St.

Pete’s Jewel on Tampa Bay

Historic
Old Northeast
Neighborhood News Published Quarterly

Volume 35 Issue 4 www.honna.org December 2008

Old Northeast
Holiday Party
for all Old Northeast neighbors

DATE: Monday, December 15th

TIME: 6pm
LOCATION: Old Northeast Tavern,
201 7th Avenue N

Here’s a chance to mix and mingle with

your neighbors from The Old NE. In the midst
of the holiday season, we think it would be a
great time to take a break! We hope that you
will be able to join us for this casual gathering
Candlelight Tour of Homes
at the Old Northeast Tavern. There will be a
tasty all-you-can-eat pizza/salad bar for just
$5 per person plus a cash bar for your drinks.
Making Our Spirits Bright
by Julia Brazier
Please RSVP to honna@honna.org or call
Susan at 368-8419 by Friday, December 12th, Chair of the Candlelight Tour of Homes
so we have some idea about how many folks The goodwill and festivities of the holiday season are best when shared with
to expect! family, friends and community. Our community has certainly come together in
Please bring a can or package of non-per- support of the 11th Annual Historic Old Northeast Candlelight Tour of Homes!
ishable food that we will be donating to the On December 7th from 3-8pm this highlight of the holiday season allows
St. Pete Free Clinic. Or you may wish to visitors -- on foot, by car or bicycle or riding in chauffeured vans staffed by
contribute a new unwrapped child’s or teen’s knowledgeable guides -- a glimpse inside eight of our neighborhood’s love-
toy or book which Smith & Associates Real liest homes, representing diverse architectural styles.
Estate will be giving to needy and deserving Whether the Tour has been a part of your own holiday tradition for
children (these items may also be dropped years now or you’re a first time attendee, be sure to notice the new look
off at the Smith & Associates office at 330 of our posters, booklets and other printed materials. Tour Committee
Beach Drive NE). In this way we can do a members were stumped for fresh ideas when Anne-Marie Stephenson
small part in helping brighten the lives of those decided to call in the experts and approached Dr. Joani Spadaro, Asso-
who otherwise would be facing a less than ciate Professor and Director of FSU’s Graphic Design Program.
merry Christmas. Dr. Spadaro presented our challenge to her advanced graphic
We thank Bob and Mark, the proprietors design students and the results were stunning. The creation
of the tavern, for hosting us! continued on page 6
IN THIS ISSUE UPCOMING MEETINGS Mark yo
December15th calenda r
u
New HONNA Offerings ........... Pages 2-3 HONNA Neighborhood r!
Meetings are held the third Holiday Party
R•E•S•P•E•C•T .......................... Page 10 Monday of each month (except January 19th
August and December) at Souvenir of St. Petersburg
Going Green .......................... Pages 20-21 Westminster Presbyterian Church —Meet the author
Watering NO-NOs .................. Pages 26-27 126 11th Avenue NE February 16th
HISTORIC6:45pm, SocialN• EIGHBORHOOD
OLD NORTHEAST 7pm, Business
NEWS Yvonne Swanson, Master Gardener
Page 1
The President’s Perspective Holiday giving be-
gins by helping oth-
ers in our commu-
Mary Alice Lange nity. We hope we’ve
Association President made it easy for you to
participate! This year
As the daylight fades with the sunset and the cooler nights we will be collecting
signal festive occasions, the Candlelight Tour of Homes will wel- non-perishable food
come in the holiday season on Sunday, December 7th from 3- items for the St. Pe-
8pm. Some of the most magnificent homes in our neighborhood tersburg Free Clinic
will be showcased on the Tour while residents and visitors stroll and unwrapped toys
along the historic streets of The Old Northeast. With Tour goers for various local chari-
and our houses decked out in the holiday spirit, come start the ties. Check page 1 of
season with us while honoring community and friendships. the newsletter for
Celebrate and share with others while reading and giving as a drop-off locations.
gift the Souvenir of St. Petersburg, Views from the Vinoy book Neighborhood Ap-
published by your neighborhood association. This “coffee table” preciation Potluck Din-
children’s history book honors our past while looking to the fu- ners will be one of the many exciting additions to the neighbor-
ture. Educational partnerships with the Pinellas County School hood-wide social opportunities that will be held in March, June
System and Sunken Gardens connect 4th graders throughout St. and September. HONNA will provide the entrée and neighbors
Petersburg with exciting classroom and field trip experiences. will be invited to bring salads, appetizers, desserts and soft drinks.
The Souvenir of St. Petersburg may be purchased by contacting All neighborhood residents are welcome to come, bring a dish to
one of the retail outlets listed on www.honna.org or cited on page share and enjoy socializing with your neighbors! Check out
5 of this issue. This project was entirely funded by the generous www.honna.org and the March newsletter for additional infor-
grants and individual donations (listed on page 3), who directed mation. Mark your calendar now: Monday, March 16th; Monday,
the funds be used specifically for this project: June 15th and Monday, September 21st.
As you can see 2009 offers many new and exciting opportuni-
ties in the neighborhood. Join us at one or more of the events or
monthly meetings to visit with neighbors and experience our neigh-
borhood at its best.

January Monthly HONNA

New Neighborhood Meeting
For Children (yes, children!) and
Members
Their Parents and Grandparents
Bring the children, meet the author and have her sign
Carolyn Hill, Kathryn Ruetz ................ 11th Avenue NE
their copy (a great Christmas gift!) of the Association’s
Doris Chapel, Charles Strub ............... North Shore Drive NE eagerly-awaited heritage publication, Souvenir of St. Pe-
Julie Kline .......................................... 7th Avenue NE tersburg, Views from the Vinoy.
Peter Androski, Heidi Trilsch .............. 15th Avenue NE Author Robin Gonzalez will be on hand at the January
Russell and Maria Winer .................... 16th Avenue NE 19th meeting to read selected chapters from our recently-
published book to neighborhood children, engaging them
with “souvenirs” from her personal collection, including
old postcards, china and local historical memorabilia.
AD RATES Don’t forget to bring your cameras — afterwards chil-
AD SIZE 1Qtr 2 Qtrs 3 Qtrs 1 Year dren can have their photos taken, looking out from a
Business card 50 93 128 160 cut-out replica of our familiar neighborhood monument.
1/4 page (H 4.9" x w 3.7") 100 186 256 320 And the meeting will end promptly at 8pm since it’s a
1/2 page (H 4.9" x w 7.8") 200 372 512 640 school night!
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The newsletter is distributed by mail to all homes in The Old Northeast
(boundaries are 5th Ave N to 30th Ave N, and 4th St N to North Shore Dr/Coffee Pot
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Bayou Blvd). There are approximately 2,800 active home mailing addresses. 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901
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Contact Rachel Sartain: RTSartain@yahoo.com 12345678901234567890123456789012123456789012345678901
And tell them you saw their ad here
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Page 2 HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS
 Association News & Activities
Some of the candidates
making their presentations at
September’s monthly meeting
September’s monthly meeting provided an opportunity for
residents to personally question candidates running for local and
state offices in the November election. Virtually every candidate
running for office appeared, including those for State Represen-
tative, Election Supervisor, County Commissioner, School Board,
Property Appraiser and Sheriff. Each candidate briefly presented
reasons why he/she should be elected and then entertained ques-
tions from the audience. The League of Women Voters moder-
ated the program.
At the October monthly meeting, representatives from the
Police Department fielded concerns and questions from neigh-
borhood residents regarding a number of issues. They included
homeless persons sleeping in North Shore Park, suspicious ac-
tivity near the tennis court restrooms, motorists driving the wrong
way on one-way streets or otherwise disregarding speed limits,
residents parking on the wrong side of the street (it’s the law that
the passenger-side wheels must be to the curb) and the circula-
tion of an erroneous e-mail about a rapist in the neighborhood
(see “In Case You Missed It” elsewhere in this issue). At a “grins
and gripes” session which followed, residents expressed con-
cerns about the Venetian steps, hex block sidewalks in disrepair
(phone the City Engineer’s office at 893-7171), burned-out street
lamps (phone Progress Energy at 800/228-8485 to have them
replaced) and recycling.
The November meeting occurred after the newsletter went to
press and information about it will be in the next issue, including
the names of the new association officers and Board members.
Committee Reports
Planning/Historic Preservation
Committee
Robin Reed, Chair
Planning:
Bob Jeffrey continues to work towards completion of the Neigh-
borhood Plan. This past month he requested information about
landscaping. Wendy Mansfield and the Tree Committee’s records
were delivered to him for inclusion in the Plan. Fortunately, they
were quite detailed and included a list of where the neighborhood
parkways need trees and specified the oak as our tree of choice
for parkway plantings. They also recorded details of HONNA’s
participation in the Mayor’s flowering tree planting program and
where we planted trees that were received as part of that pro-
gram. Thank you, Tree Committee, for your valuable contribu-
tion to the Plan!
Historic Preservation:
The draft of the Children’s Education Project, Souvenir of St.
Petersburg, was sent to the printer the first week in November.
By the time you read this newsletter, we will have received the
books and they will be on sale. It is charming and very educa-
tional in an exciting and fun way. It contains scavenger hunts,
suggested things to do and beautiful photographs of the neigh-
borhood throughout the book.
The Neighborhood Association is partnering with Sunken Gar-
dens and the Pinellas County School System to get donated cop-
ies of the books in all the elementary schools in St. Petersburg
and to have children visit both Sunken Gardens and the neighbor-
hood on field trips. Linda Whitley, Social Studies Director at
Pinellas County Schools, is extremely enthusiastic about the pro-
gram and has offered to encourage teachers to participate. HONNA
will be joining Sunken Gardens to sponsor an after-school train-
ing session for teachers after the FCATS in March. We will also
offer an optional Saturday tour of the neighborhood for teachers
following that session.
This project is generously funded by contributions from the fol-
lowing foundations, corporations and individuals: the Verizon Foun-

