The issue of allowing Muslim speakers in Hillsborough schools erupts on 9/11 anniversary
Kelly Benjamin (with bullhorn), Richard Swier & Roger Homefield in front of Hillsborough School District building Although there were solemn events marking the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks across the Tampa Bay area on Tuesday, the sidewalk scuffle in front of the Hillsborough County School Board was not one of them. Liberal activists crowded…
Whole Foods marketing manager said there are no plans for a St. Pete store
wholefoods.com ILovetheBurg.com reported Tuesday that an anonymous source confirmed that Whole Foods would be opening a store in St. Petersburg. According to the St. Pete website: Sources close to the deal have informed iLovetheBurg.com, on the condition of anonymity, that Whole Foods has arranged to acquire the block between 3rd and 4th Avenues North, currently…
New music Tuesday! (Sept. 11): David Byrne & St. Vincent, Tom Tom Club, Bob Dylan, Dave Matthews Band, The Avett Brothers & more
Releases out this week; audio & video included.
Group defending Florida Supreme Court justices fights back
Barbara Pariente Three Florida Supreme Court justices and 15 appellate judges are up for merit retention in the Nov. 6 general election. But as CL's Scott Farrell reported earlier this summer, conservative forces hope to remove the three high court state justices, two of them — Barbara Pariente and Fred Lewis — nominated to the…
Mitch Perry Report 9.11.12 -Is the “Clinton Factor” overrated in the presidential race?
President Clinton is in Miami today, pumping up the candidacy of Barack Obama. His appearance comes six days after his boffo performance in Charlotte, and will be followed up by another Florida appearance in Orlando tomorrow, before other campaign spots in battleground states. As we reported over the weekend, President Obama has no problem sharing…
“Learn, Lead, and Earn” networking event
The Tampa Bay Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce wants you to make the most out of your business. Join the organization — formerly the Tampa Bay Business Guild — tonight, September 11, for "Learn, Lead, and Earn," an evening of networking and brief educational sessions on how to better run your business, improve your…
BBQ, country and anti-amnesty: Sheriff Joe Arpaio gives a conservative response to the DNC
The Democrats, and the decidedly liberal protesters who followed them, turned Charlotte into a rather blue city last week. Drive a few miles up I-485 however, and the tone was vastly different. Conservative group Rock the Red threw a rally/concert last Wednesday featuring a variety of country acts, conservative speakers and most notably controversial Arizona…
SunRail executive director briefs the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority
In December 2009, the Florida Legislature went into a special session to approve a deal to pay CSX Corporation more than $400 million to acquire the tracks needed for Central Florida's planned SunRail commuter-rail project. The deal was extremely controversial, and locals' anger regarding the project grew exponentially when Gov. Rick Scott rejected more than…
Attention fabulous people: It’s Fashion Week!
Tampa will follow in the footsteps of Milan, Paris and New York during our own Fashion Week Sept. 13-22. Several events throughout the bay area will showcase local, national and international designer’s latest lines. Kicking off the week, Buffalo Gal Vintage and Luxe Fashion Group are hosting a historical fashion show at 7 p.m. Thursday,…
GoDaddy server goes down, taking local sites with it
TWITTER.COM Monday morning, mega-domain registrar and web hosting company GoDaddy went dark. Hacker group Anonymous claimed credit for the attack, but not collectively. The "security leader" at Anonymous (Twitter user name @AnonymousOwn3r) took sole responsibility. Anonymous Federation (@AnonFederation) tweeted, "Please redirect your #godaddy hate to @AnonymousOwn3r He is the 'leader' of #Anonymous and a #faggot.…
Charlie Crist for Democratic governor looks serious
Kevin Tighe There was considerable apprehension (if not downright opposition) amongst members of the Florida delegation regarding former Gov. Charlie Crist's appearance at the DNC. However, there was no shortage of enthusiasm for him this past Saturday morning when he introduced President Obama to an estimated 11,000 people at the Seminole branch of St. Petersburg…
“Mark Owen” tells his story of the killing of Osama bin Laden
The first direct account on the raid that killed Osama bin Laden last year in Pakistan is documented in a new book, No Easy Day, that has just been published in advance of the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The book, written by a former member of SEAL Team 6 known by the pseudonym…
Mitch Perry Report 9.10.12: Are you ready for some football now, Tampa Bay?
The NFL kicked off its full schedule of games yesterday, and perhaps the Tampa Bay Bucs' stirring upset victory over Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers in the Convention Bowl will get reluctant fans to start purchasing tickets (some as low as $30) for the Greg Schiano-led squad's next game at Raymond James Stadium. That…
RIP Ryan Fujiki-Hastings, a scholar among musicians
Ryan Fujiki-Hastings with daughter Anais in his last Facebook photo before time of death. If I could make one wish as a writer, I'd request not having to write another obit about a friend — but the cruel hand of fate would just flip me the middle finger and say no. So, it's with a…
Romney on MTP: I’m NOT reducing taxes on high income taxpayers
Although it may be more of just a slight dribble than a full on "bounce" for the Democratic Party after their national convention in Charlotte last week, Team Romney felt sufficiently challenged about the momentum in the race to put their party's standard bearers on three of the Big Five Sunday morning public affairs programs.…
Permaculture in the ’Burg
How one couple turned their backyard into an urban farm.
