GaYBOR Members of the Week

    Dean & Diane James
(69)
    These 2 local Yborite pioneers, way before GaYBOR was thought of and true artisans that make up today’s historic Ybor City. The 2 are property owners in the historic district, stain glass makers, wrought iron imaginaires, lighting idealist creators and most outgoing and friendly. They started their historic Ybor endeavors in mid 1970’s. Ybor City was more of a bohemian community and so crafty back then.
    The light bridges on 7th Ave were created by the couple along with the artsy iron shank waste trash bins. They are founding members of GaYBOR District since the founding in 2007.
    Always willing to help in local projects and to serve on local committees. Up until this year the couple spent their summers in Pennsylvania.
    Congratulations to Dean & Diane James..

The Tree Person

(27)
    We all know the drama over the murder of 110+ trees in GaYBOR/Ybor City. We still can not believe all the tree haters! That’s another story. On October 31, 2012 Halloween they came to plant a new olive trees in front of MC Film.
    One of the trees that had been cut down and the stump had already removed. The workers started to dig out a hole. There was a tree root in the way. They chopped the root and pulled it out of the ground. The root was in the form of a Tree Person!!!! All the workers stopped, one even ran away.
    We saved the picturesque humanoid like root and put it on display inside MC Film. Our good friend Diana said it was a gift from the Tree Gods to us for fighting for the trees. Stop by and tell us what you think?

You Just Can Not Make This Stuff Up.

        Buy Your Own Ice!!!!
(26)
    Tea Cup has bartended at many places across Tampa Bay. The most strange and unbelievable place was at “The Vault” on Central Ave in St. Pete. I will never forget the first night there. I asked the owner where the ice machine was and he looked at me very surprised and actually said “WHAT!!! you didn’t stop on the way in and buy some?!?!?” I laughed and said your joking! He wasn’t!!! The promoter pulled some cash from his pocket and sent guys to buy some ice. That wasn’t the strangest part. I was set up in the small back room bar. There was one red strand of Christmas lights over the bar. I complained that we couldn’t see the keys on the cash register. He said it doesn’t matter. Just put the money in the drawer. I then asked what do we charge for drinks. He said, “What ever you think you can get from them?” LOL LOL LOL
    The next week started the Judy B. Goode Show with Paul Thomas. For some crazy reason the owner liked Tea Cup and they got along fine. Over the next 9 months he did crazy strange things. One night at 2AM he said nobody leaves until he does inventory to see how much liquor was used. OK Tea Cup asked “What is the starting inventory?” He said ‘it was in his head”??? LOL LOL
    The night before St. Pete Gay Pride in 2003 or 2004 the owner fired all the bartenders except Tea Cup. He said that all the other bartenders were stealing from him. Tea Cup said he quit too. The owner told Tea Cup that he would not pay Judy B. Goode if Tea Cup didn’t bartend the next day. The next day Tea Cup bartended and Judy was paid.
     The day after that the Vault closed.

Caught @ The Social

Caught @ G.BAR

Dishing with Mark & Carrie 11-1-2012

ELECTION  DAY  Is  NOVEMBER  6th… VOTE!!
 
President Barack Obama in Historic Ybor City
What an honor to welcome the President of the United States to Centennial Park in historic Ybor City, Thursday, October 25th. We were up at 5:00 AM and took pictures along the entry lineup! We were surprised to see so many friends & friendly morning faces in the long line that went all around a 7 block area. An estimated 10,000 ticketed people wanted to also see and hear President Barack Obama speak in their backyards. With the campaign coming to the final election day, November 6th, it is a virtual tie for Florida with Republican candidate Mitt Romney.
No matter of any party affiliation, it was an honor to have the President of the United States visit us in the quaint historic District.
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Santa Speedo Run Tampa Bay in Ybor City
    Register Today at www.SantaSpeedoRun.org

    Santa Speedo Run Tampa Bay benefits Brighter Seasons for Children and AIDS Service Association of Pinellas. The 3rd Annual Santa Speedo Run Tampa Bay will be held in Ybor City on December 9th, check-in starts at 1p.m.. This year’s run will start and finish in Centennial Park, located at 8th Ave & 19th St., with an after party to be held at Barbarilla’s.

