Bob Deakin Short Stories

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

Want to find the reporters at a town meeting? Look in the front row. Not all of us sit there but that’s the best place to look as most people avoid the front row (and reporters) like the plague, with the occasional exception of developers or attorneys, who are typically not shy from showing themselves in front of a crowd.

We’re not hard to find anyway as few people show up with notebooks, laptops, cameras or tape recorders. It can be an isolated existence as someone may not like a recent story that was written, a perceived “agenda” of the publication or reporters in general. It comes with the job and members of the town organizations we cover have it even worse as they too of course develop reputations for perceived agendas.

That aside, in my experience most people I’ve dealt with over the years are pleasant and I admire those who serve on the boards and the residents who take the time to show up and participate in local government. As for the developers and attorneys, there are few people better to deal with as a reporter than them. They have a specific goal in mind and want to get the word out, accurately, as to their intentions and are not afraid to speak their mind. That makes for good sources and good quotes.

As the close of the budget season nears and referendums approach, the power of the residents still exists in local municipalities when residents choose to use it. It is cliché but true: When residents turn out in numbers to force changes in the decisions their local leaders make, things happen.

The perfect example is the annual budget. Using local towns with Board of Selectmen form of government as an example, the course of events tends to repeat itself year after year. Town leaders urge input from residents and town-funded organizations early the process in an effort to get a map of public opinion and gauge where to cut or increase in order to come up with the most agreeable budget for a town vote.

Those who attend lots of town meetings know the ropes of participation; wait until the public comment session to speak or ask questions. It’s a very democratic process and typically very civil, especially in Woodbury and Middlebury where the towns are small, people know each other and the person or board of persons is usually the source one must go through to solve problems. In larger towns there are more people, organizations and red tape to go through but here it is likely the people you must deal with are in the same room at the meeting you attend.

On a lighter note there are certain clichés you can count on hearing at almost every meeting such as ‘let’s not put the cart before the horse,’ ‘six of one, half dozen of the other’ or ‘comparing apples and oranges.’ Stands to reason as meetings usually involve discussing solutions to problems.

Those of us with the tape recorders can attest that there is always someone coughing at a meeting. It doesn’t matter the state, town, season or climate, you can count on coughs to block out key dialog listening back to the tape of the meeting.

As for writing the story, there is usually a key issue that is the focus or highlight of a meeting, which of course ends up being the lead. Sometimes you can’t always tell what the resolution of an issue is at the meeting because the decision is too long winded or confusing, that’s why it’s usually necessary to talk to the first selectmen or one of the key players after the meeting or the next day.

If you’re lucky or you try hard enough you can usually get the person you need or someone else who can confirm the facts before you submit your story. After all that you check your facts, make sure it all makes sense, listen to the tape to double check and try to figure out what that word was that was blocked out by the loud cough.

Originally published on Patch.com in April 2011

Copyright 2011

The view from the Casino dock in Gulfport, FL. Photo by Bob Deakin

The Gulfport City Council has revisited discussion of a proposed mooring field in its waterfront area. Gulfport Harbormaster Denis Frain gave a presentation to the council Tuesday night describing the proposal as an environmentally-friendly means to help enforce the laws of boats moored in the bay.

The proposal he presented calls for a maximum of 50 moorings with the north end beginning 305 feet south of the end of the Casino dock out 965 feet further south. The eastern boundary would be directionally at the city’s first easement east of Veterans Park with the west boundary line directionally from the public beach.

City Manager James O’Reilly ultimately recommended 25 moorings and added when the prospect of a mooring field was first proposed in 2004 it was for 100 moorings but with the economy and other concerns he felt a recommendation of 25 is a more workable number.

The buoys would be aligned similar to a parking lot with spaces large enough for 45 to 60-foot boats. The proposal calls for an auger mooring system screwed into the sea floor with floats in the middle and top to keep the line straight and off the bottom. Mr. Frain stated that there is no sea grass in the area of the proposed mooring field, which has been an environmental concern over the years.

“Boaters are discovering Gulfport every day,” Mr. Frain said in his presentation. “What they found out, just like we all did, is that Gulfport was a charming town with water access to public beach, restaurants, grocery stores and of course our pubs. What some of our boaters didn’t know was that our bay is a sand/mud mix, and that traditional long term anchoring accompanied with a lack of maintenance is not going to hold a vessel in inclimate weather for even an afternoon thunderstorm.”

He explained that as a result, abandoned and abused boats have ended up strewn about the bay “with very few laws on the books to deal with the problem.” He also noted that Gulfport’s harbor is within a mile of the Intracoastal Waterway, making it an enticing stop for water vessels passing through.

“The staff couldn’t find any environmental impacts,” he said of his employees research in planning the current proposal. “There was no sea grass and there was adequate depth of the water.”

The state would require an upgrade of the city’s facilities including the restrooms and laundry area at the marina to accommodate patrons of the marina and those on the additional boats in the mooring field. It would also require a pump out vessel for waste removal from the boats to the town’s sewer system.

