Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

The Lakeland Police Department is taking on red-light runners. Up for discussion is the implementation of Red Light Cameras. The Lakeland Local blog is writing a series on the pros and cons of red light cameras to see if they are right for Lakeland.

With our recent traffic issues, the posts have caught my eye, and I thought it might be a good time to Meet the Blogger:

Name: Chuck Welch
Blog name: Lakeland Local
URL: http://lakelandlocal.com

Describe how you came to live in Tampa Bay: I live in Tampa Bay? Some guy named Alexander keeps knocking on my door telling me I live in Orlando. I’m originally from Chicago, but had settled in Louisville, KY. In the early 90s, my sister and best friends migrated to Tampa from Louisville. In 2000, I was newly married and sick of the Gateway to the South. As a writer (stop laughing) I can work anywhere, so I convinced (begged) my wife to look for work in Florida. Two years ago she found a job with USF Lakeland and let me move down with her and our daughter. The short answer: I chose to live in Tampa Bay’s far east outpost — Lakeland.

Lakeland has been accurately described as “a small mecca of cool.” I like smaller town life. The streets aren’t crowded. A trip across town doesn’t require packing supplies. I’m in my extremely late thirties (Thirty - sixteen) and I don’t need clubs, parties, crazy bands, and wild friends anymore. Yes, I am your grandfather.

What’s the best & worst thing about Tampa Bay? I have to say the beaches are one of the best things, but the best is the fact my daughter’s four godparents, my family and friends, all live here. Forget “Two Mommies,” Gigi has “Three Mommies and Three Daddies.” She’s doomed when she hits her teens. The worst thing is the location of the Devil Rays stadium. What were they thinking? They need a new stadium at the intersection of I-4 and I-75, paid for completely by taxing Jeffrey Loria.

In which neighborhood do you live? I live near Florida Southern University in Lakeland. Entertainment Weekly called Lakeland “an endless archipelago of drive-thru fast-food joints, midway between the first-class kiddie glitz of Orlando’s Disney World and the blandness of Tampa.” Don’t you love when the jaded float down to mix with the proletariat? He is completely wrong. Lakeland is an interesting community. If I can just get a handle on the political players.

The best thing about Lakeland is the size of the community. The worst thing is the early 20th century approach Polk County has to growth. Some elected officials seem to believe our survival is only assured if we grow like weeds. If you put a moratorium on growth tomorrow, Polk County would survive. We just don’t need new developments. There are plenty of other counties that would welcome new residents. I’m starting a petition to rename the city Mosquito Haven in Sinkhole County. Yeah, the new guy wants people to stop moving here.

Tell me about your blog: As with every blog, it’s about me. I describe Lakeland filtered through my eyes. I’m a work-at-home father with no set schedule and no boss to warn me away from any topics. So, I try to poke around the silly and important issues concerning Lakeland citizens. I don’t have an agenda, I write what I find. My early background was as a reporter and I don’t print rumors or innuendos. Most of the posts are the result of my own legwork. Lately, I’ve started editorializing a bit. I’m trying to shy away from Associated Press style writing and show more of my voice. It’s probably the beginning of the end of Lakeland Local.

I started my blog because I wanted to force myself out of the house. I truly like Lakeland, and I hope what I write is interesting for new residents, and that long-time residents appreciate the view through new eyes.

I don’t care if Lakeland Local is “successful.” I never look at traffic numbers. Sure, sometimes a nice post gets no comments. Then I feel like a beat poet in an empty house. But, I really write to impress my wife. The rest of the viewers are gravy.

Maintaining a blog is like having a mistress. (From what I hear. Never had one, never will. Hi honey. Je t’aime.) They take time away from your family and friends. You write because it exercises your mind. Because you have to. The key is not to get bogged down on any one topic. Keep it loose.

What is the hardest part about maintaining your blog? The hardest part about maintaining my blog is the design. I have yet to develop a blog design that makes me happy. I want Lakeland Local to look like the International Herald Tribune website, but I don’t have that kind of design skills.

What’s the coolest thing you have ever done? The coolest thing I’ve ever done is to help raise children. I’ve been doing it since I was a child myself. Since I know that answer causes some eyes to glaze over I’ll tell you the second coolest thing I’ve ever done. I was chased by the National Guard and teargassed before I even started school. My mother was an activist. When you watch video of those crazy protesters in the Sixties or the children getting on the buses during desegregation in the Seventies, I was there. Sometimes we got caught where situations flared, but the work she did was important. The politics that shaped my life, the concern for children I have, everything I hold dear, is the result of her teaching me through example. She is the single greatest influence in my life. (My father, however, was a Marine Drill Instructor. I am in therapy.)

And the bonus answer… I appreciate Tommy including Lakeland Local as a “Tampa Bay” blog. When I found out we were moving here, Sticks of Fire was the first blog I discovered. Reading Tommy’s posts let me know I wasn’t making a mistake moving my family here. The only thing I didn’t cover with Tommy’s questions is a request. Don’t just read the popular blogs. Nurture the quiet voices. Join the community. If you don’t have a blog, start one. Write as infrequently as you like. You have a unique viewpoint and voice and I want the chance to discover it. Thanks.

Hey Chuck! It’s great to meet you. By the way, Once your series is done, I hope to borrow from it heavily - perhaps we could use something like this in Hillsborough.

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