Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

Back at the turn of the century, building brand new open-air entertainment-heavy shopping centers were all the rage around the nation.  Some here in Tampa Bay jumped on the bandwagon with BayWalk, Centro Ybor, and Channelside Bay Plaza.

The Tampa Tribune’s Michael Sasso notes that all three have all been underperforming for years.   Owners and tenants at the three places say they are suffering because of safety and parking perceptions, and the the limited number of retailers doesn’t help either.

Of course, the same could be said about Olde Hyde Park Village and downtown St. Pete’s The Pier, too.  We have been over Channelside’s troubles as well as our perception of Centro Ybor, so we don’t care to rehash all of that.

However, we would like to know where you DO go shopping.  And why?

and Welcome to 2009!

Come on down to Whiskey Joe’s and ring in the new year with the JGLB!

You may already know that I sing in a great rock’n'roll band, but you may not know that we’re going to kick it up a notch for New Year’s Eve!

At the former home of The Castaway, Whiskey Joe’s is the place to be for New Year’s Eve.   In addition to the all of the fireworks you could see and the great views of Old Tampa Bay from the patio, you can get a four course meal and live musical entertainment all night long.

The food is great at Whiskey Joe’s.  For $75, you’ll get one of their fantastic appetizers, a soup or salad, an entree, and a delicious dessert!  A couple of drinks are included, as well as a champagne toast at midnight.  The live music starts at 5pm, when Los Dos sets the stage for an all-out party!

The party continues at 9pm when Johnny G Lyon and JGLB take over to rock and roll all the way through the end of 2008, and into 2009!

Whiskey Joe’s Restaurant is located at 7720 W. Courtney Campbell Causeway in Tampa.  If you come too late for dinner, you can still party with us for $25.

Eric Deggans reports that CBS Radio and Creative Loafing were busy laying people off the week before Christmas.

Mason Dixon is the only weekday staffer to survive cuts at Q105:

four personalities were cut at the station, including Dixon’s longtime partner Bill Connolly (at left), JoJo Walker, Rico Blanco and Mike Reeves.

On the same day, Creative Loafing editor David Warner announced layoffs at the alternative weekly:

I’m sorry to report that Creative Loafing Tampa has had to make layoffs in its editorial, advertising, circulation and operations departments. I can speak only for edit decisions, as these were the ones in which I was involved. Staff Writer Alex Pickett, Music Critic Wade Tatangelo and Copy Editor Anthony Salveggi were the editorial employees laid off today, their departures effective at the end of this month.

The end of the post by David Warner parrots the viewpoint of other local media cuts:

I have faith that our restructured newsroom can maintain and even increase the excellence and creativity that our readers have come to expect in print and online

Even he admits it sounds “like so much corporatespeak bullshit.”

Happy Holidays.

Things were going swell in the housing market a couple years ago and everybody and her sister was building downtown condominiums.  High rise places such as Skypoint were going up like gangbusters.

While building that skyscraper, Novare decided to build a similar one across the street.  But it seems like there has been a downturn in the market, so they decided to make this second one (Element) a rental.

They will be leasing next month, and I would assume that renters are not knocking down the doors to get in, so they contacted me for some free publicity:

Tommy:

Would you be interested in a behind the scene tour of Element, the new luxury rental high-rise in downtown Tampa?  … we could arrange a private, detailed tour of the building, amenities and apartment homes. We believe Sticks of Fire would be an ideal voice to get to know Element and the luxurious apartment lifestyle it offers in downtown Tampa.

Let me know if you would be interested in a tour and we can arrange.  For more info on Element, go to www.elementofyou.com.

“Why not?” said I.  But I thought it would be cool to invite an fan of urban living to come along with me and take photos.  Besides, I figured our tour guide, Greg Minder (president of intowngroup) would appreciate questions from a real architect, rather than my normal drivel.

Joseph Brisco went to UT for architecture, and discusses various buildings and the state of downtown Tampa online at SkyScraper City.  I asked him to join me on the tour, and write up his thoughts.  Those folks at Element are gonna love him - check out his assessment:

(keep reading…)

With apologies to Clement Clarke Moore, the credited author of A Visit from St. Nicholas.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all ‘cross the Bay
Not a creature was stirring, not even a Ray;

The beach pails were stacked in the Florida room,
‘Cause St. Nick is coming, or so we assume;

The children in shorty pajamas were sleeping,
While dreaming of toys on the lists they’d been keeping;

And Wifey in her nightshirt, and I in my drawers,
Were just plain ol’ tuckered from o’er crowded stores,

When out from the beach was a terrible sound,
I thought it was early for them tourists come ‘round.

To the gazebo, I ran like the dickens,
And tried not to wake Ybor’s roosters and chickens.

The moon - it was full on the warm, breezy night.
Gators and crocs would stay hid from this light.

I couldn’t believe what my eyes were detailing,
Eight pink flamingos and a guy parasailing?

A little old snowbird, with blinkers a blinkin’,
Could that be St. Nick?  Or just wishful thinkin’?

Fast as a light switch that scares off a roach,
He called them and shouted as they pulled his coach.

“Now, Jannus! Calusa! now, Gadsden and Selmon!
On, Henry! DeSoto! Vicente and Hixon!