Remember, this year’s Santa Speedo Run still benefits ASAP and our Tampa Bay Area kids in our Brighter Seasons for Children program that are affected by HIV/AIDS. Here is a short film/PSA (30s) we made last year about the importance of the event that we would like you to watch again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DLHsVRn_v4

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Election Day is Tuesday, November 6th.
JUST GO OUT AND VOTE!!
We recommend You to ” VOTE NO ” to all Amendments on the ballot!
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MC FILM ANNUAL BIG BOGO SHIRT SALE this Week!
    It is time for MC FILM’s ANNUAL BIG BOGO SHIRT SALE and other great prices and SAVINGS on Swiss Navy Lubricants, GO SOFTWEAR & UNICO Underwear. A huge selection of Swim Boardshorts.
    DVD’s at $ 4.00 + and a large assortment of Pride Flags, Bear, Leather Flags & Towels also!
 
Hamburger Mary’s this Sunday FUNday!!!!
Join Tea Cup on the balcony at Hamburger Mary’s this Sunday FUNDay for “Tea Party with Tea Cup” also this Sunday the Mary’s Softball Party!!!
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New Guavaween Format & New Fantasma Big Hit
    The Ybor streets were full of Walking Zombies, Sesame Street Big Birds, Computer Boxes, Frankenstein’s and thousands of TV characters, good & bad! All for the Annual Guavaween Night antics. The changes this year were No Fences, No Admission Charge, No Parade and No Streets wet zoned in Ybor City. The night went off like a well oiled engine. A little smokey at times but the whole event ran smoothly.
    All the businesses saw an increase in business. A lot that have been closed in the past were open including Muvico Theaters, Improv, and a lot of clubs and bars. MC FILM was open and we had a great time with all our visiting ghouly guests.
    The afternoon held its first Ybor Merchants Association Children’s Pumpkin Patch and was a big hit with costumed kids trick-or -treating in Centro Ybor and surrounding participating stores. Thanks to La France store owner, Jill Wax for decorating up the kids Halloween faces.
    This year the Ybor City Chamber of Commerce had a new live music venue at 8 different clubs including Czar, New World Brewery, Ritz Ybor, Market on 7th, Crowbar, JJ’s Cafe, Centro Cantina and Dirty Shame.
    A lot of the Gay clubs had special entertainment with costume contests and special shows with visiting International/ National VJ/ DJ’s. Hamburger Mary’s had special ghostly guests performing, Honey Pot was all decked out with a wonderous cemetery scene. G. Bar had the bartenders all dressed in costumes, Bradley’s on 7th had a contest and special performers. Coincidently the All Hallows Ball ended at midnight and the over 8,000 attendees then came by TECO streetcar to Ybor City to shine up the after midnight crowd . All in elaborate and scary costumes.
    So congratulations Ybor City for making a Great positive change in Guavaween.
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People Are Talking
    The controversial Ybor City 7th Ave/ La Se’tima Street signs went on the auction block Monday at a 50th Street auction house. The correct Spanish spelling was the big concern and a committee in Ybor wanted the changes done before the RNC Convention last summer. The old 7th Ave./ La Se’tima where replaced by Tampa City Council to read “7th Ave/ La Se’tima/ La Se’ptima” and brought in $6000 to Ybor City’s tax district fund! A new Ybor liquor store will be opening soon at the Afterglow Bar on 15th Street.
    Owners of the Columbian Restaurant in Ybor City were upset with people parking in their parking lot in the wee hours to see President Obama. The facebook comments by the restaurant were hilarious!
New developments all over Tampa is a great sign of the changing economic times. A new $ 36 million dollar apartment complex in North Hyde Park called NoHo Flats had a groundbreaking for the new eight building 300 apartment complex with tons of upscale amenities. Mayor Bob Buckhorn tossed dirt along side Tampa Bay Lightening owner, Jeff Vinik who is in partnership with the development firm Pollack Shores Real Estate Group.
    All Hallows Ball had a record crowd at the Tampa Convention Center Saturday night. Florida’s Largest Private Annual Gay event is held every Halloween. Attendees came from as far away as Berlin, Germany and across America to attend the outrageous spectacular costume required event. See loads of Halloween pictures down further.
