chna logo by peter bramley (1945-2005) crescent heights … · 2019-10-04 · utterly unique, the...

CHNA C a l e n d a rMarch/April 2018 mychna.org

Calendar of Events:

Play OUT! – Saturday, February 24th7th Street N. between 25th and 26th Ave N.Bring the kids to our family-friendly play event from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Neighborhood Meeting – Monday, March 12thTasco Teen Center in Crescent Lake ParkRepresentatives from the City’s Urban Planning & Historic Preservation Department will be available to answer questions about historic preservation beginning at 7:00 pm

Easter Egg Hunt – Saturday, March 24thCrescent Lake ParkMeet the Easter Bunny and hunt for colored eggs and treats beginning at 9:30 am

March Book Club - Tuesday, March 27 at 7 PM The Leavers by Lisa KoMeeting at 2917 7th Street NRSVP: Maureen Camphire, [email protected]

April Book Club - Tuesday, April 24th at 7 PM The 100-year-old Man . . .by Jonas JonassonMeeting at 534 29th Avenue NRSVP: Maureen Camphire, [email protected]

Neighborhood Yard Sale – Saturday, April 21stThroughout Crescent HeightsJoin our neighborhood-wide yard sale event. We’ll advertise the sale and all are welcome to participate

Sunken Gardens Night Out withSpecial Guests Mayor Rick Kriseman and City Counsel Rep Darden Rice - May 9thGardens open at 6:00 pm (free admission)

CHNA logo by Peter Bramley (1945-2005)

Crescent Heights Neighborhood Association Newsletter

Who else is a transplant from the cold, gray north? As a former Michiganian, there is nothing I enjoy more than our mild, sunny Florida winters. I love throwing open all of the windows, listening to the mocking birds sing their varied songs, and teasing my co-workers as they slide their cars along the icy highways into work. Working remotely in Florida does have its perks, and bragging rights are definitely one of them.

As we wrap up another beautiful Florida winter, it is exciting to see all that has already been accomplished in 2018. The Board joined forces with concerned residents and local organization Preserve the ‘Burg to enter into a cooperative partnership with the Church of the Beatitudes and JMS Group Contracting to attempt to save the possibly historic sanctuary structure on 8th Street N. We held two successful Neighborhood Meetings (my thanks to all that attended), and we partnered with the Crescent Lake Neighborhood Association to hold a Pot Luck Party in the Park. Right now, I am finalizing planning for our (hopefully annual) new Play OUT! event, which I hope will prove to be a worthy complement to our family friendly Halloween party each fall. Did anyone else think that being President of our charming little neighborhood association would be like a second full-time job, because I did not! But it has been fun, and at times challenging, and getting to know more of you in the process has made it very rewarding.

What’s next? More events to help continue to make Crescent Heights such a great place to live. Our annual Easter egg hunt is always a favorite for the kids, and this year the event will be sponsored by the owners of a new fresh-roasted coffee bar so be sure to stop by and get a sample. Additionally, we’ll hold our neighborhood yard sale on April 21: be sure to make a “sell” pile as you work on that Spring cleaning. Thank you so much for the continued opportunity to serve, and I look forward to continue to contribute to the betterment of Crescent Heights.

Jen Wright

Message from the President...

2 March/April 2018 mychna.org

Crescent Heights Neighborhood Association, Inc.

(CHNA)A 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation.

mychna.orgPO Box 76051, St. Pete, FL 33734

Join online for $20/year & support us!

2018 CHNA Officers & Board

President: Jen [email protected]

Immediate Past President: ThomasPaterek [email protected]

1st VP (Business Relations):

Brandy [email protected]

2nd VP (Programs): Adam [email protected]

Treasurer: Kristine [email protected]

Secretary: Susan O’[email protected]

Membership: Angie [email protected]

Newsletter Editor: Sylvia [email protected]

Web Editor: Will [email protected]

Social Media Editor: Sarah [email protected]

Newsletter Layout: Wendy Smith [email protected]

Book Club Lead: Maureen Camphire [email protected]

Halloween Party: John Sullivan [email protected]

Home of the Month: Arin [email protected]

Historian: Jim [email protected]

Newsletter Delivery: Stephanie [email protected]

Traffic and Parking Lead: Open

Outreach Committee Lead: Maureen Camphire [email protected]

Join CHNA f o r 2 0 1 8

CHNA is accepting payments for 2018

memberships and the new year brings new

membership discounts! Bring your card to

participating businesses and receive your

discount starting January1st.

