What started as a chance meeting, turned into the story of a flag, a judge, and his affection for his fallen brother. For me, it became a promising friendship.

Memorial Day morning, I was awakened by a phone call from my mother asking me to meet her to help a neighbor put up a flag. Happy to oblige, I raced over. Upon arriving, I saw an old 48-star flag draped over a tree, and I met Judge David O’Neil. The judge is a tall soft-spoken man. He walks with a cane and gives a firm handshake.

He told us that the flag was presented to his parents after the death of his brother Charles, who served in WWII.… Read More

In May, one of our own Old NE Neighborhood residents, Jackson Willis, graduated from Shorecrest Preparatory School as the 2015 Class Valedictorian. In addition, he was also selected as a U.S. Presidential Scholar, one of only 144 students to be named as such in 2015. He was selected based on his academic success, essays, school evaluations, transcripts, community service, leadership, and demonstrated commitment to ethical and moral character.

Jackson Willis is the fifth generation to live in his home in Old Northeast St. Petersburg. His great-great-grandfather, Benjamin Latham Loyd Armstrong from Connecticut, built this home with a basement in the Old Northeast in the 1920s.… Read More

We’ve all heard the phrase “life is short; live today as if it is your last day; dance as if no one is watching.” We know we may eventually succumb to sickness or disease. Many of us are aware of the numerous types of illnesses and diseases in our world. At any time, on any given day, and at any given age, unfortunately any of us could be diagnosed with a disease. This happened to Cole.

Cole Eicher started vomiting during the mornings of his Thanksgiving break in 2013. In January of 2014 during a soccer tournament, the same symptoms returned and Cole told his dad he did not feel well enough to continue to play.… Read More

It was a chilly January morning in The Tampa Bay Metro area. The air temperature was about 54° as the sun was starting to rise over the Bay and the water temperature was just above 60°. Most people wouldn’t even dream of sticking a toe in the water, but on Gandy Beach, 150 men and women had donned wetsuits and were getting set to dive in for a very good cause! It was the 6th annual Tampa Bay Frogman Swim, a charity fundraising event that benefits The Navy SEAL Foundation. This charity has a four-star rating by Charity Navigator and has been certified by Charities of America as a “Best in America” Charity.… Read More

It is St. Petersburg’s sunny climate and surrounding rich aquatic beauty and resources that are fundamental in making our city so special. Early city leaders appreciated this and were pivotal in moving our community in the direction of both a world-class destination for tourists and a great place to live which lasts to this day. The first Pier Task Force noted that a new Pier should “speak to our city’s beautiful aquatic setting,” and that the “architecture of the main building should reflect our history and unique identity as a City” and be “a worthy symbol of our great City.” The Pier has served as St.… Read More

Every two weeks, the Ronald McDonald house door bursts open to reveal a spunky and spirited Cavalier Spaniel named Lacie who could not be happier to be there – and of course, her owner, Ann Goldman, who is equally thrilled.

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.

Ann Goldman explains: “When we go in, most of the kids are so excited to see her – and she’s excited to see them, too.… Read More

One can’t help being charmed by Richard Montague. He defines the term “bon vivant.” And he is clear about his approach to life over nearly a century: “When life presents an opportunity, take advantage of it.”

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. While there and leading its tiny music department, he broke horses, learned to rope, and performed in rodeos as “The Professor.”

But, there was never an opportunity like the one presented to him at the Syracuse library.… Read More

When local WTSP/CBS news anchor Dion Lim first arrived in town with her husband, Evan Panesis, she had found corporate housing in Tampa’s Hyde Park neighborhood. Unluckily for them, they moved in during Gasparilla weekend and experienced the revelry firsthand (perhaps more firsthand than even a news anchor would desire).

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. “As soon as we moved in, we immediately bought bikes.… Read More

St. Petersburg native and film director, Curtis Graham, is happy to return to his Eden Isle home following a grueling month of filming on location on Oloibiri Island in the Niger Delta. Oloibiri is the site of the first oil well drilled in Nigeria in 1956. Since that time, big oil has come to dominate the Nigerian economy. Curtis served as the director of photography for the movie, and helped to produce the film as part of a joint venture between Greyhouse Films, his St. Petersburg-based production company, and Right Angle Productions, a Canadian film production company. The film is set for release at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.… Read More

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. Surely, it was impossible.… Read More