Bob Deakin Short Stories

Rob Fowler of Gulfport, FL at his desk and office.

What is your website doing for you today?

That is the question Rob Fowler of 007 Computer Services poses at the top of the home page of his website, rooted in Gulfport.

Mr. Fowler is a professional web developer, which is to say he provides web development, search engine optimization (SEO), digital photography, marketing, web administration, hosting, troubleshooting, security and all things Internet to form a powerful marketing tool for any business that seeks to expand its business.

“When I start working with a client I become very involved in their marketing and measuring and testing what’s working,” he says. “I get involved in the print media and TV and the whole bit.”

He’s used to working with creative minds that already have an image of what they want. What works on a canvass or in graphic design doesn’t always work on a website. Still, it’s not his intention to stifle creativity but to accentuate it.

“I will always do what the client wants but I definitely try to educate them on what’s going to give them the most bang for the buck; what’s going to work best for them and their business.”

He’s been working with computers since the late 1970s with companies like NCR and Texas Instruments and always thrived in the IT world, creating his own niche in the western U.S. creating business systems and troubleshooting.

He got a jump on the Internet in 1996 soon after it exploded, creating websites when few others did and continued to build sites and skills. Eventually, about eight years ago he reached a point getting more and more involved with SEO where he was good but needed to get better, so he went back to school for Interactive Media at the International Academy of Design in Tampa and completed a four-year program.

“That just took everything to another level,” he says, noting experience played a role complimenting the education. “I’m now comfortable building high end websites, I know how to market, what works and doesn’t work.”

He found a new home at the same time. He’d heard of the Blueberry Patch in Gulfport and while visiting he discovered Beach Blvd. and as soon as he saw the strip and the waterfront he was hooked and it all unfolded naturally. He now lives here with his wife and is on the board of directors for the Gulfport Chamber of Commerce and involved with Gulfport Magazine.

SEO is one of the most popular services to sprout up in recent years.

“Unfortunately there’s a lot of people out there offering SEO that don’t know what they’re doing,” he warns. “They learn a few tricks and end up causing more harm than good.”

He cited a recent experience where he cleaned up some bad SEO for a small business website, re-designed the home page and went from number 91 on Google to number one in a matter of four days.

“It’s very important that you don’t do it wrong,” he says. “You’re better off not doing any SEO than doing it wrong.”

If a potential client is looking to start their first website and is hesitant to budget money for it he’ll often encourage them to use one of the free services for a simple site and try it out. When they’re ready to take a serious marketing approach that’s where he comes in to produce a professional site and all that comes with it.

He is absolutely sure that just about every business that wants to grow needs their own website, including the city he lives in, which includes the Gulfport Florida site, which he created.

“If you’re competing in the business world a web site is one of your most important tools,” he assures, noting all social media presence should point to a business website. “Your website is your best sales person and should be a profit center, not a monthly expense.”

As for the name of the business, 007 Computer Services is usually the first to pop up in any listing and there’s intrigue to any “007” reference but it’s not James Bond he tips his hat to. It is an ode to John Dee (1527-1608), who used to sign his letters to Queen Elizabeth with two circles symbolizing his eyes as the secret eyes of the queen, as depicted in the logo of Fowler’s web site.

“I’ve always liked the meaning of the 007, the ancients or the historic John Dee angle of it and I just stuck with it. It worked well for business and people remember it.”

Does he enjoy taxing his eyeballs virtually around the clock while living on a picturesque Florida waterfront?

“I love it. Absolutely,” he doesn’t hesitate to say. “It’s stressful – every day there’s a crisis – there’s hackers, Internet Explorer might make a new update and some things don’t work that had been working perfectly. I’m a natural troubleshooter, problem solver. It’s high stress and I rarely get bored.”

He is fascinating to talk to about the Internet yet keeps it simple. It’s obvious he enjoys his work, taking arms against a sea of troubles and stress that go along with it. Let’s hope he gives the eyes a break from the computer screen long enough to enjoy the view of the bay.

Originally published on Patch.com in June 2011

Copyright 2011

The Sarasota Board of County Commissioners continued its three-day budget workshop session Wednesday, starting with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office’s budget request in the morning segment.

Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight made the presentation recommending a five-year budget of $86,706,000, which was described as $1 million under budget for 2012 as a result of a Florida Retirement System (FRS) rate reduction.

He pointed out that in Sarasota County, there are 1.2 deputies per 1,000 population and the state average is 1.7 per 1,000. Per citizen the cost is $362 per deputy each year in Sarasota with a state average of $487.

One of the factors that have caused a reduction in expenses is biometric identification, it was explained. It was noted that the average stay in the Sarasota jail is approximately 20 days and the Sheriff’s Office was able to identify 219 individuals from 19 different countries who were in the county illegally and picked up for a crime in the past year. As a result of the biometric identification they were immediately sent to immigration without needing to be housed at the jail, reducing food and medical costs.

Sheriff Knight also pointed to the success of the work program, in which 165 criminal offenders have participated since October 2010. Rather than be detained in jail, they show up to work each day at the work site as part of work orders including cleaning tasks across the county, again saving food and medical costs that would be spent housing them in jail. It also saves money for the county eliminating the costs to pay employees to do the work.

“We enjoy the luxury of not having those folks checking into jail and being in the facility,” Knight said, adding that they have collected 1,150 bags of trash in that time. “Everybody that we’re able to keep out is certainly saving us money on the food cost and medical potential.”

It was also noted that 81 percent of the budget is personnel costs. Operating expenses have gone up as a result of the rising costs off fuel as well as jail medical and food costs.

Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office Maj. Kurt Hoffman explained that medical costs of those held in the jail have resulted in an enormous increase in the past year, mainly as a result of seven inmates (70 percent of the tab) and pharmaceutical expenses for detoxing and treating drug addicts. The insurance contract provides that the sheriff’s office pay any amount over a $250,000 aggregate cap and that two individuals went over that amount, including one for $448,000.

Commission Chair Nora Patterson clarified that the FRS rate will likely increase as of July this year and that next year’s budget will reflect it.

“We’re probably going to start a couple million behind the 8-ball next year,” she suggested, to which Knight agreed.

Maj. Kevin Kenny explained another detail to the commissioners for future reference, stating that most of the Sheriff’s Office facilities are not rated beyond a category 2 hurricane.

“Of the 26 some-odd facilities that we have, only one is rated over a category two when it comes to a storm,” he said, noting that the facility rated is one wing of the jail. “While everyone else is evacuating, we’re going to be evacuating some 25-odd facilities at the same time.”

Knight added that the department is working on a master plan for the improvement of the departments facilities, including the need for storage.

“Maj. Kenney’s comments are really important and we need to absorb right away. That’s pretty serious, really a wake-up call,” said Commissioner Joseph Barbetta. “We need to address this as quickly as possible.”

The County Commission continued with the budget workshop throughout the day addressing the fire department, Emergency Services, Facilities and 11 other items. The workshop will continue Friday at 9am.

Originally published on Patch.com in June 2011

Copyright 2011

Linda Craig in fron of The Perfect Ten (A Salon for Nails). Photo by Bob Deakin

Linda Craig has the best seat in the Art Village, perched above the main walkway while still somehow hidden among all the activity. She worked hard to get there and five years after opening she’s right where she wants to be.

The Perfect Ten (A Salon for Nails) is a title as precise as her services, which include foot care, hand care and a specialization in medical pedicures. She provides natural nail care (manicures), is an acrylic nail specialist and works to teach her clients to take care of themselves as much as she does.

She works by appointment only and has built a loyal following in Gulfport and many of the surrounding cities. Seemingly always on the move, she manages her time as a mother of a teenage daughter while giving her time to several organizations and running her business.

A service that sets her apart from others is diabetic foot care.

“It’s knowing about the circulatory system, endocrine and all that other fun stuff,” she playfully says. “Your average nail tech, especially here in Florida, is not trained for that. There’s a massage that’s given from the tip of the toe up to the knee. I also incorporate a little reflexology.”

With more than 30 years of experience, she developed her craft (and her southern accent) in Hilton Head, South Carolina and is a licensed instructor in nail care. It is an industry not as tightly regulated in Florida, she points out, as Florida instructors do not need to be licensed.

She came to Gulfport just over five years ago and became friends with Joe and Charlene Culbertson, owners of the Art Village Courtyard at the time. She opened Perfect Ten not long after for a few days a week and continued to work at another salon in the area while spending lots of time and effort to build up her own business.

“I worked really, really hard and now it’s very successful,” she is happy to say. “I have clients that drive over here from northeast St. Pete, Snell Island and all around.”

She has no employees but enjoys the work and especially her clients.

