Kathy Steele

Pasco shops for headhunters

May 18, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker’s departure is more than a year away, but commissioners are taking the first step to hire her replacement.

Baker announced earlier this year that she would not seek to renew her contract, which expires in July 2017.

On May 10, commissioners received five proposals from headhunter firms seeking to find the next county administrator.

Two companies are headquartered in Florida; the others are in Minnesota, Texas and Illinois.

The search for a hiring consultant didn’t bear much fruit, said Pasco County Commissioner Ted Schrader.

“I was a little disappointed we didn’t get more than five,” Schrader said. “It is what it is.”

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore initially suggested that commissioners rank their preferences, and then invite the top three candidates to make presentations.

Instead, invitations will be sent to representatives of all five firms to attend the June 9 commission meeting at 1:30 p.m.

Each applicant will have 30 minutes for a presentation, plus time to answer questions from commissioners.

Schrader dismissed a suggestion that commissioners use Skype to hear from consultants with long distances to travel.

“If they want the job, I want them to stand right in front of me,” he said.

The firms that applied to recruit a new county administrator are: Colin Baenziger & Associates, in Palm Beach County; GovHR USA, in Northbrook, Illinois; Strategic Government Resources, in Keller, Texas; Waters & Company, in St. Paul, Minnesota; and S. Renee Narloch & Associates, in Tallahassee.

Published May 18, 2016

Business Digest 05/18/2016

May 18, 2016 By Kathy Steele

New gas service business
Thomas and Stephanie Chandler are celebrating their new LP (liquefied petroleum) gas service business – Monkey Wrench Home Services. The couple serves commercial and residential customers in the greater Zephyrhills area. The company also specializes in servicing LP gas appliances including ranges, cooktops, fire pits, pool and spa heaters, and compressed air lines.

Thomas Chandler has more than 10 years of experience in the LP gas business. For information, contact Monkey Wrench Home Services at (813) 714-7427, or email .

Honorary mayor
The Carrollwood Area Business Association (CABA) awarded the honorary title of “Mayor of Carrollwood” to former four-time Tampa Mayor Dick Greco. He received the title at the organization’s 30th Anniversary Gala at the Carrollwood Country Club in Tampa on May 13.

To kick off the meeting, Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan presented the CABA board of directors with a commendation for their work on behalf of the Carrollwood community and local businesses.

About 20 VIPs who could not attend received “video shout outs” for their service including Governor Rick Scott, former Tampa Mayor Bob Martinez and Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee.

CABA began 30 years ago with a small group of concerned business owners who worried that the widening of North Dale Mabry Highway would harm area businesses during construction. Now, more than 500 business professionals are CABA members.

Alcohol license
On May 10, Pasco County commissioners approved an application for sales of beer, wine and liquor at the proposed Longhorn Steakhouse at Tampa Premium Outlets. The approximately 5,700-square-foot restaurant will be built as a standalone structure outside the outlet mall on the south side of State Road 56, and east of Creek Grass Way.

The steakhouse is one of several restaurants under construction at the mall, including Cheddar’s Casual Café, BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, and Chick-Fil-A. Culver’s restaurant opened outside the mall in February.

Medical ribbon cutting
Fast Track Urgent Care will have a ribbon cutting on May 18 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at 5504 Gateway Blvd., in Wesley Chapel. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and refreshments, tour the new facility, and take home goodies.

For information, call Chelsea Sweet at (813) 925-1903, or email .

Business forum
A Lunch N’ Learn Business Forum will take place May 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce boardroom, at 6013 Wesley Chapel Blvd., Suite 105.

The guest speaker will be Thomas Giella, owner of Gear Spinners. Giella will discuss how to keep company websites and computer networks secure.

Cost is $15 including lunch. RSVP required as maximum of 15 seats available.

For information, visit WesleyChapelChamber.com, or call (813) 994-8534.

Ribbon cutting
CORE Spinal & Rehabilitation Center will have a ribbon cutting and open house on May 19 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at 5900 Argerian Drive, Suite 101, in Wesley Chapel.

Come out and celebrate this free event.

For information, visit WesleyChapelChamber.com, call (813) 994-8534, or email .

