There is new video (a CNN feed from 10 Connects) from last week’s shoving and shouting match at the door to a town hall on health care reform featuring Congresswoman Kathy Castor in Ybor City. (h/t to Pushing Rope)
I’m headed over to the Tampa federal courthouse to report on Federal Bankruptcy Judge Caryl E. Delano expected ruling after she hears both sides (and maybe more) argue about the rules and procedures for the planned Aug. 25 equity auction that will determine who owns the post-Chapter 11 Creative Loafing alt-newspaper and online news company. Will update once the 11:45 am hearing is over.
In the meantime, you can download the proposed rules and procedures in .pdf.
Our FLA senator, Mel Martinez, center, chums it up at with Tampa Chamber visitors recently.
By George Niemann
PoHo contributor and R-LAND and UCAN activist
Since we’ve got such a budget crunch looming that we have to close public facilities and lay off Hillsborough County workers, I wonder if Hillsborough’s economic development “donations” to the many chambers of commerce ended up paying for the Tampa Chamber’s trip to Washington, D.C.? And if so, how much did it cost to send this delegation to the capital to discuss legislative business impacts on our dime?
By Lorna Bracewell
PoHo contributor
This just in from Securing Our Children’s Rights (SOCR), a Tampa-based lobbying group organized to secure, protect and preserve equal rights for children of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender parents in Florida:
Securing Our Children’s Rights, Inc. (SOCR), is pleased to announce HB 3 – Adoption, for the 2010 legislative session, introduced by Representative Mary Brandenburg, D-West Palm Beach, that is a full repeal of Florida’s ban on adoption by its gay and lesbian citizens. Senator Nan Rich has a companion bill in drafting at this date.
Governor Crist has declared Wednesday, July 22, 2009 as Explore Adoption Day and we must contact Governor Crist and the legislature to Explore Adoption by repealing the ban.
WHEN: Wednesday, July 22, 2009
WHO: Governor Charlie Crist (850) 488-7146 or email to Charlie.Crist@myflorida.comHouse Speaker Larry Cretul 850-488-1450 or 352-873-6564 or email to Larry.Cretul@myfloridahouse.gov
Senate President Jeff Atwater 850-487-5100 or 561-625-5101 or email to atwater.jeff.web@flsenate.gov
Your Florida Representative – www.myfloridahouse.gov
Your Florida Senator – www.flsenate.gov
THE ASK:
Please ask the Governor to support the repeal of the adoption ban on gay Floridians and ask him to encourage the legislative leadership to pass the repeal.Please ask the House Speaker and the Senate President to support the repeal and encourage Committee hearings for the bills.
Please ask your representative and senator to support the repeal, and to become a co-sponsor.
By Lorna Bracewell
PoHo contributor
On Saturday, June 27, thousands of people gathered in the streets of St. Petersburg, FL for the city’s annual Gay Pride parade and festival. While we were celebrating and honoring the legacy of the LGBT civil rights movement, our local NBC affiliate (WFLA-Ch. 8) was airing Speechless: Silencing the Christians, an hour long special paid for by the conservative American Family Association (AFA) that makes a series of specious and demeaning claims about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.
Abusive, cruel, philanthropist, loyal, disloyal, good samaritan, phony, vengeful, manipulative, vindictive, delusional, a guy with a heart of gold, a real giver, financial deadbeat, bully, kind-hearted… Tampa Bay’s most famous resident, George Steinbrenner, has probably been called all these things and more at one time or another, but rarely have so many conflicting characterizations appeared in the space of one book.
Now they have — in George: The Poor Little Rich Boy Who Built The Yankee Empire, the laugh-out-loud biography by St. Petersburg author Peter Golenbock. Read the rest of this entry »
By Manny Leto
PoHo contributor and editor, Cigar City Magazine
You may not have even known it was happening, but “Rapprochement With Cuba: Good For Tampa Bay, Good For Florida, Good For America,” a conference sponsored by the Alliance for Responsible Cuba Policy Foundation and held Saturday at the Italian Club in Ybor City, was, by its very existence, a milestone in repairing the tattered relationship between Tampa and Cuba.
About 150 guests, panelists, professors and local politicians filled the grand, neo-classical Italian Club, once the social, cultural and political epicenter of Tampa’s Italian community. Whether the speeches, panel discussions, and networking sessions will really accomplish much toward ending the 50-year-old U.S. embargo, no one is really sure. However, to get a sense of where the Cuba barometer is pointing, you could start with the venue itself.
In 1955, a young, verbose Fidel Castro arrived in Ybor City. This was no accident, no anomaly. In fact, it made perfect sense. Castro, in a bid to gain popular support for his uprising against CIA-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista, he followed — literally — in the footsteps of an earlier young, charismatic Cuban revolutionary, Jose Marti. Read the rest of this entry »
The now-rejected watefront ballpark; will St. Pete-Pinellas also be rejected?
And the other shoe drops. It was predictable after the outburst earlier this week from Tampa Bay Rays President Matt Silverman about poor attendance at the Phillies series that it was just setting the table for a St. Petersburg departure. Now, comes confirmation that it is very actively being considered.
The A Baseball Community, studying everything from new sites for a Rays stadium to how to boost ticket sales, now confirms that three of the five geographic areas it is analyzing are in Hillsborough County. The three are in Westshore, downtown Tampa and east of the city at/near the Florida State Fairgrounds. Those sites join mid-Pinellas County (the Feather Sound/Carillon area) and downtown St. Petersburg on the list of five regions under study.
The St. Petersburg Times reported: Read the rest of this entry »
By Catherine Durkin Robinson
PoHo contributor,“feminist mother of twins” and a political blogger, working under the title Out in Left Field
Charlie Miranda has come up with a plan to turn hundreds of millions of gallons of wastewater into drinking water. All in the name of self-sufficiency.
