that Mayor Rick Baker was named “Mayor of the Year” by Governing Magazine, a national magazine for state and local government officials.

Mayor Baker has turned a once sleepy down town into a vibrant, thriving, bustling downtown area with waterfront shops, dining, sidewalk cafes, night clubs and a plethora of activities to suit all life-styles and ages. The Saturday Morning Outdoor Market now attracts 100’s if not 1000’s each Weekend. St. Pete has been brilliant in developing a downtown area highlighting it’s most valuable asset, the water. Easy accessible by water or car, many activities are featured along the water front. While many may not agree with his no-nonsense form of governing, his vision, courage and determination has helped turn St. Petersburg from a sleeping retirement community into a vibrant weekend destination. While many may not agree with his stance on the tent city, he stood his ground, work diligently to relocate the tenants and tried to educate them of programs, social programs and other assistance for each. As the tent city saga unfolded, many homeless relocated to downtown Tampa. In Tampa, now our downtown is occupied after 5pm as well. Instead of the after five dinner crowd enjoying restaurants, cafes and night life, it is filled with homeless residents seeking food, shelter or a bench along the new river walk park and now spilling onto Bayshore Blvd. Baker has been very visible and active in the communities as his administration has worked endlessly to rebuild South St. Petersburg and other blighted areas.

 

As we seek a new leader in the next two years, we will need to think further ahead. What are the traits and qualities to seek in our new leader: Courage, Vision and Leadership skills. Tampa has the foundation and the assets be a great city. We now need the leader to see the potential, have the ability to execute. Currently, we the bones of a wonderful downtown. Yet, we have spent millions and millions of dollars to create amenities that offer no draw for the citizens to visit or stay downtown. Plagued with a lack of parking, the city has pt the cart before the horse and will now spend years and millions more correcting the problem. Our city has the vacant building that it would take to create a vibrant urban life similar to St. Petersburg, yet lacks the incentive or plan to make it happen. Many of our building owners are not held accountable to maintain or sell the properties so that they may become developed. Instead they continue to decay and, as a result, may fall to a state of irreparable damage. One can hope with the restoration of the Floridian, our turn is right around the corner. Read Brief article below:

 

Governing Magazine has chosen St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker as its mayor of the year, an honor previously afforded to mayors from much larger cities, like Houston. The magazine, which is owned by the same company that publishes the St. Petersburg Times, focuses on state and local government. It’s not scheduled to announce Baker’s selection until next week. But former Pinellas County Commissioner Steve Seibert let the cat out of the bag while introducing Baker on Thursday at the opening of Florida Water Congress in Orlando. Baker, who also leads the Century Commission for Sustainable Florida, credits his predecessors in office. – Particularly Robert Ulrich and David Fischer – for setting the state for his success. “The city’s ding great,” he said. “When the city does great, the mayor gets the credit for it. “

 

 

 

Yesterday evening, in an effort to grab a quick dinner, we wheeled through Sooo Good Bar-b-que on Hillsborough Ave. I must admit, I have tried them before and thought they were just OK. This time was different. The ribs fell of the bone, the meat was lean, the smokey flavor was tastey!

On the prior trip, I tried the okra. (This time I did not risk it, as it was inedible) The potato salad is consistent, but the prize ar

e the hushpuppies. I can eat my weight in them. They have even improved the sauce.

If you have not tried them in some time, I would highly recommend going back. I was pleasantly surprised at the drastic improvement!

Putting the working girls out of business Last Edited: Tuesday, 30 Sep 2008, 4:29 AM EDT Created: Monday, 29 Sep 2008, 11:02 PM EDT

(Watch report here: http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/myfox/MyFox/pages/sidebar_video.jsp?contentId=7541910&version=1&locale=EN-US)

Hookers are a problem in Seminole Heights We’ve got you covered Related Items Videos TAMPA - Shawn Hicks moved to Seminole Heights in the summer of 2000. He loved the area’s charm and character, but even he couldn’t ignore what was moving in. “There are hookers and we need to get rid of them,” said Hicks. But Seminole Heights residents didn’t just sit around and let prostitution take over their neighborhood. They organized watch groups to disrupt the working girls and their johns. It worked for years with the help of the Tampa Police Department.

