Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Newsletter - March 2010

Historic Old NOrtheast NeighbOrhOOd News

continued on page 14

Heart and Sole......... 2

Potluck ..................... 4

Easter Egg Hunt .... 11

Walking Tour ......... 15

Parks Celebration............................... 16

Yard Sale .............. 20

“Branding” ............. 23

in this issue

It’s time for you to get involved.I moved to St. Petersburg in 2000. While

I have been a member of our neighborhood association every year, most of that time I was only minimally involved. It wasn’t until 2007 that I decided to take a more active role in our Association by joining the Board of Directors. Part of decision was my desire to be involved with the great things that this organization does -- I wanted to make a contribution. But that was only one aspect of the reason. I have to admit there were times when I didn’t always agree with the decisions that were being made. I wanted a greater understanding and a chance to voice an opinion that was perhaps not being heard.

We have a great Board of Directors with 14 of the 15 director positions filled. We don’t always all agree on every issue that comes before us, and that’s the way it should be, democracy in action. More than ever, I feel we have a good representation of the different opinions and viewpoints of our members and residents.

continued on page 2

If you’re anything like me, you’ve been devouring home and garden magazines since the New Year just

waiting for your official start of the Spring season. Well, wait no longer – your time has come. Whether you want to put a fresh face on your home or perhaps are contemplating selling it, the power of curb appeal can make you the envy of your neighborhood or the hottest property on the market.

Locals, tour-ists and potential buyers alike regu-larly visit The Old Northeast to soak in the charm of this neighborhood and its historic homes. That said, let’s tackle put-ting on a fresh face -- one that just oozes curb appeal. Keep in mind that for the greatest impact, the exterior look of your home should complement the interior design. And, while you have more creativity to

add real personality to your home when you are staying in it, enhancing curb appeal for a sale is a little different but similar

principles apply. It’s like Lipstick

The style of homes in The Old North-east and surrounding neighborhoods are perfect for interesting paint combinations. If yours is less than eye-catching but you aren’t of the mindset for a complete paint overhaul, then con-

sider painting shutters, doors, flower boxes and porch furniture. The most appealing homes utilize at least three colors: the

Sidewalk Charm by Laura Fage

Membership - Increased by 60 members.Neighborhood-wide Yard Sale – Reprised;

several hundred participants.First Annual Halloween Tour with neighbor-

hood party – 400 participants. Publicity – Received greatly improved TV

and newspaper coverage of Association events and activities.Published Souvenir of St. Petersburg, Views

From the Vinoy - Two teacher workshops held at Sunken Gardens; received National Trust for Historic preserva-tion Annual Award in the Education/Media category;

Neighborhood Association received both City of St. Petersburg Sunshine Ambassador Award and Annual Neighborhood Conference Award for the book.Florida’s 13th Annual Neighborhood Con-

ference – Association hosted tour of the neighbor-hood; Board member Mary Alice Lange received state’s prestigious “Community Leader” award from Conference committee.Neighborhood Plan – Unanimously ac-

cepted by residents, City Planning and Visioning Commission and City Council.

The President’s PerspectiveBob WattsAssociation President

Some HONNA Accomplishments for 2009

St. Pete’s Jewel on Tampa Bay

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--Business: 7pm

Volume 37 Issue 1 / March 2010 / www.honna.org Published Quarterly

UPCOMING MEETINGS Mark your calendar!

continued on page 2

March 15th Neighborhood Potluck Dinner

April 19th

St. Petersburg Police Chief Chuck Harmon

May 17th Local Businesses Expo


*Preprinted inserts that you provide are delivered within the newsletter. Due to delivery restrictions, inserts are available on a limited basis.

The newsletter quarterly publication dates are March, June, September, and December. The deadline for accepting new ads and ad changes is three weeks prior to the publication month. The next deadline is May 7th. Payment for new ads should be submitted at the same time that the ad layout is provided and should be addressed to “HONNA Advertising.”

The newsletter is distributed by mail to all homes in The Old Northeast (boundaries are 5th Ave N to 30th Ave N, and 4th St N to North Shore Dr/Coffee Pot Bayou Blvd). There are approximately 2,800 active home mailing addresses.

Contact Rachel Sartain: [email protected] space is limited so please make arrangements early.

Ad SIze 1 Qtr 2 Qtrs 3 Qtrs 1 Year Business card 50 93 128 1601/4 page (H 4.9” x w 3.7”) 100 186 256 3201/2 page (H 4.9” x w 7.8”) 200 372 512 640Full page 400 744 1024 1280Single page insert* 400 700 1000 1300

Ad RAteS

President’s Perspective from page 1

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

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

The Newsletter of the Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association

editor Rick Carson Columnists and Reporters

Mike PanettaJohn Gee

Circulation Joe O’ConnorContributors All our Old Northeast neighborsNewsletter Layout & design Sharon Bond: [email protected] Information Rachel Sartain: [email protected]

Mike DaileyYvonne Swanson

Jill McGrath

We want your input. Thomas Jefferson once said, “We in America do not have government by the majority. We have gov-ernment by the majority who participate.” I urge you to become a participant in this great civic organization.

I’d like those of you who are not members to join, those of you who are members to get involved and those of you who have always been there (I already know most of you) to continue to make a dif-ference. I think if you accept my challenge you’ll find that a small change in your level of participation will make a big difference. You’ll gain a greater understanding of what it is that our organiza-tion does. And you’ll find that it’s the people in our neighborhood that really make it what it is. This neighborhood is more than build-ings, more that tree-lined cobblestone streets, more than waterfront parks and views of Tampa Bay. It is all of that but, mostly, it is your neighbors, often more diverse in opinion and viewpoint than the ar-chitecture of our homes which makes this neighborhood special.

Being involved is a great way to meet your neighbors. Whether it’s attending general monthly membership meetings, stopping by a Porch Party, serving on a committee, joining Crime Watch or volunteering for an event… there are countless opportunities to get involved.

You can read in this newsletter about our accomplishments in 2009. Hundreds of your neighbors made this all happen. The op-portunities to get involved are varied and numerous, and there is something for everyone. Join us, make a difference and experience the sense of community like nowhere else.

“Branding” Study Undertaken – Results in new logo, a more readily recognizable symbol for communication materials.Website – Began to re-engineer website to provide more

helpful information, while making the site more user-friendly. Landmarks – Received unanimous approval from Com-

munity Preservation Commission to designate 556 Beach Drive NE a historic landmark. Crime Watch – Commit-

tee inaugurated COP (Citizens on Patrol) program with 30 members. Annual Candlelight

Tour of Homes – Celebrated banner year, with largest atten-dance in its 11 year history.Neighborhood News-

letter – Maintained its high standard of excellence, result-ing in highest ever advertising revenue.“Potluck Dinner” Events – Successfully initiated with over

75 people attending each of three 2009 dinner meetings.Monthly Porch Parties – Informal socials reached new high

in number of participants.Neighborhood Entry Monuments – Lighting repaired and

monuments painted.

Accomplishments from page 1

My name is Evie, and I am eight years old. I live in The Old Northeast. I started a little business called Heart and Sole: Kids Helping Kids. The business raises money for the Children’s Dream Fund which makes dreams come true for seriously ill chil-dren on the west coast of Florida, like Emma. Emma is seven years old, from St. Petersburg, and is battling leukemia. Her dream is to go to New York City to visit the American Girl Store and the unicorn exhibit at the art museum.

Heart and Sole sells hand-made flip flops, pic-ture frames, stationery, headbands and jewelry. We have all sizes of flip-flops. 100% of our proceeds go to the Children’s Dream Fund. If you would like to help me make Emma’s dream come true, by buying flip-flops or other merchandise or donating or perhaps helping me make merchandise, please contact me at [email protected]. To learn more about the Children’s Dream Fund, visit www.childrensdreamfund.org.

Heart and Soleby Evie Clark


spaces. She’s a neighborhoodie, and her “company” is just Sharon with the occasional helper for heavy lifting. After three decades of restoring vintage houses and neglected gardens, she vowed to herself: no more house-rehabs, gardens only. Her focus is the fine tuning in yard and garden that is not addressed by most lawn ser-vices or landscapers -- the type of maintenance and improvements that homeowners would do themselves if only they had time. She feels a little affordable care can make a big difference in how we enjoy our outdoor spaces.

treasurerDouglas Haan

Over the past year I have had wonderful assistance from two great volunteers. They are Jeanne Hedrick and Ann Caviness. Jeanne is a former Board member who continues to assist with the weekly bank deposits while Ann has been, and continues to be, the keeper of the “financials” for the Views from the Vinoy book. My sincere thanks go out to these women.

If you are not already a member of HONNA, I would encourage you to sign up in support of the activities and projects the associa-tion undertakes. There’s a membership application form in this issue or you can go to our website (www.honna.org) and sign up online and pay your dues – tax deductible! – via PayPal. We would ask that if you are speaking with a neighbor that you encourage them to join HONNA if they are not already a member.

All residents – HONNA members or not -- are welcome to attend monthly association meetings at which time I provide up-dates on our finances. Any questions? Feel free to contact me at [email protected].

ProgramsTracey Locke, Chair

Stay tuned to www.honna.org for updates to our calendar. We have a busy next few months. As you are reading this, we will be wrapping up preparations for our March 13th neighborhood-wide yard sale. Special thanks to Karen Reese for spearheading the effort. Always a favorite event to bring new people to the neigh-borhood, find some treasures and make room to park your car in the garage. This year, HONNA’s proceeds from the event will go to “save the dolphins” -- those cool statutes at the boat ramp off Coffee Pot bayou on the Venetian steps.

April is our annual Easter Egg Hunt in Coffee Pot Park. Cynthia Serra and her colleagues from Smith & Associates always make this a special time for our children. Last year, her bunny helpers hid more than 1,000 plastic eggs filled with goodies. We will be back at Coffee Pot Park again this year for our July 4th children’s parade. The home-grown slice of small town USA is usually led by our local heroes from the Fire Department and an old fashioned fife and drum bugle corps.

If you haven’t been to a monthly meeting lately, you’re miss-ing out. March brings back the popular potluck. In April, we will hear from St Petersburg Police Chief Chuck Harmon about new community policing efforts. You have probably noticed the cars driving through our neighborhood with Crime Watch stickers on the side. Our neighborhood Crime Watch has 30 active volunteers and growing every month. Those active “eyes and ears” of The Old Northeast are working closely with the police on this com-

Association News & Activities

Committee Reports

T h e r e w a s n o monthly meeting in December. Instead, HONNA members and other residents of the neighborhood enjoyed an informal holiday get-together at the Old Northeast Tavern on Monday,

December 21st. Attendees enjoyed pizza, salad and homemade des-serts (courtesy of Cathy Leonard and Cynthia Silvestri). Party-goers were asked to bring unwrapped toys and books suitable for children and young teens, and the dozens of collected gifts were donated to the Guardian ad Litem office to be given to neglected and abused chil-dren whom the program represents

in court. Our thanks to Bob and Mark of the ONE Tavern for the hospitality in once again hosting this event and to all those who contributed toward its success.

The January monthly meeting featured the Salva-dor Dali Museum and an update on construction of the new $36 million fa-cility by Director of Development Mar-cia Crawley. Old NE resident Jim Mar-tin, a key person in the museum being located in St. Peters-burg, shared some background on how it came to be. A major fundraising benefit dinner is to be held on March 6th with the grand opening set for January 11, 2011.

February’s meeting focused on the new fertilizer re-strictions being imposed by the City and Pinellas County to protect the Bay and our water supplies. Phil Compton, the Sierra Club’s Florida representative, helped us understand what this means for our lawns, especially if we also have to comply with watering restrictions again this summer.

Board members were elected at the November general mem-bership meeting, and in December the new Board elected officers for the year. They are: Bob Watts, President; Maureen Stafford, Vice President; Larry Smith, Secretary; Douglas Haan, Trea-surer. Bios of the new officers and Board members may be found on the following pages. The only new incoming Board member is Mark Lawson. Former member Jeanne Hedrick did not run for re-election and although she is not serving on the Board she continues to assist the Treasurer with weekly bank deposits. Thanks, Jeanne!

Sharon Boulter and her company, Garden Works, have been hired to maintain the HONNA medians and entryway monument


Candlelight Tour of Homes: Chair, open

C.O.N.A. Rep: Maureen Stafford

Crime & Safety: Jay Marshall

Historic Preservation: Robin Reed

Membership: Barbara Marshall

Planning/Neighborhood Design Review: Mary Alice Lange

Newsletter: Rick Carson

Porch Parties: Larry Smith

Programs: Tracey Locke

Traffic: Mark Lawson

Website: Joe O’Connor (interim)

To contact a chair via e-mail, go to www.honna.org/board-and-committees.html

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

Your volunteer involvement in one of our committees will help enhance your neighborhood and our association.