Yes, we are in the middle of a drought. But we aren’t desperate:
In 2005, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a study of the treated wastewater from the city’s Howard F. Curren Wastewater Treatment Plant and found 27 different kinds of micropollutants in the recycled water even after it passed through a filtration process.
A plan to punish South Tampa homeowners who refuse to use reclaimed water on their lawns is the way to go.
That’s right, let’s go after Buffy and Thurston Howell III.
For decades, Tampa has faced a conundrum; every day tens of milions of gallons of treated wastewater is dumped into Tampa Bay, wasted in a word. In St. Petersburg, treated wastewater is used for residential lawn watering, thanks to the foresightful construction of special water lines in neighborhoods. But Tampa’s attempts to re-use its wastewater hasn’t met with the same success.
So now the Tampa City Council wants to skip the whole lawn watering step and move right to drinking the highly treated sewer water. It voted yesterday to ask voters in a 2010 referendum if they want to build a system to deliver the potty product back to their drinking faucets.
From Bay News 9:
Councilman Charlie Miranda is all in favor.
“This will solve our situation for water in this area for at least 50 years,” Miranda said.
The concept isn’t new.
In the 1980s, Tampa initiated a program to treat waste water. The program failed to get support.
Miranda said the potable wastewater system could cost as much as $200 million.
So the question is: Would you drink it?
Tampa is competing in the National Civic League ’s 2009 All-America City Awards conference today, and judging of the various communities’ projects has already started. Tampa’s presentation featured a booming entrance, with the Middleton High School drum line, and civic activists and city employees side-by-side talking about their three projects.Tampa will find out tomorrow night at about 7 p.m. if it gets the title and the bragging rights that goes with it.
Here are the details, as summarized in the AAC conference program:
Tampa, Florida
Economic Development in East Tampa
As one of the older developed areas of the city, East Tampa declined during the 1960’s and 70’s period of Urban Development. In 2003, Tampa Mayor Iorio announced that one of her strategic initiatives would be the transformation of East Tampa to a community with flourishing recreational, social and culture activities. The City of Tampa staff focused on the assets of East Tampa with the idea of creating a model to use in other challenged areas of Tampa, reaching out to the residents and challenging them to create a vision for their neighborhood. The residents collaborated with the government, schools, universities, churches, sports organizations, businesses, and non-profit organizations. Responding to resident participation, the City of Tampa launched an aggressive campaign called Operation Commitment. The goals included rooting out crime, prostitution, drugs and code violations. At the same time, the City of Tampa created the East Tampa Development Division to focus exclusively on the economic and civic revitalization of the area. In doing so, it took the important step of designating East Tampa as a Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) eligible for Tax Increment Financing (TIF). To date, over $21 million dollars has been generated providing the necessary financial resources to upgrade aging infrastructure, resurface streets, add sidewalks and make corridor beautifications.[Shown in the photo gallery above are the new Fair Oaks Park renovations and the Cyrus Green Pool]
Tampa’s hometown delegation for the All-America City Awards being hosted at the Marriott Waterside took the stage this morning behind the Middleton High School drum line, providing a blast of energy to an already interesting but lower-key set of community presentations. That’s Mayor Pam Iorio at the center, in a blue suit, after she spent time posing for pictures with former Mayor Sandy Freedman, who led Tampa in 1990 when it was last given the AAC designation.
The group highlighted three civic projects: Improvements in East Tampa, the new 40th Street Bridge and road widening, and a holiday celebration in Sulphur Springs.
Thirty communities are vying for 10 slots to be designated an All-America City. The winners will be announced tomorrow night. CL is staffing today and tomorrow’s presentations, and you can follow on Twitter, either my tweets (@poho) or by following the hashtag #aac on our All-America Tweet Feed.
The National Civic League ’s 2009 All-America City Awards conference starts today in Tampa, and a common theme for cities is revitalizing downtowns. Here is Erie, Penn.’s effort along those lines:
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie’s Downtown Revitalization MasterplanJust as in many other urban communities in the latter half of the 20th century, residents began moving outside the city limits and into the suburbs. Part of the city’s present day vision is to bring those families and young professionals back downtown by offering new and attractive urban living options. Downtown Erie’s 70-block core has been broken up into phases with different projects designed to fit each area. Some of the projects include streetscaping, façade renovations, and lighting and park improvements. In several other areas, the goal is to provide different levels of housing including market rate housing, low to moderate income housing, and some luxury housing, as well as office space and opportunity for commercial and retail development. The plan calls for approximately $56 million in real estate development, representing 40,000 square feet of commercial development, 143 residential units, parks and street improvements. Presently the Erie Redevelopment Authority and various development partners have approximately $6 million of mixed-use development under construction and another $12 million in projects are planned for construction in the next 6 to 24 months.
Thirty cities, towns, neighborhoods and communities are vying for recognition as an All-America City at the June 16-19 conference at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel. Each will give a short presentation on three public-private civic projects they undertook before a panel of judges names the best. Tampa is one of the finalists.
Former Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman is the president of the National Civic League this year and a big proponent of these kinds of partnership projects. During her tenure, in 1990, Tampa was named an All-America City. Creative Loafing CEO Ben Eason is also involved, as a member of the Host Committee.
The National Civic League ’s 2009 All-America City Awards conference starts today in Tampa. We’re highlighting one nominated project from each of the 30 competing communities (10 will be named AAC’s). Here is Toledo, Ore.:
In 2005, the City built a state-of-the-art skatepark for the youth of Toledo. Youngsters had lobbied city council for a park, prompting a city councilor to apply to Oregon State Parks for funding. It was built on a lot donated by the city, with an adjacent lot donated by a landowner. The Siletz Tribe also contributed funds to the project. The new facility is located next to an area the city had already developed as a recreational area, with a city park, swimming pool and library nearby. The presence of the skate park has increased use of the adjacent facilities, and it provides a space for youth to gather and recreate. Volunteers help monitor the park, and youth help maintain it. An art project was organized to add interest to the area, and an adjacent business allowed its outside wall to be used for a mural. A volunteer art director helped Toledo elementary students design and complete the mural using donated materials. Landscaping design was donated and volunteers installed the landscaping. The park has earned notice from around the region, and is a destination for skateboarders.
