Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood News - June 2009

Historic

St. Pete’s Jewel on Tampa Bay

Old Northeast Neighborhood News
Published Quarterly

Volume 36 Issue 2

www.honna.org

June2009

Another Eggcellent Neighborhood Eggtivitiy
Ducks, squirrels, an over-sized bunny and Mayor Rick Baker were on hand to greet a hundred or so eager children at the annual Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by The Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association (HONNA) on Saturday morning, April 11th, at Coffee Pot Park. With guidance and encouragement from a couple hundred parents and grandparents, a swarm of babies, toddlers and kids scoured the bushes, trees, playground equipment and other hiding places for almost 1,300 candy-filled plastic eggs, “special” eggs and packaged treats. Two dozen stuffed animals were the prizes awarded in various categories – like “most found eggs” and “best dressed” – based on two boy/girl age groupings. Organized and funded by the Platinum Group of Smith & Associates Real Estate – Cynthia Serra, Connie Lancaster, Bob Riner and Ed Sandford – this was the seventh year Cynthia, an Old NE resident and driving force behind the annual Halloween decorating contest, has made this event possible. She is conspiring to put together an afternoon “grown-ups” version of an Easter egg hunt for neighborhood adults next year once the kids have had their fun. Any ideas on what shape this might take are welcomed (contact her at [email protected] or 580-3335). HONNA thanks the Platinum Group for its continued generosity, the many volunteers who prepped the park continued on page 24

Our June Monthly Neighborhood Meeting is a

POT LUCK
An Informal Opportunity to Enjoy Good Food and the Company of Neighbors and Friends, Both Old and New

Come to the second of what is becoming a fun tradition in the neighborhood. Our March monthly neighborhood meeting was a pot luck, our first of three planned for the year. It was a big success with over 50 folks joining in the fun and bringing delicious foods to share. So the June meeting will be our second pot luck, to be held on Monday, June 15th, at our regular gathering place, Westminster Presbyterian Church at 126 11th Avenue NE. HONNA will provide the main entrée (meat and meatless), bevercontinued on page 2

IN THIS ISSUE
July 4th Children’s Parade .................... 5 Web Site Changes ............................ 5-6 Historic Neighborhood Landmarks ...... 8-9 Pythons in the Park ............................ 13 Money-Saving Garden Tips ................ 26

June 15th Neighborhood Potluck Dinner/ Neighborhood Plan Vote

UPCOMING MEETINGS
July 20th Tampa Bay Regional Transportation

No August Meeting

Mark yo calenda ur r!

HONNA Neighborhood Meetings are held the third Monday of each month (except August and December) at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 126 11th Avenue NE Social: 6:45pm HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS • Business: 7pm Page 1

know what these restrictions are. If you have any questions about water usage, please check our web site for links to important info. Watch for HONNA’s new web site. The web site steering comMaureen Stafford mittee has been working very hard and maintainAssociation President ing a rigorous schedule to pull together the details to make this an even greater tool for us. We are I would like to welcome all our new resioffering an exciting opportunity for someone who dents who have just moved here. Whether you would like to take over maintenance of the new own or rent, we are glad to share the neighsite. Nona Peebles, who has been working quiborhood with you. To the rest of us “timers,” etly and diligently behind the scenes for a very it is lovely to meet you out walking or in the long time as its administrator, is passing on the store or just enjoying your porch. web site maintenance baton. If this is something We, your Board members and lots of volunthat interests you, please e-mail Joe O’Connor at teers, have been working for you, mostly [email protected]. This position could be a hind the scenes, finding ways we can continue gratifying challenge for you, if you like to be creto make The Historic Old Northeast neighborative and want to give back to your neighborhood hood an even better place to live. A big THANK (and could be an impressive addition to your reYOU to all of you for giving so freely, and in sume!). We are grateful to Nona for her excellent Barbara Marshall, Donna good spirit, of your time. Guillaume and Maureen Stafford work in keeping us current on all the wonderful The March potluck meeting was a huge suc- greet yard-salers details of life in The Historic Old Northeast. cess. The turnout was terrific, and we loved We will look for you at the June 15th potluck dinmingling and getting to know you all. The food was a big hit along ner meeting!!! And don’t forget the 4th of July Children’s Parade. with the stories you all had to tell about what brought you to the neighborhood. It was an equal pleasure to learn about your famiPotluck from page 1 lies. Thank you all for sharing. This is what makes our neighborages and you can bring a favorite dish to dazzle our taste buds. hood so wonderful — good neighbors. Here’s our request. Depending on where you reside, here’s The neighborhood-wide yard sale is over and with some 50 what you can bring: homes participating, with cars and people all over the neighborBetween 5th-9th: bread or appetizer hood shopping. It’s kudos to Tracey Locke and her team, along 10th-14th: a salad of some sort (examples: greens, pasta or Jell-O) with Barbara Marshall. 15th-22nd: a dessert Due to an unavoidable delay, the general membership vote to ap23rd-30th: vegetable dish prove the new Neighborhood Plan is now on the June meeting schedule. Make enough to serve 6-8, depending on what it is you’re We will have the Plan available for you to view at this meeting and bringing (of course, you get to take home any leftovers). you can ask any questions you might have prior to the voting. If you were not able to be at the April meeting to review the Plan, you can If you are kitchen-challenged – or even if you’re not – we view a copy on the HONNA web site (honna.org). This is an imporencourage 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 tant document for the future of your community. Your participation those in need. in this process is what will help keep our neighborhood strong. Plan to arrive between 6:45-7pm so we can lay out all the food We have been so blessed with the weather continuing for so long and begin dining by 7 or so. There will be no formal program – in the year with quite bearable humidity. However, it is not hard to just neighborly conversation at tables over dinner. If you can’t notice that we have not had rain in a very long period. At this time it arrive by 7, come when you can as the food should hold out until is important to keep reminding ourselves that water conservation is we start to close down around 8pm. Have children? They are very necessary. The fines for watering out of your designated time welcome, too, though you’ll know if you have to bring special zone and against restrictions are severe so I urge you to be sure you food for them. Not a HONNA member? You’re definitely invited anyway. And if you decide to join, we won’t stop you.

The President’s Perspective

AD RATES
1Qtr 50 100 200 400 400

AD SIZE
Business card 1/4 page (H 4.9" x w 3.7") 1/2 page (H 4.9" x w 7.8") Full page Single page insert*

2 Qtrs 93 186 372 744 700

3 Qtrs 128 256 512 1024 1000

1 Year 160 320 640 1280 1300

The Newsletter of the Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association
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]
Editor Rick Carson Columnists and Reporters Peter Stanhope Mike Dailey Mike Panetta David Forman John Gee Yvonne Swanson Chuck Lindeen Linda Dobbs Circulation Contributors Newsletter Layout & Design Advertising Information

*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 August 7 th . 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/Coffee Pot Bayou Blvd). There are approximately 2,800 active home mailing addresses. Contact Rachel Sartain: [email protected] Ad space is limited so please make arrangements early.

Keaton Green Barbara Rhode Amy Labie Jill McGrath

Cathy Leonard and Joe O’Connor All our Old Northeast neighbors Sharon Bond: [email protected] Rachel Sartain: [email protected]

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HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Association News & Activities
months to get the Plan ready for presentation to the HONNA membership at the April monthly meeting. At that time, pages of the Plan were on display and residents were asked to review them. Consultants Bob Jeffrey and Mike Dove were on hand to discuss the purpose and layout of the Plan, while Mary Alice Lange explained the process which began in 2002 with the Neighborhood Profile and Pictorial Survey. In addition, our City Council representative, Leslie Curran, was in the audience and expressed her enthusiasm for the Plan. At the June 15th monthly membership meeting/pot luck supper, the Plan will be presented to residents for approval. Once approved, it will go before the City’s Planning and Visioning Commission for its review, and then to City Council for final approval. For those who would like to read more about this “roadmap” for the neighborhood’s future, it can be found on HONNA’s web site at www.honna.org. Those working on the Children’s Education Project (our neighborhood’s book, Souvenir of St. Petersburg, Views from the Vinoy) joined our Education Partners, Sunken Gardens and the Pinellas County School System to host in April a Teacher Workshop for all elementary social studies teachers in the St. Petersburg elementary schools. Author Robin Gonzalez taught the workshop, while committee members made tea sandwiches and cookies for the reception following a tour led by Bill O’Grady of Sunken Gardens. The Gardens will be offering field trips for schools whose students are using the book in their studies. Sunken Gardens provided the beautiful setting and drinks for the occasion, Elaine Normile and Robin Reed made sandwiches, and delicious cookies were provided by Jeanne Hunter, Carol Kline, Suzanne Laurencell, Cynthia Silvestri and Nancy Tait. Burt Kline provided his assistance in getting 32 boxes of books to Sunken Gardens to be donated to the participating schools. Over the past several months, Pinellas

