Mark & Carrie’s Nephew/Niece of the Week

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Janna Brackin
Janna is one of the funniest people we have meet in a very long time. And a bit crazy!!! She always has a fun story. She was working at Hamburger Mary’s when two ladies said to her. “Do you mind if we ask you a personal question?” Then her friend said, “That’s stupid!!! She works at Hamburger Mary’s and probably gets asked personal questions all the time.” Janna said “Yes, that’s OK I am used to being asked if I am a real girl. The answer is yes!”
Then the girls laughed and said, “That’s not the question! We wanted to ask… where do you buy sex toys at in Ybor?” LOL 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 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!

Metro Wellness and Community Centers

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Metro “Moves” on Plans to Create LGBT Welcome Center

For Immediate Release:

(St. Petersburg, FL) December 31, 2012 – As the community is ringing in the New Year, Metro Wellness and Community Centers, an organization of Metropolitan Charities 501(c)3, today announced some exciting plans for 2013. The organization, which will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year, is partnering with the Grand Central District Association (GCDA) of St. Petersburg to open a mixed-use space next to its current Metro Thrift & Gift retail center located at 2235 Central Avenue in St. Petersburg.

The space is currently a vacant lot, but not for long. Part of this exciting venture will be to move a historic bungalow-style house currently located just a block away at 2335 Central Avenue. Through a donation by GSC of St. Pete, LLC, the house was granted to Metro . “By moving the house, not only are we able to build on our partnership within the Grand Central District and the local community, but we’re able to save this beautiful historic bungalow which exemplifies so much of this district and neighboring Historic Kenwood,” says Lorraine Langlois, CEO of Metro Wellness & Community Centers.

“It’s always exciting when something we’ve been talking about for several years in the community comes to fruition,” said Brian Longstreth, Broker of Your Neighborhood Realty (YNR) and a Board Member of the GCDA. “Everything seemed to fall into place. A historic home about to be torn down, the desire for Grand Central to have a 1st floor office on Central Avenue, the need for a LGBT welcome center in the area. The fact that it all happens in a saved 1920’s bungalow makes it even more special, and it only happened with the cooperation of many partners.” Longstreth, along with his brother Jim, an agent at YNR have helped facilitate this project with Metro and the GCDA.

This idea has been in the back of Langlois’ mind for years as well. Langlois who helped start Metropolitan Charities 20 years ago has always seen the need for a bigger presence on Central Avenue and the importance of a vibrant welcoming space for LGBT visitors to the Tampa Bay area as the community here continues to grow. “We are so excited to partner with our friends in the Grand Central District to make this happen,” said Langlois. “The space will serve as a welcoming hub for visitors and residents alike – providing resources for the LGBT and allied communities and expand on our mission to enhance the quality of life for those in our area.”

Metro hopes to have the house moved and in place by mid to late February, with plans to open the Welcome Center in the Grand Central District to the public as early as March. The building will serve as a visitor’s welcome center, community resource center and will provide office space for the Grand Central District as well as additional programming and event space. “There’s so much potential in this gorgeous bungalow,” says Langlois. “I can’t wait to see it grow into the vibrancy that already exists along Central Avenue.”

The Welcome Center will be one of only two in the state that focuses on LGBT visitors, offering a one-stop-shop to learn about LGBT and allied businesses, accommodations, where to shop, where to dine and more. In 2010, an LGBT Visitors Center opened in Miami Beach. Much like this South Florida location, which was sponsored by MetLife – Metro’s Welcome Center in the Grand Central District will also have sponsorship and naming opportunities available for rooms along with the house itself

Metro Wellness and Community Centers currently has offices and LGBT Community Centers in St. Petersburg (3251 3rd Avenue North), Ybor City and New Port Richey in addition to its Thrift & Gift retail location on Central Avenue, which supports those living with HIV/AIDS in the area and the many programs and services the organization offers. The organization has been providing premier HIV services, social networking and other health and wellness programs for years to the four county area of Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando. With active community center locations throughout the Tampa Bay area, the organization fosters diversity within the community as a whole, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or economic status.

For more information contact Lorraine Langlois, CEO of Metro Wellness & Community Centers at 727-321-3854.

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Media Contact:
Chris Rudisill
Director of LGBT Community Center Services
Phone: 727-321-3854 ext. 238
Email:
www.MetroTampaBay.org

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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GaYBOR Member of the Week

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Ybor Youth Clinic – USF
 Proud members of the GaYBOR District Coalition. The YYC is the first health care facility in the South East to reach out to Homeless, LGBTQ, and HIV-Infected youth. Their mission statement says it all.
Mission: Our mission is to provide the highest quality, innovative, compassionate and nonjudgmental health care services to our youth in an environment tailored to their specific and unique needs. Our health care services will include HIV testing and treatment; primary, specialty and episodic care; GYN and contraceptive care; comprehensive STI testing and treatment; psychiatric and mental health screening and care; and access to various adolescent research trials. In time, we will implement training programs for prospective nurses and physicians aspiring to gain the necessary knowledge and skills suitable to working with these vulnerable populations.