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• St. Petersburg Waterfront Parks Centennial

  Written by Connie Langhorst No Comments
  Last Updated: October 25, 2010

  Get ready to celebrate!

  A year-long 100th birthday party for the magnificent downtown waterfront parks, the defining feature of beautiful St. Petersburg, Florida is underway as part of the Downtown Saint Petersburg Waterfront Parks Centennial!
  Events planned for the Centennial will have something for everyone-from youngsters to the young-at-heart, from history buff to photography buff, from movie fan to sports fan.   Free activities in all of the downtown waterfront parks, with eight stages featuring music for every taste.  An events schedule is featured online at www.stpeteparks100.org.

  The Centennial Celebration honors the decisions of early civic and business leaders, acknowledges those who have fostered expansion of the waterfront parks, and looks at ways to preserve and enhance the parkland and open marine vistas for the next century.

  Let’s party . . . in Paradise Found!

  For more information about Party in the Parks, including where to park and get the shuttle, the entertainment schedule and the full list of participants, check out the below link or visit www.stpeteparks100.org.

  Volunteers are needed to help with Party in the Parks on November 6.  Volunteers will be expected to work at least a three-hour shift and attend a short training session.  Volunteers will receive a free t-shirt.  If you can help, go to the “volunteer application form” link on the above website for more information.

  HISTORY

  In early 2009, St. Petersburg Preservation president, Will Michaels, convened a community meeting to gauge the interest in organizing a celebration to commemorate the centennial of the creation and dedication of waterfront park in downtown St. Petersburg. Encouraged by the enthusiasm of the meeting participants, a steering committee was formed and soon ideas for events were being brought forward and discussed. Additional volunteers stepped forward, fundraising started and artist Carrie Jadus stepped up to create a beautiful centennial commemorative poster. Soon, a centennial celebration with multiple events to be held over the course of 2010 was in the works! In October 2009, City Council declared 2010 to be the waterfront parks centennial year, the centennial poster was unveiled and a kick-off reception was held at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, itself celebrating its centennial. The centennial celebration is for all to enjoy, visitors and residents alike, and to acknowledge the incredible foresight of William Straub, Perry Snell and the other city leaders who had the vision and commitment 100 years ago to turn the waterfront of a small but growing town into a beautiful green necklace open to all to use. Today, that vision remains and makes St. Petersburg special! Celebrate this city’s glorious waterfront!

  MISSION STATEMENT

  The Waterfront Centennial Committee has been formed to commemorate and to celebrate the decisions of our early civic and business leaders, which for a century have guided the expansion of the original downtown waterfront park to a green sweep of parkland, from North Shore to Albert Whitted. This unique string of waterfront parks defines the character of St. Petersburg, regularly serving as the scenic focus of city celebrations and events.

  The mission of the Waterfront Centennial Committee is:

  To commemorate the beginnings of our system of downtown waterfront parks through sponsorship and support of appropriate events in 2009 and 2010

  To honor those city leaders, both in government and private enterprise, who had the foresight to assemble the land for our first waterfront park and to establish a strong priority for using our downtown waterfront land for public purposes

  To promote awareness of the history of our waterfront parks, and to recognize on this Centennial the centrality of the waterfront parks in forming the character and charm of downtown St. Petersburg, and of the entire city

  To envision ways to preserve and enhance our downtown waterfront parks and open marine vistas for the next century.

  ABOUT THE ARTIST

  Carrie M. Jadus was born in Tampa, Florida in 1976 and grew up in the burgeoning city of Saint Petersburg. Hailing from many generations of artists, it was no surprise that Carrie had inherited the artist mind. Her family always encouraged her artistic ability and creativity and Carrie knew her destiny was to be an artist. In her teenage years, her parents encouraged her to attend Pinellas County Center for the Arts (PCCA) at Gibbs High School where her skills where honed and she was trained to work with a large variety of mediums. While attending Gibbs, she won several awards and her art was exhibited in several prominent bay area museums.

  After graduating from high school, Carrie traveled within the United States and to Europe, seeking adventure at each opportunity. It was in Europe that she developed a deep admiration for the impressionist and how they were able to capture the moment “like a glimpse of a dream.” She eventually returned to her home city of St. Petersburg, where she fell in love and married. Though Carrie continued to work on illustrations, portraiture and remained involved in the art community, she chose a different path for a time and attended a Tampa university, where she earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Electrical Engineering. With a blossoming career as a young engineer, all seemed to be going as planned. However over the years, there was a growing sense that her life was moving in the wrong direction. As time ticked on, Carrie had a vivid realization that, if she stayed on the edge of the artist’s world and denied her true talent, her life would be one full of regrets. Equipped with an artist’s heart and the discipline of an engineer, she began to pursue her art full time. Today Carrie is working as a Tampa Bay Area Artist and her art is shown in galleries and belongs to private collections all over the world.  To see some of her work or to contact Carrie, go to www.carriejadus.com.

  

  CREDITS: www.stpeteparks100.org.  Waterfront Parks Centennial Celebration.

• Celebrating Labor Day

  Written by Connie Langhorst No Comments
  Last Updated: August 24, 2009

  Labor Day is just around the corner.

