Dig in the dirt. Get your hands dirty. Learn some tips about gardening. Help a neighbor.

There's nothing like digging in the dirt to give you a renewed connection with the earth. That's what our friends at Broadwater are going to be doing from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, November 5 at an undisclosed location. Here's the thing. It's open to Broadwater neighbors and friends. You have to RSVP. Get in touch with Kristen Mory by email at kristenmory@yahoo.com or call  her at (727) 688-9597. "Come prepared to get your hands dirty and learn by doing," says the invitation. Bring a shovel and pruning shears. The objective is to landscape the entire front lawn of this South Broadwater home. You'll learn planting and pruning tips, tricks, and practice. You can participate in a plant swap. There'll be a garden tool raffle. This program is hosted by Helping Hands and made possible with a neighborhood grant from the City of St. Petersburg.

The youngsters of the Fourth Estate are gathering and disseminating all the news

It warms the heart to see youngsters reading a newspaper. We couldn't help but notice the article in The Weekly Challenger by Demorris Lee, formerly of the Tampa Bay Times but now communications coordinator with the Pinellas County School Board. The paper in question was the Manatee Messenger, the student-produced newspaper at Melrose Elementary. Students in the third through fifth grades serve as reporters and photographers. The 16-page tabloid newspaper was printed in full color, which kind of cancels out the old riddle: What's black and white and read all over? Answer: a newspaper. Time was when newspapers were people's primary source of news, and although that is changing, the important role that journalists play in our democracy is just as vital as ever. Melrose is a journalism magnet school, along with John Hopkins Middle School, and Lakewood High School. Glad to see these youngsters learning these important skills in critical thinking. We say bravo!

We're gonna be in pictures! Watch the premiere of the Skyway Sizzle Reel

Okay, so maybe it's not exactly like the Hollywood premiere you see in the picture. Still and all, it promises to be exciting. After all, the star of the show is right here -- the place that we live. We're talking about the Skyway Sizzle Reel. Word comes from Keri Melshenker, executive director of the Skyway Marina District, that there will be a showing of the short video at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, November 1 in the Desoto Room at the St. Petersburg College's Allstate Center.

As far as what's in the video, you'll have to wait and see but you could make some pretty good guesses. There's lots to love about the outdoors where we live, and not just the beaches. So we'd expect to see lots of pretty shots. South St. Petersburg is a vibrant business district, so we'd expect to see shots that reflect that, too. The bridge, of course, and the marinas, naturally. We;d doubt that there are any speaking parts, though we're  sure the pictures are going to say a lot. A picture is worth ... and all that.

Keri has been working with the city for quite awhile to get this video made. If you have any questions, you can email her at keri@skywaymarina.com or call her at 727-866-2696 As for us, we're just humming that old 1934 Rudy Vallee hit "You Ought To Be In Pictures." Can't help it. Go ahead. Listen below. Then it'll go round and round in your head, too.

A story about barbecue and good-hearted people who helped victims of a hurricane

So here's what we mean about the good-hearted people in our community. Here's a shining example if there ever was one. John Riesebeck, who owns Smokin' J's Real Texas BBQ in Gulfport, was so moved by the plight of the folks on the east coast of Florida who were hit hard by Hurricane Matthew that he decided to do something to help. He rented a truck and hauled non-perishable items over to the tiny town of Edgewater in Volusia County, and he set up his smoker and he cooked for people. But there's way more to the story than than. It involves the Gulfport Chef's Table and a lot of people who pitched in. Kudos to The Gabber for telling the story. You've got to read this. What a wonderful community we live in.

In time for spooky season, Eckerd OLLI offers National Theatre's Frankenstein

Here's another entry in the amazing National Theatre series that is part of Eckerd's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute series, this one perfectly appropriate for the season. Frankenstein comes to life before our eyes.