“Some of my greatest relationships have been birthed out of my clients. I have some that are booked out three and four months in advance because my schedule is tight.”

She is a recent addition to the board of the Gulfport Chamber of Commerce (COC), manages the entertainment schedule on the courtyard stage and is a member of the local chapter of Business and Professional Women (BPW).

Along with the cosmetic focus she is particularly sensitive to medical issues.

“Calluses, ingrown toe nails, diabetic foot care – there’s a way that I deal with all of that and I teach my clients what they need to know to take care of themselves. It’s much more in depth than coming in and getting your toe nails polished,” she says of the services, adding, “I have almost as many men clients as I do female.”

She networks through the COC, BPW, friends and clients and does no advertising, has no web site or Facebook page, just a phone number and an excellent reputation.

“You really have to come in and experience it. It’s like Tiffany with Live Curley, Live Free and Leta with Art of Massage, you have to understand what they specialize in and why they do it,” she says, referring to her neighbor businesses in the Art Village. “We’re all that way. We’re extremely good at what we do. We go the extra mile. We’re constantly teaching ourselves, constantly being one step above the average.”

While the demand is there for her services, Craig explains the importance in becoming an integrated part of a community.

“Tourism is great. You get a few dollars off of it but that is not my main entree. We’re not only about just providing a service and getting paid for it,” she says, again pointing to the other shops near her. “We have a human interest in you… and that’s what sets us aside.”

Linda Craig is happy with the business, her location, a busy schedule and the fact she has re-established some lost ties from her days in Hilton Head. She’s also looking forward to an all women fishing tournament in Gulfport next year that she’s helping to organize with the COC.

She doesn’t sit still, has plenty to say and is making the most from the best seat in the house.

The Perfect Ten (A Salon For Nails) is located at 2908 Beach Blvd. and the phone number is 727-239-5280.

Originally published on Patch.com in June 2011

Copyright 2011

Mayor Yakes presents the key to the city to Steve Karbowski. Photo by Bob Deakin

The Gulfport City Council covered numerous issues Tuesday night with a healthy dose of public input.

The meeting began with the presentation of the Spirit of Gulfport Award to Steve Karbowski for his dedication to the crime prevention group in the northwestern section of the city. Since early 2009 Mr. Karbowski and his family have led a group of neighbors to become active in the attempt to reduce crime in their neighborhood.

Mr. Karbowski and his family stepped to the podium to accept the award from Mayor Michael Yakes.

“Along with that, so you will enjoy this quality city that you are a great part of, is the key to the city,” Mr. Yakes announced. “Council Member Salmon is the one that acknowledged your greatness.”

In the past year Mr. Karbowski has organized ten block parties with the objective of neighbors getting to know each other better and to be more aware of the goings on in the neighborhood. His efforts may have contributed to reduced crime that section of the city, and his efforts were met with a warm round of applause.

*****

Mayor Yakes also presented Governor’s Hurricane Conference Certificates to to three residents for the Gulfport Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). For their recent training efforts in hurricane response, Christine Brown, Louis Distasio and Michael Worthington were each awarded certificates qualifying them to administer citizen training for disaster response. They plan to participate in hurricane training classes to citizens in the coming weeks.

*****

City Attorney Andrew Salzman responded to two questions brought up at a previous workshop regarding golf carts. He said that the city is permitted to have residents’ golf carts inspected to ensure compliance with an ordinance that would allow them to be used on the road. He also stated that inspecting the golf carts would have no affect on the city’s liability in the event of an accident.

“From the basis of doing an ordinance and additional liability the answer is you can do the ordinance and you will not have any additional liability,” Mr. Salzman stated.

Also referring to a new golf cart ordinance, which the city is still working to complete, resident Bonnie Bray spoke to the council recommending that in advance of workshops in the future, council members should consider meeting with residents as part of small committees for a more productive session.

“The golf cart resolution, when you were going back and forth and back and forth, no one could make any comments and there were easy fixes but it was a big waste of your time.” She suggesting that if a council member had previously discussed particular issues with residents they might be better prepared at the workshops.

*****

City Manager James O’Reilly announced that the city’s property appraiser presented a new “loss of property value” of 8.71 percent, which is down from the previous estimate of 10.5 from earlier this year. He asked the appraiser to re-look at the numbers and he felt the new estimate is “very positive and moving in the right direction.”

*****

Lee Stapella spoke to the council about citizens’ right regarding city personnel complaints and concerns.

“It seems that a narrow and rigid application of a three-minute time limit to the public may expose the city to needless litigation if folks don’t have time to explain their concerns,” she stated. She said many cities offer citizens five minutes to speak and that the council has the right to extend the time limit if they so choose on a case-by-case basis. “After all, the attempt of the issue is to put out a possible litigation fire and it’s useful as a cost saver.”

Mayor Yakes responded that the council and staff will take her concerns into consideration.

*****

Resident Doug Hudson complimented the city and the public works department for its recent response to excessive trash and brush gathered along curbs but urged the council to take a more proactive approach to trash pickup in the future.

*****

One resident that did not identify himself asked the council if they were considering getting rid of the Gulfport Trolley. He advised against it saying resident and tourists uses it to go in and around St. Petersburg and that he finds it very useful for someone who doesn’t have a car. Mayor Yakes said that removing the trolley service “is in consideration” but that no decisions have been made.

*****

Crea Egan spoke to the council inviting them to attend “Growing Greener” on Saturday, June 18, from 10 to 4 at the Gulfport Casino Ballroom. The mission is to display urban, sustainable gardening and living.

Originally published on Patch.com in June 2011

Copyright 2011

Council Member Jennifer Salmon makes a point to City Manager James O'Reilly Tuesday night. Photo by Bob Deakin

The Gulfport City Council Tuesday night approved the renewal of the existing franchise agreement with Progress Energy for a ten-year period. As part of the agreement, Progress Energy will pay the city a six percent ($843,095) franchise fee, which is taken from fees charged to the customers.

Council Member Jennifer Salmon questioned why the council did not have an opportunity to discuss the franchise agreement at a workshop, indicating that there may have been ways to reduce energy uses or other bids to consider. The city manager said he didn’t bring it to workshop as it is a standard agreement that the city has continued over time but that it would be brought to public discussion in the future.

Gail Simpson, manager of public policy for Progress Energy, explained that the deal is a right-of-way agreement and that the company would be willing to discuss measures to reduce energy uses for the city. Mayor Yakes added that this is the first reading of the contract and that there will be a public hearing to address it.

The council approved the franchise renewal by a 4 to 1 vote with Council Member Salmon adding the ‘no’ vote.

*****

The council unanimously approved the city’s $444,081 insurance policy with Public Risk Management of Florida. City Manager Jim O’Reilly said that there was no increase over last year and that he was satisfied with the ongoing agreement.

Council Member Salmon commented that the council should be more active in seeing that there are more options available before voting on a new policy.

“It just seems like we have a fiduciary responsibility to make sure that we are re-bidding these things and encouraging a slew of applicants,” she said. “I think that’s part of our job.”

Council Member Sam Henderson later commented that the council should not try to micro-manage how the city staff does its work in day-to-day activities.

*****

The council also unanimously voted to authorize the city manager to renew the city’s sewer system repair contract with J.T.V., Inc. for a period of two years. Public Works Director Don Sopak has been working with the city for many years, is familiar with the systems throughout the city and has a good working relationship and willing to make repairs when called upon.

“To me it’s a good deal,” he said. “I do like working with them. They do a good job and we’ve never had a collapse in any line they’ve put in and they’ve probably put in a hundred thousand square feet of line.”

Resident Bob Worthington spoke up in favor of the contract renewal, warning that the pipes are old and preventing collapses is vital in avoiding larger expenses of replacing pipe.

“I’d just like to say keeping this group in here or even having another group of the same type is hugely important,” he said. “Our infrastructure here in Gulfport is the pipes in the ground that you can’t see. They’re deteriorating and in a lot of cases they’re more than 70 years old… We need to keep up with our infrastructure and I urge the council to do everything they can.”

*****

In other business, Council Member Henderson has proposed an early-morning “Keep Gulfport Weird Mini-triathlon” on September 24 on the day of the Tangerine Blues Festival. It would not be for expert athletes but more for fun and would involve a one-mile run, 4-mile bike and a swim from the recreation center to the Casino Pier. He will provide more details in the future.

*****

Council Member Barbara Banno alerted the council that the Rand McNally “Best of the Road” competition is coming to a close and that Gulfport is one of six finalists out of 600 for the “Best for Food” category. Beginning June 23, five teams selected by USA Today and Rand McNally will head to the various towns in several categories to judge for themselves. It is not known what day they will hit Gulfport but she advises merchants to be ready.

