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

`Tis the season to share your success stories!

Dec 10, 2002

PLEASE NOTE!

The C.O.N.A. President?’s Reception will be on Wednesday, December 18th at:

THE SUNSHINE CENTER
330 5th St. North
6:30 p.m.

2003 C.O.N.A. Meetings

All 2003 C.O.N.A. meetings are scheduled for the 3rd Wednesday of each month and will be held at THE SUNSHINE CENTER, 330 5th St. North.

Coming in the January 2003 Issue:

Codes Compliance Assistance Department,
City of St. Petersburg


PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Dear Neighbors,

This past year has flown by. It has been a great pleasure for me to serve as your President and to represent your interests to the City and to each other. At each monthly meeting during the past year I have tried to give you as much information that I have available, or to make the people with the ideas accessible to our meetings. I have tried to vary the topics and tried to involve different viewpoints.

Next year, one of my personal goals is to have all of our meetings end by 9:00 p.m. All of the 2003 meetings are scheduled to be held at the Sunshine Center and they will put me to task!

It really has been a fantastic year and looking over the accomplishments that some of the neighborhoods sent in, I know we have a great City and some super people that live here and care about our future. You and your commitments to your neighborhood make my job as President of the Council of Neighborhoods easy. No one in the City can dispute the devotion and commitment that the neighborhood associations have to help improve our quality of life.

Vision 2020 was an idea of a number of neighborhoods and a few City officials six or seven years ago before it was named "Vision 2020". Those who originally met wrote a number of ideas on the boards at the main fire station. The idea then developed into the City-wide meetings at the Sun Pavilion, and the draft that Bob Jeffrey presented to us in October. From that came a VERY important review and rewrite of our Land Development Plan. That process is taking place now and for the next 18 months. In conjunction with that is the Master Pedestrian/Bike plan: two separate programs with two separate meetings each month that will impact our City into the 22nd Century. Many of the same people are attending both of those meetings along with other meetings that involve planning for the future.

Thank you for all that you do. As far as accomplishments this year for CONA, the monthly meeting with the Chief of Police to discuss
City-wide neighborhood issues has been a plus. There was more participation from CONA recently at the Police Retreat, and even though it wasn?’t everything we wanted, it gave us a different prospective on what the Chief faces each and every day. I want to thank the thirteen members of that committee for their dedication.

When Mike Connors came to CONA in March and talked about Traffic Calming and the delays that the neighborhoods would experience, we had eight members of the community donate an hour or two once or twice a month for six months to work through the presentation that we saw last month. Again, I want to thank those members. I can go on and on...there were six neighborhood representatives that worked on the Bed and Breakfast Ordinance; nine who worked on and came back and reviewed a year later the Social Service Plan and how it?’s working in different areas of the City. We have five people working to get a better handle on Codes and ?“slum lords?” in the City. We heard a concern about hotels/motels and the activities that go on there and the lack of Police enforcement. It hasn?’t been corrected yet, but we heard a report last month and the issues are being addressed one at a time. There really is a whole lot more that YOU have made an impact on in our City. The year started out slow because of 9/11, the sluggish economy, and some funding issues. But your persistence, determination and vision have made 2002 a great year for CONA.

We have a full class for CONA Leadership 2003, and I know that we will have more outstanding volunteers next year.

Happy Holidays! Happy New Year! May God bless each and every one of you and your family and keep you safe for another year.

Sincerely,

Brent


2003 C.O.N.A. Dues are DUE NOW! Please submit your 203 payments NOW!

QUOTE OF THE MONTH:

?“Leadership development is a lifetime journey -- not a brief trip.?”
John C. Maxwell, author of Leadership 101


Volunteer to Provide Refreshments?
Could your association or business sponsor a CONA meeting by providing the refreshments? Please help out in 2003 and let Paula Engel, CONA Newsletter Editor, know if you are able to donate beverages and snacks for an upcoming meeting. Your participation is appreciated.

Thanks to Jungle Terrace (Tom Killian) and Causeway Isles (Paula Engel) for providing the refreshments at our November meeting.