A fundraising check at Toledo’s Skatepark as it raised money to compete for All-America City.
Thirty cities, towns, neighborhoods and communities are vying for recognition as an All-America City at the June 16-19 conference at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel. Each will give a short presentation on three public-private civic projects they undertook before a panel of judges names the best. Tampa is one of the finalists.
Former Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman is the president of the National Civic League this year and a big proponent of these kinds of partnership projects. During her tenure, in 1990, Tampa was named an All-America City. Creative Loafing CEO Ben Eason is also involved, as a member of the Host Committee.
The National Civic League ’s 2009 All-America City Awards conference starts today in Tampa. We’re highlighting one nominated project from each of the 30 competing cities (10 will be named AAC’s). Here is Wooster, Ohio:
Wooster, Ohio
Knights Field ParkA successful collaboration between government, community organizations, residents, and developers led to the recent transformation of Wooster’s Knights Field Park from a “low use” neighborhood park to one that now attracts children and families from all parts of the city and county. In 2005, the Kiwanis club asked the city’s parks manager for an opportunity to build a new playground at Knights Field. Funding was obtained through the state’s community development block grant program, a design firm was retained, and neighborhood schoolchildren were employed as “design consultants” to assist in the design of the playground. With the Kiwanians providing the labor and city park staff acting as project managers, the playground was built over a two-day period. In addition, a neighborhood improvement association created a butterfly garden, and, in 2007, Knights Field pool was converted to a “sprayground.” The third step in the revitalization of the park was the opening of Kiddie City, a kid-sized community meant for the use of young children operating tricycles, bicycles, big wheels and small electric vehicles. As a consequence of this revitalization effort, park officials have seen a dramatic increase in the usage of Knights Field Park, and the City of Wooster received the 2008 Award of Excellence from the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association.
Thirty cities, towns, neighborhoods and communities are vying for recognition as an All-America City at the June 16-19 conference at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel. Each will give a short presentation on three public-private civic projects they undertook before a panel of judges names the best. Tampa is one of the finalists.
Former Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman is the president of the National Civic League this year and a big proponent of these kinds of partnership projects. During her tenure, in 1990, Tampa was named an All-America City. Creative Loafing CEO Ben Eason is also involved, as a member of the Host Committee.
The National Civic League ’s 2009 All-America City Awards gets in full swing tomorrow morning in Tampa. We’re highlighting one nominated project from each of the 30 competing cities (10 will be named AAC’s). Here is Cpl. Max Klinger’s favorite city, Toledo, Ohio:
Food needs are rising for many people in the Toledo community due to economic conditions. In an effort to meet this need and make Toledo a more livable community, area leaders and organizations have been exploring how the use of growing systems in urban settings can meet rising local food needs. Experimental efforts have already been underway in the region for the past two years through the production of various community gardens. Toledo GROWs is the community gardening outreach program of Toledo Botanical Garden. Toledo GROWs offers organizational resources and technical assistance to support the development of sustainable garden projects that serve people of diverse ages and abilities. Toledo GROWs has collaborated with dozens of Toledo organizations to create over sixty community gardens throughout the city. In 2008, over two thousand citizens participated in community gardens. These participants received free seeds and free plants as well as educational opportunities. The greenhouses also provide employment to youth in their neighborhoods while eliminating hunger, transforming blighted lots and strengthening communities.
Thirty cities, towns, neighborhoods and communities are vying for recognition as an All-America City at the June 16-19 conference at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel. Each will give a short presentation on three public-private civic projects they undertook before a panel of judges names the best. Tampa is one of the finalists.
Former Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman is the president of the National Civic League this year and a big proponent of these kinds of partnership projects. During her tenure, in 1990, Tampa was named an All-America City. Creative Loafing CEO Ben Eason is also involved, as a member of the Host Committee.
Photo: City of Somerville/Jonas A. Kahn
The National Civic League ’s 2009 All-America City Awards gets in full swing tomorrow morning in Tampa. We’re highlighting one nominated project from each of the 30 competing cities (10 will be named AAC’s). Here is Somerville, Mass., a Boston suburb:
Somerville, Massachusetts
Improved CommunicationOver the past several years, the City of Somerville has increased its focus on creating a transparent, inclusive form of municipal government for all community members and through a variety of media, to create a more inclusive and responsive community. This idea includes the creation of a government management model that not only tracks administrative trends and constituent requests to increase accountability, but also provides the City’s residents with the opportunity to respond to and provide feedback on City initiatives and the annual budget process, to create an inclusive, transparent form of government. To that end, in 2004, Somerville adopted the CitiStat model of management, dubbed “SomerStat,” which institutes a series of regular forums with all City departments and key decision-makers to identify problems, assess success of service delivery and track constituent concerns, determine opportunities for improvement and, along with the City’s 311 Customer Service Center, provide data on departments’ service demand and delivery, as partially determined by residents. Somerville’s goal is to build and sustain a continuous, positive relationship and ongoing conversation between City government and community members, and all of these tools have increasingly made that goal a reality.
Thirty cities, towns, neighborhoods and communities are vying for recognition as an All-America City at the June 16-19 conference at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel. Each will give a short presentation on three public-private civic projects they undertook before a panel of judges names the best. Tampa is one of the finalists.
Former Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman is the president of the National Civic League this year and a big proponent of these kinds of partnership projects. During her tenure, in 1990, Tampa was named an All-America City. Creative Loafing CEO Ben Eason is also involved, as a member of the Host Committee.
