Caught @ Steam Fridays
Chad Michaels is CHER
Season 4 on Ru Paul Drag Race, contestant Chad Michaels accelerated her status as “Queen of the Universe” impersonating Diva icon, CHER. And with great success from performing around the world, Chad found himself in GaYBOR/ Ybor City Saturday performing on the Honey Pot’s stage to a cheering packed house! The outfits were exquisite and of designer Bob Mackie inspired fame.
Often photographed with CHER on the road, collaborating with Elton John, Cindi Lauper and many more singing celebrities. Most recently Chad has also been in a number of TV shows and in commercials.
Hundreds of partiers lined up to get a pictures and autographs at the Honey Pot with the reigning CHER fan club face after entertaining the crowd. The skimpy cut designed CHER outfits, the opulent singing, the stage performance was all top notch and of celebrity status.
Thank You Honey Pot for a great night out and kicking off the fall season in GaYBOR/ Ybor City.
Often photographed with CHER on the road, collaborating with Elton John, Cindi Lauper and many more singing celebrities. Most recently Chad has also been in a number of TV shows and in commercials.
Hundreds of partiers lined up to get a pictures and autographs at the Honey Pot with the reigning CHER fan club face after entertaining the crowd. The skimpy cut designed CHER outfits, the opulent singing, the stage performance was all top notch and of celebrity status.
Thank You Honey Pot for a great night out and kicking off the fall season in GaYBOR/ Ybor City.
Week #1 The Tampa Police Department Citizen’s Police Academy
Week 1: The Tampa Citizen Police Academy
The Mark & Carrie Experience
Welcome, Chief Castor and Command Staff
Tampa Police Department Division breakdown
What a HUGE Honor it is to be accepted into the Fall 2013 Tampa Police Dept. Citizen’s Academy. We hope you enjoy this fun 9 week blog. There are 2 classes with 25 students selected each year. We knew a couple of people in our fall class. From Attorneys, bank officers, students and general community leaders that were selected to help their local community.
The introductory class started with all the top Tampa Police officials introducing themselves. Cookies & drinks were provide. Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor then took the stage. If you ever get a chance to hear Chief Castor speak, do go. She is one of the most interesting & fun public speakers we have ever seen. Chief Jane has served under former Mayor Pam Iorio & current Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn.
Over the past 10 years Tampa has seen a 81% deduction in crime. Chief Castor talked about how the city was cut into 3 districts and is now run like a major business. The new Police Mission Statement was changed from lawyer talk to very day lay terms to, “The Mission of the Tampa Police Department is to Reduce Crime and Enhance the Quality of Life Through a Cooperative Partnership with all Citizens.”
In the USA there is a national crime database, U.C.R. (Uniform Crime Report) The Chief realized if she were to focus on 4 main areas in Tampa the UCR would drop. This became known was the “BIG 4”. The areas of crime in the Big 4 are burglary, robbery, auto burglary and auto theft. Other new groups include “The Quad Squad” focusing on street level drug sales & distribution, “ROCK SQUAD” and the “WOW” (Worst Of the Worst) program.
Tampa PD Public Information Officer Laura McElroy was introduced and talked about communications with the public. Laura comes from 16 years as a TV anchor & news reporter.
There is a facebook for the Police at https://www.facebook.com/TampaPD The web site is at http://www.tampagov.net/dept_Police/. There is also a Twitter and online magazine “Signal 14”.
Assistant Chief John Bennett gave a very interesting talk about the Tampa Police New Police computer software. It used to be that when a police report was filed by the officer, then taken in to supervisor, then post. This could take 3-5 or more days The new software lets the officer post his report in the field instantly. This new online system is made up of 4 parts. Part 1- the Data, part 2- Blogs, part 3- Validate & part 4- the reports. It is much like a doctors patients chart except for crime. All officers can add to it at any time. There is a civilian version like this at www.raidsonline.com
There is also a searchable data base to. Example… search for burglar thru dog door in xyz area. If several crimes popped up similar they probably are looking for the same person. This logical and common sense approach has caught the eyes of many law enforcement agency’s across America. Even the US Military are taking a closer look at this Tampa produced program. Talk about making you PROUD OF OUR TAMPA POLICE FORCE!!!
The remainder of our first class we went over the up coming weeks classes. Next week we will be at the Communications Center learning about 911 Tapes, Live dispatch and call center facility tour. We can’t wait to tell you all about it!!!
