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Dishing with Mark & Carrie 1-03-2013

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SHAME on 717 Parking
For the past 5 1/2+ years we have had monthly parking in the same lot. A fair Ybor City business special! The lot is located on the SW corner of 7th Ave & 15th Street. This last year we paid 717 Parking $642.00 for our monthly parking permits. On New Year’s Eve, after we both finished working double shifts were headed to our car, only to find 717 Parking had TOWED OUR CAR!!! New Years Eve, a long term paying customer towed!!! Come On!!!!! They could not give us a good reason why it was even towed.
After calling the police, the 717 supervisor said they would not charge us for the tow but refused to return our car back to Ybor. 717 supervisor personnel also did not know where the car was towed to??? We were told  to call the number on the sign. It had been towed by Ascension Towing in Drew Park, out next to the Tampa Airport. You can just imagine what it is like to get a cab New Year’s Eve in Ybor!!!! Thousands were trying to get a roaming cab if they could. Lucky for us our good friends at G.BAR took us to the airport to get our car. When we arrived at Ascension it was all dark and all locked up. After many calls to their number somebody finally answered and said they would sent a tow truck to unlock the gate. Some where after 4:30 AM we got our car back. I thought, “Wow, we are hard working Ybor City businessmen, Ybor City volunteers, Ybor leaders and a commissioner in Ybor City! If this could happen to us then what are the chances this may have happened to one of the many thousand visitors. The same visitors we pay hundreds of thousand dollars in advertising to come to Ybor City???
Today, we now have 2013 monthly parking with the City of Tampa in the 15th Street Parking Garage in Ybor.  We will never park in a 717 parking lot again.
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Some Things Don’t Change
Recently we had a good visit with our old friend and activist, Joe Redner. We got to talking about how in 2002 Joe was busy fighting for basic Humanitarian Rights, Tampa Gay Pride Events and Hillsborough County Gay Rights in Hillsborough County. His critics came out and said, ” Joe could not be for Gay rights because he was straight.” In Joe’s style he proclaimed he was Gay to the small minded people! Then challenged his critics to prove he wasn’t!!! Together with club owner Gary Allen,  Steve Donahue (now owner of GBAR+) we hosted Joe’s coming out party at The Garage in Tampa. It turned out to be a packed night out. All the local TV media filmed the historic event!  We presented him with an Official Coming Out Gay Flag, Gay Agenda Official Journal, and an official rainbow sticker for his car. We even gave Joe an official Gay Card!!! LOL LOL
 After a good laugh Joe said he had something to show us. From his big desk, he pulled out the Official Hillsborough County Proclamation, proclaiming June 2002 as Gay Pride Month. It was signed by Chairperson Pat Frank and Vice Chair Jan Platt. Fast forward to 2012 and still only 2 people, Commissioners Kevin Beckner & Les Miller, would sign a GaYBOR Days Proclamation.
Note: Over half of the 280 GaYBOR District Coalition Business members are ‘Straight Business Allies’!!!
10 years later and Homophobia is still in Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners. Some Things Don’t Change.
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People R Talking
The voice over actor for the GEICO Insurance Gecko commercials was at Bradley’s on 7th. He had the whole bar rolling in laughter. What a great holiday month in GaYBOR/ Ybor City. Two huge and well attended parades ( Ybor Holiday Spirit Parade and Outback Bowl Parade) and thousands of happy visitors. Honey Pot announcer and favorite MC, Toby Rox did his last gig at Honey Pot NYE. Toby a recent graduate of Columbia Broadcasting School is fine tuning his radio voice interning now at Tampa radio station 93.3 FLZ. His unique style voice will be heard across the bay area. We will miss his renditions of introducing the many visiting celebrities and guests at Honey Pot. Especially his poised rumble of introducing RuPaul’s Drag Race cast contestant, Aleeeessaaaaa!
The new Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant is open on 7th in Ybor and all we have heard is “WOW” wings! Henry Plant Museum will be holding a “Road Show Style Appraisal Benefit” this Saturday. Located in the famous 1891 Henry Plant Hotel ( now the University of Tampa) South Wing. Appraisals are $5.00 per item (2 max) for your collectable’s or grandma heirlooms that you want valued. www.plantmuseum.com
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Behind the Scenes in GaYBOR
When most people think about GaYBOR/ Ybor City then think of crazy, fun, wild parties. Yes we do have all that, but there is also a very close family of good people who live & work in GaYBOR. These people are everywhere and are looking out for each other and you. One good example of this was…….. It was a busy Sunday afternoon and Tea Cup was bartending on the balcony at Hamburger Mary’s. He noticed a very well dressed lady in her mid 80’s waiting for somebody across the street. An hour went by and she was still there. That was out of the norm so Tea Cup and Mgr. Sheriff Mike called the police. The 1st car arrived right away. The female officer was comforting the bewildered lady. Then 4 more police cars arrived and left. About a 1/2 hour later an office arrived with the woman’s husband. All the officers left except the female officer who sat with the couple until the shuttle bus from the Sheraton Riverwalk arrived. Later we learn of the whole story. The husband had told his wife to stay right there. He went down the street to King Corona to get a cigar. When leaving King Corona he turned left instead of right and got lost. An easy mistake to make. Luckily the police found him behind the Cuban Club. The couple were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. What a story they will have to tell about how Grandpa lost Grandma in GaYBOR/Ybor!!!! Three Cheers to the Tampa Police Department & Viva La GaYBOR!!!
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MC FILM win FREE TIX to “Big Freedia” at Orpheum
MC FILM is giving away 3 sets of tickets to  ‘BIG FREEDIA Concert Tour’ and known as the “Queen Diva” of Bounce Music. Jan 20th at 8:00pm at the Orpheum on 7th Ave.
Doors open at 8pm.
Stop by MC FILM at 8th & 15th and 1st come  to get your chance of FREE pair tickets. www.facebook.com/bigfreediadiva

