Strolling along Coffee Pot, casting your lines into the sparkling bay waters, or grabbing lunch dockside by what will one day be our new pier, you will be accompanied by a constant companion: the ubiquitous Brown Pelican. These birds are found everywhere, pestering fisherman for their catch, perched on one of the many docks that line the bay, and gliding effortlessly only inches above our waters. These birds are synonymous with life here in the Old Northeast.

Brown pelicans are unique creatures. They are the smallest species of pelican in the world. They are also the only pelicans that hunt by diving from heights as high as 60 feet, attempting to scoop up fish along with 3 gallons of seawater by the mouthful.… Read More

As a local swimmer, I often find myself bragging about our amazing pool at the Northshore Aquatic Complex. I regale out-of-towners with tales of the incredible talent our beautiful pool attracts, the international meets, the collegiate teams visiting each winter, and – my personal favorite – “I’m serious… Michael Phelps even swam in our pool!”

The Olympic-sized swimming pool has indeed accommodated training (and reigning) Olympians. Across from the front entrance are two bronze plaques honoring Brad Snyder and Nicole Haislett respectively, two prior champions.

Nicole Haislett won Olympic gold in Barcelona in the 1992 Summer Olympics (she is a three-time Olympic gold medalist) and is a former world record-holder with a historied past of collegiate and national championships.… Read More

Elton John has one of the ‘Heeling Soles’ artistic shoes created by Robin Roth-Murphy in his Woodside Estate in England! Now that is quite a story, just one of many, about Robin and her specialized art that is created from found objects (mementos, keepsakes, souvenirs, relics, or “stuff” as Robin puts it). Old Northeast residents may know her better as The Alley Recycle Artist or The Little Free Library Lady. Whatever she is called or does, it just provides more stories to tell.

This spring, Robin, a mixed-media artist, decided to decorate part of her alley wall with recyclables: plastic bottle caps!… Read More

Did you know that the growing medium used to grow lettuce on the International Space Station (ISS) is exactly the same as the clay ‘dirt’ between first and third base at the Tropicana Dome?  Did you know NASA has developed robots that astronauts recently controlled on the earth’s surface from the ISS?

Things are really hopping these days at NASA, Space X, ULA, and Blue Horizon facilities all across the U.S. Nowhere is that more evident than at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC)  where there is always a rocket on a launch pad these days with NASA, Space X, and ULA having long-term projects related to space science and exploration, including commercial missions as well as missions to deep space and Mars.… Read More

Do you remember your senior year in high school? You went to prom in May, you attended graduation ceremonies in June, and said goodbye to the only life you knew. Graduating from high school is exciting, although it is also bittersweet. Some graduates are unsure of their future and do not have specific plans for work or college. The graduates from the St. Petersburg High School International Baccalaureate Program have worked hard over the past four years. These exceptional students are well prepared for college and have exciting futures ahead of them.

Since 1983, St. Petersburg High School has been home to the first International Baccalaureate Diploma Program in Florida.… Read More

It all started with a post by Wendy Lewis on the Nextdoor Old Northeast website:

“My amazing husband is celebrating 20 years of active duty in the United States Marine Corps this Sunday [May 29]. The kids and I have made some posters to place in our yard to thank him for being a great husband, marine, and father – and I thought… well, maybe other people might want to thank him, too. If you’d like to contribute to the yard art, or just stop by and say hi, my address is… I’ll be waking up early on Sunday to set it all up, but you’re welcome to come by anytime!… Read More

A major attribute of our city’s specialness is our sense of place. A large part of our sense of place is the unique blend of historic buildings and places along with the excitement of new development. St. Petersburg Chamber President Chris Steinocher stated it well: “The secret of our City’s current livability is the vibe created by offering the natural mix of wonderfully built historic structures and districts, seamlessly connected and complemented with new developments and dwellings.”

But despite this recognition of the importance of historic preservation, our city has once again gone through a contentious debate trying to find a balance between new development and historic preservation.… Read More

St. Petersburg cannot be called a ‘one-horse town.’ In fact, in addition to the quaint horse-drawn carriages along Beach Drive, the city has a Mounted Police Unit that patrols the downtown waterfront parks and entertainment district. The Mounted Unit, which consists of two officers and two horses, is part of the Traffic Division of the St. Petersburg Police Department as an enhancement to the police presence downtown, particularly during weekends and special events.

In July, 2009 when the Boston Police Department was in the process of disbanding their historic mounted units, they donated two of their trained, Percheron/Thoroughbred-cross horses to the St.… Read More

Granada Terrace resident Tom Davis is a true craftsman – even an artist. Craftsmen work with their hands and heads, but artists also work with their hearts according to St. Francis of Assisi. Well, Tom certainly has heart – he spends 4-6 hours per day at the Morean Center for Clay totally immersed in pottery. He even sometimes helps with the firing of ceramic creations. Imagine that in Florida’s summer heat.

Tom first embraced pottery in South Korea in 1971-72 where he was stationed as a captain in the US Air Force. His teacher was a famous potter named Angelo Garzio specializing in Raku ware, a type of Japanese pottery customarily used in tea ceremonies since the 16th century.… Read More

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