“Dishing with Mark & Carrie” is an Internet blog followed by over 60,000+ people every week. Visit www.MCFilmFest.com to see more.
Photos of the Week
St. Petersburg City Councilman
Steve Kornell & Bobby caught in GaYBOR
Congratulation to Mike on his retirement
Visitors from Germany at MC Film
Queens Head
Jimmy Johns in Ybor
R.Bar new bartender
Laughing Cat Restaurant
Caught @ Jack’s Party
Waterfall at Hamburger Mary’s Clearwater
Familiar faces at Hamburger Mary’s Clearwater.
Happy Birthday Mathieu
Get Well Soon Donald
Click for More Photos at Ybor City Wine Bar
Click for More Photos at Hamburger Mary’s
Caught @The SocialClick for More Photos at The Social
Click for More Photos atJJ’s Cafe & Bar
Click for More Photos at Centro Cantina
Click for More Photos at MC Film
Caught @ GaYBOR/Ybor CityClick for More Photos in GaYBOR
Dishing with Mark & Carrie 10-1-13
Tampa Film Festival Opening is Friday
Things Happening FAST in GaYBOR/Ybor City
4 New Restaurants, 2 New Brewery’s and at least 1 new Bar Opening SOON in GaYBOR/ Ybor City! There will be a new club opening soon on 7th ave & 18th street. A new Military Uniform night is planned for the R Bar. The Sunday Bear Party at Bradley’s on 7th was a Huge Hit again this weekend.
Juicy Sundays are now at The Ybor Social, every Sunday night. There is also talk about a New leather & lesbian clubs coming soon too. There are 2 new brewery’s opening soon in Ybor. Maybe we will actually have a LGBT friendly brewer here. There is a New Thai & New American Fusion restaurants opening soon. The restaurant everybody is talking about is Cristino’s Coal Oven Pizza opening this month. Imported directly from Italy, the gelato machine & Grandmother’s secret Italian Family recipes are going to be GREAT!
Become Lenny’s facebook friend today at https://www.facebook.com/lenny.ybor?fref=ts
The World’s #1 Cher Impersonator CHAD MICHAELS LIVE at STEAM
FRIDAYS!!!!
SHAZAM!!!
Every Sunday on the Ybor’s Hamburger Mary’s balcony with Tea Cup is “SHAZAM SUNDAYS!!!” Just try a couple of Tea Cup’s World Famous “SHAZAM” Cocktails and you will know why!
This Sunday there will be a special Concert Performance with Miss Judy B. Goode & Pianoman Paul Thomas on the key boards.
We guarantee you will be yelling, SHAZAM!!!
Here is one of Judy’s original hit songs with over 4,100+ likes
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Proud of Our Mom
We are very honored the University of Nebraska in ceremony honored 1 room school teachers in rural Nebraska schools. Our Mother was one of the specially honored teachers in a weekend celebration with my sisters, Marilyn & Linda, present. Though my Mom has passed away, the honor is still heartfelt and heart warming after all these years.
All of our Mom’s sisters (aunts) and my Grandmother were also 1 room school teachers in Nebraska.
Here is a letter from our Aunt Sara to the University’s Special Committee.
Love You Mom!!!
*********
To Tracy Lungrin, Univ. of Nebraska, Kearney Education Special Projects
Hi, my name is Sarabelle Noble Graves from Everett, Washington formerly of Inavale, Nebraska—many years ago!!!
My niece, Marilyn Wegner, kindly forwarded information concerning the One Room, One Teacher to me months ago. Busy-ness is no excuse, but it came in December—and by the time I got back to the email, I felt it was much too late, so I didn’t procede to do anything. Marilyn just recently resent info and urged me to send something. I realize this is probably TOOO late, and TOOO wordy, but I will just try emailing it to you to do whatever—even the waste basket!!
If nothing else, it has been a delightful time spent recalling those days long passed and praising God for my Nebraska Noble heritage!!
If nothing else, it has been a delightful time spent recalling those days long passed and praising God for my Nebraska Noble heritage!!
What else would I want to grow up to be—but a rural country school teacher!! My earliest recollections (at 3 – 4 years old) were of my 4 “big” sisters coming home on a weekend to our farm home in southwest Webster county. How the house shook with laughter and merriment as each one shared their week teaching at their school with each other and decided which clothes they would exchange so their pupils would think they had a large wardrobe!! Oldest sis, Irma, the driver of the Model A Ford, picked up Friday evening the 3 others scattered in Webster and Franklin counties where they were boarding during the week. Two in the rumble seat!! The Noble sisters had graduated from Red Cloud High School—Irma,1933: Velma, 1934; Verdell, 1935; and Winnie,1936. And like our mother who graduated from Red Cloud High in 1913, they had taken Normal Training and then began teaching in one room schools. Mother, who instilled a love for teaching into her girls, only taught 1 year before she was married, then began her family—four girls, 2 boys and then 10 years later I was born in 1933!! The best teacher I ever had was my first teacher—and she was my sister, Velma! What a good start she got me off to! There were only 3 of us pupils at District #69 that year! District #69 was where my father and his siblings attended in the 1890’s and then all six of my siblings were there first through 8th grade.
By the time I entered Red Cloud Hight School in 1947, Normal Training had just been phased out.
So upon graduating in 1951, I joined several other girls from our class and began summer school at Kearney State Teachers’ College. We also took the post session. September found me teaching at Spring Valley in Franklin County, the very school my oldest sister had taught, years before. I boarded with an Aunt and Uncle as had my sister. Two of the three 8th graders who were taking the grade over, were 15 years old—and one’s brother who hadn’t passed, found out there was a young teacher, almost came back, but joined the Navy instead!! Phew!! I was teaching 3 months before I turned 18!
The next summer, my mother joined me attending Kearney State for her first time in college!! She confided to the registrar, “I suppose it’s foolish to even try at my age.” The registrar replied, “Why Mrs. Noble, there was a lady just last week registered who was 55 years old!!” Mother just smiled to herself as she was over 60 at the time!! “Twas a fun summer back with several of my friends from the previous summer, but also to be with my Mom, who roomed with an older lady.
Then in the fall Mother and I taught one-room schools both within driving distance from our home, so we were able to live at home. We shared experiences and ideas!! It had been 40 years since she had taught and did a super job!
During the year I took off-campus courses and correspondence courses from the UN, so I did not return to Kearney that summer, but Mother did! And I decided if I were going to teach again, I wanted to be adventuresome, so talked a couple friends to also apply in Cherry County, cowboy country!! The three of us got adjoining schools but many sand hills miles apart!!
We’d drive back together to our homes, 150 miles south about once a month. It was a great experience teaching progressive ranch kids! A 7th & 8th grader drove their 4th grade brother in their parents late model car to school as did a 5th grader drive his 4th grade and kindergarten siblings to school over the sandhill “trails”!! We three schools combined and prepared a beautiful Easter musical for our communities.
My mother continued teaching and going several summers to KSTC until she was passed 70 years old! I however, took a different road.
I had met my husband-to-be who had been in Missionary training, after my first year of teaching. We had become engaged the winter I was teaching in the Sand Hills. After much prayer we felt God would have him to go on ahead of me to the Philippines. I would finish my teaching contract, then go into Missionary Training. 20 months later I sailed to the Philippines to join Marvin and we were married three weeks later, January, 1956. A school for missionary children was being prayed about by the missionary community with plans being formed. A year later, Faith Academy came into being. I taught 4th grade for a year and a half, and later spent 3 years as librarian. Faith Academy became and is still the largest US certified school in the world with over 500 K – 12th grade students.
I treasure my heritage and rural school experiences in Nebraska! A foundation that has served me well as I and my husband of 57 years have served and continue serving the Lord in missions until now. We live in Everett, Washington.
My 95 year old sister Verdell in Wisconsin and I are the only Noble school teacher “girls” left.
Mrs Sarabelle Noble Graves
Country Closed Down But Gay & Lesbian Film Festival Opening
It is an awful shame that the Washington, D.C. big political boys (and girls) can’t get along to move our country forward as elected to do but put us in a very unsettling situation. On the other hand there is GREAT excitement as the 24th Annual Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival opens at the Tampa Theatre this Friday. The annual start of the Gay Fall Season is starting off with a blast. A long list of premiering queer cinema is on the schedule,
Everyone should be proud of this decades bridging film festival because Tampa’s Gay & Lesbian Film Festival is 24 years old but also the 5th largest GLBT Film Festival in the U.S.
The moviebuffer Queer film affair goes thru Oct 12th. The Kick-off this Friday is FREE entry to see the opening movie, “The Happy Sad” by the gracious charitable gift from the friendly Alan Duscowitz Memorial Foundation and Reeves Import Motorcars. Alan was an avid festival attendee and volunteer. He was also a life long member of the local classic gay car club, Flamingo Auto Group (FAG).
A special Food Truck Rally kicks off at 6:30 for the Opening Night events.The Orange Carpet Theatre doors open at 7:30. Available are a six pack of tickets or the all inclusive Crown Pass.
Mark & Carrie at MC FILM FESTIVAL, “Dishing with Mark & Carrie” are very Proud to be long time Media Sponsors of this historic gay film festival. MC FILM FESTIVAL will also be celebrating our 24th year in business this November!
A full list of movies& times is at www.TIGLFF.com or booklets are in many Tampa Bay restaurants and businesses including MC FILM.
Out & About Tampa Bay
The newly relocated house which will be re-opening as the Grand Central Ave & Metro Wellness & Community Center’s funded new ‘Gay & Lesbian Tourists Information Center’ on Central Ave in St. Petersburg’s Grand Central District. This is one of less than dozen “GLBT Welcome Centers” across America’s cities.
Already new additions to the building are visible. New electrical work, paint and renovations are well underway. www.metrotampabay.org
New Beatle’s Album Cover T’s at MC FILM
An assortment of New designed classic T’s featuring the old album covers from the Beatles have arrived at
MC FILM. Also the new 2014 Fall Fashion assortment of UNICO & XUBA underwear.
Great SALE on Andrew Christian, GO Softwear and Aussie Bum.
* Our DVD Clearance of 1000’s of Great Gay, Foreign, Indy & Classic movies for $ 4.99!!!
Stop by and visit us at MC FILM in the heart of the GaYBOR District.
Hamburger Mary’s Has Benefit Holiday Spirit B I N G O
Hip Hip Hooray!!! The packed house at Hamburger Mary’s in GaYBOR/ Ybor City for the benefit charity Ybor City Holiday Spirit Parade. The parade is set for December 14th with a huge parade down 7th Ave with 14 High School Marching Bands, floats, Social Krewes and political leaders. All the winter ambiance under the large snow flakes falling from overhead balconies.
The participants of the BINGO event had a great time. The winner of the raffle won himself a large pallet full of booze. Now, that is a party in itself! The pic’s tell all.
This is the 7th year Ybor City has decorated its streets with beginning help from the GaYBOR District Coalition. Ybor Holiday Spirit Parade is only 3 years old and a major attraction during the holidays. Experience the tallest decorated Christmas Tree in Tampa, the fun parade and the falling snow make for a very festive and talked about GaYBOR/ Ybor City.
This year the Florida Entertainment Group which puts together the big parade event with the oversight planning of set designer, Mathieu Stanoch, is hoping for a parade attendance of over 50,000+.
Oh yes, Santa Claus even gets involved to kick off the holidays in lighting the Holiday Tree in Centro Ybor and being in the memorable Holiday Parade..
You Can Not Make this Up.
Since the Sawmill Campground opened up in the mid 1990’s we have been going there. When they very first opened we would pack our store into the car tunks and set up our Pride Shop in the old Community building on Saturdays & Sundays. Many years we celebrated Mark’s Birthday’s there. One of the first times they had just opened up the primitive cabins. This was way before the trails and nice hotel style cabins they offer today.
Our very small cabin was one room with a very small window and even smaller tiny window in the door. We were surrounded by 2 dozen friends all in cabins and or tents for the birthday bash.
It was a Monday night. There was the BBQ dinner that Carrie cooked, drinks galore and even greater number of newly made friends and friends that came for the party.
It was about 2AM sitting around the campfire talking, singing, toasting, you got the picture. Mark went back to the cabin room for something. Then when he was leaving the room the door handles pulled right out of the door and fell on the floor! The door would not open and there was no way anybody could crawl out those tiny windows. Mark started to freak out. The whole group of drunken friends tried to get the door open.
Luckily our attorney Steve was there. With a calm voice Steve said, ” Don’t worry. If the place starts on fire and you happen to burn up in there, Carrie will get a Great settlement with me as his attorney!!!”
About an hour later, the guys finally got the front desk to wake up the maintenance person to fix the door & let Mark out.
The party then calmly continued!!