You Just Can Not Make This Up

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The $10,000 Bet
There was this trucker named Richard, who would stay at the SunCoast Resort. Richard would sleep in his truck and party in his hotel room. He would always flash big money and spend it too. When he got cocktailed he would start to sing the theme song from “All in the Family” then would shout, “How do you like me now mother f*@kers!”
One Friday night he asked me to go out on the town to party with him. I jokingly said, “You don’t have enough money to take me out!” He said, ” I’ll bring $10,000 and bet you can’t spend it all!” The next day to my surprise up pulled a super stretch limo in front of MC FILM with Richard, David (SunCoast bartender) & a friend. They had already dressed him up very wild. Our 1st stop was Walmart when he went inside and came out with security guards and $10,000 cash! OMG… In the limo we were off to Georgie’s Alibi. Inside it was packed on a Saturday afternoon. I told him to buy the house a round and give me the chips. Then he bought a second round. We told him to tip the bartender $200 and he did. We scoped up the huge pile of chips and gave them all to Keith ( our nephew, KC) and laughed ENJOY!!!
Over to Grand Central Station where we started a shots party. It was a fun wild time with owners, Jim & Kris. Across the street is a favorite stop for me the VFW. All the regulars were there drinking beer and shooting pool. I told him to buy every beer in the cooler. Then have the bartenders open them all and put them on the bar top. Free beer for the many Veterans!!!
We were getting hungry and early evening so we headed over to the Texas Cattlemen’s for dinner. I think one of Tampa Bays Best Steak Houses!  I asked Richard if he was running out of money yet? He laughed and said I hadn’t put a dent into it. I started to  laugh and said, “Fine then lets buy every table a bottle of wine!” Suddenly the whole restaurant became a wild party! After dinner it was off to the Backroom Bar on the Madeira Beach. We were not there 20 minutes when suddenly Richard fell in love!!! We were all replaced. LOL LOL LOL The next day I asked Richard how we did on the money. He laughed and said we were the cheap part of the day. His date was way more expensive LOL LOL

GaYBOR Member of the Week

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Ybor City Wine Bar
Lady Jayme Kosar
In Centro Ybor there is a newly opened unique Fine Wine and Craft Beer Bar on the first floor on 7th Ave. The recently opened adult beverage pub has a great selection of 1000’s of wines and beer for all connoisseurs. New super decorated boutique Ybor City Wine Bar owner, Jayme Kosar welcomed all guests through the doors after her opening Dec. 22nd. Choices of inside or outside decored tables or sitting at the bar with shelved superb fine wines as ambiance. The instilling bottles and labels are itself a new Ybor art stop!