The March monthly meeting was the first of this year’s planned Pot Luck suppers – an opportunity to socialize, enjoying the company of new and old friends and a variety of foods without the typical “business” aspects of the usual monthly meetings. Over 50 residents participated in this experiment, which seemed to be well-received. The next pot luck will be on June 15th (see p. 1). April’s neighborhood meeting focused on the draft Neighborhood Plan (see Planning/Historic Preservation report below). In addition, there was a report by one of our Community Police Officers. Our CPOs regularly update us at our monthly meetings on recent criminal activity in the neighborhood. In this instance, a rumor of a sexual assault in the area was discovered to be unfounded. Also, residents are advised to exercise care when dealing with people coming to their doors seeking work or selling goods/services; ask to see the person’s required city or county permit. Adding to the evening’s enjoyment was an array of foods, compliments of Chipotle’s at 780 4th Street N. Nona Peebles, our web site administrator for the past couple years and the person most responsible for its new “look” and having brought it to where it is today, has decided to step down from the post due to other commitments and obligations. A committee has been meeting over the past couple months to consider how to take the web site to a new level [see “Web Site” report below]. We thank Nona for a job very well done. Mary Alice Lange, Board member and recent past Association president, was a finalist for the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce Women’s Symposium’s Community Service Woman of the Year award. While Mary Alice did not win (the honor went, deservedly, to Barbara Heck, the president of the Council of Neighborhood Associations), Mary Alice’s commitment to serving The Old Northeast and the City has been extraordinary.

Committee Reports
Planning/Historic Preservation Committee
Robin Reed, Chair HISTORIC PRESERVATION Members of the Historic Preservation Committee have been exceptionally busy this past quarter. Those working on the update of the Neighborhood Plan met every other week for several

HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

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JOIN OUR COMMITTEES
Your volunteer involvement in one of our committees will help enhance your neighborhood and our association. Please contact any committee chair for information.
Candlelight Tour of Homes: Chair, Julia Brazier, 895-4443 C.O.N.A. Rep: Bob Watts, 821-8997 Crime & Safety: Ron Magray, 502-9065 Bob Hunter, 898-7987 Planning & Historic Preservation: Robin Reed, 825-0480 Membership: Barbara Marshall, 385-4746 Neighborhood Design Review: Mary Alice Lange, 251-2034 Newsletter: Rick Carson, 898-7834 Programs and Publicity: Tracey Locke, 475-0287 Traffic: Bob Watts, 821-8997 Web Site: Joe O’Connor (interim) 894-6786

New Members
Haike and George Abraham ................................................ 9th Avenue N Duane Aylsworth ............................................................ 17th Avenue NE Marleen Basile and Will Nelson .................................... 11th Avenue NE Robert and Trisha Birkenstock ......................................... 6th Avenue NE George Calamari and Karen Dienesch-Calamari ................. 7th Avenue N Nathalie and Franck Carlier ........................................... 18th Avenue NE Christine Cass and Colin Fiske ......................................... 9th Avenue NE Tom Cooper and James Kelley ......................................... 29th Avenue N Jeff Craft ......................................................................... 12th Avenue NE Jennifer Diedrich ................................................................. Beach Dr NE Michael Finch and Lora Smeltzly Finch ......................... 15th Avenue NE Charlotte and Michael Gilbert .......................................... 14th Avenue N Debbie Harrell ................................................................ 22nd Avenue NE Maria Herrera-Turner and Thomas Turner ........................ 8th Avenue N Albert and Marilyn Lewis ................................................ 17th Avenue N Michelle and Matthew Litsky ....................................... 17th Avenue NE Charleen McGrath and Bob Young ................................. 18th Avenue NE John and Carol Olt ............................................................ 12th Avenue N Debbie Pendergrass ......................................................... 14th Avenue NE Cliff and Rebecca Purington ........................................... 16th Avenue NE Jerry and MJ Robinson .................................................. 18th Avenue NE Ken and Rochelle Ryan ...................................................... 8th Avenue N Chip and Grace Smoley ....................................... North Shore Drive NE Lynne and Charles Stamey ............................................... Oak Street NE Leslie and Brian Waechter ............................................... 14th Avenue NE Friedel Wolk ....................................................................... 31st Avenue N
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CLIP AND MAIL

Crime Watch Fact Sheet
Name _____________________________________ Address ___________________________________ City/State: St. Petersburg, FL Zip: _____________

Like our neighborhood? Want to make it even better? Volunteer with one of our committees!
Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association
OFFICERS and BOARD
President Maureen Stafford Vice President Bob Watts Secretary Peter Stanhope Treasurer Douglas Haan Directors Julia Brazier Rick Carson Bob Hunter Mary Alice Lange Tracey Locke Ron Magray Barbara Marshall Robin Reed 488-8154 821-8997 896-6272 488-5514 895-4443 898-7834 898-7987 251-2034 475-0287 502-9065 385-4746 825-0480 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Home Phone: ______________________________ Office Phone: ______________________________ Cell Phone: ________________________________ E-mail: ____________________________________ Emergency Contact Person ___________________ Contact’s Phone # ___________________________ HONNA Member: Yes____ No____ Would like more info on membership Yes___ No___

Signed: ___________________________________

HONNA
PO Box 76324, St. Petersburg, FL 33734

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

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HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

County’s Director of Social Studies, Linda Whitley, enthusiastically promoted the workshop to teachers and attended the event. In the coming weeks, books destined for the remaining local elementary schools will be delivered. And speaking of our Vinoy book, it received an “outstanding achievement” award in the Preservation Education/Media category from the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, which recognizes significant contributions of individuals, societies, businesses or government entities that have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of historic preservation. Quite an honor for all who were involved in the production of this publication. Congratulations to all! The Spring Walking Tour on April 26th led by Rob Wertz and Mike Dailey was a great success. A beautiful day greeted tourgoers who were treated to some of the neighborhood’s more unusual history [see “Preserving the Character of Old Northeast Houses” in this issue], including a case of spontaneous combustion that remains unsolved to this day! Rob and Mike also pointed out unusual bay window configurations, different types of brick used in early Old Northeast construction and multi-family housing units built to look like single-family homes. We encourage residents who have an interest in the neighborhood’s history or architecture to join us for these most interesting tours which HONNA sponsors twice a year.

HONNA will be part of the 10th Florida Neighborhood Conference being held in St. Petersburg. HONNA will be organizing a walking tour of The Historic Old NE for conference attendees on Friday, July 10th. The tour — which will feature landmarks such as Sunken Gardens, Granada Terrace, the Vinoy Resort and our waterfront parks – will also include a light supper for over 40 expected guests. Our own “walking tour” impresarios, Rob Wertz and Mike Dailey, will lead the tour.

Programs and Publicity Committee
Tracey Locke, Chair I write this a day after our 3rd annual community yard sale and am thrilled that we can park at least one car in our garage again. Nearly 50 homeowners signed up with HONNA to participate on Saturday, May 2nd. We appeared to have hundreds of visitors to the

neighborhood. Some heard about the sale from the continuously improving www.honna.org web site. Web site volunteer Joe O’Connor used Google Earth to create a detailed listing of sales and an on-line map. Go Joe! It looked great and was a very helpful tool for shoppers. Homeowners were asked to donate a portion of their sales to HONNA toward the repair and landscaping of our neighborhood monuments. After the sale, we filled a Goodwill truck to capacity in an hour with items that didn’t sell. Maybe a few people will be able to park in their garages again! Thanks to our friends at Westminster Presbyterian Church for being “yard sale central” and the starting line for all the bargain hunters. For our monthly HONNA meeting on May 18th we had scheduled a panel discussion on the future of The Pier. USF History Professor and Old NE resident Gary Mormino was to discuss the landmark’s historical significance while City Council member Leslie Curran was to update us on the City’s task force recommendations and findings. We also planned to hear from The Pier’s marketing director, Susan Robertson, about what merchants are doing to make The Pier a viable destination. Any idea what TBARTA stands for? What is the timeline for getting light rail in the Tampa Bay area and, more importantly, how much will it cost you? Those are some of the questions that will be answered at our July 20th monthly neighborhood meeting. We will hear from the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority about its recently unveiled master plan for transportation in Pinellas County. Also, we are again holding the 4th of July Children’s Parade on Saturday, July 4 th , from 9am-noon at Coffee Pot Park (30th Avenue and 1st Street N). If you have kids, this is a must-attend holiday event. The American Spirit Fife & Drum Corps will be back this year to enthusiastically lead the parade. Huge thanks to neighbor Donna Fudge and her law firm, Buckely & Fudge, for again sponsoring the fife and drum corps! The celebration will be held at Coffee Pot Park at 30th and 1st Avenue N with the parade beginning at 10am – parking will be tight so expect to park on side streets. We do need some volunteers for this so please contact me if you can lend a hand. Details can be found at the HONNA web site. To volunteer for an upcoming event or to provide feedback about how we can improve events like the community neighborhoodwide yard sale, please e-mail me at [email protected].