NEW!
dation, the Frank E. Duckwall Foundation, Julia McGinty (CFP-
LPL Financial), Buckley & Fudge, P.A., Florida Bank, Homes by

FREE Drawings at the The Newsletter of the Historic Old

HONNA Monthly Neighborhood Meetings Northeast Neighborhood Association
All residents attending a monthly meeting will be eligible to Published quarterly – March, June, September and December
participate in a drawing for that meeting. Items may include and mailed to all households in The Old Northeast
a Preserve Old NE flag, Views from the Vinoy souvenir book, P.O. Box 76324, St. Petersburg, FL 33734
Old NE notecards and more! e-mail NSNAeditor@aol.com
Neighborhood Appreciation Potluck Dinners Editor Rick Carson
Columnists and Reporters
Beginning in 2009 HONNA will host a quarterly “Neigh- Mike Dailey Peter Stanhope Keaton Green
borhood Appreciation Potluck Dinner.” All neighborhood resi- David Forman Mike Panetta Barbara Rhode
dents are invited to come, bring a dish to share, enjoy your Yvonne Swanson John Gee Amy Labie
neighbors and good food. Mark your calendar for the dates: Linda Dobbs Chuck Lindeen Jill McGrath
Monday, March 16th; Monday, June 15th and Monday, Sep- Circulation Cathy Leonard and Joe O’Connor
tember 21st. Reminders and more info will follow closer to Contributors All our Old Northeast neighbors
Newsletter Layout & Design Sharon Bond: SharonBond@gmail.com
those dates. Advertising Information Rachel Sartain: RTSartain@yahoo.com

HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS Page 3

 Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association
JOIN OUR COMMITTEES
OFFICERS and BOARD
Your volunteer involvement in one of our com- President
mittees will help enhance your neighborhood and Mary Alice Lange 251-2034 tlcapmal@earthlink.net
our association. Vice President
Please contact any committee chair for infor- Maureen Stafford 488-8154 MJStPetersburg@aol.com
Secretary
mation. vacant
Treasurer
Candlelight Tour of Homes (December): Douglas Haan 488-5514 douglashaan@aol.com
Directors
Chair Julia Brazier, 895-4443 Julia Brazier 895-4443 jbrazier@tampabay.rr.com
Rick Carson 898-7834 NSNAeditor@aol.com
Co-Chair Anne-Marie Stephenson, 897-9398 Rick Field 744-6697 townley@aol.com
C.O.N.A. Rep: Maureen Stafford, 488-8154 Susan Lahey 368-8419 slahey@uga.edu
Ron Magray 502-9065 RFMagray@gmail.com
Crime & Safety: Ron Magray, 502-9065 Robin Reed 825-0480 rlreed@tampabay.rr.com
Anne-Marie Stephenson 897-9398 petalstitch@tampabay.rr.com
Membership: Douglas Haan, 488-5514 Bob Watts 821-8997 rwatts7@tampabay.rr.com
Neighborhood Design Review:
Rick Field, 744-6697
HONNA Board meetings are held the second Monday of each month
Newsletter: Rick Carson, 898-7834 at 6:30pm and are open to the public. Check with HONNA for the location.
Planning/Historic Preservation: Robin Reed, 825-0480
Programs: Susan Lahey 368-8419 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678
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Traffic: Bob Watts, 821-8997 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789012345678901212345678
Like our neighborhood?
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Website: Nona Peebles 894-3529 Want to make it even better?
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Volunteer with one of our committees!
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CLIP AND MAIL

Historic Old Northeast Crime Watch Fact Sheet

Neighborhood Name _____________________________________
Association Membership
Address ___________________________________
The Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association was
founded in 1974 to promote civic improvement of our City/State: St. Petersburg, FL Zip: _____________
neighborhood. We invite and welcome all residents of the
Old Northeast to join the association and become involved. Home Phone: ______________________________
Annual membership dues are $30 per household.
Office Phone: ______________________________
Send this completed form to:
Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association Cell Phone: ________________________________
P.O. Box 76324
St. Petersburg, FL 33734 E-mail: ____________________________________

Name(s): ________________________ Emergency Contact Person ___________________

Address: ________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
Phone: __________________________
E-Mail: __________________________
When did you move into the neighborhood
(month and year)?: _______________
$30 ANNUAL DUES ENCLOSED
Contact’s Phone # ___________________________
HONNA Member: Yes____ No____
Would like more info on membership Yes___ No___
Signed: ___________________________________
HONNA
PO Box 76324, St. Petersburg, FL 33734

Page 4 HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Helen, Inc., Interior Motives, JMC Communities, Renaissance Vinoy
Resort and Golf Club, St. Petersburg Preservation, Inc., Sunken
Gardens, David and Mamie Evans, George Rahdert, Joseph and
Robin Reed, Louis and Linda Santoro, Maureen Stafford and Fam-
ily, James and Cathy Martin and Strobel Building. Our many thanks
go to each and every one for making Souvenir of St. Petersburg a
reality! Please note that because it was funded by grantors and
others, HONNA will be required to use the money raised from
book sales for future historic preservation education projects.
The kick-off/press conference for the book will be held on
December 3rd, 10am, in the Vinoy Tea Garden. The Mayor will be
attending, along with a possible 140 additional invited guests. Books
will go on sale at that time for $14.95 and will be available at the
Vinoy Resort Gift Shop, Sunken Gardens Gift Shop, Interior
Motives in St. Petersburg and at Inkwood Books and the Henry
Plant Museum in Tampa.
Walking Tour: Look for photos of HONNA’s fall walking tour
on the website, www.HONNA.org. Rob Wertz and Mike Dailey
(8th Avenue NE) led an interesting and entertaining tour in mid-
November of our waterfront parks and older condos along North
Shore Drive.
New Research Tool for House Histories: Google has launched
an effort to scan in old editions of newspapers from around the
country. One of the first papers to sign up is the St. Petersburg
Times. The newspapers in the Google News Archive will eventu-
ally trace back through more than 100 years of Tampa Bay his-
tory, according to Times Research Editor Tim Rozgonyi. This is
an exciting site for house-researchers! A wealth of information
was written about individual houses and real estate in general in
the early years of our City’s history. Check it out — it’s great
fun! (www.tampabays10.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=
89392&catid=8)
Traffic
Bob Watts, Chair
The North Bay Trail
The newest section of the Pinellas County Trailways plan is
headed our way. The first major section of what has been dubbed
“The North Bay Trail” will meander northward from 1st Avenue S
along the waterfront to 30th Avenue N. The starting point at Demen’s
Landing is the termination point of the recently completed segment
of the Pinellas County Trail. Another leg will eventually take the trail
southward to Albert Whitted Park. And there are long-range plans
which will extend the trail northward to connect to a trail along
Gandy Boulevard (and the Friendship Trail over the Bay, pending
deliberations on the future of the old Gandy Bridge).
Downtown the new trail will run along the water from Bayshore
Drive to 5th Avenue N and then east into Vinoy Park. Parts of this
section trail will replace the existing six-eight foot sidewalks with
a paved path from 10–15 feet wide. Like other parts of the trail
system it is designed to accommodate both bicycle and pedes-
trian traffic. Special consideration was taken to be sure to pre-
serve the oak trees along Bayshore Drive and in Vinoy and North
Shore parks. At the northernmost end of the parks the trail joins
Coffee Pot Boulevard NE. While lane striping will indicate bike
lanes on that paved portion of Coffee Pot, no markings or physi-
cal changes will be made to the cobblestone streets that begin just
north of 22nd Avenue NE. Signage will encourage drivers to “share
the road,” and to further enhance safety for cyclist and pedestri-
ans alike the speed limit will be reduced to 15mph on Coffee Pot.
Work on the initial phase of the project will begin immediately
HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS
at 30th Avenue N and continue down to the north end of North
Shore Park. After the first of the year work will begin on the
section on Bayshore Drive NE across from Straub Park. Once
funds are available work will begin on the section of the trail
running through Vinoy and North Shore parks to complete that
phase of the trail.
Another exciting project that is already underway is the addi-
tion of sidewalks on both sides of 22nd Avenue NE where it inter-
sects Coffee Pot Boulevard NE. New crosswalks will also be
installed at that location. You can also look forward to some re-
working of that intersection as well as the intersection at the
Snell Isle Bridge designed to enhance safety, slow traffic and
make it more pedestrian-friendly.
So you can look forward to a safer bike ride to downtown
along the waterfront and better access to Coffee Pot Bayou in
the months to come. If you need specific details or have ques-
tions about these projects or any other traffic and parking issues,
please send me an e-mail, Rwatts7@tampabay.rr.com.
Crime & Safety Committee
Ron Magray, Chair
Crime appears to be on the rise in our neighborhood. We are
experiencing repeated home burglaries. The modus operandi
(MO) include daytime attempts, incidents occurring from about
6:30am through mid-day, an individual looking for handyman
work, casing of residences to determine when your home is un-
occupied and perpetrators working as a team with a lookout.
We all need to be aware. When you see a suspicious person,
someone who does not appear to belong in your
neighborhood, call the St Petersburg Police non-emergency num-
ber 893-7780; save this number in your cell phone. You will be
asked why you think the person is suspicious. Be prepared to
describe the individual (s) and the direction they may be walking
or driving. If needed tell the operator that our Community
Police Officer told us to call. Let the police decide if the indi-
vidual is a criminal. Awareness can be our most effective deter-
rent. If you have any questions please contact me at 502-9065
(crimewatch@honna.org). To join Crime Watch, go to
honna.org or complete and mail in the form on page 4.
Newsletter
Rick Carson, Editor
It’s always encouraging when a neighbor volunteers to be-
come involved in the newsletter. Most recently Mike Panetta
stepped forward and offered to pen a column on ways we can
“green” where we live and how we live. We welcome his addi-
tion to our merry band of writers and thank them all for contrib-
uting to this communication vehicle. If you enjoy and appreciate
what they are doing, please let them know – it doesn’t cost you
anything to compliment them. And if there’s something we can
be doing better or differently, please let me know that, too.
We continue to thank Rachel Sartain for the “thankless” job
she does as our advertising coordinator. Without our ad revenue
we can’t have a newsletter. And in this economic climate it’s not
easy to convince business folks it’s worth their while to adver-
tise in this publication. So if you or someone you know can help
by taking out an ad, please contact Rachel (rtsartain
@yahoo.com).
And anyone wishing to get involved in the mechanics of put-
ting this newsletter together, let me know.
Page 5
Candlelight Tour from page 1
of Ms. Shavonta Otis now adorns posters
throughout the Tampa Bay area!