She gave credit to the Chamber of Commerce and Merchants Association to get the word out to participate in the competition and vote for Gulfport. “It’s a really good opportunity for Gulfport to be put on the map,” she said. “It’s very exciting news and I’ll keep you guys all posted.”

Mayor Yakes said the town has received calls as a result of the competition and that other local officials have indicated they will be heading to Gulfport to judge for themselves.

Originally published on Patch.com in June 2011

Copyright 2011

Jennifer Deidrich shows off the tools of her two favorite passions.

Jennifer Diedrich founded Suzuki Strings of St. Petersburg in 2003, utilizing a unique style of teaching music that benefited her as a child. The St. Pete resident and violinist for the Tampa Bay Symphony was one of the first to learn via the Suzuki method as a four-year-old back in Chicago in the early 1970s from Arthur Montzka, one of the disciples of originator Shinichi Suzuki of Japan.

The Suzuki method applies the basic principles of learning to speak to learning to play an instrument, starting with children as young as infants. With the help of parents and a very basic program of study they learn the instrument and performance and are often well beyond the typical learning curve of others students within a few years.

The Suzuki method is meant to help in the approach to learning as a whole – not just music – and often results in better study habits, leadership skills and confidence.

Diedrich has been teaching at a local church and preschool but most students now go to her home for instruction as she seeks a new facility in which to expand her program. She talked to Patch about teaching students to play the violin.

Q. Can you explain what’s different about the Suzuki method?

A. Most of us started out having a half-hour lesson a week and it was just a relationship between the teacher and the student. This method is a triangle – the parent, the teacher and the student – all three work together and the life skills are really what Suzuki had in mind. He was using music as a vehicle to teach discipline and respect and kindness. The other benefit with music is it really taps your emotional self, your intellectual self. It’s more of a whole piece for development. I think that’s why it works so well.

Q. Do parents have to be musicians to participate?

A, It’s not necessary. A lot of adults are intimidated by that but I just reassure them they know more than a two or three year-old. They have better muscle coordination so usually the parent will learn how to play “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” just so they understand what it feels like. You’ll make a lot of mistakes but they’re joyful about it and laugh at it and have fun. It creates quality time.”

Q. Can you point to a student you’ve seen profoundly benefit from the program?

A. There is one little guy who has won the Florida and Southeast Division for composing and honorable mention nationally on violin and piano. He’s eight years old. He did an infant and toddler program.

Q. What inspired Suzuki to develop his own method?

A. He believed everybody had potential, so that you weren’t born a musician or an athlete or whatever. It is primarily what you’re exposed to and how you’re nurtured. For instance, you’re not going to batter someone if they pronounce a word wrong, you just repeat it for them correctly. He believed the world would be a better place if people would be kind and loving.”

Q. How did the Suzuki method evolve?

A. (Shinichi Suzuki) said all of us have to call it our own program like Montzka Suzuki or Diedrich Suzuki because you have your own personality to inject into it. Montzka was a professor at Northern Illinois University and he went to all the elementary and middle schools during the day, and that’s how it sort of started organically.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

There are approximately 30 families in her program in St. Pete and about 150 in the greater Tampa Bay area, and she has many adult students as well. Fees are about $100 per month, which includes both private and group lessons. There will be a new web site launch in the coming weeks for Suzuki Strings St. Pete at www.suzukistringsstpete.com.

She can be reached by phone at 727-804-1488 or via email at diedrichj@aol.com.

Originally published on Patch.com in June 2011

Copyright 2011

Marta Woodhead inside Salon M in Gulfport, Florida. Photo by Bob Deakin

To step inside Marta Woodhead’s Salon M on Beach Blvd. is to feel at home. The proprietor is the stylist and the only employee, yet with a gentle nature she has created a space that has become a destination for many in the area since she opened in August 2009.

Originally from California, she moved to New York and by 22 was trained as a hair dresser and working in the hair and makeup union for commercials, television, industrial videos, film and print advertising.

“I had a lot of friends that worked in the film business as scenic artists, writers, electricians and they inspired me to test to join the union for makeup artists,” she remembers. “I passed the test and then started working in the film business.”

At the same time she opened her own shop in the village of Cold Spring, NY near West Point. There she stayed for the next 20 years continuing with her own shop and working in the entertainment business.

In the late 1990s she bought a vacation house in Pass-a Grille. A few years later one of her clients who lived in Gulfport sang its praises and eventually she decided to move here. She left full-time hair stylist work and did her own thing for the next few years until 2009 when a good friend created an opening for her doing hair and makeup at a studio up in the northeast.

She was prepared to maintain her home here but go back up and take the opportunity when she drove by the location of her current business on Beach Blvd., which used to be a hair salon, and noticed it was for rent.

“I just stopped and looked at it and had one of those ‘ah hah’ moments, turned my car around, pulled up in front, called the landlord and they were here in five minutes and I pretty much made the decision, slept on it overnight and within three days I had a lease signed.”

She’s glad for the “ah hah” moment as life is good, she enjoys the area very much and speaks as if at peace with the world.

“I had so many wonderful things here and realized it would be so much more peaceful at this point in life,” she explains.

“It’s become much more in the second year than what I thought it would be,” she says of the business. “The people are fabulous and I’ve developed some great friendships.”

She’s happy for the simple things like the kids of her customers stopping in just to say hello. Also a member of the Gulfport Merchants Association she enjoys cooperating with Get Rescued in Gulfport for the dogs and also donates and encourages others to do so for the Senior Center Pantry.

The Salon M location has also been a flower shop in addition to many other businesses over the years but Marta added a tiled floor, a healthy dose of art, tastefully located flowers and modern furnishings to create a spotless setting in a comfortable atmosphere with lots of space.

Still a member of the makeup artist’s union she recently did hair and makeup for the extras in the film Dolphin Tale, which was filmed partly in St. Petersburg and Clearwater. Not prone to aggressive marketing or name dropping from her days in film, she prefers to gain customers via word of mouth and is content taking good care of the customers she has rather than pursuing more. Her customers come in all ages from all areas and all hair styles.

Salon M provides styling, haircuts, hair coloring, deep conditioning, smoothing treatments, waxing service, makeup applications and good conversation. She also makes her space available for other local stylists. Hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm and she caters to her customers with specially arranged appointments throughout the week.

Originally published on Patch.com in June 2011

Copyright 2011

Bikers take a break at Paciugo. Photo by Bob Deakin

ST. PETERSBURG – Toni and Carl Riche have owned and operated Paciugo Gelato & Caffe on Beach Drive in St. Petersburg since 2006. Their bright, spotless shop, with cafe tables and chairs out front, offers rich, handcrafted frozen Italian desserts.

Often there is a line out the door for such flavors as Amaretto Black Cherry Swirl, Mediterranean Sea Salt Caramel or Green Tea Chocolate Chip.

Paciugo makes dozens of flavors fresh each morning, and the display area can only be properly appreciated in person. A mind-boggling array of items – some not typically associated with frozen treats, such as balsamic vinegar or violets – are used in the creations.

The tastes are amazing, as Carl was generous to offer servings as he gave the grand tour of the products and their creation on a recent morning.

The owners emphasize the ingredients that they do not use, as well as the all-natural and fresh products that are infued in their milk-based gelato and water-based sorbets. There are no artificial flavorings or preservatives in the desserts, no trans fat or corn syrup. 

Toni and Carl opened what was then the second franchise of Paciugo, which now boasts more than 40 stores around the country. Not surprisingly, the company has its roots in Italy.

Toni, originally from Melbourne, Florida, and Carl, originally from Louisiana, operate at 300 Beach Drive across from the Museum of Fine Arts, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

You may wonder why they open so early. In addition to delicious frozen desserts, they also sell strong Italian coffee. It is not unusual to see someone sipping their espresso with a dollop of gelato.

The company has 18 employees and looks forward to the future serving gelato on the bay.

Q. How has the location worked for you?

A. I love it, because you’re looking out at the bay. We’ve got a place where people can go and sit and talk, turn off the computer and have an espresso, a cappuccino, a latte, a little gelati, and just have a good afternoon, a good evening and slow down, the Italian way.

Q. Can you describe one of the flavors?

A. Here is the Three Vanilla (Tre Vaniglie). The beans come from Madagascar, Tahiti and Mexico – the best vanillas in the world. The good thing is we make it fresh here, so there’s no preservatives, no corn syrup. If you look at the label on ice cream in a grocery store, there are all these preservatives, all this junk in it. This has none of that. It’s 70 percent less butterfat, so it’s a lot more healthy for you. An average cup is about 150 calories, not a whole lot more than a Coca Cola, so it’s a lot better for you.