“I used to tell my staff that we’re fast becoming a destination for all kinds of cruising boaters, which include boating clubs, loopers and weekenders,” Mr. Frain said. “I can tell you here tonight that we have become that destination. Embrace them. We have visiting vessels from all over our great ocean and even other continents.”

The cost to the city of Gulfport would be approximately $1,250 per mooring (25 moorings) plus $20,000 to $25,000 for permits for a total of approximately $55,000. Drill tests must also be performed to ensure that the moorings would hold. The city had previously begun the permitting process with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, suspended the applications and will now reinstate the process.

Council Member Jennifer Salmon said she was opposed to the proposal several years ago because of environmental concerns for the sea grass and manatees but would be willing to consider it this time in a council workshop session. She added that she has since learned sea grass would not be present below the location.

“It’s a very different kind of project than [what was presented] several years ago,” she said. “As long as we’re willing to be more flexible, keep it contained and have it be something that really protects the environment in terms of the sea bottom…”

Council Member Sam Henderson also had environmental concerns and said he has a lot of questions about the proposal for the workshop, particularly in regards to funding.

“I have no doubt that this is the environmentally sound thing to do and I really appreciated you taking me for a ride to see what kind of boundaries we need to look at from the water side of it,” Mr. Henderson said to Mr. Frain.

Gulfport resident Lee Stapella and several others at the meeting suggested making a visit to the Vero Beach Mooring Field to see first-hand evidence of a long-running mooring field, a suggestion seconded by resident Al Davis.

“The opportunity to see that I think is crucial to this decision whether you’re for it or against it,” Mr. Davis stated. He later brought up abandoned and deteriorated boats.

“The mooring field allows you to essentially upgrade the neighborhood. It should not be used as a means to keep people off the water.” He also suggested 25 moorings is too few for the amount spent on the project.

A resident with shoreline property near Williams Park spoke in favor of a mooring field reasoning it would be beneficial to Gulfport economically by drawing in money that would pay for the expenditures.

One of the scenarios that is most harmful to the sea floor, the resident said, is derelict boats and the mess they cause when eventually removed, creating a gully in the sea floor.

“It’s a disaster,” he said. “I think there’s eight of them [out there] but there’s three right where I’m at.”

There was no discussion of fees charged per mooring per day. By comparison, the Vero Beach Mooring Field fee is $11 per day per buoy with $1 for showers. Much larger fees are charged for a variety of other services such as anchors and installation.

Council members will discuss the mooring field proposal at the City Council Workshop on May 26 at 3 p.m. at Gulfport City Hall.

Originally published on Patch.com in April 2011

Copyright 2011

Joan Clinger and Lynn Weigand inside Bringe Music. Photo by Bob Deakin

Starting in 1956, generations of St. Petersburg students got their first musical instruments from Bringe Music. That tradition is alive and well at the Central Avenue shop today.

Co-owners Lynn Weigand and Joan Clinger continue to broaden the base of students in central Florida who use Bringe for their musical needs. The shop has 14 employees and more than 500 students for classes and private lessons.

The store itself is filled with every conceivable instrument, cable and music book. But it’s the school, the service and most importantly, the rentals that keep Bringe (pronounced Bring-Gee) a familiar name with area students as their musical studies progress.

Originally founded by Walter Bringe and later owned by Bill Findeison, the business rents and services instruments to more than 100 schools and music stores as far away as Marion County and Orlando. The storefront offers a walk-in retail business, plus services online.

Lynn Weigand took a few moments out of a busy day last week to answer questions from Patch.

Q: Do you notice the generations change among your customers?

A. That’s what we pride ourselves on. Our first exposure with people a lot of times is Johnny is in 5^th grade now and wants to play an instrument so they come here and rent from us. Then they have an older or younger brother who wants to play guitar so they’ll take lessons at the school and the parents will get involved. It is generational an, “Oh, when I was a kid my parents rented from you.”

Q: How did you get involved to the point where you decided to buy the store?

A. I started working here in 1981 as a band department person. Bill Findeison decided it was time to retire. He had the option to sell to an outside entity or offer the business it to us, so they structured it so we were able to do that. It’s got its challenges but it’s nice working for yourself.

Q: What kind of influence was Bill Findeison?

A. He was a mentor. Definitely a father figure for me. I learned a lot of things from him, business-wise, and he’s an incredible musician. A tuba player and band director, he still leads the Second Time Arounders. He’s a fabulous musician and music director, which doesn’t always go hand in hand.

Q: How do you manage to expand the range of the business?
A. We work with other music stores, and they rent our instruments for us in locations that are convenient to their customers. We also have three road guys who travel, visit schools and do repairs so the rentals are the big thing for us. A lot of people don’t have a clue; they walk in the door, see the music store and think this is it.

Q: Are people still buying music instruments in stores as much as they are online?

A. The Internet has affected every industry and every brick and mortar store regardless of what they’re selling. That’s one area in which I hope taxes do get [implemented] to make it easier. Even if we sell an instrument at the same pric, come on! Taxes help support our schools, our government and our roads and all the other things. I think it would improve our sales if the Internet was required to charge tax.