Photos: Fifth Street Ministries
The National Civic League starts early registration in Tampa tonight as it gets ready to open the 2009 All-America City Awards conference. We’re highlighting one nominated project from each of the 30 competing cities (10 will be named AAC’s). Here is Statesville, N.C.:
Statesville, North Carolina
Fifth Street MinistriesIn 1990, Fifth Street Ministries began running emergency, winter and battered women’s shelters. In 1991, faced with inadequate space and a deteriorating facility, Fifth Street Ministries moved to a dilapidated and abandoned school. The move allowed the soup kitchen to move into a functioning cafeteria and the expansion of the winter shelter program into a year-round night shelter. In subsequent years, additional services were offered, including a free health and medical center, a children’s program, and a thrift store that provided clothing and employment opportunities for shelter guests. In 2008, Fifth Street Ministries provided 58,247 meals, 11,005 shelter nights in the overnight shelter, 13,335 shelter nights in the emergency shelter, and 7,852 shelter nights in the battered women’s shelter. 350 volunteers donated well over 5,000 volunteer hours to make this possible. The need for Fifth Street Ministries’ services continues to grow and, with the help of community partners, Fifth Street Ministries opened a new facility on December 6, 2008. It has room for overnight guests, a cafeteria, and rooms for counseling, training, education and support groups. The new facility also enables Fifth Street Shelters to offer transitional housing and additional training in a variety of areas.
Thirty cities, towns, neighborhoods and communities are vying for recognition as an All-America City at the June 16-19 conference at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel. Each will give a short presentation on three public-private civic projects they undertook before a panel of judges names the best. Tampa is one of the finalists.
Former Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman is the president of the National Civic League this year and a big proponent of these kinds of partnership projects. During her tenure, in 1990, Tampa was named an All-America City. Creative Loafing CEO Ben Eason is also involved, as a member of the Host Committee.
Officials with the National Civic League are arriving in Tampa today to begin prepping for the opening of registration on Tuesday night for the 2009 All-America City Awards conference. We’re highlighting one nominated project from each of the 30 competing cities (10 will be named AAC’s). Here is Kinston, N.C.
Kinston, North Carolina
Little-by-Little
In 2007, a local financial institution, the “little bank,” partnered with Partnership for Children along with Lenoir County and Southeast Elementary School to meet the challenge of providing a long-term mentoring program for elementary school children, and the “Little-by-Little” program was born. Each student is partnered with a mentor, or Buddy, from the community that nurtures their education and encourages them to dream big. Every nine weeks, the students are given specific goals in comprehension, behavioral, and accelerated reading. If the students meet their goals, $50 is put aside for the student’s college tuition. Students are also awarded a $50 end of year bonus if all four, nine week goals are met throughout the year. This money will build over time and if students continue to work hard, excel, and meet their goals, they could have up to $3000 to use for college tuition or books. The intention of the program is to work and follow these children until they have finished high school. Other partners in the program include local attorneys, business owners, District Court Judges, Assistant DA, and local churches. Southeast Elementary and its collaborative partners believe that “little-by-little” is a way to provide support and teach children the value of setting and achieving goals both personal and educational.
Thirty cities, towns, neighborhoods and communities are vying for recognition as an All-America City at the June 16-19 conference at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel. Each will give a short presentation on three public-private civic projects they undertook before a panel of judges names the best. Tampa is one of the finalists.
Former Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman is the president of the National Civic League this year and a big proponent of these kinds of partnership projects. During her tenure, in 1990, Tampa was named an All-America City. Creative Loafing CEO Ben Eason is also involved, as a member of the Host Committee.
Oprah Winfrey last October, admiring a bronze statue of Mattie and his service dog, Micah. Photo: Ed Tenney
By Matt Wiley
CL intern
We continue our look at some of the best projects in the National Civic League’s 2009 All-America City Awards (the conference convenes in Tampa this week) with Rockville, Md.:
Rockville, Maryland
Rockville’s Mattie J.T. Stepanek Park
The Mattie J.T. Stepanek Park is a $4.2 million 26-acre regional park that is accessible to all and honors the life of one of Rockville’s most memorable residents. Mattie J. T. Stepanek was afflicted with a form of muscular dystrophy and died just shy of his 14th birthday. But in his short life, he touched the lives of millions of people through his messages of peace and hope. To further his message, Rockville, along with the state of Maryland, the developer of the King Farm community where the park is located, the community homeowners association and a foundation dedicated to keeping Mattie’s message alive, built the award-winning park. The park includes a life-sized statue of Mattie and his service dog Micah, a “Peace Garden,” lighted playing fields, the city’s first dog park, lighted basketball and tennis courts, playgrounds, a fitness center, picnic area, snack bar, restrooms, lighted pathways, wooded areas, landscaping, open spaces and parking. Stepanek Park includes amenities designed for use by all. There are no steps or rails in the park. The park is fully accessible and meets all ADA requirements, including the playgrounds, picnic tables, paths, fountains, benches and the Bankshot basketball courts.
Thirty cities, towns, neighborhoods and communities are vying for recognition as an All-America City at the June 16-19 conference at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel. Each will give a short presentation on three public-private civic projects they undertook before a panel of judges names the best. Tampa is one of the finalists.
Former Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman is the president of the National Civic League this year and a big proponent of these kinds of partnership projects. During her tenure, in 1990, Tampa was named an All-America City. Creative Loafing CEO Ben Eason is also involved, as a member of the Host Committee.