To the top of the Skyway! to the top of the mall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away y’all!”

(keep reading…)

Sticks of Fire reader Lindsey wants to know what we should be called:

I know that Sticks of Fire uses the term Tampan, but I have seen more references to using the word Tampanian to describe a resident of Tampa.  I need the proper term for academic use, but is it simply a matter of preference?  Thank you!

Hey Lindsey!  Thanks for contacting us!  And, what a great question.  Basically, what is the demonym for people from Tampa?

The old joke was that we must be “tampons,” because the Bucs were good for only one period.  But why not Tampine, Tampite, Tampanese, Tampi, Tampaner, Tampish, Tampard, Tampic, Tampese, Tampino, Tampiot, Tampegian, or Tampling?  Believe it or not, some folks actually refer to us as “Tampians.”

I have heard that “Tampan” is the proper name for one born or currently living in Tampa, but many folks say “Tampanian” in order to avoid any suggestion that they might be called a Tampon.

Online discussions debating Tampan vs. Tampanian bear this out, and the Urban Dictionary (edited by anyone) cuts to the chase and just says we are Tampanians.

But these are all just opinion (plus, we went with “ask a TAMPAN,” so I went looking elsewhere.

According to the Free Dictionary and dictionary.com, a tampan is “a venomous South African tick.”  But if you ask the Textile Museum, a “tampan is a small, rectangular cloth used in areas of Southern Sumatra in Indonesia.”

According to Wikipedia, the Kota Tampan site in the Lenggong valley of Malaysia may be the earliest known site of human inhabitation.  The culture at Kota Tampan is referred to as Tampanian.

Back in Tampa, Florida, Wikipedia says:

The Trafficante family was credited for creating the language known in the old mafia days as “Tampan.” Tampan was a language of an Italian/Spanish dialect. It was spoken by the Mob mainly because the police could not understand the language.”

In addition, there is a Tampania Avenue (not tampaniaN) in the city, but I have no idea where that name came from.

All of this is fun stuff, but getting us no closer to an answer, so I’ll leave it up to you readers to help us out.  And by the way, I’d like to hear from all Tampa Baymians - St. Petersburgers, Clearwatarians, Lutzlings and Largoids alike.

St. Pete Times reporter John Barry took a look at how the red-light running camera works in Temple Terrace.

Cameras are installed at the intersection of 56th St. and Bullard Pkway (aka Busch Blvd. AND Temple Terrace Highway) as well as the intersection of Fowler Av. and 56th St.

Most of the offenders are turning “Right on Red.”  The problem is that they don’t come to a complete stop first.  If you do roll through the intersection without stopping, your picture is taken, and technically, you have broken the law.  But an officer reviews every video taken, and sometimes lets you slide.

Still, Temple Terrace mailed over 4,000 violations in that first month.  And some USF students are not amused.

Want to avoid a ticket?  Come to a COMPLETE stop AT the stop line, and count to three.   Then look both ways - especially RIGHT, where there may be a pedestrian or bicyclist coming through with the right of way, and especially LEFT, where a car could be coming to slam into you - and proceed carefully.

Here in the sticks, we sometimes stumble across blogs we have never read before.  In the hopes of fostering more and better connections with our local blogsophere, I’d like to share a few with you.

• The Tribune’s former sportswriter who got unceremoniously canned has found a new online gig.  You can read Scott Carter’s Chop Talk at the Nole Insider.
• Dr. Mommy is really Dr. of Chiropractor Daisy Sutherland, and mom to 5 children in South Tampa.  She has effectively begun her own network of sites that include Dr. Mommy Health Tips, Dr. Mommy Writes, Dr. Mommy Says, and the Dr Mommy Chronicles.
• Will Young grew up in Mango, and Unobjective Intelligence can be gleaned from the leader of the Will Young Band (Lakeland).  He provides “…social commentary on everyday issues, to commentary on local, national and world news.”
• I would tell you more about the Ugly Puffer Fish, but there is no “about” page.  The writer has some images that suggest he’s Tampan, and a link to South Tampa Drinking Liberally.

In addition to those, here is a sampling of some of the latest additions to the TampaBLAB blogs list:

• Carrollwood’s John Pugh writes the stinkin’ blog, which contains quick hits (usually a link and a one line description) that I cannot decipher.  Techno-heads might get some use out of it, though.  John’s description:  “gadgets and cool stuff, oh my.”
• David Davisson of Seminole Heights publishes Re/Creating Tampa, and says it’s about “all the stuff on the internet that catches my attention. I try to focus on Tampa, but my mind wanders.”  David’s other pages include Eating Tampa, Greening Tampa, Reading Tampa, and Screening Tampa.
• Jcyreus dot Com is written by Jason Cyr, who moved to Harbour Island from Wisconsin in 2008.  Blog content remains a bit scattered - there are reviews on local events & restaurants, blogging tips, stories about biking to work, and he weighed in on the Presidential race.
• Cory Foy is the self-named blog by Cory Foy.  He’s another one of those developer-types with a passion for the philosophy of “agile development.”

Happy reading!  and if you have a favorite local blog, let us know about it!