NOVEMBER BOARD OF DIRECTOR'S MEETING MINUTES

The November C.O.N.A. meeting was held on November 20th, 2002, at the
St.Petersburg Times Auditorium


?¢ President Brent Fisher called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. He then led the group in the pledge of allegiance to the flag.
?¢ Brent then called for approval of the October Minutes published in our Newsletter.
" It was noted that the voting brochures distributed at our October meeting were provided by a volunteer, not by staff of the Supervisor of Elections. [Minutes Approved as corrected]
?¢ In the absence of our Treasurer, Libby Steele, Brent gave her report listing our current balance as $1,100.00 with our Leadership account at $345.00.
?¢ We next heard from Sherman Smith of the Police Department Legal Staff. He provided a handout he had prepared that describes the current legislative procedures that are to be followed in prospective eviction situations at Florida motels. He noted that a Police Officer does not have authority to evict a tenant though he may be called upon to make a felony arrest.
?¢ City Councilman John Bryan then gave a brief presentation that included diagrams of a boardwalk proposed for the seawall in the Vinoy Yacht Basin. This project would provide additional waterside pedestrian space as well as convenient dockage for transient boaters visiting our waterfront business district. Funding would come from the sale of Weeki Wachi Springs.
" Several objectors condemned the funding for such projects while more urgent traffic calming measures are delayed for years.
?¢ Major Georgia Henderson of the Salvation Army appealed for charitable support of several holiday programs they are planning.
?¢ Lynda Ferrera of Monarch Publishing offered gift certificate awards for our neighborhoods that can enroll additional advertisers for our newsletter.
?¢ Tom Killian, (Jungle Terrace), and Ingrid Comberg, (Asian FACE), reviewed plans for the upcoming CONA Leadership Program.
?¢ Theresa McEachern, (Harbordale), offered for sale the last 8 of the 60 Entertainment Coupon Books CONA purchased to raise funds.
?¢ Steve Plice, (Jungle Terrace), speaking as Chair of our Nominating Committee announced the following slate of candidates and called for any additional nominations from the floor: for President - Brent Fisher, for First V.P. - Karl Nurse, for Second V.P - Theresa McEachern, for Treasurer - Libby Steele, for Secretary - Conrad Weiser.
" There were no further nominations from the floor.
" Moved, (Biggerstaff/Whysong), CONA elects by acclimation the unchallenged slate of officers proposed by the Nominating Committee. [Approved]
?¢ President Fisher explained that our monthly meetings with the Chief of Police would hereafter be scheduled to share the meeting room and to precede our regular monthly CONA Board meetings.
?¢ Mike Connors, (City Engineering - Traffic/Storm Water), and Mike Frederick, (Manager, Neighborhood Transportation), offered a lengthy discussion of a newly developed system for prioritizing the allocation of City funding for traffic calming measures: The Neighborhood Transportation Management Program. This project was a joint effort by City staff members and our CONA Traffic Committee. [Details of this plan were published in our November newsletter.]
" Moved, (Baker/Nurse), Motion to table further consideration of the proposed management program until our January meeting. [Approved]
?¢ It was urged that the Neighborhood Partnership Office schedule a public workshop meeting, the second Saturday in January, (1/11/03), to discuss the proposed program and to hear input from all interested parties.
?¢ Tim Baker, (North Downtown), rose to criticize the planned vote by City Council, (1/30/03), addressing disposition of the Albert Whitted Airport.
" Moved, (Baker/McEachern)

?“Whereas the future of the Albert Whitted Airport is of great importance not only to downtown and to adjacent neighborhoods and institutions, but to all of St. Petersburg, and

Whereas the City Council has scheduled only one limited public hearing on the competing plans for the airport, and

Whereas both proposed plans involve long-term use of public waterfront property,

Therefore, be it resolved that

The Council of Neighborhood Associations of South Pinellas County reaffirms its stated opposition to any plans to extend the east/west runway of Albert Whitted Airport into Tampa Bay, and that

CONA hereby petitions the City Council to increase the opportunities for public input into the decision process, through more public hearings or workshops or charettes or other means, and that

CONA hereby petitions City Council to put the question of the future of the airport property to the public, either through referendum or other similar means.?” [Approved]