Q: Do you bother with celebrity appearances in the store?
A. We get a lot of people who come in from different bands. Famous bands who come in and go, “We’re playing down here, do you have this or that?’” It’s nice to have famous people come in but it’s much more gratifying and fulfilling to be involved with the neighborhood and get as many people involved in music as possible because we think it’s really good for society and good for individuals. There’s nothing bad about music and everything is positive. Especially with young students. It really enhances their education.”

Bringe Music Slide Show

Originally published on Patch.com in April 2011

Copyright 2011

Greg Jones of St. Petersburg was a pre-med student following a stint in the U.S. Army when he decided to pursue acupuncture as a profession.

Subsequent years of practice witnessed too many cases of patients who couldn’t afford the treatment, so he chose to go on his own to make it accessible and affordable.

St. Pete Community Acupuncture in downtown St. Petersburg is the realization of that dream.

Jones earned a degree in biology at Syracuse University, graduated from the Florida Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine and is licensed as an Acupuncture Physician in the state of Florida.

He operates his business in a small clinic on 18th Street, and in just two years has seen it grow by word of mouth, as more people see acupuncture as a way to restore balance and health.

Jones, who lives in St. Petersburg with his wife and young child, chose the location for convenience – close to downtown to the west – and is adamant about making acupuncture affordable to people without insurance.

He talked with Patch about his career and passion.

Q: What does acupuncture accomplish that other treatments may not?

A. There is energy that we call Qi (pronounced “chi”) that runs through the body. When everything is running in balance and unimpeded then we’re healthy. When there’s blockage of that energy flow or one of the organ systems is out of balance with another then we get symptoms of disease. Acupuncture helps restore balance and restore the flow of energy through the body.

Q: What is the most common misconception about acupuncture?

A. I guess the biggest misconception is everybody’s afraid of the needles. In truth it’s nothing like getting a shot. The acupuncture needles aren’t like traditional needles from a western medical point of view. The other misconception is that acupuncture is extremely expensive and we’re trying to change that. For most of its history acupuncture has been a peasant medicine and it’s been valuable because it’s been accessible to the public, whereas [western medicine] has made it more expensive and made it a commodity.

Q: How long is a treatment?

A. It’s a process. I usually ask people to allow four treatments and we should then be noticing things going in the right direction. The average plan for an uncomplicated problem would be about six to twelve treatments. If we can get people relaxed and comfortable for a while everything else tends to fall into place.

Q: Who benefits the most?

A. People who are in a lot of pain and need to get back to work or just need to feel better. People who are going through a lot of stressful times and have things like digestive issues, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine headaches, things like that. I’ve also had a lot of allergy patients recently.

Q: What is your goal for the business?

A. To [eventually] be open 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week with more acupuncturists and really be the place to go for acupuncture. I want people to come here instead of taking medication, instead of self-medicating with alcohol or drugs, to come here and feel better.

Q: Can you describe the inspiration to open your own clinic?

A. The whole change in my paradigm shift came when I started seeing people that couldn’t afford acupuncture. It’s [typically] priced toward the upper-middle class and that’s not where I’m from. I’ve been doing it a long time, and I know it works; it just needs to be accessible and that’s what this clinic is about.

Driving down the road the other day I passed a bus stop with four people waiting, craning their necks looking up the road to see the bus on its way. They each had angst written on their faces and did not look like they wanted to be there. Just then I thought to myself; “have I ever seen anyone smile at a bus stop?”

The answer was no, and I didn’t feel good for having the thought but I knew I was right. Why don’t people look happy at bus stops? I realize they don’t have a ride to where they want to go or perhaps are unable to drive. It happens to everyone at one time or another and it’s nothing to be ashamed of.

I took the bus a few months ago when my car was being repaired and the ride itself was interesting. It was nice to be able to do some reading and organizing while on the road and there was a certain freedom in not having a car once I was at my destination. It was also pretty cheap, just over a dollar for a ride all the way across town.

There were a lot of stops though. Stands to reason, of course, as it’s a vehicle for hundreds of people, all going to different places at different times. It wasn’t as bad as the Metro-North train to and from New York City though, regarding the stops. On the train it seems to take hours between stops and it’s a lot more long-term for everyone involved. They’re carrying more stuff, have bigger plans and they can’t just hop off and on like with the bus.

It seems a bit quieter on the bus too. People typically travel alone or with only a companion or two at the most. The critically important cell phone calls that everyone needs to make every ten minutes of their lives aren’t quite as prevalent either as quarters are tighter, the ride is shorter and riders don’t get as comfortable as they do on the train. I didn’t strike up a conversation with anyone on the bus. Since they all looked so unhappy at the stops I didn’t want to bother them or make their days any worse than they already were.

One thing that was fun was the electronic sign at the front of the bus, inside, announcing the coming destination with a little ping sound and the sign blinking as the bus slowed to a stop. It seemed an awful lot of resources to announce the arrival of CVS. It would have been a lot more fun and personal if the bus driver had announced it, especially if he had a real thick New York accent like they do on Metro-North. It was equally amusing when the bus was arriving – those at the stop see “Good Afternoon” on the electronic sign on the outside of the bus. It was all so friendly yet so impersonal.

