Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

Tampa Bay: Young, Hip? Not really, not yet. In fact, Tampa is being outpaced in attracting young newcomers by Orlando, Naples and West Palm Beach.

Ask, and ye shall receive.

Someone found a new way to commit suicide on the Skyway Bridge. Drive north in the southbound lanes. Unfortunately, this idiot also took someone else with him. The notorious Skyway Bridge Jumper Pool has no comment thus far.

So let’s check in on Ybor City. Kids ran pell-mell through the streets again. Residents say the noise ordinance hasn’t changed a thing. And Mayor Pam wants to kill happy hour.

What a busy weekend coming up! The Outback Pro-AM started yesterday and goes through Sunday (win free tickets!). St. Pete’s Festival of Speed begins on Friday. Tony Bennett is in concert at Ruth Eckerd on Friday night. The Hyde Park Art Fest is Saturday and Sunday. The 59th annual Fiesta Day street festival is on Saturday in Ybor City, and Parrotheads will be partying with Jimmy Buffett at the Ford Amphitheatre on Saturday night. But the best is saved for last.

Normally, I would encourage you to support your local bands. But this time, your local band is supporting YOU. Sunday from 5 until ???, the JGLB will be celebrating their 20th anniversary at Skipper’s Smokehouse. As a thank you to all of the JGLB fans and friends over the years, Johnny hisownself has deemed that there will be no cover charge. That’s right, a gig at Skippers with no cover! The typical JGLB lineup will be there along with several special guests showing up like ghosts from the past. Remember, the doors open at 4:00, and the band starts at 5:00, so don’t be afraid to bring members of the younger generation so they too can get hooked on great Tampa style rock and roll. Long-time fans will also get to partake in some complimentary hors d’oeuvres (probly chicken wings). It is certain to be a fantastic time, so even if you have never seen the JGLB live, you will want to be at Skippers on Sunday. PS: Newbies that generously tip the band will be considered “long time fans” and be entered into a drawing for a free chicken wing.

Channel 10’s Jim Deeson uncovered r-rated emails coming from Tampa Fire Chief Dennis Jones. The Tribune dug further and found more. Other than one document including a picture of two giraffes getting it on, you have seen all of the emails. They were sent to you by that friend of yours. You know, the friend that sends you all kinds of crap, and you haven’t had the heart to tell him that A) you don’t really have time for them, B) you’ve seen them all before, C) they are really not all that amusing, and D) you normally delete them without opening. Anyway, yes, Jones was wasting company (taxpayers) time and resources. And in turn, the TV station and newspapers are wasting mine. Find stuff worth reporting, huh?

10 year old girl missing from Citrus County. Jessica is a white third-grader, 4 feet 10 inches tall, weighing 70 pounds, with light brown shoulder-length hair and brown eyes. I’ll update this post when the Amber Alert is issued.

A fire tore through downtown Plant City Monday night and Tuesday morning. All of the city’s fire trucks showed up, and still the fire blazed. Units from Lakeland, Hillsborough and Tampa joined in the fight, but two old buildings were lost before the fire was contained.

The northernmost building (Collins St. at MLK) was completely burned down. It belongs to Harold Dennis Spurlock from Kentucky, and housed a DUI School and Attorney James Buzbee. Both businesses suffered significant document losses. The fire started at another business inside, Mark Electronics.

If you’ve driven through downtown Plant City, there’s no doubt that you’ve seen “Reflection of a Town.” This mural, painted in the mid seventies by artist John Briggs, includes the old train depot, along with a couple shops and a train on its way into Plant City. So far, the wall holding the mural is still up, but it may have to come down.

Next door, 108 S. Collins St., which once housed a popular grocery and dry goods store (Rogers & Middlebrooks) in the early 1900’s. David and Vicki Hawthorne own the building, which was occupied by the decimated Yesterday’s Attic, Olde Village Shoppes and the Park-Side café (not labeled). Joe Grimes sold jewelry at the Shoppes, and is waiting to sift through the rubble to see what is left. Both buildings were built after a similar fire in 1907.

On the north end of the block, the Whistle Stop Café survived for now, but owner Jerry Lofstrom feels somewhat guilty that his place made it through, while the others didn’t. All of the others are looking at a long rebuilding process, if they get to open at all. With the Strawberry Festival scheduled for next month, the destroyed businesses will not be open and will all lose out on any expected increase.

An interesting side note: Of the seven businesses destroyed in the fire, three did not carry insurance. Neither Mark Electronics, Grimes jewelry store, nor the Park-Side Café carried insurance.