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Dishing with Mark & Carrie 1-16-13

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Celebrating 17 Years of Award Winning Community Journalism
 
Crossing Over the Rainbow.
Yes, even we sometimes travel back over the rainbow from GaYBOR to the non-GaYBOR world. This week we had lunch at friendly but non-GaYBOR member (though we are still trying), Carmine’s on 7th Ave. There is just something about their baked chicken with black beans and yellow rice that is so very irresistible. The noon eatery business is always a fun time. Leaving we bumped into LGBT & Community Supporter, Community Activist & friend Ed Turanchik!!! Ed jumped up and gave us one big group hug!!! A constant fighter for all our community.  Ed was with Waste Pro owners who are now operating garbage collection services in Hillsborough County. We are sure that everybody will be seeing a lot more of Ed in the future. Follow Ed at https://www.facebook.com/ed.turanchik As we were walking back to our store we passed a GaYBOR Member sticker in the window of the Green Iguana and both smiled. We were back over the rainbow and in GaYBOR again.
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GaYBOR District Plans 2013 Events
Kick off to 2013, the GaYBOR District Coalition has a 6 month calendar of upcoming community events. Again a well attended and great community business meeting at the Hampton Inn & Suites gave insight to a wide variety of events. Of course the most current will be the Sant Yago Night Parade, Gay softball tourney, St. Patrick’s Day Parade, local festivals and pageants.
The coalition is working with HCC Ybor Campus Board for an art student competition to paint one of the concrete Ybor roosters from GaYBOR District. The iconic Ybor City roosters will be on a variety of planned gallery shows of sorts in Tampa Bay. The judged winner of the painted roosters will receive FREE tuition at the HCC Ybor Campus. More info forthcoming.
The honored guest speaker was Tom Barker of the UNA VOCE: Florida Men’s Chorale here in Tampa Bay. It is with high honors that the harmonious group has performed for former Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio and now Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn. They recently were asked to perform this fall in Dublin, Ireland. The singing group has performances in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater concerts twice a year. A definite night out to hear this highly awarded local chorus. www.una–voce.org
Other Hot Topic Info:
* Remember your GaYBOR Annual Membership dues for 2013 are due! www.GaYBOR.com
* Mike Wilson (Hamburger Mary’s mgr.) is new GaYBOR Board Advisor
*  Thanked Ybor City Holiday Spirit project leader, Matheau Stanoch and Florida Entertainment Group.
* An international playwright wants to bring an award winning GLBT anti- bullying play, “Rock & the Ripe’ to GaYBOR/ Tampa Bay this spring.
* Owner, Jamie opened a new wine & craft beer bar, Ybor City Wine Bar in Centro Ybor.
* Tampa Police Officer Sean Mahabir told the group he had arrested another recent graffiti artist in Ybor City.
* National GLSEN Conference (GLBT Teachers Assoc) in GaYBOR/ Ybor City in February.23
* Gasparilla Softball Tourney has a full roster of 70+ teams from Canada and the US.for Feb 15-17th
* GaYBOR is being featured in 2 European Magazines this spring. “Men” in Germany & very popular with a very large circulation, “European Queer Magazine ‘ will do a 6-8 page glossy story on GaYBOR/ Ybor City/ Tampa Bay.
* GaYBOR Days will be held during Memorial Day Weekend with a full list of weekend events planned.
February & March GaYBOR meetings will be held at the Metro Wellness and Community Centers Community Room.
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Featured Item at MC FILM
One of the hottest items for the past holiday season, besides calendars, was the new refreshing “747” and “Vintage” Colognes. Aromatic and super enticing. Restocked and ready for anytime fun with a quick spray of manly essence.
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People R Talking
Congratulations & GREAT News!!! Pinellas County Passed Countywide Domestic Partnership Registry. This is an equality fairness law for 100% of the county’s residents. And we thought Hillsborough County was the more progressive and politically creative equality based political body of commissioners!!! Heck, they can’t even bring up or talk about GLBT issues in the board chambers here!!! Come on Hillsborough Commissioners, WAKE UP!!!
With the wide variety of great ethnic cuisines already in the area we hear that there may be another coming soon to Ybor City! Yummy!!! Speaking of great cuisines great specials follow. At James Joyce Irish Pub Mondays is the $9.95 Lobster dinner. Soon at a favorite spot with $2.00 martini’s is forthcoming a $9.95 Prime Rib Early Bird Special.
A whole array of new flowers and specials arrangements have arrived at Island Flowers. Valentine’s Day is coming! Laughing Cat Chef, Jerry is in the hospital for surgery operation to his upper vertebrae in the neck. He will be out of the kitchen for 6 weeks!
Congratulations to GaYBOR District co-Secretary and Florida Entertainment Group partner, D. Stephen Moss and singing artist Andy Bell on their marriage in London, England last week!
The wondrous international sellout smash musical of Oz before Dorothy, “Wicked “ is playing at the Straz Performing Arts Center for 3 short weeks. Mike Hammond has 2 friends that are part of the traveling cast and was treated with a small group of friends to the private backstage tour scenes with the cast members.
Political guru and urban planner Ed Turanchik and friends were dining at Carmine’s in Ybor City. That just means something is brewing for new development in Ybor City! Have you noticed the old piered commercial eyesore buildings on Adamo Drive are changing. The huge 2 years in community planning, Adamo Mural Project is underway and is dressing up the Southern Ybor City corridor by painting the rusty commercial buildings of Tampa historical images & figures making the area of IKEA come to life. Thank you to imagery painter and artistic designer Mike Parker who is overseeing the project of HCC art students and community artists.
More High Rise condo’s are being planned on the Hillsborough River in the Tampa Downtown Arts Center area. Another major change to Tampa’s downtown residential district with a proposed 36 story residential multi-complex with shops and grocery store near the museums and the Straz Performing Art Center. More people residing downtown will mean more new events for downtown. A Win Win for us all!!!
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Miss Arica Love stars in a new documentary. The Life of a T Girl