Please contact any committee chair for information.

Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood AssociationOFFICeRS and BOARd

President: Bob Watts, 821-8997Vice President: Maureen Stafford Secretary: Larry Smith Treasurer: Douglas Haan, 488-5514DirectorsRick Carson 898-7834 Bob Hunter 898-7987Rick Kantner Mary Alice Lange 251-2034Mark Lawson 365-3155 Tracey Locke 475-0287Ron Magray 502-9065 Barbara Marshall 385-4746Jay Marshall Robin Reed 825-0480

To contact an officer or Board member via e-mail, go to www.honna.org/board-and-committees.html where you can click on the name of the person you wish to contact and send him/her a message.

HONNA Board meetings are held the second Monday of each month at 6:30pm at Westminster Presbyterian Church and are open to the public. Check beforehand with the Board presi-dent in case the meeting day has been re-scheduled.

Like our neighborhood?Want to make it even better?

Volunteer with one of our committees!

JOIN OUR COMMItteeS Interested in working on publicity for the Association? Getting involved in upcoming special events like the easter egg Hunt or the 4th of July Children’s Parade?

Contact Bob Watts at [email protected] or 821-8997.

Enjoy HONNA’s favorite “new” tradition

Our March Monthly Neighborhood Meeting is a POTLUCK

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

Come to the first of this year’s Potluck Dinners in lieu of the usual monthly ”business-oriented” neighborhood meeting. The date is Monday, March 15th, at our regular gathering place, Westminster Presbyterian Church at 126 11th Avenue NE.

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

Make enough to serve 6-8, depending on what it is you’re bringing (of course, you get to take home any leftovers – unlikely!).

If you are kitchen-challenged – or even if you’re not – we encourage you to bring a can or package of non-perishable food which we’ll donate to the church’s food pantry to pass

along to those in need.Plan to arrive between 6:45-7pm so we can lay out all the food and begin dining by 7 or

so. There will be no formal program – just neighborly conversation at tables over dinner. If you can’t arrive by 7, come when you can as the food should hold out until we start to close

down around 8pm.Not a HONNA member? You’re definitely invited anyway. And if you decide to join, we

won’t stop you.

Here’s our request of you. depending on where you reside, here’s what you can bring:Between 5th-9th: a salad of some sort (examples: greens, pasta or Jell-O)

10th-14th: a dessert • 15th-22nd: vegetable dish (hot or cold) • 23rd-30th: bread or appetizer


munity policing effort. In May we are trying something new with a spotlight on business. Plan on an Old Northeast Business Expo with new ways to promote your company if you live in The Old Northeast and a way to showcase our local businesses along 4th Street. Have a referral? We will create a venue for sharing your recommendations on everything from your favorite vet to your most trusted contractor.

If you have an idea for a monthly meeting or neighborhood event or you would like to spend an hour helping with one of these activities, please don’t be shy! E-mail [email protected].

Historic Preservation CommitteeRobin Reed, Chair

The Historic Preservation Committee met in January to map out its annual plan of activities. Some of the projects which will be getting our attention this year are:

Historic Landmarks – If you have been following in recent newsletters the local landmark series by Jill McGrath, you know that the Committee is interested in compiling a list of homes that are eligible for local landmarking. If you have a favorite house in the neighborhood and think that it has architectural merit or prominent people or events associated with it, please let us know (825-0480). Once we have a list of potential properties, we will do some research and contact the owners about the possibility of designation.

Plaque Program – The Committee is pursuing a “plaque pro-gram” for locally designated landmarks in our neighborhood; more on this in July’s edition of this newsletter.

Planning Awards – The Committee is submitting two ap-plications for planning awards for our new Neighborhood Plan. Neighborhoods USA and the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation sponsor annual awards programs for projects such as ours. We think our Plan’s unique design and content deserve recognition. Special thanks to Elaine Normile for assisting with the applications. We’ll keep you posted on the results.

National Register Update – Many of the “newer” homes in our neighborhood have reached the ripe old age of 50 or more years and, if eligible, need to be added to the “contributing” property category of our National Register Historic District. Neighborhood professional preservationist Emily Elwyn is working with Joe O’Connor to identify those homes which will be moved into the “contributing” to the “district” category. Carol and Burt Kline’s extensive photo archive of neighborhood houses will provide a comprehensive basis for the review.

St. Petersburg Preservation Biennial Awards – Every other year, St. Petersburg Preservation sponsors an awards program. The categories include restoration and adaptive re-use as well as individuals or groups who have advanced historic preservation. HONNA is planning to nominate several properties for awards. If you have any suggestions for nominations, please contact Mary Alice Lange (251-2034).

Tampa Bay History Museum Exhibit – In December, HONNA will be mounting an exhibit about the neighborhood based upon Souvenir of St. Petersburg, Views from the Vinoy. The museum offers their “community case” to various organizations throughout the area and we are pleased to have been contacted about exhibit-ing. Elaine Normile, Lynne Mormino and I will be working with Robin Gonzalez, author of the book, and Jen Larcom, designer of the book’s layout, to create what promises to be an exciting exhibit.

Photo “Save the dolphins”Envision yourself living along the Mediterranean Sea, amid

pergolas overflowing with tropical vines and houses painted in various shades of peach, all glinting in the bright sunlight. This is the picture Perry Snell was touting in 1923 to prospective buyers for his new subdivision, Granada Terrace – not in Spain or Italy, but St. Petersburg!

Three years later, when the economy turned sour, many of the lots were as yet unsold and undeveloped. It took the post-WWII building boom to fill in the spaces – and by then, Mediterranean architecture was no longer a requirement of building.

Today, Granada Terrace is a Local Historic Landmark District within the North Shore Na-tional Register His-toric District. The local designation gives the houses and landscape fea-tures that “contrib-ute” to the historic district some de-gree of protection. In exchange, hom-eowners must apply for a COA (Certificate of Appropriateness) for any major work undertaken on the property. Repairs other than regular maintenance on the public landscape features such as the pergola or wishing well also require a COA .

New Members

Angela and Bob Baisley ................ North Shore Drive NEGricel Moreno and Ernesto Luciano ........ 23rd Avenue NELes and Delene Cole ....................................9th Avenue NPam and Ron Raml ...................................14th Avenue NJeffrey and Natalie Brandes ..................15th Avenue NEChristian Warren .....................................15th Avenue NERoma Palcan ..........................................16th Avenue NEDennis Bender, Kenny Bender ..................... 4th Street NBrian Carroll ................................................Avocet DrivePatricia Williams ........................................12th Avenue NLowery Woodward ....................................Wilder PlaceDoris and Graal Braun ...........................Beach Drive NEDenise and Jerry Williams ......................13th Avenue NEPeter and Gena Gorrell ........................... 22nd Avenue NGretchen Dagefoerde .................. North Shore Drive NERoger and Sandra Wells ..........................9th Avenue NERuss Gudorf, Marty Kelly ............................7th Avenue NRichard and Heather Wiereserna ...........10th Avenue NEKay Rankin Villar ....................................20th Avenue NE


You may have noticed recently that the dolphins at the Venetian Steps (the boat landing) at 23rd Avenue and Coffee Pot Boulevard are in desperate need of repair and repainting. The Association is currently working towards getting the repairs done and the dolphins and adjacent wall repainted. Whether it is the Neighborhood Asso-ciation or the Parks Department that contracts for the repair work, it will require a COA. If the dolphins were only being painted as part of a maintenance program, there would be no need for a COA. (You may view a sample COA application at the City’s web site, www.stpete.org, under Development Services Department; click on “Historic Preservation”).

Proceeds from the neighborhood-wide Yard Sale on March 13th are designated for this project. Next time you are walking along the waterfront in Granada Terrace, take a few minutes to appreciate the Mediterranean landscape features we are so fortunate to have in our neighborhood. And when you get home, clean out those closets and sign up to participate in the yard sale – and if not as a seller then as a shopper. You will be doing yourself and the dolphins a favor!

Crime and SafetyJay Marshall, Chair

All of you should notice our diligent Crime Watch patrols that are cruising the streets and alleyways as our visible efforts to detect and report suspicious behavior and criminals operating in our com-munity. Started in November 2009, our Citizens on Patrol Program (COP) has grown to 14 patrol vehicles that operate throughout the week. These patrols are easily recognized by the HONNA Crime Watch signs on the sides of passenger vehicles. To date, 25 residents are giving their valuable time to make The Old Northeast safer and more secure. We thank them for all they do to make a difference:

John and Susan Arsenault Kathi HarrisJohn Samaha Nancy BahlsJohn Jaycox Anne-Marie StephensonDavid and Mar-etta Bogart Amir LashgariNancy Tait Dino CappelliJulia McGinty Helen TorresLes and Delene Cole Jay MarshallJoe Troy Don CulpepperKent Mitchell Mark WilliamsMartin Foxx Cliff PuringtonDawn Greenidge Judi ReedSupporting the Crime Watch patrols are these and other folks

who serve as base stations, perform crime analysis, distribute alerts about suspicious activities and reach out to residents to promote individual crime prevention.

Why are we so interested in Crime Watch? Between October and De-cember 2009, our neighborhood experienced a high number of crimes:

Thefts from vehicles = 48 Thefts of vehicles = 27Breaking & entering = 14 Robberies = 5

Other thefts = 18The Old Northeast is a treasure of a community. But it is also a

great place for individuals who want to prey on us. We are an open community, accessible from literally every direction. Parking either on the streets or in the alleys is the norm, making vehicles vulner-able to those who steal from vehicles or steal vehicles themselves. Lighting -- which is a great crime deterrent -- is sporadic, especially in the alleyways. Many of us go to our workplaces during the day, leaving our homes unattended. Compounding this profile is that we are still complacent, figuring that it cannot happen to me. We do not always practice good crime prevention measures. And it’s the little things that make a huge difference.

• Lock all vehicle doors, even if you are running inside for a few minutes

• Take anything of value from your car to include cash, electron-ics, cell phones, gifts and anything else that you think has value.

• Use a steering wheel locking device and consider installing a vehicle alarm system, both of which are relatively inexpensive.

• Keep a lookout for and report individuals or groups who appear suspicious; chances are good that they are checking out possible targets for crime.

• Do not open your home door to folks you do not know or recognize.

• Do let you neighbors know when you are leaving your home for an extended period and suspend mail and newspaper deliveries.

Your Crime Watch Committee urges you to be vigilant about protecting yourself and your property. Be a good neighbor by watch-ing out for others, especially those living near you. Be a watcher and report suspicious activity that you may see (call 727/893-7780) or report a crime (911). Support your neighborhood by joining the Crime Watch Committee.

Every second Thursday of the month (i.e., March 11th) the Crime Watch Committee meets at the Westminster Palms facility, located at the corner of North Shore Drive and 9th Avenue NE, beginning at 7:00pm. Everyone who shares an interest in preventing crime is welcomed. Also, mark your calendar to attend the HONNA general monthly meeting on April 19th at 7:00pm to welcome Police Chief Chuck Harmon, who will speak about police-community partnership and discuss how we can enhance our crime prevention efforts.

Your Crime & Safety Subcommittee chairs: Citizens on Patrol:

Crime Watch Fact SheetName _____________________________________

Address ___________________________________

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

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

CLIP AND MAIL


POUND FOR POUND, INSECTS CONTAIN MORE PROTEIN THAN BEEF!*

Only 10% of insects can �ind nutrition from non-native plants.*

No insects, no baby birds. 96% of our land-dwelling birds rely on insects to feed their babies.*

Insects pollinate our fruits and vegetables.

Add some native plants to your garden and see who comes to visit!

BEEF UP YOUR GARDEN!*From Douglas W. Tallamy’s book Bringing Nature Home, How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants.

PH

OT

O: C

HR

IS V

IGH

Call 727-743-5543Mary-Beth Wagner B. S. Horticulture, Owner Advanced Art of Gardening.com

Judi Reed ([email protected]); Ron Magray (Reporting & Analysis), 502-9065; Bob Hunter (Outreach), 898-7987.

When you are out in the community and you see a Crime Watch car on patrol, give a little wave to thank them for their commitment. They are out there for you.

Neighborhood design Review/Planning CommitteeMary Alice Lange, Chair

There are three projects scheduled for review by the City of St. Petersburg.