Following my sojourn into public transportation I realized that the wait at the bus stop was pretty uncomfortable considering sitting or standing at the side of the road in front of hundreds of passing cars. It’s also awkward waiting with a total stranger who appears to be very unhappy. Add some cold or rainy weather and that creates added gloom in an awkward place. Now that I think of it, I probably wasn’t smiling either.

If it’s economical travel you’re looking for, taking the bus isn’t so bad after all.

The waiting is the hardest part.

Originally published on Patch.com in April 2011

Copyright 2011

Motown legend and singer Marvin Gaye would have turned 72 years old this week if not for his tragic murder at the hands of his own father 27 years ago. It is a shame he’s not around anymore and so is the case with many of the musicians and others that worked on his seminal What’s Going On album released in 1971.

There’s a lot to the album as far as styles and influences go, from soul and blues to gospel and jazz with a lot to say about the state of the world and the environment at the time. There are also a lot of factors that make it a great album, most notably the orchestral arrangements by David Van De Pitte, which gives the album its seamless flow, the songs themselves and the long list of musicians who took part. Not everything is known about the album’s production, including who played what tracks.

There is another fact about the album that has been a personal challenge of mine in what has turned into a 9-month investigation. That is, what is the percussion sound (on beats 2 and 4) that dominates “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology),” the album’s biggest hit, and recurs throughout the rest of the record?

The only reason I decided to find out is because last summer a friend asked me “do you think that cowbell sound is meant to simulate a submarine sonar?”

“No,” I replied reasoning the album has no nautical or military aspect to it and that it just wouldn’t make any sense. The more I listened to it again, however, it was remarkable how much like a sub sonar it actually sounded. Nothing really special about the sound except it really carries the rhythm of the song and gives it an ethereal quality, which became the real Marvin Gaye sound, even emblematic of the early 70s soul sound in general.

I’m reasonably sure it’s a temple block struck with a rubber mallet with lots of reverb but that’s lots of reverb. It’s almost ridiculous to even think about it but since I’d listened very carefully to the album hundreds of times long before that question was asked, it became somewhat of an obsession to find out how they did it.

Since then I have read every book I could find about Marvin Gaye and even contacted Motown to interview a percussionist who played on the album. I began with the Motown History Museum, which was little help. Those I managed to get on the phone sort of laughed at me and were urgent to get me off the phone but I did get a few links to musicians that I might have found myself anyway.

One of them was Jack Ashford, a percussionist and one of the “Funk Brothers” who played a lot of Motown sessions in the 60s and 70s. He’s credited on the What’s Going On album so I figured what better place to start. Email after email, letters and phone calls produced no replies so I was out of luck with him as well as plenty of other musicians, engineers and arrangers who worked on the album.

Here’s a sample of one of my letters:

Hello Mr. (place name here),

I’m writing a short piece about the “Mercy Mercy Me” song. I’m a freelance writer and had a few questions about the recording sessions of the album – what instruments were used and mainly how you got the percussion sounds. If you would answer a few questions or let me know who to contact, that would be great. Thank you very much for your time and help and best of luck in the New Year. – Bob Deakin in Connecticut

As a reporter I’m used to research and cold-calling people with odd questions so it wasn’t a great effort on my part but after a while I was getting frustrated. Granted it was 40 years later so many of them aren’t around anymore and many more don’t maintain a public profile.

After six months of research I’m still in the same place as I was before but I haven’t quit. What I have found out is that the percussion tracks were recorded at the Motown studios in Detroit between 1970 and 1971 and all of the orchestrations and backing choruses were recorded at facilities in Los Angeles.

Beyond that, this investigation is still a work in progress. I don’t believe the temple block sound was meant to replicate a submarine sonar, I just think it sounds great, and probably involved no more thought than “okay, that sounds good, we’ll keep it” after two or three takes in the studio. Who knows, maybe it was recorded in a big hallway, bathroom or staircase. That’s the kind of story I’m looking for.

However it was recorded, it probably took no more than a few minutes, which is a lot less time and effort than I’ve spent trying to find someone just to tell me about it. Mercy mercy me.

Originally published on Patch.com in April 2011

Copyright 2011

Political analyst Dr. Susan MacManus at the University of South Florida (Sarasota-Manatee) Selby Auditorium in Sarasota. Photo by Bob Deakin

Florida residents are extremely concerned about the lack of jobs, financial stress created by the bad economy and fiscal barriers in maintaining businesses. These and other concerns were made abundantly clear in Leadership Florida’s 2011 Sunshine State Survey, presented and interpreted Tuesday by political analyst Dr. Susan MacManus at the University of South Florida (Sarasota-Manatee) Selby Auditorium in Sarasota.

Dr. MacManus, Distinguished Professor of Public Administration and Political Science at USF, was quick to point out that unlike many polls taken of much smaller samplings of residents, the Leadership Florida poll, conducted by The Nielsen Company, gives a more thorough and representational reading of the public pulse in regards to economic and political issues.

“I can’t tell you how many bad surveys are out there,” Dr. MacManus stated, “that have sample sizes of three or four or five hundred… Of course the timing is to get the analysis to the legislators and the new governor before the session begins, so they have all seen it.”