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Not to be missed!

Web Site
Marion Arnold, Web Site Committee Member HONNA Web Site 3.0: More collaboration and more information. HONNA will unveil its updated web site this coming fall with the goal of bringing you more: more interaction between our neighbors and more resources about our neighborhood. Your suggestions will help achieve these goals.
HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

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After two years of designing and maintaining the web site, Nona Peebles has announced that she is ready to pass the baton. The Board appointed a steering committee to find a new web site administrator volunteer and to review potential enhancements to the site. Some enhancements under consideration are: • A newsroom page covering relevant neighborhood events • Members-only resource pages • A mom’s page for forming play groups, etc. • Pages for committees to exchange information with volunteers for special events, such as the Candlelight Tour and more • E-mail alerts for topics that concern you • Selling tour tickets and other HONNA merchandise Two new important features recently added to the web site include online payment of membership dues and membership registration/renewals. The web site also supported the recent neighborhood-wide yard sale held on May 2nd. Participants could go to the web site to register for the yard sale, all yard sales were listed and described and an interactive map displayed yard sale locations. These features attracted almost 400 visitors to the web site in just a couple of days — about ten times the usual traffic. The HONNA web site steering committee is eager to hear your ideas for our neighborhood web site. And if you have web site skills and can volunteer any amount of time, you can have a direct impact on the web site’s success. To share your ideas and interests, please visit the web site (honna.org), take the survey and add your suggestion and comments.

Membership
Barbara Marshall, Chair Thanks to you our HONNA membership to date totals 274. I’m happy to report that we’ve had 38 new members sign up in 2009 as of early May. And we thank those 50+ members who renewed this year (through early May), as well. The HONNA Board thanks you for your support! RENTERS: HONNA also welcomes you to join our neighborhood association. Go to www.honna.org to fill out the new membership application or look for it in this issue of the newsletter. Cathy Leonard continues to manage all aspects of the membership database and all related historical membership records that go back several years; she and Anne Shumate take on the large task in the fall to send out reminders to renew memberships expiring this year. Renewal reminders are also sent to those neighbors whose memberships have expired during the past two years. We want you back! Please let us know how we can make that happen. Can’t thank Cathy and Anne enough for their on-going support. “Meet and Greet” led by Cynthia Sylvestri continues to be an important part of welcoming new residents to our neighborhood. She and husband Don and Robin and Joe Reed drop off “Meet and Greet” packets quarterly to new neighbors learned about through real estate sales. And since we have a number of renters who are HONNA members, we want to be sure to include those neighbors. Since we don’t have a way to know what renters are new to the area, as we do with home purchasers, renters are encouraged to contact Cynthia to receive a “Meet and Greet” packet. Any questions about “Meet and Greet” can be directed to Cynthia at [email protected]. We are also looking for another couple to support Cynthia and Don. All that’s required is a Saturday morning once monthly for a couple of hours to drop off packets to a small handful of new residents assembled by Cynthia. You’ll see included for the first time in this issue of the newsletter an enhanced “new membership application” form as well as the renewal form for those who know it’s time to renew their membership. If you’re not sure of your renewal date, send an email to [email protected] and she’ll let you know. We’re always looking for new residents to give membership ideas and to help with the work that’s involved. Again, we are looking for another couple to help deliver “Meet and Greet” packets. Any questions or interests, don’t hesitate to contact me at [email protected].

Got web site skills?
Got some free time to share your talents? Please contact Joe O’Connor to learn how you can help the neighborhood association….

Crime & Safety Committee
Ron Magray, Chair Crime Watch will meet the third Monday of every month at 6pm, just prior to the regularly scheduled HONNA membership meeting at Westminster Presbyterian Church. We are all proud of our community. Being close to downtown and other commercial areas has its rewards, but unfortunately with the good comes the bad. To maintain our neighborhoods as safe desirable areas during these tough economic times we all need to be involved! Allowing unknown individuals who canvass the neighborhoods looking for work to come into or work around your home is dangerous. Report suspicious persons by calling the police non-emergency number, 893-7780. More membership in Crime Watch is needed for our program to work effectively. Go to the HONNA website and join or concontinued on page 20

admin@ honna.org or 894-6786
TAKE the SURVEY About HONNA’s changing web site Go to honna.org
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HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association
P.O. Box 76324, St. Petersburg, Florida 33734, www.honna.org
New Membership Application Please check this box if you DO NOT want your name, address or email published in a neighborhood directory (distributed to members only): New Memberships: Thirty dollars ($30.00) annually per family/residence. Payable to HONNA. Annual renewal notices will be sent to your address. Send check along with this form to above address or pay via PayPal at www.honna.org. Or join HONNA on line at www.honna.org. Membership questions: Barbara Marshall, Membership Chair at 727-385-4746. Print Clearly (Thanks!) Member Name: First name Spouse/Partner Name: First name Children and ages (optional): Last name Last name

Contact information: Mailing address (street and/or box number):

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Tel (best to reach at—note whether home/office/cell): --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Email addresses: Member: Partner/Spouse: Old Northeast Neighborhood Interests/Comments: * see “Other” below

CIRCLE below those HONNA activities of interest to learn more about and/or participate: Community outreach: schools, business, civic/community groups Membership Home/garden tours Website

Crime Watch Meet and Greet Porch party committee Events

Planning/Historic Preservation Beautification/landscaping Newsletter Other (provide above*)

When did you move into the neighborhood? (Month and year)

Neighborhood Renters can join as members, too!
HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

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Historic Neighborhood Landmarks
by Robin Reed, Chair, Planning and Historic Preservation Committee First in a Series

A Long History of Hospitality
by Jill McGrath
The Boyce Guest House (now named the Sunset Bay Inn) sits on the corner of 6th Avenue and Bay Street NE in the Historic Old Northeast section of St. Petersburg. The majestic cream-colored house, with red accents façade, is the first “landmark” house to be presented in a planned series for this newsletter. Landmark status, of a building with a “prominent or distinguishing feature” in the neighborhood, is never awarded without close scrutiny of the history, design and eleid you ever walk up to an interesting looking old house and notice a beautiful ments of historical significance in the bronze plaque near the door that said “historic?” What did you think? Perhaps development of a neighborhood. When the house was built, the develyou wondered if someone famous had lived there. Or if there is something special about the architecture of the building. Or if something important happened there opment era of C. Perry Snell was in full years ago. Well, any or all of these things could be the reason the house has been swing. What is now called the North “landmarked” or specially designated as “historic.” The owners of these buildings know Shore subdivision is one of the earliest residential neighborhoods in St. Petersthey live in a special place. Probably they have spent time researching the history of their burg. The house was one of the estimated house and are proud to share its past with others by placing a plaque on their home. 109 buildings recorded as dating between You may not know that St. Petersburg has a landmarking program called the Local 1914-1918 in the North Shore area; howRegister of Historic Places, an official listing of neighborhoods, properties, sites and build- ever, no architect or builder is known. In ings throughout the City that are architecturally and historically important to the commu- 1916 a “C. Booth” is listed as a resident. nity. To join this illustrious group, an owner must contact the City’s Historic Preservation According to the prior Historic Planning Committee’s documents, the house was Office to see if his or her property qualifies and, if so, make application to the City for described as a “2 and ½ story balloon landmark status. framed house, a vernacular form of an In addition to “pride of place,” there are other benefits of this program, including ad eclectic mixture of house styles so popuvalorem tax relief. It entitles owners of eligible properties to a freeze on City and County lar during the years of 1890-1915.” Vernacular (non standard) architectural property taxes incurred from rehabilitating a historic property for a period of 10 years. styles were very popular and the comDesignated properties are also exempt from meeting the literal application of certain parts bined Craftsman and Prairie “high-style” of the Florida Building Code. elements are clearly exhibited in the guest In order to ensure that the property maintains its historic character, there are also some house’s design. “During the land boom obligations to the homeowner. Exterior alterations (other than routine maintenance) require of the 1920’s, the house changed occureview and approval by the City though the Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) process. It pants frequently” and according to the may be of interest to note that since the historic preservation program began in 1987, 97% City Directory was vacant from 1929of all COA applications have been approved. Interior changes are NOT reviewed unless they 1935. In 1947, a golfing vacationer, Robert Boyce, happened to see the house with are part of an application for the City’s ad valorem tax relief program as noted above. a sale sign attached. He “submitted a very In The Old Northeast, there are currently four homes that have the unique distinction of low offer and was surprised that it was being “landmarked.” They are: the Whitted House at 656 1st Street N; the Robert West accepted.” He returned to his home in House (“Pineapple House”) at 101 6th Avenue NE; the Boyce Guest House (Sunset Bay Connecticut, gathered his wife, Barbara, Inn) at, 635 Bay Street NE; and the Monticello Apartments at 750 3rd Street N. Our and his two step-daughters, Barbara and neighborhood has many other homes that would undoubtedly qualify for “landmark” sta- Martha, and opened the Boyce Guest tus. If you would like to have your home considered for listing on this prestigious Register House. For 20 years, they rented rooms or would like more information, please contact Robin Reed at 825-0480 or during the seasonal months of November through April. Air conditioning was [email protected]. non-existent for most dwellings so sum-

