Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

A story in Thursday’s Tampa Tribune tells you all about the Tampa Bay Partnership’s plan to allow you to decide future land use patterns in Tampa Bay. You might remember Joel talked about this exercise using 400,000 lego blocks last May.

Coordinated by the Tampa Bay Partnership, the exercise is called Reality Check Tampa Bay. From their website, you can read more about the effort, sign up as a volunteer, or nominate someone (including yourself) to participate.

Anyone wanna play with legos?

The panhandler’s sign reads “Why Lie? Need Beer.” Apparently it works pretty well:

He first panhandled with the beer sign at this very corner 18 months ago…

His best haul: $120 in four hours. He’s gotten 12-packs, wine, champagne and - he swears - Xanax.

Wow. For $30/hour, I can see why you would stick with the “job” for over 18 months.

Overheard, a response to a woman’s comment about being from Pasco County:

But I ain’t from no Wesley Chapel - I’m from New Port Richey!

The comment is not in the context of the original conversation, but I assure you it makes as much sense now.

I do spend most Sunday afternoons in Wesley Chapel, but I rarely leave my in-laws’ home; I don’t think I’ve been to New Port Richey in five years. For those reasons I don’t feel qualified to decipher exactly what was meant by the comment.

Sticks of Fire is a firm believer in the One Bay, One Love concept, an idea that should extend beyond the traditional, traditionally silly Tampa/St. Pete rivalry.

That being said, can anyone shed any light on this apparent tension? Is this a sign of a brewing Battle for Pasco, or shall I chalk it up to Things People Say?