Photo: Belton Parks Department
Cross-posted from the Daily Loaf blog:
By Matt Wiley
CL intern
This afternoon’s featured community in the National Civic League’s 2009 All-America City Awards (the conference convenes in Tampa next week) is Belton, Mo.:
Belton, Missouri
Belton’s Indoor Aquatic CenterThe city of Belton had long needed a swimming pool to replace its aging outdoor facility. The city also knew the community wanted an indoor facility that could be used year-round. Additionally, the Belton School District had sponsored swim teams for more than 20 years, but has never had local facilities at its disposal. The park department and school district began discussions on how they could work together to meet the needs of the community and students. After several meetings, representatives of the Belton School District and the Belton Park Department signed a memorandum of understanding on March 27, 2006, that set the stage for an indoor aquatic center in Belton. The agreement provides the park department with the additional operating revenue it needs to make the indoor facility possible. At the same time, the agreement allows the school district to be a preferred user of the facility. After many years of planning and negotiation, the aquatic center was officially opened on December 29, 2008. This project brought people together to find solutions for both the school district and the community at large.
Thirty cities, towns, neighborhoods and communities are vying for recognition as an All-America City at the June 16-18 conference at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel. Each will give a short presentation on three public-private civic projects they undertook before a panel of judges names the best. Tampa is one of the finalists.
Former Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman is the president of the National Civic League this year and a big proponent of these kinds of partnership projects. During her tenure, in 1990, Tampa was named an All-America City. Creative Loafing CEO Ben Eason is also involved, as a member of the Host Committee.
Photo: http://www.newnetherland.org/ship.html
This afternoon’s featured community in the National Civic League’s 2009 All-America City Awards (the conference convenes in Tampa next week) is Albany, N.Y.:
Albany, New York
Albany’s “Living History” Project: Half Moon Replica Ship & New Netherland MuseumAs Albany commemorates 2009 as the 400th year since legendary explorer Henry Hudson first sailed to its shores, a floating educational institution, inspired by his voyages, completes its first decade of discovery. The Half Moon, a stunningly accurate replica of Hudson’s ship, is committed not only to preserving an important part of national heritage, but also is dedicated to educating youth by inspiring a love of history and fostering community involvement. Created in 1989 at the Port of Albany’s snowdock, The Half Moon was designed to be a unique method to teach youth in the Capital Region about their state’s rich history and heritage, and, most importantly, about themselves. As part of an annual curriculum for thousands of students, the Half Moon has been an incredible “hands on” sailing history lesson for more than 500 selected local young people since its maiden voyage ten years ago. At least twice every year, twelve middle-schoolers man the ship on a “Voyage of Discovery” from Lower New York Harbor to Albany. Students spanning the entire Capital District are involved, from city and rural school districts with incredibly diverse backgrounds.
Thirty cities, towns, neighborhoods and communities are vying for recognition as an All-America City at the June 16-18 conference at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel. Each will give a short presentation on three public-private civic projects they undertook before a panel of judges names the best. Tampa is one of the finalists.
Former Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman is the president of the National Civic League this year and a big proponent of these kinds of partnership projects. During her tenure, in 1990, Tampa was named an All-America City. Creative Loafing CEO Ben Eason is also involved, as a member of the Host Committee.
This morning’s project from the nominees inthe 2009 All-America City Awards conference coming to Tampa starting next Wednesday is not an entirely new idea: community visioning. The difference, as our in-depth coverage continues, is that is sounds like Wichita is not letting its vision document sit on a dusty shelf:
Wichita, Kansas
Visioneering Wichita
Visioneering Wichita (VW) is about achieving far-reaching, but attainable goals to make the region an excellent place to live. In 2004, residents from throughout the region gave input on efforts and priority to issues, including creating jobs, increasing per-capita income, ensuring education at every age and various quality of life initiatives. A process was created where the community could reach consensus on major issues of local, regional and statewide importance. Thousands of volunteers and hundreds of organizations worked together to create a long-term plan. Ten community issues were selected for the VW working document, and strategies were set for each goal, with over 500 organizations and community groups attaching themselves to one or more strategies. These vision partners agreed to work together to commit time, staff and resources to making individual strategies reality. Although the accomplishments to date are impressive, it is Visioneering Wichita’s process that is remarkable. Visioneering Wichita is about the gift of collaboration, the realization of a dream and the empowerment of a community.
Thirty cities, towns, neighborhoods and communities are vying for recognition as an All-America City at the June 16-19 conference at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel. Each will give a short presentation on three public-private civic projects they undertook before a panel of judges names the best. Tampa is one of the finalists. CL and this blog will provide live tweeting and blog coverage from the presentations on Thursday and Friday morning.
Former Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman is the president of the National Civic League this year and a big proponent of these kinds of partnership projects. During her tenure, in 1990, Tampa was named an All-America City. Creative Loafing CEO Ben Eason is also involved, as a member of the Host Committee.
(photo: livingdowntowndesmoines.com)
The National Civic League’s 2009 All-America City Awards conference convenes in Tampa next week. Here is a look at one of the nominees that will present their best civic projects, Des Moines, Iowa:
Des Moines, Iowa
Urban Revitalization Core West 18th St. to East 18th St.
Since 2004, downtown Des Moines has gone through a renaissance to become what is now the pièce de résistance of the metropolitan area. This rebirth took place with the outpouring of support from the public and private sectors and community members. The City Council held broad public meetings to solicit a downtown vision and consulted with experts in revitalization to begin our renaissance. The Council created catalysts throughout the downtown to generate future development across the core of our community. The developments are a mix of new and rehabilitated construction which preserves the historical integrity of downtown architecture while promoting opportunities for new infill design. The catalysts involved in downtown revitalization over the last five years have significantly contributed to the rebirth of Des Moines’ urban core. With a minimum of city investment, historical buildings have been preserved, green initiatives implemented, housing stock added, entertainment districts created. Future phases of revitalization are planned and include ways to enhance the connectivity between the western and eastern edges of downtown and expand into residential neighborhoods.