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mer months did not lure visitors to Florida. In 1967, the Boyces sold the house and the new owner continued the guest house tradition. The house went back on the real estate market in 1995. Until 1996 there were “no major alterations to the main structure” though the house was described as being in “fair condition.” The lack of alterations helped to preserve the important elements of design through the years. After the house came on the market, Mrs. Boyce’s daughter, the former Martha Williams, accompanied by her mother, Barbara Boyce, and her husband, Bob Bruce — vacation visitors from Atlanta — saw the house with a for sale sign, and the Bruces made the purchase. Martha had come full circle back to her Florida childhood home. Martha has many happy memories of living in the neighborhood and remembers that the period “during the late ‘40s to early ‘60s, the neighborhood was as it is today.” Among the guest house visitors were major baseball heroes such as the NY Giants Bobby Thompson. In 1997, when the Boyce Guest House renovation application for historic designation was made to the City of St. Petersburg, Neighborhood Design Review had already approved the renovation plans. During the St. Petersburg City Council meeting of March 6, 1997, the Boyce Guest House (application HPC #9603), was awarded the designation as a Local Historic Landmark, as found in City Code, Chapter 16 and marked with the Seal of St. Petersburg. During the two monthly hearings of the Historic Preservation Commission (currently named the Community Preservation Commission) on this designation, and with no opposition, the renovation proceeded. Among the documents offered for renovation approval were the plat map, an aerial photo, a photo of the original structure showing “Typical Prairie Stylistic Elements” and another photo examining “Typical Craftsman Stylistic Elements” and the property survey. Tim Rhode, Boyce Guest House circa 1950 the project’s architect, included extensive architectural drawings of elevations and structural view drawings. The new owners, Martha and Bob Bruce, could now begin the process which would restore the house to its previous glory. Along both the Bay Street and 6th Avenue sides of the house, the original brick paving and granite curbing survived, as well as the hexagonal block sidewalks which frame the property. According to the 1994 Northshore Survey, the Boyce Guest House has been “a contributing element in an historical district,” now spanning almost 100 years. For a landmark designation, a statement of significance must be addressed and the Bruces began the complex process of rehabilitation with the declaration to return the house to its former historical importance. Vernacular examples of the Prairie style exhibited in the Boyce Guest House are porches subordinate to the principal two-story mass, hipped roofs. Multiple hipped dormers, upper sashes of wooden-muntin double-hung windows and

wide eave overhangs which are boxed in or enclosed, are other characteristics of Prairie style. Other elements, also included in the style of the house, are masonry pillars supporting porch roofs and horizontal siding. These features are easily identified in the enclosed photographs of “before” and “after” the 1996-97 — and only — renovation in the history of the house. Characteristics of the Craftsman style found in the façade of the house include wide-eave overhangs, wood clapboard siding, large exterior masonry chimneys and decorative, carved brackets. The Vernacular, high-style elements of both the Prairie and Craftsman styles are complementary, as is evident in the architecture of the Boyce Guest House. On the first floor, there is an entrance foyer which faces a hallway leading directly to the staircase. From the foyer, to the right are a living room and a library/sunroom. To the left of the foyer is the dining room and kitchen, with the master suite tucked in behind. The kitchen pantry area opens onto a sitting porch and stone terrace, the terrace connecting the main house to the former garage apartment which now houses two suites and the laundry for the inn. The second floor of the main house has a balustrade and is “four square in plan” and there are four luxurious bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. On the third floor there are two bedrooms and baths. Martha Bruce recalls that the one year renovation project was “challenging…to maintain all the characteristics of the home externally and internally, as much as possible…including all new plumbing and electrical components.” The house reflects all the hard work and careful thought to preserve their historical gem. Martha and Bob, and Barbara Boyce, renamed their home Sunset Bay Inn, and it has earned coveted hospitality awards including AAA’s Four Diamond rating. In 2005, after almost ten years as innkeepers, the Bruces sold the Boyce Guest House/Sunset Bay Inn with the new owners, Linda Collette and Rich Klimek, continuing the hospitality. It is only fitting that the old Boyce Guest House has been awarded both the City’s Historic Preservation Award and a Beautification Award. Today, it remains a beautiful example of extraordinary efforts to preserve the unique historical architecture of The Historic Old Northeast.
Resources and quotes by Martha Williams Bruce as well as quoted excerpts from St. Petersburg City Records of HPC #96-03

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) complete house restoration project and they have promised each other that it will be their last.

HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Page 9

Over The Back Fence

by

S

and

S

…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, gooddeed-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!

4 th Street: Interior Design Row?...Being, an upscale furniture and home accessories store that also specializes in interior design and redesign, has moved into The Old Northeast from BayWalk. The neighborhood is excited that owner Amy Bromley has relocated closer to our neighborhood and some of our residents have probably already visited – the Grand Opening party was held on May 8th. With the addition of Being to other furnishings/design-oriented businesses like Lasting Impressions and Marion’s, who’s to say our piece of 4th Street can’t become a location for similar shops and businesses and a destination point for Tampa Bay area residents looking for one-stop shopping for quality products and services? There’s an entire vacant mall – Cocoanut Grove – at 30th and 4th Street N that could house numerous such businesses. It’s a blank canvas waiting to happen. Hey, you entrepreneurs out there, let’s make this happen. Being is located at 1575 4th Street N (corner of 16th Avenue N and 4th Street); 727/822-6252. Kudos…Dickens House Bed & Breakfast at 335 8th Avenue NE is celebrating 10 years of hospitality service to St. Pete visitors. Innkeeper Ed Caldwell opened Dickens House in March 2000 after the 1912 Arts and Crafts period home underwent a meticulous and complete five year restoration. It’s known for extraordinary multi-course breakfasts and a classic understated club-like décor highlighted by the carefully restored wood trimmed windows and coffered ceilings. The property was purchased in 1996 by Ed, a Rhode Island School of Design graduate and mural artist. Over $16,000 in code enforcement liens were in place on the property at the time, requiring years of painstaking work to overcome the 20 years of deferred maintenance. Five layers of rolled roofing failed to keep the interior dry and all ceilings and most walls were removed. Compete new wiring, plumbing, fire suppression and fire monitoring systems and three HVAC systems were installed. Original heart pine floors were resurfaced. The interior staircase was salvaged from the former Chicago Hotel, now the site of the new All Children’s Hospital. The fireplace was rebuilt and the porch was reopened. The site required total landscaping. The investment of all this time, effort and

money has earned Dickens House Frommer’s highest possible rating, a St. Petersburg Preservation Award and features in numerous newspapers and magazines. For a quick look at this neighborhood landmark, go to www.dickenshouse.com. Pizza!!...A new pizza parlor has opened its doors in the ‘hood. Old Northeast Pizza, owned by the proprietors of the Old Northeast Tavern next door, offers pick up at their 718 2nd Street N location or will deliver (209-2550). Too Tempting…How do you like that new stretch of smooth, black pavement on 22nd Avenue NE between Bay Street and Coffee Pot? Pretty nice, huh? Pretty tempting to press the pedal down, too. Just remember: the speed limit is still 30mph. New High Rise on 1st Street… There’s a new condo on the 2700 block of 1st Street N. Kind of a tough climb getting to the unit but the hawk-like resident doesn’t seem to be having any problems flying in. Good view, too. Block Party, Anyone?.. Neighbor Gordon Powers (Beach Drive NE) recently hosted another of his “verandah” parties for a get-together for nearby neighbors. It was BYOB and guests were requested to bring an appetizer to share. Easy way to throw an inexpensive party and meet the people around the corner you only know to wave to. How about throwing one yourself (and tell us how it went)? …If you need more of an incentive, how’s this for a reason to throw a block party? The St. Petersburg Times (4/12) reports that a Tampa woman’s home was burglarized in the middle of the night while she was sleeping. Her eventual reaction? It’s time to have a block party. She realized she had become “the neighbor who waves, says hello, but does not engage.” The break-in became a catalyst, opening her eyes to the fact she had spent too much time minding her own business and staying out of everybody else’s. Sound familiar? Why not follow her lead?