Q. You serve a violet gelato?

A.  The Viola is made from fresh cut Bulgarian violet petals. People either like that one or they don’t. There’s not much in between, and you don’t find it in the United States much.

Q. Can you describe the sorbets?

A. We have three sorbets today, which are fresh fruit and water-based. There are about 110 calories in a typical (3.5 oz.) cup. One is Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar sorbet and we have Mango. You can actually taste the strands of mango because it’s made with the real stuff, not just an extract.

Q. What does the business name refer to?

A. Paciugo is Italian, and it means “messy concoction.” So we make it here in the back and we make a mess.

Q. You serve coffee, too?

A. South Africa bean coffee. A South Africa bean is a little more fruity flavor and a South America bean is a little more earthy. They’re both a fruit and the fruit falls off and you’ve got the coffee bean but the way it’s grown you’ve got a little more fruity flavor with the South Africa bean and that’s what we have.

Q. What did you do before you came to St. Petersburg?

A. I started at Walmart in 1974, when there were 87 Walmart stores. I opened the very first Sam’s Club so I’m the founding father of Sam’s. I managed the first Sam’s Club, then I was the director of operations for them in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Eventually I decided to retire, and this is a fun thing. We’re happy. Toni has 51 percent and I have 49 so it’s a female-owned business.

Originally published on Patch.com in June 2011

Copyright 2011

The Gulfport Waterfront District sign in Gulfport, FL. Photo by Bob Deakin

Gulfport’s City Council heard one presentation and examined four items at its workshop on Thursday including the operation of golf carts on public roads, an amendment to the Historic Preservation Ordinance, the Waterfront Redevelopment Area entryway sign and the proposed mooring field.

For the third time in the past year the city council discussed the feasibility of allowing golf carts – or low-speed vehicles – on public roads. Early in the discussion City Attorney Associate Caitlin E. Sirico confirmed that the city of Indian Rocks Beach allows golf carts on city streets that do not exceed 25 mph, which seemed to be what many in the discussion wanted to emulate. It was golf carts crossing or driving on busier streets such as Gulfport Blvd. or its intersections with 58^th St. or 52^nd St. that most agreed was a common danger.

Driving a golf cart in downtown Gulfport was seen as a positive for the town by some, saving both natural resources and parking. It was also seen as a sign of a friendly, eclectic community open to more forms of travel and comfort.

Resident Bonnie Bray spoke in favor of legalizing golf carts on the streets.

“With the city tax base and everything else decreasing and the tax roles going down we have to develop some uniqueness for the city. We have a small little community here in the middle of a big area and the more unique our community can become the better our property values will increase. Golf carts within the city of Gulfport will keep our business within our community, within our restaurants; it will keep the community a little bit more quaint.”

She said the city of Dunedin recently legalized golf carts on the street and that members of its merchant’s association helped push the ordinance through. She claimed it would help the lack of parking in town and that insurance can be covered under homeowners policies.

The major points of debate were whether registration of the golf carts was necessary, if insurance was necessary and how much, how rules pertaining to their use would be enforced (police department or code enforcement) and whether allowing their use might open the possibility of younger or unlicensed drivers operating them on city streets.

One possibility brought up was to create a set of safety regulations for each cart such as lights, indicators, windshields, horns and seat belts, and make the owner have it inspected by the police and put an easily identifiable marker on those carts so that the police would be able to quickly identify an approved cart.

Gulfport Police Chief Robert Vincent addressed the council and admitted it would be difficult to expect his officers to write code enforcement citations during their course of duties, as opposed to traffic violations, which are part of their normal duties.

“That does bring up an issue,” Chief Vincent responded to a question from Council Member Barbara Banno as to the enforcement of citations. “It would be enforced via a code violation not a uniform traffic citation, which is a little bit more complicated procedure. We would have to change some policies in the way we do things otherwise we would never get cops to do it. For an officer to write an ordinance violation citation right now requires that they complete an offense report, that they complete an arrest report, that they complete a booking report. It’s a very complicated process. It’s not anywhere near as simple as writing a traffic ticket.”

He said that officers rarely write code enforcement violations but when they do it’s typically for a barking dog or loud music, and that they have to file a long list of reports.

“I think that Gulfport could use a golf cart ordinance,” Vice Mayor David Hastings suggested. “I’m not in favor of this [one]. It does have some of the features in here that I would like to see as required equipment but it does lack, I think, the specifics.”

He mentioned light levels and that he wasn’t in favor of allowing carts at night. Living in the Pasadena Yacht & County Club he noted that it does have a golf cart ordinance and that teenagers will sometimes pile on the carts at night and create dangerous situations for themselves and automobile drivers. He also said he would be in favor of allowing golf carts in the downtown Beach Blvd. area.

“I think we definitely need to stay away from 58^th and 22^nd,. That is not a place to allow a crossing,” he stressed. “I would think that we would want to require, for everybody’s concern, that a golf cart would have to be insured with a minimum amount of liability to protect all.”

Council Member Sam Henderson also suggested minimum liability insurance, as well as licensed drivers only, for golf cart operators on the streets of Gulfport.

Ultimately, City Manager O’Reilly agreed to write a new ordinance stating specific requirements for the carts and where they can travel. The council will vote to approve or deny that ordinance at a later date.

*****

Mike Meidel, Director of Pinellas County Economic Development (PCED) spoke to the council to make them aware of the services that it provides including consulting, education and assistance with small business loans.

One of the points he made was that Gulfport may be able to qualify for a Brownfield grant to help develop areas around 49^th St. that may have been contaminated by hazardous materials. He suggested that the city may take advantage of working with bordering St. Petersburg to apply for such grants and that designating an entire corridor as a Brownfield may be beneficial in qualifying for a grant.

“Over time if the areas are lopsided in development it drags down the development of the entire neighborhood,” Mr. Meidel said, referring to the 49^th St. area.

*****

Community Development Director Fred Metcalf announced to the council that the Waterfront Redevelopment Advisory Board (WRAB) is looking at prices and ideas for a new sign at the entryway to the Waterfront Redevelopment Area at the intersection of Gulfport Blvd. and Beach Blvd.

“It’s a nice sign but it might need a little work,” Mr. Metcalf said of the existing blue and white “Gulfport Waterfront District” sign set into a flower garden for Gulfport Blvd. traffic to see. He and others at the meeting admitted that they barely notice the sign when driving because of the concentration needed to drive at that point of the road.

He said WRAB members would like to incorporate sailboats and a regatta theme into the new sign and for it to be artistically tasteful to reflect the art district. He presented an architectural drawing of a concept of a new sign structure about 20 feet in diameter featuring three sails labeled with the attractions of the city within a water fountain.

Mr. Metcalf said WRAB was hoping to keep the cost of the entire structure within the $25,000 to $30,000 range. They came up with an initial estimate of $1,500 for construction drawings before unveiling a final concept. Since WRAB is under the auspices of the council, council members would have to authorize the project.

He said WRAB has $11,000 in its capital budget to help pay for the sign but it was not stated where the rest of the funds would come from to pay for the project. No further discussion followed about the next step to bid for drawings or to settle on a final artistic plan for a sign. WRAB will approach the council at a later date with an update on its plans.

Originally published on Patch.com in May 2011

Copyright 2011

Engineer Andy Nicholson gives a walk through of the Gulfport mooring field plan. Photo by Bob Deakin

With the go ahead from the Gulfport City Council, City Manager James O’Reilly will move forward with the permitting process for a mooring field in Boca Ciega Bay. Following a long discussion, Mr. O’Reilly agreed to proceed with the process at a cost of approximately $25,000 to the city.

The mooring field proposal has been discussed and debated at several meetings the past two months with much public input at the meetings, most speaking in favor of it. The city first began the permitting process with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) several years ago and as part of the process the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Army Corps of Engineers would grant approval or denial as well.

Five residents spoke in favor of the mooring field proposal at Thursday’s workshop including former vice-mayor Bob Worthington.

“I applaud the council for bringing that back. It’s been something that’s been very necessary for Gulfport and the control of our environment along the beach and in the bay,” he said, connecting a mooring field with better enforcement of boating regulations. “I think the good boaters of this area also applaud you because it takes away from a lot of their monies that would be going to boating projects. When one of these [derelict] boats has to be removed it takes boating money away and it takes our marina money away and that hurts all good boaters.”

Resident Al Davis encouraged the council to see an active mooring field for themselves in order to make their decision and not base it on the advice of others.

“Whatever your decision is please base it on fact, and consider the economics and consider the best for Gulfport, not just the warm noses that are in the room at the time of the decision.”

Council Member Jennifer Salmon asked to have a walk-through of the map of the footprint of the field in relation to the public beach.