301 23rd Avenue NE (in the Granada Terrace Historic District) - The project consists of a variance request for a 6’ high wall along the front, side and rear yards. Additional project elements include a carport extension, swimming pool, exterior steps and a 3’-4’ high wall along the entire front yard to the sidewalk. This project goes before the Community Preservation Commission on March 19th at 9am.

446 16th Avenue NE – The project proposal consists of large ad-ditions along the front, interior, sides and rear yards of the property. City staff will be discussing the details with the homeowner.

2330 1st Street N – The project consists of a porch enclosure on the 24th Avenue side with a 4’ high wall along the entire front side (24th Av-enue) of the property and a 6’ high wall along the 1st Street side. There is a variance request for one portion of the project. This project goes before the Community Preservation Commission on March 19th at 9am.

Old Northeast Tavern, corner of 2nd Street and 7th Avenue N – The project consists of connecting two spaces that were previously connected together as the Old Northeast Tavern. This project goes before the Com-munity Preservation Commission on March 19th at 9am.

If you need any additional information on any of these projects, please contact: Philip Lazzara, AICP, Zoning Official, Development Services Department, City of St. Petersburg, P.O. Box 2842, St. Petersburg, FL 33731; 892-53444, [email protected].

Planning There are many exciting projects along 4th Street from 5th Avenue

to 30th Avenue N. Have you seen the new “flashing” crosswalk between Sunken Gardens and Outback Steakhouse? Now there is a safe place to cross 4th Street and enjoy both sides of the corridor. All you have to do is push the crosswalk light button and wait for the cars to stop – then walk safely across the street. Getting this safety feature has been a long time in the works.

Most of the 4th Street corridor streetscape improvements have been finished and it looks fabulous and safer with restored side-walks, landscaping, benches, trash receptacles and easier access to our local businesses. One of the many elements included raising the granite curbs so they will be set in place when the Department of Transportation repaves the roadway sometime in the future.

The 4th Street corridor improvements were funded by grants specifically designated for these improvements and received by the City of St. Petersburg.

MembershipBarbara Marshall, Chair

Our membership continues to increase -- we are now 303 strong. Thanks for your continued support and interest. And new members and those who have renewed their membership, please come to HONNA’s monthly meetings so we can acknowledge you! We welcome suggestions on how we can support our membership and


also how to encourage our neighbors to join HONNA -- renters, too. Even if you haven’t decided yet to join your neighborhood association, or renew, please be sure to provide your e-mail address to me at [email protected]. We want to make sure your receive various communications with neighborhood news.

Any new residents to the neighborhood who’d like a meet-and-greet from our committee, please don’t hesitate to contact Larry Smith at [email protected] or to my e-mail address already provided. Look for the membership application form in this newsletter where you can also indicate areas of interest -- we want you to become involved… membership, home and garden tour, planning/historic preservation, website, crime watch, porch party committee, newsletter, beautifica-tion/landscaping, newsletter... just to name a few.

Council of Neighborhood AssociationsMaureen Stafford, HONNA Representative

CONA’s Pier Visioning recommendations, listed below, were read at the Pier Forum held at the Enoch Davis Center on Febru-ary 2nd. Several speakers from the audience and many different ideas on design were presented to the committee. The next Forum will be held…You are encouraged to attend. This is a wonderful opportunity to give your ideas to the committee.

Pier Visioning RecommendationsThe Pier has served as a destination and anchor for downtown

St. Petersburg beginning as early as 1896 and most prominently since 1913. It should continue to do so into the future.

• It is time for the building at the end of the Pier to be replaced with a new distinctive, functional structure.

• A new Pier building should be easy to access both from land and water.

• A review should be undertaken of the extensive areas now devoted to parking on the Pier approach to determine if there are less land intensive means of accommodating visitors.

• Temporary dockage for small pleasure boats should be greatly increased. Pleasure boats should be available for rental.

• The Pier should continue to give attention to creative light-ing arrangements such as the current LED lighting system and consider bringing back the popular laser lighting.

• The main theme of the new Pier should be aquatic and marine science related. (The Pier should build upon its current strengths including the Pier Aquarium and its marine education programs; exhibits such as “Counting on Fish,” “Touch Tank Experience,” talks by marine scientists, “Fresh Fish Program,” “Bay Camps” and of course fishing.)

• While the Pier should have something to offer to persons from all walks of life, emphasis should be placed on attracting families with children. The Pier should meet the interests of both local residents and tourists.

• It is noted that a number of marine science programs are now operated in association with the Pier Aquarium. (The Pier Aquarium is a private non-profit organization.) The Pier Aquarium has established affiliations with the University of South Florida, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg College, the University of Tampa, the National Marine Fisheries Program, etc. These affiliations should be continued and strengthened.

• The marine science points of interest located along the Pier approach should be maintained and further enhanced. This adds to the enjoyment and interest of walking the approach.

• The History Museum should maintain a small kiosk at the Pier building describing the history of the Pier and directing visitors to the Museum at the Pier approach.

• Redesign of the Pier’s facilities, programs and other offerings should be coordinated with waterfront park planning generally (the port, Al Lang site, Mahaffey Theater, Dali Museum, Albert Whitted, etc.). An overall vision and comprehensive plan is called for.

• The City should continue to financially support the educational and park-related programs offered at the Pier. Commercial opera-tions at the Pier should pay the City fair rental.

• Successful models of water-oriented and family-oriented at-tractions and educational programs should be reviewed for ideas that might be incorporated into a future remade Pier.

NewsletterRick Carson, Editor

If you enjoy reading this newsletter, please share your apprecia-tion with those neighbors who are writing what you read (only the good thoughts – if you have “bad” ones, tell me – I’m the editor). We thank these folks for their time and talents and commitment to bringing news, stories and ideas to you.

We also are grateful to the many advertisers who make this pub-lication possible. If you patronize any of these businesses, please let them know you’re “giving them the business” because they support this newsletter. And if you’re a “regular” at any other area stores, restaurants or service-providers, suggest to them that they consider advertising here (they can read the newsletter online at www.honna.org where the ad rates may be found on page 2 or contact Rachel Sartain, our ad coordinator, at [email protected]).

The newsletter is always looking for Old NE residents who would like to become involved in this publication. No previous experience is necessary if you’d like to do some writing, help locate advertisers or as-sist with layout – please let me hear from you ([email protected]).


Worship Service: Sundays 10:30am

Ad courtesy of HONNA in appreciation of Westminster’s generous support of HONNA

Potluck and Easter Egg Hunt on March 28 and Easter Worship &

Communion on April 4th.

Come celebrate Easter with us.

Rick Carson (Cherry Street NE) has been editor of the Associa-tion’s newsletter since 2002 and this is his fifth year serving on the board. He has lived in the neighborhood since 2001 and in Florida since 1989. Prior to moving to Florida he co-owned and operated a B&B in New Jersey and before that spent a couple decades in the D.C. area working in political campaigns, serving on Congressional staffs and working as a lobbyist. He currently sits on the City’s Social Action Funding Committee and volunteers as associate edi-tor of the United Church of Christ’s Florida newspaper.

Bob Hunter (18th Avenue NE) and Jeanne moved to The Old Northeast in January 2001. Bob has enjoyed working on Candle-light Tours, Garden Strolls, Porch Parties, tree planting and the Crime Watch committee. He was a member of the HONNA Board in 2006 and was very happy to rejoin the board in at the beginning of 2009. Bob would like the residents of The Old Northeast to have a greater say in the running of their neighborhood association. If you have anything that you would like to offer, please feel free to call him.

Rick Kantner (14th Avenue NE) and his wife, Sharon, purchased their 1922 Old Northeast bungalow (a 2008 Candlelight Tour home) in 2003 after moving from Tampa’s Hyde Park. They were drawn to The Old Northeast by the quiet, family-friendly feel and their love of old houses. They now share their home with their two beautiful daughters. Rick, a native Floridian, has practiced law in Pinellas County since 1993 and concentrates in the areas of estate planning, elder law and real estate with The Kantner Law Firm.

Mary Alice Lange (15th Avenue NE) is a St. Petersburg native; she and her husband, Steven, have lived in their home for over 20 years. They have two married sons, two grandchildren and another grandchild on the way. Mary Alice has been an active member of the neighborhood association for many years including serving on the Board as its President and a number of years as chair of the Planning Committee. She helped create the first City of St. Petersburg Neigh-borhood Plan for The Old Northeast, and the Planning Committee

HONNA Officers and Board of Directors 2009-2010

President: Bob Watts (1st Street N) hails from India-napolis and is a graduate of Purdue University. Bob, his wife Jonni, and their two daughters have called The Old Northeast home since 2000. As a Real Estate Broker Asso-ciate who opened his own company last year, Bob interacts with people every day who recognize the value of our unique corner of the world. Bob served last year as HONNA’s Vice President, chaired the Candlelight Tour of Homes and the Traf-fic. He’s a graduate of the CONA Leadership course and also a graduate of the St. Petersburg Citizen Police Academy.

Vice President: Maureen Stafford (Beach Drive NE) was raised in New Zealand. She lived in New Jersey for about 18 years raising a family with her then husband and has three grown sons living in three different states. Maureen moved to St. Petersburg in 1990, where she has always lived in The Historic Old Northeast. She has served on many HONNA committees including Historic Preservation and Planning. She also served on the HONNA Board since 2007 and was VP for 2008 and President for 2009. She is CO-NA’s Executive Chair for Land Development and Preservation for 2010. Her livelihood has been in real estate, and she settled into the specialty of high value residential restoration. Her work has won awards – she calls herself a “restorative developer.”

Secretary: Larry Smith (13th Avenue N) is a native of Atlanta and a graduate of the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Betty, and their three sons moved from Memphis to Tierra Verde in 1998, but when their youngest entered USF/Tampa in the fall of 2002, they moved to The Old Northeast and bought one of the “Four

Sisters” on 13th Avenue N. Thus, the restoration of an historic home was good therapy for beginning empty nesters. Now, seven years later, sons are out of school and they’re still working on “this old house” and loving The Old Northeast. For the last 25 years, Larry has been a financial advisor in Memphis, Sarasota and now Tampa with clients in 18 states. Prior to joining the Board, he had been involved with Membership and Meet & Greet Committees. As a Board Member, he is Secretary and is coordinating the Porch Parties.

Treasurer: Douglas Haan (8th Avenue NE) and his partner bought their first “fixer upper” home in The Historic Old Northeast in August 2000 when they settled here full time (and they’re now in their second fixer-upper). Douglas is serv-ing his tenth term as a Board member and sixth as Treasurer. He has been the financial coordinator for the last nine Candlelight Home Tours as well

as being a founding member of our Spring Garden Stroll event. He also volunteers as a cook at St. Vincent’s homeless shelter. He is eager to foster continued neighborhood involvement in a place we can be proud to say we live.

Officers

Board


Active in Historic Old Northeast Neighbor-hood Association

Commitment to educating clients on all aspects

of their transaction. Aggressive approach & strategies. Unparalleled service direct from Owner.

Bob Watts, Broker 727-647-3300 [email protected]

Bob Watts knows The Old Northeast

has worked with the City to re-design the zoning codes which are contained in the city-wide Land Development Regulations. In 2009 she was honored with: the Florida All-State Neighborhood Award, Florida Neighborhood Conference; Community Service Women of the Year Nominee, Chamber of Commerce; and Leadership Program Graduate, Council of Neighborhood Associations.

Mark Lawson (Beach Drive NE) and his wife Julie moved to Old Northeast with their twin daughters from Atlanta in 2008. Mark grew up in St. Pete, but left for college in Atlanta where he graduated from Georgia State University. He stayed in Atlanta after college and met Julie. Mark works for a real estate develop-ment company specializing in on-campus student housing. Julie, who studied historic preservation in college, serves on HONNA’s Historic Preservation committee.

Tracey Locke (15th Avenue NE) and her husband, Kenny, pur-chased a home in The Old Northeast in 2006 where they reside with their two lovely children. Kenny is a lifelong St. Petersburg resident. Tracey, originally from Chicago, has lived in the Tampa Bay area for eight years and lived in historic Seminole Heights be-fore getting married. Her career has included 13 years in television news reporting and three years as a publicist. Tracey has always gravitated to historic neighborhoods and is an antique junkie

Ron Magray (17th Avenue NE) Ron Magray and his wife, Jan, have finally settled in The Old Northeast. Ron is originally from Philadelphia, and Jan from Minneapolis-St Paul. They initially discovered St. Petersburg while attending a sailboat show and although they did not buy a boat they did buy a condo in down-town St. Pete. They had quickly realized that after many years of exploring the west coast of Florida that this beautiful ‘Sunshine City” was what they had been searching for and what had eluded them in their previous residences. They love the diversity and multicultural aspects of St. Pete and are very happy that they have found this wonderful community in which to live.