R E S P E C T
FROM OUR READERS: Inquiring Minds Want to Know… + How long will it take for drivers to learn how to navigate the roundabout at 30th and 1st? Virtually all drivers on 30th come to a complete stop and do not venture into the circle even when they clearly arrived at the roundabout first and have the right-of-way.

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HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

The city might as well put stop signs on 30th since that’s the reality. + How do you approach a neighbor who has a dog that doesn’t bark – it roars? It sounds like a lion in a cave. + I’ve got neighbors who think nothing of sitting in their back yard gabbing loudly at 2 in the morning. What’s a nice way to tell them to get some manners so we can get some sleep? + These new watering restrictions are kind of confusing but I think one of the residents down the block is cheating. Should I be a snitch? Who do I call to report them? What if I’m wrong? If you want the City’s: Water Resources Department: 8937261; Water Conservation Office, 892-5688 or go to www.stpete.org/water/watering_restrictions.asp (and prepare to become very confused). If you wish to report (anonymously) someone you believe is watering illegally, phone 8925020 to leave a voice mail. + I’ve got a list of “irritations.” 1) The Ba Fen ence Ov er The Back Fence is a passers-by who pick the flowers along our sidewalk garden and, when STEP ON UP caught, shout and expletives; 2) visitors who bring a rake and drag Spanish moss from the limbs of our live oak, screaming, e-mail: [email protected] “It’s not your tree”; 3) Someone who reached up into our orange tree and attempted to pluck one of our perfectly ripe oranges before being caught; these people seem to have a strange sense of entitlement – “what’s yours is mine.” + In a letter that appeared in the 4/29 edition of the St. Pete Times “Neighborhood Times” section, a writer opines that “everyone should share the road” and goes on to say: “On more than one occasion we have also encountered groups of bicyclists on Coffee Pot Boulevard and North Shore Drive that have taken up the entire travel lane plus the bike lane, riding three and four abreast and very reluctant to allow passage.” You Know It’s Spring in The Old NE……Our own Sounds of Spring: the rhythmic roar of engines during the Grand Prix…..the loud speakers waking us at 6 in the morning for the St. Anthony Triathlon. And for those of us in the “lower” part of the ‘hood, street parking is virtually impossible when any events are going on in the park. Of course, parking is

possible when you ignore the signs and regs. Yes, the police may have more important things to do than cite illegally parked cars on such weekends, but think of all the fines that will pour in as a result (and perhaps educate drivers as to the parking laws and make the streets safer at the same time).

pbo Soa pbox...
L ET’S H E AR F R OM YO U

Test your knowledge of The Historic Old Northeast in a new feature on HONNA’s web site. Learn trivial factoids to amaze your friends at social gatherings! Go to honna.org. and click on

“Do You Know…?”

Have you been to a

Porch Party

See page 18 for the upcoming schedule

LY L A T E LY ?
HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Page 11

As The Pages Turn...

Neighborhood Book Group
by Susan Coffey
ONE Great Book club continues with one fascinating book after the other. For our last book selection Barri Boudreaux, who lives in Whispering Waters, selected a play. The play she chose was The Crucible by Arthur Miller which is based on the Salem witch hunts during February 1692 and May 1693. Hundreds of people, mostly women, were falsely accused and executed as dealing in witchcraft. Barri, who is an actor, was heavily involved in a production of this play in Washington, D.C. Arthur Miller wrote this play in the early 1950s in response to McCarthyism when the government blacklisted anyone thought to be connected with Communism, especially those in Hollywood. The similarities between McCarthyism and the witch hunt are eerily familiar. The play is in four acts and Barri, being the actor she is, had each of us take on a character and read lines, which made the play really come alive. The time is of course puritanical New England and anything done for pleasure is considered satanic and against the church. A group of young girls are caught dancing in the forest, which sets the whole play and the accusations of witchcraft. The girls are not accused — rather they accuse others of making them act in such a way. This sets off a panic throughout the town and anyone and almost everyone is accused of witchcraft. Trials are held and one must prove their innocence, since they are guilty before being proven innocent. Some are let go but others are found guilty and hung. This led us to quite an in-depth conversation not only about Salem but of McCarthyism, the Japanese during WWII and other groups wrongly accused of a crime because of mass hysteria. Arthur Miller does take some poetic license and changes ages of characters and uses the characters to fit his play, but he stays true to the events and this makes for interesting reading. The play has since been made into a movie twice, once in 1957 and again in 1996. ONE Great Book Club gives this a thumbs up. We continue to have a waiting list for the book club; however, a “sister”/ ”brother” book club has started. You may contact me at cofflash @aol.com or for our related book club contact Colleen Grant at [email protected].

Urban Environments
Custom Landscaping – Outdoor Urban Living
Owner, Operator, Designer

Craig S. Hyde

727 . 418 . 2820
Ask us about our new Do It Yourself program to help you achieve beauty on a realistic budget.

www.urbanenvironments-stpete.com
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HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Ponderings
Pythons in the Park
by John Gee
A few days ago, there was a photograph in the newspaper of water buffaloes wallowing around in the Everglades. I know little about these creatures but was sure that these animals were not native to our state and someone, for whatever reason, found it appropriate to allow these animals into our ecosystem. So there they were, rooting around in our swamp, looking quite happy to be swimming around in a place that was certainly not their own. This didn’t seem like an appropriate thing to be doing in Florida, but I soon discovered that water buffaloes are the least of our problems. The same day I saw this photo, I read an article about all the weird, strange and downright scary plants and animals that have immigrated to Florida and taken up residence. The authors explained how, during Hurricane Andrew, things were so blown up that creatures from zoos and private collections in the Miami area were strewn all over south Florida. Monkeys, birds, lions, tigers and bears were suddenly set free and, like Oz, were sucked up and deposited in a wonderful land where they could survive and thrive with little if any human intervention. But it wasn’t just a hurricane that was scattering all these creatures around. It appears that people who buy imported animals sometimes get weary of (or inattentive with) these beasts, and any number of exotic creatures are let into the wild to take up residence in a place that offers many of the same comforts of their natural abode. I also read an article about a woman who was an expert in spiders. Why anyone would dedicate a life to looking at these creatures is incomprehensible to me, but nevertheless this woman spent her time poking around in dark cellars looking to see what kind of these scary things are appearing in our country. What she discovered will keep me out of our house’s crawl space forever because now we share space with creepy-crawlies from all parts of the world. Some are relatively benign but others really don’t like us at all and can do all sorts of horrible things to show their displeasure. But of all the creatures great or small that can scare the daylights of us…the granddaddy of them all is the Burmese Python. Most of us have heard about one of these snakes whose eyes were bigger than his stomach and, while consuming a way too big alligator, literally blew himself up. He was just one of thousands of the new Florida version of the Burmese Python and they are spreading like Kudzu all over Florida. A few years ago a diamondback rattler was found in North Shore Park and people went nuts, but those guys are natives and have every right to be here. What’s going to happen when a 16 foot python shows up at

the Blues Fest and starts to squeeze the life out of the person sitting next you? The problem with these pythons (and all the other animals) is that they are just like many of us. They, too, ended up living in a state with an environment designed to make all animals, human and otherwise, as comfortable as possible in very pleasant surroundings. Once settled, our slithery friends found other transplanted foreigners with similar backgrounds in which to share space and learn how to adapt and flourish. Although they didn’t come to play golf and enjoy the weather, they did discover golf courses as a great place to find food and the weather was pleasant enough where they had little trouble settling down and raising a family. So, in many ways we are just like them although we have been infinitely more destructive. I not really sure about those buffaloes, but let’s give some of these imported creatures some credit. Unlike us, they didn’t come here to build gated communities, shaky banks, fast food joints, highways and strip malls. They just found themselves a really nice place to settle down, raise a family and swallow some of the environment. I wonder if I can still be so blasé about a python on the day I find one with my dog in its mouth. John and his wife Kathy moved to St. Pete from New Mexico six years ago, and he currently teaches history at a Sarasota high school. He has served on the HONNA Board where he cochaired its Historic Preservation Committee. You can also read more from John in the Northeast Journal.

HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Page 13

Preserving the Character of Old Northeast Houses
Two New Online Historical Resources:

by Mike Daily

Sanborn Maps and Google News Archives
y partner Rob and I lead walking tours twice a year (sometimes more often) through different routes in The Old Northeast. In our most recent tour, “Old Northeast Curiosities,” we had to do more research than usual to find stories about the people and places along the tour route. Two very valuable tools we used in our research were the Google News Archives and online versions of the Sanborn maps. We talked about these resources during the tour. Google News Archives (http://news.google.com/ archivesearch) is a godsend for researchers. It searches digitized copies of old newspapers to find stories you would formerly have to slog through deteriorating microfilm and use a printed index to locate. One of the topics we covered during the recent walking tour was the case of Mary Hardy Reeser, an apparent victim of spontaneous human combustion in 1951. I read about this case in “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” way back in the 1970s but couldn’t remember the particulars. Neighborhood wags told me that her residence was at 12th and Cherry Street NE but I needed more details to fill in the gaps. Google News Archives to the rescue! I went to the web site and used the “Advanced Archive Search” button. Under “Source” I selected “The Evening Independent”. That dearly-departed St. Pete daily newspaper tended to have more extensive (and saltier) local coverage. I typed “Mary Reeser” and “spontaneous human combustion” into the search bar and…presto! Every article that ever appeared in The Evening Independent about Mary Reeser appeared in the window. For those who have never heard of this case, Mary Reeser was an elderly widow who lived in an apartment at 1200 Cherry Street NE. Her neighbor brought her some dinner and was probably the last person to see her alive. In the morning, a telegram delivery boy knocked on the door and found the

M

News Archive Search

doorknob hot to the touch. Firefighters were summoned and gained entry to a ghastly scene. The apartment had dark smoke stains on the ceiling and upper part of the walls, but the lower walls and floor were mostly undamaged. The chair where Mrs. Reeser had been sitting was burned but still intact but Mrs. Reeser had been reduced to ashes, leaving behind just an unburned foot (complete with shoe still on), a piece of vertebra and a shrunken skull. The newspaper followed the frenzy over the next few months as the St. Petersburg Police Department investigated and the FBI got involved. The case remains unsolved to this day. The Sanborn maps online can be found by typing “Sanborn maps online St. Petersburg” into the search bar. There are digitized versions of the original paper maps that until recently have only been available in libraries and history museums. The Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps were used nationwide from the late 1800s till the 1970s to help fire insurance agents determine the degree of risk to properties and establish premiums. They provided accurate maps showing the outline of every building, its construction type, number of stories and certain features that might impact insurance worthiness (fire hydrant locations, chimneys, firewalls, etc.) We used the maps to determine the age of the structures along the walking tour route and any additions that were made along the way. The maps provide a wealth of detail on the built environment of St. Petersburg over 100 years ago and help paint a picture of the lives of its residents.

Mike, an Old Northeast resident since 1996, holds a Master of Architecture degree from the University of South Florida.

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HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

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t was wonderful to see Earth Day with so many engaged in grass roots activism and promoting green and sustainable living. I don’t think I’ve seen this much environmental activity since the ‘70s. But did anyone notice the marketing blitz? Is Earth Day becoming a Valentine’s Day with green recycle logos and tree silhouettes? Does it all seem like a month-old Christmas toy stuck under the sofa? As an environmentalist almost since the first Earth Day and an architect for almost two decades, I delve into the more technical and critical perspective of environmentalism. Geeky might be a better description. I found several really vital discussions very absent from the Earth Day chatter and felt compelled to promote this information somewhere, maybe here on the Green Page. Granted, they aren’t light topics — don’t fit into sound bites easily and aren’t comforting with their outlook…and probably why they weren’t in the news highlights. Then after writing it — and not finding a way to make compelling information clear while fitting the page size — even I was beginning to get depressed. Then inspired simplicity by a friend and a third grader’s bulleted homework outline: it is all about you …but not the way you think. There is no being on the fortunate side of the planet, whether de-forested rainforest, melted icecaps or toxic oceans. We’re all in on this planet together and it will take all of us to get through our eco-breakdown. An empowering and depressing perspective that wasn’t well punctuated during the eco-days is that we are all “individually” critical parts of a delicately balanced global machine. And it can’t

• One fifth of the population, the richest fifth, consumes by itself 86% of all goods and services. • The assets of the richest 200 people in the world are greater than the combined income of the poorest 2.5 bilwww.youtube.com/watch?v=IoRjz8iTVoo: This link is a video clip of Bill McDonough, an architect and innovator of the Cradle2Cradle concept at a “TED” conference. Its message is humorous, direct and clearly speaks to the world that we are facing, an “Inconvenient Truth” meets Bill Maher…meander through other great discussions at www.TED.com.

Green Facts :

Green Clippings:

I

by Michael Panetta

GR E E N

The

PAGE

HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

lion people in the world. Of the 1.3 billion people living in extreme poverty today, more than two-thirds are girls and women. • Between 1900 and 1999, the world population quadrupled. Just between 1960 and 1999 it more than doubled, from three billion to over six billion, and we are currently growing by more than 80 million people every year. • Almost 40% of the earth’s land surface has been converted to cropland or permanent pasture and half the planet’s tropical forests have been destroyed or degraded. • The USA has 4.5 % of the world’s population but consumes almost 40% of its energy resources to fulfill those wants and needs. We think of Earth, our world, as a massive, infinite, unshakable, eternal thing, but it’s actually continually renewing and balancing itself. While imperceptibly changing all around us, it is rapidly becoming far less diverse, fragile and far more susceptible to environmental fluctuations. Why? Because the stress of our growing population and the reckless consumption of our own delicately balanced global ecology, resources and co-inhabitants big and small have finally caused our enormous eco-system to begin to react to “us.” The world’s growth is explosive and the resources we consume to exist are staggering. Please look at the numbers in the “Green Facts” below, especially the first and last. We are the conspicuous consumers of the world, and that isn’t the bad news. China and India, each with 1/5 of the world’s population (2.5 billion combined) want what we have. I wanted to bring a positive thought to each item but this is really tough. The scarcity of basic resources like water, food,and even air may be extreme by 2050 if We continue our way of consuming. But sharing advances in resource management and carbon neutral, cradle2cradle and renewable protocols with developing countries can buy time to figure out how to balance ten billion people with Mother Nature. (Please watch the link with Bill McDonough — there is promise.)

How Many?
be “balanced” by government policy, politics or an economy…and, like an addict, fundamental change must come from self-realizations for perpetuating our children, the Earth and the responsibility to live in-bounds of our ecology. Thinking that government can solve our eco-problems is like standing a pyramid on its point because “We” are the base, the ultimate consumers of everything (I use “We” as in our civilization). Our governments, businesses and institutions are only representative and managers of our stuff. Like it or not, We do the consuming, We are in an ecosystem and the system has rules. And if We don’t understand the rules or our role in the game, then we can’t possibly represent it, govern it or put value to it. But how do we get to We? Now the empowering part. A global conversation is happening now. Nations are beginning to acknowledge and behave like we have finite resources on this tiny blue orb. And…We don’t have to understand or undo all that is out of synch in the environment to behave like an eco-citizen. What is that? It’s you, now. You’re the base. You can take on how to live within your carbon footprint and then drive that message up and out. How? You learn! Sound like a great discussion at the dinner table and a Green Page? So, it is all about you.

Links in a chain …
There was a time when humans used to know how to live with ecology, not on it. Did you know there are rice paddies in China that have been in service for over 10,000 years? In our own “Four Corners” states, the Anasazi Indians built amazingly complex organic sustainable structures with a thriving society for a dozen centuries on desert plateaus (10AD-1300 AD). How? They understood limited resources and respected everything in their world as part of themselves. Generationally, they improved their world and passed on their valuable lessons of how to balance their society and ecology. These “generational memories” are the “links in a chain” that tie us to each other, nature and time. This is how we learn, adapt and evolve…or not. My “green mentors” weren’t very distant or even that ancient (they’d be happy to note). They didn’t hug trees, attend Earth Day festivals or look for post-consumer recycled content in a supermarket aisle. Because it wasn’t “green” — it was just the way they lived. My grandmother and parents had sensibilities of a different place (rural Italy) and a different time (NYC in the Depression and WWII) where nothing was wasted, used without purpose or taken for granted, and I learned like all kids do — I watched. These influences weren’t unique to my family: they were the values of “The Greatest Generation.” Despite the scarcity of the ‘30s and ‘40s, there was always the way to live well and within means. There was grounding in the greater good. They grew gardens to eat healthy, made clothes and furniture. Things were repaired, built and created. They lived it and it shaped them and the generation never lost the lesson “waste not, want not.” As children, one daily chore was the trip to the compost after

dinner. Saving the planet? Nooo! We were making food for grandma’s tomato plants and next year’s sauce. Why? It didn’t make sense not to. Now, we “kids” rounding 50 have composts (some with better tomatoes than others) and are establishing the roots of the next generation and next set of links.. Somehow within two generations we have evolved into a sea of unending consumer choices for a disposable, must-have-it-now society and “waste and want” is the new vogue. Bringing us back to “it is about you”, and me and where do We all go from here.

