Janelle Irwin - page 184

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year. It combines two of my very favorite things – cooking and eating – and I get to do copious amounts of both. Throw in some special time with family and you’ve got yourself one marvelous day. But there’s one part of Thanksgiving I’ve grown to despise. It’s something I once loved. Shopping. The smell of commerce. The anticipation of Christmas. Even just five years ago those things made me giddy…

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Stuart Rogel, president and CEO of the Tampa Bay Partnership, is leaving his post to “pursue new opportunities.” Rogel is the founder of the partnership and has been at the helm for 20 years. In an email from Partnership board chair, Brain Lamb writes that Rogel will stay on board to assist in transitioning temporary leadership to COO John Schueler while the board conducts a national search to find a new CEO. “As our founding CEO, Stuart has led the…

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More than 30 protesters took to Williams Park in downtown St. Pete Tuesday evening despite consistent rain and a covering of muddy puddles to protest the grand jury decision not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown. The group carried battery-powered candles in honor of Brown. They shuffled around and mingled in groups. Some were visibly upset because justice, in their opinion, would not be served for Brown who was determined to be unarmed…

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What does beer have to do with St. Pete history? Not much now, but that may be a different story 20-years from now. St. Pete’s craft beer scene is changing the face of the sunshine city and making headlines nationwide. The Burg’s embrace of craft brews landed itself on the New York Times’ list of 52 places to visit in 2014. Now the St. Petersburg Museum of History is taking a turn loving some good brews. “Who said history is…

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Getting ready to hop a plane for Thanksgiving? Head to the airport knowing that Tampa International is ranked the second best airport in the nation by Conde Nast Traveler. “Tampa’s airport feels like a vision of the future from 50 years ago (because it was), but think of this more as the timelessness of TPA. The shuttles taking people from the central terminal to the satellites were unique at the time, and they still function well today. It’s an easy…

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Key Largo Representative Holly Raschein filed a bill that would add protections for gay and transgender people in Florida’s anti-discrimination law. The Florida Competitive Workforce Act will be heard during the 2015 legislative session. “Passing the Competitive Workforce Act makes good sense economically and benefits employers and employees by offering a law that is consistent across the state,” said Raschein. It’s already illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, national origin, physical handicap or marital status, the…

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Senator Jeff Brandes and his team of supporters are surging ahead with legislative priorities in Florida now that another term has been secured. But things are also bright and shiny for the opponent he defeated. USF St. Pete Professor Judithanne McLauchlan is still tying up loose campaign ends even though she won’t have a seat at the table during the next legislative session. That includes making sure yard signs are removed and finalizing any unsettled campaign finance issues. McLauchlan gave…

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