Advertise in the CHNA newsletter

!Help support the neighborhood and efforts to make this a great place to live. Membership cost is just $20 a year (Jan.-Dec.). Join online through PayPal at myCHNA.org. Or fill out the form below and mail a check made payable to CHNA addressed to CHNA, PO Box 76051, St. Petersburg, FL 33734. Or bring the form with check or cash to the next meeting. Additionally, donations (only in the form of a check, either with your membership payment or separate) are most welcome and may also be mailed or delivered at a meeting.Name: ____________________________________

Name: ____________________________________

Address: ____________________________________

____________________________________

Phone: ____________________________________

Email: ____________________________________

Amount for membership: ______________________

Amount for donation: _________________________

Crescent Heights Neighborhood Association, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation. Donations to the organization for which no goods or services are received are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Your membership fee may or may not be tax deductible. Please consult a tax advisor to your specific tax situation.

Get the word out to all the households in Crescent Heights. Contact Kristine Mason at: [email protected] for details. All ads require a three month minimum run.1/8 page (“business card”) = $15 1/2 page = $401/4 page = $25 Full page = $75

If you know of a business that would like to offer a membership discount, please contact Sarah at [email protected].

Join, Donate & Support CHNA today!

Like Us on Facebook 3


BO O K N O O K

Book Club Leads:

Maureen Camphire ([email protected]) and Kristen Noakes-Fry ([email protected])

Lisa Ko’s powerful debut novel won the 2016 PEN/Bellwether Prize for Fiction, awarded by Barbara Kingsolver for a novel that addresses issues of social justice. “The Leavers feels as relevant as ever as the future of immigrants in America hangs in the balance.” (Time.com)One morning, Deming Guo’s mother, Polly, an undocumented Chinese immigrant, goes to her job at a nail salon—and never comes home. No one can find any trace of her.

With his mother gone, eleven-year-old Deming is left mystified and bereft. Eventually adopted by a pair of well-meaning white professors, Deming is moved from the Bronx to a small town upstate and renamed Daniel Wilkinson. But far from all he’s ever known, Daniel struggles to reconcile his adoptive parents’ desire that he assimilate with his memories of his mother and the community he left behind.

Told from the perspective of both Daniel—as he grows into a direction less young man—and Polly, Ko’s novel gives us one of fiction’s most singular mothers. Loving and selfish, determined and frightened, Polly is forced to make one heart-wrenching choice after another.

Set in New York and China, The Leavers is a vivid examination of borders and belonging. It’s a moving story of how a boy comes into his own when everything he loves is taken away, and how a mother learns to live with the mistakes of the past. (From LitLovers)Thoroughly researched and ambitious in scope, Ko’s book ably depicts the many worlds Deming’s life encompasses.… Indeed, the greatest strength of the book lies in its provocative depiction of a modern Chinese woman uninterested in traditional roles of any kind. What she makes of herself, and what we might make of her, are of interest from any number of angles.(Gish Jen - New York Times Book Review)

Please join us on March 27 when the book club will discuss “The Leavers”, by Lisa Ko, chosen by book club member Pat Woods.

story about a reluctant centenarian much like Forrest Gump (if Gump were an explosives expert with a fondness for vodka) decides it’s not too late to start over. The following review is from Amazon:

After a long and eventful life, Allan Karlsson ends up in a nursing home, believing it to be his last stop. The only problem is that he’s still in good health, and in one day, he turns 100. A big celebration is in the works, but Allan really isn’t interested so he decides to escape. He climbs out the window in his slippers and embarks on a hilarious and entirely unexpected journey, involving, among other surprises, a suitcase stuffed with cash, some unpleasant criminals, a friendly hot-dog stand operator, and an elephant.

It would be the adventure of a lifetime for anyone else, but Allan has a larger-than-life back story: Not only has he witnessed some of the most important events of the twentieth century, but he has actually played a key role in them. Starting out in munitions as a boy, he somehow finds himself involved in many of the key explosions of the twentieth century and travels the world, sharing meals and more with everyone from Stalin, Churchill, and Truman to Mao, Franco, and de Gaulle. Quirky and utterly unique, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared has charmed readers across the world.

The book club will meet on April 24th at 7 PM at 534 29th Avenue, to discuss The 100- Year- Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared. Please RSVP to [email protected] in order for the hostess to be prepared with enough chairs and snacks!

The book club will meet on March 27 at 7 PM at 2917 7th Street, to discuss The Leavers. Please RSVP to [email protected] in order for the hostess to be prepared with enough chairs and snacks!

Book club member, Janice Revill, chose “The 100- Year- Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared” for April’s book pick. This humorous adventure tale by Swedish author Jonas Jonasson spins a delightful


D i s t r i c t 4 N E W S - T r a n s p o r t a t i o n U p d a t e s

The next few months, the details of this plan will go on

the road (literally to be scrutinized by citizens and local

governments throughout Tampa Bay. Once approved,

this plan could be a reality in five years. I support RFTP

because it is realistic plan that recognizes this fact: There

is no state and federal appetite for expensive passenger

rail. However, the political and financial support is

there now for BRT. Our region needs investment in

choice transit to move people to jobs, school, medical

appointments, and events. Since we can’t build more

roads and wider bridges to ease congestion woes, St. Pete

will continue to push for more frequent service and for

improvements in how buses will operate in mixed traffic

conditions. Find out more info at:

www.TBRegionalTransit.com

Complete Streets:

In January, this city-wide initiative saw marked progress

on the MLK Street North Resurfacing Project, increasing

safety, walk-ability, and bike access while completing a

much-needed repaving of certain sections of MLK Street

north of Central. An extensive public survey of residents

and Neighborhood Associations gathered feedback, which

helped to inform the improvements made. Resurfacing is

now scheduled for late spring of this year.

As always, I am happy to meet with your Neighborhood

Association, listen to your concerns, and provide updates

on relevant projects in your community. Just email me

at [email protected] or call our office at 727-893-

7117 to set up a meeting.

As always, thank you for giving me the privilege of public

service to work for us all!

City Council Member

Darden Rice

Regional Transport Feasibility Plan (RTFP):

Tampa Bay is talking regional transit again, and a serious new

plan, RTFP, is on the table. RFTP recommends a 41-mile

route to connects St. Pete to Wesley Chapel via Bus Rapid

Transit (BRT). BRT would provide regional express buses

and a mix of dedicated and express toll lanes to facilitate

express bus service and ease congestion. The plan is presented

as a catalyst, and while it does not fund light rail as a mode

itself, the plan does not preclude future efforts elsewhere,

such as utilization of CSX lines in Tampa. Notably, this plan

is affordable. It brings an approximate $450m price tag,

which would be mostly funded by the state and not require

a local sales tax referendum. Tolls would help pay the annual

operating costs.

Although some in Hillsborough are pushing back, on

February 8, St. Pete City Council took a strong stand,

unanimously passing a resolution in favor of the RTFP. St.

Pete has much to gain from the new proposal. The previous

plan, called Tampa Bay Express, did not even extend past

Gandy Blvd. and failed to address I-275 lane continuity

issues. Investment in this new plan means more likely support

for connecting BRT projects like the in-development Central

Ave. BRT, as well as a BRT project on US 19 S. that would

connect the Skyway Marina District.

Greetings, Neighbors

Looking forward to Spring,

I thought it would be a

good time to give you

some updates on regional

transportation efforts.


Parlez-vous français?

Would you like to join others in convivial French conversation? If so, there is a new opportunity here in the greater Crescent Heights neighborhood. A small group of neighbors has recently organized a weekly get-together to speak French and share knowledge of French culture.

Our group includes French speakers of intermediate or advanced level as well as native French speakers. The hour-long gathering is very casual and gives us all an opportunity to practice our language skills through lively conversation. We are a very new group and hoping to add a few more members. If you are a Francophile or Francophone…a lover of all things French....and would like to share the joy of speaking French with others, we invite you to join us!

For more information, contact Sharon [email protected]


CHNA Policy for Local Historical Designation

The City of Saint Petersburg allows for certain districts, neighborhoods, or other areas of significance to apply for local historical designation. The purpose of this designation is to help identify, preserve, and promote St. Petersburg’s unique character. In the event that CHNA, its Board, or a group of neighbors wish to apply for local historical designation for a property or group of properties within the location boundaries outlined within the Crescent Heights Neighborhood Association, Inc. bylaws, the policies and procedures outlined below will apply.

An individual or group of residents does not need the approval of CHNA nor its Board to apply for local historical designation with the City of Saint Petersburg. However, if the assistance of CHNA is requested, the organization will offer educational support and communication resources to support the goal of obtaining local historical designation. Such resources include, but are not limited to, the following:

A. Perform informal polling of residents in the proposed area for designation, as well as any additional areas of consideration designated by the CHNA Board, including use of the CHNA P.O. Box to return informal ballots. Polling data shall be considered valid for one calendar year.

B. Including educational materials in the CHNA newsletter, in CHNA e-mail blasts, on the CHNA Website, and on various social media outlets. The CHNA Board will have final approval on the wording, length, and content of all educational materials published by CHNA on any of the aforementioned outlets or publications.

C. CHNA will make available information obtained during the education and informal polling process to any resident upon request (e.g., number of returned ballots, tabulated voting information, etc.).

An individual or group of residents may request that CHNA use general funds to pay for an application for local historical designation to the City of Saint Petersburg. Such requests must be submitted in the form of a motion during a Neighborhood Meeting, and must be seconded and subsequently approved per the usual process during such a meeting by a majority of voting members in attendance.

CHNA is considering apply for local historical designation for a portion of Crescent Heights. If you want to know more about what this means, please join us at the March 12 Neighborhood Meeting and a representative of the City will be available to answer all of your questions. CHNA also has a Q&A document and other links of interest available on our Website at www.mychna.org.


DOG of the Month

Kojak

If you live in Crescent Heights, you probably already know Kojak. He’s the handsome boxer who is always out with his person, former CHNA president Thomas Paterek.

“You can find him running around the neighborhood chasing squirrels or saying hi to friends as the unofficial mayor of Crescent Heights,” Thomas says.

As you probably expect, Kojak’s life with Thomas is pretty fantastic. But things weren’t always so great.

Thomas adopted him in 2011, when Kojak was eight weeks old. The little dog had a skin infection, and fleas; his previous owner was a drug addict who’d given him up, realizing she wasn’t able to care for him.

Thomas always wanted a dog, but the timing was never right. A veterinarian friend told him about Kojak just when Thomas was feeling ready.

It was “serendipitous,” Thomas says.

At the time, the puppy didn’t have a name. Thomas went to college in Tampa, and had fond memories of a local barbecue joint called Kojak’s. Eating at Kojak’s made him feel good. Thomas thought the name would suit his new dog (and only learned later that there was also a famous TV detective called Kojak).

These days, Kojak -- now 7 years old -- indeed has it easy.

Thomas is owner of a business marketing firm called Stevie & Fern. He works from his home at 432 23rd Avenue N, and Kojak spends all day with him -- Thomas points to an oversized dog bed. He explains that he carries it around from the office to whatever other room he’s in, so Kojak will never be without a soft napping spot.

by; Arin Greenwood


Kojak also accompanies Thomas on his many volunteer activities; like doing beach cleanups and advocating for stronger environmental protection with the Surfrider Foundation. (Thomas says Kojak is very persuasive on the topic of needing to keep plastic out of our waterways.)

Kojak’s other favorite activities include playing ball, chasing squirrels, hanging out on the porch -- “and then going on some adventures with dad,” Thomas says.

“He loves the beach, parks, and stops in the city. He loves to stop at St. Petersbark to pick of up some of his favorite raw bones. He also tricks his dad into carrots and sweet potatoes.”

Thomas doesn’t mind being tricked. He doesn’t mind anything when it comes to Kojak. We all adore Mayor Kojak in Crescent Heights -- but to Thomas, he’s the sun and the moon.

“Every day I’m just like, ‘I love this dog,’” he says. “Kojak is not the best dog in the world, he’s earned the title for best dog in the Milky Way.”


Nature Watch South – The Not-so-Lonesome DoveBy Bill RichkusAs soon as we pass the winter solstice in December, the amount of daylight each day increases, almost imperceptibly in the first few weeks. But a few minutes of additional light per day is sufficient to turn the switches on for many members of our wildlife community, especially our birds. One of my great joys at our former home in Maryland, from late winter into spring, was to hear the diverse chorus of bird songs each day, from daylight to just past sunrise. Everyone of each species staked claim to his territory, hoping to be especially attractive to any potential mates that happened by. Each year, the species that remained in the area all winter would start the chorus, beginning with the cardinals. Then the music would be enriched as migrants returned

from their winter southern habitats (the original snow birds!) to their Maryland breeding grounds. By full blown spring, it was difficult to understand how the birds could hear each other, with robins, cardinals, catbirds, wrens, and others all blasting out their songs to create bird song chaos.

Here in Saint Petersburg, in late January, I experienced a hint of that former bird chorus, being serenaded each morning by a beautiful red cardinal in a tree near the house. However, it doesn’t appear that we have the diversity of territorial feathered singers that we had up north. The ubiquitous blue jays are noisy enough, making a variety of different calls, but they never appear to sit in one place and make territory-specific songs. All the parrots that flit around almost never seem to sit in one place for long and seem to travel in flocks, which obviates the necessity for solo territory establishment (but I do have to learn more about the parrots that are in the area). I’ve heard other bird sounds in the neighborhood, of species I have yet to identify. But most of them also appear to be calls made in passing and not territory-specific statements of ownership. But there is one exception to this general observation: the dove, or should I say doves.females in the flocks by taking a closer look at their beaks; a male’s beak is nearly half again as long as that of the female; I’ll have to check that out the next time I’m close to a flock).

On our daily walks through the neighborhood, Sharon and I will see one or more doves perched on power lines. Doves will also frequently flutter up from beneath bird feeders that various neighbors have placed in their front yards. Behind our own 29th Ave N home, a pair of doves has established their territory and perch on the power line regularly at all times of day. If you pay attention, you will soon realize that there are two different species of doves throughout our area. The one with the mournful call (the male’s three-parted mating call sounds like coo-oooo, cooo, coo, coo), long pointed tail, and the whistle through their wings when they fly are the native mourning doves. The ones with the squared tails and larger, stockier bodies are the non-native Eurasian collared doves, also sometimes called a ring-neck dove. Their call is more aggressive sounding and less mournful than that of the mourning dove, more like “koo-KOO-kook-kook” and repeated 3–12 times with the middle syllable much longer than the first and last two. A few Eurasian collared doves were introduced to the Bahamas in the 1970s, with the species making its way to Florida by the 1980s and then rapidly colonizing most of North America. But these doves have been raised in captivity in the US for a much longer time, in the company of racing pigeons and all of their fancy pigeon cousins; more on that later.

According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the mourning dove is the most widespread and abundant game bird in North America, with hunters harvesting more than 20 million annually (and, if you are wondering, they are excellent table fare). continued on page 11


*** Mention this AD for $3.00 off Color ***

Generally pursued over harvested grain fields, the fast-flying doves are difficult targets, resulting in more shells fired per bird harvested than for any other game species. Yet this species remains one of the most abundant birds in the US, with an annual population estimated at 350 million. The explanation for this high abundance, despite significant hunter harvest and high natural mortality (they are a favorite prey of sharp shinned and cooper’s hawks), is their fecundity. In warmer climates like our own, doves can breed year-around, with time from egg (two per nesting) to flight of the young being about two months, and a single pair nesting as many as 6 times in a year. Even up north, a single pair may nest as many as four times before migrating south for the winter. They also become sexually mature quickly, so the first hatched young of the year will be breeding within six months of their hatching. With such a logarithmic growth rate, a population would have to sustain significant mortality simply to remain stable. But while our Crescent Heights doves certainly don’t experience any hunting pressure, just yesterday Sharon and I did see a sharp shinned hawk perched on a tree across the street from one of the neighbor’s bird feeders, clearly waiting for an unwary dove or other bird to become its dinner. So, hawks and the neighborhood cats are likely to be keeping the population in line.