?¢ The meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

Conrad Weiser, Secretary



COMMUNICATING AS A MENTOR
By Gail Eggeman, Manager, Grants Administration, City of St. Petersburg

I am frequently asked, "What do you talk about with your Doorways Scholar?" Communication is a two-way street, so it's not always about talking. It's often more about listening. I think it is pretty significant for a pre-teen to have the opportunity to talk to an adult who just listens. My student was originally pretty reticent to initiate conversation. Now, after two years, he sometimes starts our session by sharing his concern about a bad grade or something else that is troubling him in his world. He also shares lots of good news too. So if you're worried about carrying the conversation, look at this as a great opportunity to practice your active listening skills -- something that's applicable in all areas of our lives. If you are considering mentoring and have some questions, please call 892-5189.



PARTNERSHIP NEWS

Please update the E-mail addresses for City staff. City staff e-mails are: firstname.lastname@stpete.org. For example, mine will be susan.ajoc@stpete.org. Right now our system recognizes both the older version listed below and the new version listed here.

Neighborhood Plans
Did you know that 19 of the city's 106 neighborhood associations have created neighborhood plans since the late 1980s? Neighborhood plans provide an opportunity for residents to identify issues and priorities within their neighborhoods, and begin the process to improve their communities in partnership with the city. In addition to the 19 plans that have been adopted, three plans are in the approval process, and another five neighborhoods are in final draft stages. Contact: Sharon in the Neighborhood Partnership Office at 892-5141.


AROUND TOWN
5th Annual Candlelight Tour
The Old Northeast Neighborhood is hosting its 5th Annual Candlelight Tour on Sunday, December 15th. Nine architecturally interesting homes of diverse living styles, decorated for the holidays, will be open from 3 to 9 p.m. There will be complimentary refreshments and trolley transportation. Tickets are $15 on day of event at 2 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 126 11th Ave. NE or the Colonnade Guest House, 825 Beach Drive NE. Call 820-9712 for more information or visit www.neighborhoodlink.com/stpetersburg/oldnortheast


TAKE A WALK ON THE ART SIDE

On the 2nd Saturday of each month the Downtown Arts Association holds the Monthly Gallery Walk at participating galleries from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Call 821-6767 for more information. The next walk is December 14th. Free trolleys will take you from gallery to gallery.


AMISTAD FREEDOM TOUR Returns from December 16th to 22nd

The Freedom Schooner, a 129 ft. recreation of the historic 1830s vessel, returns to the Pier, 800 2nd Ave. NE, to promote cultural harmony through the story of one of America's first civil rights victories. Educational and public tours are $5 for adults and $2 children. The ship is also available for chartered tours. The tour is co-sponsored by The Samaritan Corp. and Amistad America. Contact: Rev. Harvey, 898-6566; The Pier, 821-6443; or 1-866-AMISTAD.

In association with the Amistad Freedom Tour, the Florida International Museum, 100 2nd St. N., will host: COMMUNITY DIALOG, ''FREEDOM VERSUS CONTROL'' on December 18th from 7 to 9 p.m. This dialog is moderated by the National Conference for Community & Justice, NCCJ, and focuses on a celebration of freedom, perseverance and cultural harmony. Call 568-9333 or www.floridamuseum.org.


FIRST NIGHT ACTIVITIES ON NEW YEAR'S EVE

First Night 2003 St. Petersburg celebrates its 10th birthday on Tuesday, December 31st, with 25 different venues of performances and activities in downtown St. Petersburg.

There will be ten music stages, a ?“birthday party?” and a 300th Birthday Quilt for St. Petersburg, Russia. There will be balloons, cake, birthday games, dancing, and an entertainment extravaganza with blues, rock and roll, jazz, Native American, gospel, bluegrass, cajun, classical (2), and swing to celebrate our 10th birthday and highlight American music.

The bands are: Walter Smith and Chicago Nights, Mick Sharp Band, Barely Pink, Buster Cooper, Belinda Womack and Gospel Praise, the Mount Zion Primitive Baptist Church Choir, the Mass Choir at Bethel Community Baptist Church, Big Thunder Enterprises, Gypsy Wind, the Porchdogs, the Eckerd College Winter Sun Festival players, and Gincomo Franci in concert playing from his new CD recording of Aaron Copland's piano works.