Bear’d Out

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The doors opened to the now famous Bear Night Out at the lower bar at Ybor Social. The overwhelming number of Bears, Cubs, Otters and friends came from as far away as Ft. Lauderdale, Melbourne and Orlando. A variety of special on stage performances made for a wild party night. Bartenders Vinny, Wolfy and staff had the drinks flowing and got the crowd in the ‘out of hibernation’ mood. An after rumble continued for the large gathering and set right next door at the Ybor Resort & Spa. Great to see friends that haven’t been to GaYBOR for some time.
The 2nd Saturday is Bear Night Out at the Ybor Social. Grrrrr will see you there

Dishing with Mark & Carrie 1-9-13

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Great Time To Visit GaYBOR
Welcome to 2013. A great start to the New Year 2013 is happening in GaYBOR / Ybor City. A record number of GLBT out of area and international visitors have come to checkout LOGO TV’s top GLBT American spots and have returned to revisit our wonderful city in 2012. The friendliness and courtesy given to out of town guests have been rewarded with friends telling friends.
A full schedule of spring events are now on the GaYBOR/ Ybor City calendar. Start planning your upcoming special fun events including the Annual Gasparilla Pirate Fest Weekend parties (1-26), Sant Yago Night Parade (2-9), 19th Annual Gasparilla Gay Softball Classic (2-15,17) and Ybor City Fiesta Day (2-23) to name a few spectacular fun times.
GaYBOR District Coalition is being featured in February in MEN Magazine, a major GLBT European Magazine from Germany. It is being internationally ranked as a must place to visit. We have it all to enjoy here in Tampa Bay. Super Clubs, boutique restaurants, select hotels, variety of shopping, museums, community center, non profit headquarters, all types of arts, outdoor festivals and the hospitable charm of our residents. The weather is an absolute asset too!
Also our quaint attractiveness of a community has filming of a new gay detective movie, “Ybor City” scheduled to be released later this fall on the festival circuit.
Well, it looks like the hard work and great positive efforts of a community working together will keep GaYBOR/ Ybor City moving ahead in years to come. Viva La GaYBOR 2013! www.GaYBOR.com
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Can a Building Have a Spirit?
I once asked my friend Jack S. if he believed in ghosts. He said that he wasn’t sure but he did believe that a human soul was made of energy. Then went on to say “Energy can not be destroyed, it just changes form. Energy from the sun grows plants that decay and become oil that power generators…that produce electricity …that so on and so on.” This got me thinking. Do buildings collect energy from people and thus have energy too? Back in the 80’s we purchased and old building and renovated it. With every new improvement it was like the building was saying, “Thank You.” This past week I was back in that same old building touching up the paint, cleaning etc. In a strange fun way it was almost as if the building was talking to me. It was saying “good to see you again.” How are you doing. Maybe, it was my memory working over time, or maybe just maybe….. The next time you visit an old favorite building see if you can feel the energy.
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New Year’s Resolutions
Like to….. Meet New People? Make New Friends? Help Your Community? Volunteer Time? Get involved???Now is the time to be a part of a growing organization in Tampa Bay and  join the GaYBOR District Coalition. The monthly meetings are on the 2nd Friday of the month.
January’s meeting will be this Friday, Jan 11, 2013 at The Hampton Inn & Suites. The meeting starts at 4 PM and are FREE and open to the community. Guest speaker is Tom Barker from Tampa Bays
 Una Voce: Florida Men’s Chorale.