Barbara Marshall (8th Avenue NE) moved to St. Petersburg in 2006 from Washington, DC, with her husband Jay after living there for 20 years. They knew shortly after they arrived that The Old Northeast was where they wanted to live and to involve themselves in the community. Barbara and Jay have mentored since their arrival a young “tween” through Eckerd Youth Alternatives. Barbara is also a board member of the Panama Canal Museum (located in Seminole), after having worked and lived in the former Canal Zone, home of the Panama Canal. She’s recently returned to the workforce to add to her 30-year career which was with both the federal government and the nonprofit sector in administration and operations.

Jay Marshall (8th Avenue NE) considers himself at home. Al-though born and raised in Washington, DC, he and his wife Barbara moved to St. Petersburg three years ago and have found paradise here in The Old Northeast. He still wonders why it took so long to get here, but he and Barbara are absolutely delighted to be among great friends and family. And residing in one of the most delightful communities ever. Jay is retired from the U.S. Department of Jus-tice with over 30 years of service and retired from military service with over 23 years active and reserve duty. He now works from home as a consultant for homeland security programs.

Robin Reed (16th Avenue NE) and her husband, Joe, moved to St. Pete from northern New Jersey ten years ago. A life-long preserva-tionist and admitted “old house nut,” she has co-chaired, our annual Candlelight Tour of Homes, the Garden Stroll, and is a charter mem-ber of the Old NE Garden Club. As chairman of HONNA’s Historic Preservation Committee, she spearheaded the Children’s Education Project, resulting in publication of Souvenir of St. Petersburg: Views from the Vinoy. Robin also participated in getting the Neighborhood Plan update completed and accepted by City Council. For the past several years she has volunteered at Sunken Gardens and championed their Master Plan efforts. She continues to promote the preservation of our neighborhood’s special and unique qualities.


Annual easter egg HuntHONNA invites you to the neighborhood’s 9th annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday morning, April

3rd, at 10am at Coffee Pot Park (30th and 1st Street NE; on premise parking is very limited so you’ll likely have to park on a side street west of 1st Street).

Thanks to the generosity of our friends at Smith & Associates Real Estate – the Platinum Group rep-resented by Cynthia Serra, Connie Lancaster and Ed Standford – the Easter Bunny will be hiding plastic eggs and other treats throughout the park for eager kids to seek out for their baskets. Always a fun occa-sion, filled with surprises and lots of gleeful, smiling faces. Be sure to be a part of the good time.


Daily Inspirations….Those of you who walk your dogs along the waterfront parks have probably gotten on at least “waving” relations with other neighbors walking their pooches about the same time you do. And those of you who regularly drive up and down North Shore Drive and Coffee Pot Boulevard also surely have become familiar with joggers and walkers you see almost on a daily basis – and maybe even become concerned about their well-being when you don’t. So it was fun reading the article in the 1/3 St. Petersburg Times by Old NE resident Anne Glover, a staff writer at the newspaper, who has been running the 3-7 mile waterfront route virtually daily for the past 25+ years -- one of those “regulars” we almost depend upon seeing. How about the “stories” behind some of the others whom we’ve come to recognize? Like the short wiry guy with the green knit cap who prefers to run on the street rather than the sidewalk. Or the “silver fox” with her arms akimbo briskly walking. Or the lean fellow with zero percent body fat who’ll often interrupt his speedy clip to chin himself on the bars on the beach. Maybe the goateed fellow with the flowing steel gray mane on the recombinant bike.

Save the Date….Saturday, October 16th is the date for the annual Concert in the Park with the Florida Orchestra.

Guest Digs….Neighbor and architect Tim Rhode had him-self a very nice spread in the 2/13 St. Petersburg Times. In the “HomeLink” section, Tim had a front page and jump page of photos and text on the subject, “A Most Welcome Guesthouse” and how he has designed added guest quarters for several Bay area homeowners.

Gotcha!...We don’t wish ill on neighbors but it was perversely heart-warming to see the police writing a ticket the other day for someone who had been caught speeding down Beach Drive and on another day an officer was standing alongside his car aiming his radar gun at passing vehicles. More such patrolling on The Old NE’s version of the Autobahn wouldn’t hurt, and while the radar gun is out it might help to aim it at some of the speeders on North Shore Drive. On the subject of speeding, the speed limit on

1st Street, North Shore and Beach Drive is 25mph. Somehow, maybe it’s because of the angled intersections along Beach, 25 “feels” ok. But have you ever really tried to drive 25mph on 1st or North Shore? It’s hard to do and feel as though you’re mak-ing forward progress…Speaking of speed-ing and speed bumps – like the one on 1st Street -- local residents chimed in about speed bumps and traffic calming measures in reaction to a Dr. Delay column in the 12/20 St. Petersburg Times. The letters, which appeared in the 1/6 section of the “Neighborhood Times,” raised questions such as “Why do I have to slow down

to 15 mph for a speed bump when the posted speed limit in my neighborhood is 25 mph? Why can’t the speed-calming device be engineered and constructed for the posted speed limit?” and “…if 25 or 35 is the appropriate speed, why slow people down to 15? If 15 is the appropriate speed, why have it posted at 25 or 35?”

Signs?…Have you wondered why you no longer see the HON-NA meeting announcement signs at the monument entryways the weekend before the monthly Monday meetings? Well, it’s because the City forbids us from placing them there because of the “snipe” ordinance; unauthorized signs will be removed by the City. Despite

the fact those medians have on them HONNA-owned structures (the “wishing wells”), which we must maintain (paint, electrify) and areas we must landscape and tend, we cannot place our signs there to announce neighborhood meetings. Go figure.

Census jobs…Temporary, part-time jobs may still be available for the 2010 census. What may be needed are census takers, crew leaders and assistants, recruiting assistants and clerks, paying between $10-$14/hr with flex-ible hours up to 40/week, mileage reimburse-ment and the ability to work near home. You’ll need to have a valid Social Security number, pass a background check, pass a written test and be able to work up to 40 hours per week including in the evening and on weekends. Go to www.2010censusjobs.gov or phone 1/866-861-2010 to learn if there are still openings

Over the Back Fence…is a collection of what we’ve heard exchanged in the aisles of the supermarkets,

shared waiting in line to pick up the kids from school, read in the papers, overheard in the pew behind us in church and, yes, even passed over the back fence. If you have something you’d like to share about a special recognition, award received, birth, graduation, good-deed-done or observation around the neighborhood please pass it along to the Editor. “Over the Back Fence” is only going to be interesting if we hear from you!

S S and by

Neighbor Neverne Covington has commissioned artwork on display at the new All Children’s Hospital. It can be seen surrounding the cafeteria entrance.

Over The Back Fence is a

Soapbox... STep On up

and

leT’S hear FrOm yOu

e-mail: [email protected]


available for which you can apply.“Music” Events in Vinoy Park….More than 40 people con-

tacted the Mayor’s office on the day of and one day after the 10-hour Vibe Festival held in Vinoy Park on Sunday, November 29th, to complain about noise. The noise from the event, attended by an estimated 4,000 people, did not violate City policy accord-ing to a police spokesman. The “Your Letters” department in the 12/2/09 “Neighborhood Times” section of the St. Petersburg Times contained two communiqués from residents complaining about the event. Anne Kerr wrote, “The music (?) sent vibrations through our doors and windows and into our furniture and for some into their own chest walls,” and she noted the parking problems and public urination. Craig Watkins, who lives five miles away, writes he was still “blasted” with music even with his windows shut. He understands from the Police Department that complaints were being received from as far away as 62nd Avenue N. He suggests such “loud events” be held at Al Lang field. Both writers called for more cooperation between event organizers and affected resi-dents and enforcement of noise ordinances. [source: St .Petersburg Times, 12/1, 12/2]

Good Fences….make good neighbors, or so goes the old adage. But how about walls? Seems to be an uptick in residents requesting variances from the City to construct six foot concrete walls instead of the four footers usually allowed. And these aren’t necessarily out-of-sight in the back of the property at the alley but rather are in front along the street. If anything, why not ornamental wrought iron-type fences? Something to think about, especially if this is coming to a street – or house – near you.

The Long Arm of the Law(yer)… Neighbor and attorney Rick Kantner has opened an office at 31 Beach Drive SE in Bayfront Tower. The Kantner Law Firm, PL, specializes in wills, trusts, probate, trust administration, Medicaid planning, real estate and business planning and asset protection. Rick is a HONNA Board member.

Some New Stores on 4th Street….Fig, an upscale soft-goods store specializing in fine linens, interior necessities and garden accessories, opened its multi-cultural collection at 1545 4th Street N on November 17th and three days later Mickey’s Market opened next door, selling certified black angus beef, Boar’s Head meats, over 100 wine varietals and a selection of cooked foods, produce and desserts. Both merchants opened at the renovated retail shops in the Art Deco Brown Nash Building, constructed in 1940; St. Petersburg Preservation Inc. awarded J Square Developers its Best Commercial Rehabilitation designation for the retail renovation project in 2008. Mickey’s Market has known previous incarnations as Mickey’s Snell Isle Market and Mickey’s Kork and Kleaver on Beach Drive downtown. Fig sells a vast collection of Italian

linens, handmade pillows from South Africa, antiques from China, soaps from France, 100% Egyptian cotton towels from Portugal, eco-friendly candles made in the U.S. and more. It complements items sold next door at Being, the fashion-forward furniture and home accessories store that relocated to the project from BayWalk in March 2009.

Palm Sunday Invite….Westminster Presbyterian Church on 11th Avenue NE is planning a potluck and Easter egg hunt for all its Old Northeast neighbors. You’re invited to join them for Palm Sunday Worship on Sunday, March 28th, at 10:30am and stay for fellowship, a potluck/covered dish meal and a children’s Easter egg hunt. Bring yourself, your family, a favorite dish to share and Easter baskets for your children to fill. No children? They’d love to have you join them anyway. Any questions, please call the church office at 821-5259 and speak to Anna or Pastor Gail.

New windows being in-stalled in enlarged open-ings at the Palm View retirement facility under renovation at 10th Avenue NE and Beach Drive. An informational seminar about the complex is be-ing held on March 10th. Phone 894-2102 for details


Sidewalk Charm from page 1body or base, trim and accent. The accent is the easiest to refresh, and by using a color harmonious with the base and roof, you can make the house reflect your personality from whimsical to sophisticated all in the span of 24 hours.CurVe Appeal

The majority of landscapes you admire in home and garden magazines and programs on HGTV have curved bed lines and seemingly endless sweeping vistas. It’s time to understand that the days of a straight hedge at the front wall of the house are over. Also, curving walkways leading to your front door or other focal points are also much more interesting and welcoming.WOW! Appeal

Landscape is a key component in creating curb appeal, and green is king here. A green lawn and healthy plants “sell” the house to visitors or potential buyers within the first 15 seconds of arrival. Take a look at your yard as a newcomer might. Are your shrubs lined up like soldiers against your house? Are your bed lines blurred? Planters empty? Be realistic with the time you have for land-scape maintenance, and then refresh it accordingly. A few quick tips. Trench the edges of your flower beds to create smooth sweeping lines. Freshen your mulch, bark or pine straw. Get your lawn on a regular fertilizer program. Replace older shrubbery that has grown too large for your home, and take note that shrubs that are overgrown can easily “swallow up” a smaller home.Smell the Flowers

Masses of colorful annuals at the base of your porch help to pull the eye to the front door. This can also be achieved with colorful container gardens on the porch or elsewhere in the landscape. Flower boxes help add color to a home’s exterior and make the windows appear taller from the street. Remember your overall color scheme when using flowers. Containers and plant material should enhance the base paint color of your home. For instance, if your home has a “cool” color palette such as grey, blue or white then your plant material would be most impactful in pastels. Warm paint tones are best with more vibrant colors such as red, yellow and purple.