  Given that the Bureau of Labor Statistics is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2009, it seems appropriate, with this post, to recognize Pinellas County for its commitment to preserving our area’s natural beauty and for having a vision for the future.  This achievement is the direct result of the dedication and hard work of many people-from residents to local, state, and federal government officials.

  In recognition of Labor Day, it is fitting to offer a tip of the hat to Mother Nature, for the natural beauty she bestowed upon our area, and to Pinellas County officials for adopting a “Gateway to the Future” plan.

  Here are a some highlights about Pinellas County worth celebrating . . .

  Pinellas County was designated as the first “Green County” in Florida in 2007.  (Source:  Florida Green Building Coalition).

  Two Pinellas County beaches have been named the #1 beach in the continental US, including Ft. De Soto County Park (North Beach) in 2005 and Caladesi Island State Park in 2008.

  According to Pinellas County’s official website, future plans call for supporting economic and employment potential with County projects and plans, a recreational plan, an intermodal transportation hub, international airport master plan update, and plans for other County projects.

  With regard to the environment, County officials, working in conjunction with community leaders, volunteer groups, residents, and representatives from every level of government, are committed to natural resource protection and public use opportunities for parks and waterways throughout Pinellas County.

  Historical preservation is another priority.   Karen Williams Seel, currently a member of the Pinellas County Board of Commissioners, chairs the Historic Preservation Advisory Board, in a post on the County’s website, says:

  Pinellas County enjoys a rich and diverse culture and historic past. The historical, cultural and aesthetic heritage is among its most valued assets. Few urban areas today boast such unique perspectives of the past. Because of widespread growth and redevelopment in recent years, it is critical to the future of our County that we preserve and maintain significant elements of its history.

  With this in mind, the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) took the initiative to establish a countywide policy to address historical protection and redevelopment issues among local communities. In June 2005, the BCC by resolution created the Historic Preservation Task Force (HPTF) to develop a historic preservation plan inclusive of all jurisdictions . . .

  . . . Now established as the Historic Preservation Advisory Board, members look forward to addressing future objectives. Such objectives include:

  • Establishing and maintaining a County Register of Historic Places;
  • Developing and promoting preservation regulations and programs,
  • Providing educational outreach and technical assistance (e.g. “Tool Box Kits” on historic preservation) to interested groups and citizens;
  • Exploring financial incentives to preserve historic resources;
  • Enhancing possible grant opportunities through participation in the Florida Certified Local Governments (CLG) Program;
  • Integrating and maintaining consistent historic preservation policy in Pinellas County planning processes;
  • And, researching, evaluating, and developing an ordinance to restrict demolition of significant historic resources.
    

  I am honored to serve as Chair of the Advisory Board and to be a part of perpetuating the culture and history of our County into future generations. The Advisory Board welcomes input from all citizens and the perspectives of those who can continue to enhance the rich heritage of Pinellas County.

  The future of Pinellas County and our area’s breathtaking natural beauty are very bright, indeed!

  Thinking about Labor Day . . . it takes time and energy to explore the many parks, beaches, waterways, nature trails, and historic landmarks that exist in Pinellas County.

  But it’s worth the effort and is the best kind of work–because it’s fun!

  I wish everyone a Happy Labor Day!

  Feeling proud (and lucky) to live . . . in Paradise Found!

  PHOTO CREDIT:  Photos appearing in this post are courtesy of Pinellas County.

• Head for the Hills

  Written by Bob Horn No Comments
  Last Updated: June 19, 2009

  St. Petersburg is a great place to live, and you can find just about any sort of diversion or entertainment that you might want.  But what if you come from the north and you really miss having hills around you?  Or maybe you’re a born and bred St. Petersburg native, but you’d love a change of terrain once in awhile?

  You probably think you’re out of luck.  Everybody knows that there are no hills in St. Petersburg, right?

  Well, you might be surprised!  In
  fact, I have friends who have lived here for their entire lives and they don’t know about our hills.

  So, if you’d like a change of scenery, I’m going to tell you where to find it.  You can do a little driving tour, you can park your car and take a walk, or you can even bring a blanket and a lunch and have a little
  picnic on the side of a hill, right in the heart of St. Petersburg. 

  The place to go is Roser Park.  It’s located directly behind All Children’s Hospital, and it’s bounded, roughly, by 6^th Street South and Dr. ML King Street South (formerly 9^th Street South) and by 7^th Avenue South and 11^th Avenue South.

  In addition to a beautiful
  public park with a creek running alongside, you’ll also see picturesque brick roads and stately early St. Petersburg homes, homes that were owned and occupied by some of St. Petersburg’s most prosperous residents in the early 1900′s.  Built by Charles Martin Roser beginning in 1911, the Roser Park homes were actually St. Petersburg’s first ‘out of the city’ development, a sort of early 20^th century suburb.  For much more detail on Roser Park, check out the Historic Roser Park website.

  But for an easy, present day treat, drive over to Roser Park and check it out.  It’s a peaceful oasis of history and beauty only minutes away from anywhere in the city.

  (Please note: in order to see the true depth of the hills in these photos, click on any of the photos so that you can view a full-sized version of the photograph.)

  
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