Dishing with Mark & Carrie
10-30-08
VOTE Early
This past Monday morning we voted early at the West Tampa Library. The wait was over 2 hours long! We didn't mind at all. It gave us a very positive patriotic feeling! Plus we have already had to wait four years and don't want to wait another four~! The volunteers at the library told us that the lines have been that long everyday since they opened! We just can't help but wonder if the lines are this long for early voting. How are they going to be on election day? We encourage everybody to VOTE EARLY!!!
Guavaween 2008
This year we were asked to be guest on The Honey Pots float! We brought along our video camera and filmed the excitement from the float! This years crowds were smaller than the last few years. One TV station reported 25-30,000 people. Humm... if this is true ... do you realize that St. Pete PRIDE is 3+ times larger than Guavaween!!!
Below is our clip of Guavaween from the Honey Pot Float.
Fall Road Trip to St. Petersburg - Florida
A beautiful Monday afternoon made for the perfect across the bridge road tip! We called some friends packed the car and were off. 1st stop was to drop our
Miss Amber Jillie off at
Auntie Lee's Doggie Daycare. So ready to travel;
Mark, Carrie, Judy & Jack drove downtown St. Pete to
Sporter's Bar for a famous picture of ice cold beer and great conversation with bartender
Mike & the regulars. The Wednesday night pool tournaments are packing the locals in. We hear the
St. Pete Bears Club, home at Sporter's
, is in reorganization. Sadly several local upscale area restaurants in the downtown area have closed. The big rumor is the
The Heritage (former Holiday Inn downtown) is going to be a GLBT hotel called the
Indigo Hotel. That would be GREAT News! As we made our way up Central Ave. Carrie hit the brakes and yelled LOOK! There it was
Mr. Mike's World's Largest Grill www.worldslargestgrill.com. This 1994
Guinness Book of World Records grill can cook 14 hogs at one time! Hum & it was parked close to
Tropicana Field, coincidence we think not! A quick stop at,
GaYBOR District Coalition member,
Detours for a frozen margarita. A whole new venue is brewing we were told by the bartender. Next we had to try St. Pete's newest GLBT bar ..."
The Lucky Star", located on Central Ave. What this club lacked in size they truly made up for with fun! Behind the bar was
Mark S., the former bar mgr at
Suncoast Resort. Maybe this was why it was like a huge family reunion! Packed with familiar friendly faces,
Travis, Dr. Clyde, Peter & Tom and towelboy Jason were all at the bar. As we quickly caught up on all the goings on & gossip, we were sad to hear that tall
Roger, the security guard at Suncoast had passed away. Then we found out that
Thom Thompson with
A.S.A.P. has passed also. On a much lighter note there was talk from Kyle to host a reunion T-dance at the old Suncoast Site. We will keep you posted on this. Everybody told us that we must stop at
Pepper's where
David is now bartending. Walking into Peppers was like being at the Tiki Bar again. David is looking great after losing weight & beefing up too. Fun & Crazy people like Tim & Danny, our banker
Kenny & Bill were at the bar. Just back from a trip thru Chattanooga, Tn. The guys stopped at
The Big Chill bar, a GLBT friendly place. When asked how GLBT friendly they are they were informed
"NO PDA Here!" Of course they had to ask...
"What's NO PDA? No Public Display of Affection! " Hum... I guess we will not be stopping there! Back into the car we headed up 34th Street when our car automatically turned on 3rd Ave north to
Georgie's Alibi. One of the newest members of the GaYBOR District Coalition! A full house at the bar talking with old friends on a cool nite. The nite was great and the tables outside were all full. Wow and the fun kept on coming. After we left and picked up
Miss Amber we called it a night and another very hospitable day trip in St. Pete.
OMG... How Cool is This!
Check out this Great new site All My Faves. This site contains a ton of fun info!
The Next 60 days in GaYBOR
Get ready for some fun surprises coming to GaYBOR District within the next 60 days!!! The former Lounge 714 & The Forge is being re-modeled and will be opening soon as a new club! Club Pure formally Rehab & Addiction is being revamped too and will also be reopening soon! Rumor has it that a new Gay owned French Bistro will be opening soon and it will have a Moulin Rouge Style Dance Show! Another eatery is the Mediterranean style bistro and is doing a total makeover on the corner of 7th Ave & 15th Street.
A gay artist friend, David, has just purchased a gallery in Ybor City and is remodeling at the present to be open by January. A very famous GLBT coffee shop owner was spotted checking out a new space in GaYBOR! Incredibly huge news.... a New Key West Style Guest Hotel has started renovations next to MC Film!!! Things are looking Great for GaYBOR in 2009! More is on the horizon.....