Open house
First in Property Management will have a ribbon cutting and open house on May 24 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at 6013 Wesley Grove Blvd., Suite 102, in Wesley Chapel.

This is a free event.

For information, visit WesleyChapelChamber.com, call (813) 994-8534, or email .

He offers a ‘hypnotic’ form of entertainment

May 11, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Hypnotist Michael C. Anthony shares the stage with 30 or so people who don’t mind a bit of suggestive fun.

They might fall asleep. Or forget their names. Or break into dance. Or, they might even be convinced that a belt is a wriggling snake.

They might even find true love, of a most unusual kind.

Hypnotist Michael C. Anthony will perform at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts. (Courtesy of Michael C. Anthony) — Hypnotist Michael C. Anthony will perform at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts.
(Courtesy of Michael C. Anthony)

“I made a guy fall in love with a broom,” said Anthony, who will bring his Hypnotized Live! Show to Ferguson Hall at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts on May 20 and May 21.

He invites audience members to leave their seats and become part of his show. But, they have a choice.

They can “SEE the show or BE the show.”

“I don’t pressure anybody to come on the stage,” Anthony said.

There is never a problem of getting people to join in the act.

Anthony, who lives in Land O’ Lakes, starts his performances with a few minutes of stand up comedy so the audience knows “this is going to be fun. At the end of the show, you’ll be glad you did this.”

The full-time hypnotist has been performing for about 20 years displaying his skills in theaters, at corporate events and at colleges. He’s been to every state except Alaska and to several foreign countries, as well.

More than a year ago, Anthony joined The Illusionists as an entertainer with the group’s theatrical touring company. He works with six magicians when he does those shows.

“That’s a lot of fun,” he said. “We do huge theaters.”

Anthony has entertainment roots.

His great uncle, Joe LaMonico, performed as a hypnotist on cruise ships and at resorts in the Catskills Mountains in upstate New York. LaMonico lived in Buffalo most of his life, but Anthony said his uncle lived in Hudson for many years.

Though born in New York, Anthony moved with his mother to Canada when he was about 2. He’s been living in Land O’ Lakes for about 15 years.

“Most of my work is in the United States,” Anthony said. “I can live anywhere but thought ‘Let’s go somewhere warm.”’

As a youngster, Anthony performed magic tricks for friends. But magic soon morphed into a passion for hypnotism.

“I got fascinated with it all on my own,” Anthony said, though he did get encouragement from his uncle.

He is a board-certified hypnotherapist but Anthony said helping people quit smoking wasn’t nearly the fun of being a stage artist.

He began working as a hypnotist full time during his early 20s. Besides staging shows at colleges, universities and corporate events, he’s also played nightclubs and comedy shows.

More often, now he performs in theaters and at colleges around the country including New York University and Cornell University.

Anthony knows some people come to the theater as skeptics about hypnotism. But he said, “They leave as believers because I entertain the pants off them.”

Hypnotism has taught Anthony a few things about body language after years of observing his audience members who, in a hypnotic trance, can fall asleep and go limp with the snap of his finger.

Nearly two years ago he wrote “Body Language Secrets: How to Read minds by Reading bodies.”

He recently appeared on WFLA television station’s “Daytime” show to discuss body language of presidential candidates including Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

Both have been guilty of jabbing their index finger into the air to emphasize a point, Anthony said.

“People don’t want that,” he said. “They feel they are being scolded.”

But Trump and Clinton appear to have followed advice from media experts. Now, Anthony said they do what he described as “modified” finger pointing, with the hand held up while the index finger touches the thumb.

At the Straz Center, Anthony will concentrate his thoughts, not on body language and politics, but on entertaining the crowd.

“I’m the director of a play with a cast of 30, who have never seen the script,” he said.

The audience can expect the unexpected, and at times, Anthony is just as surprised.

He watched one night as a young woman, in a trance, suddenly walked around a row of chairs heading toward the man amorously hugging the broom he loved so much.

“She got to the broom and just slapped it across the face,” Anthony said.

Turned out, she was the man’s girlfriend.