IlluminateIf you are lucky enough to have a porch, then make the most

of it by creating an outdoor living space with wonderful furniture and lighting. Add a lamp for a cozy look. Exterior lighting can warm the look of a home whether it be sconces at the front door or up-lights enhancing specimen plants or other focal points in the landscape. Lighting along walkways with low voltage or solar lamps helps to make a warm -- and safe -- entrance. Your home will be further enhanced if the materials and lighting are of the same style as the home. Clean Up

How many times have you walked by the kid’s bike, discarded pot or broken chair and said...”I have to get rid of that.” Whether it’s for yourself or a potential buyer, keep debris and clutter off the front porch (or anywhere else in view for that matter). House

numbers, kick plates and door knobs should also be clean and in good condition. The front door mat should be new and a wel-coming sight. Outdoor furniture and seating should be cleaned reg-ularly or given a fresh coat of paint and new cushions. Periodic pressure washing will

remove mold and debris off siding, decks, driveways and walkways leaving a pristine facade on your home. And, please, stay away from helter-skelter objects in your yard. Pick a few focal points for garden art and containers and group them for impact -- leave the rest to a more clean and understated design.

Remember...first impressions are lasting impressions and you, your neighbors and potential buyers will appreciate the extra ef-fort you put into home.

Laura Fage is the proprietor of Casa Terra Design ([email protected]), which specializes in curb appeal, outdoor rooms, interior redesign, staging for sale and inspiring home owners to live a more beautiful life. She has owned a home and garden boutique, hosted a garden TV show and conducted work-shops on all aspects of home decor. On a more personal author’s note: “My husband, Frank, and I have just purchased a home in The Old Northeast. We -- along with our two cats -- look forward to becoming your neighbors!”

Want to sell your house?take heed of these top 10 Curb Appeal “Must-dos”

1. Paint the front door an attractive color and get a new doormat. 2. Put urns or planters on either side of the door with overflowing, colorful plants. 3. Get rid of visible storage, recycling boxes or other junk visible from the street. 4. Check the condition of the roof; fix it if necessary. 5. Make sure windows are painted and well maintained. 6. Repair cracks in the sidewalk and driveway. 7. Improve lighting for the address number or highlight your front walkway with lights. 8. Ensure the address number is neat and easy to read. 9. Clean, clean, clean – and don’t forget the garage.10. Throw in some attractive landscaping and the house will be transformed.


Look Younger NowDivine Dermatology, PLLC

Has relocated to 2100 Dr. MLK, Jr. St. NorthSt. Petersburg, FL 33704

(727) 528-0321

Dr. Sims-Robertson’s medical practice includes a full skin rejuvenation and anti-aging specialty.

Schedule a Full Body Check/Cancer Screening Today…

We also offer: Botox, Evolence, Restylane, Juvèderm, Laser Skin Tightening, Thermage ,Micro-

Dermabrasion, Meso-therapy, Chemical Peels, Latisse, Permanent Make Up and much more…

ClarisonicsLaser Skin Tightening Procedures

Ask About Our SPECIALS

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

One Great Book Club, which meets every other month on the second Thursday of the month in the evening, continues to have a waiting list. I can be reached at [email protected]. Our sister/brother book club meets the last Wednesday of the month at 2pm. Contact Colleen Grant at [email protected] for info.

ONE great book club continues to meet to discuss some fascinating books. In January, our host was Linda Dobbs (Coffee Pot Boulevard NE). The book Linda chose was the novel by Carlos Ruiz Zafron, The Shadow of the Wind. The story takes place in the 1950s in Barcelona, Spain, and centers on Daniel Sempere, the son of a widowed book-store owner. His father takes him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books where Daniel is instructed to pick one book off the shelf and adopt it as his own. The book he chooses is The Shadow of the Wind (La Sombra del Veinto) writ-ten by Julian Carax. Among book deal-ers word has spread that Daniel may in fact have the only copy left of Julian Carax’s novels. One strange man, Lain Coubert, a character in a Carax book, offers Daniel a large sum of money for the book, which Daniel refuses.

This sets off a long and interesting journey for Daniel and his friend, Fermin Romero de Torres, through Barcelona. It’s in this search that the reader is taken through secrets surrounding the sudden death of Carax and the ruthless pursuit by Coubert to destroy all of Carax’s works. The reader wants to know why Coubert wants all of Carax’s works destroyed. Daniel also begins to unravel the secret of two Barcelona families. Unfortunately, his friend Romero de Torres is

framed for the murder of a woman who also is in pursuit of the truth surrounding these two families and Carax. Also, intriguing is that the more Daniel uncovers the more he begins to see the parallel between his life and Carax’s. Zafron takes us through many twists and turns, which keeps the reader wanting more.

The Shadow of the Wind keeps the reader interested throughout as the mysteries unfold. ONE Great Book Club really enjoyed this read and gives it a “thumbs up.”

Historic Old Northeast Walking Tour4th Street – Treasures and Memories

Sunday, April 18th, 1:30pmCome explore several blocks of bustling, changing 4th Street

and vicinity. This portion of the street contains buildings that harken back to when it was lined with groves and orchards plus a wonder-ful collection of Moderne commercial structures. And, of course, roadside architecture from the era when this was the main link between St. Petersburg and the rest of Florida. We’ll meet on the corner of 4th Street and 15th Avenue N (east side of 4th). Your guides will be Rob Wertz and Mike Dailey.


Peal the bells! Shout the news! Saint Petersburg is begin-ning a year-long centennial celebration of its unique and outstanding waterfront park system which stretches from

North Shore to Albert Whitted Airport -- about 23 blocks. Old NE residents express deep appreciation for the foresight of

pioneers like William Straub (often referred to as the Waterfront Park Champion) and Perry Snell, who led the movement to protect public access to our park system a century ago rather than opt for an industrial or commercial waterfront. This commitment to water views rather than smoke stacks was realized in December 1909 with the Board of Trade’s purchase of land and solidified in December 1910 when the Waterfront Park was officially dedicated. This past December, Mayor Rick Baker (Honorary Chair of the Centennial Waterfront Parks Celebration) signed an ordinance adding three more charter parks including Albert Whitted Park, the Soreno/Straub Park extension and the Poynter Park extension near the Dali Museum.

These decisions have truly shaped the character of our City and our citizens. Consider how often you walk your dog, hike, kayak, bike, play tennis or jog along the beautiful park shore. Revisit times when you, with friends or family, attended con-certs, races, receptions, weddings and other events of all kinds. Particular favorites of many NE neighbors include North Straub Park, Vinoy Park and the Gizella Kopsick Palm Arboretum. A recent informal poll of Old Northeast residents elicited the same comment over and over: “It’s there for everyone!” Another favorite: “Perhaps there is no other place in Florida where there is more availability for the public to the waterfront parks.”

Dedicated volunteers, under the auspices of the non-profit group Saint Petersburg Preservation, have spent countless hours planning wonderful events that will appeal to both young and old. These are free to all and offered throughout 2010.

Tapping the talents of our local citizens, these programs aim to educate and entertain. “Picture Your Parks” photo workshop, held January 30th at the beautiful Vinoy, was led by professional master photographer Jim Swallow who gave tips on how to become a great photographer. Favorite photos of

the parks taken by residents will be judged for inclusion with the Centennial Celebration traveling history and photo exhibit. Please check the Centennial Celebration website (http://www.stpeteparks100.org/) this spring for submission information for the juried photo contest of pictures taken in the waterfront parks (prizes will be awarded and winners announced on November 6th).

A series of three forum “Perspectives on the Parks” discussions sponsored by the Florida Humanities Council will focus on the past, present and future of our waterfront parks and will include scholars, poets, actors and singers. The first gathering was held February 10th and examined the history of the waterfront park system. The second program will discuss the history of segregation in the parks and is scheduled for Thursday April 29th at the Studio @620. The third and final forum is tentatively set for Thursday, September 23rd, looking at what other cities have done with their waterfront property and visioning our waterfront in the years ahead. City poet laureate Peter Meinke will offer poetry and readings as well. Following each program there will be an audience question and answer session.

Pick any Thursday in May and take your family to North Straub Park for “May Movies in the Park” where you can enjoy a won-derful feature movie (preceded by a short historical film of St.

Petersburg). The first in the series on May 6th will be the classic “To Kill a Mocking-bird.” Sylvia P. Rusche Insurance Agency is sponsoring the May Movies event.

The final gala, aptly titled “Party in the Parks,” will take place Saturday, November 6th, and will be an all-day-and- evening event featuring a myriad of activities in all the downtown parks. Bayshore Drive will be closed to auto traffic but bicycle and foot traffic will be open. This will truly be a day to remember!

For the latest up-to-date information on these events, please visit the Centennial website at http://www.stpeteparks100.org. There you may wish to volunteer to serve on an event committee or purchase a beautiful commemorative poster or note cards designed by our wonderful local art-ist, Carrie Jadus. These items would make great gifts for family and friends.

Our Treasure the Waterfront Parks Celebrate 100 Years!

by Lynne Mormino

Carrie Jadus, Artist

Photo courtesy City of St. Petersburg


In addition, if your or-ganization has a need for a program speaker, please consider requesting one of the volunteers who will be happy to present an over-view of the Waterfront Parks Centennial Year Celebration.

As with any special celebration, new spon-sors are very welcome as are individual con-tributions. Become part of this historical event! Working together as a community to acknowl-edge, protect and pre-serve our treasured wa-terfront will ensure that it remains a treasure for generations to come.

Lynne is a member of the Waterfront Parks Centennial Celebra-tion Sponsorship Committee and loves living in The Old NE!

A version of this article appears in the March issue of The Northeast Journal.

We’ll Take Care of You CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP!! LOWEST PRICES…GUARANTEED!

TOP OFF FLUIDS & SAFETY INSPECTION

$16.95most cars

10% OFF ALL REPAIRS & MAINTENANCE

1406 4th St North Phone 821-2653

NEW OWNERSHIP with a WHOLE NEW ATTITUDE!


Ponderings

Frost Proofby John Gee

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 co-chaired its Historic Preservation Committee. You can also read more from John in the Northeast Journal.

Years ago, I fell in love with my kindergarten teacher. She was everything I wanted in a woman: kind, friendly, caring and a good judge of finger painting. Before the year was over, she left school to get married and I learned to never place

too much trust in people or in anything else for that matter. As life went on, my trust was tested over and over again, but even with all the disappointments there was some small space inside me to offer some hope that things will work out and life can go on. However, once again, my faith has been tested by something I have sup-ported and cherished. The weather turned cold in January, and my poor plants have died a painful and sorry death by freezing. Shame on you, Mother Nature, for shattering my faith.

We live in Florida where people run to hide from cold weather. We come here to live and plant trees and flowers that, by the gen-erosity of our location, live and grow without any worries of death

and destruction. Once planted, all of nature’s bounty thrives and all we have to do is provide some food and water and just stand back and watch our babies grow. For ten years a veritable jungle has grown around the house that provided a pleasant view and a canopy of shade to keep the house cool. Many a day was spent just admiring the work done by Florida’s natural sunshine on our soil -- but then three days of frost brought this to an end.

Of all the plants I have nurtured, there was one that made me especially proud. After spotting a schefflera shoot growing near the house, I moved it closer to the fence and let it live. Within a year it had achieved the success that all plants aspire to in our state. Soon it was a 20 foot green and shady monster towering

Property Transfers

Following is a listing of recent property transfers in our North Shore neighborhood. The individuals listed are new own-ers 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.

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

202 7th Avenue N Russell Gudorf229 10th Avenue N Maureen Pelemati535 12th Avenue NE #2 Leslie Wharton250 13th Avenue NE John Amsallem221 15th Avenue N Jason Chungjo Ling129 16th Avenue NE Suzanne Wells825 16th Avenue NE Robert and Nickole Feldman143 17th Avenue N Janice McClendon415 17th Avenue NE David Lentz546 18th Avenue NE Anthony and Patrice Redington426 19th Avenue NE Melanie Clem316 20th Avenue NE Kathryn Villar

139 21st Avenue N Gretta Bellas140 21st Avenue N Kelley Johnson118 26th Avenue N Lisa Pach320 27th Avenue N Bryan Smith807 1st Street NE D. David Morris2800 1st Street N #3 Mercedes Montes733 Bay Street NE Stephen Mulhem742 Bay Street NE Heidi Culbertson700 Beach Drive NE #608 Joan Fowler2320 Brevard Road NE Fredric Eppsteiner1100 North Shore Drive NE #404 Fadi Bassil


over my side yard and it gave me the faith to stick even more plants into our yard. Everything went well, and every day I gazed with admiration at the huge schefflera -- the symbol of Florida’s bounty. Soon all the plants were blooming… and John looked upon the garden and he called it good.

But this winter has been hard on my green friends. They shook off the first frost, the second took them aback but the third heavy frost did them in big time. Yeah, I could have sheltered some and I did try to cover the lower plants, but I have some real big stuff growing around the place and covering them was out of the question. Slowly, things warmed up, but over the following days the extent of the damage became all too obvious. My canopy was gone. My beautiful plants had left the building.