Florida is still the number one bell-weather state in politics, Dr. MacManus assured, owing to its size, ethnic and economic diversity, and it will continue to be the key state monitored in future elections.

The first survey question she discussed was, what is the single biggest threat to Florida’s economy? The top five answers on the survey were as follows: 

1. Taxes
2. Loss of jobs
3. Home foreclosures
4. Citizens leaving the state
5. Industry leaving the state

When the survey was conducted, she said, Florida was number two in the U.S. in unemployment rates and is still in the top five. As for foreclosures she noted it was number four in January and is now number two.

“When you have economic anxiety in a population it colors every single dimension in people’s evaluations of government and business and nonprofits and every other institution that we have in this country,” she said.

Is Florida is a better place to live than it was five years ago? Is another survey question?

“It’s not a pretty picture,” Dr. MacManus said. “People who have lived here at least five years think that the state has gotten a lot worse as a place to live and the quality of life.”

She reasoned that a good sign of conditions is if people stay in the area, and while subsequent questions reflect a negative outlook for the state, opinions of Florida’s quality of life have improved slightly in the previous years, which she sees as a “glimmer of hope.”

Are you seriously considering moving out of the state? Was also asked on the survey.

“Obviously this is something that policy makers are very interested in is how much bleeding is still going on in the state in light of the economic woes that Floridians describe themselves as being in,” she said. “It ticked up slightly (21% over 17% in 2010) but not significantly.”

Why are you considering moving out of Florida? Followed that question.

Cost of living, lack of jobs, family/health/personal situation, high taxes and property/home insurance were the top five responses in that order. Dr. MacManus added that the construction sector has seen the highest rate of job loss in the state. She also qualified some of the responses by saying that younger residents typically respond wanting change while older residents are more apt to keep things the same.

Barriers in starting new businesses is a key subject in the survey, and Dr. MacManus pointed to the difficulty in securing loans (52%), the prohibitive cost of property insurance (51%) and health insurance (50%) as key roadblocks.

“What is really, I think, one of the most interesting aspects of this entire survey, and is a mess in Florida is property insurance,” she explained. “Health care costs and property insurance are seen as much larger deterrents than some of these other things such as bureaucracy – licensing, rules and regs, lawsuits, etc.” 

Attitudes about taxes are one of the most consistent opinions year after year, Dr. MacManus said, noting that the survey indicates Floridians feel property taxes in the state are generally the unfair while sales taxes are most fair because everyone pays the same percentage.

As for reducing Medicaid costs, survey respondents suggested the following solutions in order. 

1. Reduce/eliminate fraud
2. Cut benefits to recipients
3. Impose stricter eligibility requirements
4. Cut amount paid to providers
5. Require recipients to receive services through HMOs

2011 is Leadership Florida’s fifth annual Sunshine State Survey, which is a comprehensive poll of more than 1,200 Florida residents to discover their views regarding the most pressing issues facing the state. This year’s results were compared to those from each of the past five years in graph form on the document.

The survey was conducted via telephone calls to residents (registered voters or not) over age 18 at randomly selected households. Dr. MacManus initially conceived the idea for the survey and approached Leadership Florida to partner in the study. The full results can be viewed online at the Leadership Florida web site.

Dr. MacManus answered questions from audience members following the presentation, ranging from the ethics of political campaigns, wages for workers, race relations, college grads’ ability to find jobs, Florida’s future and its ability to recover from the recession.

“We’re used to, in a recession, rebounding ahead of other states,” she stated. “We are lagging for the first time and that we’re not used to. Floridians are impatient. I still think Florida, with the environmental aspect, the weather and local communities taking charge and making things better, it will still be a very attractive place.”

Following the presentation and public response, Dr. MacManus was asked what most struck her about the survey.

“The consistency,” she said. “The impact of economic woes and their outlook towards everything. Also, Floridians seem to be happy with their school systems – there really is a much more positive look than one would think.”

If this survey had been conducted ten years ago, what would have been the concerns?

“Growth,” she responded. “Congestion, traffic. Too many people moving in. Today it’s jobs. It’s a whole one hundred and eighty [degree] attitude about growth.”

Originally published on Patch.com in March 2011

Copyright 2011

Haslam’s Books on Central Avenue is one of St. Petersburg’s oldest retail businesses, selling new and used books to Florida residents and tourists since 1933. Ray and Suzanne Hinst now own and operate the business that Suzanne’s grandparents founded in downtown St. Pete. Their 30,000 square-foot store has more than a quarter-million titles and seems to keep growing.

The store has seen several downtown locations in its time, first at 9^th St. and 7^th Ave. North, and has continued to thrive in its current location at 2025 Central Ave. since 1964.

Haslam’s has had its share of authors visit the store over the years, from Jack Kerouac in the 1960s to John Updike in the 1970s to crime fiction and adventure author Randy Wayne White for a book signing last month. 

The store remains active with signings and events, but maintains its central stream of revenue as an independent seller of books with no sales via the Internet.

Ray Hinst points out that Haslam’s was actually one of the first book stores to sell books on the Internet but that soon after they decided to focus on the bricks-and-mortar business.