WHAT: Hypnotized Live!
WHERE: Ferguson Hall at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, 1010 N. W.C. MacInnes Place, in downtown Tampa
WHEN: May 20 and May 21 at 7:30 p.m.
COST: Tickets are $39.99 and $49.99
INFORMATION: Contact the ticket office at (813) 229-7827 or 1-800-955-1045

Published May 11, 2016

BizGrow2.0 touts business success

May 11, 2016 By Kathy Steele

The Pasco Economic Development Council will host its fourth annual BizGrow2.0 conference on May 12 at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch.

The annual event brings together successful business owners with entrepreneurs looking for inspiration and practical advice.

“The idea is to give them some inspiring stories from CEOs (chief executive officers) who have gone from startups to professional businesses, especially local business owners,” said Jennifer Lachtara, marketing communications coordinator for the economic development council.

Previous conferences have drawn crowds exceeding 90 people.

Keynote speakers will be Jorge Brea, president and chief executive officer of Symphonic Distribution; and Mike Bishop, founder of Big Storm Brewing.

Industry experts will offer advice and knowledge on a range of topics including new laws affecting the marketplace and the value of cyber security.

Information technology security is becoming increasingly important to businesses, said Lachtara.

Saint Leo University and other colleges now offer students cyber security as a major, she said.

Michael Moorman and Joshua Adams, professors of computer science and technology at Saint Leo, will discuss “Information Security Issues: A Conversation on Protecting Your Business.”

On another topic, attorney Michele Hintson of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick will discuss the fine print of contractual terms in business deals.

Attorney Tom Toner will discuss changes in patent laws.

And, Krista Covey and John Walsh, of the PEDC, will offer tips on finding a path to success.

The conference also offers plenty of time networking.

For information or to register call (813) 926-0827, or visit PascoEDC.com/events.

WHAT: BizGrow2.0
WHEN: May 12 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
WHERE: Pasco-Hernando State College, Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel
COST: $35 per person, registration is required. A light breakfast and lunch are included.
INFORMATION: (813) 926-0827 or PascoEDC.com/events

Published May 11, 2016

Health care facility coming to Lutz

May 11, 2016 By Kathy Steele

A Nashville-based hospital system plans to build a healthcare facility on an out parcel at the entrance to Walmart, the discount chain flanked on either side by North Dale Mabry Highway and Land O’ Lakes Boulevard.

Mark Cooney – known as “The Land Shark” – closed a deal to sell an approximately 1.6-acre plot to New Port Richey Hospital Inc., for about $1.6 million, according to a news release from The Land Sharks LLC.

New Port Richey Hospital is a subsidiary of HCA Holdings Inc., which owns the Medical Center of Trinity among its many healthcare facilities. The seller was Hagman Properties Inc., and Canaan Development Corporation.

The site, at 1575 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Lutz, is across from a vacant lot where owners of Famous Tate plan to build a new appliance store.

Another outparcel is slated for a Stor-Kwik Self Storage. A restaurant and automobile store also are possible new additions that will be announced soon, the news release says.

More out parcels are available, with the potential for five to six new tenants.

While much of the recent development attention in Pasco County has focused on State Road 54, vacant land along U.S. 41 is stirring renewed interest in the Land O’ Lakes and Lutz areas, Cooney said, in an interview.

Five auto and tire companies have inquired about one of the parcels outside Walmart, he said, adding that one prospective buyer called Walmart a “magnet” for neighborhood development.

“We want the right mix,” Cooney said. “We’re really glad with what we have right there.”

The parcels have been marketed for about two years. One issue giving some developers pause was traffic in and out of the site.

But Cooney said a traffic signal with a new left turn at the North Dale Mabry Highway entrance to the shopping center received the green light from Florida Department of Transportation.

The eastern entrance off U.S. 41 already has a traffic signal.

Published May 11, 2016

Carrying a torch for peace

May 11, 2016 By Kathy Steele

‘Peace

Such a wonderful thing

It makes you think of a bell’s ring’

The message of peace in Jonathan Fields’ poem hung in the air.

It was written on paper, dangling on a string — reminiscent of a knitted square in a quilt of poetry made by students at Learning Gate Community School.