Helen Harmon is one of the neighborhood watch coordinator for Seminole Heights. She says her new neighbors are seeing the prostitution problem for the first time and sounding the alarm bell. Yet Helen says the key to getting rid of the oldest profession is team work between residents and police. “Within a certain period of time, we’ve seen more than normal and so we need to get it on the radar and make sure it’s a priority for the police department,” said Harmon. On Monday, Seminole Heights residents packed a police meeting. Tampa Police Assistant Chief Jane Castor says over the years some prostitutes have moved out of the city and into the county, but the problem hasn’t completely gone away. Castor urges every resident to have the police station’s number on speed dial. “To get our officers back on the directed patrol focusing on the prostitution issue. It’s a quality of life issue. It means a lot to the residents. It means a lot of the Tampa Police Department,” said Castor.

Talk about fast responses… From the email campaign that started just yesterday, FDOT’s Public Information Officer submitted the below email to a writer/neighbor.

_________________________________________
FROM FDOT
_________________________________________

Thank you for your e-mail.  HART would be responsible for the receptacles at the bus stops.  I have alerted our public transportation department of the issue and they will contact HART directly.

If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate in contacting me.

Thanks…Marian

Today is the big day! Today is the meeting for GSH and TPD. The reason I am more ecstatic about today than any other is that after today, hopefully, we can get back to our lives and (pardon the pun) put the Ho’s to bed. I know, it has been frustrating watching the site turn into an outlet for fighting prostitution. However, in all of my years of living in SH, the stigma that comes from the prostitution has been at times overwhelming.

 

When I started writing for the blog, I wanted to create an outlet for all residents of
Seminole Heights. I wanted the blog to actually make a difference.  When our neighbors to the east started writing, screaming and fighting the same fight that has been fought over and over and over again, I felt is was a good opportunity to bring more attention to an exhausting problem. What I hoped for was for neighbors to offer suggestions, solutions and ideas. I was hoping for the epiphany! One simple thought; an idea that could change the future of Greater SH forever. One can still hold out hope that the idea is out there. One can hope that tonight’s meeting will be that moment. It will be the night that defines the tomorrows of Seminole Heights. 

 

The question will be who holds the key to our future? Who will be the first to offer a solution for us all? While it is easy to try to act like prostitution does not affect our entire neighborhood, in reality, it is a far reaching quality of life crime that touches all of us. Whether it is in your backyard, or seen by your friends or children as you drive to the “east side” to shop at Publix, it can not be hidden or denied any longer. If we can all stand at once to make a stand, we have a chance. So, hopefully, as we get closer to closing the chapter to the “Ho Chronicles”, we can all plan on attending the TPD event, Support our neighbors, Speak out and take a stand. Remember, off our neighborhood has issues that we need help and support. When we need to fight for the Hillsborough River, we call on support from all areas, when Starbucks needed help, we called on all neighbors. With an issue this large, we all need to come together to help our neighbors. See you there!

 

DATE:            SEPTEMBER 29, 2008 (TONIGHT)
TIME:             6:30 PM
PLACE:          TPD DISTRICT III @ 3808 North 22nd Street~  Tampa, FL  33610

EL TACONAZO, 913 E. Hillsborough Ave., Tampa; (813) 232-5889. Seminole Heights’ beloved “Taco Bus” serves up fresh, hearty Mexican favorites at a price that can’t be beat. The colorful atmosphere is matched by the friendliness of the staff and the bright flavors of fresh cilantro, lime juice and sweet red onions in the chicken burrito. For starters, don’t miss the shrimp ceviche. Who needs air conditioning? ($)

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/sep/26/fx-feeders-digest-feeders-digest/

PLEASE MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND TOMORROW NIGHTS MEETING WITH TPD! I CAN’T STRESS ENOUGH HOW THIS MEETING WILL AFFECT ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. THIS IS A GREATER SEMINOLE HEIGHTS EVENT!

DATE:            SEPTEMBER 29, 2008
TIME:             6:30 PM
PLACE:          TPD DISTRICT III @ 3808 North 22nd Street~  Tampa, FL  33610

ALSO, AS A POSTER LEFT COMMENT YESTERDAY,  REQUESTING THAT I POSTS EMAIL ADDRESSES AND REQUEST ALL TO CONTACT OUR AREA LEADERS. PLEASE BE SURE TO SEND OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AN “INVITATION” TO TOMORROW NIGHTS EVENT! I AM ASSUMING THAT CHEIF HOUGE WILL BE PRESENT, BUT IT WILL ALSO BE VERY IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE OTHER CITY LEADERS ARE IN ATTENDANCE.

