I once met the esteemed author, Jack Kerouac, at Haslam’s Bookstore. It was an exciting experience for me, especially since he had been dead for several decades. This meeting took place during a ghost hunt performed by the SPIRITS of St. Petersburg. I was there as a paranormal investigator and he was a mysterious mist that manifested on film. This was my first photographic evidence of the spirit world, setting the stage for what has now become a 23-year career as a paranormalist.

After reading about my interest in the paranormal, many people might shake their head in wonder. But SPIRITS of St.… Read More

On August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment to the US Constitution passed, giving American women the right to vote. Now 100 years later, Linsey Grove, president of the League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area (LWVSPA), says the best way for women to celebrate this milestone is to exercise their own right to vote. She also points to the interesting similarities between this year’s election, which is taking place during the global COVID-19 pandemic, and what was happening during the women’s suffrage movement in the early 20th century.

Ratification of the 19th amendment followed two devastating world events: the 1918 flu and World War I, both of which severely reduced the population of young men and created a labor shortage in the US.… Read More

COVID-19 may have put a halt to many community and social events, but we are wired to be social, and somehow we always find a way to adapt through challenges. Snell Isle resident Dawna Stone is a local example of someone who has shown the discipline and determination to overcome any obstacle in her way, even a global pandemic. Empowered women empower women, and Dawna Stone – an accomplished author, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and health, fitness and wellness expert – is that kind of woman.

With her sister Michele, Dawna recently launched the Virtual Women’s Half Marathon, with proceeds benefiting the Feeding America COVID-19 Response Fund.… Read More

Our grandmother, Luisa Bernarda Jimenez was born on Friday, August 20, 1920, in Meneses, a small town in what was then known as the Las Villas Province in north central Cuba. But that’s not what her birth certificate says. It claims she was born in 1921, not 1920. And the reason for that discrepancy is more relevant today than ever. 

The Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-1920 was raging throughout Cuba the year Luisa was born, causing fearful locals to stay home and delay trips to larger municipalities, where birth certificates were recorded. So our grandmother’s birth wasn’t officially recorded until a year after she was born.… Read More

It’s hard to say who enjoyed the attention more: Mindy, the white cockatoo at Sunken Gardens with the big personality, or the students from Bear Creek Elementary. Mindy ruffled the feathered crest on top of her head as the students crowded around, eager for a look at the exotic bird and hoping she’d say hello.

Back in February, before coronavirus social distancing guidelines, the students were there for the official launch of Sophie & Zack at Sunken Gardens, a colorful, interactive book published by the Sunken Gardens Forever Foundation. It’s part of a new innovative educational program in partnership with the Pinellas County School System.… Read More

My husband Mark and I weren’t sure what to expect when we attended the media preview of the new St. Pete Pier on behalf of the Northeast Journal. I wasn’t convinced the old pier needed to be replaced with something new. But when we saw the amazing transformation of our downtown waterfront, we were astounded. It took creative vision to make this new venue possible.

As Mayor Rick Kriseman noted, the new pier is so much more than a building that stretches out over the water. “This is one of the biggest projects the city will undertake. It’s an entirely new 26-acre development for the community, for everyone to enjoy,” said Kriseman.… Read More

I met Harry Piper at the St. Pete Racquet Club. For the tennis uninitiated, we have something called changeovers. After two games of tennis, everyone sits for a few minutes. During a changeover, I asked Harry what he did before he retired. “Archeologist,” he replied, awaiting the quizzical look and follow-up questions. Over a series of changeovers, I learned that Harry and his wife Jackie, now retired, were archeologists for hire who earned their living by delving, digging, and scuba diving into Florida’s past.

Harry was a senior when he met freshman Jackie at Duke University. After college, Harry went into the military.… Read More

On June 23, 1963, John F. Kennedy was president, gas was 22 cents a gallon, and oil was 25 cents a can with a 2-cent rebate. It’s also the day that Dotty Stewart started her job at Bob Lee’s Tire Company on 4th Street North. This past June, Dotty celebrated her 57th consecutive year as a bookkeeper and accountant for the family-owned tire-and-auto-repair center.

“I came in for an interview and never left,” says Dotty. “Today, nobody stays at their job this long, but I look forward to every day. It’s really been an awesome 57 years.”

 Now 82, Dotty still comes to work every day at 8am.… Read More

When Jennifer Yeagley assumed the role of CEO at the St. Petersburg Free Clinic at the beginning of March, she had no idea she would be in the trenches fighting the financial fallout from the coronavirus less than a month later.

In the beginning of her tenure as CEO, a busy day at the Free Clinic’s food panty was providing groceries for 200 families and individuals. By the first week of April, 700 families and individuals a day had become the new normal. “[On Good Friday,] we had a line of cars three blocks long the better part of the day,” said Yeagley.… Read More

One of the things that defines St. Petersburg is its museums. When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit our shores, the thought of closing down these landmark institutions seemed incredible, but what was impossible to imagine in early March soon became the new reality. Even so, as these cornerstones of our community sat dark, the creative people at the helm were busy.

One local couple keeping the pulse alive was Laura and Hank Hine. The two are powerhouses in the museum scene. Hank has been the director of  The Dali Museum since 2002, leading it from its days on 3rd Street S.… Read More