Niece of the Week: Cara Martin Howard Brown
Originally from Schaumburg, Illinois, Cara now calls Tampa her home. When she’s not busy taking care of her husband and family and working, she can be found volunteering at non-profits in our great community.
You Just Can’t Make This Stuff Up!
One Labor Day weekend a big group from Tampa went to the Labor Day party, Southern Decadence, in New Orleans. After a full night of taking on Bourbon Street (they did close down at 6 a.m.) we heard our friend in the next room shouting a lot of obscenities! We staggered out of our beds and went next door to his room to see what all the commotion was about. Maybe he needed help? He rambled on, “…and some GD MFer has glued all my pills down on this tray!” We smiled and calmly said, “That is the TV remote control in your hand and the “pills” sitting there are the buttons.”
New GaYBOR Board
The new administration of the GaYBOR District Coalition took their oaths of office on July 16 at their first meeting at Carne’s Chophouse. The new officers have new ideas and directions. Congratulations.
The new officers are:
President – Ernie Webb, from Honey Pot
VP – Chou Chou Guilder, Southern Nights
Secretary – Chris Hannay, Ybor City Wine Bar
Treasurer – Paul Clear, Private Winery Distributor
Community Resident Liaison – Carol “Momma” Steen
Membership – Bill Lyle, Carne Chophouse
Social Media – Stacey “Geeky Gal” Ward
Tampa City Hall Turns 100
Tampa City Clerk Shirley Foxx-Knowles was sprucing up pictures of the historic Tampa City Hall this week. After all, it is City Hall’s 100th birthday and hundreds of old hidden city hall pictures that were stored away had to be placed for the public celebration. The celebration kickoff was on July 15 with an event honoring the building by architect Leo Elliot. The actual 100th birthday is coming August 15, coinciding with the city’s 128th birthday. There will be a lot of media coverage. The public is invited to visit the city’s governing structure.
There is also some great news that comes along with being 100! Tampa officials will give the historic Tampa City Hall a $7.3 million renovation coming from the city’s capital budget for 2016. Exteriors will be re-fortified first with brick work being repaired on the first phase and new exterior doors installed. The interior will be started in phase two. The contract will be officially confirmed by the Tampa City Council. The City Council hold chamber meetings and members have their offices in the old 1915 city center.
Already, the new hurricane-proof windows were installed a few years ago. The four-faced tower clock was recently repaired and restored by a benefactor. A new roof was completed in 2014. Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn’s office is adjacent in the Tampa City Municipal Office Building high-rise.
The mayor remarked that the landmark building is deserving of all the investments and renovations. Mayor Buckhorn was once a Tampa City Councilman, with his office located in the old city hall.
THANK YOU
A huge thank you goes out to the 150+ people who attended our Mark & Carrie “Southern Lemonade Social.” At this pre-renovation party, there was NO air conditioning, NO furniture, much dust, but lots of laughs!