Our sincere thanks to the

following individuals and
businesses for their donations:
Southern Exteriors
Bill and Julie Feeley
Fourth Street Shrimp Store
Molly Kottke
Front Porch Produce Café & Market
Evos
Linda and Ken Garrity
Lisa Koelsch
Kevin and Lori Mussmacher
Marc Nadeau and Peter Stanhope
Bev and Bob Noun

The generous support of our Hospitality This is the outside before – wait ‘til you see the after! And you won’t
Houses -- Dickens House Bed & Breakfast, believe the interior!
Westminster Palms and the Westminster Pres-
byterian Church -- provide respite and refresh-
ment again this year.
renovate the circa 1920s carriage house. It’s all been the vision
And, of course, our homeowners and their families -- a se-
th and passion of Maureen Stafford, chosen by St. Petersburg
cret until December 7 but definitely one worth waiting for!
Preservation as the winner of the 2008 Preservationist of the
Tour proceeds benefit the St. Petersburg Free Clinic, Big Broth- Year award. When Maureen, a restorative developer, purchased
ers Big Sisters of Pinellas County and The Historic Old North- the property in 2004 it had suffered from years of neglect. She
east Neighborhood Association. gutted it to the studs, enabling forensic research of the struc-
ture, and then lovingly reassembled this “grand old lady.” Maureen
A Taste of What to Expect salvaged many of the fine original features and also used original
This year’s tour emphasizes the synergy created when the materials from both local and New Orleans period homes. She
best of old and new comes, painstakingly, together. Consider took great care to incorporate recycled materials and to imple-
one of the homes you’ll visit. Originally a 1925 bachelor’s li- ment best practices of green technology. The melding of old and
brary, it’s now a child’s bedroom. The trolley stop next to this new throughout all three levels — cable and computer network-
hollow tile and stucco home was the only one in The Old North- ing, historic moldings, central vacuum, four fireplaces, state of
east, and this year a baby daughter will celebrate her first holi- the art sound and security systems – is harmonious.
day season. Soon to be crawling, will her pudgy fingers probe Another Tour home is a two-story Americana charmer which
the tiny holes which once held buzzers to call for servants? originally served as a boarding house for the skilled craftsmen
Perhaps she’ll learn to stand by grasping onto the leg of the who helped build our city during the “boom era” of the 1920s.
same chair another child clutched 80 years ago, as Mom and Originally it was somewhat utilitarian with small, dark bedrooms,
Dad have been collecting period pieces -- they were thrilled to tiny closets, sparse insulation, odd angles and an enclosed porch.
find a matching pair of 1920s theater lights which now adorn The interior transformation of this gracious home is stunning
the living and dining rooms. The structure and layout of this and features an open floor plan, raised ceilings, wide-planked
home are original with the exception of the remodeled kitchen. teak floors and carrera marble kitchen countertops. The
Original green tile around the fireplace, checkered tile floors in homeowners took advantage of the renovation to fully insulate
the sunroom and an ornate doorknocker on the master bedroom their home – not exactly vogue in the ‘20s – and made use of
door are all original details reminiscent of the ‘20s. recycled materials while maintaining the historical beauty of the
One can believe that Aymer and Stella Laughner would heart- original fireplace, moldings and staircase.
ily approve of the meticulous restoration of their 104-year-old Speaking of transformations, the owners of our featured pent-
home, this year’s featured “work in progress.” Mr. Laughner, house condo kept only one bathtub and some kitchen cabinets
truly a driving force behind the City’s early growth, is best known when they purchased the unit in 2003. Fortunately, they already
for developing the landmark Vinoy Park Hotel and many of the lived in the building and were able to remain sane while living in
homes in The Old Northeast. The renaissance of his former a lower floor unit during the year-long renovation of this fabu-
residence is almost complete after a four-year major undertak- lous home. The decision to purchase the penthouse was no doubt
ing to restore the main house to its original grandeur and to influenced by a balcony they believe to be one of the largest in

Page 6 HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

St. Petersburg – where one savors autumn sunrise and sunset
views over the water and downtown, cruise ships in the Bay
(they “sail on top of the trees!”) and countless fireworks dis-
plays. Visitors will notice a “forever valentine” mosaic in the front
hall, paintings by the homeowner’s father and fine craftsmanship
throughout.
We greatly appreciate the cooperation of the following St. Pe-
tersburg businesses where advance tickets are now available for
purchase for $15:
To purchase tickets in advance by mail, please send your check
with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: HONNA Home Tour,
PO Box 76324, St. Petersburg, FL 33734. Tickets are also avail-
able the day of the tour for $20 at Westminster Presbyterian
Church, 126 11th Avenue NE, and Westminster Palms Colonnade
Guest House at the corner of 9th Avenue NE and Beach Drive.
Additional information is available at honna.org or by calling 727/
895-4443.

A Green & Yellow Basket

205 1st Street NE

Davis Anthony Home & Garden

300 Beach Drive NE, Ste 128

Dolin’s Garden Center

801 62nd Avenue North

Florida Craftsman Gallery

501 Central Avenue

Marion’s
1301 14th Street N

Prudential Tropical Realty

2331 4th Street N

The Papery
235 2nd Avenue S

Treehouse Gallery
2835 22nd Avenue N

Uncorked
2706 4th Street N

Pondscapes
4213 S. Manhattan Avenue
Tampa

Consumer Tip
When contracting services
from any business it’s always a
good idea to check with the
Better Business Bureau for
prior
complaints.
Ask for
references
and
confirm
that your
contractor
is
licensed.
HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS Page 7

KIDZ
KORNER
With the steady influx into our neighbor-
hood of new residents, we’re seeing an
increasing number of families with
young children – plus the stork is
keeping pretty busy around here as
it is. So we thought it might be help-
ful to share with parents of young-
sters (as well as grandparents welcom-
ing visiting grandkids) ideas of family-
friendly activities and destinations nearby,
especially ones which are free or inexpensive. If you have any such
good “secrets” you’d like to pass along, let us know.
Our Own Santa’s Workshop
by Linda Dobbs
This year you can do it – you can be one of Santa’s elves! –
right here in St. Petersburg. Not just to your own kids, but also to
kids who won’t have any Christmas at all this year unless you
Dash over, dash over to Uncorked for merriment and cheer;
We’d love to see you this time of year.
By reindeer or sleigh, whatever the way;
We hope you will join us as we celebrate this holiday.
Special Orders Private Wine Tastings
Gift Certificates On-Line Shopping
Gift Baskets Free Delivery*
Free Gift Wrapping* On-Staff Cert. Sommelier
Wine of the Month Club
A gift that will resonate all year long
Each month brings an exclusive celebration of
two bottles of wine w/ tasting notes, menu
pairing and recipe – call for details
www.uncorkedwines.com
“YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD WINE MERCHANT”
Uncorked Fine Wines & Accessories
2706 4th Street North
727.892.9463
*Some restrictions may apply
Page 8 HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS
help. Your kids, the neighbor kids…why, the whole neighborhood
can all be involved. How? The answer: The Christmas Toy Shop
on 16th Street N.
“We exist so no child will be without Christmas,” says the
motto. It’s true. The Christmas Toy Shop provides toys to less
fortunate children in lower Pinellas County and has done so since
1921. Just last year alone, 900 bicycles were distributed and an
average of 3,000 children a year have a Merry Christmas at no
cost to their families. How do they do it?
This is really like Santa’s workshop. No, really. They don’t
just take money and buy presents (although money is gladly ac-
cepted). Instead, elves (I mean volunteers) sort, wash, repair,
paint, and pack toys that have been donated (no stuffed animals,
guns or knives please) by people in the community.
Don’t you just have “visions of sugar plums” (I mean elves
making toys) dancing in your head? Haven’t you always wanted
to be an elf? Gather your neighbors for a Saturday workshop at
Santa’s Toy Shop! Involve your kids sorting through their own
out-grown, outdated, or no-
longer-loved toys to pick the
ones to take to the Toy
Shop for needy kids.
Maybe you would
rather be Santa, helping
distribute the thousands
of toys to the lucky chil-
dren on the dates of De-
cember 9th, 13th, 16th or
20th. Please call the Toy
Shop (898-3962) to find
out more about this op-
tion (or www.christmas
toyshop.org).
Toys (and books, too)
can be dropped off at the
shop at 550 16th Street N in
St. Petersburg, Mondays,
Tuesdays and Wednesdays from
9am-3pm. Volunteer helpers are wel-
come for each of those days. Volun-
teer groups can arrange exclusive
times and days to help – just call
898-3962 for an appointment. An-
other option is a toy drive arranged
by groups of friends, neighbors or organizations.
The Christmas Toy Shop hosts events throughout the year,
such as the well-known Christmas Belles Coffee (invitation only).
The Shop also benefits from events sponsored by other organiza-
tions and individuals. How about arranging with the City to close
off a street and hosting an Old Northeast toy drive, toy repair and
toy building workshop!!! And if not this year, consider doing it in
October or November next year.
Now that is the real holiday spirit! See you there.
Linda and her husband Bob moved to The Old Northeast on
Valentine’s Day 2003 (they wanted to be near their two grand-
children who live in our neighborhood). Over the past 30 years
Linda has been editor of a weekly newspaper, a magazine and a
medical journal as well as numerous newsletters.
“Old Florida”
Screen Doors for
Today’s Florida
C
ooler weather has arrived in Florida; the kind of weather
that makes you eager to turn off the AC and throw open
windows and doors. However, the bugs come right in
along with the cool air. The answer to this problem has been
available for homeowners for quite a while now: screens. Unfor-
tunately, many owners of historic homes no longer have their
original window and door screens. Because window screens are
easily removed when in need of repair, they usually get stacked in
the garage and added to the bottom of the To Do List. Wood
screen doors typically get removed directly to the trash. The re-
sult is both a loss of historic character and a loss of comfort and
function.
While the majority of wood window screens tend to be similar in
design, the wood screen door has a greater degree of design variety
to suit various architectural styles. The screen door also is subject to
much more daily wear than the average window screen. Add Florida’s
high humidity and temperature fluctuations and you do have to spend
some time thinking about screen doors if you want them to look
appropriate and last for a reasonable amount of time.
Although basic wood screen doors are available at local home
improvement stores, they are rarely suited to historic homes or to
Florida’s climate. Many of the available screen doors are built of
finger jointed, soft woods with narrow frames. The result is an
oddly proportioned door that tends to sag and stick shortly after
installation and rot within a season or two. They also are available
only in stock sizes that often need to be modified in order to fit
existing historic door openings.
A better, longer lasting solution is to install a custom built screen
door that is designed to complement the architectural style of the
home and built of rot resistant materials using durable joinery
techniques. Screen door styles range from simple rectangular
frames suited to vernacular homes to ornate ginger-breaded doors
for Victorian era homes. Several designs are available for the Crafts-
man-influenced and Mission style homes so common to Florida
as well. Materials such as cypress and dense pine are suited for
wood screen doors in Florida due to their rot resistance and di-
mensional stability. Strong joints, such as mortise and tenon con-
nections add to the strength and durability of screen doors as
well. Finished with period-appropriate hardware, a well designed
and built wood screen door can add character to a historic home
and serve as a welcome to Florida’s wonderful winter weather.