Other performances include the Moving Currents dance company, Dundu Dole Urban Ballet, Bayfront Medical Center's FirstKids at the Arts Center, the Crescendo Singers, excerpts from the Manhattan Casino musical produced by the Live Arts Peninsula Foundation, Russian folk dance by the St. Petersburg Folk Ensemble, Balalaika player Boris Lebedinsky, Dan Khoury as Salvador Dali, banjo pickin' by Suzanne and Jim Oldetime Entertainment, Baroque guitar and flute by Joe Braccio and Barbara Prescott, Windell Campbell storytelling, mind reading by Bob Lawson, Irving Goldsteif on harmonica, the Marionette Star Theater, the Birthday Party project with the Oiseaux Sisters and Betsy Lester, and more.

Purchase your First Night buttons (your admission ticket) at four city outlets: City Hall in the Mall (Tyrone Square), City Gear (City Hall), The Pier, or the Bayfront Center Box Office. First Night button prices are $8 for adults, $5 for children ages six to 12 (five years old and younger free); $10 the night of the event.

You may also purchase buttons online and find full events schedules at www.stpete.org/firstnight.

Event Times: 5:30 - Midnight, Downtown St. Petersburg.
FirstFireworks at 9:00 p.m. and Finale Fireworks at Midnight.

Volunteers are needed and receive a free button and T shirt. To volunteer or for more information, call 823-8906.


URBAN DESIGN & HISTORIC PRESERVATION/DEVELOPMENT
SERVICES
Focus Meetings
All meetings are held at the Sun Pavilion Room, Bayfront Center, 1st St. South at 7 p.m. Here are the scheduled 2003 topics:

Roadway Corridors Focus Monday, January 13
City Center Focus Monday, February 10
Midtown Focus Tuesday, February 11
Recap of Project to Date Monday, March 10


FROM MY FRONT PORCH
by Chris Kelly, President, Roser Park

Following the recent arrests of an alleged drug ring in the neighborhoods that comprise St. Petersburg's Midtown, the St. Petersburg Times ran an article "Raid paints a picture of excess." That article provided a partial financial accounting of the harvest of illegal activities: $10,000 rims and wheels, a 2001 Cadillac Escalade, a $100,000 wardrobe.

The article, and much of the media coverage of the arrests missed the true costs and harvest that crack and other illegal drugs bring to the streets and neighborhoods of our City. A full accounting may never be possible, but just as a man standing up for an idea can leave a ripple of hope, a man scrabbling for drugs leaves a trail of despair. As the homes surrounding a crack dealer do not increase in value, those homeowners face increased borrowing costs and the fear of a deflationary asset. Conversely, the stability provided by increased home equity can accord homeowners a comfortable retirement, the ability to put grandchildren through college and decreased borrowing costs. Drug dealers have been able to thrive by their wanton destruction of community and ability to force neighbors into second jobs, relocation and financial disruption.

Where drug activity leads, violence will follow. We've all seen the stories of open gunplay and random shootings that have played out over the last few weeks, months and years. Each of those shootings draws Police, EMS and other community resources away from more beneficial and preventive activities.

Where drug activity leads, new homeowners avoid. The activity, vitality and pride which emanates from home ownership provides a critical infusion for every neighborhood. The vacuum created by the absence of owner occupants has been filled by landlords of varying responsibility, but few will argue for more rental properties on their street.

Where drug activity leads, it must be thwarted. As each of the negative impacts have costs to community, the removal of drugs from our streets and neighborhoods frees up resources and energies. Neighbors return to their porches, children return to play without fear, the sidewalks become public property again.

For information about joining with other citizens to take back our streets, call City Planner Andy Garr at 893-4110.


NEIGHBORHOOD ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 2002 at-a-Glance

The following neighborhoods responded to my call for a year-end summary of news and accomplishments. If you didn't have a chance to prepare your information this month, please submit it to me by December 31 for publication in the January issue.