He talked with Patch about the retail book business.

Q. Who are your main customers?

A. Our strength has always been something for everybody. We offer the broadest spectrum of books that we are able to establish a market for. Our strength is being able to sell modest numbers of a wide variety of things. We try to stay up on or ahead of what the community is going to demand.

Q. Are you affected by the tourist season?

A. Because there are fewer and fewer book stores our size, there are many communities in which people don’t have an opportunity to visit a place like this. As a result, when they have the opportunity, coming here to St. Pete and St. Pete Beach to visit, this is a logical place to come if they have an interest in books.

Q. What is it like to be able to own the building and run a retail store in this day and age?

A. You can’t grow a business like this anymore in this country. How could you afford it? It is probably a phenomenon, which we are seeing a change in – the idea of the big, super book store. When we first moved here it was a fraction of this size, and we added on over the years. Being family-owned and operated has allowed us to do that. Being in a community which has always supported books and reading has made a difference too.

Q. What might newer residents of St. Petersburg not know about Haslam’s Books?

My father-in-law (Charles Haslam) had a radio and a TV show, “The Wonderful World of Books,” for decades and that was an opportunity for the Tampa Bay area to have authors come through who otherwise would not have stopped here. There were a lot of celebrity authors in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s… We had Lawrence Welk, Skitch Henderson, Spiderman (Marvel comics 1970s), Gloria Swanson, Lillian Gish, William Buckley and many others.

Q. What are your goals looking forward?

A. To continue serving the community and provide the printed word as long as it exists and there’s a need for it… Maybe on-demand [publishing] is what will come, it’s hard to say. But accessibility to the printed word is probably as unparalleled now as it has ever been.

Originally published on Patch.com in April 2011

Copyright 2011

It’s baseball season again, which for me is as sure a sign of the changing of the season as any. I like the crack of the bat, the new hope for old teams and all that poetic stuff, but what I look forward to more these days are reconnecting with an old circle of friends I used to work with.

I hadn’t seen many of them until last year when I decided to create my own fantasy baseball league at the urging of an old friend named Don. He and I used to work together at a popular restaurant in Danbury 20 years ago when a bunch of our co-workers took part in what was then known as “rotisserie” baseball, as it was known before the days of the Internet. Simply put, you guess what major league players will have the best statistics for the year and the winner wins the money at the end of the season.

We all took part for a number of years before everyone went their separate ways in life. It was a lot of fun, a good excuse to talk trash and led to a lot of phone calls, sporting events and other gatherings that might not otherwise have taken place.

Last year I ended up running a league for the first time and didn’t have enough team “owners” so I decided to contact all of the surviving members from the restaurant who used to play. A few said no but a half dozen said yes. They included guys that were now parents, others that lived thousands of miles away, some that still lived nearby and two who actually still work at the restaurant.

Everyone had visibly aged but not too much. Most were much happier in life than they were way back when, and with all of them, after two minutes of catching up it was onto the subject of baseball and other events not involving life’s challenges or politics. 

The members of the group now take part in a diverse variety of professions and endeavors including screenwriter, longtime local radio personality, student, construction supply executive, database administrator, two in the restaurant business and Don, who we still can’t figure out what he does for a living. We just know he works in an office building and spends a lot of time on the phone and computer maintaining teams in four other fantasy baseball leagues and even more in football and basketball.

There is no way I would have seen some of these guys, perhaps ever again, had Don not made the suggestion to play fantasy baseball. I’ve kept in touch with all of them and we’re going to do the league again this year even though I was the winner at the end of last season. We don’t play for money anymore so no one was too upset. 

I’m looking forward to the baseball season even more than ever this year. Even though most of our conversations will be via email and the occasional phone call, I still have a good group of friends that I thought I might not ever see again.

Thanks Don, and get back to work, whatever it is you do.

Originally published on Patch.com in March 2011

Copyright 2011

Lists are a great marketing tool to draw viewers, readers and listeners. In recent years companies such as ESPN, Forbes, IMDB, TV Guide, Amazon, Rolling Stone and others have released lists of the top 10, 50, 100 or more of the best all-time in various categories. The attraction to lists, of course, is that people have their own ideas of what is best or top 10 or further, and if they disagree, the debate is on, and the interest too.

Yesterday was the prime-viewing day of the Super “Perigee” Moon, according to NASA, when the moon comes closest to the earth as part of its oval shape of orbit. It happens about every eighteen years, which inspired my favorite five songs with “moon” in the title:

Moonlight in Vermont
Blue Moon
Moon Dance
Moon River
Dancing in the Moonlight

Quite often lists are a vehicle for an upcoming TV show or a special edition of a magazine. Michael Jordan was voted #1 of the “Top 50 Athletes of the 20^th Century” a decade ago, convenient in that he was still of playing age, Nike’s (ESPN’s biggest sponsor) biggest endorser and willing to help market the series of shows highlighting the list. Jim Brown and Jim Thorpe weren’t on the payroll.

