Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

If you are a New Yorker in Tampa, you’re here at a most excellent time of the year. The New York Islanders are in town tonight 2004 Mar 16 to take on the NHL Southeastern Division champion Tampa Bay Lightning. The Buffalo Sabres will be here Thursday the 18th, and the New Jersey Devils next Thursday the 25th. The New York Yankees continue their spring training at Legends Field, and other Grapefruit League ballparks. By the way, if you’re considering going to a baseball game or two, Rev. Joe is reporting on his visits to the ballparks through Jeff at Side Salad.

And of course, there’s the weather. Did you know that over the past 113 years, the temperature in Tampa in March has dropped below 32 only 3 times. It’s snowing and cold in New York today.

Not all New Yorkers are happy here, though. I often hear that when in Florida you “can’t get a good bagel.” One NewYorker has had trouble finding women here (and obviously, Ms Godiva doesn’t realize that you don’t have to go to a bar to watch the Yankees). One doesn’t like all the strip joints, pawn shops, gun stores, and chain restaurants. Many transplanted (retired) New Yorkers complain about paying taxes here; I’ve heard the argument that they’ve paid enough taxes up north, and shouldn’t have to do it down here. Then they grumble that the mass transit here is inadequate – nothing like it was in New York… FYI: You can’t have it both ways.

At any rate, I’m going to turn it around on them next week. I’m vacationing in New York. I’ll drive slow in the left-hand lane. I’ll ask all of them about their winter weather constantly, then play in the snow. At their restaurants, I’ll talk like a redneck. Sure, I’ll pay their bed taxes, and sales taxes, so the city doesn’t go broke. But I’ll insist on Florida Orange Juice every morning. And Plant City Strawberries, if I can.

Congratulations to the “International man of misery.” St. Petersburg’s Ronald “Winky” Wright (check volume) beat “Sugar” Shane Mosley in a unanimous decision on Saturday to claim the Super Welterweight championship titles for the WBC and WBA, and retain the IBF Junior Middleweight title. Winky was a heavy underdog at +250, and of 23 writers predicting the outcome, 18 picked Mosley to win. Only 5 picked Winky. Congratulations again to our champion, Winky Wright… Yeah, baby!

Good luck to all the local Tampa area Bands heading out to the SXSW music festival in Austin, TX. “Flamingo Bandango” (not an official SXSW event) will happen Club De Ville, 900 Red River Rd. in Austin. They will be serving some Tampa-style food, giving out cigars, and serving beer. Our friends from BLOGGER will be there at the same club on Monday the 15th, while the Tampa rockers will be there on Wednesday night. Friday Extra gives these guys a little publicity, and megaprops to local blogger Norwood (also of WMNF) who has done alot to help these kids out there. Please visit the rest of their sponsors. And if ya see any of these bands playing anywhere (and you should make an effort - they’re all good), throw a $20 in their tip jar.

Mayor Pam has dipped her big toe into the wading end of the Same Sex Marriage pool. Starting January 2005, domestic partners of city employees will have access to their health benefits. As Mayor Pam noted, “it’s a progressive step.” Of course, this ruling also has to apply to heterosexual domestic partners, thereby giving people one less reason to get married. Gainesville, Key West, Miami Beach, and West Palm Beach already offer benefits to same-sex domestic partners, so it’s not really a bold move. And the city must do what it can to attract the best workers, regardless of lifestyle (or race, or religion, etc.). But this may actually be seen as a bad move by same-sex marriage proponents. If the impetus to get married erodes, less people (gay and straight) will see marriage as a necessity. Change – in whatever form – does not happen overnight, but by bit and pieces over time. We’ll see where this goes. In the meantime, the city has expanded it’s pool of potential workers.

Friday, if you don’t want to see Hootie, maybe the Rough Riders 1st Annual Trolley Hop will interest you. I’m sure there might be some drinking of adult beverages going on. On Saturday, there’s a couple festivals to check out. The Kaleidoscope Community Festival will have singing, dancing, drumming, claywork, painting – they want children to embrace their creative side. The Cajun Zydeco Crawfish Festival includes terrific Creole fare and entertainment all weekend. Saturday night is your last chance to get beads thrown at you until Guavaween – It’s the Rough Riders St. Patrick’s Parade (preview). On Sunday, I’d suggest the Renaissance Festival which this year moved next door to the Museum of Science & Industry on Fowler Av.

Rumors that the House of Blues will soon have a presence in Ybor City continue to surface. La Gaceta – the nation’s only tri-lingual newspaper – notes that HoB still has not yet confirmed or denied such rumors.

If you’ll remember, a couple weeks ago there was a melee at the salad bar of a retirement home in Winter Haven. Now comes this unexpected provocation. Seems the old folks in Spring Hill are tired of seeing the Sun City Center gang get all the accolades, and want to have the world’s largest golf-cart parade. I can’t imagine the Sun City Posse taking this sitting down (or crouching over, even). With all of the baby-boomers on their way to retirement age, it won’t be long before there’s a no-holds-barred steel cage old guy Wrestlemania event at the old Armory.

Today is the official Grand Opening of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in east Tampa. Just before noon, the Flying Elvi will fall from the sky to celebrate the new glorified bingo hall - which is expected to bring $40 million a year into the local economy. Hootie & the Blowfish will be playing there tonight and tomorrow night, and you can get tickets from the Seminoles.

When the new Tampa Bay Amphitheatre opens in July of this year, east Tampa will really be rocking.