    The 2nd Annual Santa Speedo Run Tampa Bay is coming to Ybor City, Sunday, December 9th in Centennial Park and benefits Brighter Seasons for Children & Aids Services Association of Pinellas. Red speedos are requested for the fun run. MC FILM have a lot of hot red Santa speedo’s ready for your run! www.SantaSpeedoRun.org & www.MCFILM.co
    The hundred of holly & oak trees cut down in Ybor City two months ago are now being replaced with Olive Trees and Crape Myrtles along the baron streetways. We hope they will live on for decades and add great beauty to our historic district.
    The new Bear Night which is usually the 2nd Saturday at the Ybor Social. This month it will be the third Saturday because of the big Bear Fest at the Sawmill Campground in Dade City the 2nd weekend in November! In December Bear Night will be again the 2nd Saturday Night at the Ybor Social.
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Hyde Park Village Fall Art Show
    Again Hyde Park Village had a fabulous cool but sunny fall art festival. The weekend show had art gurus from all over the country participating. A combination of great cool dry air and very decorative Christmas ornaments, aluminum sculptures, acrylic colorful paintings, clothing and so much more were in tents for 6 blocks in and around the village center.
    More dogs were accompanying their masters in this great outdoor show. A lot of people were picking up and carrying their prized original imaginative pieces through the crowded boulevards..
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Hamburger Mary’s this Sunday FUNday!!!!
Join Tea Cup on the balcony at Hamburger Mary’s this Sunday FUNDay for “Tea Party with Tea Cup” also this Sunday the Mary’s Softball Party!!!
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You Can Not make This Stuff Up!!
    Ugly Women
(25)
    There was this famous drag queen in Tampa who was an alleged coke dealer. We will change her name and call her Carlotta. When not in full drag she looked like woman down on her luck. One day our uncle was visiting us. Carlotta was walking down our alley when she stopped to yell ” hello” with her very heavy PR accent.
     Our Uncle Gale smiled and said, “I have to tell you guys… my god the women in this town are ugly!!!” 
     One night we were coming home from our first MC Film store located across from the University of Tampa. There was a huge two story house fire. We stopped and there in the front yard was Carlotta. She told us that she had just bought new furniture for her whole apartment and of course was very upset. The next day we heard a very different story. Allegedly…. she did not pay her coke supplier and spent the money on new furniture. When he found out the supplier set the house on fire. Who knows if this is true or not but that was the last time we saw Carlotta.
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Featured GaYBOR Member of the Week
Bernini of Ybor
(68)
    A founding member of GaYBOR!!! Bernini’s is located in the former Bank of Ybor City. Owner Jason Fernandez and manager Bill are always coming up with some great cuisine ideas. A favorite for many especially at happy hour. $2 Finlandia Martini’s & 1/2 price entrees. Pull up a chair on the sidewalk and watch the world go by. Be sure to check Bernini’s out on your next trip to GaYBOR/Ybor City
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Mark & Carrie’s Nephew/Niece of the Week
Miss Jocelyn Summers

(133)
    Everybody loves Miss Jocelyn. This past week she add a new crown to her collection of many. And Miss Jocelyn your looks have changed!  Congratulations on Miss Orlando!!!
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Caught @ The Reservoir Bar
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I want to Play on this Team!!!
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Caught @ Steam Fridays
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Caught @ G.BAR
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Caught @ Bradley’s on 7th
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Caught @ Hamburger Mary’s
Caught @ JJ’s Cafe & Bar
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Caught @ Centro Cantina
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Caught @ MC Film
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Caught @ GaYBOR/Ybor City