J.C. Newman of Ybor City – Featured on Discovery Channel
Calling all Ybor City history fans!!!! There is a very interesting & fun story about the building across from the J.C. Newman Cigar factory in Ybor City. Go to Discover+ then search “YBOR”. There you will find “Mysteries of the Abandoned: Hidden America” season 3 episode 1
Congratulation to J.C. Newman on a great job. Thanks
Great Ybor City Fire of March 1, 1908
Statistics of damages from the Great Ybor City Fire of March 1, 1908, reported in The Weekly Tribune on March 5, 1908. Photo courtesy of the University of Fla. George A. Smathers Library digital collection, from the Pizzo collection.
A good friend of ours is Miss April. Together we have bartended together for over 10+ years. She is tons of fun and looks like “Elvira: Mistress of the Dark”. People don’t know that bartending is her fun parttime job. During the day time she is a funeral director. This year she wanted to set up a booth at the Pride Festival for her funeral home. We asked if Tampa Pride and her could be next to each other. After set up we all noticed that the booth on her other side was “Suicide Prevention”. Hum… LMAO
For Pride Month 2024, join the Hillsborough County LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus in supporting Gen Z Outreach as we proudly sponsor “R & B Vibes with Pride” at 1920 Ybor on Saturday 15 June! Our primary goals will be to verify voter registration, vote-by-mail, and disseminate information about the Caucus. We will also have political buttons and contraception to give away, such as Plan B and condoms. This is a great way to engage and educate the community, especially our young voters!
For tickets to the event, please use the link below:
WATCH OUT… I am writing a book. This week I came across these notes from 10 years ago. It still is working!!!
I was talking with a good friend one day. She told me that she was the ultimate “Hall and Oats” fan. Every day she just had to hear at least one of their songs. When she was away from home and her music, she would actually call… The “Hall and Oats Emergency Hot Line!” I laughed and said “That can’t be true. There really isn’t a Hall and Oats Emergency Hotline???? Is there???” Yes, there is and here is the number 719 266-2837 “OMG Its REAL!!!” When you call, they give the choice of 4 songs. Then play the whole song. LOL You Just Can’t make This Up!!!
As everybody focuses on all the pride parties and events happening in our city and others, please let’s not forget those people who fought the early battles that made pride possible. The people who were unable to see the fruits of their efforts. The people whose names we can no longer remember.
(Pictured is the 1993 AIDs quilt laid out at the foot of the Building in the Washington monument. I helped sow several of these quilts for friends who had passed. I did many more for the second unfurling of the aid quilt. It was incredibly somber, gut, wrenching, and spirit killing. Everyone I knew was looking over their shoulder, wondering when they were next. Including me.)
Fringe Festival
Tampa Fringe Festival are excited that Bradley’s on 7th is on board for Fringe Friendly again this year, with $1 off drinks for folks in their Fringe buttons/badges during the fest! Get your drink on, celebrate a bit of Pride during Fringe since we are in June, and we’ve a bunch of great LGBTQ performers in the fest, too