“How can you put Pulp Fiction in the top 10 movies of all time let alone the top 250?” one might argue, referring to IMDB’s Top 250 Movies a few years ago. Shawshank Redemption was #1 and no movies earlier than 1957 made the list. Hmm?

Rolling Stone magazine put out its Top 100 Songs a couple years ago and the top ten list was full of classics like Johnny B. Goode and Good Vibrations. However, Like a Rolling Stone was chosen the number one song of all time and Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones number 2? How convenient.

In 2002 TV Guide named the “50 Greatest Shows of All Time,” in which the top ten was in line with some of my favorites with the exception of The Sopranos, which most people haven’t seen. Unfortunately I’m not one of them and suffered through the boredom of a couple seasons of that. Here’s the top five:

Seinfeld
I Love Lucy
The Honeymooners
All in the Family
The Sopranos

On a more local level I’ve come up with my top five list of favorite hiking trails:

Appalachian Trail in Kent
Tarrywile Park in Danbury
White Memorial in Litchfield
Lover’s Leap State Park in New Milford
Steep Rock in Washington

There are even web sites dedicated to lists now including, among hundreds, the Top 10 List (predominantly British), Craigslist (predominantly fraud) and Angie’s List, a fee-based service finder and even Timothy McSweeney’s Lists of Tendencies (humor).

What are some of your lists? Do you have a problem with some you’ve seen? I hope so. Perhaps we can come up with a “Top 10 Un-debatable List.”

Originally published on Patch.com in March 2011

Copyright 2011

Following a recent lecture and workshop focusing on memoir writing I was reminded once again how many stories out there may never be told. This is not news to me or anyone else, as most of us are surrounded each day by people with interesting tales to tell including relatives, friends, associates or total strangers. They are not famous people but their tales are just as interesting and usually more so, it just takes longer to get someone to start reading a story without a familiar face on the cover.

After attending many such lectures alongside professional writers of all types including ghost writers, historical novelists, publishers and journalists, it is apparent that one thing they are all eager to share is how interesting the subjects are that they are currently focusing on. Many say it with regret for reasons such as they won’t be able to spend enough time on the story, the key subject is no longer around, they can’t get a publisher or most often, they’re struggling to find the most interesting way to tell the story.

All are understandable frustrations as it takes an awful lot of time to research and collect biographical information, conduct interviews then organize it into a palatable story before even considering having it edited and published. It’s a lot of work but if enjoyable it can be a labor of love, particularly as the story progresses.

It is also amazing how little of the stories we know about the ones closest to us. Typically, military experiences, early marriages and relationships, financial hardships and ancestry are the first to go with the repressed stories of people’s lives. Understandable as painful memories don’t make for good conversation, but they often have a profound effect on life and life’s decisions years later. The same goes for good memories and the longing to capture those feelings again. All such information provides good foundation and framework in the building of one’s life story.

I am currently helping two people with their stories. One is an autobiographical account of an entire life and the other a memoir of a short period of time on a trip across the country. Neither project is being done with any exchange of funds or a published work in mind but if it turns out that way all the better. My method is setting up a tape recorder and leading subjects through the tales then organizing the thoughts for their review. Collecting photos is also a big part of it and scanning and filing of images, while time consuming, makes for easy viewing and saving once done.

Last week Connie Burak of Middlebury proposed the idea of neighbors helping neighbors in various ways for mutual benefit. Helping someone with a memoir or even just organizing old photos or letters may be a valuable service to provide for someone who isn’t good with a computer or who may have health issues to contend with. It will take considerable time but the rewards may be well worth the effort.

In following up on last week’s column, many organizations exist in the area to help residents and provide places to volunteer. Some can be found by going to the Woodbury Services Council or the Middlebury Club Organizations pages on the town web sites. A search of the web turned up a number of other sites that propose to find volunteer organizations for potential volunteers but most merely direct the visitor to big lists of other web sites.

Is there a story inside you? There probably is or there may be one in someone you know. If it’s research and writing that you like there are a number of subjects out there looking for help on a memoir or story. Some just need a push to do it themselves and others probably have no idea where to start. The work can’t be done in a day or a week but the time spent is better than losing the story of a lifetime.

Originally published on Patch.com in March 2011

Copyright 2011

Connie Burak of Middlebury brings up an interesting idea in her comment to the Woodbury-Middlebury Patch this week. She proposes utilizing the under-utilized skills and talents of local citizens for the betterment of the community with what could be an ambitious movement to “fill in the gaps as tutors, monitors, nature and sports instructors” among other needs to help offset local, state and national budget cuts.

She reminds us that it is a “community with many well-educated, highly trained and experienced people in their various fields” including retirees, the unemployed, underemployed and perhaps even those working. Her suggestion includes anything from donating time to bartering for services and she asks for the input of those interested to discuss it.

It’s true that many people, in any town, are looking for things to do, ways to help, reasons to meet new friends and ways to serve their town and neighbors. Particularly at this time of year when there’s not much going on in the way of recreation, cabin fever has its grip and warm weather is a light at the end of the tunnel, finding ways to volunteer or come together for mutual benefit and common good might be a way to brighten the days.