This is an adaptation for the stage of Mary Shelly's 1818 novel, and it is an ambitious undertaking indeed. It was quite the sensation when it premiered in 2011 in London. This is a recording of the live performance. Watch the video above. It's an interview with Danny Boyle, who directed the production. It'll give you some idea of what to expect. Yes, it's the same Danny Boyle who directed the films Slumdog Millionaire and Steve Jobs.

Okay, so here's what happens. Theater lecturer Dedee Aleccia will lead a talk about the National Theatre's production of Frankenstein from 10:30 a.m. until noon on Wednesday, October 26 at the Eckerd College CEC Spoonbill Room. Then, the actual showing of the production will take place at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, October 28 in the Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium. There are admission charges for both the theater talk and the film, $25 each for non-members.

If  you've never been to any of the Eckerd OLLI series, you owe it to yourself to go. What a community asset.

Here's community at its best: Gulfport Chef's Table, splendid night to help others

Even though it had to be delayed because of Hurricane Matthew, the first Gulfport Chef's Table turned out to be a remarkable charity event, one that is likely to be repeated next year. We say bravo! Culinary delicacies from chefs at eight Gulfport restaurants were served to more than 200 diners under the stars right there in the middle of Beach Boulevard. Diners found the food delicious, the atmosphere convivial, and the cause worthy. The event raised $8,000 for CASA, the domestic violence shelter organization. The proceeds will generate a matching gift, giving the organization $16,000. Community at its best. Read Debbie Wolfe's terrific story in The Gabber to get all the details.

What do Ambrose Bierce and Sparacus have in common? They're still missing!

Sometime near the end of 1913, a 71-year-old American journalist and fiction writer, Ambrose Bierce is believed to have gone to Mexico, joined up with Pancho Villa's army as an observer, and vanished without a trace. His disappearance remains a mystery. And thereby hangs a tale, or at least the framework for a program that promises to be intriguing. (More about Bierce in a minute.) The program is called Vanishing Acts and it's offered from 11 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, October 18,  in the Eckerd College CEC Pelican Room. Cost is $10 for members and $25 for non-members.

Bierce isn't the only Missing Person the class covers. There's Spartacus. You may think Kirk Douglas is Spartacus but that's just a movie.  The actual guy, the escaped slave/gladiator/hero from ancient Greek times, has quite a mystery about him. Some think he died in battle but his body was never found. Perfect for the program. Then there's Michael Rockefeller, youngest son of Nelson Rockefeller, the Vice President. Michael went missing in 1961while on an expedition to New Guinea.

Now back to Bierce. You may have heard of his short story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge." If not, we won't spoil it for you. It has a trick ending and it was very experimental for its time. It was borrowed numerous times, as a plot for Alfred Hitchcock Presents, as a plot for Twilight Zone, as a plot line for numerous movies. Look it up! You might enjoy it. Bierce was also a muckraking journalist who work for yellow journalism king William Randolph Hearst and successfully foiled a plot by the railroads and their crooked politicians to steal from the U.S. Treasury Department. Bierce was a fascinating guy. You're going to want to see this.

I've Got Rhythm and you will, too, if you go to Eckerd's OLLI program on Gershwin

The hits just keep on coming at the Eckerd's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Remember, we were telling you about Judy Garland the other day? Well, this next offering has a Judy Garland element to it, too, though it isn't the primary focus of the program. The title tells it: George Gershwin. The plan is to cover his life and music. There's a lot of material to work with on both subjects.

Now above, you're going to hear a medley of his numbers from Girl Crazy, a Broadway musical that opened in 1930. George wrote the music. His brother Ira wrote the lyrics, and Guy Bolton and John McGowan wrote the book. You'll hear I've Got Rhythm, the song that Ethel Merman sang in her stage debut. You'll also hear Bidin' My Time and Embraceable You. We took our cue from the Eckerd OLLI catalog, which specifically mentions I've Got Rhythm.