Thirty cities, towns, neighborhoods and communities are vying for recognition as an All-America City at the June 16-18 conference at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel. Each will give a short presentation on three public-private civic projects they undertook before a panel of judges names the best. Tampa is one of the finalists.
Former Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman is the president of the National Civic League this year and a big proponent of these kinds of partnership projects. During her tenure, in 1990, Tampa was named an All-America City. Creative Loafing CEO Ben Eason is also involved, as a member of the Host Committee.
Third graders at a museum as part of the Reading Academy. (photo: pal-item.com)
The National Civic League’s 2009 All-America City Awards conference convenes in Tampa next week. Here is another look at one of the 30 nominees that will present their best civic projects, Richmond, Ind.:
Richmond, Indiana
The Third Grade Reading AcademyMotivated by the Wayne County Learning Corporation’s Education Summit of October, 2007, the entire community set out to address the 30% high school drop out rate by raising third-grade reading levels. This community explored two approaches: one adult-centered, the other led by youth. Adult-centered response: Two local business people began and, with the help of over two hundred community contributors and volunteers, raised $150,000 and conducted the first Third Grade Reading Academy. During the summer of 2008, a four-week intervention reading program was developed to generate an interest and enthusiasm for reading and to involve key local institutions. Of the 145 eligible students who had not passed their ISTEP (the state’s) Language Arts test, 118 participated and raised their scores by 50%. Youth-centered response: The youth believe that the key to addressing drop outs is to motivate through interactive activities inside and out of school, and cite three efforts. My Will is a weekly group meeting of up to 30 high school girls to address personal problems and support each other. Stage One is Richmond Civic Theatre’s youth theatre involving 250 youth in up to three productions each year. The net benefit is personal development and increased civic/community engagement. Civic Hall is a 936 seat performing arts venue owned and operated by Richmond Community Schools providing “wonderful opportunities for students to perform in a professional setting.”
Former Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman is the president of the National Civic League this year and a big proponent of these kinds of partnership projects. During her tenure, in 1990, Tampa was named an All-America City. Creative Loafing CEO Ben Eason is also involved, as a member of the Host Committee.
Thirty cities, towns, neighborhoods and communities are vying for recognition as an All-America City at the June 16-18 conference at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel. Each will give a short presentation on three public-private civic projects they undertook before a panel of judges names the best. Tampa is one of the finalists.
Construction at Eddy Street Commons, a mixed-use development that is part of the NNRO project.
This afternoon’s featured community in the National Civic League’s 2009 All-America City Awards (the conference convenes in Tampa next week) is South Bend, Ind.:
South Bend, Indiana
The Northeast Neighborhood Revitalization Organization (NNRO)
Facing dismal retail and housing trends in its Northeast Neighborhood, the City of South Bend brought together neighbors and leaders from the University of Notre Dame along with three key institutions within or on the neighborhood borders: Madison Center, Memorial Hospital of South Bend and Saint Joseph’s Regional Medical Center. They incorporated the NNRO in 2000 as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit for the neighborhood’s social, physical and economic revitalization. The institutions served as funding partners, committing a collective $1.75 million over the initial five years. This community partnership has resulted in transformed relationships among neighbors, the university, and private and public sectors, as well as in hundreds of millions of dollars of investment in retail, residential, and commercial development.
Thirty cities, towns, neighborhoods and communities are vying for recognition as an All-America City at the June 16-18 conference at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel. Each will give a short presentation on three public-private civic projects they undertook before a panel of judges names the best. Tampa is one of the finalists.
Former Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman is the president of the National Civic League this year and a big proponent of these kinds of partnership projects. During her tenure, in 1990, Tampa was named an All-America City. Creative Loafing CEO Ben Eason is also involved, as a member of the Host Committee.
The National Civic League’s 2009 All-America City Awards conference convenes in Tampa next week. Here is a look at one of the 30 nominees that will present their best civic projects, Fort Wayne, Ind.:
Fort Wayne, Indiana
The Refugee Resource CenterFrom 1991 to 2008, the number of immigrants and refugees from various parts of the world has grown from 44 to 3,644 an increase of 1274%. The United Way of Allen County held community forums to address the specific services and needs for the refugee community. As a result of this forum, a federal grant was submitted to the Office of Refugee Resettlement for funding by a coalition consisting of several community agencies to develop a refugee resource center that will serve as a one stop location. The coalition received the grant and in November 2008, The Refugee Resource Center was officially opened. The Center provides services and educational classes that help refugees access healthcare, employment, learn English and other skills. Currently, nine agencies provide on-site services, and two organizations provide off-site services as part of a Refugee Resource Coalition. Current coalition partners include: Saint Joseph Community Health Foundation; the Burmese Advocacy Center; the Allen County Lead and Healthy Homes Program; the Reclamation Project; Indiana Family and Social Services Agency; Advantage Health Solutions; Super Shot; East Allen County School Corporation; Neighborhood Christian Legal Services; Catholic Charities; and IVY Tech Community College.
Former Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman is the president of the National Civic League this year and a big proponent of these kinds of partnership projects. During her tenure, in 1990, Tampa was named an All-America City. Creative Loafing CEO Ben Eason is also involved, as a member of the Host Committee.
Thirty cities, towns, neighborhoods and communities are vying for recognition as an All-America City at the June 16-18 conference at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel. Each will give a short presentation on three public-private civic projects they undertook before a panel of judges names the best. Tampa is one of the finalists.
The National Civic League’s 2009 All-America City Awards conference convenes in Tampa next week, and I’m continuing to post information about the various city projects that are nominated for recognition.