Re-Development Conference Showcases Tampa Bay
Tampa hosted the annual 3 day Florida Re-Development Conference for private & government re-development. With the changing conditions and tax bases communities have to be more creative in utilizing redevelopment in county & cities. The conference included statewide elected city and county commissioners and staff with noted seminars and local community day trips that showcased each of the four Tampa Bay cities; Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Sarasota. A proud footnote, a number of speakers at the forums talked about the newly formed GaYBOR District in Historic Ybor City as a model for other cities to invest in.
I took the St. Petersburg tour highlighting some of St. Petersburg's re-development and historic areas. We went to the newly created African-American Museum in the newly named Midtown's Southside District area. The new multi-purpose community theatre and arts site from a WWII Quonset hut, downtown St. Pete's Art Center , Kenwood's Gay & Lesbian friendly bungalow district, the newly redesigned waterfront and the famous Salvadore Dali Museum. We ended up at the stately and once condemned Vinoy Resort Hotel with its major renovations and condo expansion. Our guest speaker for the 30 persons group was St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker.It happened to be the host hotel for the World Series Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Ray's MLB Kick-off Banquet. So we saw a lot of the World Series ballplayers from the veranda.
The Keynote speech was delivered from 30 year Mayor Joe Riley of Charleston. A most dynamic speaker and had a lot of foresight in developing Charleston, SC. With the worldly changes of today's economy and tax dollars running leaner for local government to operate on, new design redevelopment ideas are crucial for the localities to make the tax dollars stretch.
Our Worst Person(s) of the Week.... H. I. Development Corp
The windows are broken out. The 15th generation of pigeons living inside/outside. Rain & wind coming in thru the open windows. No this is not in a northern ghetto or 3rd world country! It's the building at 1514 E 7th Ave in Ybor City.The 7th Ave.recently named "One of America's 10 Best Streets." The owners of this building also own the building located at 2201 # 7th Ave in Ybor City. That's right the one that burned down and now is a ugly shell with construction plastic on its sidewalks borders for the last 4 years! To make this even more unbelievable, the owners are H. I. Development Corp., a Tampa based hotel management and development company. H. I. Development owns and runs 13 hotels throughout Florida, Tenn., & Puerto Rico, including the ASHLEY PLAZA HOTEL next to the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Please think about their lack of respect for our historical Ybor City the next time you recommend a hotel!
FYI
Some More Great Press for Gypsy Productions, Inc. Now located at The Ritz in GaYBOR!
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All Hallows Ball 2008
Photos by Rex & Keith
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Members of the GaYBOR District Coalition
in Historic Ybor City
Welcome New Members
GrownGurl Events
E.G. Tripp Sciulli III, P.E.
Environmental Law & Engineering
Georgie's Alibi
L'Olivier, LLC
A French Bistro, Lounge & Cabaret
Dade City Business Center
James Guedry
125 Members PROUDLY Working Together
High End Drag Attire For SALE
Robert Reding of St. Pete just called me. Several years ago we sold 3 racks of his gowns at our store in St. Pete. Now we just do not have room in our new store to display & sell again. He says he has a new truck load and is looking to sell them all. His phone number is 727-526-8001
" If You Want The Rainbows, You Gotta Put Up With The Rain. "
World Series of Community Support!
Tampa Bay and Philadelphia LGBT Centers challenge each other!
PHILADELPHIA CONTACT: `Dolph Ward Goldenburg 215-913-5171, dolphg@waygay.org
TAMPA BAY CONTACT: Lorraine Langlois
PHILADELPHIA, October 21, 2008 – With the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays going head to head in the World Series, the William Way LGBT Community Center challenged Metro Charities (which operates the Tampa Bay LGBT METRO Community Centers) to the World Series of Community Support.
The challenge is simple: Whichever LGBT organization can raise the most money via the internet will be declared the winner of the "World Series of Community Support". Each organization has until 7 days after the last game to raise funds and can use the internet and individual solicitations. Gifts not received online must be marked "World Series of Community Support" to count toward the competition.
"Our community includes many fans of Major League Baseball, and this is just one more way they can support their home team. What's more, Phillies fans won't let us down - - - I'm confident we'll win the World Series of Community Support" notes William Way LGBT Community Center Executive Director `Dolph Ward Goldenburg.
"With all the spring training camps in Florida, we anticipate support from throughout the country," says Metropolitan Charities Executive Director Lorraine Langlois, "We look forward to winning both the World Series of Major League Baseball and the World Series of Community Support."
Gifts can be made to either charity at the Metropolitan Charities website (www.metrocharities.org) or the William Way LGBT Community Center website (www.waygay.org), and all gifts made during the competition will be counted. The forfeits for this are high:
Ø If Metro Center Tampa wins, the Philadelphia Executive Director will send a congratulatory note with a DiBruno Brothers cheese basket to the Center in Tampa.
Ø If William Way LGBT Community Center in Philadelphia wins, the Tampa executive will send a congratulatory note with a box of fresh Florida oranges to the Center in Philadelphia.
The MC Film Calendar of Events
Coming Soon!!!
