Neighborhood News Bureau

Category: Uncategorized

  • Old oak charms small town

    By Ellery Butler

    Gina Bingham, a reference librarian at Safety Harbor Public Library, excitedly tells patrons about the historic Baranoff Oak that stands tall right outside the library. She even writes a blog about this tree, the oldest living oak tree in Pinellas County.

    People wonder if the Baranoff Oak was a sapling when Ponce De Leon arrived in Florida.

    “The tree is a fascination for everybody that comes into the area. It’s very iconic for Safety Harbor,” Bingham said.

    The oak, which is estimated to be between 300 and 500 years old, is featured in the town’s business directory.

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  • Refining food for Tampa Bay

    By Daniel Figueroa and Patrick Kiernan

    Greg Baker takes a swig of his beer and pulls a drag from an e-cigarette.

    “I buy two dollar plates. I get a chip in it. Am I supposed to throw it way? Is that sustainable?” Baker says.

    Baker is the head chef and co-owner of The Refinery, a restaurant in Seminole Heights. In just a few years, Baker has launched full force into the Tampa Bay dining scene. His approach has earned appearances on television shows, myriad print articles from Southern Living to the Tampa Bay Times and a number of James Beard Foundation Award nominations.

    The Refinery offers sustainable, locally sourced food for low prices in a casual, communal atmosphere.

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  • Veganism is on the rise

    By Patrick Kiernan

    While sipping her soy latte, Abbie Rae points to her freezer door. A magnet that reads “God Bless John Wayne” holds a sticker she received from a recent online order from Compassion Clothing, a company that promotes animal rights and vegan living. In bold type the sticker reads: “Compassion Clothing — It’s Okay To Give A F—.”

    On this Saturday morning, Abbie Rae flips through her record collection, deciding which album would suffice as the soundtrack to her brunch. Lifting the plastic cover to her record player, she slowly places Beirut’s “Flying Cub Cup” on the platter and guides the needle to the wax.

    Shuffling to the kitchen, she bends down to her miniature daschund, Cooper, and kissed his head while tickling the golden wrinkles of his neck.

    From her refrigerator, Abbie Rae unloads onions, tomatoes, kale, mushrooms and tofu. The white gelatinous tofu plops into a plastic press and drained of the water. Within minutes, the tofu is sliced into cubes and then mashed. Tossed into a pan with other veggies, the tofu sizzles and pops as Abbie Rae hums to the music echoing from her living room. Tofu scramble is her favorite brunch food and it remains a symbol of her devotion to animal rights and living as a vegan.

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  • Local farmers markets give Midtown more fresh produce options

    By Jaclyn Cayavec and Meaghan Habuda

    Nearly two months have passed since the Sweetbay Supermarket at 22nd Street and 18th Avenue South closed its doors to Midtown.  Farmers markets have served as alternative places to buy fresh produce.

    There are two market locations accessible to Midtown residents: the Gulfport Tuesday Morning Fresh Market and the Saturday Morning Market. Each market offers a variety of fruits and vegetables. The produce is grown locally and a few stands provide buyers with organic options.

    Worden Farms, an 85-acre farm in Punta Gorda,  has sold organic produce at the Saturday Morning Market, hosted from downtown’s Al Lang Stadium parking lot, since 2004.

    “Organic has to do with the way that it’s grown. It’s grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers,” manager Dalton Tininenko said. “We work with nature in a very natural way.”

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  • Local seafood markets offer different atmosphere, lower prices

    By Tyler Killette and Chelsea Tatham

    Family owned and operated since 1975, Mastry’s Tackle offers an unconventional shopping experience for St. Petersburg seafood connoisseurs. Instead of glass freezers of neatly arranged fish filets, Mastry’s displays its grouper, tilapia, snapper, catfish, mackerel, perch and jumbo shrimp in large plastic white coolers — bones, scales and eyes sill intact.

    Owner Larry Mastry said the store has always been set up this way.

    “You don’t find many markets where you buy fish out of a cooler,” he said.

    But the set up seems to work well for the self-dubbed “down home country store.” On a Tuesday afternoon, a steady stream of customers flow in from Fourth Street S.

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  • For one USFSP student, personal tragedy leads to a business idea

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    The smell of strawberries and poppy filled the kitchen of her house. On the counter lay cellophane and pink ribbons that would soon be used to package her finished products.

    Francesca Genovese, 25, of St. Petersburg, is the owner of an online boutique, The Sleepy Poppy Shop. The boutique specializes in finely handcrafted exfoliating soaps and bath products. Using only organic botanicals and essential oils, products come in a variety of alcohol-free “whimsical” scents and soaps freshly poured to order. The boutique’s signature Poppy Seed Exfoliate buffs, brightens and removes dead, dull skin, and is the basis of the product line. The Sleepy Poppy Shop also offers Shea butter soaps that are vegan friendly, made from soy or vegetable based glycerin or coconut oil.

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  • In Old Southeast, mail delivered in song

    In Old Southeast, mail delivered in song

    Many Old Southeast residents know exactly when their mail arrives. It isn’t the barking dogs or the thud of letters falling through the mail slot that tips them off, but the smooth, sultry voice of Herman Andrew Edwards, their singing mailman.

    He isn’t listening to an MP3 player or a radio; he’s a solo act. The soulful, jazzy lyrics of Neil Sedaka, the Temptations and the Four Tops are ingrained in his memory after years of listening. (more…)

  • Operation attack provides food and clothing to families

    Operation Attack’s motto is “Sharing God’s abundance with our neighbors” and their volunteers’ commitment to the ministry is proof of that mission.

    Enter the double doors of Operation Attack’s location inside Lakeview Presbyterian Church on any Tuesday morning and Peggy Junkin is there to greet you. Surrounded by racks of gently used children’s clothing and shelves stocked with peanut butter, Ramen Noodles and canned vegetables, Junkin has been volunteering with Operation Attack for about six years now. She first learned of Operation Attack through the Westview Presbyterian Church she and her husband William Junkin attend. Along with several area churches, Peggy Junkin said Operation Attack was one of Westview’s missions.

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  • In Midtown, midwifery on the rise

    In Midtown, midwifery on the rise

    Late on Tuesday, Sept. 25, local licensed midwife Jill Adams delivered her 382nd baby since becoming certified in 2007.

    Located on First Avenue South and 26th Street in Midtown, Naturally Nurturing Midwifery Services looks like most other tree-shaded, single-family homes on the block save for the large sign in the front yard. Inside the house there is a prenatal center where Adams meets with clients in the months leading up to their delivery.

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