GaYBOR Member of the Week

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Ybor City Wine Bar
Lady Jayme Kosar
In Centro Ybor there is a newly opened unique Fine Wine and Craft Beer Bar on the first floor on 7th Ave. The recently opened adult beverage pub has a great selection of 1000’s of wines and beer for all connoisseurs.  New super decorated boutique Ybor City Wine Bar owner, Jayme Kosarwelcomed all guests through the doors after her opening Dec. 22nd. Choices of inside or outside decored tables or sit at the bar with shelved superb fine wines as ambiance. The instilling bottles and labels are itself a new Ybor art stop!

Dishing with Mark & Carrie 12-26-12

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The BIG Year 2012 Brought Us
In Tampa 2012 we had BIG plans to be BIG in the BIG city league of conventional ideas. We made history by introducing a Domestic Partner Registry to Tampa. Yes, that is a real BIG deal. Thanks Tampa political leaders. By the Tampa’s Mayor’s swipe of the ink pen, partners gay or straight could be recognized as a couple with limited rights in the city of Tampa. Then the registry came Gulfport, St. Petersburg and onto Orange County. We are still unaware of the number of cities to follow suit. All for the enrichment and fairness to residents lives of each community. 12-21-12, # 351 is Yborites domestic partner registry Jeffy & Bud!
BIG plans for a BIG National GOP Republican Convention took place in a most secure Tampa. Unlike anything any resident had ever experienced before, Tampa was in a lockdown mode open to BIG delegates, BIG international media reporters and 5000 BIG heavy loaded law enforcement personnel. It brought BIG worldwide attention to our great city. Mark & Carrie and “Dishing with Mark & Carrie” were there following and covering different BIG political stories. An off shoot group of the Gay Republicans, GoProud  held a BIG Gay Republican party with high GOP officials in attendance at the Honey Pot during the convention. We will remember few Tampa Bay businesses though that made BIG money during the forum! BIG promising hoopla = BIG community disappointment. Our President, President Barack Obama came to visit us in GaYBOR/ Ybor City Centennial Park for a BIG political rally. Ten thousand attended. BIG smiles on individuals in the overall November election resulted.
GaYBOR District was recognized BIG with many special BIG named tourists, events and conventions. International groups included Edelweiss Airlines GaYBOR Tour with airlines VP and  30 special GLBT newspapers, magazines and TV station camera crews flown in from Switzerland to experience GaYBOR first hand. The BIG GLBTA Democratic Statewide convention convened in historic Ybor City. The BIGGEST Gay Gasparilla Softball Tourney had over 3000 coming to Ybor for the annual winter ball hitting tourney. The sudden emergence in March and BIG national attention to the Virgin Mary sighting on a wall at Hamburger Mary’s. We had BIG events including Gancho Circuit Party, a BIG boatload of 2,200 OLIVIA ladies cruising out of Tampa, 2 BIG parades of Pirates and Roughriders  through Ybor and 1 BIG GaYBOR groups presence for the BIGGEST St Pete Pride Parade last summer. 120,000 attendees isn’t bad! Being recognized & honored to be the  1st Recipient for Statewide GLBT Business Achievement Award Honor from Equality Florida for GaYBOR’s Business to Business Relationships. Ups and downs play to any group isn’t uncommon but the common goal of working together in building a positive sturdy GLBTA community prevails. A major 2 year undertaking of transforming warehouse walls on Adamo Drive into a BIG magnificent mural of Tampa history is currently underway.  A lot of interest in TV and festival GLBT movies being filmed in the historic district. More new diverse businesses, medical, non profits and graphic service industry have now opened or are continuing to look for space in the Landmark historic District. That doesn’t even come close to the 1000’s wanting to relocate to reside here! Compared to 5 years ago with over 44 empty storefronts on 7th Avenue alone. Because of GaYBOR District Coalition members working together more new door signage will and do appear. We pat ourselves on our backs for handing out over 40,000 GaYBOR Welcoming Maps in 2012.
The BIG statewide Flan bragging rights competition by the Ybor City Saturday Morning Market. I sampled so much flan with such a variety in tastes but so BIGLY delicious. Then came the BEST Cuban Sandwich competition between Miami & Tampa ever. The historic named sandwiches were great and such a variey of Cuban sandwiches I tasted and judged. Stone Soup and Michele Faedos’s  BIGGEST Devil Crabs won! More fun eating community wars are in the works. Yes, including Spanish Bean Soup entries! An open air competition. And did you remember the Hillsborough River turning Green? A new St. Patty’s Day event.
Healthy Trees were cut down and a lot were replanted by the guise of GOP funding. And more people smile with a twinkle of positive economic changes in our BIG unemployment area. Living in a BIG time to surreal the winter solstice and the end of the Mayan calendar. A freshness of holiday garland on lampposts as a parade of Ybor Holiday Spirit groups and area high school bands exploded the goodness of today and made up new traditions of young and old.
The many tears of joy are intertwined with warm tears of loved and friends we lost near to our heart. South Tampa News Editor Bill Sharpe, soldiers that fought abroad, close family members, teachers & children of Newtown Connecticut and Bradenton / Mpls friend Terry Petsch come to mind. We witness but continue. The last week reminiscing about what we did accomplish, what changes each of us did and wished for is coming to an end soon. Yes, 2012 year end will end in Ybor City with a BIG football game parade and University pep rally .
Now a NEW Year means NEW Beginnings, BIG dreams, NEW promises, NEW plans, NEW journeys, NEW opportunities, NEW resolutions…We welcome 2013!!!
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New Year’s Eve in GaYBOR
 What night is the party starting on depends on who you ask! It’s starting to look like all the parties are starting on Thursday and going right thru the New Years to Wednesday night!!!
 