Below, is one of George Gershwin's most famous and most popular pieces. Nothing in the catalog mentions it but we can't imagine that it wouldn't be included. Just know that as we prepared this article for publication, Rhapsody in Blue was playing in our headphones. What a powerful piece! If you're old enough to be going to Eckerd's OLLI programs, then you're probably old enough to remember the spectacle of 84 pianists dressed in blue formal attire playing this beautiful work on grand pianos for the opening of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. You can enjoy George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue below but go to the OLLI class to learn more.

George Gershwin is offered from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.  on Friday, October 21 in the CEC Spoonbill Room at Eckerd College. Admission is $10 for members and $25 for non-members.
  

Fall is upon us and it's time for the outdoor markets to start up again! Oh, what fun!

Ah! Don't you just love fall in St. Petersburg? There's a bit of a crispness to the air. It's not cold but the humidity's gone for the most part and it's just a delight to be outdoors, and now the outdoor markets are starting up again, though, as The Gabber points out, Gulfport's Tuesday Fresh Market remains open year round. The young lady in the photo is Danielle Thompson, whose husband is a sponge diver in Tarpon Springs. She was offering her sponges at the Corey Avenue Market in St. Pete Beach on Saturday, October 2. The Gabber has a terrific roundup of the area's outdoor markets for you to enjoy.

With Eckerd's lifelong learning program, learn about Judy or go have beer and BBQ

This is the season for Eckerd's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, an amazing offering to the community of a series of informative and uplifting programs that are sure to expand your horizons or at least remind you of forgotten joy.

 If you first encountered Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz and fell in love with her while the movie was still in the black & white part, then this program is probably for you. Song and dance man Jason Fortner is the instructor for Judy Garland: Over the Rainbow, a look at the life of Judy Garland, one of Hollywood's greatest entertainers. The program takes you from her early vaudeville days as Baby Gumm through her film success and ultimate collapse. This program is offered 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, October 14 in the CEC Spoonbill Room at Eckerd. Cost is $10 for members and $25 for non members. Go ahead, click on the movie above. It'll get you in the mood.

If beer, barbecue, and road trips are your style, then you're going to love this offering in the Eckerd OLLI lineup. It's called Brews and BBQ: Gas Stations Revisited, and it's an adventure into nostalgia. If you remember old-timey gas stations, you know what we're talking about.

Here's a description of the course: "They're easy to spot once you know what to look for: small, one-story buildings with large overhangs and a could of  columns, maybe the remnants of concrete islands. Yesterday's filling stations are today's towers of takeout. Gas stations converted to restaurants are emerging all along Central Avenue, complimenting a growing craft brwery scene that has brought national attention to this revitalized area. We’ll savor local beers and learn how they are brewed from a few local brewers,  and enjoy a family style barbecue lunch at a trendy spot on Central Avenue."

Now you'll have to choose because this one overlaps with the Judy Garland program. This program is offered 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, October 14. The bus leaves from the Eckerd College Gymnasium. Cost is $60 for members and $90 for non-members. Cost includes lunch and three small beers. And OLLI asked that you arrange for appropriate transportation after the tour.

Chief's Creole Cafe hosts local celebration of new African American history museum

Here's an uplifting item we spotted in The Weekly Challenger. Elihu Brayboy, owner of Chief's Creole Cafe in the heart of the Midtown business district, put together a celebration of the opening of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. Mr. B. arranged for a live broadcast of the event for local guests. The event also served to commemorate the 1968 black sanitation workers strike in St. Petersburg. In the photo, that's Abdul Karim Ali, son of community leader Joe Savage, who led the strike. The event was well covered by The Weekly Challenger. You should take a look. The event was well attended. Guests included former Gov. Charlie Crist, who said: “I would call this the day of justice. By the opening of this incredible museum, we celebrate as Americans our proud heritage and future.”

Meanwhile, just across the street, the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American History Museum had three large screen TVs set up to watch the ceremony in Washington as President Obama inaugurated the new museum. The all-day celebration included the Dundu Dole African Ballet shown in the photo above. Delightful!