Connie asks the following questions:

“Does anyone think it might be worth a meeting to explore some new and different volunteer possibilities? Is there anyone out there who has had experience organizing this kind of effort?”

Maybe there are residents who think a meeting would be worth while, and perhaps there is someone out there that has organized such an effort before. It seems as though Connie is proposing a simple exchange of services between good neighbors that has gone on in small towns for centuries, and not a formal program with a name attached to it.

Technological advances in communications are rubbed in our face every day from cell phones and email to Twitter and Facebook, and almost every conceivable local meeting is broadcast on television or on the Internet. Yet most people don’t even know what their next door neighbor does for a living or how many people within a mile of their home could benefit immensely from a half-hour of help in the yard, a ride to work, a rough edit of a story, the use of an extra television set or ten minutes of help to get their heat running again.

There is a lot of talent out there and lots of people looking for ways to utilize their talents, even if they don’t know what those talents are. If nothing else, volunteering time or just finding out what could make the town a better place is a good start to making – or keeping – the town a better place.

Connie’s letter makes no mention of money, party affiliation, qualifications, facilities or government involvement, just a way to make life better for all, or even just one.

You ask good questions and make good suggestions Connie. Maybe the answers are out there and perhaps you’ve inspired someone to find a way to use local talents, skills and personalities for the betterment of the community. 

Originally published on Patch.com in March 2011

Copyright 2011

In a stunning development at the very end of a contentious four-hour meeting Tuesday night the Gulfport City Council voted 3 to 2 to deny an amendment to a city ordinance that would have continued the application process for a planned Dollar General store on Gulfport Boulevard.

The Council voted twice during the evening, approving the first of two amendments pertaining to the Dollar General application then denying the second, effectively rejecting the current application for the 12,000 square-foot national chain discount store between 51^st St. S. and 23^rd Ave. S. .

City Hall Council Chambers were filled to capacity for the meeting, mostly by residents, in addition to several business associates of Dollar General. Ten individuals spoke in favor of the proposed project early in the meeting followed by nearly 20 speaking passionately against it with two others speaking neutrally.

Resident Bob Worthington spoke in favor of the project.

“I think this is a worthwhile project,” he said. “I think it will make the neighborhood look nice and it will certainly improve the tax base. I’m sure it will improve the city revenues and I ask you to give it every consideration.”

“I think it’s going to be new and fresh and nice on Gulfport Boulevard,” said resident Marge Milford, “so I’m urging you to approve this.”

Resident Faun Weaver presented the council with a petition signed last year by 220 residents following  the initial application submitted on behalf of Dollar General, which failed in a 4 to 1 vote in March 2010.

“You cannot tell me that bringing a box store of any kind into a residential neighborhood on this side of 22^nd [Street] in our art district in any way is gong to improve our neighborhood,” Ms. Weaver reasoned to the council. “You are going to increase traffic – foot and vehicular – you are changing the energy and the rhythm of our neighborhood.”

Following the public comment period, council members debated merits of the project at length, focusing on technical details of the proposed store, its effect on traffic in the area, delivery trucks in the neighborhood, litter, fencing and whether permitting the business would open doors for commercial development on the rest of the surrounding area.

Council members then voted 3 to 2 to approve the ordinance (2011-04), which requested an ammendment to Gulfport’s Comprehensive Plan allowing for a change in the designation of specific parcels from Residential Low Medium (RLM) to Commercial Limited (CL).

The council was then prepared to table the discussion and subsequent vote on the second ordinance [ 2011-05] until its next meeting in two weeks since the meeting had gone into its forth hour and because residents complained that there was insufficient notice warning of this meeting. Following more discussion and the advice of Town Attorney Andrew Salzman, however, the council decided to resume the hearing and move onto the second ordinance on the agenda, drawing frustrated groans from some in the audience.

After a long explanation by council member Jennifer Salmon on why the council must make its decisions based on laws and not public reaction, one resident asked aloud if there was any point in voicing concerns while another stormed out of the meeting shouting “no democracy!”

The meeting quickly resumed and the second public hearing commenced.

Nearly all of those who spoke in the first public comment session of the evening then took their turns and spoke again, reiterating their points on why they did or did not endorse having a Dollar General store in Gulfport. Most who spoke a second time voiced similar points although with more passion and in some cases anger.

Eventually, Council member Sam Henderson brought the council’s discussion to an end.

“After reading that one line about the best interest of the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the city of Gulfport, I think the experts of the neighborhood are the people who live there… You have the dedication of those who are most affected by it sit here for all of this and I’m ready to go and vote on the second [ordinance],” Mr. Henderson at the end of a discussion about the wording of language pertaining to city ordinances.

Following that comment a motion was made to vote and the council voted 3 to 2 to deny the amending of the ordinance designating a change in two parcels from residential to commercial and one from residential to open space. Council members Michelle King and Jennifer Salmon voted ‘yes’ while David Hastings, Sam Henderson and Mayor Mike Yakes voted ‘no.’

According to Dollar General’s statistics it is the nation’s largest small-box discount retailer with $11.8 billion in sales in 2009 including 9,200 stores in 35 states.

Originally Published on Patch.com in March 2011

Copyright 2011