Ann Goldman and Lacie (therapy dog) brighten the day for Cooper Hicks

Lacie’s visits to the Ronald McDonald house are a welcome diversion for the residents and guests, especially for the siblings of sick children who remain there with their families while a sibling receives treatment. When she’s not showering her audience with joy and many kisses, Lacie puts on quite a show, too.… Read More

Richard Montague and his late wife Maude, together for 74 years

His life story bears that out. As a young man with a scholarship at stake, he entered a piano competition in high school and won a full ride to Syracuse University. Next, inspired by a Teddy Roosevelt speech, “The Strenuous Life,” he went west to teach at Southern Idaho College of Education in Albion.… Read More

van Panesis and Dion Lim

A few months later, in search of a permanent residence, Dion and Evan began exploring neighborhoods on both sides of the Bay. When they discovered the Old Northeast, they were instantly hooked.
“It’s exactly what we wanted in a neighborhood, and it’s the lifestyle we wanted,” Dion explains.… Read More

Curtis & Ryan Grosjean (Asst. Cameraman) set up for scene of villain falling from a balcony

Halloween spirit and enthusiasm shine brightly in the Old Northeast.

I had been informed… I had even been warned. But none of the descriptions about Halloween in the Old Northeast truly did my first actual experience of it any justice. Neighbors telling me they gave away over 3,000 pieces of candy before 9pm – I had just smiled, made the appropriate impressed reaction, and assumed they had their zeros wrong. Nobody could give away that much candy – that would not only cost a fortune, it would require a constant stream of delivery, not the usual Halloween doorbell, grab the bowl, greet some kids, close the door routine.… Read More

As a musician strings through the notes, we are pulled into the music. They begin to string us along like the notes they play. We float away to another place, soaking in the melody hitting our ears. As it kisses our ears, our feet begin to tap and our bodies begin to sway. We’re losing all thoughts, living in the moment and enjoying what we hear. While in the moment, we don’t think of how long the musician practiced, how many nights they may not have slept, how many years they have worked on their skill… we just enjoy the now.… Read More

Celeste Evans, one of our Old Northeast Neighbors, was one of Canada’s first and most successful female magicians.

This May, the Florida Magic Convention celebrated its 50th anniversary in Orlando. Neighbors from the Old Northeast and surrounding areas attended as guests on behalf of the Tampa Bay Magic Club. Among those present was one neighbor who enjoyed a professional career in magic, as one of Canada’s first female magicians (and one of the most successful female magicians to date): Celeste Evans.

Evans once thrilled audiences with her performances of dove magic – audiences which included Caroline Kennedy, Indira Gandhi, packed houses in Las Vegas, party guests at the Playboy mansion, U.S.… Read More

George and Lucy, the two remaining flamingos from the original flock of seventeen at Sunken Gardens

Come to the Sunshine City!” Images on postcards, billboards, and in newspapers of the bathing beauties on St. Petersburg’s beaches circled the United States. Sunshine, happiness, relaxation, and ultimate paradise stung Northerners worse than the snow against their face. The harsh reality that they were shoveling snow – unlike the Southerners who were shoveling sand – could not be avoided. While battling the winter, they began to place themselves in the images they saw. Through the early 1900s, St. Petersburg had a large marketing push to lure tourists to the area.… Read More

FOWI commissioned Carrie Jadus to paint a mural representing the
natural beauty and archaeological history of Weedon Island.

Jenny Bleackley painting at home

The world is your canvas and you are the artist ready to paint the way. With every action, a brush glides paint on a canvas in effort to develop your masterpiece. This metaphor is often used and there is something that can be learned when looking at life through the eye of an artist.

Artist Jenny Bleackley knows that life and painting isn’t as simple or as easy as a glide of the paintbrush. A masterpiece takes time, commitment, passion, patience and continual development. As an artist develops his or her craft, they begin to notice how they look at life differently than most.… Read More