In a world where it seems that obtaining things is most important, it is always reassuring to hear about someone doing something selfless for others. This is especially true when the person is a 13-year-old 8th grader! Meira Kowalski is a student at Shorecrest Preparatory School in Northeast St Petersburg and what she is doing is selfless and amazing.

Meira told me that she has always been drawn to charity work. In fact, on her 10th birthday, in lieu of gifts for herself, she raised money for Give Kids the World, a resort in Kissimmee (www.gktw.org) which hosts the families of children with life-threatening illnesses from around the world.… Read More

For two years now, Ardith Rutland has taken up the mantle of caring for the beloved ‘Pete’s Park’ located in the heart of the Coffee Pot Riviera neighborhood, on Snell Isle. When asked why, Ardith says, “From my kitchen window I can see the park, and for years the beds were overgrown and unsightly. I felt sorry for the lonely griffin statue in the corner of the park across the street from my house. The griffin was dirty and the flower bed was overgrown with weeds. I just got tired of looking at it! I decided something needed to be done, so I just started taking care of it.”… Read More

This is the second of a two-part article based on an extensive interview with former mayor Don Jones. Don Jones was mayor during a time of intense infrastructure improvement, and a watershed period for St. Petersburg’s civil rights history.

Upon his election as mayor in 1967, Don Jones announced three goals: the creation of small parks in needy areas of the city; transfer of Mound Park Hospital (now Bayfront) from city operation to a non-profit corporation; and increasing wages for city employees. During his first year in office, the first two goals were achieved. But in the midst of these progressive steps, a major city crisis was soon to erupt and it had to do with Mayor Jones’ third goal, adequate wages for city employees.… Read More

Soon, the last issue of the Neighborhood News will be arriving in our mailboxes! In its absence, what will we talk about? How will we know what’s going on in the Old Northeast?

No, this is not an obituary for Rick Carson (as he says tongue-in-cheek). Rather, this is a standing ovation, a Pulitzer Prize if you will, for the long-time editor of the HONNA (Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association) newsletter. There just isn’t a name for the honors he deserves for being the best, most patient, faithful, and longest-serving newsletter editor and photographer in the world of newsletter editors.

Who does a stress-filled, time-consuming, under-appreciated job for 14 years for free?… Read More

Local residents often see a neighbor’s yard filled with plastic flamingos for a day and accept it as a fun, crazy, ‘Florida’ way to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, birth, or other event. But, in fantastic style, Sunken Gardens has just received a flock of 20 young Chilean flamingos, and they are here for good. These youngsters join 60-year old George and Lucy, the only remaining flamingos out of an original flock of 17. In 1956, the flamingo flock was the most iconic feature of Sunken Gardens.

The public was invited to ‘meet and greet’ the youngsters on Sunday, May 1 and anyone wearing pink received $1 off their admission price.… Read More