To become an active member is just $35 for couples/ individuals and $75 for businesses per year. Look forward to meeting you all there. Viva La GaYBOR.
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Favorite GaYBOR/ Ybor City Tip
There are so many fun things to do in GaYBOR/ Ybor City. In Centro Ybor at Centro Muvico 20 on the theaters east end is a special section. This area was created especially for the 21 & up generations with beer & wine available. The seats are larger and the arm rests all have built in cup holders. The week day lunch buffet at The Laughing Cat Restaurant is the Best in the City! VIP’s from across Tampa can be spotted dining here. There are Many Celebrity Bartender Happy Hours. Christian at Carne’s. Especially fun on Tuesdays. Bonnie is at The Crowbar every Wednesday 5-8. Ask to be on her private text update list. Tea Cup is on the balcony at Hamburger Mary’s Every Fri, Sat & Sun. The Sunday FUNday party is off the chain with a drag show by Miss Melanie Minyon. The legendary Corvette Carol is a must do. Stop by The Green Iguana on 7th today. On Saturdays mornings enjoy the Ybor City Saturday Market located in Centennial Park with homemade food items, handmade crafts, entertainment and fresh vegetable produce stand.
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Honored American Icon Patti Page Passes
Patti Page, the American singing Idol of Idols passed away on New Years Day at the age of 85. She was a champion charmer with over 100 million records sold. Her traditional pop songs were a trend for many up and coming singing artists and gave way to mimicking drag acts and performances at gay bars. Patti’s voice was calming and graceful and lured everyone’s  attention.
She was born Clara Ann Fowler in 1927 but changed her name after winning a Dairy sponsored singing pageant to Patti Page. She was the best selling female artist of the 1950’s and had a special way with song and words. She sang both traditional pop and country music and received high honors in both styles.
Most noted for her signature traditional songs including, “Tennessee Waltz, “Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte” and campy pop tune,“How Much is That Doggie in the Window.”
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Fun from Facebook

You Just Can Not Make This Up

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You Just Can Not Make This Up
What is the Strangest thing you have seen from the Hamburger Mary’s balcony?
I am asked this question all the time. The answer is a most recent sighting. One Saturday Night around 10 PM a group of 15 – 20 guys were in Centro Ybor. They were ages 30-50+ Then one by one each gave a guy in the middle of the group a big hug then handed to him what looked like a wallet or passport. The guy in the middle took the passports and put them into a back pack. The man waved good bye to the group and walked towards the parking garage caring the backpack. The group of guys then walked away up 7th ave. I turned to Kurt and said “What did we just see? If we call the police what just happened?” Where they a crew from a ship? Where they tourists from..? Why didn’t they need their ID’s? Where were they going? Were they up to good or no good? Very Very Strange!!!

GaYBOR Member(s) of the Week

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Hampton Inn & Suites Ybor
Founding GaYBOR member and a solid hotel stay for the community, the Hampton Inn & Suites Ybor has been a positive force for 10 years.
 From top hotel management down, Manager Steve Nunz, offers the community a helping hand with special promotions. Assistant Mgr Lara, Sales team Maureen & Barb and front office staff professionally welcome visitors to the GaYBOR & Cigar Capital fun district. From event planning, business meeting space, wedding party housing and convention services, the Hampton Inn & Suites goes out of its way with personal services.
Thank You for all you do!