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

The outpouring of support during COVID-19 was unprecedented as St. Petersburg came together as a community, reminding us that we were all in this together.

Stories like these offer us hope. And that’s what the Northeast Journal does best. For over a decade, we’ve been delivering good news about people and organizations doing good deeds. Here are few stories we’ve collected over the past few months – stories of how some of our neighbors overcame these challenging times with creativity, commitment and grace.

St. Pete Sews

In mid-March, as TV news anchors started alerting the country about the shortage of masks for healthcare workers in places like Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, Janice Chandler and Terri Reid – a Snell Isle resident and global account manager for Cisco – decided to help.… Read More

It is said that a city’s history is written on its buildings. Perhaps no other construction company has done as much to write that history in St. Petersburg as Hennessy Construction. This year Hennessy is celebrating its centennial. The company has continuously operated in St. Petersburg since 1920. Over that time, it has built some of St. Petersburg’s most significant buildings, including St. Mary’s Church, the Fine Arts Museum, St. Anthony’s Hospital, and the Tampa Bay Times Press Building.

The company was founded by A.P. (Aneas) Hennessy. A.P. emigrated from Ireland to the United States at the age of 19.… Read More

There’s a smell that comes with the cloud of red dust that rises when a runner slides into home plate. It’s the smell of childhood in spring. For 62 years, the baseball stadium at 45th Avenue North and First Street has been home to the Northeast Little League.

This year’s Opening Day on February 22nd marked the official unveiling of Northeast Little League’s new mural on the outside of the stadium. When a prior mural project stalled, the league was left with a half-finished painting. A volunteer suggested they reach out to Brian McAllister, an art teacher and muralist at Gibbs High School.… Read More

What triathlon athletes know – and many locals may not – is just how popular the St. Anthony’s Triathlon is among professional and novice competitors alike. People from all over the world love to come here for this USA Triathlon-sanctioned race, held the last weekend of April. Now in its 37th year, the St. Anthony’s Triathlon is considered one of the largest and longest-running events of its kind in the country.

Accolades listed on the website include: “one of the top-10 Great Destination Triathlons in the US,” and one of the “5 Bucket-List Olympic Distance Triathlons in North America.” In 2018, more than 3,000 athletes from 41 states and eight countries came to St.… Read More

My downtown neighbors, Bob O’Connor and Francis Vocking, and their adorable chocolate Labradoodle, Indy, walked across the street to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital for their regular twice-a-month visit. They were on their way to cheer up the young patients and their families. I was fortunate to be invited along to see first-hand what a difference this unique volunteer ‘team’ makes in children’s lives.

The children loved it when Indy arrived, greeting him with a heartwarming display of affection, smiles, and petting. Whether they’re sick or not, children need fun experiences. Some of them have dogs at home that they miss, and Indy’s visit can bring comfort.… Read More

As if St. Petersburg residents needed one more reason for civic pride… In case you didn’t know, we are home to the Awesome Original Second Time Arounders Marching Band and Auxiliary. This not-for-profit organization is for those who spent time in a marching band in high school, college, or military service and now miss it. They are easy to recognize. When a drumbeat starts, they start humming the tune and unconsciously begin marching in place. This is the place for those who would like to experience the thrill of it all again. Last year, the group – now 450 performers strong –  was invited to participate in the Thanksgiving Macy’s Day Parade, considered the ‘Super Bowl’ of marching bands.… Read More

Sometimes it’s easy to tell why – out of the endless options available – the driver in front of you chose that particular specialty license plate for his or her car. They may support one of the branches of the armed forces, have graduated from that college or university, or are pledging loyalty to an athletics franchise. What isn’t always clear is where that extra fee you pay for the license tag goes.

If you see a plate with a silvery tarpon leaping out of the water against a greenish-blue background, consider this: Since 2000, proceeds from this tag have generated funding for 330 grants which support Tampa Bay restoration and education projects across the region.… Read More

The Rotary Club of St. Petersburg will be celebrating its Centennial on January 25, 2020. The club was founded by none other than William L. Straub, revered editor of the St. Petersburg Times and father of our downtown waterfront parks, among many other accomplishments.
The St. Petersburg Club was ‘installed’ by the Tampa Rotary Club in a humorous ceremony at the Detroit Hotel on January 2, 1920. In this ceremony, the new St. Petersburg Rotarians played the part of infants being both ‘weaned and baptized.’ Bill Straub was garbed as the ‘mother’ and behind him came the new would-be Rotarians, each dressed in the flowing robes of an infant, carrying a rattle, and, according to the Times, rendering the air with ‘balloon-made’ cries.… Read More