Natabara Rolloson of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Peace Run leads Learning Gate students on a race across the campus. (ourtesy of Pierre Lantuas-Monfouga) — Natabara Rolloson of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Peace Run leads Learning Gate students on a race across the campus.
(Courtesy of Pierre Lantuas-Monfouga)

About 600 students at the Lutz-based charter school shared artwork, poetry and songs of peace with the North American torch relay team from the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Peace Run.

About a dozen relay runners dropped by both Learning Gate campuses on May 3.

The kindergarten through sixth grade school is on Hanna Road. The school for seventh- and eighth-graders is on Lutz Lake Fern Road.

The torch runners also made visits to a school and neighborhood center in Pinellas County before heading to Alabama.

The team is on a 10,000-mile North American relay that began in New York City in mid-April and will finish in New York in mid-August. Members represented several countries including the United States, France and Hungary.

The “Peace Run” is the inspiration of Sri Chinmoy, an athlete, philosopher, artist, musician and poet who organized the inaugural run in 1987 to promote international friendship. Since then more than 5 million people have participated and runners have visited more than 140 countries, according to the website for the Peace Run foundation.

Cathy Oerter, left, gave certificates of excellence from the Al Oerter Foundation to Learning Gate students, Simon Noguerol and Kaitlyn Detuccio. Al Oerter was a four-time Olympic gold medalist. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photos) — Cathy Oerter gave certificates of excellence from the Al Oerter Foundation to Learning Gate students Simon Noguerol and Kaitlyn Detuccio. Al Oerter was a four-time Olympic gold medalist.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)

To prepare for the visit, Learning Gate students wrote poems. First-graders created paper chains with messages for peace. Students also practiced songs to perform for their guests.

“Each student wrote a way they show peace to each other,” said first-grader Margo Armstrong who read from a statement from classmates on why they made the peace chain.

“You children are definitely the voices of the world,” said Cathy Oerter. “It’s all about the journey of self-discovery.”

Oerter’s husband, Al Oerter, was a four-time Olympic gold medalist in the discus throw. He was the first athlete to win gold at four consecutive Olympic games, setting records each time.

He died in 2007 but his nonprofit Al Oerter Foundation continues to promote character and integrity through support for sports and the arts.

His wife said the foundation often partners with the Sri Chinmoy relay runs.

She presented certificates of excellence to two Learning Gate fifth-graders Simon Noguerol and Kaitlyn Detuccio.

Several students read their poems.

Learning Gate fifth-grader J. B. Montague, holds the relay torch with Andran DeAngelo, captain of the relay team for the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Peach Run.

Fourth-grader J.B. Montague shared his mathematical prowess, detailing his classmates’ accomplishments in March, the national month for reading awareness.

He added up more than 12 million seconds spent in reading.

The motto for the bi-annual torch relay is ‘Peace begins with me.” The run promotes the universal connections among people around the world, said Arpan DeAngelo, the United States team captain.

Besides the North American relay, a second team began a 16,000-mile run in Portugal in February and that will conclude in Rome in October. A third relay in the South Pacific begins this month.

Relay runner Natabara Rolloson led students on a brief race as a “peace train” across campus, leading the way and carrying the flaming torch. At the end, students were invited to walk up, touch the torch and make a wish for peace.

“It helps children and adults to realize that peace is very natural to anyone of any age,” said DeAngelo.

For information, visit PeaceRun.org.

Published May 11, 2016

Saint Leo offers new creative writing program

May 11, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Poet and soon-to-be-published novelist Steve Kistulentz is a man enjoying a year of firsts.

He is the director of Saint Leo University’s first low-residency graduate program in creative writing.

The launch begins with an eight-day residency from July 16 to July 23. Enrolled students will attend seminars and writing workshops. And, they will hear readings from awarding winning writers, Jesse Goolsby and Tom Piazza.

The program will offer a special track toward a graduate degree for students interested in war literature written for or by veterans.

Poet and novelist Steve Kistulentz is director of the graduate program in creative writing and associate professor of English at Saint Leo University. (Courtesy of Saint Leo University) — Poet and novelist Steve Kistulentz is director of the graduate program in creative writing and associate professor of English at Saint Leo University.
(Courtesy of Saint Leo University)

In 2017, the publishing house of Little & Brown will release the 50-year-old Kistulentz’s first novel, “Panorama,” which tells the story of a New Year’s Eve plane crash and what happens to its survivors.