People have told me to not despair because you never know, some plants may recuperate and in the grand scheme of things there are a lot worse things to suffer through. After all, this isn’t an earthquake where the whole house collapses or a hurricane. But isn’t that what everyone says after a tragedy? People always try to diminish the problem to help you through the bad times, but I know death when I see it and it looks like I will be start-ing over.

By Florida standards, this has been a tough winter, and I hope that by the time this gets printed and into your mailbox all this northern weather stuff will be over. But right now I am looking at another freezing night and a week of unseasonably cold stuff around here and I‘m a Floridian and I can’t take this much longer. Yes, I am a wimp -- but I think anything less than 80 degrees is freezing and I want my plants back!

See you in the Spring.

Keller Williams Realty is looking for Residential and Commercial Sales Professionals to join us as we launch a new Market Center in downtown St. Petersburg

Join the # 1 Real Estate Company!

Call Rachel Sartain, Team Leader, for more

information(727)742-7939

From now to

in just one day!Your home ~ only better.

First impressions are lasting impressions.

CasaTerraDesign.com 727.359.6791

Interior RedesignCurb Appeal

Real Estate StagingEvent Planning

Casa Concierge


The Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association in-vites you to participate in our annual neighborhood- wide yard sale on Saturday, March 13th, from 8am-1pm.

HONNA will be providing publicity about the event via the newspaper, a door-to-door leaflet blitz and signage. HONNA mem-bers wishing to participate can be listed on a locator map which will be distributed to eager shoppers on that Saturday morning at Ground Zero for the event – Westminster Presbyterian Church on 11th Avenue NE. Notify Karen Reese ([email protected] or 823-6954) to add your name to the list of neighborhood sellers; provide Karen with your address (and specify if the sale will be on the front sidewalk, rear yard, alley or other location) along with a brief listing of the major items (or types of items) you’ll have for sale.

The deadline for getting on the list is March 11th so hurry! Not

already a HONNA member? If not, you can sign up at www.honna.org (the $30 annual membership is tax deductible).

HONNA is encour-aging participants to donate $10 or 10% of sale proceeds to HONNA toward repair of the dolphin sculptures at the boat landing at the Venetian Steps on Coffee Pot Bayou in Granada Terrace. Help save the dolphins!

Too late to get your act together and participate in the sale? Well, all’s not lost -- you can participate by shopping for all the great deals you’ll find on March 13th!

BargainsTreasure Trove

Old NE Yard SalE

4th Annual Neighborhood-Wide

Yard SaleSaturday, March 13th

Time to clean out your closets, garage, attic, under the bed, car trunk, storage

units and drawers!

I f you’ re a HONNA member and have given us your e-mail address, you’re already on the list to receive e-mail “blasts” of HONNA events in the neighborhood which might be of interest.

Not a member now but still want to know what’s going on? Send us your e-mail address and we’ll place you on the e-mail blast list, even though you’re not a HONNA member. Send your address to [email protected].

Want to Hear About Neighborhood events of Interest?


Pressure Washing Drywall Installations Residential/Commercial Interior/Exterior Painting General Renovations Free Estimates

PHONE: 727.823.8020 EMAIL: [email protected]

MAR/APRIL/MAY SPECIAL: “Exterior Facelift”

Up to 2500 sq ft, minor repairs and 3 colors $1795.00

What a fantastic experience it was to have the opportunity to chair our neighborhood’s 12th Annual Candlelight Tour of Homes. With the momentum from past years

and the number of neighborhood participants, this event truly has a life of its own. I’m happy to report that, once again, we have another record-setting year with total revenue of $27,145.

Over 1,000 people came from near and far to spend a glorious December day, strolling or being shuttled through the streets of our neighborhood -- a chance to experience what makes our neighbor-hood the best in Tampa Bay. We had eight unique and wonderful homes this year, decked out for the holidays. I would like to express our gratitude to homeowners Larry and Ellen Nist (Larelle House Bed & Breakfast), Robert and Tricia Birkenstock, Marianne Van de Verde, John and Wendy Accardi, Tom and Carol Hand, Tim and Kathy Hessinger, Bob and Jillian Doyle and José and Kathy DeVicente. Without their willingness to open their homes, this event would not have been possible.

This event is our Association’s primary source of revenue. With its continued success and profitability, the committee recommended to HONNA’s Board of Directors that 25% of the net profit for this event be donated to a charity. The board supported this recom-mendation, approving of the idea of giving back to the community at large, and set this as the standard for the future. The selected charity for this year’s tour was the Pinellas County Coalition for the Homeless. I was proud to present a check in the amount of $4,516 to them in January, and I was assured that our gener-ous donation would be directly put to work in their organization (see photo top right). The remaining profit of $13,549 will be used in the operating fund of the Association.

I would like to give special thanks to the committee members and scores of volunteers for putting in the time to make this event a success. Special thanks go to Douglas Haan and Randy Hodge for opening up their home for the preview party for volunteers and homeowners the night before the event. We want to recognize Evo’s and The 4th Street Shrimp Store for their contributions, to the many talented cooks and to the residents who anonymously donated time and

money to defray the cost of the preview party.

Thanks, as well, to the Tour advertisers, ticket sales and hospitality ven-ues (Dickens House Bed & Breakfast, Westminster Palms and Westminster Presbyterian Church) and the advance ticket outlets. Last but not least, a shout out to Robinson Brand Builders, Inc., for their profes-sional direction and input and sup-port of our event.

Work has al-ready started on the 13th Annual Candlelight Tour of Homes. Mark your calendar for this year’s event: Sunday, December 12th. The advertising and sponsorship subcommit-tee is working on securing a corporate sponsor by mid-year. We are currently looking for a chair or co-chair for the committee and anyone else who wants to be a part of this exciting event. Please contact me at [email protected] and let me know how you can help.

Candlelight tour a Blazing Successby Bob WattsChair, Candlelight Tour of Homes 2009


PORCH PARTIESPorch 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 Larry Smith, [email protected].

You’reInvited

What better way is there to meet your neighbors and celebrate good Old Northeast living than by having a block party? About 3pm on Saturday, February 6th, neighbors from surrounding blocks came out of their homes

with chairs and homemade delectables to gather on 8th Avenue NE between Bay and Oak streets for the first of many block parties to come! Old friends met new friends, children shared bikes and played volleyball, a neighbor DJ played music. Even our own St. Petersburg Fire Department came out for a fire safety and truck demonstration. At dusk, fire pits were lit, marshmallows were roasted and night caps were toasted.

It started a couple of months ago with Elizabeth Hallock of Bay Street and Wendy Clark of 8th Avenue NE, friends who walk together and shared a vision. Elizabeth wanted “to create a more close knit community among neighbors.” Wendy agreed. She remembers living in Philadelphia for nearly three years before finally meeting her next door neighbor the week before she moved. She says, “The idea of a block party had come up a few times, but it wasn’t until I met Elizabeth that I’d found someone else to make it more than talk.” Within weeks, flyers were circulated and plans began. It all seemed to happen effortlessly as neighbors came together to share food, time and talent -- evidence of how strong our neighborhood is when we come together.

It was a fun day, enjoyed by all. Elizabeth loved watching the kids have a ball in the closed street. Karen Easin of 1st Street enjoyed meeting people that she didn’t even know lived close to her. Everyone was in agreement that we live in the greatest neighborhood! Wendy was pleased; she says, “It’s being part of a warm, supportive community that makes a place home.”

Mary and her family recently moved to The Old Northeast from Yonkers, NY. She and her husband, Michael, have four boys and live on 7th Avenue NE. They are proud to be a part of a great community.

March 19th Craig Hyde 1200 1st Street N

April 16th

Bob and Jeanne Hunter229 18th Avenue NE

May 21st Bob and Trisha Birkenstock155 6th Avenue NE

PA R T I E S

From time to time we hear about a block party taking place somewhere in our neighborhood. Some are fairly simple, low-key affairs – if not out on the street then maybe in someone’s yard or on a big porch – but others can be somewhat more involved affairs with live music and engaging distractions for the kids. In any case, they are sure-fire winners that get us on more than just a “waving” relationship with the folks down the street whose names we may not even know.

So how about letting your imagination run loose and begin plotting to have a block party of your own? Collaborate with a few neighbors and get the ball rolling. If you’re going to want to block off your street, you’ll need a permit from the Police Department so contact Sgt. Gary Dukeman at the Special Events Unit (893-7170; [email protected]) to find out what you’ll need to do.

Make sure to take some photos to send us and let us know how it went. There are some things we don’t want to be con-tagious in the neighborhood…but block parties aren’t one of them.

Marshmallows + Fire Pits + Fire truck = Lots of Fun by Mary Jorgensen

Photo by Bob Birkenstock


Just recently my husband, Jerry, and I were asked to help HONNA design a logo. Owning a branding company, Robinson Brand Builders, and living in The Old Northeast neighborhood, we graciously said yes. We had no idea what was in store for us.

When we talk to people -- in a small business, a cor-poration or an organization -- about their marketing and

communication efforts, they often use the words “branding,” “mar-keting” and “advertising” interchangeably. There is always confusion and understandably so. Rob Frankel, a branding expert and author in Los Angeles, calls branding the most misunderstood concept in all of marketing, even among professionals. Branding, he says, “is not ad-vertising and it’s not marketing or PR. Branding happens before all of those: First you create the brand, then you raise awareness of it.” That confusion is unfortunate, because understanding the concepts and how they mesh is vital to the success of an organization’s brand. Studies show organizations that market their products or services without first establishing their brand identities are not likely to have success.

So … what is a brand?Your product or service is not your organization’s brand and neither

is your logo or your business card. Your brand is the genuine “per-sonality” of your company. It’s what your customers think of you and say about you. Brand is the authentic expression of what you are all about – what you stand for, how you operate, why you are unique. Brand is the soul of your organization. It’s the imprint you make in the hearts and minds of your audience. Brand permeates every contact with your market. It’s why a customer feels “right” about you and why a prospect connects with you. In the real estate of the mind, it’s how you stake out a prime position. A strong Brand can even mute competing messages from rivals. When it’s right, Brand resonates with clarity, relevance and emotion. It sings. It sticks. All these good things can happen only when Brand is absolutely genuine -- when Brand is a living, breathing extension of your core value, delivered day-in and day-out with consistency and integrity.

Our first mission was to design a logo for HONNA, so the very first question that needed to be answered was, of course, “What is HONNA’s brand?”

We started by conducting our customary brand study. We talked to a lot of people -- HONNA members, neighbors in The Old Northeast, vendors, past and current Board members. We sat in on board meetings, committee meetings and we participated in many of the HONNA events.

What we found is that HONNA really believes in preserving our neighborhood’s history and improving the quality of our lives within our diverse community. We met a group of individuals that is strong-minded, engaged, friendly, passionate, giving, dedicated and productive. They are also organized, involved, talented and strong activists. Once we had a clear picture of HONNA’s personality, at-tributes and core values, the rest was easy and enjoyable. The initial result of our brand study was the creation of HONNA’s new logo [see the masthead on the cover of this newsletter]. We think we succeeded in a logo design that will resonate within our community, but we’ll let you be the judge of that.

We also continued to work with a group of passionate and dedicated members -- your neighbors -- as we created posters, tickets, signs and e-mail blasts to inform our community of the first Annual Halloween Scavenger Hunt. As we were working with HONNA, crime was be-coming more and more of a concern so we pitched in to create T-shirts for our Crime Watch Committee’s new “Citizens on Patrol.” Before we could take a breath, we were on to supporting HONNA with all the marketing elements needed for the Holiday Candlelight Tour of Homes, which was another big success.

While we were busy getting to know HONNA and sharing with them our knowledge of branding, we met some very special neighbors. I encourage all of you who have never experienced the HONNA brand to stop by a Porch Party, attend an event or go to a neighborhood monthly meeting and meet some of your neighbors. It’s a great way to make new friends. We especially like the Porch Parties because it’s an easy way to get to know your neighbors.

Although this branding process has been a lot of work, we’ve had a lot of fun and could not have picked a nicer group of people to work with. And to think that HONNA is our neighborhood association, a group of neighbors whose goal is to preserve our history and improve the quality of our lives through their volunteerism is pretty special in itself. I encourage you to experience the HONNA brand yourself.

MJ and Jerry Robinson are owners of Robinson Brand Builders,

a locally-owned branding and marketing company. What they do is help companies define the strongest, most appealing elements of their brand and put those distinct benefits to work. You can reach MJ or Jerry at [email protected] or 727/894-3051.