AAC nominee Carbondale, Ill., nominated its neighborhood stabilization program and a job-opportunities Teen Futures program, as well as this arts-related effort:
Carbondale, Illinois
Varsity Center for the ArtsFollowing the closure of the historic Varsity Theater, an open forum was held to bring community members together to discuss its future. Overwhelmingly, community members suggested that the building become a “center for the arts,” and although they worked hard to gain support, the building owner remained skeptical. In 2005, Carbondale’s largest community theater troop, the Jackson Stage Company, lost its home. This, coupled with closure of the Varsity Theater, presented a unique opportunity. The City approached the owners of the Varsity and asked them to donate the building to create the much needed cultural center and a home for The Stage Company. The building owner agreed, and The Stage Company, in partnership with Carbondale Community Arts, began a new campaign to raise funds for the Varsity Center for the Arts. The Stage Company was able to generate the enthusiasm of the local citizens and Carbondale Community Arts helped to anchor the facility as a regional attraction. In October of 2008, the Stage Company held their first performance at the Center and received an amazing response. Through all of the hard work of the community, area organizations and businesses, the Varsity Center for the Arts has put “art in the heart of Carbondale.”
Former Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman is the president of the National Civic League this year and a big proponent of these kinds of partnership projects. During her tenure, in 1990, Tampa was named an All-America City. Creative Loafing CEO Ben Eason is also involved, as a member of the Host Committee.
Thirty cities, towns, neighborhoods and communities are vying for recognition as an All-America City at the June 16-18 conference at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel. Each will give a short presentation on three public-private civic projects they undertook before a panel of judges names the best. Tampa is one of the finalists.
The next city in my series highlighting the great civic works of some U.S. communties in the National Civic League’s 2009 All-America City Awards conference is Rancho Cordova, Calif., a six-year-old city looking for innovative solutions.
Thirty cities, towns, neighborhoods and communities are vying for recognition as an All-America City at the June 16-18 conference at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel. Each will give a short presentation on three public-private civic projects they undertook before a panel of judges names the best. Tampa is one of the finalists.
Rancho Cordova’s three nominated projects all involved public safety, but its most interesting nominee could provide a model of cooperation and savings in a county such as, say, Pinellas, where duplication and excessive cost to maintain dozens of small and large law enforcement agencies can drive taxes up.
Rancho Cordova worked with the local sheriff’s office in this way:
Rancho Cordova, California
Shared Command Model Police AgencyThe Rancho Cordova Police Department (RCPD), in a unique partnership with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department (SSD), has formed the Shared Command Model Police Agency. The Shared Command enables both the RCPD and the SSD to maximize manpower at a reduced cost to both agencies. Some of the benefits include: sharing of specific personnel and resources,
cross response capability for emergency or life threatening calls for service, reduction of operational costs without losing service, and a regional approach to the delivery of law enforcement services. In addition, the shared command reduces the “red tape” approval process commonly required when requesting resources through outside agencies. RCPD and SSD personnel frequently partner together for public/officer safety, public education, and demonstrations. The demonstrations give the community an opportunity to educate themselves about crime prevention, personal safety, and ways to improve the overall quality of life in their neighborhoods and communities. The effectiveness of this structure can be seen in a steadily declining crime rate, even as the population of Rancho Cordova continues to grow.
Former Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman is the president of the National Civic League this year and a big proponent of these kinds of partnership projects. During her tenure, in 1990, Tampa was named an All-America City. Creative Loafing CEO Ben Eason is also involved, as a member of the Host Committee.
With a little more than a week to go until the National Civic League’s 2009 All-America City Awards conference convenes in Tampa, I’m posting information about the various city projects that are nominated for recognition.
To recap again, 30 cities, towns, neighborhoods and communities are vying for recognition as an All-America City at the June 16-18 conference at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel. Each will give a short presentation on three public-private civic projects they undertook before a panel of judges names the best. Tampa is one of the finalists.
Former Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman is the president of the National Civic League this year and a big proponent of these kinds of partnership projects. During her tenure, in 1990, Tampa was named an All-America City. Creative Loafing CEO Ben Eason is also involved, as a member of the Host Committee.
AAC nominee Inglewood, Calif., nominated three of its most successful efforts, including an urban retail center that revitalized a dilapidated neighborhood, a neighborhood noise suppression effort to buffer people who live near LAX and this project:
Inglewood, California
Youth Auto Repair Apprenticeship
In a city where employment rates have been historically low, job training programs for Inglewood’s youth addresses an important need and remains essential for Inglewood’s sustained workforce. In 2006, the City of Inglewood and the Los Angeles Opportunity Industrialization Center (LAOIC) launched the Youth Auto Repair Apprenticeship. Since, the city’s Fleet Management and Transit Services have trained more than 120 young students at Inglewood Unified School District and other schools throughout Los Angeles, at no cost to the student. Inglewood and LAOIC partnered with South Bay Workforce Investment Board, South Bay One-Stop Business and Career Centers, County of Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services, the County Department of Public Social Services, and the school district to offer morning maintenance classes for academic credit to 10-15 high school students each semester. LAOIC’s mission is to provide quality training and employment to economically disadvantaged people of all races and backgrounds, enabling them to become self-sufficient.
With less than two weeks to go until the National Civic League’s 2009 All-America City Awards conference convenes in Tampa, I’m going to begin posting information about the various city projects that are nominated for recognition.
To recap, 30 cities, towns, neighborhoods and communities are vying for recognition as an All-America City at the June 16-18 conference at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel. Each will give a short presentation on three public-private civic projects they undertook before a panel of judges names the best. Tampa is one of the finalists.
Former Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman is the president of the National Civic League this year and a big proponent of these kinds of partnership projects. During her tenure, in 1990, Tampa was named an All-America City. Creative Loafing CEO Ben Eason is also involved, as a member of the Host Committee.
AAC nominee Fort Smith, Ark., is a city of 80,000+ on the banks of the Arkansas River at the Oklahoma state border. Its three AAC nominees are its successful effort to keep an Air National Guard air wing operating in the region, its selection in 2007 as the new home of the U.S. Marshals Service Museum and its Meals for Kids program, which I’m featuring here in a summary provided by the National Civic League:
Fort Smith, Ark.