Andy Nicholson, consulting engineer of the mooring field project, pointed to the map and explained that distances between the field and the beach range from 590′ to 642′ to 686′ at various points on the west side closest to the Casino.

“We are putting perimeter buoys here to control the traffic and provide a bigger protection area,” Mr. Nicholson said, pointing to the eastern side of the Casino pier. “This is all going to be a very slow speed area and this is all a safe zone for critters. Although there’s not a large activity of the mammals (manatees) here we’re still giving them an extra level of protection they don’t have today.”

Mr. O’Reilly pointed out that the distances are important as it is a designated manatee habitat and that after four attempts in the past seven years the permitting process must move forward in order to see if the mooring field can in fact be approved by the various agencies.

“Not to be blunt with you, but we’re here,” he said. “We’re here for the fourth time, and I’d like to poll you and ask you if that’s something you’d like to move forward [with].”

Mayor Michael Yakes noted that the footprint of the mooring field plans have been moved west over the years to accommodate an acceptable location, to be sensitive to the environment and considerate of access to the business district.

“It has been around a long time, I think we’ve got to do what you said,” Mayor Yakes agreed. “Let’s do this.”

“I agree,” said Council Member Barbara Banno, confirming that Mr. O’Reilly wishes to move forward with the current proposal rather than continue to debate it or make adjustments. “I think it’s a step in the right direction. I think it’s good for the community… I think it kind of puts us on the map a little bit.”

“Let us go to the FDEP because I think what would happen is, I think we’d get bound up in the what if? That’s what I would rather not do,” Mr. O’Reilly responded. “If we get caught in the what ifs, we could be redesigning [the project] completely. I think we need to be able to just go use our best judgment as a staff. They’ll come back and you’ll either accept their permit if they offer you one or you won’t.”

Vice Mayor David Hastings asked for confirmation that $25,000 is the estimate to get the project to the point of an approval or denial with the FDEP and Mr. O’Reilly confirmed it was.

“I’m willing to front that money because I think the ultimate goal if we could end up with something like that, would be a positive for the city,” Mr. Hastings said.

“I’ll probably be the oddball out, and I do think that mooring fields are environmentally friendly,” said Council Member Sam Henderson, satisfied with the layout and the aesthetics of the plan. “My issue is economics in a year we’re talking about who are we going to lay off, we’re talking about raising utility rates… It seems like a luxury item and I don’t think it’s a good time to do it. That’s my personal opinion.”

At that point Mayor Yakes concluded the discussion with a majority in agreement to allow the city manager to proceed with the permitting process with the FDEP at a cost of $25,000 taken from the Gulfport Marina Fund.

Originally published on Patch.com in May 2011

Copyright 2011

The outdoor seating area of Yummy's at the entrance of the Art Village in Gulfport, FL. Photo by Bob Deakin

Visitors to Gulfport’s Art Village have become used to Yummy’s, the three year-old luncheonette in the colorful 86 year-old bungalow in the center of the courtyard, known for its all-American treats and setting.

Lori Luczak purchased Yummy’s last October from original owners Bonnie and Richard Reale after being a loyal customer since the restaurant opened. She had experience in the restaurant industry but wasn’t planning on returning to the business until she walked into the Reale’s establishment.

“I fell in love with it the minute I walked in and I’ve always wanted to do something like this,” Luczak says.

She became a regular customer and got along well with the owners as she settled in as a new Gulfport resident not long ago.

“As I kept coming in Rich and Bonnie and I became good friends. He was going to retire and was ready to sell and he sold it to me. After about a month of retirement he couldn’t stand it any more,” she says with a laugh.

Mr. Reale came back to work at the store part-time and will operate its new trailer – “Bringing Yummy’s to Your Tummys!” – this summer at fairs and other events throughout the area. The flashy new trailer is currently parked in front of the store in preparation for Memorial Day weekend events as it is loaded with supplies for its maiden voyage.

Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Luczak’s route to Gulfport was a long one in more ways than one. A few years ago living in Orlando she suffered serious injuries to her neck, shoulder and arm in an accident and went through several surgeries followed by a long recuperation period.

“I came to Gulfport because I knew for two years I’d be tied up with the surgeries and the healing,” she remembers. “Instead of being in Orlando where I couldn’t really get around with my neck brace on I came to Gulfport just to get some fresh air and be able to walk down to the beach.”

She also wasn’t able to drive and enjoyed Gulfport’s small and vibrant downtown atmosphere.

“I’d be walking back and forth to the beach and Yummy’s was one of the places I’d stop at and that was basically it. I just fell in love with it. It was a good place to be at a time of healing. That’s how I ended up here.”

Chicago-style hot dogs are the signature item at Yummy’s and Vienna Beef dogs, Gonnella French rolls, sport peppers and other ingredients are shipped straight from Chicago. The Italian Beef Sandwich is another popular item on the menu and is built of sliced roast beef dipped in a natural gravy on toasted Gonnella, also served with hot peppers and onions.

Corn dogs, veggie dogs, turkey dogs and chili dogs are also staples on the menu as well as a beef and sausage combo, meatball sub, Polish sausage on a roll, pizza bread and soups. Sandwiches include the classic grilled pastrami on rye with Swiss and mustard, the Reuben, the Dagwood (turkey, ham and roast beef) and a host of others. Lighter items include the “veggie pita” or wrap, salads and a kids menu.

Homemade chili comes in cups, bowls and even quarts and is from a recipe originally created by Richard Reale’s grandmother. He opened the first Yummy’s in Alabama a few years ago but the Gulfport location is the only one that remains.

Hershey’s Ice Cream is a customer favorite at Yummy’s and tough to keep on the shelves. It comes in 21 flavors in a cup or cone as well as in sundaes and milk shakes.

Yummy’s now opens for breakfast seven days a week and has also added beer and wine to the menu. The deceptively large interior of the store has undergone a complete color scheme change to brighter shades throughout, reflecting the Vienna Beef and Hershey’s brands. It will undergo a few more minor renovations to cater to the beer and wine customers on one end of the store but will remain mostly the same as it now appears.

Music is usually playing inside and out and the atmosphere is decidedly casual with indoor and outdoor seating, customers in flip flops and pets tagging along for the trip.

Yummy’s is open from 8 am to 7 pm Monday through Thursday, until 9 pm Friday and Saturday and until 5 pm on Sundays. It is a member of the Gulfport Merchant’s Association and the Chamber of Commerce. Call 727-321-9869 to arrange an event at the store or visit Yummy’s Facebook page.

Yummy’s Slideshow

Originally published on Patch.com in May 2011

Copyright 2011

Coney Island Grill owner Hank Barlas. His father opened the business in 1926. Photo by Bob Deakin

ST. PETERSBURG – Old St. Petersburg still exists at the Coney Island Grill, at 250 Dr Martin Luther King St. North.

This St. Pete institution was opened in 1926 by Peter Barlas, a Greek immigrant, who opened the restaurant after several attempts to settle in the Northeast.

He charged a nickel for a hot dog. Chili dogs were the signature item on the menu.

Not much has changed over the years. Coney Island Grille is now run by Hank Barlas, Peter’s son, who was born nine years after the restaurant opened.

Hank comes in every morning to set up shop and handle the food preparation.

Coney Island Grill opened at a different location downtown, and moved to its current spot in 1950.

Hank’s brother, George, was a co-owner until he passed away several years ago; Hank’s son, Peter, will soon take a share of the ownership.

The grill.

Chili dog with mustard and onions reign supreme (just don’t ask for catsup). The chili is made from a recipe developed by Hank’s father; it remains a well-kept family secret.

Other favorites are the cheeseburger, chili burger and of course the shakes. The restaurant takes its name from New York’s Coney Island, home of Nathan’s Famous, a favorite of Hank’s father when he first came to the United States.

One step into the restaurant is a step into the past, with classic diner booths with old photos of ballparks, movie stars and icons. Another tribute to the past is the current menu prices. A chili dog sells for $1.72, a hamburger deluxe for $2.92, grilled ham & cheese sandwich for $3.64 and shakes for $3.

Of the eight employees, Jerry Lovely (or Jerry R. Lovely, I are not as Hank refers to him) has been there the longest with 30 years of service. Most have been there 20 years or more. Coney Island Grill is open from 10 am to 6:30 pm Monday through Friday, Saturday 10 am to 3:30 pm. and closed on Sundays.

Q. What’s kept Coney Island Grill in business for so long?

A. We have customers who’ve been coming in here since they were kids and as a matter of fact we had one who died just a couple months ago who’d been coming in here since 1926. We’ve also got another one whose been coming here that long too. He doesn’t come that often because the problem is people that age can’t eat this kind of food anymore, like me, I’m having trouble with it but I love it, that’s the killer.