While I have had decades of experience in hunting mourning doves, I have also had decades of more domestic experience with the ring-neck dove. Growing up in New Jersey, my family raised a variety of livestock, including rabbits, chickens, ducks, and pigeons. One of the small husbandry sidelines my father pursued was raising ring-neck doves, both the tan colored birds you see in our neighborhood and as an all-white color phase. And it was the white doves for which he had a regular buyer, a local magician. The fact that the magician was a regular customer always made me wonder about the fate of the white doves that wound up in the entertainment business. Did they succumb to the stress of storage and handling, or did they manage their escape during a show, with a glorious flashing of their beautiful white wings as they fled. Needless to say, I always hoped for the latter.

Getting back to the mourning dove, once he establishes his territory, a male is very defensive of his territory. And I have always enjoyed taking advantage of that characteristic to stir up feathered trouble. If you cup your hands together, leaving an elongated opening between your thumbs, you can blow across it to make a sound very similar to the dove’s call. Lifting your fingers slightly during the second “syllable” of the call, it is sufficiently accurate to drive a jealous dove into a frenzy. I’ve had doves fly from power line, to house, to tree, and back, calling loudly, and searching anxiously for their apparent competitor. Next time you hear a dove calling around your house, give it a try. Great fun!!


Joseph R. Craig D.D.S., P.A

Family & Cosmetic Dentistry

Most Insurance Plans Accepted

1747-16th Street North

St. Petersburg, FL 33704

727-822-3463

www.CraigDentalCare.com


ST. PETERSBURG JAZZERCISE


WILLS • TRUSTS • ESTATES

PERSONAL INJURY

REAL ESTATE

Joseph Furniture CompanyQuality repairs, refinishing,

Re-purpose of your wood furnitureCustom furniture designed and built for you!

[email protected] - 432 - 4811

820 26th Ave. North, St Petersburg


Buy a CHNA f l a g

CHNA Flags Are Back!

We have ordered a new batch

of CHNA Flags, which are

now available for purchase.

These UV resistant Flags cost

$40 apiece and make a great

addition to your front yard

decor, and build neighborhood

spirit.

Contact Kristine Mason at

[email protected]

401-744-9474to purchase your flag.

Find the solution to this puzzle on our website, sudoku-solutions.com

Important Contact InformationCHNA President Community Service Officer Police Non-EmergencyJen Wright (727) 551-3182 (727) [email protected] Mayor’s Action Line Crime Tip LineSpecial Trash Pick-Up (727) 893-7111 (727) 892-5000(727) 893-7398 Report Street Light Outage Meow Now - Free service

Call Before You Dig (location & pole # needed) to trap/fix feral or community cats

1-800-432-4770 1-800-228-8485 (727) 203-5255

Feral / Community CatsFree Spay/Neuter Service Available

Meow Now (http://meownowfl.org/) is a local organization that helps to stabilize and

control community cat populations. Its TNVR program (Trap – Neuter – Vaccinate

– Return) is a FREE service offered that will help to keep our current outdoor cat

population under control. If you have a feral cat hanging around your house, call (727)

203-5255 to speak with a Meow Now volunteer to help ensure one cat doesn’t turn into

a larger problem.

Treehouse Gallery: 15% off any purchase.

Papa John’s: 10% off your entire online order

using promo code: Crescent10.

Valid only at the 4th St. N. location.

Porch parties and local business socials are open to all residents at no cost, so please bring a bite and/or drink to share and meet your neighbors for a great time! For further detail on events, including event times, please visit the CHNA Facebook page.

chna logo by peter bramley (1945-2005) crescent heights … · 2019-10-04 · utterly unique, the...

Documents