Celebrating 17 Years of Award Winning Community Journalism
Crossing Over the Rainbow.
Yes, even we sometimes travel back over the rainbow from GaYBOR to the non-GaYBOR world. This week we had lunch at friendly but non-GaYBOR member (though we are still trying), Carmine’s on 7th Ave. There is just something about their baked chicken with black beans and yellow rice that is so very irresistible. The noon eatery business is always a fun time. Leaving we bumped into LGBT & Community Supporter, Community Activist & friend Ed Turanchik!!! Ed jumped up and gave us one big group hug!!! A constant fighter for all our community. Ed was with Waste Pro owners who are now operating garbage collection services in Hillsborough County. We are sure that everybody will be seeing a lot more of Ed in the future. Follow Ed at https://www.facebook.com/ed.turanchik As we were walking back to our store we passed a GaYBOR Member sticker in the window of the Green Iguana and both smiled. We were back over the rainbow and in GaYBOR again.
..
.
GaYBOR District Plans 2013 Events
Kick off to 2013, the GaYBOR District Coalition has a 6 month calendar of upcoming community events. Again a well attended and great community business meeting at the Hampton Inn & Suites gave insight to a wide variety of events. Of course the most current will be the Sant Yago Night Parade, Gay softball tourney, St. Patrick’s Day Parade, local festivals and pageants.
The coalition is working with HCC Ybor Campus Board for an art student competition to paint one of the concrete Ybor roosters from GaYBOR District. The iconic Ybor City roosters will be on a variety of planned gallery shows of sorts in Tampa Bay. The judged winner of the painted roosters will receive FREE tuition at the HCC Ybor Campus. More info forthcoming.
The honored guest speaker was Tom Barker of the UNA VOCE: Florida Men’s Chorale here in Tampa Bay. It is with high honors that the harmonious group has performed for former Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio and now Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn. They recently were asked to perform this fall in Dublin, Ireland. The singing group has performances in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater concerts twice a year. A definite night out to hear this highly awarded local chorus. www.una–voce.org
Other Hot Topic Info:
* Remember your GaYBOR Annual Membership dues for 2013 are due! www.GaYBOR.com
* Mike Wilson (Hamburger Mary’s mgr.) is new GaYBOR Board Advisor
* Thanked Ybor City Holiday Spirit project leader, Matheau Stanoch and Florida Entertainment Group.
* An international playwright wants to bring an award winning GLBT anti- bullying play, “Rock & the Ripe’ to GaYBOR/ Tampa Bay this spring.
* Owner, Jamie opened a new wine & craft beer bar, Ybor City Wine Bar in Centro Ybor.
* Tampa Police Officer Sean Mahabir told the group he had arrested another recent graffiti artist in Ybor City.
* National GLSEN Conference (GLBT Teachers Assoc) in GaYBOR/ Ybor City in February.23
* Gasparilla Softball Tourney has a full roster of 70+ teams from Canada and the US.for Feb 15-17th
* GaYBOR is being featured in 2 European Magazines this spring. “Men” in Germany & very popular with a very large circulation, “European Queer Magazine ‘ will do a 6-8 page glossy story on GaYBOR/ Ybor City/ Tampa Bay.
* GaYBOR Days will be held during Memorial Day Weekend with a full list of weekend events planned.
February & March GaYBOR meetings will be held at the Metro Wellness and Community Centers Community Room.
.
Featured Item at MC FILM
One of the hottest items for the past holiday season, besides calendars, was the new refreshing “747” and “Vintage” Colognes. Aromatic and super enticing. Restocked and ready for anytime fun with a quick spray of manly essence.
.
People R Talking
Congratulations & GREAT News!!! Pinellas County Passed Countywide Domestic Partnership Registry. This is an equality fairness law for 100% of the county’s residents. And we thought Hillsborough County was the more progressive and politically creative equality based political body of commissioners!!! Heck, they can’t even bring up or talk about GLBT issues in the board chambers here!!! Come on Hillsborough Commissioners, WAKE UP!!!
With the wide variety of great ethnic cuisines already in the area we hear that there may be another coming soon to Ybor City! Yummy!!! Speaking of great cuisines great specials follow. At James Joyce Irish Pub Mondays is the $9.95 Lobster dinner. Soon at a favorite spot with $2.00 martini’s is forthcoming a $9.95 Prime Rib Early Bird Special.
A whole array of new flowers and specials arrangements have arrived at Island Flowers. Valentine’s Day is coming! Laughing Cat Chef, Jerry is in the hospital for surgery operation to his upper vertebrae in the neck. He will be out of the kitchen for 6 weeks!
Congratulations to GaYBOR District co-Secretary and Florida Entertainment Group partner, D. Stephen Moss and singing artist Andy Bell on their marriage in London, England last week!
The wondrous international sellout smash musical of Oz before Dorothy, “Wicked “ is playing at the Straz Performing Arts Center for 3 short weeks. Mike Hammond has 2 friends that are part of the traveling cast and was treated with a small group of friends to the private backstage tour scenes with the cast members.
Political guru and urban planner Ed Turanchik and friends were dining at Carmine’s in Ybor City. That just means something is brewing for new development in Ybor City! Have you noticed the old piered commercial eyesore buildings on Adamo Drive are changing. The huge 2 years in community planning, Adamo Mural Project is underway and is dressing up the Southern Ybor City corridor by painting the rusty commercial buildings of Tampa historical images & figures making the area of IKEA come to life. Thank you to imagery painter and artistic designer Mike Parker who is overseeing the project of HCC art students and community artists.
More High Rise condo’s are being planned on the Hillsborough River in the Tampa Downtown Arts Center area. Another major change to Tampa’s downtown residential district with a proposed 36 story residential multi-complex with shops and grocery store near the museums and the Straz Performing Art Center. More people residing downtown will mean more new events for downtown. A Win Win for us all!!!
.
Miss Arica Love stars in a new documentary. The Life of a T Girl
