Eckerd College students, always up for adventure, go in a shark tagging expedition

Our friends at Eckerd College are always having such fun adventures. Did you see the great write-up in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune about a shark tagging expedition from Mote Marine Laboratory's Center for Shark Research. Several college students went along, including some from Eckerd. Apparently the writer, Elizabeth Djinis, went along, too. It's quite an adventure, and quite a good read. Eckerd College students. Always out and about. Make you feel young and intrepid, doesn't it?

Great things are happening in our area: Business is definitely growing strong

Wow! Did you see the nice write-up in The Gabber the other day about all the new businesses that have opened in our area recently? Things are happening in the Skyway Marina District. Good things! Congratulations to Keri Melshenker and everyone involved. For years residents on South St. Petersburg have been working steadily to bring new attention to the area, and it's paying off. There's Gator Jim's Tackle (in the picture), a new apartment complex, a new restaurant at Maximo Marina, a new Wawa coming, Dr. Elinor Miranda's new pediatrics practice, and more. Proud to be part of this growing community.

Author Lee Irby, who teaches history at Eckerd College, gets a glowing review

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Eckerd College has a wealth of amazing talent and we're so glad the school is a part of our community. It's always gratifying to see such talent recognized so we were thrilled to see the review in the Tampa Bay Times for Lee Irby, who teaches history at Eckerd and is better known in some circles as an author of renown.

Colette Bancroft, the book editor for TBT, published a glowing review for Lee's latest book, Unreliable, calling it a "smart, well-crafted novel." It is a modern thriller with roots in the plot-twist genre practiced so well by  Edgar Allan Poe and Vladimir Nabokov. Throughout the book, it is never clear whether the narrator, a failed novelist) is lying or telling the truth. 

Lee also wrote a couple of books Colette Bancroft called "snappy crime novels," 7000 Clams and The Up and Up, both set in Florida in the 1920s. Can't wait to read Unreliable.

Read it carefully but don't forget, the author of the novel is a professor. The main character in the book is a professor.  The author of the novel is writer. The main character is a writer. The author of the novel is from Richmond, Virginia.  The main character in the novel is from Richmond, Virginia. Draw your own conclusions.

Florida Antiquarian Book Fair opens today

Earlier in the week, we mentioned the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, one of our favorite events every year. The book fair is now in it's 36th year and continues to offer book lovers a once-a-year treat of gathering together a gazillion* booksellers in The Coliseum in downtown to create a tiny book town with streets lined with purveyors of wonderful volumes with which one expands one's horizons. We came across the video above and had to share it. The video is actually the 30-second spot promoting the book fair that you may have seen on cable TV. The book fair opens today at 5 p.m.

*Not actual size.

In the olden days, before television and the Internet, people were building community

About 90 years ago, some enterprising people living out on Pass-a-Grille got together and created the first school on the island. There's a story about it in The Gabber from Lynn Taylor. The Sunshine School had a casual atmosphere. Classes were frequently held outside on picnic tables or over on the beach. It built a community spirit. We often mention various people who are active in fostering a community spirit today. It's nice to know they're building on a time-tested tradition.

Cool jazz sounds coming out of the library? You bet, and we kind of like it – sometimes!

Shhhh! You're supposed to be quiet in the library. Well, except on special occasions. We got a kick out of Debbie Wolfe's story in The Gabber the other day about the Jammin' at Jazz in the Stacks event in the St. Petersburg College Gibbs campus library. A five-piece jazz band took up residence in the library for a special concert. What a cool idea! Once in awhile. You wouldn't want to do it every day. There has to be quiet time for reading and studying, right?

South Pasadena City Hall blossoms with many very creative works by local artists

That's Gulfport's Jay Lynch showing his pencil drawing that was displayed by the City of South Pasadena in its annual art exhibition at City Hall. The city featured about 200 works by more than 100 local artists. You can get the full story in The Gabber.

36th annual Florida Antiquarian Book Fair gets under way Friday at The Coliseum

We are so fortunate to have an event the stature of the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair in our community. Every year we look forward to this amazing event. Booksellers from all over the country  gather at The Coliseum in downtown St. Petersburg to present their offerings of books, maps, prints, ephemera, vintage photographs, and other collectible printed matter. The Florida book fair is the oldest and largest in the southeastern United States, and the third largest in the nation, behind New York and California.The event gets under way at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 21, and runs through Sunday. You can get lots of details, like what some of the booksellers are bringing, by flipping over to the book fair blog. You also can get a lot of information on Facebook, including live streaming updates every day at 10 a.m. this week leading up to the book fair. You'll find that live streaming report on our Facebook page.