Meals for Kids
The Community Services Clearinghouse (CSC) is an organization that serves as an information-sharing agency and works with area churches, civic groups and community agencies to connect with real people with needs. In its Meals for Kids program, CSC feeds more than 2,400 public school students across the region each Friday, by filling backpacks with nutritional meals and sending students home with nonperishable foods for the weekend. No applications are required. Any student is eligible for the program – based on a recommendation from a child’s school. Professional nutritionists assist with the selection of foods to be placed in each child’s backpack on Fridays. Typical meals include juice, cereal, pudding, fruit cups, and some source of protein. The Greater Fort Smith region truly believes “No child should ever go hungry,” and volunteer organizations not only write checks to fund the weekly program, some groups also help assemble the backpacks each week.
Photo: Fort Smith Times Record Online.
“I had a politician who called me up one day and chewed me out because she was seated in the back dining room,” he recalls. The key to getting a seat in the vaunted main room is not status, it’s timing, he reveals. Agliano tells the hostesses to fill the back room and bar first. Those rooms are farther from the entrance, and it takes more time for the hostesses to go back and forth once the lunch rush hits. — Creative Loafing, 6.11.08
It was THE place to be and be seen in Tampa politics, for fundraisers and just to see who is chatting up who at lunch. Now, the Valencia Garden tradition of political intrigue is over. (And I need a new spot for a lunch date I had set for there next Tuesday.)
From the Tampa Tribune:
A padlock at the entrance to the Valencia Garden restaurant on Kennedy Boulevard today had patrons and others wondering: What is happening at the iconic local business?
Owner David Agliano confirmed late Wednesday afternoon the business is closing. He is informing his employees.
I wrote about David and how he sets (or doesn’t set) part of the city’s political agenda. The story started like this:
By Manny Leto
PoHo contributor
Kiley Gardens, the hotly contested riverfront park nestled between Kennedy Boulevard and the new Tampa Museum of Art off of Ashley Street, will be saved after all.
Well, most of it will be saved.
Locals have fought for years to restore the park, designed by world-renowned landscape architect, Dan Kiley. Completed in 1988 and neglected almost from the beginning, when plans for the new art museum were announced back in 2000 during the Greco administration, Kiley Gardens was scheduled for demolition. It seems that in Tampa, to create art, you must destroy art, which is, I’m sure, exactly the postmodern statement city officials were trying to make. Irony notwithstanding, local architects and others began to speak out. After what is now nearly a decade of debate, studies and grass roots activism, which reached a highpoint in 2005 and 2006, the Downtown Partnership hosted a forum this morning to assess the current plans for Kiley.
Read the rest of this entry »
Just released from Tampa City Hall is Mayor Pam Iorio’s memo supporting a planned City Council vote tomorrow to lift the Bay area’s toughest lawn-watering ban that prohibited anything but limited hand-watering of lawns.
The memo:
I am pleased to report that our reservoir level is currently at 21.8 feet, and Hillsborough River flows are 152 million gallons per day at Morris Bridge. In my May 19th memorandum to you, I said we would support a relaxation of the water restrictions if the reservoir exceeded 21 feet and rate of flow in the river exceeded 60 million gallons per day.
Since rains have continued throughout the Hillsborough River watershed and the two thresholds placed on our water supply have been exceeded, I am recommending that our existing emergency water use ordinance be amended to adopt the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Phase IV modified level, effective June 1, 2009. With your concurrence, an amended ordinance will be walked onto City Council agenda at the Thursday, May 28th meeting.
The Phase IV restrictions will:
• Allow customers to irrigate with sprinkler systems once a week on their designated watering day.
Watering hours for most customers are Midnight to 4 a.m.; however, hours are specified for property
sizes and irrigation methods.
• Limit non-turf irrigation by low volume methods to three days per week.
• Limit pressure washing to that conducted by commercial businesses.
• Prohibit residential car washing.
• Apply 78 degree requirement in water-cooled buildings to government facilities and common areas only.
Again, I would like to thank you for your vote in adopting very tough water restrictions that saved hundreds of millions of gallons of water.
Editor’s note: Weekend Rewind is a new feature of PoHo, republishing the best, longer posts about politics and public affairs from my blog and Daily Loaf as well, in case you might have missed them the first time around. Think of it as my version of a Sunday/weekend newspaper.
By Grant RImbey, CNU
Green Community contributor
A year ago I was doing microfilm research on local history at the John German Library in Tampa. Anyone who’s done this research knows how tedious it is; there’s no index for microfilm so to find pertinent articles one must scan each newspaper page on each microfilm roll. While doing this I was flabbergasted to discover a Tampa Tribune article from Nov. 25, 1924, that mentioned the work of the famous town planner John Nolen in connection with Tampa.
To my surprise, the City of Tampa commissioned Nolen to survey the city in 1924 in preparation for a master plan that he was to create for the city. I know a good deal about the planning and architectural history of the area but hadn’t heard that Nolen was working in our area. Tragically, Nolen created his survey but was never commissioned by the city to create his master plan for Tampa: 1924 was the height of delirium during the 1920s Florida real estate boom and the development industry of the time did not want to slow down the good times enough to allow the creation of a master plan and code to direct them. The great depression came early to Florida and by the end of 1926 the roaring 20s were over.
The discovery of John Nolen’s survey of Tampa is important as he’s arguably the finest town planner to have worked in Florida and is the namesake of the John Nolen Medal for Contributions to Urbanism in Florida, given by the progressive planning organization Congress for the New Urbanism, Florida Chapter. In Florida, Nolen was the genius behind the town plans of Venice, Sarasota, West Palm Beach, Clewiston, and Temple Terrace.
In 1924, the problems that Mr. Nolen identified in Tampa’s planning remain problems to this very day:
