Neighborhoods : Innovation + Job News

Children in the University of South Florida (USF) area community will get moving soon, as they join the nationwide fight against childhood obesity.
 
The efforts are being led by the University Area Community Development Corporation (UACDC), inspired by the first lady’s Let’s Move! Initiative. Let’s Move! supports local community efforts to increase exercise, health and nutrition among the nation’s children through leadership, community support and innovative programs.
 
Funded in part by a grant from Molina Healthcare of Florida, UACDC will be implementing a number of initiatives, including providing health and nutrition information in places where families typically gather, such as schools or parks. They’re also helping the local Mort Elementary School with its "Walking School Bus,'' a group of children who walk to school together under the supervision of a trained adult leader. This promotes exercise, reduces traffic around the school and reduces environmental impact.
 
Saturday Fitness Fun Days will feature scavenger hunts, nutrition and health-based prizes. A summer camp is being developed that will focus on physical activity.

The program is part of UACDC’s overall focus on the redevelopment and sustainability of the at-risk neighborhoods surrounding USF’s Tampa campus. They're starting with kids in the hope that the changes will have a positive impact on the entire family.

"We really wanted to reach out and make a difference to our young people, and hopefully in the process make a difference with their parents and grandparents as well," says Dan Jurman, executive director of UACDC.

The University area has high rates of malnurishment and preventable diseases such as diabetes. The goal is to increase education and nutrition in an effort to increase overall community health.

Along with the exercise programs, there will be nutrition and health-based initiatives such as cooperative community gardens and an affordable fresh produce market.
 
Writer: Megan Hendricks
Source: Dan Jurman, UACDC

What do a hotel, a university, a medical simulation facility and a green river have in common? They are winners in the Tampa Downtown Partnership's 6th Annual Urban Excellence Awards.

The Partnership presented Urban Excellence Awards to nine organizations for their contributions toward making downtown Tampa more bright, creative and inviting:

Floridan Palace, for turning a deteriorating hotel into a restored, vibrant place;

Lights on Tampa: Aqua Luces, for illuminating five downtown bridges, creating engaging new media works of art;

Oxford Exchange, for creating a community hub that offers coffee, tea, shopping and dining in a posh atmosphere;

Sail Pavilion, for establishing a cocktail lounge on the Riverwalk offering 360 degree views of the city;

Tampa Bay Lightning Foundation, for being a community leader providing recognition and funding to Tampa Bay nonprofits;

The University of Tampa, for providing a residentially based, intimate higher education experience that contributes to the downtown community;

USF Health CAMLS (Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation), for attracting people to the downtown core from across the country and around the world for specialized medical training.

Special Awards of Excellence were also presented to two organizations:

Mayor’s River O’Green for turning the Hillsborough River green to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, and the 2012 Tampa Bay Host Committee for promoting the positive aspects of Tampa Bay to millions of viewers during the Republican National Convention
 
"It’s always greatly appreciated to be recognized for making a difference," says Robin Nigh, Manager of Art Programs for the City of Tampa.

The City’s Lights on Tampa initiative worked with property owners to place permanent lights on five downtown landmark bridges in less than eight months. The project has been recognized on both the local and national level, and is now proud to be among the Urban Excellence Award winners.

"We knew the lights would be a game changer for downtown,” says Nigh. "They complement our assets. It’s important to a community to have things like this that celebrate where we live."

Writer: Megan Hendricks
Sources: Donna Chen, Tampa Downtown Partnership; Robin Nigh, City of Tampa

Tampa's lively, diverse, sometimes illicit past is explored this month (April) during walking tours.

The tours are part of the Tampa Downtown Partnership's Do the Local Motion Program, which hosts regular walking tours of downtown Tampa. The historical piece is led by University of South Florida graduate students as part of an Urban Public History course.

The first tour on April 6 unveiled Tampa's illicit past, taking walkers past sites where Charlie Wall, the undisputed king of Tampa’s mob world ran underground operations for three decades.

On April 12 the theme is mid-century shopping. Walkers will take a stroll down Franklin Street and explore the sites where department stores and other shops thrived in the 1950s.  

In the Line of Duty on April 19 takes a look at the historical role of military and civil service monuments in public spaces. The walk covers Morgan Street and Madison Street while discovering plaques, statues and other monuments such as the Confederate soldier in front of the Hillsborough County Courthouse.

The final tour, Frontier Tampa on April 26, begins with the founding of Fort Brooke in 1824 and traces the diverse racial, ethnic and social classes that helped grow the city. Sites include Indian mounds and early saloons, billiard halls, government buildings and an opera house.

The project gets students out of the classroom and provides hands-on skill development. Barbara Berglund, associate professor and associate chair for the USF Department of History, likens it to writing a seminar paper in a traditional history course. The tours have a story line, supporting evidence and research, but are conducted in real time and space using built environments. "It’s really helped them hone their analytical skills," says Berglund.

All tours are free and open to the public. The tours meet in Gaslight Square Park in Downtown Tampa, and take place from noon to 1 pm.

Writer: Megan Hendricks
Source: Barbara Berglund, USF Department of History

Now there’s even more reason to spend time in and around downtown Tampa.

Touring Tampa launched this week and features over 50 tours available of downtown Tampa and the urban core, which includes the Channel District, Ybor City, Davis Islands and Harbour Island. The campaign increases awareness of the tours that were already in existence.

"It’s another way of getting people downtown and discovering their city," says Karen Kress, director of transportation and planning for the Tampa Downtown Partnership.

Tours on the list include free walking tours, ghost tours, cigar factories, sailing charters, paddle boarding, public art tours and many at indoor facilities such as the Tampa Museum of Art and the Florida Aquarium.

Another benefit of the campaign is letting residents know about options to explore when they have out of town guests.

The campaign was organized by the Tampa Downtown Partnership, with support from Tampa Bay & Company and the Ybor City Development Corporation. Funding was received from the Hillsborough County Tourism Heritage Program.

The Downtown Tampa Arts and Entertainment Card also launched this week and features free or discounted items at 11 different venues in downtown Tampa.

For $30, the card includes admission to entertainment venues such as the Tampa Theatre and Tampa Bay History Center. It also includes free food and drinks at restaurants such as Mise en Place and Kahwa Expresso Café.

"We’re promoting all of the great things available in the urban core," says Kress.

Writer: Megan Hendricks
Source: Karen Kress, Tampa Downtown Partnership

Set to open this spring, Berkeley Manor is adding part-time residential assistants and support staff to accommodate the specialized needs of clients. The company recently added operations leaders to manage patient and business administration activities.

Berkeley Manor is an intimate space providing adult assisted living, including personalized care to patients who face a variety of memory disabilities, including Alzheimer’s disease.

“We are really focused on the individual and having knowledge of their personality while being in a setting to really get to know them,” says Maryann Ferenc, founder of Berkeley Manor and proprietor of Mise en Place.

Ferenc purchased the St. Petersburg home many years ago in order to accommodate the personalized health care needs of her mother, an enthusiastic restaurateur and entrepreneur who passed away after battling Alzheimer’s disease.

Inspired by the essence of her mother, Ferenc hired a consultant to manage the licensing and legal aspects of running an assisted living facility and made the decision to convert the home into a residential space designed for adults suffering from memory loss.

“When people have memory issues, they lose their memory not their personality, but are often treated as though they’ve lost their personality. We work with their likes and personalities to keep those things that make them feel like themselves,” says Ferenc.

As Berkeley Manor is currently developing client-patient relationships, having the right personalized care team members are a critical element in providing an intimate level of care as well as developing trustful relationships.

“It is important that you have people that are going to be right together and help each other to develop the best quality of life.”

For information on Berkeley Manor’s opening and available positions, call 813.253.6473.

Writer: Kaye Brown
Source: Maryann Ferenc, Berkeley Manor

Urbanism on Tap, a new three-part event series, launches March 12, 5:30 pm at Sono Café at the Tampa Museum of Art.

The events present an opportunity for raw, interactive, community-driven conversation about current issues shaping Tampa Bay area cities. They will begin with a brief presentation on a relevant topic and then an open-mic style talk that will give attendees a chance to come together and talk about what they’re most passionate about.

The "on tap" metaphor portrays the desire to have the urbanism discussion ever flowing and always available.

"We wanted to create a place where people can come and talk about what urbanism is to them in a readily accessible environment," says Erin Chantry, executive committee member of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) Tampa Bay, who is jointly hosting the event with Urban Charrette

The first event in the series, "It’s About Us! Our Plan," will focus on understanding Tampa’s vision for the future and how it compares to other vibrant communities. The discussion will start with a summary of the InVision Tampa Plan, followed by a lively discussion.

"We need to have the ability to take ownership and an invested interest in how our city moves forward,'' says Chantry. "We need to make a plan for how we, as the general public, can do our part to make our city reflect our values and goals."

CNU Tampa Bay and Urban Charrette plan to launch an online portal after the event in order to keep the conversation going.

The second part in the series, titled "What About Them? Rival Cities," will look at how other comparable cities are becoming more vibrant and how we compare. The third and final part, titled "What Happens Next? Actions for the Future," will focus on action steps for the community to take the vision forward.

RSVP online here.

Writer: Megan Hendricks
Source: Erin Chantry, CNU Tampa Bay

Mayor Bob Buckhorn officially proclaims the entire month of March as Gasparilla Arts Month in Tampa.

It all kicks off the first weekend of the month with the Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts March 2 – 3 featuring  traditional fine arts, such as ceramics, glass, pottery, jewelry, sculpture and photography, and two brand new, non-traditional mediums showcasing a different side of the arts.

Exploring Pirates

"PIRACY REDUX: Re-examining the Myth of the Buccanneer," looks at the contemporary vs. traditional idea of the pirate. A diverse group of artists will interpret and re-contextualize the idea of piracy in our local culture, whether it be in the traditional sense or the more modern piracy of copyrighted information.

The pod installation will feature art, video, dance and music in Kiley Gardens through the Sunday. The installation is presented by The Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts and curated by TEMPUS PROJECTS and Hampton Arts Management.

"It’s a new venue for art in Tampa, a cultural middle ground," says Tracy Midulla Reller, creative director for TEMPUS PROJECTS.

Kiting Tampa Bay

Kites will also be flying high, along with miniature kite displays featuring aerial photography produced by rigs attached to kites that take photographs while in mid-air. If the weather is right, a 252-square-foot kite will make an appearance.
The project is organized by Kiting Tampa Bay, a club with more than 50 members across the region who will also be on hand with information about kiting.

"Our goal is to share our passion for kiting with others," says Kelly Nunes, co-founder of Kiting Tampa Bay.

Kiting Tampa Bay was founded in October of 2011 with the motto "Just Friends Flying Kites." They chose the arts festival for a kite display because of the two organizations’ mutual goal of supporting children’s cancer charities.

Other Arts Events

Additional arts events in Tampa during the month of March include:

The Gasparilla Music Festival the weekend of March 9. This year's bands include Best Coast, Dr. Dog, Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Dawes, Lord Huron, Ozomatli, The Meter Men with special guest Page McConnell, The Iguanas, Applebutter Express, Ozokidz, The Hip Abduction, Nervous Turkey and more.

The Gasparilla International Film Festival the week of March 19-24. Film showings take place in downtown, South Tampa and Ybor City.

Details about all the events can be found on the websites for the Arts Council of Hilsborough County and Visit Tampa Bay.

Writer: Megan Hendricks
Sources: Kelly Nunes, Kiting Tampa Bay, Tracy Midulla Reller, TEMPUS PROJECTS

The Money Crowd, a crowdfunding website designed for nonprofits in Tampa Bay, provides a new option for  community members to support the causes they care about. The site aims to give nonprofits an avenue to fundraise with little to no overhead and less administrative work than traditional projects.

"We wanted to see if crowdfunding could work on a local level for a niche market,'' says Kostas Stoilas, senior associate at Cushman & Wakefield of Florida and founder of The Money Crowd.

Nonprofits develop a need with a specific project, event or cause. The Money Crowd's volunteer team then meets with the organization to fine tune the concept and shoot video to be used on the site. Promotions are done by both the nonprofit and The Money Crowd, and donations go directly to the organization through their Paypal account.
 
A Venice, FL native and graduate of The University of Tampa's MBA program, Stoilas developed the idea while on the leadership council at Big Brothers Big Sisters, which is also the site's first project. The goal is to fund an event that will recognize volunteers who have been with the organization for five years.

The most recent -- and most successful -- project is Hannah's Homeless, a winter clothing and food drive to benefit St. Petersburg's homeless population. The project began in September and has already exceeded its $2,500 goal. The success of this project in the early stages indicates they're on the right path and the community embraces the concept.
Future plans include events to allow donors to meet the organizations they are benefitting for happy hours and networking. 

"Charities love it,'' says Stoilas. "Now we're trying to build the audience and get people to regularly visit the site to find other causes they can get involved with.''

Writer: Megan Hendricks
Source: Kostas Stoilas, The Money Crowd

Tampa Bay's communities offer eclectic blends of culture, creativity and ways of life. A new website uses photographs to profile the people and places that contribute to this vibrancy.

Snapshot Tampa Bay looks at what makes Tampa Bay the cultural mecca that it is -- its people. The project is a labor of love by two local residents and creative advocates, Bryan Hunt and Julia Gorzka Freeman.

"It's our way of spotlighting people, events and places that are going on here in a novel way, to provide a glimpse into how we live,'' says Bryan Hunt.

The inspiration for the website came from their realization that there is lots going on in Tampa Bay that people don't know about. The site offers a different way of looking at people, by taking images inside their homes and businesses to show how they live.

They plan to highlight different neighborhoods to help people discover new restaurants, organizations and people, like Larry and Charlie Schiller of Schiller Salvage in Odessa. The Schillers travel the country to find the neatest and most quirky salvage items to sell in their store.

Other features will include the realm of Tampa Bay's creative economy, from someone living in a condo on the beach to a farmer in the rural areas of Brandon. Future plans include an "explore'' page that will help people navigate the Tampa Bay region and find cool places to go and things to do.

"We're creating a place for people to look at Tampa Bay in a new light,'' says Hunt.

Writer: Megan Hendricks
Source: Snapshot Tampa Bay, Bryan Hunt

The Mobile Medical Clinic (MMC) at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital is crossing the Bay to expand its free services to children in Pinellas County.

The arrival in Pinellas will take place October 18 from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Neighborhood Family Center in Clearwater. Appointments are required by calling 727-442-5355.

The MMC began in 2004 with the goal of providing required immunizations for children who weren't able to receive them due to health care or financial constraints. The service was so popular and critical to the community that additional services such as physical exams were added the next year.

"We're seeking to fill the healthcare gap, especially for people who don't have health insurance,'' says Kate Kennedy, child advocate for St. Joseph's Children's Advocacy Center and the MMC's coordinator. "We strive to be a bridge to care to give families the services they need at a time and place that's convenient for them.''

The 40-foot bus is staffed with nurses, a childhood specialist, a bilingual child advocate and volunteer pediatricians. Services include: well child physicals and immunizations, developmental screenings, and education and referrals about other community programs for those who have additional needs. Children are also assessed for unintentional injury risks. In 2011, the MMC assisted just under 1,000 children in Hillsborough County, from infants to 18-year-olds.

The expansion into Pinellas County is funded by a grant from Allegany Franciscan Ministries. Future plans include taking individual services off the bus when specific needs are identified in a particular community.

Children must be 18 years old or younger to participate. Parents much accompany children and provide a current vaccine record.

Writer: Megan Hendricks
Source: Kate Kennedy, St. Joseph's Children's Hospital

The University Area Community Development Center (UACDC) honors Breast Cancer Awareness Month with its sixth annual "Day of Pampering'' event, Saturday, October 20, from 8 am to 2 pm. The event takes place at the University Area Community Center, 14013 North 22nd Street in Tampa. The goal is to educate women about prevention and early detection of breast and cervical cancer and wellness.

"This event empowers women to take charge of their health with screenings and workshops that are both free and fun," say Martine Dorvil, event organizer and director of community outreach at UACDC.

More than 300 women are expected to attend the free event to participate in on-site screenings for cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose and other common health concerns. Workshops will provide information on cancer prevention and early detection, healthy lifestyle and nutrition, overcoming stress and resources for cancer survivors.

The event has touched the lives of more than 1,500 women since it began five years ago. Attendees enjoy the interaction and sharing with other women, many who are going through treatment for cancer and other ailments. Their stories and positive attitudes are inspiring and contagious.

Funding is provided by donations and groups including the USF College of Public Health, Tampa Bay Community Cancer Network and Hillsborough County Health Department.

The focus is on the university area community, where there is a critical need to address health care issues and provide opportunities for quality, compassionate and accessible care. It is open to the public, and those who qualify based on income will also receive referrals for free mammograms and pap smears.

Activities will be conducted in both Spanish and English, and other translators will be available.

Pre-registration is encouraged; walk-ins will be allowed as space permits. To register, call the Hillsborough County Health Department at 813-307-8015, ext. 7112 or 3502. The registration deadline is October 12.

Writer: Megan Hendricks
Source: Martine Dorvil, UACDC

CoWorkTampa, an alternative workspace for freelancers, entrepreneurs and small businesses located on Armenia Avenue, recently underwent renovations and will be hosting a public event to show off its new digs. The alternative workspace offers members the opportunity to have a dedicated area to get work done while also collaborating with others.
 
“A lot of our members were working in crowded coffee shops or from their home, which have plenty of distractions and are isolated,” says Chris Arnoldi, principal of CoWorkTampa. “At CoWorkTampa, you are encouraged to bounce ideas off each other and collaborate. The goal is to innovate, where eventually our members grow their business into larger companies.”
 
According to Arnoldi, the workspace was redone with new paint and buffed floors, several large screen televisions and new furniture was moved in as well. He goes on to say that the space has an “urban loft” feel to it with open ceilings.
 
“The space offers what any proper co-working space does,” he says. “We can accommodate 100 co-working memberships, and still have enough space for another 20 people working out of the dozen private offices.”
 
In addition to the upgraded décor, the workspace also offers a large co-working area/conference room, high-speed internet, A/V equipment, a kitchen/break room and parking.
 
To celebrate the renovation, CoWorkTampa is opening its doors to the public on Tuesday, July 31 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. CoWorkTampa is located in Tampa’s historic Garcia & Vega Cigar Factory, 3104 North Armenia Ave, Suite 2, in Tampa.
 
Writer: Kimberly Patterson
Source: Chris Arnoldi, CoWorkTampa

Big spenders at local businesses could win a sizable "thank you'' this month from Keep Saint Petersburg Local. The St. Pete-based independent business alliance has organized the "St. Pete’s Greatest Local Lover'' contest to celebrate Independents Week (July 1-7), a national celebration of local businesses organized annually by the American Independent Business Alliance.

To participate, customers can locate member businesses at Keep Saint Petersburg Local’s website. Shop, hire, dine, etc., and save your receipts on purchases made during the two weeks from June 30 to July 15. Then register on the KSPL website by July 18 to compete for the contest prize. (Only the top three spenders will be contacted to show their receipts as proofs of purchase.)

With more than 200 members including restaurants, retail stores, hair salons, web designers, lawyers, a dentist and a pest control company, KSPL is ready to connect customers with businesses, says founder and president Olga Bof, who launched the organization in January 2012. The goal of the contest is less to encourage spending sprees than to entice customers to drop the dough they'd be spending anyway at local, independently owned establishments.

"Maybe it's stuff that you're doing anyway these two weeks, but you're going to up the ante a little bit and support even more,'' Bof says.

The contest winner will take home a package of prizes that includes $3,000 worth of gift certificates from dozens of KSPL members including Mazzaro’s Italian Market, St. Pete Brasserie, Peaceful Warrior Massage, Vintage Interiors and Kathryn Cole Jewelry; $200 in KSPL currency to spend at member businesses; dinner for four at the winner's home, catered by Meze 119; a half-page ad in weekly newspaper Creative Loafing; and a one-of-a-kind commemorative award conceived and crafted by artist Joshua Poll of Zen Glass Studio.
   
Both individuals and businesses are eligible to compete as spenders. For a complete list of rules and regulations, click here.

Writer: Megan Voeller
Source: Olga Bof, Keep St. Petersburg Local

The Juvenile Welfare Board (JWB) has announced a program that will help at-risk youth in Pinellas County. The JWB Quality Early Learning initiative is in the early stages of development, and is looking for partners to serve as quality providers of childcare and education to children ages 2 months to five years.

“We have been funding childcare for many years, however, we haven’t been seeing the results we would like for preparing children for school,” says Matt Spence, senior program consultant at the JWB. “Our goal with this program is to move from a childcare model to a learning model.”

According to Spence, the JWB is focused on serving five priority areas in the county. Those areas include, south St. Pete (zip codes 33705, 33711 and 33712), North Greenwood in Clearwater (33755, 33756), the High Point area (33760), east Tarpon Springs (34689) and the unincorporated area of Lealman (33709, 33713,33714, 33781).

Karen Sierra, also a senior program consultant at the JWB says that potential clients will be identified as early as possible, even before birth.

“Our nurse program that works with moms and moms-to-be, as well as the Healthy Start program in Pinellas will be partners in helping identify families that have at-risk factors that we look for.”

Spence says that the next step in the process is finding quality providers who can serve these at-risk children. Providers can submit a letter of interest via the JWB website.

“We are not just looking for one provider necessarily,” Spence says. “If there is an organization out of state that wants to come in and partner with us, or a nonprofit group in another part of Florida, we are open to considering them and splitting up the partnership. We have the funding; we just need quality partners to provide the services.”

Writer: Kimberly Patterson
Source: Matt Spence and Karen Sierra, JWB

Tricycle Communications, a digital marketing agency in Tampa, has plans to double its size in the next five years. The company, which was founded in 1996 by two entrepreneurs, currently has 17 employees. Since its inception, Tricycle Communications has experienced success despite a sluggish economy.
 
“We attribute our success to our combination of solid marketing expertise, strong business ethics and savvy risk-taking, along with our knowledge of technology and its use to solve tough marketing challenges,” says Tona Bell, president and CEO of Tricycle Studios. “We see our clients, and they see us as long-term strategic marketing partners. Collaboration is key.”
 
Bell founded Tricycle Communications with her business partner, Randy Rosenthall. Both had a strong background and expertise in marketing. The company has found a niche in medical device and diagnostics, biotech and pharmaceutical industry, logging over 45 days in the field last year. The company has a network of OR trained and certified videographers and producers who can shoot HD videos in the operating room.
 
According to Bell, this unique specialty has helped the agency to grow to where it is today and will be the driving force behind further growth in the future. To support this growth Tricycle Studios will be hiring additional talent.
 
“At a minimum, we will probably be adding one to two people in the next year,” Bell says. “We could easily double in size in the next five years.”
 
Bell goes on to say that the company will be seeking individuals with expertise in account/content management, creative services and programmers.
 
Tricycle Studios is located in the Ybor City neighborhood of Tampa at 1905 E. Seventh Ave.
 
Writer: Kimberly Patterson
Source: Tona Bell, Tricycle Studios