Burning, man
My girlfriend’s online posts have me worried.
Obama name checked Clinton several times in his Pinellas County campaign speech
Kevin Tighe President Obama in Seminole Saturday morning Feeling buoyed by the DNC — which even Republicans are calling a more successful convention — President Obama spoke to an estimated 11,000 people in Seminole, Fla., on Saturday, Sept. 8 (his 10th appearance in Florida this year and 20th during his presidency). Appearing at an open…
Getting away from it all
An imaginary journey of two geniuses is the subject of a new novel by Tampa author Enid Shomer.
Ask Dream Momma: Forbidden flirtation stirs a dreamer
“Dear Dream Momma, I had a dream last night that my cousin (male, age 21) and I (female, age 22) were fishing in east Tennessee (where I live, but my cousin does not). We were having a great time as we always do when we get together to fish. My cousin cast his line and…
Meatloaf & a musical at The Show Palace
Is the combo worth a trek to Hudson?
Something Wicked this way comes
Wicked Betty Designs will walk the runway during Fashion Week Tampa Bay.
Mitch Perry Report 9.7.12 -the Democrats move forward
Although Democrats are ecstatic about their just concluded convention in North Carolina, last night's closer did not reach the highs of the previous two evenings. For this reporter's taste, the highlight was actually John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic nominee for president whose ambition to be named Barack Obama's Secretary of State four years ago was…
Is the Bucs’ opening game blackout a sign of things to come?
The supposed heightened excitement amongst Tampa Bay Bucs fans with the hiring of former Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano didn't translate into selling out Raymond James Stadium, or even filling it the required 85 percent to prevent a blackout for this Sunday's game at 4:25 p.m. That's despite the fact that Carolina features one of…
Rain can’t stop our party! Photos from Rock the Park: Take Back the City
On Thursday, Sept. 6, music lovers gathered in Cutis Hixon Park to "take back the city." In what was billed by the Tampa Downtown Partnership as a night to take back the city after last week's RNC, about 200 people gathered in Curtis Hixon Park to declare themselves free from the traffic jams, heavy police…
Two Big Mouths #113 Now Live
[audio-path:http://archive.org/download/TwoBigMouths113/Tbm09-06.mp3] Welcome back Mouthy friends. A big show this week as we've been raking B-P over the coals for two years now over the Gulf oil spill. Now, we have the Justice Department report to prove we were right. If you're an outdoors type, you're probably going to get West Nile disease. And one strip…
Two Big Mouths #113 Now Live
[audio-path:http://archive.org/download/TwoBigMouths113/Tbm09-06.mp3] Welcome back Mouthy friends. A big show this week as we've been raking B-P over the coals for two years now over the Gulf oil spill. Now, we have the Justice Department report to prove we were right. If you're an outdoors type, you're probably going to get West Nile disease. And one strip…
Tampa’s RNC was a once in a lifetime experience
Less than 12 hours after the Republican National Convention ended at the Tampa Bay Times Forum, a bleary-eyed Mayor Bob Buckhorn hosted a news conference at City Hall where he praised the city police department, city staff, and volunteers for putting on what he called an "absolutely flawless" convention. The fact that Chief Jane Castor's…
Boost or bust?
Despite rosy forecasts, the RNC hurt area restaurants and bars.
Even Newt got a hug
RNC Wrap-up: Clint choked, Honey Badger cared, and two, count ’em two, got arrested.
The seven feelings we felt during the RNC
The thrills and disappointments of hosting the biggest bash ever.
The scarlet ingredient
When basil can’t take the heat, try cranberry hibiscus.
Live & Local Spotlight: Magadog Farewell Show at Rock the Park
Jamaican reggae and infectious island-style horns will fill the air as the signs of relief and sighs of exhaustion are experienced across Tampa Bay post-RNC. The Tampa Downtown Partnership, along with support from the local business community and THX Management, holds their monthly Rock in the Park concert series with a “Take Back the City”…
Judy Lisi’s at the Center of it all
Happy 25th Anniversary to the Straz and its leading lady.
Fall Arts Preview: Visual Arts
Cartier-Bresson, Jack Nicklaus, talented twosomes…
Fall Arts Preview 2012: Theater
Poetry, passion and classics revisited.
Tampa Bay Fall Arts Preview: Music
The must-see concerts of the fall season, Sept. 6-Jan. 18.
Fall Arts Preview: Movies
Previews of coming attractions.
Fall Arts Preview: ETC
Belafonte, Cirque and another important anniversary…
Tampa City Council discusses EB-5 program
Yolie Capin The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' EB-5 Investor Visa Program has been around since 1990, but has attracted more attention in recent years as cities and states are using it to spur economic development during these recessionary times. It's a program that essentially allows foreigners to get green cards for themselves and their…