Q. Do any of the baseball players from the past or present ever come in?

A. Don Zimmer comes in all the time. He’s not supposed to be eating here either but he’s been coming in. Last year he was taking [the chili dogs] to [Rays Manager Joe] Madden but I don’t know that he still is or not. Madden’s wife might have put him on a stricter diet, who knows. Mel Torme was in one time and one of our former governors was a customer too.

Q: Why is there a five cent charge for catsup?

A: Because it ruins my chili.

Q. Any truth to the rumor that your waitresses don’t hesitate to put customers in their place?

A. Oh yeah, but they’re mostly gone by now. I liked it. The customers seemed to like it too. I had one waitress who used to say to a guy as he was ordering, ‘shut up, sit down and eat what I put in front of you’ and give him the same thing he always ate. People are different now, much more sensitive. Even more than they were eight or nine years ago.”

Q: Have there been any notable incidents in the restaurant’s history?

A. There are so many. The reason we don’t have French fries is that the deep fryer caught on fire one time with my dad and he through it out the door – after he got the fire out of course – and we haven’t had fries since.

Q. hat are some significant changes you’ve seen over the years?

A. When we opened this place hot dogs were a nickel and you could buy 20 of them for a dollar. A brand new automobile was about $395 too.

Q. How has the location changed?

A. It’s not in the central area anymore. In the old days the Festival of States Parade used to come straight up 9^th Street here right by the store. Central Avenue between 4^th and 9^th was pretty much the center of town and that’s changed a lot. We’ve still got people coming in bringing their grand kids and great grand kids in. Sometimes you have four generations sitting at two tables over there.

Originally published on Patch.com in May 2011

Copyright 2011

Vice-Mayor David Hastings accepts check on behalf of Gulfport from Darby Dickerson of Stetson University. Photo by Bob Deakin

The Gulfport City Council Tuesday night unanimously approved an ordinance granting the renewal of a non-exclusive franchise agreement with Peoples Gas, a division of TECO Energy of Tampa, for the provision of natural gas in Gulfport.

Resident Al Davis pointed out that some residents have resorted to propane because natural gas lines do not run to their homes and asked if the agreement would make provisions for added availability of natural gas. Leroy Sullivan, a representative of Peoples Gas, confirmed that the gas mains do not extend everywhere in the city and to add service, those residents would have to share the installation expense with Peoples Gas.

“I’d like to say that Natural gas is available to anyone who wants it, it’s just a matter of what are you willing to pay for it,” Mr. Sullivan explained, including that once installed, natural gas costs significantly less than other forms of energy.

He was asked what percentage of the city is served with natural gas but was unable to to provide that number at the time. He also said that the company does not publicly provide a schematic of where the mains run in the city as it becomes a competitive issue with other energy providers. He confirmed that if a cluster of residents wanted to band together to share installation costs that the company would be willing to work out an agreement and that it is always eager to extend itself to new customers.

Vice-Mayor David Hastings, acting in place of Mayor Michael Yakes, who was absent from the meeting, confirmed that Peoples Gas is the only natural gas company that submitted a bid to the City of Gulfport.

*****

Public Works Director Don Sopak reported that sanitation pickups have increased in recent weeks in response to resident call-ins and concerns as well as seasonal increases as a result of snowbirds cleaning up in advance of the annual migration north.

“Last April was actually our record month for picking up special pickups and brush piles and debris,” he said. “A lot of those are initiated by code enforcement and a lot of them are called in to public works and probably the majority of them are never called in.”

In one week of April this year public works made a record 125 special pickups. It averages about 250 pickups per month but made 405 special pickups for the entire month of April according to Mr. Sopak. He said the March storms and foreclosures added to the debris and that crews have been working weekends to make up for the added pickups.

“We’ve been very active trying to get stuff off the road and I think it’s just a seasonal type thing that’s going to transition back.”

*****

The council unanimously approved the amendment of an ordinance authorizing residents to hold six 3-day garage sales each year.

Resident Margarete Tober asked the council if the city planned on enforcing the ordinance, pointing out that the code enforcement officer does not work on weekends when most garage sales take place. She said she believed that the current ordinance is not being enforced and urged to council to see that it is or “do away with the rule.”

City manager James O’Reilly explained that the city issues color-coded permits for garage sales to residents so the police can easily confirm if they stop at a garage sale to check. The permits can be issued and printed online or picked up at City Hall and must be visible from the street during the sale.

*****

In other news Council Member Jennifer Salmon announced that a database of at-risk boats will be available through a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) program. She said the database is used by FWC in concert with local police departments to help prevent at-risk boats from becoming derelict, necessitating an expensive removal.

Vice-Mayor Hastings pointed out that part of the program is to get at-risk boats back into compliance before they become derelict and are then defined as a criminal act on the part of the owner. He said at one point the state had $980,000 allocated for the removal of derelict boats but because of bureaucracy it removed only 83 vessels.

*****

The council unanimously approved an ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute a five-year submerged land lease agreement with the board of trustees of Florida’s Internal Improvement Trust Fund. It will renew an ongoing, no-charge lease for the City of Gulfport to maintain its properties at Williams Pier and the Casino dock.

In response to a question from Al Davis, City Manager James O’Reilly and City Attorney Andrew Salzman confirmed that commercial activity is not permitted on either of the docks but would check the laws to confirm how “commercial activity upstream” is defined in the agreement in order to ensure compliance with the state. The lease is retroactive to 2010 and the city manager confirmed that the paperwork was submitted to the state nine months ago and finally returned last week.

*****

At the beginning of the meeting Darby Dickerson, Vice President, Dean and Professor of Law at Stetson University, presented a check for $7,500 to the City of Gulfport to help pay for its July 4 fireworks display.

*****

Resident Lisa Powers then spoke to the council saying she had heard of Council Member Barbara Banno’s recent suggestion to consider a permanent stage near the recreation area of the public beach. Ms. Powers briefly explained her extensive experience in the theater, urged the council to consider building a stage and said she would be more than willing to offer her services for the staging of any events should the city follow through with it.

“I miss that outdoor free theater, family oriented, low budget [venue] and I think that would be a great use if you did get that permanent stage or even if you didn’t get the stage,” she said. “If the city wanted to support something like that I would be happy to [help]. It’s something I would be very interested in.”

She submitted her resume to the town following her comments. The council has taken no action or had further discussion about a stage since the initial suggestion.

Originally published on Patch.com in May 2011

Coyright 2011

A great menu, sunny weather, waterfront location and outdoor seating have O’Maddy’s Bar & Grille on pace for a record year in 2011. The Shore Blvd. restaurant has been around for more than 20 years and is now entrenched as a Gulfport landmark.

Joe Guenther is the general manager and his wife Maddy is the owner. He explained that many years ago she wanted to open an Irish pub so she simply put an ‘O’ in front of her name and went into business. That was 1989 and the location had been in her family for years before that. One side of the building was formerly a snack bar and a gas station stood at the the corner building.

“Business is very good,” Guenther says. “We’re on track for a record year this year. January wasn’t so great, we had a really good February and a record March and a record April.”

Good weather usually means good business at O’Maddy’s, perched at the end of Williams Pier in prime real estate for visiting boaters and tourists. A few years ago the owners decided to take better advantage of the location and take down the walls on the corner of the building.

“This building used to be all enclosed,” he says of the exposed side of the building. “We were open and operational but when we knocked the building down and opened it all up it made a night and day difference in the amount of volume that we do because of the view.”

There’s a dinghy dock and five boat slips off The Casino pier providing a destination for boaters to make their way across Boca Ciega Bay to O’Maddy’s. Guenther warns that the waters are rough for power boaters but that most boaters are careful and responsible.

“We get a lot of business from the boating community as a whole for sure,” he says. “We get a lot of people off the water, Stetson College students, people from Town Shores, Pasadena Yacht & Country Club; a little of a mix of everything.”

The signature menu item at O’Maddy’s is the “Famous Beef on Weck – The RBK!!!” as it is listed on the menu. It is a thin sliced London port roast beef on a Kimmelweck roll with au jus and horseradish. The Kimmelweck – sometimes spelled Kummelweck – is similar to a Kaiser roll and comes from an old German recipe later made famous in Buffalo, New York. It is baked with kosher salt and caraway seeds on top, distinctively rich in flavor and texture.

“If you go to Buffalo, roast beef on Kimmelweck is everywhere up there,” Guenther says. “It’s one of the most popular sandwiches in Buffalo today. My grandfather was the very first person to serve that sandwich in Buffalo. That’s where that sandwich originated from but he brought it over from Germany.”