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Outback Bowl Parade in GaYBOR/Ybor City
New Year’s Eve Parade & Pep Rally starting at 5PM in GaYBOR/Ybor City Monday, Dec 31, 2012
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What Restaurants did you frequent the most times in 2012.
Here are the results of our un official poll on facebooks pages.
#1 was a tie! The Laughing Cat & Ny Ny Pizza
#2 Hamburger Mary’s
#3 Stone Soup Company
#4 Bernini
#5 Row Boat
Hum… all were in GaYBOR.
Viva La GaYBOR
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North Hyde Park Apt for Rent
1 bedroom with den call 813-247-6233
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 Stripper Night @ Bradley’s on 7th
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Welcome Buffalo Wild Wings
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Caught @ Hamburger Mary’s
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Caught @ Steam Fridays @ The Honey Pot
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Caught @ Bradley’s on 7th
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Caught @ The Social

You Just Can Not Make This Up

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The 2 Queens of England

Back in the 1990’s we decide to have a true Charles Dickinson Christmas. We booked flights to London England and planned on being there from Christmas thru New Year’s Eve. Together with good friends Walt & Jack we rented a condo for 2 weeks. What nobody told was how very differently they celebrated Christmas in London. First off the Charle’s Dickinson thing is like the American Revolution in America. Mostly only in theme parks. In fact there were very little in Holiday decorations anywhere. They also exchange gifts on Dec 26 the day after Christmas and call it Boxing Day. Then the government & many private business closed down between Christmas & New Year’s, including manny of the tourist attractions. Christmas Eve we were lucky and did get tickets to the Royal Albert Hall for a Holiday concert. New Year’s Eve we were all ready to go to Trafalger Square to ring in the new year. Guess what??? It was pouring rain and so cold!!!  The four of us had a celebration in the condos living room. Then….. at Midnight….. on TV came the Queen of England to address the country. To our delight right after Queen Elizabeth the announcers (tong in cheek) said and now an address from the other Queen of England. It was our friend & Gay Icon Quentin Crist from New York City! He told the people of London that was too cold and they should all leave for America now. LOL LOL  He is a sample of his wit & hurmor.

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