Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

Jennifer Howe is now the FORMER weekend anchor for Tampa Bay’s 10, and their new chief meteorologist is already dressing for Florida weather.

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Wayne Garcia says that beginning Monday, the Tampa Tribune print product will include only two sections, News / sports / whatever and classifieds / comics.

In the same blog post, we hear that at least four more editorial employees have been let go, and an update on the reorganization.

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CL Senior Editor John Sugg weighs in on the CL bankruptcy news.

Eric Deggans has found that Creative Loafing has filed for bankruptcy.  According to the original story in CL’s Washington City Paper, CEO Ben Eason is just thrilled with the development:

“The term ‘bankruptcy’ conjures up all kinds of images and demons but it is essentially a legal proceeding designed to give an over-leveraged company the time, process and a safe harbor for which to reorganize its finances. Chapter 11 was the natural place for the Company to go to accomplish an orderly reorganization of our finances.”

“the step would allow the six papers in the Creative Loafing portfolio to establish a greater online presence”

“This is all about a fresh start,” stated Eason, who hastened to add that the filing entails no liquidation, no layoffs, and “no terrible, terrible things.”

No - nothing terrible at all - I mean, if the word “bankruptcy” is basically just another word for “peachy.”

Deggans asked if the deal to purchase the Washington City Paper and Chicago Reader pushed the company into this corner.  Oh, no, of course not, says Eason.

“… the Reader and Washington City Paper and Creative Loafing are all far better off today [than before the acquisition]“

But the Publisher of the Chicago Reader just resigned 2 weeks ago, and a couple comments on that article suggest that CL didn’t know exactly what they were getting.  (Remember that many online comments are full of sh.. conjecture and gossip, but can provide some additional perception.)

We’re waiting to hear more from CEO Ben Eason, and media follower Wayne Garcia.

Update 315pm:  Wayne Garcia confirms the news, but has no additional comment.

When journalists start working on their multi-media stuff, sometimes they expose the work to an adoring public before it is actually published.

Case in point - rhythmnation2004, a contributor at SkyScraper City, found this very interesting collage of the History of the Floridan building created by TBO online producer Kathy Moore.  Kathy had previously done the fancy looking Mission: Orange multimedia report earlier this year, too.

For those of you who have not kept up with it, a developer is refurbishing the old building and plans to re-open the place as a fancy hotel.

I would guess that a printed article in the newspaper about the history of the Floridan will be coming soon - perhaps this Sunday.  But for those of you who dig the history stuff (and like sneak peeks) check out the multimedia report on Kathy’s VUVOX website:  The cool collage of the history of the Floridan building.

By the way, for those of you who have video and image and want to create such a thing, VUVOX looks like a pretty cool tool.

BlogOrlando 2008 aka BlogOrlando 3 is this Saturday in Winter Park.  Along with Chuck Welch of Lakeland Local, I’ll be a session leader for “hyperlocal.”

While in Winter Park, I plan on lunching at Bakely’s on Saturday, and if you don’t already have plans, I’d love to meet all of the Bay area bloggers that are going (walking map to Bakely’s).

There are several folks going to BlogOrlando from the Tampa Bay area, and more than one has contacted me for a ride.  Unfortunately, I plan to make a small getaway out of it, and am spending Saturday night with my family over there.

I’d be happy to give a ride from Brandon at 715am Satuday morning, but will not be able to bring you back.

Do you need a ride?  Leave a comment with contact info.

Can you offer a ride?  Please leave a comment with contact info.

Congratulations to Deborah Newell Tornello, aka LitBrit!  Her blog was chosen by the Creative Loafing staff as the Best Local Blog in their Best of the Bay 2008.:

Staff Pick
BEST LOCAL BLOG: Litbrit

She’s progressive. She’s a hottie. And she is a major Frank Zappa fan, posting little-known clips of the late composer-rocker on her blog each Friday. So what’s not to like…

Check out LitBrit at  litbrit.blogspot.com. We love Deborah’s writing too.  We just wish she’d lose the blogspot and get her own domain (godaddy says LitBrit.com is available!).

Oh, and thanks to the great writers here at Sticks of Fire, and all of you wonderful readers - lurkers and commentors alike - Sticks of Fire was voted number one in Best Local Blog in 2008 by readers of Creative Loafing.

We don’t like to brag, but will gladly accept a first place award from Creative Loafing / Weekly Planet for the fourth straight year.

• First place Creative Loafing Best of the Bay 2008 - Best Local Blog, Readers’ Picks.
• First place Creative Loafing Best of the Bay 2007 - Best Local Blog, Readers’ Choice.
• First place Creative Loafing Best of the Bay 2006, Reader’s choice for Best Local Blog.
• First place Weekly Planet’s Best of the Bay 2005, Editor’s choice for Best Local Website.
• Third place Weekly Planet’s Best of the Bay 2005, Reader’s choice for Best Local Blog.

Check out all the winners at Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2008.

According to the print edition of this week’s Creative Loafing, they received over 3,000 ballots for the 2008 Best of the Bay readers’ poll.

We are proud to announce that Sticks of Fire has been named a finalist for Best Local Blog, along with two other great blogs, Seminole Heights and Creative Loafing.

We also want to congratulate the finalists in all other categories, including our friends, Bubba the Love Sponge, the Hogans (by the way, Bubba and Hulk are gonna be on TV together), Gasparilla, Rick Baker, the potential St. Pete Waterfront Stadium, Brian Blair, the Riverwalk, and Ronda Storms.

We’ll find out all the winners at The Loafies, CL’s BOTB award show to be held at the Tampa Theatre next Tuesday at 8pm (red carpet at 7):

The CL staff sort of went ’round the bend last year when one of us said “Hey, let’s do a Best of the Bay awards show!” and the rest of us didn’t duct tape his mouth shut. So we went ahead and did it. Called it The Loafies. And you know what? It worked. The show was fun and funny and lively and glamorous (if we do say so ourselves) and actually came off with nary a hitch. So we’re doing it again. This year’s Loafies show is held at the same venue, Tampa Theatre, with witty and urbane host Brendan McLaughlin, anchor man for ABC Action News. We’ll hand out lots of Best of the Bays, of course, and have guest presenters and all that good stuff. Local Americana act Have Gun, Will Travel plays a classic cover (a surprise), and Basic Rock Outfit, the Damon Fowler Group and Daylight District are also scheduled to perform. And it gets better still. We’ve set up an after-party at an unfinished space a couple of blocks down Franklin Street from Tampa Theatre. It’s free to anyone who attends The Loafies. And as if that weren’t enough, two magic words: drink tickets.

If you want to go, you can get your tickets at Tampa Theater for $10 or online for $12.

Just a real quick note to Sticks of Fire readers who use the Facebook:

Sticks of fire has it’s own Facebook fan page now!

If you have not yet had the chance, you might want to go cast a vote for Creative Loafing’s annual Best of the Bay 2008 issue.  They will CLOSE THE VOTING ON WEDNESDAY.

There are categories for your favorite:

• Neighborhood
• Place to Volunteer
• Art Gallery
• Overrated Thing About Tampa Bay
• TV Newsperson
• Radio Personality
• Restaurant
• Local Zero
• Troublemaker
• Piercing Parlor
• Thrift Store
• Local Politician (and Worst!)
• Local Band
• Cuban Sandwich

And, of course, your favorite Tampa Bay area Local Blog.

Make sure you vote for your Best of the Bay favorites by 5pm on Aug. 20, 2008.  Creative Loafing will publish some time next month.