Popular in Gulfport too, O’Maddy’s sells about a thousand RBKs each month.

The menu is huge. Chef Wade Parrish has loaded it with a wide array of appetizers, salads, pastas, steaks, pork, chicken and seafood as well as sandwiches, vegetarian dishes and a kids menu.

Another staple is Bubba’s Buffalo Chicken Dip in honor of local radio personality Bubba the Love Sponge. It’s a chicken wing on a chip, originated by Bubba himself. As for drinks, O’Maddy’s serves a “Bo-Tikitini” in honor of Maddy Guenther’s “Bo-Tiki” store in Gulfport. It includes Smirnoff Blueberry Twist vodka, Triple Sec, cranberry, lime juice and simple syrup.

Maddy Guenther is a Gulfport native and Joe is originally from Connecticut but grew up in Sarasota. Both have been long been active in town, involved with organizations such as the Waterfront Redevelopment Advisory Board, Gulfport Merchant’s Association and the Chamber of Commerce.

Most of the restaurant staff of about 30 have been with them for a long time and it’s a cheerful place to be, as evidenced by the smiling faces during the bustle of activity on a recent morning as they all prepared for the lunchtime rush. Joe Guenther likes the casual atmosphere and assures it’s is a fun place to work.

“Absolutely. I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he says. “The view, the location and the great people. The mix of the crowd that we have that comes in here is sometimes amazing. It’s a diverse community for sure and absolutely a lot of fun.”

As for the future, O’Maddy’s may expand to a second floor over both sections of the existing structure.

“That’s been a goal of ours for a while,” Guenther confirmed. “Before we bought this property we had plans drawn to build a second story and we got approved. Then the opportunity came up to buy this property and we ended up buying it and kind of going sideways instead of up but that’s still our long term goal.”

O’Maddy’s is open from 8 am to 3 am every day (Sunday at 11 am) and can be reached at 727-323-8643 or via its Facebook page.

O’Maddy’s Slide Show

Originally published on Patch.com in May 2011

Copyright 2011

Larry Rudolph takes a break in front of his new store. Photo by Bob Deakin

Every day is Christmas at Rudolph’s Custard Shop in south St. Petersburg. Owner Larry Rudolph opened the incredibly charming little shop just weeks ago, longing for a small neighborhood feeling, just like he remembers from his childhood in Ohio.

He could have chosen a downtown location with a lot more foot traffic, but he’s right where he wants to be, on 6^th St. South, next to the legendary Munch’s Restaurant.

Although Christmas is the theme, frozen custard is the star. It comes from a secret homemade recipe created 30 years ago by Rudolph’s parents, George and Peggy. They developed it using premium custard ingredients, including 1.4 percent  pasteurized egg yolk, 10 percent butter fat and pure honey blended in a machine made exclusively for producing custard.

“We’ve got our own secret recipe and I won’t reveal that,” Rudolph proudly says. “Honey custard is our trademark. That’s our product and that was an invention of my dad’s. It’s a true custard; a super premium ice cream. To be a custard it’s got to have the right ingredients plus it has to be made properly.”

Flavors are vanilla and chocolate, with a choice of 17 toppings and homemade whipped cream. The custard is served in a cone or cup, large or small and everything is served with a Christmas theme.

A shake is a Shiver, a parfait a Blitzen, a Sunday a Snowday and so on. Rudolph personally makes the custard and the whipped cream fresh every morning at 5 a.m. It is never stored and served the next day, which is tricky to pull off, particularly with such a new shop. If the stock is running low he simply comes back and makes a new batch.

“Everything is done right here in the shop every day, from the egg yolks to the vanillas the cocoas, the honey, everything,” he says. “There’s a big difference between custard and ice cream. Its fresh and custard should not have any air in it. Every penny you spend is on cream.”

As much as it costs to prepare the true custard, his prices (about $3 a serving) don’t reflect it. None of the ingredients is imitation, including 100 percent real cocoa, which first has to be melted and then incorporated into the process.

Rudolph is a financial planner for Wells Fargo and works in downtown St. Pete but opens the shop every day and is close by to keep an eye on the custard supply. His manager, Leah, runs the operation when he’s not there.

The original shop opened in 1982 in Valley City, Ohio, a farm town outside Cleveland, where Larry worked as a teenager. His father was a career salesman but always had his hand in the restaurant business, and the family used to operate a concession stand at balloon festivals, carnivals, tractor pulls and other events, providing the genesis of the idea for a custard shop in a small town.

“This location just grabbed me,” he says with excitement. “Our Valley City location was in a cute little country town. Not your busy shopping malls. Everyone in the community new it and this to me – south St. Pete – is just that way. It’s a great little community. Munch’s has been here sixty years in the same family. There’s great community loyalty and I wanted to have customers like that.”

Everything in the shop, a former post office, is brand new and spotless. Every inch is utilized and decorated, with old-fashioned colorful stools for the customers to sit at along the front the counter. It is loaded with Christmas decorations, including a wish list mailbox for Santa with Christmas movies and music playing all day.

Rudolph would consider opening additional stores in the future, possibly independently owned, but he wouldn’t want to franchise. He is steadfast on his focus on small, neighborhood shops.

“The neighborhood shop atmosphere has surprised me beyond my expectations,” he’s happy to say. “The people are awesome and they’ve been telling their friends about it. People are coming back now saying so and so told me I had to come and try this.”

Rudolph has three children and still takes care of his mother, who lives in Jacksonville. His father passed away many years ago, not long after opening their store, and the custard shop is a long-held dream. He and his family have been in Florida for 25 years, and after decades of thinking about it, he finally decided to give in to his desire.

“Life grabs you,” he says. “I’ve been taking care of my mom and for whatever reason I said, ‘OK, you know what, I’m going to go out and start the custard shop again.’ ”

Hours of operation are from noon to 9 pm, 7 days a week. Rudolph’s Custard Shop is at the intersection of 6^th St. S. and 40^th Ave. S. and can be reached by phone at 727-260-1658 or via its web site or Facebook page.

Rudolph’s Slide Show

Originally published on Patch.com in May 2011

Copyright 2011

Ray Ritola in front of his Hooker Tea Company store.

ST. PETERSBURG – Ray Ritola began as an employee at Hooker Tea Company in St. Petersburg last May after graduating from Eckerd College.

Three months later he was promoted to manager; four months after that the 22-year-old was the new owner-operator of the downtown retail store.

Hooker Tea was founded by Shawn Hooker – who remains the owner of the franchise and another store in Tampa – when he became frustrated in his quest for high quality alternatives to coffee.

His company now serves more than 100 of the best loose leaf teas available from around the world and brews them one cup at a time.

Hooker stepped back from day-to-day operations of the St. Pete store to focus on expanding the business and licensing opportunities, which include making its tea available to other stores. Hooker also has a joint effort with Cigar City Brewing to create tea-infused beers.

Foot traffic on Beach Drive provides most of the store’s customer base, though Hooker Tea also sells teas and accessories online.

It is in the perfect location to take a break from shopping, cool off and relax in the expansive, elegant setting, where there is plenty of room to meet with others, or just sit quietly with a laptop and enjoy a fresh-made cup, along with a pastry.

Ritola sat down for a few minutes after work this week to answer a few questions about the business and the second-most consumed beverage in the world after water.

Q. What is unique about your teas?

A. It’s all loose leaf blends as opposed to bag teas. Normally a finer cut, loose leaf tea in general brews a much bolder, stronger cup of tea. It’s brewed in an open container so it allows all the leaves to fully expand for the freshest cup of tea you can get. All of our teas are brewed fresh for each and every customer. It’s not something where you brew a vat of it and it sits around all day.

Q. What levels of caffeine can customers expect from tea?

A. We have teas that are naturally caffeine free – it’s a different type of bush – to some that have the equivalent amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee. It’s a little bit different of a caffeine compound than coffee, where you get the so-called spikes and crashes. Caffeine in tea is a little more gradual. You get more of a slow growth to it and then it gives you a slow residual drop off as well.

Q. How else are you marketing your product?
A.  We work now with Cigar City Brewing, and we have tea-infused beers and tea-infused sangria. One is a blend [of tea] we’ve developed along with the Dali Museum. It’s called the Dali Bold and Spicy. Cigar City makes the Dali Bold and Spicy beer that goes with it as well. We make tea-infused oatmeal and we’re starting to work on tea-infused salad dressings and things like that. To take just the basics of something so small and be able to create something so large out of it is just a neat [marketing] concept.

Q. Where do your teas come from?

A. All over the world. Our green teas and white teas are from Japan and China. We get our Rooibos blend straight from South Africa. Mates are from South America. We don’t get more than 10 percent of our stock from one distributor, we try to create a global network.

Q. Can you describe how the Hooker Tea Company franchise will operate?

A. It’s going to be a little different than your stereotypical franchise. It’s not going to be like McDonald’s where they all look exactly the same and serve the same thing and there’s specific regulations. There are freedoms for us to be able to explore a larger retail portion or food portion. There are just some set strict guidelines that you’ll see to keep the uniform look to the stores.

Q. What do you see for the future of the franchise?

A. Corporate as a whole is working on expanding. Personally, I’m looking to have just this location for the first two to three years, so I can get a feel for it. I want to get into the environment to know that it’s something I want to do for the rest of my life and something I know I’m capable of doing. Ideally I also want to see about bringing it to New England, New York City and Boston. I feel it’s a unique niche that if I can find the right location it could be very successful.

Q. What are your goals as a business owner?

A. My two objectives when I took over the company were to reduce cost and consumption and become as eco-friendly as I can. I changed out all the lighting. All of the bags we get in will be from 100 percent recycled products and 100 percent post-consumer recyclable. I also wanted to support the local community. We get the juices from a local orange grower, the berries from a local farmer and anything else we can. Even though we get the teas from all over the world the smaller items we support the local community because they’re the ones that support us.

Originally published on Patch.com in May 2011

Copyright 2011

Members of the City Council of Gulfport, Florida.

The Gulfport City Council received two stern criticisms from residents at Tuesday’s meeting regarding garbage left out for pickup at homes throughout town. Residents Doug Hudson and Mike Schnippering each admonished the town for allowing residents to leave excessively large items and brush at their curbs as well as leaving it out too far in advance of the scheduled pickup dates each week.

Each expressed regret that they had to publicly speak to the council but felt the issue should have previously been addressed by the sanitation department or other city employees. They felt that the appearance of trash at the curbside is an eyesore for the entire town and suggested ways to deal with the issue.

“In general people put them out on Monday mornings and if they’re lucky they’ll be back in on Wednesday and they’ll do the same procedure again: Thursday morning garbage out, Friday, Saturday back in,” Mr. Schnippering attested. “So basically six days of the week we’re looking at garbage.”

He also claims people are putting out sofas, mattresses and other large items not knowing whether the sanitation trucks are permitted to pick them up or not, and if so, when.

“There could be a solution in my opinion that people need to be more educated, people maybe need to be fined if they actually do not follow the rules,” he said. He proposed that perhaps a sticker could be put on the garbage cans explaining the rules in order to protect the curb appeal of the city.

Mr. Hudson said he has been notifying the city of the issue via online forums but felt compelled to finally approach the council in person.

“The current condition is unacceptable,” he said. “When we moved here in 2003 we were instantly impressed by Gulfport’s character and charm. Now when I look around I see unkempt yards, impassible sidewalks due to overgrown trees, illegal handyman and discount rental and ‘for sale’ signs and piles of garbage and trash that go uncollected for weeks.”

He criticized the city for not replacing a code enforcement officer absent on medical leave, describing it as “disgraceful.”

“As a responsible citizen I call in for a special pickup when needed and it’s quickly taken care of but what about the residents who are not responsible citizens?” he asked. “Do their neighbors have to suffer week after week? Is it the neighbor’s responsibility to notify the Public Works Department and make sure the ordinances are enforced? What about the employees who ride past these piles of trash while making their scheduled rounds?”

He suggested citing or fining the property owners and that it should be an “easy fix.” He also urged the council to require garbage collectors to notify the town when violations occur.

“The responsible parties should be billed and the added revenue would certainly help to pay for any additional expenses,” he said. “Second, we need to get this city under control. If the goal is to beautify the city then we should implement free days where anything left out will be picked up at no charge.”

Following the two public comments Gulfport Mayor Michael Yakes recommended that the city manager make recommendations to the council for future discussion. Later in the meeting Council Member Jennifer Salmon asked City Manager James O’Reilly to explain what could be done to address the issue.

“We are looking at expanding our pickups and mechanisms to make it available more often,” Mr. O’Reilly said, explaining that budgetary constraints are partly responsible for not being able to enforce the ordinances or better address problems that come up. He said he hopes to propose a solution to the problem as the new budget is discussed in the coming months.

Mayor Yakes later said the public works department did a one-time clean up of the right-of-ways in 2006, which was effective.

“We need to lead by example when we use the words ‘curb appeal’ and ‘right-of-ways’ and we can do better,” Mayor Yakes said. “I’m surprised that it has come to a neglect [issue] but we need to work together and take care of that.”

He asked the city manager to implement a right-of-way cleanup as soon as possible dealing with the worst areas first.

“We do a one-time cleanup and see how it goes or maybe we implement a once a month cleanup. I think that’s important and I know everything comes down to money and cutbacks, there’s no doubt about it, it costs, but sometimes you can’t afford not to.”

He finished by saying that the city cannot let evictions and foreclosures have a negative effect on property values and suggested that garbage cans residents use could be upgraded to a standardized type for a fee for more durable storage.

“We’re looking at the possibility of an eighteen percent increase (Public Works budget) somewhere down the line and I think that we can look at stepping it up a notch on our quality of service,” Mayor Yakes finished.

Originally published on Patch.com in May 2011

Copyright 2011

Kevin McBride in his store, McB's Men's Clothing Broker. Photo by Bob Deakin

ST. PETERSBURG – Kevin McBride opened McB’s Men’s Clothing Broker 15 months ago (as “Trendsetters”) to bring the brand name clothing from the malls to downtown St. Petersburg. The cozy little store on the corner of 1^st Ave. and 7^th St. is loaded with high-end brand name clothing, all on consignment at remarkably reduced prices.

Prada shirts selling for as much as $400 in retail stores can be found for as little as $80, while True Religion jeans normally at $220 can be had for $75.

Prices vary depending on quality and uniqueness, but most brands can be found for less than 30 percent of retail cost. Ties that regularly see for $100 routinely go for $20, and customers can walk out with a $500 Ralph Lauren suit for $100.

McB’s takes clothing items from its clients and splits the earnings 50/50. McBride is meticulous in his tastes, and all items must be in near perfect condition with no marks or missing parts. He seeks out hotter, newer brands and keeps the items on the rack for as long as three months before returning them to the owners or donating them on their behalf.

The selection changes every Wednesday, and he draws repeat customers looking for hidden gems with each change, which amounts to approximately 50 to 100 new items a week. He also sells coats, gloves, hats, shoes, t-shirts and tuxedos, all in an eclectic setting underscored with music and splashed with photos, lots of color, and old records lining the ceiling.

Originally from California, McBride effortlessly plays the role of an authority on current trends as he explains the difficulty in finding high quality brand name clothing for men at affordable prices.

Q. Why is your business a good fit for St. Petersburg?

A. St. Pete’s growing, there’s a lot of restaurants and nightclubs and businesses moving here and really not a lot of men’s stores in the area. You’ve got to go to Tyrone Square Mall or the International Plaza. I have a little bit of every shop here in my store. I have Banana Republic, a lot of the hip surfing shops, Tommy Bahama, Nat Nast, Levis.

Q. What are some of the hidden gems to be found?

A. Here’s an Italian Ermenegildo Zegna suit, which is $900 in the stores; $250 here. A Robert Graham shirt, $220 in the stores, and we sell these for $75 to $100. These are the very expensive shirts at Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Ave. I’ve got shoes by Cole Haan, Ferragamo, and this pair of Johnston & Murphy is $175 in stores, $45 here. I’ve got a little bit of everything here under one small roof. Guys can come in, parking’s easy and free and they can get out quick.

Q. How do you know what will sell?

A. The trends start at the malls and we want to immediately follow them. We’re here in Florida, near the beach and Tommy Bahamas are our best sellers. These shirts fly off the rack. This trend is still strong. These are beautiful shirts that go for $75 to $125 in the stores, $30 here.

Q. What do you like about downtown St. Petersburg?

A. I shopped around. It was very expensive on 4^th St. and Central Ave. at the time and I fell in love with how cute this little corner store was. My philosophy was if I open up a niche then guys are going to find me. I chose the location because it’s cute, it’s easily accessible and affordable so I can keep my prices low for my customers.

Q. What is McB’s niche market?

A. I’m perfect for the guy who’s struggling in this economy. A lot of people have been hit hard and I was a part of that and that’s why I opened this place. This is a place where guys can come and make money or save money. I’m a place where a guy can get the high end stuff from the mall and save a ton of money.

For More Information

McB’s is located at 701 1^st Ave. N. in St. Petersburg. Call 727-258-4932 or contact the store via Facebook.

McB’s Slide Show

Originally published on Patch.com in May 2011

Copyright 2011