Before that, he will launch the new writing program at Saint Leo.

“I want to show the non-traditional student that no matter who you are or where you are or what you are doing, there is a path to success and a way to be mentored there through this program,” said Kistulentz, who also is an associate professor of English at the university.

The program confers the Master of Arts degree and is intended for completion in two years. It includes 36 hours of graduate study in fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction.

Those who want to write about war can choose among those genres and take specific courses that tackle wartime or post-war experiences.

Following the initial residency, semester work will be done largely online, with mentoring from writers with national reputations. In total, students will complete four semesters of course work, three summer residencies, and submit a book-length thesis.

Tuition is $595 per credit hour for the 2016-17 academic year. Unsubsidized loans may be available. Accreditation for the program is pending with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

The special track aimed at veterans who may want to write about their war experiences is unique to Saint Leo.

“We wanted to capitalize on Saint Leo’s long-time commitment with the men and women of our armed services,” Kistulentz said.

Saint Leo also continues its tradition of reaching out to nontraditional students.

Kistulentz took his own nontraditional path toward poetry and fiction writing.

He had a nearly 17-year career as a political consultant for national campaigns and wrote speeches, television commercials, promotional materials and magazine articles.

“I have written in just about every genre,” Kistulentz said.

He was director of a similar creative writing program at the University of Tampa.

But at Saint Leo he is building the program from scratch.

“I have always known that this is always what I wanted to do, a Saint Leo-type program,” he said.

Kistulentz is taking the best of what he learned from other creative writing programs including the Creative Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa. He was at the university from 2003 to 2005 and earned a Masters in Fine Arts.

His first book of poetry, “The Luckless Age,” won the 2010 Ben Saltman Award. His second poetry book, “Little Black Daydream,” came out in 2013.

The fact that he is a college professor is to him something of a miracle. He grew up in a family of sharecroppers and coal miners.

It was the GI bill that put his father through college, and set him on a path toward higher education.

“I was the first generation in my family expected to go to college, and then continue on with my education,” he said.

But he didn’t follow a traditional path toward a writing career.

That’s what is so satisfying to him about Saint Leo’s commitment to nontraditional ways to help its students.

“I think it’s important to note that Saint Leo is one of the real innovators in providing alternative learning solutions for people with careers and family commitments who wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend a graduate program,” Kistulentz said.

For information, on the program and the application procedure, visit www.saintleo.edu/admissions/graduate/creative-writing.aspx.

Published May 11, 2016

Business Digest 05/11/2016

May 11, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Nancy Mavor, bottom left, Cathy Tokish, Ted Whelan and Tom Mavor are members of the Wesley Chapel Lions Club. (Courtesy of Wesley Chapel Lions Club) — Nancy Mavor, bottom left, Cathy Tokish, Ted Whelan and Tom Mavor are members of the Wesley Chapel Lions Club.
(Courtesy of Wesley Chapel Lions Club)

Eyeglasses donated
The Wesley Chapel Lions Club collected 824 eyeglasses as donations during the first three months of 2016. Club members thank everyone for donating at the drop box location at Sweet Darling Quilts, at 26240 Wesley Chapel Blvd., in Grand Oaks Plaza. The Wesley Chapel Lions Club meets the fourth Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m., at Wesley Chapel Hyundai, at 27000 Wesley Chapel Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

For information, contact Debbie Amyotte at (813) 708-4282, visit the Facebook page or visit wesleychapellionsclub.com.

New financial advisor
Christopher Morris has joined the Trinity office of Wells Fargo Advisor as a financial advisor. He has three years experience in the financial services industry. Previously, Morris worked as a police officer where his most recent employment was with the City of Temple Terrace as a detective, SWAT team member and chairman of the Police Pension Board.

Morris is a Philadelphia native who has lived in Land O’ Lakes for 10 years. He and his wife, Hollie, have two daughters, 13-year-old Mackenzie and 7-year-old Aislyn.

Wells Fargo Advisor’s Trinity office is at 11300 State Road 54, in Trinity.