“Branding” the Historic Old Northeast By MJ Robinson, Consultant, Robinson Brand Builders


The GREEN

PAGe

by Michael Panetta

Around the first earth Day in 1969, a logo with three chas-ing arrows forming a Möbius strip (or unending loop) was developed to brand recycled cardboard in the new “eco”

marketplace. Now it’s the international symbol for recycling. Its arrows are often interpreted as three basic tenets of sustainability: reduce, recycle (or reuse), renew. “Reduce” was highlighted in September’s “Green Page” and here we will focus on “recycle.”

Surprisingly, there are no standards attached to this seal. The re-cycle symbol does not mean it is “from” or “has” recycled content -- it could simply mean “to be” recycled. The symbol is often used to “green-wash” a product. So it is up to you to become informed and understand what the product is representing.

Recycling is finally taking root as a culture. Campaigns highlighting plastic water bottles as “consumed in an instant, forever in a landfill” and a reality show -- secretly collecting a month of household garbage, revealing an unsuspecting consumer’s “carbon footprint” for all to see -- are social awakening to the “consume and discard” lifestyle. Recycling begins at “discard” but not just for the item thrown out. It involves all the by-products and processes at every step that produces them.

What can be recycled? Virtually everything we use can and should be recycled, especially once you understand the alarming rate at which we as a global society are consuming and disposing of resources. Everyday “stuff,” like papers, plastic, metals, buildings materials, roads, rugs, appliances, etc., can be recycled almost indefinitely… but instead we resign them to landfills. Food and organic waste can be composted to make good soil for more food. Wastewater can be

reprocessed into grey water for irrigation and -- with remarkable new technology -- even potable water.

The problem is most products aren’t designed to be deconstructed, disassembled or decomposed easily into their component parts. This, too, is changing. Everything can be reused and recycled if made intelligently and designed to end up ready for the recycle bin. And they are.

The European Commission is passing regulations on End-of-Life Vehicle requirements (ELVs) where the EC will set the targets on the percent recyclability of a car by the year 2015. In the U.S., newspa-pers, paper products and many fabrics are now printed with nontoxic inks and manufactured with unbleached or chlorine-free processes (eliminating dioxin, a highly toxic by-product of bleaching).

The label will reveal the differences - Check the paper products the next time you’re at Staples (look for paperless paper, too). Buy recycled products made with lower eco-impacts and easy end-of-life reprocessing..and learn how to recycle them. These new eco-products are proving themselves as equal to or superior in performance with greater economies and profitability once established. You can see industry and markets shifting towards more environmentally-friendly practices.

It is about knowing your choices: pre-consumer, post-consumer and virgin material. These identify the composition of the recycled content. As their names suggest, the waste material can be recovered during manufacturing or after you use it, frequently indicated as a percentage (more post-consumer content being better). Check the Green Facts for a good example.

Make it a priority and motivation for industry - It will take in-formed and committed involvement through the entire chain of production, and continued pressure from consumers to keep them moving forward.

The idea is to save material from end-of-life solid waste disposal in earth-consuming landfills or, even worse, incineration. This waste, the good and the bad, will eventually “recycle” in some manner into our ecosystem: the air we breathe, the terra firma we plant and raise


live stock on or water we drink and home to the fish we eat. There are many benefits from recycling products like glass, paper,

plastics, aluminum and metals. Valuable resources, manpower and im-bedded energy invested in claiming the virgin materials; its transport, transformation, manufacture and distribution is reclaimed. The need for processing more virgin material is reduced. Consuming valuable land with the negative consequences of landfill is mitigated.

The new recycling -- C2C or Cradle-to-Cradle -- is a process where a product’s life-cycle is designed to be effectively and ecologically manufactured and recycled into next generation products with as little energy and toxicity as possible. This manifesto was pioneered by architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart. They began with products in the textile industry that revolutionized a very toxic manufacturing process. Their recent work with Shaw Carpeting produced EcoMade Rugs with a new fiber that is infinitely recyclable, has a great deal of post-consumer content and is looking for your old carpet for the next generation of its product.

The point is that it just makes sense to innovate an efficient sus-

tainable life-cycling of our valuable limited resources because it works.

And be aware of not-so-good recycling practices. Every year 50 million tons of E-waste (electronic waste) is produced globally. This is the fastest growing waste stream and rapidly becoming a major environmental issue. Discarded computers, monitors and batteries contain some very nasty carcinogens (like lead, mercury and cad-mium) but prove to be a very profitable toxic trade when it comes to dumping this waste into emerging countries having little regulation for “recycling” and disposal practices. These are crimes against humanity. Please see the Green Facts to see what may be the fate of your old equipment.

Again, I have run out of space. I hope this has brought “sustain-ability” a little closer to your home and, if it has, please pass it on.

Michael Panetta moved to The Old Northeast in 1998 and is President of his newly-established architectural practice, Panetta + Associates, Inc. For additional information or comments he can be contacted at [email protected].

Product/(facial tissues)

CompanyTotal

Percent Recycled

Percent Post-

Consumer

Fiber from Certified Forests

Endangered Forest

Protection

Chlorine-free

Processing Marcal Marcal 100 40 N/A N/A yes

Seventh Generation

Seventh Generation 100 80 N/A N/A yes

Trader Joe’s Trader Joe’s 100 10-25 N/A N/A yes

Scotties Irving Tissue Co. 0 0 No No ?

Kleenex Kimberly-Clark 0 0 No No No

the GREEN Facts A crash course in C2C - Very informative, easy-to-understand You-tube presentation by William McDonough

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoRjz8iTVoo

Recycle locations for St Pete - The link below has a map of all types of recycling. The closest to The Old Northeast is location # 12. Crescent Lake, 1320 5th Strret N www.stpete.org/sanitation/earth_friendly_recycling/recycle_brush_sites.asp

Recycle locations for Pinellas County: the HeC3 Facility - drop off your old fluorescent bulbs, paint and household chemicals or pick up used ones, like paint and cleaners at no cost. www.pinellascounty.org/utilities/swapshop.htm

Recycle and properly dispose of everything you use - Home Depot takes spiral compact bulbs. Lowes has a spent battery drop off; check on-line to recycle anything you’re disposing: brush and landscape waste; building materials; old paint; pesticides; fluorescent and compact fluorescent bulbs; e-waste like computers, monitors, batteries, ink and toner cartridges.

e-waste and its growing impact on developing nations - A Frontline expose’ www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/ghana804/video/video_index.html ; clip on Gania and India www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A5zVNpkuzk

Recognize the brands below? Replacing just one box of virgin fiber facial tissues (175 sheets) with 100% recycled ones, we could save 163,000 trees. Dig a little deeper into the discussion; www.nrdc.org/land/forests/gtissue.asp


Local Historic LandmarksBy Robin ReedHistoric Preservation Chair

The Historic Old Northeast’s complement of Local Historic Landmarks is growing! The Ridgely House located at 600 Beach Drive NE was recently so designated at the request of its owners, Bruce and Mary Sadler. The builder of the 1910 Craftsman Bungalow style house, dentist Roy Ridgely, was “an ardent booster of the Sunshine City” and a founder of the Eureka Stone and Paving Company.

According to the City’s Historic Preservation Ordinance, this home qualifies for desig-nation because it is a significant reminder of the cultural heritage of St. Petersburg and is identified with people who contributed significantly to our City. It has the distinguishing characteristics of the Bungalow style of architecture and retains sufficient elements of the style.

This home will join the very select group of houses, along with Sunken Gardens, which are currently Local Historic Landmarks in our neighborhood. They are: the Whitted House at 656 1st Street N, the Robert West House (“The Pineapple House”) at 101 6th Avenue NE, the Boyce Guest House (Sunset Bay Inn) at 635 Bay Street NE and the Monticello Apartments at 750 3rd Street N.

To learn more about one of St. Petersburg’s most interesting and unusual local landmarks, please see Jill McGrath’s third in our series of “landmark” articles below.

Our neighborhood has many homes that would undoubtedly qualify for “landmark” status. If you would like to have your home consid-ered for listing on this prestigious Register or would like more information, please contact me (825-0480 or [email protected]).

in 1926 by the Cole Manufacturing Company in Georgia as a vital part of the early water works for the City during the land boom of the 1920s. It is identified with C. Perry Snell who influenced the City’s development of the water tower neighborhood and adjoining areas, and it has the distin-guishing characteristics of style and construction that denotes a “riveted tank” water tower. Not only does it provide water for protection from fire damages but it also is a cost-effective source of clean water which is safely

stored. The tower “also illustrated the initiative of local government…to meet the needs of the public.” Its historical significance also reflects the needed engineering technology for waterworks systems during the tremen-dous influx of residents. Despite the passage of 96 years, the construction remains an ingenious design.

Until 1994 the water tower “has experi-enced few alterations since its construction and retains integrity of location, design setting, feeling, workmanship, materials, and association,” an important aspect of its historical significance. In 1993, artist Tom Stovall, who meticulously and brilliantly

the Giant Aquarium in the Sky by Jill McGrath

Adjacent to a St. Petersburg recycling station and at the corner of 5th Street N and 13th Avenue sits the almost century old and important Crescent Lake Water Tower, which has been enhanced to resemble an aquarium by the multi-talented artist, Tom Stovall. Tom’s summation of this master work is, “There wasn’t one day that I didn’t have fun.”

Because the tower is not standing in the middle of an open field, it is always a stunning delight to the eyes to catch a glimpse from different angles in its neighborhood within the 56 acres of Crescent Lake and Park. “The spherical tank of the Crescent Lake Water Tower rests on a steel frame with eight supporting legs connected by cross bracing and a central riser connecting the tank with the water system.” The fact that the tower remains as a viable and important water storage facility, since so many such towers have been demolished, is a tribute to St. Pe-tersburg which, in protecting this tower, ensures the purity of the 500,000 gallons of water supply within the structure. Since completion, the 110 foot height of Crescent Lake Water Tower has proven to be an invaluable sighting for pilots using Albert Whitted Airport.

In September 2008 a landmark des-ignation application by the City for the water tower was approved by the Com-munity Preservation Committee. The tower met three of the nine criteria for historic property designation. Accord-ing to the historic landmark documents, the tower is a significant reminder of the cultural or archaeological heritage of the City. The tower was constructed

Part 3 in a series

After

Before


restored the original art of the Vinoy Hotel’s ceilings and walls, was contacted to enhance the tower by turning it into a work of art. The tower exterior had just been painted and was then sand blasted, which made a hard exterior pocked for paint adherence. Specific air temperatures were also required for the success of the painting process. There was initial opposition to the painting of the aquarium scene, but after the completion of this Tom Stovall masterpiece, opposition morphed into compliments

Envisioning a salt water aquarium, Tom projected his approxi-mately 12 feet in length and four feet in height fish shapes on photo paper. He then taped the shapes up on the wall of Snell Isle Market so that the shapes could be cut apart like template puzzle pieces to be assembled later on the tank. According to Tom, those pieces resembled a “paint by numbers” project. Two scaffold towers on wheels were donated; one half was disassembled and turned to work on the opposite side for the painting of the lower section which did not have any support structure. It resembled a half-moon cartwheel covered by braces and boards leading from the central spiral staircase. A helper and Tom used pieces of sponge to paint the thousands of simulated grains of sand as the aquarium’s base. There was a moment when a board slipped and Tom’s ballet prowess helped to maintain his balance. A ladder on the catwalk was used to paint the section between the grains of sand and the top. One of the most bizarre occurrences was the insistent birds who made nests in areas which Tom needed to paint and so had to be removed. New nests were installed by the intrepid birds the next week

Although Tom contends that “it looks OK” now, it is time to plan to “regenerate and repaint” the tower’s façade because the weather and salt air have bleached the art work. The City has painted the top twice but the paint has chipped. In 1993, the money raised came in the form of many denominations from local residents and visitors. Today, using a crane, the process would only take about two-three weeks, and it is estimated to cost $15,000-$18,000 to complete. Perhaps, as during the first painting, additional bubbles and imprinted donor names could be purchased and enough funds could be raised between the City and other donations to return this remarkable and important water tower/aquarium in the sky to its original condition.

With thanks to Old Northeast neighbor Tom Stovall for his interesting account of the tower artwork project.

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.

A r c h i t e c tSpecializing in residential Design

renovations, Additions and New homes

call for a consultation visit to your home.