We also need neighborhood correspondents to submit information for the ?“Neighborhood Briefs?” and the ?“Neighborhood Spotlight?” sections of the newsletter. Please participate!
Thank you.

Paula Engel, Editor
Phone: 347-6889 FAX: 345-2805 E-Mail: pkengel1@aol.com

HOLIDAY GREETINGS FROM THE WINSTON PARK
NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

From this association's beginning in 1998, our elected leadership has been working hard to make this neighborhood a better place to live. With the award of an extensive grant from the City in 1999, we were able to develop a system of planters that add character and beauty to this area.
We are fortunate to have some dedicated and talented members in our leadership who have through the years worked hard to make progress changes for Winston Park. Each year a new person from the experienced ranks has accepted and filled the task as President. Thus, this association has had fresh leadership and direction. Many of the presidents are graduates of the CONA Leadership Program.
For the general membership meetings we have strived to bring speakers and topics that dispense useful information to our neighbors. This year we had the City Public Utilities, the City Police, City Code Compliance, the Pinellas County Election Supervisor, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Florida Power, and CONA participate.
Our newsletter is prepared and distributed monthly to the entire neighborhood. From a portion of the income from our business advertisers last year we started funding a small annual scholarship for a graduating senior in our neighborhood through the Pinellas County Education Foundation. Our current board and the membership has renewed this scholarship for 2003.
As the president for 2002 this year has been an exciting year. During the year the remaining traffic calming devices approved in 2000 were installed and are in operation. Three new planters with bushes and trees were added by the City at the three entrances to Winston Park. Thus, the neighborhood acquired some new responsibilities and a fresh image.

Orrin D. Bleakley. President


NORTH KENWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION 2002
ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Our Neighborhood & Crime Watch Picnic had over 300 guests.
Many street lights were replaced and added as a result of the "Streetlight Survey" by the City.
Ten (10) trees were planted in three (3) triangle parks.
Our Neighborhood Cleanup produced 53 tons of trash.
Playground equipment was installed at Booker Creek with a $24,840 grant.
Twenty-six (26) families participated in our annual yard sale.
We donated over 200 lbs. of food to YWCA/USF Family Village.
We donated $50.00 to the St. Petersburg Free Clinic.
We helped to procure a bus shelter at Children's Home Society.
We had the City trim trees around Booker Lake for a better view.
We worked with City for Edward White Hospital's new MRI Unit.
We worked with City for J & B Carpets new store.
We had one (1) participant in the CONA 2002 Leadership Class.

We have many plans for the New Year but may be limited by money. Our treasury is small and we depend on the City for many projects.

Happy Holidays to all from the North Kenwood Neighborhood Association.

Phillip Whysong, President


DISSTON HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD

Two years ago our Traffic Committee and our neighbors voted on speed humps for Disston. The money has been approved and they are coming in the next 12 months. So slow down in Disston -- that hump you hit may be one of ours. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

Jim Biggerstaff, President


OLD SOUTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

The Old Southeast Neighborhood Association held its 2nd Neighborhood Open House Tour in the Spring of 2002. Over 500 people toured homes and we generated over $2,000 of profit for the association. Membership set another record of 125 out of 550 homes. We have reduced the number of boarded homes from 12 in 1995 to 2 in 2002. One of those is under renovation and the other is in the demolition process. OSNA added ten (10) flowering trees in cul-de-sacs and helped neighbors sign up for reclaimed water. Housing values rose by more than 15% in 2002 as measured by sale prices.

Karl Nurse, President


NORTH DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

For the North Downtown Neighborhood (NoDo), 2002 seemed to be the year of wait and see. Proposals were approved, ideas were floated, plans were in the making, but not a lot was actually happening.

There was the massive Beach Drive Villas project (delayed by problems with financing); the $8 million plan by St. Peter's Episcopal Cathedral to erect a new office building and parking garage (which suffered a setback with the resignation in November of the church dean); the conversion of Martin Luther King St. to two-way traffic (sought by the neighborhood and approved by City Council, but delayed by budget problems); the Fifth Avenue Lofts project (one of those rare projects that didn't need any city variances, but which was delayed by a private lawsuit that was recently tossed out by the court); and the Baseball Trolley (a hit with neighborhood residents, but which didn't attract enough overall ridership to keep going). Various other residential and commercial projects were also at some stage in between bright idea and hard reality.