For information contact Morris at (727) 815-3033 or .

Lowe’s customers donate to MDA
Lowe’s collected more than $7.5 million in donations nationwide for the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s Shamrocks program, which helps improve the lives of children and adults with muscular dystrophy, ALS and related life-threatening diseases that severely weaken muscle strength and mobility. As MDA’s largest retailer, Lowe’s has collected more than $57 million in funds since 2001.

Lowe’s stores in Pasco County participated including the Lowe’s at 21500 State Road 54, east of U.S. 41. On St. Patrick’s Day, customers were invited to contribute $1, $5, or more, by adding paper Shamrocks to their store purchases.

For information about the MDA Shamrock’s program, visit mda.org/shamrocks.

Ribbon cutting
Edward Jones will have a ribbon cutting on May 11 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at 15291 Amberly Drive, in New Tampa.

For information, email the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce at .

North Tampa chamber meeting
North Tampa Chamber of Commerce will have its monthly general meeting on May 12, with check-in at 11 a.m., at Brunchies, Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch and Catering at 14366 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa. Networking is until 11:30 a.m., when lunch will be served from a select menu.

For information, call the chamber at (813) 961-2420, or email .

Speed leads
Try Speed Networking with Full Throttle Intermedia on May 13 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at Wesley Chapel Toyota, at 5300 Eagleston Blvd., in Wesley Chapel. Pitch your products and services, and meet new contacts. A special catered brunch will be served. Free headshot portraits will be provided.

Park in the rear at the dealership and walk in through the service entrance door. A $15 registration fee is required. Only 40 people can attend.

To register, visit EventBrite.com/e/speed-leads-tickets-24325002738.

For information, call The Greater Wesley Chamber of Commerce at (813) 994-8534, or email .

Panhandling off-limits in Pasco

May 4, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Pasco County commissioners have approved a ban aimed at preventing street-corner panhandling in the county.

That action came despite pleas from those who had been selling newspapers in the county on Sundays.

By adopting a total ban, the county would cost workers’ wages and jobs, opponents said.

“I’m begging you, please understand you are affecting so many people,” said Renee Contreras, who oversees workers who sell newspapers on Sundays in the Wesley Chapel area.

Commissioners were unmoved, and on April 26 unanimously approved the total ban.

The ordinance is similar to ones in Hillsborough County and the City of St. Petersburg.

It bans “soliciting or attempts to solicit employment, business, contributions, donations, or sales or exchanges, of any kind from the driver or an occupant of a motor vehicle, or distributing or attempting to distribute any goods or materials to the driver or an occupant” of the motor vehicle.

Data presented to commissioners reported 173 pedestrian-related crashes in 2015, with 13 fatalities. The highest volume of fatal crashes happened on Saturday and Sunday, and occurred more often in daylight than evening.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco also said that people were taking advantage of the Sunday exception to the ordinance.

“They are switching over from selling newspapers to panhandling,” he said. “By afternoon, they switch out signs. It goes back to — there is a public safety issue.”

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells brought up the issue in March after hearing about a veteran who was killed while selling newspapers along U.S. 19.

Commissioners then directed staff members to draft the new ordinance.

“It’s an unsafe practice for all involved,” Wells said, adding that he believes Pasco does everything possible to help residents in need.

While Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano sympathized with those selling newspapers, he said, “It’s just not working out. It’s unfortunate we have to take this strong step.”

Hugh Townsend, of the Hunter’s Ridge homeowners’ association, said panhandling “is of grave concern.”

Residents have dealt with litter, broken lights around the community’s monument sign and destruction to landscaping.

“I’d rather see them set up in a parking lot,” Townsend said.

From his wheelchair, Clifton Levigne told commissioners that he and others need the money they earn from selling Sunday newspapers.

“We have to count on selling newspapers, or else we can’t have enough to get through the week,” he said. “We’re not panhandlers.”

Contreras said the ordinance would hurt people trying to work for a living, but probably won’t stop panhandling.

“They (panhandlers) just cost us all our jobs,” she said.

Published on May 4, 2016

Gulfport has ‘Old Florida’ charm

May 4, 2016 By Kathy Steele

If you’re looking for a day trip off the beaten path, Gulfport is a destination worth your time and travel.

