Perhaps you saw the recent story about the increase in human-grizzly bear encounters in the northern Rockies and the resultant deaths of hunters who stumble across them in the wild.
In an Associated Press account, Vic Workman, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks commissioner, is quoted as saying: “You’ve got grizzly bears eating people who come here to hunt.”
Not to be cold-hearted, but in such hunt-and-hunted scenarios, isn’t everything pretty much fair game?
The Tampa Bay History Center held its formal ground breaking last week. Its impact was much more than the sum of its parts: from construction pilings already out of the ground, poet laureate James Tokley at the ready and Cuban sandwiches from the Columbia Restaurant to cherubic, performing children, glad-handing politicos and beaming, History Center movers and shakers.
It was the final step for a project this region, so often mired in petty parochialism and political in-fighting, really needs. Arguably, more than any other kind of museum. One that will graphically and interactively remind us all what we have in common – not in conflict. Before there was a Jamestown or a Plymouth landing, there were Panfilo de Narvaez and Hernando de Soto exploring parts of present-day Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.
Take a well-deserved bow, Tom Touchton. He’s the former History Center Board Chairman who presided over much of the $52-million project’s challenging, 20-year gestation.
When the 60,000-square-foot center opens — and the target date is December 2008 — it will have made history, not just preserved, packaged and presented it. We’re talking 2.4 acres of land from the city of Tampa and funding from Hillsborough County and the private sector. We’re talking the sort of collaborative effort too rarely seen around here on anything.
And we’re also talking about a high-profile Florida building that gives more than lip service to the environment. Because of its serious inclusion of green elements in the design process, the History Center is pursuing the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the United States Green Building Council.
The new Tampa Bay History Center: truly historic.
However it all shakes out in the ongoing controversy about shoehorning 163 condos and townhomes into Hyde Park Village, this much seems certain. Nobody should expect Wasserman Real Estate Capital, the owner-developer, to drastically alter its mid-rise tower plans in its upcoming presentation to Tampa City Council.
Apparently the game plan is pure public relations at this point. Send out a warm fuzzy-gram to neighborhood residents reminding them that Wasserman is making sure “all designs embrace the warmth and charm of the Hyde Park neighborhood and meet the design guidelines of the historic district.” Also remind them that “the ARC (Architectural Review Commission) did not accept its own staff’s recommendations (last month); instead the ARC decided not to recommend our project to the Tampa City Council.”
And then hire the high-powered law firm of Holland & Knight to help assuage scale-and-mass concerns among the neighbors. And not just any H&Kers.
Now soft-selling for Wasserman: two favorite political sons of Tampa, former Tampa Mayor and Florida Governor Bob Martinez and former U.S. Representative and gubernatorial candidate Jim Davis.
Likely result: Won’t matter. Big names can’t lower what’s too tall and too massive.
The bad news: The sorry CNN/YouTube excuses for meaningful presidential debates won’t just be known for juvenile gimmickry unworthy of a serious process. Now we know for certain that the cyber space cadets pay lip service to anything that doesn’t help to gin up the entertainment factor and ratchet up the ratings. Witness the gay general with links to the Clinton campaign who could have been outted with a quick Google.
The good news: Maybe this is what it ultimately takes to rid future campaigns of any more CNN/BoobTube candidate reality shows.
The good news: Venezuelans voted down a referendum that would have made Hugo Chavez president for life. A hemispheric heavy and a blatant power-grabber goes down to defeat.
The bad news: More than 49% of the voters thought indefinite, one-person rule by the populist-pandering, malevolent Sgt. Garcia of Latin America was a pretty good idea.
Later this month Hillsborough Circuit Judge Monica Sierra will leave for three months in the Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank. Her commitment to doing her part by traveling to a dangerous part of the world – to help make some lives better – is admirable. In the abstract.
Were she only taking food and humane intentions it would be unequivocally praiseworthy. But she’s also taking Bibles, under the aegis of the Living Bread International Church.
In an area historically wracked by sectarian violence and in a world too fraught with fundamentalist cherry picking of holy books, is now — if any — the time for proselytizing among the Palestinians?
And isn’t it more than ill-timed and unwise? Isn’t it also arrogant?
The Tampa Bay Rays took a calculated, but necessary risk in trading both Delmon Young and Elijah Dukes. While Young had an overall impressive rookie year, Dukes was relegated to rehab. Both, however, have the potential to be big-time, impact players for a long time in the Big Leagues.
But both come with too much behavioral baggage: the surly, entitlement attitude of Young and the ticking time bomb of violence that is Dukes. The Rays did the right thing and got what they could now before any more implosions on their watch. And Joe Maddon likely sleeps better.
But if the Rays continue their losing ways, at least they will lose with nicer guys.
The $93-million Heritage Square at the Armory project, which seeks to convert the Fort Homer Hesterly Armory property into a mix that includes a hotel, restaurants, cafes, a museum and a day spa, continues to move agonizingly through the tedious land-use and zoning process. The other storyline is this: When the process is over, ironically, it still won’t be the best use for that 10-acre site on North Howard near Interstate 275.
Recall that Armory Partners Group of Tampa wanted to build a video, film and sound studio and develop creative arts businesses, which made much more sense given this city’s chronic need to beef up its allure to the movie/video production industry. The APG scenario also included apartments, retail and a grocery store — pragmatic neighborhood complements all.
But a hotel? A day spa? Wrong approach. Wrong neighborhood.
Local critics and the independent-movie Spirit Awards liked the offbeat Bob Dylan bio-pic, “I’m Not There.” I saw it the other night and wished I wasn’t there. Surely, this was somebody’s class project. But, yes, Kate Blanchett was very good – as Dylan.
In the era of “Build It And They Will Come,” how progressive has the liaison been between Grand Central at Kennedy and the Stageworks theater company. Starting next season Stageworks will be housed permanently in a 99-seat black box theater within Grand Central. Call it enlightened self-interest for Grand Central condo developer Ken Stoltenberg, who knows that such an arts amenity is a better Channel District sales inducement than the prospect of a dry cleaner taking retail space.
And while we’re tossing bouquets, let’s include a bravo for Stageworks, which has earned its good fortune. And it’s more than first-class stage productions. It’s often been saluted for its community involvement via its outreach programs for at-risk children. And that’s a big reason why Stageworks, now in its 25th anniversary season, was chosen as Bank of America’s Hillsborough County 2007 Neighborhood Builder. The award comes with a check for $200,000 for operational support.