There was also the Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan (on which work began in 2002, and which the neighborhood hopes will bear fruit in later years); the study of downtown transit needs (ditto); the study of the city's land development regulations (ditto); and a proposal to add a boardwalk and "courtesy docks" for small boats in the Vinoy Basin along Bayshore Drive NE (a somewhat controversial idea on which the neighborhood association has yet to take a position).

Where was the neighborhood association in all this? NoDo tried its best to inform the neighborhood about the continuing status of all these things, through newsletters, E-mails and a web site. And, it tried to give the neighborhood a voice through informational meetings and through lobbying officials for what we think is in the neighborhood's best interest. We also had (and will continue to have) representatives take part where possible in the planning process. For example, we have a couple of members who are on the Citizen Advisory Committee for the Bike/Ped master plan; one member on the advisory committee for the downtown transit study; and several members who have been attending the discussions on land-development regulations.

NoDo also has its social obligations. For the past several years, we have had an annual chili cookoff. In 2002, we did the cookoff as part of something called FLUX - a combination art show, concert and party put on at the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club by First Night St. Petersburg. We had 15 different types of chili made by our members, and served out of one-gallon crock pots. The pots were all empty within 90 minutes, and the party was just beginning! We also held our annual picnic at Demens Landing. And, we provided the volunteers to pour the beer at one of the monthly Get Downtown! events, which raised $350 for the association and another $350 for the St. Petersburg Free Clinic, a downtown agency that provides services to the working poor.

Last, but not least, we hosted Mayor Rick Baker as the guest speaker at one of our general membership meetings, and we sponsored a candidates night prior to the September primary elections.

Timothy J. Baker, President


GREATER WOODLAWN 2002

We had another terrific year in Greater Woodlawn! Our 7th Annual GWNA Garage Sale was a huge success with over one hundred homes participating. The streets were jammed and sidewalks overflowed with bargain hunters. Some of the realtors with neighborhood homes listed for sale took advantage of the crowds with open houses. Woodlawn Presbyterian Church sold out three tables full of baked goods in less than three hours. Halloween was again a mob scene and many neighbors went all out with theme decorations. Christmas is promising to be just as festive with all of the lights now being put up.

Our current projects are ongoing. The campaign to "Light the Way to a Safer Woodlawn" has completed the survey for additional lighting, is currently doing a house to house safety survey, and has designed the Neighborhood Watch magnets which will be ordered in January. The
E-mail Crime Notification system will be completed by year's end - all of this to fulfill our grant from SPPD Forfeiture Funds. Our Traffic Committee is hard at work on their proposals for the coming year now that the new regulations are nearing approval. The Historic Designation Committee will have a report to present at the February general meeting recommending we apply for designation in 2003. We are also forming a new committee to push forward with a neighborhood plan. Somehow, even with all this activity, our roundabout keeps getting weeded!

None of this could happen without our VOLUNTEERS!!! We publish our newsletter, The IGWANA, every other month to keep in touch with our residents and to ask for their help. When they respond, we put them to work immediately. Their energy helps get our work done and also generates interest in the association. Participation had declined and membership had decreased slowly but surely for the past few years. Now, our membership is up this year with over 90 paid and we look forward to even better numbers next year.

WE'RE PUMPED UP AND RARIN' TO GO IN 2003!!!
Cathy Wilson, President


HARBORDALE MEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

Our biggest accomplishment for 2002:

Eight-year-old dreams became reality with the building and completion of the HARBORDALE YMCA at 2421 4th Street South! Look for more news after the first of the year when we celebrate with a party to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Y/Achievers Program. Special "thanks" to the City and the YMCA and our "SPECIAL HARBORDALE ANGEL"-- Lois Naylor for this wonderful 'gift' to our community.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS!

Theresa McEachern, President


LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
If you have comments, ideas, or articles for this newsletter, please E-Mail them to pkengel1@aol.com.

If you would like to advertise in the CONA newsletter, please contact Monarch Printing at 398-5866.