Ending with a Forward
Ancient history has great lessons, but we’ve learned once a “technology genie” comes out of a bottle you can’t put him back in. Our future has to begin with today’s world with fixing the broken links that hold us back and forging new strong ones to carry us forward. The notion that we leave the world better than we found it cuts across all peoples, generations and cultures. The “Seventh Generation” is ancient American Iroquois law stating today’s actions should be principled by what would best serve the next seven generations to come. I hope this has been an informative read on a difficult conversation to condense. I encourage everyone to make every day Earth Day and search for your own “environmental” roots, learn just a bit more about your part in this huge immense ecology and pass it on Michael Panetta moved to The Old Northeast in 1998 and is President of his newly established architectural practice, Panetta + Associates, Inc. He can be contacted at [email protected].

HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Page 17

PORCH

PAR ARTIES PARTIES
Porch 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 Julie Feeley (822-4969; [email protected]).

ou’re Y d Invite

June 19th Jim and Cathy Leonard 319 10th Avenue N

July 17th Rich and Marion Arnold 1500 1st Street N

August 21st Larry and Betty Smith 125 13th Avenue N

Property Transfers
Following is a listing of recent property transfers in our North Shore neighborhood. The individuals listed are new owners of the properties cited but not necessarily the residents of those properties. The properties are listed in chronological avenue and chronological and alphabetical street order. If any of these folks live near you, make sure you welcome them to the neighborhood.
555 5th Avenue NE #833 .......... Ben and Ruth Friedman 255 6th Avenue N #5 ................. Helene and Robert Lepkowski 202 7th Avenue N ...................... Eleni Rakopoulous 336 9th Avenue NE ................... Michael and Monica Caputo 301 10th Avenue NE ................. Scott and Robyn Crennan 139 13th Avenue N .................... Kostadino Ibrahim 506 14th Avenue NE ................. Brian and Leslie Waechter 556 15th Avenue NE ................. Richard and Kelly Ware 816 15th Avenue NE ................. Scott and Amy Boggs 206 16th Avenue NE ................. Jitendra and Virginia Khare 225 16th Avenue N .................... Brook Hewitt 305 16th Avenue NE ................. Paula Albinson 727 16th Avenue NE ................. Mark Eichenbaum 745 16th Avenue NE ................. Rebecca and Clifford Purington 305 18th Avenue N .................... Catherine Okelley 331 18th Avenue NE ................. David and Zuzana Blackwood

WARNING
COMPLIANCE MAY BE NECESSARY
• • • • • •

KNOB AND TUBE WIRING

IF
Call (727)

Your house is over 60 years old! You are selling your house! You are changing your Homeowners insurance! You need additional circuits! You've had past rodent problems! Your house was renovated!

You May Need To Replace Your Knob And Tube Wiring
residential division of

Established 1985

FL. LIC. #EC0001869

328-1700 for a FREE written estimate

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

See you at the Neighborhood Potluck on June 15th

Page 18

HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Individual and Business Tax Returns Small Business Accounting & Consulting
Monica M. Vernon • Garth A. Vernon

TIM RHODE

A R C H I T E C T
Specializing in Residential Design Renovations, Additions and New Homes
Call for a Consultation visit to your home.
Web Site trhode.com 727-823-1566
AR12159

St. Petersburg 424 22nd Avenue North, St. Petersburg, FL 33704 Seminole 7700 Seminole Blvd, Ste 200, Seminole, FL 33772

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

HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Page 19

Committees

from page 6

Monuments and Cornerstones
The HONNA Board of Directors has received proposals to perform maintenance on the five monuments and five cornerstones. Each of the monuments will be reviewed for electrical repair and maintenance while all monuments and cornerstones will be re-painted and, where necessary, re-landscaped. If you would be interested in assisting the Association with these financial obligations, please feel free to send a tax deductible contribution marked for “Monument and Cornerstone Maintenance” to HONNA, P.O. Box 76324, St. Petersburg, FL 33734.

tact me at [email protected]. [See “Crime Watch Fact Sheet” on page 4.]

Neighborhood Design Review
Mary Alice Lange, Chair

Westminster Palms - Conversion of Overvue Condominiums to Westminster Palms Facility
100% Completed Permit Construction Documents should be ready as of June 1st. Following submission and review by the contractor on the estimated cost to renovate the facility, then the project will be submitted for a building permit to the City. After City staff reviews and approves the site plan and construction documents, then a building permit will be issued for the project. The HONNA Neighborhood Design Review Committee and Board of Directors will have an opportunity to review the plans.

House Numbers and Parking
House numbers must be display on the front of your house in Arabic numerals (i.e., 1, 2, 3, etc.). Each number must be at least four (4") inches in height, installed in a permanent fashion and easily seen from the front of the structure and the rear of the structure, if there is an alley or the rear is on the waterfront. If numbers were installed before the current code, then three inch high numbers are sufficient. Emergency vehicles may not be able to locate your house unless your numbers are displayed properly. Vehicles must be parked in the direction of the traffic flow and beyond the visibility triangle. Drivers in approaching vehicles may be unable to see you pulling away from the curb, when you park in the opposite direction. As a courtesy to your neighbors, please follow the posted speed limit within the neighborhood.

Page 20

HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Participate in a Wonderful Old Northeast Tradition
All residents welcomed!

The 4th of July Children's Parade

Saturday, July 4th, 9am-Noon
(parade begins at 10am) Coffee Pot Park 30th and 1st Street N

with The American Spirit Fife & Drum Corps

Remodeling • Residential & Commercial Construction
2350 26th St. North • St. Petersburg, FL 33713-4329 (727) 327-3366 • FAX (727) 327-9211 [email protected] • www.herrcontracting.com Lic. CG-C058023

Kathe B. Bierhoff

HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Page 21

Thinking in

Purple

by Barbara Rhode, LMFT

A Silver Lining to These Challenging Times
Something very positive can come out of our current economic recession as far as parenting trends are concerned. Mommies and daddies, out of necessity, are going to have to say, “no” more to their little ones, and that is a phenomenon we can all benefit from. Research shows that a lot of parents today have been confusing permissiveness with love. Most of us typically consider spoiling to mean showering young ones with an avalanche of stuff, which is not necessarily accurate anymore. Today’s spoiling more typically includes illdefined limits with grey, hazy boundaries that set the stage for some very confused young people who go on to exhibit more narcissistic traits than any other recent generation. A lot of these young people are pretty convinced that everything really is all

about them and consequently experience difficulties when faced with the real world. According to Jean Twenge, author of Generation Me, researchers have found that by 2006, two thirds of the 16,000 college students studied had above average scores on narcissistic scales. Being on the receiving end of “yes” to almost any demand or request actually lets our children down in some fundamental ways. Left to mature in a world especially designed by parents to be virtually stress-free, children grow up ill equipped to handle life’s normal disappointments and letdowns. In fact, these pampered and protected young experience a physiological inability to cope with stress which leaves them feeling inadequate and incompetent. If mommy or daddy is doing everything for you or making sure nothing goes wrong in your young life, how are you going to develop an inner sense of competency? I don’t know about you, but some of my biggest life lessons came with some mud and dirt around the edges. I had to pick myself back up and try again, sometimes in the face of failure. And the fact that my parents let me do just that gave me the opportunity to mature and become more responsible for myself and my actions. The hopes and dreams parents hold onto tightly for their children’s futures often crumble in the face of limitless privilege and entitlement. A developing self esteem which is built

Page 22

HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Share your St. Pete stories!
You’ll put St. Petersburg on Smithsonian Magazine’s online map when you share a favorite memory or anecdote. Go to the link below to tell your story - show the nation how wonderful it is to live in paradise!
www.smithsonianmag.com/ departments/my-kind-of-town/ your-town-form/
on qualities like self control and perseverance in the face of adversity instead remains underdeveloped, shallow and pretty fragile. This often leads to reduced frustration tolerance and an overall lack of confidence. As tough as they might be to say, the words “no” and “not yet” invite children to experience age-appropriate stress while glimpsing the adult world of delayed gratification. More importantly, it gives their young bodies the chance to experience the physiological effects of stress. This process allows them to develop the chemical pathways necessary to effectively deal with stress in the future. No parent would ever intentionally cheat their child out of such a vital learning and growing process. Yet, we seem to be immersed in a culture that is doing just that. In the name of “love” many parents are giving in to their child’s every whim, with stuff or with age-inappropriate privileges. The experts repeatedly tell us that children need boundaries in order to develop and mature. In fact, they should all arrive in the world with tags that state, “Handle with care & be sure to apply age-appropriate limits.” The child’s job is to push for more of everything — toys, clothes — when they are tweens and then freedom as they attempt to individuate and separate. Our job as parents is to push back in age-appropriate ways, giving them the resistance they need to grow and mature. If everything is handed to them and every privilege is awarded without delay, they enter the adult world with some pretty distorted views. And we all pay the price for that. Let’s look at these restrictive economic times as an opportunity to change some of these current parenting trends that have gotten out of hand. Our children will be healthier and wiser for it. And so will we. Barbara Rhode is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who provides trainings and workshops to corporations and non-profits on wellness and life balance. She lives in a very purple house in The Old Northeast, a place where she contemplates in shades of “purple.”

