Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

I thought those t-shirts my friends wore in junior high were funny but they appear to be legally inaccurate. In a stunning act of poor judgement (in my own pathetic opinion) a Tampa police officer arrested this guy for skateboarding on Channelside.

When I saw the story I thought surely the arrest was for something else and he just happened to be skateboarding when caught.  Nope.  The charge reads “Unlawful Rollerskating.”

Sunday morning, Kowzun said the judge and lawyers laughed when his charge was announced.

Apparently this isn’t the first time skaters were arrested in Tampa.

I arrested 2 skateboarders a couple years ago who 1) damaged a marble staircase to the tune of $400 and 2) refused to leave when asked. Also seized their boards AND their video camera as evidence. It’s not funny when your business is out the repair money or sued when mom and dad look at the tape of Jr. breaking his arm and say “Why didn’t somebody stop my son from breaking the law and his arm??”

OK.  Although it doesn’t appear this guy damaged anything and he apparently followed instructions to leave the area, albeit on his board. Also, and I know I am going to regret saying this, isn’t 25 a bit old to still be a skater?

(x-posted on the not-defunct, just-dormant Boltsmag)

Friday night opens play of the first annual Lightning College Hockey Classic at the St. Petersburg Times forum in downtown Tampa. All of this is a prelude to Tampa hosting the Frozen Four in 2012.

The ironic thing about the event (which is taking place on Friday and Saturday) is that Notre Dame is officially listed as the host college of the tournament. The University of Alabama-Huntsville is the closest hockey program to Tampa. That’s not saying there aren’t hockey programs at the universities of Florida, Florida State, South Florida, Miami and other places in the state — that is saying they aren’t NCAA sanctioned hockey programs.

I’m in shock. Sunrise Cinemas is closing their location in Old Hyde Park Village on August 31. Here’s the letter that was sent via email this morning:

August 18, 2006

Dear Tampa Bay Area movie lovers, Sunrise Cinemas at Old Hyde Park Village will present its last movie on August 31, 2006. As our two-year contract is concluded, we look back upon what has been an extremely successful run.

· Ticket revenue over the past four quarters was up 26%, which is the most improved performance of any movie theatre in the Tampa Bay market.
· Ticket revenue year-to-date is up 17%, which is also the most improved performance of any movie theatre in the Tampa Bay market.

We were at or near the top ticket sale performers for “indie” titles ranging from FAHRENHEIT 911, SIDEWAYS, GARDEN STATE, MAD HOT BALLROOM, THREE BURIALS, FRIENDS WITH MONEY, MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS, MATCH POINT, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, JUNEBUG, THE WHITE COUNTESS, DE-LOVELY, MILLIONS, GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK, CAPOTE, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, TRANSAMERICA, A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION and AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH.

Our success was due entirely to the enthusiasm and gracious support of the movie loving public in the Tampa Bay community. Your patronage proved that independent cinema is viable in Tampa. On behalf of the management and staff at Sunrise Cinemas, our sincere thank you.

Sincerely yours,
Mitchel Dreier
President
Sunrise Cinemas

Back in April, I asked David Wasserman of Wasserman Vornado (the new owners of Old Hyde Park Village) to reconsider putting condos up in that location.  His rude response:  No such luck.

No word from Sunrise yet if they will look for a different location in Tampa. The theater employees got the news at 11 a.m. this morning, but I haven’t spoken to any of them yet to see how they’re taking it.

It looks like Channelside Cinemas is the new “go to” place for local film festivals. According to an email I received, Channelside is the new home of the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (along with the Tampa Theatre) in October, the Jewish Film Festival in March, and something called the Gasparilla Film Festival (which I’ve never heard of before) in February. Thank goodness for Channelside and the Tampa Theatre; if Tampa didn’t have these two places I’d have to move.

Condos — 1; local film lovers — zero. Sigh.

(cross-posted at Tampa Film Fan)

A couple of Channelside businesses are having a little spat.  It seems that the dinner and a drink set doesn’t want the likes of a drinks-only neighbor. Let’s forget the fact that part of that dinner set (Howl at the Moon) doesn’t serve food. Are Banana Joes and Slingshots really attracting the “wrong kind of crowd” for Stumps and Tinatapas? Or are the Velvet Room and Margarita Mama’s just taking business away from Splittsville and Howl at the Moon?

Where does the movie theater stand on this issue? How about White House Gear?  And the Hooter girls are awful quiet too. Also, why aren’t these guys paying me for linking to their businesses?

Anyway, the question for these business owners should be: What will help draw more people that will spend money? When considering all of the above, I think TBT’s Susan Thurston nails it: Shut up, fix the parking and advertise.

Have a nice weekend.