Article submitted by Jo-Anne Peck. Ms. Peck is a professional

Historic Preservation consultant with Preservation Resource, Inc.,
producer of the Historic Shed line of products. She has been help-
ing identify and preserve Florida’s irreplaceable historic resources
for over 12 years.

Check out the

HONNA web site
www.honna.org
HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS Page 9
 Over The Back Fence
…is a collection of what we’ve heard exchanged in the aisles of the supermarkets,
shared waiting in line to pick up the kids from school, read in the papers, overheard in the
pew behind us in church and, yes, even passed over the back fence. If you have something
you’d like to share about a special recognition, award received, birth, graduation, good-
deed-done or observation around the neighborhood please pass it along to the Editor.
“Over the Back Fence” is only going to be interesting if we hear from you!
R ❂ E ❂ S ❂ P ❂E ❂C ❂ T
Received from a resident... in response to the “R.E.S.P.E.C.T”
section of this column in the last issue of the newsletter:
I enjoyed the “R.E.S.P.E.C.T” section in “Over
the Back Fence” in the September issue. I have
a major traffic gripe to add to that series. Appar-
ently, a number of drivers in our neighborhood
can’t read basic signs like “One Way,” “Do Not
Enter,” “STOP,” and “Speed Limit 25.” I can’t
count the number of times I’ve witnessed near
accidents caused by inebriated or just clueless
people speeding along Bay and First Streets go-
ing the wrong way and ignoring stop signs.
Please respect the law and show some common
courtesy toward your neighbors.
Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous (you’ll
know why when you read it), took the time to write the following:
Home Ownership:
Privilege and Responsibility
There is nothing quite like the privilege of home
ownership. The privilege to furnish and deco-
rate your home anyway you want. The privilege
to live in your home anyway you wish. But home
ownership also comes with certain responsibili-
ties to your neighbors and your community.
Responsibilities you ask? Yes! Including the re-
sponsibility to mow your lawn, weed your gar-
dens, and paint your house. The responsibility
to tent your house if it’s termite infested, treat
mold and mildew, remove dead trees, weed gar-
dens, and remove debris. Once upon a time,
homeowners seemed to understand this unspo-
ken agreement between neighbors – the simple
idea that “I will take care of my property, and
you will take care of yours.” More and more of
today’s homeowners seem to forego all the afore-
mentioned, in favor of any number of other “pri-
orities.”. When I was a boy in the 1960’s, Sat-
urdays, and to a lesser degree Sundays, were
the days of the week that Dads and Moms spent
the day mowing, edging, weeding, gardening,
trimming, painting, and otherwise keeping up the
homestead. I remember my Dad weeding the
cracks in the sidewalk. I even remember him
sweeping and weeding the curbs. What has hap-
pened to today’s homeowner? My neighbors not
Page 10 HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS
by 1 and2 S S
only have knee high weeds in their yards, and
weeds the size of shrubs growing in the middle
of their sidewalks, but small trees growing out
of the gutters! Paint is peeling. Wood is rot-
ting. Half completed projects remain forgotten.
No time perhaps? Ah, but there is time for fish-
ing, boating, drinking, loafing, and lounging. So,
all of this brings me to my dilemma: what is a
good neighbor, interested in neighborhood har-
mony, to do? Well, for fear of insulting my im-
mediate neighbors, I am going to make an ef-
fort on behalf of all of us who face the same
dilemma, and write an article on behalf of those
of us who give a damn. And I will begin with
the assumption that my neighbors are not rude,
nor inconsiderate, but rather ignorant of the
simple courtesy and rules of responsible home
ownership. So, on the assumption that they
want to be good homeowners, and good neigh-
bors, the good news is that there are only two
simple rules of homeownership! Rule #1:
Maintain your yard — including mowing your
lawn regularly, edging, and weeding.Rule #2:
Maintain your house — including power
washing, painting, replacing rotted wood, re-
moving debris, etc.Believe it or not, it’s really
that simple. Homeownership is a privilege and
a responsibility.
Neighbor Marc Nadeau... (15th Avenue NE), an information
tech director for PriceWaterhouseCoopers, accepted an award
from Chief Information Officer magazine on behalf of PWC as
one of the 100 for 2008.
New Gallery... The Nature of Art Gallery has relocated from
Pass-a-Grille to 1100 4th Street N. It represents some two dozen-
plus artists with works in glass, copper and cypress among other
media. The shop also offers items such a note cards, wind chimes,
boutique accesso-
ries and potpourri. Ov e r T he B
The Baack FFen
en ce is a
ence
Live Nativity
Event…Westminst-
er Palms Retire- Soa pb
pboox...
ment Community STEP ON UP
is having their an-
nual “live nativity” and
L ET’S H E AR
to share the holi-
day spirit with their
neighbors. The
event is Thursday,
F R OM YO U
December 18 th ,
from 6:30-8:00pm.
e-mail: nsnaeditor@aol.com
Children are able to participate and pet the animals. The nativity is
on Beach Drive NE between 8th and 9th Avenues.
The Perfect Stocking-Stuffer Book…The hot-off-the-presses
children’s history book, Souvenir of St. Petersburg, Views from
the Vinoy, published by The Historic Old Northeast Neighbor-
hood Association, received some publicity in the “Neighborhood
Times” section of the St. Petersburg Times (October 26th). The
article talked about historian Robin Gonzalez who researched and
wrote the colorful 80-page photo-packed publication. The books
are being given to public elementary schools in the area and are
available for sale to the public for $14.95. They may be pur-
chased at the Vinoy Hotel and Resort, Sunken Gardens gift shop,
Interior Motives art gallery and at the Annual Candlelight Tour of
Homes on December 7th. [See page 2]
Totally the “In” Place…The recent Rays phenomenon did a
whole lot to put St. Petersburg on the map (even though some in
the media couldn’t help placing the team and The Trop in Tampa).
In May of ’07 the City – and most specifically our own Old North-
east neighborhood – was the beneficiary of a delightful and lengthy
article in the New York Times. But apparently the folks at the Old
Gray Lady can’t get enough of our – surprise, surprise — de-
lightful city. “Revival Beyond the Beach” was the title of a travel
piece about St. Petersburg in the August 24th edition of the Times.
Writer Paul Reyes begins:
Aesthetically-Challenged...The City’s new sign for the North
Long known as little more than a cheaper spring- Shore Pool complex lacks the class of the nearby carved wood
break alternative and a retirement capital, St. signs designating the palm arboretum and park areas. But consid-
Petersburg has idled for decades in obscurity, ering that the design of the new contemporary entrance to the
frequented mostly by half-hearted tourists rum- complex also fails to reflect the overall architectural style of the
maging through thrift stores or admiring its neighborhood… Yes, the sign is informative and practical but
hushed, Jazz Age architecture. couldn’t it also look ...good?
But in recent years, the old beach resort has ex-
perienced a kind of cultural revival, spurred by
new condos and the resuscitation of historic
hotels, much of it centered around downtown.
Elders idling in park benches have been replaced
This holiday...
by artists and young professionals gathering at
cafes and restaurants, lulled by the breeze that
made St. Pete so popular to begin with.
The author goes on to cites places like the Ponce De Leon hotel Need a more clever
and Ceviche, the Independent on 3rd Street N, Studio@620 on 1st
Avenue S, Mesh on Central and Kahwa Coffee on 2nd Street N.
Scattered throughout the piece are phrases like “elaborately tat-
hiding place?
tooed music types,” “architects in seersucker suits” and “an eclec-
tic crowd of yuppies, suburbanites and salonistas.” Says Raphael
Perrier, a native of Leon, France, and now the owner of Kahwa
Coffee, “Paris is done, Miami is done. St. Pete is wide open.”

