Sitting on the corner of  5th Street and 1st Avenue South, lays a forgotten triangular sliver of land called Liberty Bell Park. Nowadays, motorists and pedestrians pass by with barely a glance of this shambles of a place that offers little to make the casual passerby to want to enter anyway. The neglected sidewalks are crumbling and the landscape is strewn with litter, leaves, broken branches, and little evidence of any rake, broom, or parks department interest. Over the years, the few existing benches have been vandalized, and sit as unusable broken skeletons of their former selves.  To add more insult to this lost space, there is an incongruous and faded No Trespassing sign stuck in what looks like a public space warning people to ignore any interest in entering.… Read More

Did you have a happy holiday?

Are you tired of hearing that? Admit it, did you put your Grinch face on this season? Are you just holly-jollied out, and weary of cheers and jubilant expressions that match the vivid glittered napkin that hugs your bubbly? Wouldn’t you much rather cozy up to a hot buttered rum and read that new book you’ve been trying to start? I bet the cat would love it if you would sit still long enough for him to nest upon. I myself am tired of events and cheer in general. It’s not that I’m an unhappy person, don’t misunderstand me.… Read More

The Melting Pot. That’s one of the things we as a nation are proud of… a fascinating tapestry of ethnicities, nationalities, and cultures. As the saying goes, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” St. Petersburg is a microcosm of the country, boasting residents from around the world. According to the United States Census Bureau, 19.2% of Florida’s population was born in another country – compared to 12.8% nationally. 27% speak another language besides English – in contrast to 20.3% across the nation. Our new neighbors are eager to learn about their new home, contribute to the healthy growth of this city, and establish solid roots.… Read More

The Ronald McDonald house is often described as a home away from home. Houses all over the world provide a ‘home’ with a warm meal and a place to sleep for families whose child is receiving critical medical care at a nearby hospital. St. Petersburg is home to three Ronald McDonald houses for children receiving care at All Children’s Hospital. Over 44,000 families have been helped at these RMH houses. Annually 2,000 families step through one of the three doors. This organization has been in the St. Petersburg area for over 33 years; however, there is something unique about the Central Ronald McDonald House.… Read More

Although I don’t watch or listen to the news, bits of information about what is going on in our country and around the globe still manage to enter my world. And, it doesn’t sound good. Based on what filters through, it sounds like there is a lot of polarity and either/or power struggles going on. I’m saddened by this because – and some may call me ignorant or “Pollyanna-ish” – I choose to live in a world of possibility. It may take a little more upfront time, and maybe more upfront effort, but I bet, if we all took that extra time to be creative and listen with our open hearts, really good healthy solutions would surface and we would be ready, willing and able to take advantage of them for the betterment of all.… Read More

What is essential for life is not what is seen, but what is felt. It’s the feeling of companionship, of community, and love. It’s the comfort that makes you feel at home, which in return, creates a passion that pushes your desire to be involved with your surroundings. You invest yourself into where you live because, when you love your home, a piece of you is sewn into the community. More and more people are discovering our hidden gem and falling in love. Can it be the preserved parks, up-and-coming downtown, or the beaches? It can’t be just that. There is something St.… Read More

This Christmas story happens to be true. It begins on a late December day in upstate New York in 1971. Although it was almost forty-two years ago, the images are as fresh in my mind as if they happened just yesterday.

I was a young man then, two years out of college with a wife and two sons, Johnny, almost two, and Justin, barely a month old. My life was full of endless possibilities and uncertainties. However, I was still at that age, twenty-two, where I considered myself immortal. The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune –failure and tragedy – could not touch me or my family.… Read More

St. Petersburg is comprised of lots of people who care for their fellow neighbors, especially those who are over-challenged in some ways. This article highlights numerous efforts to try to ‘green’ areas that have been described as food deserts. This article will describe, in somewhat chronological order, large, small, short, and long projects that are helping to teach people how to grow healthy, nutritious foods. The article will also spotlight some of St. Petersburg neighbors who are making these good things happen.

Kip Curtis, Ph.D.

Kip was raised on a sustainable, organic farm in southeast Massachusetts. He hated it! He chose a path of academia and followed his desire to study and teach history.… Read More

“On this International Day, let us promise to make peace not just a priority, but a passion. Let us pledge to do more, wherever we are in whatever way we can, to make every day a day of peace.” — United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

On Saturday afternoon, September 21, 2013, the acoustics of the magnificent hall of The Palladium Theater at St. Petersburg College will reverberate with pulsating rhythms, vibrant messages, and melodious voices emanating from some of the Tampa Bay area’s most talented groups and individuals. They will assemble at a musical concert in harmonic support of the call by the United Nations General Assembly to collectively celebrate globally and locally the reality of peace.… Read More

Imagine visiting a foreign country, not knowing a word of its language. Imagine meeting the people – ignorant of their customs and culture – and a feeling of incongruity sets in. Drive their cars on the other side of the road using the other hand to shift gears, and you are likely to be regarded as an unskilled driver. Gazes linger on you just a little longer than what is comfortable. You want to communicate, but you simply speak another language. You do things your way. Among us is a community of children and adults who communicate differently from many, but are blessed with their own talents and skills, dreams, ambitions, and potential.… Read More