It is a town with a sense of place rooted in Old Florida and often described as “a hidden gem.”

But, this quaint historical fishing village on the Boca Ciega Bay is far from hidden these days.

Gulfport offers beauty, and perhaps a bit of romance, as the sun settles down for the night. (Photos courtesy of the Gulfport Merchants Association)

With a reviving waterfront district, a historical casino ballroom, art galleries, neighborhood bars and gourmet dining spots, Gulfport is being discovered as the place to enjoy the old, and the new.

Rainbow-colored shops, boutiques and restaurants along and around Beach Boulevard add texture to subtropical Florida, evoking another historical town to the south.

“I think what most come here for is the Key West lifestyle, before Key West became commercial,” said Scott Linde, president of the Gulf Port Merchants Association. “It conveys remembrances of old Florida. It has an artsy feel to it. We have all ages, all lifestyles here.”

Gulfport’s downtown charms are apparent during the community’s First Friday Art Walks, which are year-round on the First Friday and Third Friday of the month, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Beach and Shore boulevards are alive with activities, as artists, crafters and live performers give visitors a chance to browse, shop and be entertained.

The next First Friday is May 6 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Visitors to Gulfport enjoyed their trip on the Gulfport Shopapalooza Trolley at the GeckoFest. (Photos Courtesy of the Gulfport Merchants Association) — Visitors to Gulfport enjoyed their trip on the Gulfport Shopapalooza Trolley at the GeckoFest.

Parking is free, and trolleys also are available for this pet and family friendly event.

Something is always happening at Gulfport, a town where the cheeky, fun-loving gecko is the year-round mascot. He emerged into the Gulfport spotlight in 2001 with the GeckoFest and Mullet Mutiny.

In 2004, the gecko partnered with the Gulfport Merchants Association to keep the annual party rolling.

On Aug. 5, there will be a Gecko Art Show; on Aug. 13, the Gecko Pub Crawl; on Aug. 27, a ball with the theme “20,000 Geckos Under the Sea”; and, on Sept. 3, a blow-out street festival.

But, there is no need to wait for Gecko festivities to make a trip to Gulfport.

On an ordinary day, the town rolls out the welcome mat.

Every Tuesday, fresh produce, cheese, honey and shrimp are on sale at the Fresh Market, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Beach Boulevard by the waterfront. Arts and crafts, live music and more than a dozen restaurants add to the fun. Summer hours from June through September are from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Clothing swaps are on the second Tuesday of each month from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., as part of the Fresh Market.

In the fall, the Gulfport Historical Society celebrates the town’s history with a month of activities including the Flying Mullet 5K. The nonprofit also operates the Gulfport History Museum at 5301 28th Ave., S.

Fresh fruits, vegetables, honey, cheese and seafood are for sale at Gulfport’s Fresh Market, every Tuesday in the waterfront district.

The history museum is open to the public, with no admission charge, and features an impressive display of historical documents and photographs from the town’s history and its families, dating to the 1880s.

The museum also hosts occasional exhibits and walking tours of the town’s brick-lined streets, and historical homes and businesses.

Other special events during the year include Spring Fest to celebrate the changing seasons; Get Rescued, an animal rescue festival; and, the Pink Flamingo home tour.

In Gulfport, it seems, there really is something for everyone.

Daniel Hodge found that out when he moved from San Francisco to Gulfport nearly a decade ago to live near family.

The freelance writer and disc jockey is now vice president of the merchants’ association, and a Gulfport fan.

“It was a great move for a lot of reasons,” he said. “(Gulfport’s) charm has really gotten a lot of notice and respect. We want to keep it small, quaint and colorful.”

To find out more about Gulfport, visit VisitGulfportFlorida.com.

Gulfport First Friday Art Walk

What: Artists, crafters and live entertainment will offer visitors plenty to see, enjoy and perhaps even buy during First Friday Art Walk festivities.

When: This takes place year-round, on the first and third Friday of each month, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The next one is May 6.

Where: 3007 Beach Blvd., Gulfport, 33707

How much: Free parking, free trolley rides, pet-friendly

Published May 4, 2016