Hide the presents

where they
would never look!

(727) 894-3303
898 30th Avenue N.
100% Climate Controlled

HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS Page 11

 As The Pages Turn...
Neighborhood Book Group
by Susan Coffey
W
e met again for our third book club gathering, which
was hosted by Patricia Calvert and since Patricia
hosted she picked our book which was Here Be
Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman. This is the first novel in
Penman’s trilogy of 13th-century England and Wales. The second
and third are The Shadow and The Reckoning.
Patricia, who has spent time in Wales, placed a Welsh flag
outside her home so we surely did not need to worry about driv-
ing by and having to look for numbered houses. She also gave us
a great history lesson of Wales and England with her photos and
memorabilia from there. It made the discussion much more in-
teresting.
Here Be Dragons is not for the “light reader.” It’s 700 pages of
intense history of Wales and its fight for freedom from English
laws and lords. There are many stories within the main story,
one of them being the marriage between Llewelyn the Great of
Wales — who at 14 began a civil war, by 21 held all of North
Wales — and Joanna, illegitimate daughter of King John of En-
gland. King John loved Joanna but yet used her as a political
pawn by marrying her off at 15 to Prince Llewelyn. At first an
unwilling bride, she slowly falls in love with her husband for his
courage and tenacity. But with King John and Prince Llewelyn
Page 12 HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS
fighting over control of England and Wales she has to
decide to whom she owes her loyalty.
Here Be Dragons has it all — bloody wars, siblings
turning on one another for power, infidelity, illegiti-
mate children, love affairs and the most destructive
of all — greed. This is a novel which does combine
history and fiction. There is great detail and Penman
certainly did her homework.
Overall, our group really liked the book; the only
negative was that it was 700 pages long. We would
recommend it to read — but make sure you have
lots of time for reading.
We now have a waiting list for our book
club, but if people are interested there could
be a “sister” club started. Guys, that means
you, too. For more information about our
book club or ideas about starting another
neighborhood “sister” –
or coed — book club,
you may contact me at
cofflash@aol.com.
Wednesday,
December 31st
First Night information:
823-8906
firstnightstpete.com
 Ponderings
Baseball
by John Gee
John and his wife Kathy moved to St. Pete from New Mexico
six years ago, and he currently teaches history at a Sarasota high
school. He has served on the HONNA Board where he co-chaired
its Historic Preservation Committee. You can also read more from
John in the Northeast Journal.
any traction on this story. The Rays had won in the American
League and a national radio media provider did a story about
the upcoming World Series. I was surprised to discover that
the real story was not about the Rays but about how all the
“real” baseball teams failed to live up to their promise. The
only mention of our team was when I discovered that the
Rays had somehow moved across the bay and now resided
in Tampa. Finally, my brother in law — an avid baseball fan
— told me that he, and probably all of the west coast where
he lives, would not be watching the World Series. We just
weren’t cool enough to deserve the time of the terminally hip
west coasters.
So if the Rays are a metaphor of anything, what kind
are they? Are they a symbol of all we have achieved with
little going for us other than a beautiful town, a strange
looking stadium and limited funds? Or do they show us
how far we still have to go for acceptance in this country?
This whole problem begs the question of why should we
care about what other people think of us anyway. If we
are so invisible to these large market people, why do they
keep coming down here to see how nice we have it? Sorry
to say it, guys, but get off our beach -- it looks like your
old dynasty days are over.

W
hen talking about the recent history of our town, I
like to say the turning point from a dead zone to
urban modern was the renovation of the Vinoy. This
opinion is backed with no data, but it seems to make sense and
it makes me feel like I know what I’m talking about. As a teacher
of history, I know that historians are always trying to prove
various turning points so I dip my feet into this murky water
every once in awhile to feel like I am living up to my job. In
reality, St. Pete probably would have entered the 21st century no
matter what happened to the venerable resort so my theory holds
little value -- but it works for me. I am now tempted to use the
rise of the Rays as another symbol of our city’s rise from its
green benches to becoming the Envy of the East.
Using the Rays as a metaphor of our step into the spotlight can
be tricky. When we were out of the country last summer, I tried
to follow the progress of our team. Although the International
Herald Tribune gave me the recent standings, there was scant
information about the games. The other “news” source, CNN,
was a disgrace. In a sellout to advertisers, the only baseball news
you could get from this pathetic source was how the Cubs, An-
gels, Yankees and Red Sox were doing. It was as if the Rays
either were living up to their usual loser status or the blow-dried
anchor people were unable to locate St. Pete on the map. Obvi-
ously the whole world was not watching.
When we returned, things were not much better. Throughout
the rise of our team’s talent and promise, the local news was as Have you been to a
Porch
effusive as the national was absent. In the ESPN highlights barely
a Rays uniform could be spotted. All the heads would wax and
wane about the demise of the Yankees and dream of a World
Series with Chicago and Boston while ignoring the crazy uncle in

Party
the attic. We all knew that the advertising people were not happy
about the prospect of our team doing the impossible -- but why?
You would think that such a Cinderella story would sell enough
beer to fill Yankee Stadium, but I guess this only would work if
the object of all the attention actually came from New York and
not some nowhere place with a stadium named after an orange L AT E LY?
LY
juice carton.
Two more events told me that our city was not going to get See page 16 for the upcoming schedule
HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS Page 13
 Preserving the Character
of Old Northeast Houses
by Mike Daily

Learning from
Another City
“By the Bay”
I’m writing this article enroute to Tampa
from San Francisco, where I’ve just had a
few days’ vacation. It was my first visit to
that other city by the bay, and as expected it
had the affect on me that it has on everyone:
I fell in love – with the hills, the views, the
chilly and foggy weather, the people and the
character of the city. No other city in the
world could stand in for San Francisco. It
has done a remarkable job of retaining its
sense of place and the character-defining el-
ements that make it unique.
San Franciscans place a high value on
their city’s character. They organized and
voted to force the city to keep the cable
cars in operation long after they could have
been replaced by bus lines. Now the cable
cars are a symbol of the city and a “must-do” on most tourists’ checklist when vis-
iting the city. Queen Anne,
Italianate and Edwardian buildings
from the city’s boom years retain
features that are nearly impossible
to duplicate today for both cost and
craftsmanship. Many have elabo-
rate terra cotta tiling or stonework,
curved double hung windows at the
corners, impressive brackets and
woodwork.
New residential buildings are de-
signed to be sympathetic to the
city’s stock of historic architecture.
The common theme is three-four
stories, bay windows and street-
level garage doors with the main liv-
ing level elevated above. Some new
homes built in former industrial ar-
eas South of Market use industrial
materials such as corrugated metal
siding on their facades while retain-
ing the characteristic massing and
bay windows of their historical
counterparts.
Page 14 HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS
 St. Petersburg and San Francisco share some commonali-
ties. Both are on peninsulas enclosing a bay with a major
city on the opposite side. Both have a famous bridge span-
ning the mouth of the bay. Both date from the 1800s. Both
have character worth protecting. But it seems that San Fran-
cisco is doing a better job of protecting its character than St.
Petersburg. We need to figure out what it is that makes St.
Petersburg unique or special and then work like heck to pre-
serve and protect that.
I visited Kenwood’s Bungalowfest 2008 a couple of weeks
ago and met a window restorer named Steve Quillian who
specializes in rebuilding historic wood windows and creating
new replicas of old windows. He’s not cheap, but he does
quality work and rebuilding is generally cheaper (and greener)
than going with new high-quality windows. He quoted me a
price of “around $100” per window to gasket and retrofit my
leaky windows. Since our house has more than 45 windows
we’ll do it on a per room basis as we can afford it. I’ll be
featuring his work on our house in a future article.

Mike, an Old Northeast resident since 1996, holds a Mas-

ter of Architecture degree from the University of South
Florida.

126 11th Avenue NE Ages 2 - VPK

St. Petersburg, FL State Approved
33701 LIC. #C610108
727-822-5906 APPLE ACCREDITED

HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS Page 15

 PORCH PAR
PARTIES
ARTIES
Porch Parties are held the third Friday of the

o
Y du ’ r e month from 7:30-10pm (except December).
Porch Parties are strictly social and provide and
informal and fun way to mix and mingle with your

Invite
neighbors. Bring your own beverage. Cups, ice and
light snacks are provided. Ask a neighbor to ride or walk
over with you. For more info, contact Julie Feeley (822-
4969; fridayporchparty@hotmail.com).
December
No Porch Party
All Neighborhood Hoiliday Party in lieu
Monday, December 15th, 6pm
Old Northeast Tavern
(see page 1 for more info)

January 16th
Steve Hall and Cyndi Thomas
400 22nd Avenue NE
(Corner of Locust and 22nd)

February 20th
Don Culpepper and Dino Cappelli
732 Oak Street NE

Property Transfers
Following is a listing of recent property transfers in our North Shore neighborhood. The individuals listed are new
owners of the properties cited but not necessarily the residents of those properties. The properties are listed in
chronological avenue and chronological and alphabetical street order.
If any of these folks live near you, make sure you welcome them to the neighborhood.

