C.O.N.A. of South Pinellas County

A Taste of Spring

Feb 17, 2001

FEBRUARY 27, GET OUT AND VOTE!

MARINEQUEST
March 8th to 10th is the Annual Open House at the Florida Marine Research Institute, 100 8th Avenue SE. Sponsored by Fla. Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. Lots of kid's activities & tours of the Florida Marine Research
Institute. Admission is Free from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information please call 896-8626.

SPIFFS ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL FOLK FAIR
March 9 to March 11
Times Bayfront Arena
Visit more than 50 countries and enjoy continuous live entertainment with cultural exhibits, a marketplace and delicious ethnic foods.Featuring colorful local and visiting folk dance groups and choral groups. This is one of the largest in the United States. Each of our 46 ethnic member
groups displays its heritage, culture and traditions in its own "village", set up with cultural exhibits, food and giftitem sales. Continuous live entertainment in the form of
folk dances and musical performances takes place on a central stage throughout the Fair. is the only independent,non-profit, multi-cultural folk fair organization in the U S. For more information please call 892-5767 or 327-7999?

GRAND CENTRAL DISTRICT
ASSOCIATION NEEDS SOME HELP!
They are getting ready to apply for Florida Main Street Designation. They are in need of a Project Manager. Candidates must have experience in Public Relations, grant writing, program administration, development and volunteer management. If you are qualified, please contact
David Gruskin at 727-321-1918 or fax 727-321-2839

MAJOR LEAGUE
BASEBALL SPRING TRAINING
Tampa Bay Devil Rays Spring Training starts March 1 and runs to April 1. The home games are played at Florida Power Park/Al Lang Field, 230 1st Street South.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS
This areas Sixth Summer Games will be held on March 17 at Lakewood High School, 1400 54th Avenue South. The Special Olympic are athletic events for disabled children and adults. The events include soccer and track & field. The games are Free to the public and will be held from 9a.m. to 3p.m. For more information or to volunteer please call 893-7899 or 443-4221.

CONA Board Meeting
February 21 - 7:00P.M.
St. Petersburg Times Building
490 1st Avenue South

The Best Show In Town &
Around the Neighborhoods
by Jan Brami
See Insert



President's Report


Dear Neighbors,

February is here and Citywide Elections are getting near. Everyone needs to encourage their neighbors to attend one of the candidate forums. By doing so they can better understand what positions the candidate?’s have on neighborhood issues. Remember campaign signs and brochures don't tell everything a candidate stands for.

At the CONA Board Meeting, February 21, Angelo Rao will give a presentation on the proposed instillation of video cameras at traffic light intersections. The idea of using video cameras to catch drivers who run Red lights was a topic at out last meeting. The members at that meeting ask me to get more information about this program. This issue will be brought before the State Legislature in the next couple of months and we need some neighborhood input. David Goodwin, with the Planning Commission, has asked for a couple of minutes at this meeting, to get our help on a new ordinance. The ordinance has to do with Motels and Hotels infringing upon residential areas. I don't know too much about this ordinance, so we all will get the details together at the meeting. I also contacted Tampa Bay Water, our regional water manager. I requested from them someone that can give us information on Tampa Bay?’s water shortage at our next board meeting.

In the past month I?‘ve heard some discussion about, WHY DO WE NEED CONA? I would like to answer this question, not because I?’m the CONA President but because I truly believe in what this organization stands for. When I was a Union Representative, I would constantly hear how we didn't need unions. Someone was always saying that the unions don?’t do anything and they don't want to pay union dues. But every four years when the union contract came up these same people were asking the union to negotiate for better pensions, more money and better benefits. Also daily someone was at my office asking for help in keeping his or her job. They all felt they didn't need the union until they had a problem. CONA is very much like a union. We all work together for the good of all. CONA is a unified voice of 54 neighborhoods speaking together. As Teddy Roosevelt said and I quote "WALK SOFTLY BUT CARRY A BIG STICK". CONA is the BIG STICK in town and we have proved it by our accomplishments. Neighborhoods gets things done because they speak for their residents, CONA gets things done because we all speak together.

Your Neighbor, Jim Biggerstaff

2001 CONA MEMBERSHIP
DUES ARE DUE!
Just a REMINDER your 2001 CONA Membership Dues need to be sent in. Without these dues CONA will not be able to function as it has in the past. Please fill out the membership form on back page of this Newsletter and mail it to CONA at PO Box 3529 St. Petersburg, FL 33731 or bring this form and payment to the February 21, CONA Board Meeting.
If you have already sent in your dues, Thanks!

ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the
CONA LEADERSHIP PROGRAM by our gracious host

THE RENAISSANCE VINOY RESORT

We hope you will patronize them when planing future banquets or gatherings.


2001 Officers
President - Jim Biggerstaff
Disston Heights
327-7355 jjbigger99@aol.com
First Vice President - Skip Brooks
Woodlawn Oaks
823-3670
Second Vice President - Theresa McEachern
Harbordale
823-6390
Secretary - Conrad Weiser
Edgemoor
522-5008 MAOA1999@aol.com
Treasurer - Libby Steele
Lakewood Estates
867-6916 MPH56@aol.com.

Committees-
Budget
Theresa McEachern - 823-6390
&
Ingrid Comberg - 821-2192
Computers for Our Community
Brent Fisher - 867-2026 abfgte@gte.net
Newsletter
Jan Brami - 827-0011 jan@sunworks.com
Bob Funari - 894-3881 bayside2@gtefcu.net
Citizens Police Council
David McEachern - 823-6390
Parliamentarian
Dale MacKenzie Gross - 323-2730
Stormwater Issues - Rosemary Grasso - 321-7299
Internet Webmaster - Conrad Weiser - 522-5008
Council Liaison - Jim Biggerstaff - 327-7355
Membership
Charles Miller - 576-6867 & Skip Brooks - 823-3670

Time to Renewal Membership for 2001!
Just fill out the C.O.N.A. 2001 Membership Renewal Application. Mail it and
Membership fee to PO Box 3529, St. Petersburg, FL 33731 or bring it to the next Board Meeting
Association Name __________________________________________________________________
Address __________________________________________________________________________
Boundaries ________________________________________________________________________
Number of Households ___________________ Numbers of Members _________________________
Meeting Dates & Location ____________________________________________________________
President _____________________________________________ Phone #______________________
C.O.N.A. Representative ________________________________ Phone # _____________________
Alternate Representative _________________________________ Phone # _____________________
E-mail Address _________________________________________________________________