In less than two minutes, clever Eckerd students capture essence of school's slogan

We say it all the time but only because it's true. The students at Eckerd College are a clever bunch. We're constantly amazed at what they come up with. Case in point: Here's a video produced by three juniors and a senior. It's less than two minutes long. You've got to watch it. It's a quick take on the very unique waterfront that Eckerd student enjoy so much. Think Outside, indeed.

Meet McCabe Coolidge, potter with a heart and a mission to serve people with his art

It's this kind of selfless giving that makes our community the wonderful place that it is. We noticed Debbie Wolfe's uplifting photograph in The Gabber of Gulfport potter McCabe Coolidge, who has the self-proclaimed mission to throw a bowl for every family member in every family who gets a new home from Habitat for Pinellas. Each bowl is signed by the artist, who can be found at his booth in Gulfport's Tuesday Morning Market.

OneLove: Let's get together & feel all right

Our local colleges turn out some of the most amazing people in our community. There's a reason. The experiences that our students have form the foundation of great, involved citizens who exemplify the best in humanity. Here's a photo montage from the Study Abroad Jamaica College of Education at St. Petersburg College. We think it speaks for itself.

The power of positive forces and the good they can do to help out in our community

There are some amazing positive forces at work in our community and, frankly, we're glad to see it. Here's an example: The Pinellas County Urban League, which held the fourth annual Whitney M. Young Jr. Awards Luncheon recently to honor those who empower the disenfranchised and those who have been empowered. The Weekly Challenger had a terrific article about the event and its significance to our community.

So if you're considering a law degree or know someone who is, watch this video

Here's the caliber of the people who live among us and are working hard to recruit similarly talented individuals. If you're considering a law degree at Stetson University College of Law, this is especially for you. Even it you're not, maybe you know someone who is or ought to be. Share this. Help them understand the benefit of getting a law degree from Stetson. Yes, it's long but if this is something you're considering, this time investment will be worth it.

These young men are role models and they are headed for college. Be proud of them.

The young men in this photograph from The Weekly Challenger are going to get on a bus next Friday and ride up to Tallahassee to tour colleges in north Florida. They'll visit Florida A&M University, Florida State University, and Tallahassee Community College. These young men are role models. Literally. They are members of St. Petersburg's 5000 Role Models, and they've been working for a couple of months to raise money the trip. The force for good behind all this? Jarvarius Green, a counselor at Gibbs High School. THIS is community! Thank you, Jarvarius Green!

It's time for Springfest and the true meaning of Easter; we wish everyone a Happy Easter

It's Easter time and you know what that means. It's time for Springfest 2017 at Mt. Zion Progressive Missionary Baptist Church. The Weekly Challenger has an article about the upcoming important community event. From the article: "Rev. Shawn Thomas is hopeful that Springfest will have a deeper impact that resonates through the community. As the youth pastor of Mt. Zion’s Children and Youth Ministry (CYM), he hopes the youth will embrace their three lifestyle messages of being spiritually connected, socially conscious and smart and cultured."

Peace, Love, and right on, sisters!!! Goodwill's Hippie Dash was far out!!!

We couldn't help but get a kick out of Debbie Wolfe's photo in The Gabber of the Sunshine Soul Sisters, who were running in the second annual Goodwill Hippie Dash 5K and Flower Child Fun Run in Gulfport recently. The race was a fundraiser for Goodwill Industries – Suncoast, which helps put people to work who have barriers to employment. The Sunshine Soul Sisters is a weekly running club and they went all out on their period outfits. You should read the story.

Eckerd's OLLI offers information about policy changes that may affect Medicare

Our friends as Eckerd College's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute are making available information that is vital to our seniors. An article in The Weekly Challenger calls attention to it: "The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Eckerd College announces “Repeal and Replace: The Effects on Medicare” a special public class will be held Thursday, April 13 from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in the Pelican Room at Eckerd College, located at 4200 54th St, St. Petersburg."

The Seahorse gets a nice write-up in TripAdvisor, and we can understand why

We noticed with delight that one of our favorite restaurants in Pass-a-Grille just got a great review in TripAdvisor. The Seahorse on Pass-a-Grille Way has been serving delicious breakfasts and lunches since 1938. and the reviewer, who apparently is a regular visitor to Pass-a-Grille said the place hasn't changed in the last 30 years, and that's one of the things they liked about it. Poking around on the TripAdvisor site, we spotted another reviewer from Tennessee who drew the distinction between Pass-a-Grille and "the more bustling St. Pete Beach" and noted that that was "a good thing, to my way of thinking." Low key is one of the reason we like Pass-a-Grille, and The Seahorse.