555 5th Avenue NE #711 Theodore and Mary Henter 1120 North Shore Drive NE #205 Chris Paradiso
265 8th Avenue NE Patrick and Denise Leary 1200 North Shore Drive #515 Linda Tyler Bonnemann
319 8th Avenue N #6 Thomas Turner
206 11th Avenue NE Kathryn Ruetz Source: Compiled from public records by FNBR Inc. and
125 15th Avenue NE Joy and Chester Thomas Rose printed in the St. Petersburg Times.
636 16th Avenue NE Kelly and Patrick Shane
376 18th Avenue NE Charleen McGrath The St. Petersburg Times did a “housing profile” of The Old
715 18th Avenue NE Arnold Cummings Northeast in its 10/29 edition entitled “Prices up, sales down in
318 21st Avenue N Rochela Pagsibigan Old Northeast.” The median sale price of a single family house
105 25th Avenue N Becky Ann Parra went up 8.9% ($32,000) in the first half of 2008 compared with the
176 26th Avenue N Kris and Lisa Hansel second half of 2007. The median sale value was $391,000 versus
196 28th Avenue N Terrence and Kim Brett $359,000. The decline in sales for the first half of 2008 was about
604 2nd Street N Bethana Bennett 18% (seven fewer sales – 32 houses compared with 39 in 2007).
2005 3rd Street N Conrad De La Torres
524 Bay Street NE #2 Bart Wolf Property transfer information involving Joan Parish
1225 Beach Drive NE J.Mark and Julie Lawson which appeared in the June 2008 issue was incorrect. We
1876 Coffee Pot Blvd NE Mark Blocker regret the error.

Page 16 HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

 Individual and Business
TIM RHODE
Tax Returns
Small Business
Accounting &
A R C H I T E C T
Consulting
Specializing in Residential Design
Renovations, Additions and New Homes
Monica M. Vernon • Garth A. Vernon

St. Petersburg
424 22nd Avenue North, St. Petersburg, FL 33704 Call for a Consultation visit to your home.
Seminole
7700 Seminole Blvd, Ste 200, Seminole, FL 33772
Web Site trhode.com 727-823-1566
(727) 393-1922 office • (727) 392-3266 fax AR12159

HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS Page 17

 posed demolition of Bay Gables and preservationists were at-
In Case You Missed It: tempting to locate an empty lot, perhaps in The Old Northeast,
Updates and Follow Ups to relocate Henry-Bryan. [sources: St. Petersburg Times, 10/
22, and St. Pete Preservation]
Keeping You Current on Some Neighborhood
Stories That Have Been in the News The City has dispensed with providing free dog waste
st
The city has converted both 1 and 2 Streets be- nd bags in city parks (except for dog parks). The bags, which
tween Central and 5th Avenue N into two-way streets making numbered 1.7 million last year and cost the city $48,000, are a
things a bit easier for drivers frustrated by one-way streets in cost-saving measure that has enraged many dog owners who
downtown. However there are no signs indicating the changes have come to appreciate the amenity (city ordinance requires
so be careful when turning onto 1st Street[source: St. Peters- dog owners to clean up after their pets). Environmentalists are
burg Times, 10/19; personal observation] concerned about the harmful effects of waste to humans and
the water. [source: St. Petersburg Times, 10/29]
Police have discredited a chain e-mail
hoax about a serial rapist in northeast St. Pete.
Two isolated incidents – one of which was found
to be false — precipitated the rumor which sounded
very much like an earlier encounter involving a fe-
male jogger that was true. Recipients of the origi-
nal e-mail forwarded on to others and the errone-
ous story spread throughout the city. Adding cred-
ibility to the e-mail was a reference that the infor-
mation came from someone in the sheriff’s depart-
ment. [source: St. Petersburg Times, 10/19]

Preservationists and developer Dan Harvey

are discussing a proposed 22-story, four-star hotel
project on 4th Avenue NE which would displace
two historic buildings: the Henry-Bryan house at
146 4th NE and the Bay Gables house (now the
Chateau France restaurant) at 136 4th. Both struc-
tures were designated local historic landmarks in
1994. As we went to press, the City’s Community Above: Henry-Bryan house
Preservation Commission was considering the pro-
Below: Bay Gables house

Still not a member of

The Historic Old Northeast
Neighborhood
Association?
Just haven’t gotten around to it?
Don’t think it’s important?
Well, if you value the quality of life in the neigh-
borhood in which you’re living (or maybe would
like to see some improvements), think it’s im-
portant that there is an organization which will
go to bat for the neighborhood’s interests with
the City, appreciate events and contributions
which enhance daily living here, enjoy catching
up on things and getting helpful ideas from the
neighborhood newsletter mailed to your door free
four times a year... then maybe it’s worth the
$30 annual dues (tax deductible!) for a house-
hold membership in The Historic Old Neighbor-
hood Association. [See page 4]

Page 18 HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

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Candis Yeager "From the Bay to

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www.DreamWeaversEvents.com the Gulf, from
listing to closing, I
will be there every
step of the way to
HONNA Board Meetings ensure that your
are held the buying or selling
second Monday of each month experience is a
at 6:30pm and are great one." Helen Torres
open to the public. Licensed
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HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS Page 19


The
GR E E N
PAGE
by
Michael
Panetta
… is a new feature that will focus on the making of an eco-
friendly lifestyle. We will explore what is sustainable living and all
things we can do GREEN. But first what exactly is GREEN? …
is it hybrid cars, energy efficient buildings, solar panels, recy-
cling trash, xeriscape plantings, carpooling, wind power, low VOC
paint, non-toxic fabrics, “energy saver” products, rainwater har-
vesting, carpet from recycled soda bottles, composting, saving
landfills, green businesses, green energy, green incentives? And
the list grows by the day.
… So which is a better green product: compact fluorescent lights
or LEDs … “paper or plastic” ? … it gets pretty confusing even for
us practitioners that deal with this every day … everything under
the sun is being thrown into the “green” marketplace along with the
“greenwashing” of many things that aren’t. Everyone has an angle
on it, but in reality “green” does touch every facet of our life.
It is an encompassing and complex topic but we can slowly
build this conversation, page by page and question by question.
In the news today we find seemingly unrelated and isolated envi-
ronmental issues, but they are indeed the results of a complex and
interdependent network of impacts we have caused on our global
ecology over time. By definition, ecology is “the comprehensive
science of the relationship of organisms to it’s environment.” Sim-
ply put, it is “US” in our world… and everything we do affects IT
and IT affects everything we do…
I think initially some good questions are more important to
have than incomplete answers: what are the real issues at hand?
… what IS global climate change? … what is sustainable living?
… what does good stewardship of the environment for our chil-
dren and our children’s children look like?… and how and why
does it matter to me?
Our “home” is as good an example as any. Green homes were
once thought only in the realm of tree-hugger’s huts built with
mud, straw and old tires or glamorized as uber-exotic, ultra mod-
ern and expensive. But, in reality, green homes are already among
us. By themselves, the many technologies, materials and prod-
ucts contribute to energy-efficient building. But that isn’t the big
solution. We need to see differently, We have to see our homes
and everything we do as energy-consuming machines. The green
or sustainable design process looks at buildings this way and pro-
vides an important framework on how all these individual things
that we use and build... all the little things in our day-to-day life
we don’t even think of can affect the world’s big ecology.
Page 20 HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS
Why is this an important distinction? Underneath a seemingly
conventional building, the premise of a sustainable design is very
different. Green architects, builders and designers look at: the
amount of the electricity it takes to heat, cool and light it; the
water consumed to drink, cook and bathe with; the waste gener-
ated from it or imbedded in it; together with ALL the energy it
takes to harvest, mine, make, manufacture, transport and dispose
of all the things that go into it.
So, better choices can be made to lessen the OVERALL “en-
ergy” that is consumed and embedded in a building, to increase
operating performance levels and make its parts and pieces more
recyclable at the end of its life. We can lessen our impact on our
ecology usually with little added cost. By following a green proto-
col, the design can result in energy savings that are far greater than
the sum of its parts by incorporating a tree’s shading and prevailing
winds, local material products, water-saving devices, “smart” tech-
nologies and controls, daylight harvesting, repurposed and recycled
materials, and using efficiently grown material that produces little
waste. And this is only a small portion of a sustainable palatte.
In essence sustainable design is an energy audit that sees the
processes of our society as a “carbon economy” with energy and
hydrocarbon waste as its currency. So when you hear a term
“carbon neutral,” “carbon footprint” or “carbon credits,” it is all
about energy and waste that it contributes.
So, to bring this into perspective, the “initial building” of a build-
ing accounts for only 2% of the energy it consumes over its life-
time. Just 2% … Look at the surprising statistics in the sidebar
below. 98% is future use of energy over its lifetime. A small initial
cost for higher performance can compound into tremendous sav-
ings over time. Informed decisions can greatly lessen our ecologi-
cal impacts going forward, and as energy and water costs increase
in the future, so will savings for the homeowner and the environ-
ment. Ultimately, it’s about building our homes, neighborhoods and
societies wisely and to effect the smallest “footprint” on nature.
There’s a lot more to discuss. But, this is just Page One.
Michael Panetta moved to The Old Northeast in 1998 and is Presi-
dent of his newly established architectural practice, Panetta + Associ-
ates, Inc. He can be contacted at GreenInfo@Panetta Associates.com.
You can also read more from Mike in the Northeast Journal
Green Facts :
• The USA has 3% of the worlds population and consumes
25% of its energy.
• “Building” consumes 40 % of the world energy.
• Over its lifetime, the energy used in making building
products and constructing a “building” = 2%
The energy used in day to day operations = 98%
• US Buildings Domestically Impact:
12% of water used • 39% CO2 emissions
65% of waste products • 71% of energy consumed
• Energy lost in the production of electrical power from
oil at the powerplant = 70 %
Average transmission loss to the end user = 10%
• Efficiency of the power that need to be generated vs used
= 5:1 or they have to make 500 watts of power to light
your 100w bulb … so save a watt
(From the US Green Building Council)
More Green from Keaton Green... • Ride the bus to school.
It will keep extra cars off
Old NE Kids are Earth-friendly the streets. If your school
by Keaton “Being Green” Green doesn’t have a bus, try to
carpool with someone
nearby.

