Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

The USF Bulls Men’s Basketball Team beat favored Cincinnati last night to advance in the tournament. A great upset for sure! For more USF b-ball, check the JGLB Blog. As soon as Johnny wakes up, I’m sure he’ll have more details. Go Bulls!!

r* found that Manatee and Sarasota Counties (Manasota) now wants to be presented as “South Tampa Bay.” Why fight it? Did anyone go to the Super Bowl up in Northeastern Tampa Bay? Don’t forget, Bike Week is in full swing in Tampa Bay East. Looking for art deco and gorgeous people? SoBe is just on the outskirts of TamBay. Finally let’s just admit that we are neighbors, and quit coming up with excuses to cross the Bay.

While I’m here, don’t forget about the Strawberry Festival. It opened last Thursday in Downtown Tampa Bay and lasts through to March 13. Nana and Pepere will be happy to serve you at St. Clement’s stand once again.

Jack Harris was quite proud of himself. He discovered Tampa, KS on the internet, and set up an exchange program. And oh, how they were excited in Tampa (KS).

The thing is, visitors from Tampa (FL) have already been to Tampa (KS). Harris was beat to it seven years ago by a bunch of Girl Scouts.

As originally reported in the Salina (KS) Journal, 18 local Girl Scouts from Tampa (FL) visited Tampa (KS) in 1998. The Mayor of Tampa (FL) Dick Greco even sent along a key to the City of Tampa (FL) to be given to the Mayor of Tampa (KS), Jim Clemmer.

By the way, Clemmer is still Mayor of Tampa (KS), and participated in this latest exchange, meeting with the current Mayor of Tampa (FL), Pam Iorio.

By the way number two: Tampa State Bank seems to be the only business in Tampa (KS) with a website.

BTW#3: There is a Jack Harris in the media in southeastern Kansas too, not that anyone cares.

After begging for it, and eventually getting it, this Tampa weblog has been awfully quiet in regards to the latest installment of the Tampa Tribune’s Tampa Project. This most recent episode details the current state of Race and Diversity in Tampa. Included is a history of race relations in our fair city.

The online edition contains an article not found in the print. A couple of Trib staffers went to a few places to determine any difference in the way they were treated. A couple of the white staffers went out of their way to ensure they would be in places where they were certainly the minority.

I did that once. I asked a friend of mine to go to happy hour. He didn’t feel comfortable in my white people happy hour place, so I told him to pick the spot. We went to a joint on E. 7th Av. I think it was called Celebrities. Anyway, I had been confident it would just be another bar, another happy hour. But that wasn’t quite correct. I was most definitely out of place, obvious, and a little uncomfortable. Not nervous, but sure as hell conspicuous. One joker came up and asked if I was the Orkin man, there to do some work for the bar. Ha ha. Anyway, we had a couple beers and both went on our way. I came out with a slight understanding of why some blacks don’t necessarily get a big kick by hanging with white people they work with, and a sort of appreciation of those that do it anyway in the name of workplace interaction.

Previous entries on The Tampa Project:
Part I That’s what I like about you
Part II You’ll go down in history
Part II Long and winding road
Part III the Leader of the pack
Part IV economic development
Part IV Weird (bio)science
Part V Natural Resources

Regarding yesterday’s vote: Miami-Dade county voted no for slots. But Broward voted yes. I imagine that the machines in east Tampa are getting an upgrade this morning.

Today the South Floridians are voting whether to allow Las Vegas style sl ot machines within their pari-mut uels. Whichever way that vote goes, so goes the State of Florida. My gut tells me it will pass. If so, you can expect to play those slots right here at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel within days, if not hours. Trust me, they are prepared.

Do not think for a minute that all of this was not in the plans. Although the complex has been somewhat successful thus far, they always knew that full gam ing would someday be allowed, and all investments would be repaid handsomely. It was only one year ago that the Flying Elvii were landing on the reservation in celebration. Within that year, the b ingo room has been scaled back, and now completely replaced with machines - a much higher profit margin. Now comes the level III machines. Next to be offered will be po ker. Not the free games at local restaurants – those will be outlawed. I’m talking about high stakes stuff.

While I’m at it, Florida is not the only state where this is going to happen. State sanctioned lotter ies have popped up all over, yet more and more states continue to look for additional funding. You can be sure that all kinds of gambl ing will be discussed as a funding source across the country. Regardless of your feelings on the issue in Florida, your true best bet is to buy stock in those companies that supply and manufacture sl ot machines.

Check the voting results after 7pm for Miami-Dade and Broward.

Tampa continues its role as the winter training spot for crew teams from northeastern and midwestern universities. As mentioned previously, UT invites other college crew teams to train downtown in the Hillsborough River. This time it’s the Michigan State University kids. A big welcome goes out to the MSU crew team. The Spartans will be in town all week, so make ‘em feel at home.

By the way, The Tampa Tribune recently asked if it’s ok to overlook the graffiti painted along the riverbanks by these rowing crews. It is against the law, but no one complains, so the city doesn’t clean it up. The responses in yesterday’s paper were pretty much split. I want to know what you think. Does it even matter one way or the other?

Sam Gibbons is ruffling feathers by suggesting we should have contingency plans in case MacDill closes. He may have been reading my mind. This was written in December, but never posted:

Busch Gardens showed a decline in attendance this year. Trigeaux compares Tampa’s theme park with the multitude of family choices for fun over in Orlando. Geez, you can’t do that. Although just this year, BG realized they cannot charge the same amount as Disney World. Tampa is in an entirely different league. But we’re so close to Orlando that it is impossible not to compare. The difference is such that Busch now has to depend on us locals buying the Fun Pass. But if Busch Gardens needs higher attendance year after year, there is another way to get it. The key is to entice more people to visit the Tampa Bay area as a whole. How many tourists go to Orlando, and don’t make it west of Haines City? Millions, I bet. But to get them over here would entail some sort of co-op advertising blitz with THCVB and say, Pinellas beaches, or the Tampa Triumvirate (Aquarium, Zoo, MOSI). But I have another idea that’s been bouncing around in my head for a while now.

Leaders seem convinced that MacDill will survive the next round of closures. But, eventually we may have to deal with the idea that MacDill Air Force Base is going to shut down. Nobody wants to lose the military here in Tampa. After all, those men and women are not only heroes, they also make great citizens. But the writing is on the wall. Time after time, elected officials and residents take up the fight to save the base. But some day, the fight will end, and MacDill will close its doors. Before that point gets here, a discussion needs to take place for the use of that land.

Why not build a couple theme parks? With over 5,000 acres, there is enough room for Disney World-type resorts, shops, and several attractions. You could probably get a few cruise lines to move there, too. Give visitors bigger and better reasons to show up here instead of (or in addition to) Orlando. It may not actually compete with Disney World and Universal, but it might complement Central Florida nicely. If there is another reason for families to vacation in Florida, or some are induced to come again, Busch Gardens (and the regional economy as a whole) will benefit.

Is that crazy?

Side Salad found Montage-a-Google and I can’t stop. The above is the result of “Tampa.” Go check it out.