You Just Can’t Make This Stuff Up!: The First Winner of the Bradley’s Chili Cook-Off
The very first chili cook-off at Bradley’s on 7th happened in 2011. The regulars all thought they had the very best chili in town. Mark came up with a very different idea. He made the Asian dish congee, then added lots of chili powder and white beans. Presto, it was a strange white chili. On the day of the event, there were many different kinds of chili. A big group of our Asian sisters had just come from Thai Temple. We told them they all had to go and try the chili. The guys all laughed at us and said they didn’t eat American chili! We laughed back and told them they had to try each one. Of course they liked the Asian one. The winner of the very first cook off went to Mark and Carrie. And now you know the rest of the story.
The Tampa Citizen Police Academy: Week 3 of 9
It was another exciting week at the police academy. The police cadets moved the parking cones off the lot and down came the police helicopter. Officer/Pilot Dave Denison gave a great tour of the beautiful machine. There are six full time pilots and six assistants on the force. The choppers are in the skies over Tampa about 10 hours per day. After a fun photo, the chopper made a dramatic exit. It was kinda like Glenda the Good Witch leaving Oz.
Officers Tim and Kelly introduced us to the horses. Coming from Ybor City, we both recognized the horses. “Tank” is a very big horse and “Termite” is always chewing. There are 8-10 horses in service. Each horse wears rubber boots; this helps protect them from broken glass.
Officers Ryan and Ray introduced us to their partners and buddies “Razo” and “Chestney.” These police dogs are the best of the best. They are purchased from breeders at a cost of $10,000 each or more. They then go through 600 hours of training over three to five months. There are 14 dual purpose dogs that do regular police work: half narcotics and half bomb-sniffing. Did you know that when he was in the Air Force, Carrie was a drug dog trainer? When we were at home later that same night, there were Ryan and Ray on TV doing a demonstration at a local water park. All our police officers work long days! The night ended with a quick tour of the forensics truck.
(To read the full column, visit mcfilm.co/category/dishing-with-mark-carrie/)
Congratulations, Hamburger Mary’s Clearwater!
The new Hamburger Mary’s in Clearwater held their official grand opening on October 17. Clearwater Mayor George N. Cretekos and his wife were present for the ribbon cutting ceremony. The party moved inside to toast with champagne and sample items on the menu. Miss Hamburger Mary and Miss Stephanie Shippae were there to meet and greet the party People. Later in the night there was a wonderful show. Become fans today so you don’t miss out on any of the fun. Facebook.com/HamburgerMarysClearwater