E
arth Day is celebrated every spring when people from • Help your family start
all corners of the globe do their part to help slow global to recycle. Many items
warming. But we should cherish the earth every day of you throw away can be
the year. Right here at home, many kids in The Old Northeast are used again.
doing their part to be environmentally friendly. Unplug unused electri-
You may have seen small green bins in front of your neigh- cal devices throughout
bors’ yards on Wednesday mornings filled with recyclables. Many your home such as TVs
families in The Old NE have started to recycle — the Cohens or stereos.
being one of them. Weyman Cohen (19th Avenue NE), who is • Plant a tree. Check to
nine years old and attends Bay Vista, wanted to do his part so he see if there are any empty
got his family to start recycling. He contacted Greg Foster from spaces in your yard where
St. Pete Recycling Solutions. Greg Foster is in charge of a recy- a tree could go.
cling program that picks up paper, aluminum, plastic and glass
weekly for only $15 per month. To find out more information, • To save water, turn of
call Greg Foster at 452-5278 or go to www.oursprs.com. the faucet while you brush
your teeth and take shorter
Old NE neighbors Michael Wolfe, 12, and his sister, Emory, showers.
15 (pictured on right), attend Canterbury School and help do
their part to fight global warming. When they see appliances in • Turn off the light when you leave the room, and shut the door
their house that aren’t being used, they unplug them. That’s be- when you go outside.
cause appliances — such as the television, computer and CD • Don’t waste paper, and use both sides of the sheet.
player — use energy even when they are not in use.
At the Canterbury School, Katie Wells and Lee Anna Avila, Keaton Green lives in The Old NE with her parents, sister
both 17, started a recycling program to earn a Gold Award in and brother. She is an 8th grade student at the Canterbruy
scouting. Before they tackled this project, Canterbury didn’t re- School of Florida.
cycle anything. Today, the school community is recycling paper,
aluminum cans, plastic bottles and newspaper. They started a
tradition that will be upheld by the junior class every year.
Everyone from kids to adults can do their part — by simply
turning off the lights when leaving a room or getting your family
to start recycling. We can all do more. Here are 10 ideas:
• Check out books from the library instead of buying your
own.
• Ride your bike or walk close distances instead of having your
parents drive you.
• You can help your parents with the dishes by washing them
by hand instead of using the dishwasher, which uses a lot of
water.

Worship
Service: Kathe B. Bierhoff
Sundays Remodeling • Residential & Commercial Construction
10:30am 2350 26th St. North • St. Petersburg, FL 33713-4329
(727) 327-3366 • FAX (727) 327-9211
This ad courtesy of HONNA in appreciation of Westminster’s kathe@herrcontracting.com • www.herrcontracting.com
generous support of the Association Lic. CG-C058023

HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS Page 21

 2nd

1st Place: 726 17th Avenue NE

2nd Place : 805 18th Avenue NE

st
1 3rd Place: 356 18th Avenue NE

Theme Winner: 825 18th Avenue NE – Rayders of the Lost

Halloween: Florida Jones
THEME

3rd

Page 22 HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

 Honorable
Mention
1630 Locust N
225 28th Avenue N
400 22nd Avenue N
255 9th Avenue NE
205 25th Avenue N
255 10th Avenue NE
255 7th Avenue N
358 10th Avenue NE
Thanks to all our
residents who make
The Horrorstoric
Old Northeast the
neighborhood to
visit on Halloween!

Entrance to the 700

block of 18th Avenue NE

Photos thanks to
New Award Category Susan Alderson and
The judges (see photo on right), led by our decorat- Rick Carson
ing contest coordinator Cynthia Serra, decided that the
700 block of 18th Avenue NE deserves a newly-des-
ignated Team Award. When they came upon the scene
they felt as though they had been dropped into Univer-
sal Studios! Our neighbors on the 700 block of 18th
NE did a fabulous job of getting into the Halloween
spirit. Cynthia and the judges challenge other blocks or groups of neighbors to get
together and do something similar next year.

Walking on the Wild Side -- Down 18th Avenue NE

At your own risk you pass through the12-foot tall wrought iron fence gateway into
the dark and mysterious world of the 700 block of 18th Avenue NE on a spine-chilling,
blood-curdling, hair-raising Halloween night. Skeletons swoop down from trees,
coffin lids slowly creak open, mysteriously eerie noises can be heard coming from a
shadowy second story window, gravestones erupt from the ground, a body hangs
out the window of a crashed jeep and ghoulish figures intently watch victims like
you… trapped in this torch-lined one block long dead-end avenue, shrouded in swirl-
ing fog. Oh, but if the journey is too frightful, please know you’re warmly welcomed
to stop at the Bates Motel for a restful evening, beginning with a relaxing shower.

HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS Page 23

 ON THE DOCKET: For a current and more detailed
listing go to the City’s website at
Some Upcoming Events In
www.stpete.org
and Nearby Our Neighborhood
December 4-7 St. Petersburg Boat Show & Strictly Sail South Yacht Basin & Albert Whitted Park
December 5 Get Downtown Music Series Central b/w 2nd-3rd; 393-3597

DECEMBER 7 HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST CANDLELIGHT TOUR OF HOMES (see page 1)

December 7 Sunday Afternoon Fun The Pier; 821-6443

December 10 “Oldies But Goodies” Dance The Pier; 821-6443
December 10 Boley Center’s Jingle Bell Run The Pier and waterfront; www.boleycenters.org/Special/JBR.htm
December 13 Walking Tour of Downtown’s Historic District Central at 2nd; 824-7802
December 13 Bruce Watters Illuminated Boat Parade Spa Beach Park and The Pier; 821-6443
December 13 Drum Circle Facilitation The Pier; 821-6443
December 13 Gallery Walk Downtown galleries; 821-6767

DECEMBER 15 OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD HOLIDAY PARTY (see page 1)

December 18 Live Nativity Event Westminster Palms Retirement Community; see page 10
December 21 Sunday Afternoon Fun The Pier; 821-6443
December 15 Poinsettia Photo Opportunity Sunken Gardens; 551-3100
December 22 Poinsettia Photo Opportunity Sunken Gardens; 551-3100
December 24 “Oldies But Goodies” Dance The Pier; 821-6443
December 26 Grand Central Evening Stroll Grand Central district; 328-7086
December 27 “Westward Ho from the Waterfront” Walking tour of historic waterfront and Historic Kenwood neighborhood; 824-7802
December 31 Swingin’ the New Year Coliseum; 892-5202
December 31 First Night St. Petersburg 2009 Various locations; 823-8906; www.firstnightstpete.com
January 2 Get Downtown Music Series Central b/w 2nd-3rd; 393-3597
January 4 Sunday Afternoon Fun The Pier; 821-6443
January 10 Walking Tour of Downtown’s Historic District Central at 2nd; 824-7802
January 10 Drum Circle Facilitation The Pier; 821-6443
January 10 Gallery Walk Downtown galleries; 821-6767
January 14 “Oldies But Goodies” Dance The Pier; 821-6443
January 15 “Principles of Landscape Design 101” Lunch ‘n Learn Sunken Gardens; 551-3102

JANUARY 16 PORCH PARTY (see p. 16)