A R 1 2 1 5 9

7 2 7 - 8 2 3 - 1 5 6 6Web Site trhode.com

T i m R h o d e

IFYou May NeedTo ReplaceYour Knob AndTubeWiring

WARNINGKNOB AND TUBE WIRING

COMPLIANCE MAY BE NECESSARY

Call (727) 328-1700 for a FREE written estimate

• Your house is over 60 years old!• You are selling your house!• You are changing yourHomeowners insurance!

• You need additional circuits!• You've had past rodent problems!• Your house was renovated!

Established 1985 FL. LIC. #EC0001869

residential division of


March 5 Exhibit opening, St. Petersburg Museum of History; 894-1052March 6 Human Rights Walkathon, North Straub Park; 657-7026March 6 Tampa Bay Women’s Expo, Colisuem; 892-5202

MARCH 11 CRIMe WAtCH COMMIttee MeetING (see page 6)

March 12-14 10th Annual St. Pete Cajun/Zydeco Craw-fish Festival, Vinoy Park; 813/989-7978March 12-14 Annual Antiquarian Book Fair, Coliseum; 892-5202

MARCH 13 NeIGHBORHOOd-WIde YARd SALe (see page 20)

March 13 Young at Heart Health and Wellness Fair for 55+, Sunshine Center; 893-7101March 13 Special Olympics, Area 6, Lakewood High School; 462-1556March 13 Walking Tour of Historic Downtown, begins at Central at 2nd; 824-7802March 14 U.S. Navy vs. Thunder, Water Polo Chal-lenge North Shore Pool; 893-7727March 14 Seuss-tacular Sleepover, Great Explorations Children’s Museum; 821-8992

MARCH 15 NeIGHBORHOOd MeetING – POtLUCK (see page 4)

MARCH 19PORCH PARtY (see page 22)

March 20 Celebrate Seuss! Great Explorations Chil-dren’s Museum; 821-8992March 20 Walking Tour, “North by Old Northeast” begins at Central at 2nd; 824-7802March 21 Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast, Great Ex-plorations Children’s Museum; 821-8992March 26 Fast Friday Get Downtown Music Concert and Street Festival, 200 Central; 393-3597March 26-28 Honda Grand Prix, Downtown locations; 898-INDY

APRIL 3 eASteR eGG HUNt (see page 11)April 3 Kids’ Breakfast with Dali, Dali Museum; 823-3767

APRIL 8 CRIMe WAtCH COMMIttee MeetING (see page 6)

April 9-11 Tampa Bay Blues Festival, Vinoy Park; 502-5000April 10-13 Paint the Town, Morean Arts Center; 822-7872April 10 Walking Tour of Historic Downtown, starts at Central at 2nd Street; 824-7802April 10 Project Patchwork Adoption Services, The Pier; 821-6443April 11 Festivals of Speed Motorsports Collection & Luxury Lifestyle Display, North Straub Park

ON tHe dOCKet: Some Upcoming Events In and Nearby Our Neighborhood

APRIL 16 PORCH PARtY (see page 22)April 16 Relay for Life Spa Beach ParkApril 16-17 Purina Incredible Dog Challenge, Spa Beach ParkApril 17-18 35th Annual Mainsail Arts Festival, Vinoy ParkApril 17 MarineQuest 2010 Open House, FWC Fish & Wildlife Research Institute

APRIL 18 OLd Ne WALKING tOUR (see page 15)APRIL 19 NeIGHBORHOOd MeetING

April 23-25 St. Anthony’s Meek & Mighty Triathlon Sports and Fitness Expo, Straub Park; 825-1521April 23-May 16 American Stage in the Park: “HAIR”, Demen’s Landings Park; 823-7529April 24 The Hospice St. Pete Stroll, The Pier; 586-443April 24 Green Thumb Festival, Walter Fuller ParkApril 29 Perspectives on the Parks #2, Studio@620; 895-6620May 1 Funk Fest 2010, Vinoy ParkMay 8 Walk for Life, Vinoy Park; 216-1410x7

MAY 13 CRIMe WAtCH COMMIttee MeetING (see page 6)May 14 Relay for Life, Downtown St. PeteMay 15 Super Special Saturday Family Day, Museum of Fine Arts; 896-2667May 15 Take Steps for Crohn’s & Colitis, North Shore Park; 646/203-1214

MAY 17 NeIGHBORHOOd MeetINGMAY 21 PORCH PARtY (see page 22)

Recurring EventsMONdAY

Celebrity Critter of the Week, The Pier Aquarium; 895-7437AMP: Art, Music, Poetry (last Mon of the month), Studio@620; 895-6620

tUeSdAYWee-time (2nd and 4th Tue of the month), Weedon Island Pre-serve; 463-6500 Awaken Yoga, Sunken Gardens; 551-3102.Hoop Dancing fitness (starts March 16th), Sunken Gardens; 551-3102

WedNeSdAYCoffee with a Curator (first Wed of the month), Dali Museum; 823-3767Oldies but Goodies dance (2nd and 4th Wed of the month), The Pier; 821-6443tea dance (1st and 3rd Wed of the month) Coliseum; 892-5202

tHURSdAYArtist’s table (3rd Thur of the month), Morean Arts Center; 822-7872Awaken Yoga, Sunken Gardens; 551-3102.May Movies in the Park (May only) North Straub Park

FRIdAYGet downtown Music Series (1st Fri of the month), Central b/w 2nd-3rd; 393-3597St. Pete Shuffle, St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Courts; 822-2083Grand Central Hop (3rd Fri of the month), Grand Central busi-ness district; 643-7512Friday Night Wine & Music Series (3rd Fri of the month), Bay-Walk; 824-8888Salsa dancing, The Pier; 821-6443


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

SAtURdAYdali Family Fun Saturdays, Dali Museum; 823-3767Saturdays at the Morean (1st Sat of the month), Morean Arts Center; 822-7872FISH-ful Saturdays (1st Sat of the month), Pier Aquarium; 895-7437Face Painting by Joanne Conte, The Pier; 821-6443Guided Hikes, Weedon Island Preserve; 463-6500 Saturday Antiques and Green Market, Central at 13th; 895-0368Saturday Morning Market, Progress Energy/Al Lang FieldWalking and trolley tour “Westward Ho to the Waterfront” (last Sat of the month), starts at Central at 2nd; 824-7802drum Circle (2nd Sat of the month), The Pier; 821-6443Family Flicks! Movies on the Waterfront (3rd Sat of the month), The Pier; 821-6443Gallery Walk (2nd Sat of the month), various downtown loca-tions; 323-ARTS

SUNdAY Music Fest on the Water, The Pier; 821-6443Sunday Afternoon Family Fun (1st and 3rd Sun of the month), The Pier; 821-6443Green Market and Street Fair (1st Sun of the month), Central b/w 24th-26th; 328-7086Photography Hike (1st Sun of the month), Weedon Island Pre-serve; 463-6500


Vegetables for Food

and Beauty

Winter and early spring in St. Petersburg is a wonderful time to grow many edible plants, including vegetables. While you would love to have fresh food you’ve grown

yourself, perhaps you hesitate to give up an entire section of your garden to edibles or perhaps you are concerned with the appearance of such a plot. This article will focus on the ornamental qualities of smaller vegetables (fruiting trees and shrubs can be considered in the same way) and how you might incorporate your vegetables into your existing beds of ornamental shrubs and perennials. In this way you might try a little vegetable gardening with less preparation and fear of “untidiness.”

In a mixed-use garden, we must address the issue of reclaimed water. According to Pinellas County Utili-ties, “reclaimed water is not suitable for use on edible crops such as fruits, vegetables, herbs, etc., that are not peeled, skinned, cooked, or otherwise thermally processed before being con-sumed.” If you use reclaimed water for your shrubs, you may want to turn off sprinkler heads in the portion of the yard where you will be planting edibles or keep your edibles in pots out from under the spray of reclaimed water. You may choose to install drip irrigation from your city or well water source for the mixed-use portion of your garden.

Once the water issue is settled, decide which plants you would like to eat and then consider their ornamental properties. For practice, let’s study the eggplant. The foliage is a wonderful gray/green, and plants generally grow two to three feet tall. There is tremendous variety in fruit color and size. The variety whose fruits look like a large white egg is quite ornamental. If you allow some of the “eggs” to remain on the plant past maturity, they will turn a golden yellow. Imagine a three foot tall shrub with golden orbs hanging down, velvety gray/green leaves and lavender flowers. Might you place this beauty among your crotons and add several miniature hot pepper plants with bright red peppers at its feet? Brightly colored plants like croton, firespike (Odontonema), tomatoes, purple petunias or orange nasturtiums would also be pretty combined with eggplant.

Two favorite cooler weather crops are beans and sugar snap peas. Use these as you would any other ornamental vine. They could be grown on a rectangular trellis to create some shade for your lettuce.

You could plant your beans in two large pots which are connected by a seasonal archway to walk under. Maybe your sugar snap peas will scramble up a small shrub in your entryway and you can then pick some off on your way in the door after work. Think about how bright the green leaves of the peas would provide a nice backdrop to some of your spiky ornamentals, like dracaena.

Vegetables with foliage that grow in rosettes, like cabbage or lettuce, are fun and easy to place in the garden. Tuck cabbage at intervals at the base of your shrubbery and contrast this bold foliage with a more dainty plant like sweet alyssum. Imagine your existing green holly hedge accented with the bold gray foliage of cabbage plants surrounded by impatiens. When the cabbage is harvested, replace them with another item with bold foliage. Think about how to create interest with contrast-ing leaf textures. What if you planted different varieties of lettuce to form a knot garden or planted in a curve that follows your existing bed lines? Who says vegetables have to be in straight rows?

Allow some of your vegetables to go to seed (bolt) to provide flowers for beauty and for insects (including beneficial species) to pollinate. This will create more color combinations. With lettuce you would have spikes of white flowers that are lovely with pansies.

A few more ideas include the use of hanging baskets placed in your existing shrub beds to hold some peas, strawberries or herbs. A decorative, deep pot (to maintain the steady moisture that these crops need) could hold successive crops of carrots, radishes and lettuce. If you have an existing color scheme with your ornamentals, such as yellow and green scheffleras, then you might incorporate red cherry

tomatoes growing up an obelisk among the shrubs, with purple basil along the edge of the bed at the base of the scheffleras.

If possible, place edible plants in a bed that you will see regularly. That way you will notice if an item needs water-ing or staking, may have a pest problem or is ready to eat. Once you have decided on a planting layout, plan on building the soil with manure or compost before installation to ensure a vigor-ous and well-nourished crop. To learn more about when to plant, which varieties to grow and what to do about pests or diseases (please don’t spray a pesticide or fungicide unless

you know what you are treating!), consult our Pinellas County Exten-sion Service (http//pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/). To review, plan to use city or well water to irrigate, decide which crops you would like to eat and then consider those plants’ special qualities and how they will add to the beauty of your garden. Have fun and experiment!

Mary-Beth Wagner has her Bachelor’s degree in horticulture. Her com-pany, Advanced Art of Gardening (see it online at www.advancedartofgar-dening.com), offers residential design, installation and maintenance in the downtown St. Petersburg area.

Yvonne Swanson has taken a break for this issue and generously relinquished her trowel to Mary-Beth.

by Mary-Beth Wagner, Horticulturist

Please Support Our Advertisers...and remember to tell them that you

saw their ad here.


126 11th avenue NESt. Petersburg, Fl33701727-822-5906

ages 2 - VPKState approvedlIC. #C610108

aPPlE aCCrEdITEd

Individual and Business Tax Returns

Small Business Accounting &

Consulting

St. Petersburg424 22nd Avenue North, St. Petersburg, FL 33704

Seminole 7700 Seminole Blvd, Ste 200, Seminole, FL 33772

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

Monica M. Vernon • Garth A. Vernon

Bayfront Tower31 Beach Drive SESt. Petersburg, FL 33701

727 781 8201 phone727 683 9422 fax

[email protected]

Richard I. Kantner, Jr.Attorney & Counselor at Law


Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood AssociationP.O. Box 76324St. Petersburg, FL 33734www.honna.org

PRSRt StdU.S. POStAGe PAIdSt. PeteRSBURG FL

PeRMIt #1020

Neighborhood Potluck: Monday, March 15th, at 6:45pm(see p.4)

All neighborhood residents invited

IN tHIS ISSUe

• Save the Dolphins!

• Music?!?

• Ponderings

• Candlelight Tour

Recap

• 3Rs of Going Green

• Giant Aquarium in

the Sky

Offering a portfolio of the most

beautiful properties in the area.

Prices are excellent. The time to buy

is now!

Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Newsletter - March 2010

Documents

Transcript of Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Newsletter - March 2010