(727) 895-4353
Cell: (727) 480-0916 Fax: (727) 895-3242 E-mail: [email protected]

www.homesbyheleninc.com "From the Bay to the Gulf, from listing to closing, I will be there every step of the way to ensure that your buying or selling experience is a great one."

Helen Torres
Licensed Real Estate Broker

GRI-CRS-SRES-LTG
HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Page 23

Another Eggcellent Neighborhood Eggtivitiy from page 1
for the kiddie invasion and our neighbors who supported the event with their presence and enthusiasm. Check page 5 of this issue and honna.org for information about the next all-neighborhood family event, the third annual 4th of July Children’s Parade. And don’t forget the other regular HONNA activities to which all Old NE residents are invited – monthly neighborhood meetings, a potluck dinner in June and informal Porch Party socials the third Friday of each month (check the web site for location and other details). Be part of the fun and helping make your neighborhood “neighborly.” A version of this article appeared in the May 2009 issue of The Northeast Journal.

ON THE DOCKET:
June 5 Get Downtown Music Series Central b/w 2nd-3rd; 393-3597 June 5, 7 & 9 St. Petersburg Opera Presents: La Traviata The Palladium; 822-3590 June 6 AWAPS Pancake Breakfast Albert Whitted Airport; 822-1532 June 6 Caring for Cattleya Orchids Sunken Garden; 551-3100 June 7 Sunday Afternoon Fun The Pier; 821-6443 June 10 Oldies But Goodies Dance The Pier; 821-6443 June 13-14 Tampa Bay Caribbean Carnival Vinoy Park; 327-1277 June 13 Young Eagles Free Flights Albert Whitted Airport; 822-1532 June 13 Orchid Lei Making Workshop Sunken Gardens; 551-3100 June 13 Drum Circle Facilitation The Pier; 821-6443 June 13 Gallery Walk Downtown galleries; 821-6767 June 19-21 June 20 June 20 June 21 June 24 June 27 June 27

Some Upcoming Events In and Nearby Our Neighborhood
Tampa Bay Home Expo The Trop; 893-8523 Daylilies in Florida Sunken Gardens; 551-3100 Family Flicks! Movies on the Waterfront The Pier; 821-6443 Sunday Afternoon Fun The Pier; 821-6443 Oldies But Goodies Dance The Pier; 821-6443 St. Pete GLBT Pride and Promenade Grand Central District; www.stpetepride.org All About Bromeliads Sunken Gardens; 551-3100

JULY 4 CHILDREN’S 4th of JULY PARADE (see p. 5) JULY 17 PORCH PARTY (see p. 18)
July 18-19 21st Annual Cool Art Show Coliseum; 892-5202

JULY 20 NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING
August 1-2 Suncoast Avian Bird Expo Coliseum; 892-5202

JUNE 15 NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING POTLUCK DINNER JUNE 19 PORCH PARTY (see p. 18)

AUGUST 21 PORCH PARTY (see p. 18)
Source: City of St. Petersburg

For a current and more detailed listing go to the City’s website at www.stpete.org

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HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Nature’s Broom
Better For You And Your Home
Tampa Bay’s Premier Green Residential Cleaning Company
We use only environmentally, people friendly products and vapor steam. Call today for your free consultation. 727.643.7121 or 727.599.8102 Katie Williams & Meg Plexico Proud Owners

GRADY The Historic Home Handyman
“Custom work my specialty”
This award-winning book ($16 including tax) can be purchased at the following locations: Davis Anthony Home and Garden, 300 Beach Drive NE Haslam’s Book Store, 2025 Central Avenue Interior Motives, 110 Central Avenue Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Drive NE Renaissance Vinoy Resort gift shop, 501 5th Avenue NE Sunken Gardens, 1825 4th Street N

Resident of Old Southeast

727.895.2272
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HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

How Does Your Garden Grow?
by Yvonne Swanson -- Master Gardener
and philodendron. When roots form, transplant to pots or garden beds. Another option is placing cuttings in small containers filled with equal parts peat moss and coarse builder’s sand or perlite. Don’t buy new containers — just make drainage holes in recycled plastic food containers, disposable cups and nursery pots to hold cuttings. Make a hole in the soil using a pencil and insert the cutting so that it stays upright. Place the cutting in a protected area out of direct sunlight and keep the soil moist. In a few weeks you should have a new plant that can be transferred to a larger container or placed in the ground. Trade plants with neighbors You have just the daylily your neighbor loves and she’s got loads of liriope. Simply dig up clumps of plants grown from bulbs and tubers, divide them and share. Most gardeners are happy to share plants…all you have to do is ask. Use free mulch Leaves make great organic mulch, they’re plentiful and they’re free. Add them to garden beds, containers, vegetable gardens and the compost pile. As leaves decompose, they build rich topsoil or humus – a natural fertilizer that will enrich the soil. Or get all the free mulch you can use from one of several Pinellas County recycling centers. Made from recycled yard waste, the mulch is heated over time to kill any weeds or pathogens. Shop at neighborhood yard sales You’ll find great deals on pots, tools, garden décor and even plants. Check the weekend newspaper for yard sale locations and times, or look for signs posted on street corners. Find great deals, ideas on the Internet At Craig’s List (www.craigslist.com), you’ll find plenty of ads for low-cost plants, supplies, equipment and services in the Tampa Bay area. At www.frugalgardening.com there are cost-cutting ideas and tips to help you save even more.
Yvonne Swanson is a Master Gardener for Pinellas County. She also writes a garden column for the St. Petersburg Times.

Cost-cutting in the Garden

Garden hobbyists know it’s easy to blow your budget when spring arrives. Like kids in a candy shop, a trip to the garden center is filled with one temptation after another. Colorful plants, bright-colored pots, decorative garden accessories … they’re almost impossible to resist! But economic times have changed and many homeowners are cutting costs. While it’s important to continue supporting our local garden retailers, you can jump into spring gardening without much expense if you use these thrifty ideas: Make your own plants It’s easy to create new plants from established ones. The easiest way is placing cuttings in a container of water in a bright area but not in direct sunlight. This method works with plants such as coleus, ornamental sweet potato, pothos, African violet, begonia

Consumer Tip
When contracting services from any business it’s always a good idea to check with the Better Business Bureau for prior complaints. Ask for references and confirm that your contractor is licensed. Page 26
HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

126 11th Avenue NE St. Petersburg, FL 33701 727-822-5906

State Approved LIC. #C610108 APPLE ACCREDITED

Ages 2 - VPK

HANDYMAN
Home Improvements -- Odd Jobs General Repairs, Yard Projects “Let me help you get things done”
………………………………......................................

Local resident * * REASONABLE
Doug DeJohn (727)417-8977

Too Late for Free Samples!
Old Northeast Pizza provided complimentary pizza slices for those residents attending the May neighborhood association meeting.
Worship Service: Sundays 10:30am
This ad courtesy of HONNA in appreciation of Westminster’s generous support of the Association

But you can still check it out for yourself... 718 2nd Street N (next to The Old Northeast Tavern)

209-2550

Street Light Out?
Do yourself and your neighbors a favor and phone Progress Energy at 800/ 228-8485 to report it (provide them the location and the ID number on the pole’s base). Don’t make things easy for the burglars and car thieves.
HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

1954 - 2004

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Next Neighborhood Meeting: Monday, June15th, at 7pm All Neighborhood Potluck (see p.1)
All neighborhood residents invited
Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association P.O. Box 76324 St. Petersburg, FL 33734
www.honna.org PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID ST. PETERSBURG FL PERMIT #1020

IN THIS ISSUE
• All Neighborhood Potluck • • • • Neighborly Venting Green With Envy Easter Fun Porch Parties

...and much more

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HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS