Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

A couple of local bloggers are heading over to the Rock ‘n’ Sports cafe in Centro Ybor around 4pm, if anyone wants to chit chat about, well, anything at all…

We accidentally came across The Home Page for the Class of 1958 Henry B. Plant High School, “Dedicated to bringing the alumni of the Class of 1958 at H. B. Plant High School together no matter where they are in the World!”

Seems like the reunion is scheduled for April 18-20 at the Westshore Hotel.

The front page is brucemorehead.com, and it looks like the site is run by Bruce Morehead, an Airport Systems Integration Consultant who also tracks the Muirhead Clan Society. It also looks like Morehead is a bit of a gearhead, and raced in the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring. He now drives a Ferarri.

brucemorehead.com is our random local website of the week.

Here’s what I accomplished during my public office hours yesterday:

1. I cemented my plans for FX 2008, a convention I’m going to Jan. 25-27.

2. I read the Sunday St. Pete Times.

I think it was a success.

I also discovered that talking to publicists to grant access to some pretty big Sci-fi TV and movie stars wasn’t enough. The number one request (from the one person I talked to at Panera) for a star interview was Fat Momma from Who Wants to be a Superhero.

If anyone else has suggestions for attempted interviews with film folks or comic book creators, authors, or artists, leave a comment.

Thanks to an idea some modern journalists are kicking around, I’m going to start keeping office hours at local eateries. So, on Sunday, Tampans can find me at the Panera Bread on the corner of Fowler and Bruce B. Downs.

I will be at the location from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.; anyone with a story they’d like to tell is welcome to join me in breaking bread (literally). Eventually I’ll have cards printed up to bring with me, but in this initial meetup / office hours experiment, I’m only going to have my notebook with me.

In the next few weeks, I plan to have more meetups / office hours at different locations and times. If anyone has a story they’d like to tell but can’t make it on Sunday, please let me know through my email, wendylbolm (at) gmail.com.

Everyone is welcome. If any other bloggers / journalists in the area would like to join me, please come and enjoy. I will be wearing a very bright, yellow, patterned satin shirt.

If you were to throw a dart at the wall-sized map of Florida hanging in my home you’d probably hit someplace I have hiked, kayaked, camped, bicycled, or backpacked. Although I’ve traveled the world, and experienced marvelous natural wonders all over the planet, my favorite places are in Florida—especially here in the Tampa Bay area.

Besides the magical cypress swamps and pine scrubs that are home to wildlife known only in Florida, I love our charming rural communities and historic urban neighborhoods, each rich in unique character, culture and heritage.

My mother’s family tree shares Ybor City’s Latin roots. A 5th generation Tampa native, I grew up on Tampa Bay near Westshore. I now live on Tampa Bay’s South Shore, in Ruskin, at the mouth of the Little Manatee River.

Because of my deep love for the Tampa Bay area, it breaks my heart to see all that is special around my home being threatened by over-development. Many people are concerned about this, but most feel helpless to save our county from those who would ruin it. Having worked as a community advocate for years, I’ve gotten a lot of help from the activists who got involved before me. I try to pay that forward and help others to learn how they can get involved, so that together we can protect our natural resources, our communities, and our quality of life from those politicians who seem hellbent on turning this whole county into one bland blob of cookie-cutter subdivisions and strip plazas, snarled with honking traffic jams.

In 2005 Mariella Smith received the Citizen Planning Advocate Award from the Sun Coast Section of the American Planning Association for her work in several planning efforts in which diverse groups of “stakeholders” (developers and residents) came to consensus on plans that have been adopted into the Hillsborough County Comprehensive Plan. She has also earned awards for environmental activism from both the Florida Chapter and the Tampa Bay Group of the Sierra Club. She serves on various civic and environmental boards & committees, has a Master’s degree in Philosophy, and has owned and operated InSight Graphic Design since 1988.

Joe recently wrote about the “Best part about life in Tampa. He says “Well DUH! The weather! And this time of year is awfully hard to beat.”

You got that right, Joe. We thought Joe might have share more of his insight with Sticks readers, so I invite you to meet the blogger:

Joe Litton
2 blogs:
LittleJoe - http://littlejoe.typepad.com
JoeLitton.net - http://www.joelitton.net

How did you come to live in Tampa Bay? I was laid off from Enron on 9/15/2001… yup, right after 9/11. I’d been working at Enron Broadband in Portland Oregon. My wife and I had lived in Vancouver Washington since getting married in 1980. Up there, one gets 9 months of rain every year …all day, every day, light gray rain. We decided to find somewhere with a stronger economy and with sunshine. We were down here exploring the area and going through an Open House when my cell rang with a job back up in Portland. But the hook was already sunk. So I worked in Portland until our son (who is now about to graduate from The University of Tampa) was getting done with high school. Then I found a job here and we moved down at the start of 2004.

My wife used to be on antidepressants and would spend 30 minutes each morning sitting a few inches from a bright light to deal with the rain. Down here she needs neither of those things. We’ve got good jobs, have made friends, getting involved in the community. Our life is here now. And we felt a calling to help infiltrate Florida with more liberals!

What’s the best & worst thing about Tampa Bay? Best: Several things: Beaches, sunshine, diversity of population, La Ideal Cuban sandwich shop on Tampa Bay Blvd, The Wine Exchange, Tampa Theatre. Worst: Ronda Storms and Adam Putnam were each elected to represent me… but they don’t.

What’s the best & worst thing in your neighborhood? East of town in Seffner. Wanted to be outside of the evacuation zones. And I work in Tampa and my wife used to work in Lakeland, so it was central. Best: We swore we’d never live in a gated community. Guess where we live? I’m so embarrassed. But the neighbors are great. Two of our best friends are the couple across the street. Lots of oak trees, close to I-4 and I-75, great neighbors. Worst: HOAs are a mixed blessing. Whenever I submit another solar proposal to the HOA (we’ve got a solar attic fan and solar pool heat, will have solar water heater next Friday, and are putting in 3 Solatube skylights …and prepping for a clothesline and another solar attic fan) …I include a reference or copy of Florida’s Solar Access Law to remind them that even if one or two folks wish that every house looked exactly the same and had NO visible solar devices, we have a legal and moral right to make better energy choices.

Tell me about your blogs. The JoeLitton.net site is tech-oriented …mainly around IBM/Lotus technologies, since that’s how I make my living. I started the tech blog first …to explore blogging as a personal and business tool. It has led to me speaking at large industry conferences, doing book reviews, and some good side contract work. And I have made MANY friends from around the world (some of whom I get to see every year) that I’ve met through the tech blog. So that is successful.

The LittleJoe site is about life in Tampa, house stuff, drink recipes, and periodic liberal political rants. Did I mention that we’re liberals? It’s a place to spill my random non-tech brain droppings. The personal blog is a success because it allows me a forum to air my political thoughts, keep family and friends in other parts of the country and the world in touch with our lives, and store my drink recipes. I don’t really look at stats for either blog.

Important? Keeping the drink recipes updated. Storm season is coming and we have to be prepared!

Difficulty? Time. I have plenty of ideas and write down different things about which I want to blog. But between work and working around the house and yard, and periodic meetings outside of work …with just a few more days in each hour, it would be easy.

What’s the coolest thing you have ever done? Standing on top of Mt. St. Helens back before it blew up, skydiving, learning to meditate, getting married. But I do think the single biggest life-changing event was becoming a parent 22 years ago. I don’t know that anyone can know what it is like to truly love unconditionally until one has a child.

And of course, discovering The Flying Spaghetti Monster. Yes, I am a Pastafarian. May He touch you with His Noodly Appendage.

How about a round of applause for Joe Litton!

While reading over the BLAB the other day, I noticed a post about historic aerial photography over on My Florida History. The writer there, Lucy told us about the State University System of Florida Aerial Photography site. They have google maps before they were cool. Some from as far back as the 1930’s. After getting lost on that site for a while, I thought maybe we could learn a little more about Lucy and My Florida History. So let’s meet the blogger, huh?

Lucy D. Jones
My Florida History
myfloridahistory.blogspot.com

How did you come to live in Tampa Bay? I grew up in Texas, and it was quite a shock when I left Dallas for grad school at the University of Florida. But I married a Florida archaeologist, and began to appreciate the place. Then we lived in Alabama for a few years. I quit teaching and started working in cultural resource management before we loaded up the truck and moved to Tampa. Altogether, I’ve lived in Florida for 14 years, the past nine in Tampa. We have family and friends in the Tampa Bay area. Sometimes we talk about moving, but the cat gets carsick.

What’s the best & worst thing about Tampa Bay? I enjoy Tampa Bay’s culturally diversity and the natural environment. There are some things that could be improved, but nothing so terrible that it deserves to be labeled the worst.

In which neighborhood do you live? We moved to Westchase a couple of years ago because there are neighborhood schools, lots of families with kids, and a convenient location. The best thing — people here are very community oriented. On the other hand, all the mailboxes on our street look the same. Hopefully, time will take care of that.

What is your blog about? It’s about Florida history, architecture, culture, or more generally, about what Florida is and has been. Ideas come from projects I’m working on, something I did over the weekend, or the news. I try to show connections between the past and the present. Many people here (like me) are not from Florida originally. Once you get know something about where you live, you begin to understand why it is the way it is, and figure out how you fit into the picture.

It [started as] an experiment and somewhat of a whim. In a broad sense, my work as a historical consultant depends on people caring about history. Before you care about something, you have to know it exists. I hope blogging, whether by me or by you or everyone else, will increase awareness of this state’s rich and varied heritage. That’s the experimental, public history reason I started My Florida History. Other reasons have to do with a personal need to write, tell stories, and share information.

I don’t think My Florida History is a finished product, so I can’t really say it is or is not a success. The blog has functioned well as a writer’s journal. I’ve learned about new modes of communication, and explored topics and viewpoints I otherwise might not have considered. Those are personal achievements, however. I don’t know yet if blogging will heighten public interest in history and heritage, but early returns are promising. The most difficult part is finding the time every day (ok, most days) to post something.

What’s the coolest thing you have ever done? I watched a comet from the top of an Indian mound. I saw the tiniest little seahorses in the Gulf off the Cedar Keys. Then there was Yellowstone, where the Earth bubbles up under your feet. And I’ve been to the Kentucky Derby – I’d do that again. I would like to see the Aurora Borealis someday.

Lucy has a historical research consulting company based in Tampa. Services include house histories, National Register nominations, and assistance with historic preservation grants. She can also help you with planning and development projects involving historic structures. Florida History, LLC (www.floridahistoryllc.com) tells the stories of Florida’s people and places.

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.