THOMAS SCOTT - DISTRICT 5: Thomas.Scott@tampagov.net
CHARLIE MIRANDA - DISTRICT 6: Charlie.Miranda@tampagov.net
MARY MULHERN - AT LARGE: Mary.Mulhern@tampagov.net
LINDA SAUL-SENA - AT LARGE: VIA TAMPA GOV WEBSITE: http://www.tampagov.net/appl_customer_service_center/form.asp?strServiceID=51
GWEN MILLER - AT LARGE: VIA TAMPAGOV WEBSITE: http://www.tampagov.net/appl_customer_service_center/form.asp?strServiceID=49

MAYOR IORIO: PAM.IORIO@TAMPAGOV.NET OR PAM.IORIO@CI.TAMPA.FL.US

Recently, I drove the entire distance of our two major north and south arteries, Florida and Nebraska Ave. I was saddening to see the abundance of litter and debris that cover the right-of-ways of both. However, the one thing that appeared to be a glaring issue is the lack of trash receptacles. Along the corridors, especially the Nebraska Ave stretch, it appears that the majority of public transit shelters, benches and bus stops failed to place the trash receptacles. Therefore, passengers sit on the bench with their colas, snacks and meals. Whey they are finished, the litter is simply tossed on the ground. I have written both FDOT and Hartline. However, neither have responded. Therefore, I am asking for your assistance. Maybe if they receive 100’s of letter, action may be taken. Please take the time to send a quick note to both FDOT and Hartline to request that proper trash receptacles be installed as soon as possible.

Email FDOT: scott.collister@dot.state.fl.us , gloria.harmony@dot.state.fl.us and marian.scorza@dot.state.fl.us

Submit a comment directly to Hartline via their website at: http://www.hartline.org/contact/comment/index.htm

Recently, Janet Zink, one of my favorite St. Pete Times Staff Writers wrote a post for tampabay.com. Like myself, Janet is wondering who is heir to the throne to become
Tampa’s next Mayor. While Iorio has drawn much criticism for her laid back leadership style, who will be next in line and what challenges will they face? What Iorio policies will be left to clean up, complete or continue? While I must admit, some of her “could be” heirs scare the heck out of me, some are tolerable. Read her thoughts below.

Tampa Mayor Pam Ioriowill finish her second term in office in 2011. Who’s best-suited to assume the mantle when she moves on? That’s the question posed in a new robo-call. The potential candidates listed in the survey: Hillsborough County Tax Collector Doug Belden, Hillsborough County Commissioner Rose Ferlita, former Tampa City Council member and one-time mayoral candidate Bob Buckhorn, City Council members Tom Scott, Linda Saul-Senaand John Dingfelder; and developer Ed Turanchik. Let the speculation begin…

 

From Channel 10 News

Fighting prostitution on the web

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=90745&catid=8

Seminole Heights, Florida - You’ll see them dressed in hot pink pants with tiny halter tops covering very little skin. Some wear thigh-high leather boots with spiked heels as they sashay over to idling cars, quoting customers a price. Some are men, some are women. All are prostitutes. They conduct their “business” along Nebraska Avenue in Tampa, mainly between Hillsborough Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive. It happens every night starting roughly at midnight continuing on until dawn, and sadly sometimes through rush hour where children can watch. Residents say they’ve had enough. “It’s very visible, it’s very visual, and that’s part of the problem. Some mornings when I take my daughter to school when they’re still out,” Bill Metler says.

Metler is the coordinator for the neighborhood watch association and says he’s embarrassed when he sees what’s happening to the streets near his home. So, he and his neighbors are doing something about it. They are patrolling with Tampa Police to combat the prostitution problem. But, some of Metler’s neighbors say Tampa Police are not doing enough. They have started an online blog where they are sounding off daily. To view that blog, click here. Police spokesperson Laura McElroy says, those participating in the blog are not seeing the whole picture, “We’re trying to come up with a new way to address an old problem in this case it’s the prostitution in the Seminole Heights area. We’re working with residents and trying to figure out new ways to tackle this issue.” In the last month alone, Tampa PD has made 17 prostitution arrests and continue to start their shifts on a community leader’s porch so that officers have a visible presence in the area. Metler says the neighborhood ?roll calls? are successful, where officers are up close and personal on residents’ door steps, “It kind of sends a message to the perpetrators that [police] are here and they’re supportive of our neighborhood.” But, McElroy admits that more needs to be done. She say more residents are welcomed to join the neighborhood watch patrol where people travel in their own cars through nearby streets and call police as they see problems. Officers say they enjoy seeing residents take an active interest. Metler tells us he knows many of them by name, as they frequent his neighborhood on patrol. Tampa Police are having a meeting Monday at 6:30 at the District 3 location on 22nd Street. Seminole Heights neighbors and others are welcomed to join. To read more information citizens’ patrols on the Tampa Police website,