Nov 1, M.A.D. Theatre of Tampa will host its annual fund raising gala
Nov 1, Costume party & Womyn's Dance SPHF WWW.SPHF.ORG
Nov 1, Stageworks Wine Tasting party
Nov 1, Ybor Art Walk
Nov 4, Election Night Party at Streetcar Charlie's
Nov 7-9, Mr. Gulf Coast Florida Leather 2009 Contest Weekend
Nov 9, Tampa Bears Holiday Auction
Nov 15th, The Don Juceam 17pc Orchestra at The Cigar Festival in Centennial Park in Ybor City at 1130am-Noon for an open air concert and then stick around for the Cigar Dave Radio Show from Noon to 2pm as we become the 5 Star Cigar Dave Orchestra FREE TO THE PUBLIC
Nov 22, Flamingo Auto Group Car Show at Sawmill Campgrounds
Dec in Ybor City... Santa Fest Parade, Outback Bowl Parade www.ybor.org
T-Dance Every Sunday at Spurs & Streetcar Charlie's & G.Bar
in The GaYBOR District
Every Saturday - Ybor City Saturday Market at Centennial Park
Every 1st Saturday of the month "Ybor Art Association Art Walk" 12-5 www.YaaOnline.com
2nd Friday of Every Month - GaYBOR District Coalition meeting
1st Saturday of Every Month - "Pets on the Patio" at Gaspar's Grotto
See Video of past events on YouTube.com "Key Word GaYBOR"
Do you have an event Coming Soon?
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Join Us For an AWESOME Evening for a Showstopping Cause!
Grab a Date or Come Solo to M.A.D. Theatre of Tampa's Fundraiser
"A Totally Electric Prom"
A Fun-filled 80's-style Gala of Dining, Dancing and Big Hair!
With Your Hosts Taffy and Toffee
Featuring
80's cover band Rubix Cubed
D.J. Axel
Performances by M.A.D. Theatre "Alumni"
Melissa Brown, Chad Brandon Smith, Ricky Cona, Bonnie Smith, Billy Martinez, Erin Hooten and Meghan Dorman
Saturday, November 1, 2008
6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
The Quorum Hotel Tampa
700 N. Westshore Boulvevard, Tampa, FL
6:30 p.m. Cash Bar and Silent Auction * 7 p.m. Dinner and Dancing
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Entertainment throughout the evening!
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Dinner and Dessert Buffet (featuring Prime Rib, Ginger Lime Crusted Tuna and Mashed Potato Bar)
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Cash Bar
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Silent Auction featuring sports memorabilia from the Rays and the Bucs.
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Prizes Awarded for Best Costumes, plus crowning of 2008 Prom King & Queen (could be You!)
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Free Hotel Garage Parking (Access from W. Cypress Street)
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80's attire or prom wear suggested but not required.
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Note from Principal Locascio: Flasks, spiking of punch, smoking in the bathrooms, brawls and indecent language or exposure will NOT be tolerated.
"Ha! Yeah...What-EVAH!"
Please help keep community theatre alive and well in Tampa Bay!
All proceeds from the gala will directly benefit the
shows and outreach programs of
M.A.D. Theatre of Tampa, a not-for-profit organization.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
$45.00 a person
$40.00 for multiple tickets (save $5.00 a ticket)
$55.00 at the door
To purchase tickets, call (813) 386-6173
Thank you for your support!
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"Wine Tasting Event"
Please bring your friends and tickets can be paid for at the door. We have received tons of support from local businesses. We have lots of gifts to raffle and auction, to raise money for the buildout fund. Look forward to seeing you there! Please RSVP to stageworks@earthlink.net
Saturday, November 1, 2008
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Hosted by Friends of Stageworks
Location:
1105 East Twiggs Street
Tampa, Fl. 33602
Minimum Donation $25.00 per Person
All Proceeds benefit the Stageworks
Capital Building Fund
Silent Auction/Raffles
Hors d'oeuvres and Entertainment
Casual Attire
RSVP by October 30, 2008
Stageworks@earthlink.net
*A 501(C)(3) Non-Profit Foundation
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From Wayne in St. Pete
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Ever have one of those days, when something seems a bit 'off' but you just can't put your finger on it . . .
Or it seemed like all the people around you just wanted to butt heads . . .
Sometimes you just need to take a fresh new look and get a different perspective on things.
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Remember to try your best to show kindness to others . . .
(sometimes looking at things from their perspective might help . . .)
So, when life gets you down . . .
Remember to just keep going and keep your head above water . . .
And you'll get by with a little help from your friends!
To all of my friends -- have a nice day!
From Lady Bunny in New York City
FALL SHENANIGANS
FAST FORWARD TO 2:30 AND PREPARE TO HOLLER!
The New GaYBOR
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Area Map
Only Members of the GaYBOR District Coalition
are on the new Map.
Thank You for supporting your Friends & Family! |
PROUD MEMBER OF