January 18 Sunday Afternoon Fun The Pier; 821-6443

JANUARY 19 NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING

January 23 Grand Central Evening Stroll Grand Central district; 328-7086

January 24 “Westward Ho from the Waterfront” Walking tour of historic waterfront and Historic Kenwood neighborhood; 824-7802
January 28 “Oldies But Goodies” Dance The Pier; 821-6443
February 1 Sunday Afternoon Fun The Pier; 821-6443
February 6 Get Downtown Music Series Central b/w 2nd-3rd; 393-3597
February 7 Salvador Dali Museum’s 27th Annual Benefit Dinner Dali Museum; 823-3767
February 11 “Oldies But Goodies” Dance The Pier; 821-6443
February 14 Walking Tour of Downtown’s Historic District Central at 2nd; 824-7802
February 14 Drum Circle Facilitation The Pier; 821-6443
February 14 Gallery Walk Downtown locations; 821-6767
February 15 Sunday Afternoon Fun The Pier; 821-6443
FEBRUARY 16 NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING
FEBRUARY 20 PORCH PARTY (see p. 16)
February 25 “Oldies But Goodies” Dance The Pier; 821-6443
February 27 Grand Central Evening Stroll Grand Central District; 328-7086
February 28 “Westward Ho from the Waterfront” Walking tour of historic waterfront and Historic Kenwood neighborhood; 824-7802
February 28 A Tribute to Harry James and the Andrews Sisters Coliseum; 892-5202
Page 24 HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS
 Thinking in
Purple
by Barbara Rhode, LMFT
Barbara Rhode is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
who provides trainings and workshops to corporations and non-
profits on wellness and life balance. She lives in a very purple
house in The Old Northeast, a place where she contemplates in
shades of “purple.”
Taking My Own Advice
I stopped vanity shopping on January 3, 2008, and it has been
an eye-opening experience. I was never really completely out
of control, but all of a sudden I felt I should do something
radical to break a very sticky habit.
Christmas 2008 was a bit overwhelming, accord-
ing to my husband. The underside of our tree filled
up not once, but twice with gifts for about 80 people
that I decided we should play Santa to. Granted, I
handmade some of these items but still... 80 people?
Even the women who do our dry cleaning got a
present from us last year.
So out of sheer disgust for having turned into a
“stuffaholic,” I took a pledge on January 3rd to
spend the rest of the year not shopping for myself
and cut way back on the gift buying. I am already
surprised at the outcome.
Looking back, I have to wonder: when did I be-
come such a mindless consumer? We try to live a bal-
anced, semi-green life. Unlike most of our neighbors in
steamy Florida, we limit our air-conditioning use to the
night time hours so we can sleep. Most of the time we
have the only house on the block that has any windows
open at all. Four years ago we purposely downsized to one
car and routinely sit down to schedule on a weekly basis
who-gets-to-use-it-when.
This shopping compulsion just sort of crept up on me, slowly
becoming a way of life. I perfected the art of running into a store
in-between meetings or appointments to quickly browse the sale
aisle for no specific reason. When money was tight or my con-
HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS
science was bothering me, I could still get my shopping fix by
scanning thrift stores. With three kids and a growing grandson, I
rationalized plenty of excuses to shop.
True, I typically bought items on sale which somehow, in my
mind, made it all OK. I could even justify using some of the money
that we put away for vacations or home improvements by mak-
ing sure I bought some of the stuff on vacation or threw a few
things in the shopping cart for the house to legitimatize the event.
And then someone e-mailed me www.storyofstuff.com, which
turned out to be a major wake up call. Suddenly it became crystal
clear that I was inadvertently contributing to the wasteful over-
production of unnecessary stuff by my mindless purchasing.
Granted, I was certainly doing my part to keep the economy
afloat but wasn’t that just a short term solution? Third World
countries get stuck producing most of my “had-to-have stuff.”
And, even after I contributed our leftovers to charity, didn’t it
eventually end up in some landfill some day?
To top it off, a friend came back from a trip to South Africa a
few months ago complaining that a lot of the leftover “stuff” we
so generously ship there was putting some of the local producers
and merchants out of business. I had to step back and ask myself
what I was really doing and, even more importantly, what I could
do to break this vicious cycle.
When I looked a bit deeper inside myself, I realized I was actu-
ally self-medicating with my nifty shopping habit — something I
confront my drug-addicted clients at Goodwill Correctional Fa-
cility with on a regular basis. My medication was shopping —
theirs happened to be alcohol or drugs.
I came to realize through the weekly life skills classes I teach
to inmates there that the same parts of the brain that respond to
illicit drugs like cocaine also light up when we self-medicate
with shopping. No wonder I was so addicted!
As a child born to hardworking, blue collar parents in
the ‘50s, our semiannual ritual of clothes shopping
was born out of necessity. They had to budget for
new school clothes my older brother and I needed
as we grew. My mother never concerned herself
with fashion and was always content to wear what
she had left in the closet from the year(s) before.
I remember poring over magazines as a young
teen, looking forward to the day when I could buy
what I wanted, from where I wanted. During ado-
lescence, labels became more and more important
as I watched other girls wear chic clothes that our
household budget could not afford.
Now I appreciate my parents’ conservative hab-
its in a whole new way. Their values were consis-
tently solid and the money they were able to save by not
becoming enslaved by “stuff” sent us to college, something
neither of them ever had the opportunity to experience.
Time off from shopping has forced me to realize that I don’t
really need all of those distractions no matter how deeply dis-
counted they are. I believe I am even a bit more present theses
days, not quite as stressed out as I was while juggling an unnec-
essary and destructive habit.
Maybe I am even doing my small part to reduce a bit of the
“stuff” cluttering up Planet Earth. At least I’d like to think so.
Page 25
 How Does Your Garden Grow?
by Yvonne Swanson -- Master Gardener

servation-minded
neighbors, too.
Watering The City encour-
ages residents to
Warnings call or e-mail its
hotline to report
violations (892-
5300 or WRD
C u s t o m e r
Service@stpete
I used to water my outdoor potted plants in the morning after .org). There ac-
breakfast and getting my daughter to school. But that morning tually are people
ritual is a thing of the past now that our local water restrictions who regularly re-
are stricter than ever. port violations so
If you’re caught outside after 8am with the garden hose, dous- consider yourself
ing those pansies and impatiens, you could be slapped with a warned!
hefty $175 fine from the City. Water restric-
If that pretty fountain in your garden runs more than four tions are here to
hours in a single day, another fine! Same goes for the koi pond. stay, and due to
Thinking about replacing your turfgrass with new sod? For- the current low
get it. Under the new restrictions, laying sod or making renova- water supply and
tions to your lawn is a big no-no. Another fine, plus court costs! predicted dry
It’s not just the City inspectors who are keeping tabs but con- winter and spring,
local govern-
ments are strictly enforcing rules established by the Southwest
Florida Water Management District. These new measures for City
residents are in effect until June 30:
• Hand watering of non-lawn landscape is prohibited from 8am
until 6pm. An automatic shutoff device must be installed on your
hose and used for all hand watering.
• Hand watering of lawn/turf is allowed ONLY during your
designated watering day and times.
• Micro-irrigation (low-flow, drip irrigation) is prohibited from
8am until 6pm.
• Aesthetic fountains and waterfalls, including for aeration of
stormwater ponds (unless augmented by reclaimed water) shall
be operated no more than four hours per day.
• Lawn renovations shall be postponed.
Watering with potable (City) water, private well water and pri-
vate connection to surface water sources (lakes, ponds, etc.) is
restricted to once a week on Saturday for even addresses and
Sunday for odd addresses. Allowable hours are from 5-9am and/
or 7-11pm. The same area of the landscape cannot be watered
twice within the same day.
Watering with reclaimed water remains on a voluntary basis.
Officials ask that it be limited to three days per week, with even
addresses watering on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; odd ad-
dresses on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Hand-watering with
reclaimed water is not restricted although your hose should have
an automatic shutoff device.
For more information, call the City’s Water Watch Info Line at
892-5300 or the water conservation office at 892-5688.
Yvonne Swanson is a Master Gardener for Pinellas County. She
also writes a garden column for the St. Petersburg Times.
Page 26 HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS
The following information is from the City of St. Petersburg
Restrictions on Water Use in St. Petersburg
The city of St. Petersburg has been declared a water caution area by
the Southwest Florida Water Management District and is committed to
water conservation. Restrictions have been placed on outdoor use of
water to help conserve this valuable resource. Pinellas County or the
SWFWMD for the current water restrictions in your area.
St. Petersburg Continues to Enforce 1-Day-Per-
Week Water Restrictions
The SWFWMD has extended the current Water Shortage Or-
der (07-02), which restricts watering to one-day-per-week through
June 30, 2009, unless changed by the District. Despite recent
rain, the District continues to experience depressed hydrologic
conditions and regional water supplies have not returned to pre-
drought conditions. Watering with potable (city) water, private
well water, and private connections to surface water sources (lakes,
ponds, etc.) is restricted to once a week, according to the sched-
ule below. This declaration does NOT affect reclaimed water us-
ers, although voluntary compliance… is requested. Watering in
St. Petersburg is permitted on Saturday for even addresses and
Sunday for odd addresses. Allowable hours are between the hours
of 5-9am and/or 7-11pm. The two time periods are to allow for
adequate watering for large properties, when needed, while not
permitting watering of the same area twice within the same day.
For more information on current water restrictions call our auto-
mated Water Watch Info Line at 892-5300.
NOTE: During dry seasons and periods of drought, mandatory
restrictions on the use of reclaimed water may be authorized by
the Mayor and City Council, pursuant to Section 27-146 of City
Code. Call 892-5018 or e-mail WRDCustomerService@stpete.org
to obtain a copy of St. Petersburg’s Landscape Plant Guide for
Yards with Reclaimed Water. This publication is designed to assist
reclaimed water customers in the selection of suitable plants and
provides recommendations for efficient use of this resource. Please
leave your name, address and phone number.
General Outdoor Water Use Restrictions
The Southwest Florida Water Management District and St. Pe-
tersburg currently have the following restrictions in effect: wasteful
and unnecessary water use is prohibited. Use of an automatic
shutoff device is required when hand-watering plants. Watering-
in of lawn chemicals is allowed within District guidelines. Lawn
renovations not scheduled prior to November 10, 2008 shall be
postponed. Other lawn and landscape non-essential uses shall be
HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS
eliminated. An automatic shutoff device must
be used when washing vehicles. Pressure
washing and washing of buildings for paint
preparation or for health and safety reasons
is allowed. Cleaning and maintenance of an
irrigation system is limited to once a week.
An attendant must be present. If you have
additional questions about water use in our
District, call 1/800/423-1476 or visit
www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/conservation/re-
strictions/
Reporting a Watering Restriction
Violation
Failure to comply with current water re-
strictions is a municipal ordinance violation
and deemed a Class II offense subject to a
$175 fine plus court costs. Court costs range
from $13 for uncontested violations to $58
for contested violations. St. Petersburg initially issues warnings to
residents violating outdoor watering restrictions. A second
violation is subject to the fine plus court costs. Subsequent viola-
tions will be subject to fines and fees assessed by the court up to a
maximum fine of $500 plus court costs.
If you observe a violation of the current watering restrictions
within the city limits of St. Petersburg, you may call 892-5300 or
email WRDCustomerService@stpete.org. Any personal informa-
tion you provide becomes part of the public record, which any
other citizen has the right to review. Any written or email material
received or generated by City Staff or Council Members becomes
public record and state law requires the record be made available
for inspection by any citizen who requests it. This means that it
is impossible to provide anonymity to anyone who writes to the
City via email or letter containing any personal information. If
you wish to report a suspected violation, please leave the follow-
ing information: Location. Please leave: an exact address (if avail-
able); nature of violation; briefly describe the violation you ob-
served; day of the week and time when violation was observed.
Additional information that may assist enforcement personnel,
such as area of yard watering. Enforcement staff will follow up
on your call and the resident will receive notification that they
have been reported on the Hotline to be in violation.
Page 27
 Next Neighborhood Meeting: Monday, January 19th, at 7pm
All Neighborhood Holiday Party: Monday, December 15th (see p.1)
All neighborhood residents invited
PRSRT STD
Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association U.S. POSTAGE PAID
P.O. Box 76324 ST. PETERSBURG FL
PERMIT #1020
St. Petersburg, FL 33734
www.honna.org

IN THIS ISSUE

• Christmas Toy Shop

• Screen Doors
• Baseball!
• Halloween
...and much more

Page 28 HISTORIC OLD NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS