BEST PLACE TO COMMUNE WITH THE COSMOS
MOSI SkyWatch
Imagine this: While others sleep, you're standing atop the Museum of Science & Industry's IMAX Dome, surrounded by the dark night and a multitude of stars while being mesmerized by the shifting colors of the slow eclipse of the moon. It's just you, the cosmos and a few other kindred souls taking advantage of MOSI's magical telescopes. At the upcoming lunar eclipse on Oct. 27, perhaps Craig MacDougal, coordinator of these stellar happenings and a musician in a former life, can be persuaded to enhance the moment by playing "Blue Moon" on his saxophone.
MOSI, 4801 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, 813-987-6100, www.mosi.org.
BEST PLACE FOR A MULTICULTI CONVERSATION
Fushia Restaurant/Lounge
Jetie B. Wilds Jr., entrepreneur and host of WTMP-1150 AM's Citizen Report Hour, is realizing a longtime dream born in the Goose Hollow Cafe in Portland, Ore., nearly a half century ago. The Cafe was a place where patrons spontaneously engaged in meaningful conversations about the community and the world with folks they knew and others who simply dropped in. Especially nice was the eclectic mix of class and race. Jetie is a co-owner of Fushia Restaurant/Lounge — where "progressive people drink, eat and greet" — and he delights in facilitating connections among his patrons so the same freewheeling conversations can happen in downtown Tampa. Earth Charter hosts Multi-Cultural Mixers the last Friday of every month with happy hour drinks and interactive cultural conversations from 5 to 8 p.m.
Fushia Restaurant/Lounge, 102 S. Tampa St., Tampa, 813-221-4921.
BEST COUNTERCULTURE IMPRESARIO
David Audet
I've been a fan of David Audet since the 1970s when he opened Ground Zero and presented a satirical troupe called School of Night Theater. My favorite show was the one that opened with a parody of dinner theaters, with performers throwing frozen chicken pot pies into the audience. David also founded the Writers & Artists Ball, with its counterculture themes and outrageous revelry. For a while, he had an art gallery in Seminole Heights with cutting-edge events like The Cuban Sandwich Show. He headed up a lollapalooza school play, with 100 students participating on four stages in a bold audience interactive experiment to answer the question "what is the future of our world?" Today, David is Coordinator of Arts at Hillsborough Community College's Ybor Campus and is planning the Festival of the Moving Image with contemporary media artists and filmmakers from around the country from March 30 to April 3. His political concerns have moved him to create the Artists & Voters Ball with lots of music, poetry, films and more being held on Saturday, Oct. 2.
BEST WAY TO CONTROL YOUR 15 MINUTES OF FAME
Become an executive television producer and call all the shots. The 12-week producers' training course at Tampa Bay Community Network will launch you and your brilliant idea for that award-winning show on cable television. Kudos to station manager Louise Thompson, Mary Geraci, Tjuana Franks, and Mike Caldwell for their professionalism and limitless patience. Mary, a topnotch producer and a gifted comedienne, keeps the humor flowing.
Tampa Bay Community Network, 1001 N. B St., Tampa, 813-254-1687, www.speakuptampabay.org.
BEST UNSUNG HERO
Tracy Copes
A graphic artist for 16 years, Tracy Copes generously donates her priceless skills to many diverse organizations, capturing their messages with eloquent and inspiring artistic renditions. And she is honestly grateful to be able to do so. Earth Charter has benefited greatly from her gifts and when we thanked her, she simply said that she felt she was the chosen one. Wow! Among her other lucky beneficiaries are Sweetwater Organic Community Farm, Equality Florida, Dogs Deserve Better, Every Family Counts Campaign, Prodigal Sun, Women's Artists Rising, YMCA Camp, and local band Ghetto Love Sugar.
BEST PLACE TO LEARN SAILING EVEN IF YOU´RE NOT RICH
Davis Island Yacht Club
I grew up in a little village on the water in New York and longed to go sailing. Unfortunately, my folks couldn't afford to be members of the Sea Cliff Yacht Club so I didn't fulfill that yearning until reaching Tampa many years later. Fortunately, all of Tampa's kids from 8 to 15 years old are welcome to attend the Davis Island Yacht Club's reasonably priced sailing classes and programs. Older sailors are taught by Olympic Gold Medal sailor Allison Jolly. New sailors learn basic boat handling and points of sail in classes both on and off the water.
Davis Islands Yacht Club, 1315 Severn Ave. Tampa, 813-251-1158, http://diyc.org.
BEST FRIEND TO INDEPENDENT ENTREPRENEURS
Tampa Independent Business Alliance
Independent businesses are the lifeblood of our local economy, and Tampa Independent Business Alliance is a lifeline to local businesses. Shop at independent businesses as much as you can. Not only do their profits go back into the community 100 percent, but they're our friends and neighbors, so they care what happens here. Support them and our community by buying and dining at locally owned establishments. If you operate a business, join the alliance and strengthen your ties in the community.
Tampa Independent Business Alliance, 117 E. Whiting St., Tampa, 254-6473, 253-2638, www.TIBAtampa.org.
To learn more about the Earth Charter and how you can help save the world, visit www.earthchartersummits.org or call 813-254-8454.
This article appears in Sep 22-28, 2004.