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Over the last two months, Tampeños have heard from about a dozen candidates hoping to fill the seat vacated after the unexpected passing of Tampa City Councilwoman Gwen Henderson. Turns out they’ll have to choose between even more. The qualifying deadline last Friday, Aug. 15 could have trimmed up the candidate pool but the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections says that 13 people have officially qualified for Tampa’s special city council election. One more is running as a write-in. Some of the candidates were at Tampa’s Tiger Bay Club. Read a report from the forum on p. 23. See more photos via cltampa.com/slideshows.—Ray Roa.
do this
Tampa Bay's best things to do from Aug. 21 - 28
Lift every voice
Nearly every week at Tampa City Council, Michael Randolph’s voice comes over the speaker during public comment as he updates the dais and community at large on the goings on in and around West Tampa. The Baltimore transplant who’s been on the ground locally since 2021 has worked tirelessly to give voice to those without one and for this online forum he turns his eye to Black Tampa residents who’ve seen their population in West Tampa drop by 50%. Residents, neighborhood associations, leaders and, yes, candidates in the crowded Tampa City Council special election for District 5, are all invited to join in. “This shift raises urgent questions about displacement, cultural erasure, and equitable development,” Randolph, 69, wrote.“This will be a street-level, bottom-up dialogue—focused on real voices, real stories, and real strategies to protect and uplift our community.”
The Black Agenda—A conversation with West Tampa Residents: Wednesday, Aug 27. 4:30 p.m. No cover, registration requested. VENUEname, ADDRESS, CITY. @michael.randolph.3152 on Facebook—Ray Roa
Rebel rousers
Life in Florida feels like a trainwreck if you’re even remotely progressive, but there are still a bunch of folks out there taking the fight seriously. One of them is Nadine Smith, longtime Executive Director of Equality Florida and host of WMNF Tampa’s public affairs radio show Wide Awake America. Smith is the first guest when Tampa Tribune alum and Florida Trident contributing editor Tom Scherberger launches “Wavemakers Live” a new, in-person series borne of the WMNF show of the same name. The name of the talk—”Frontline Florida: Blueprint for Resistance”—says it all.
Wavemakers Live: Thursday, Aug. 21. 7:30 p.m. $10-$15. The Commodore, 811 E 7th Ave., Ybor City. wmnf.org—Ray Roa
Bound to happen
Randy Wayne White’s last Doc Ford novel was set in a postHurricane Ian Sanibel Island. Ford’s latest literary adventure takes place in Honduras, where he experiences “flesh traffickers, paramilitary killers, an archaeologist addicted to sex and a homicidal giant known locally as Iron Baby” along with a cataclysmic earthquake. “Tomlinson’s Wake,” White’s 28th Doc Ford novel and the latest of his nearly five dozen books, launches this week in St. Petersburg. White will sign copies sold by Tombolo Books. Oh, and for fans who want to grab some Yucatan shrimp at Doc Fords after, you might want to know he’s suing the restaurant group for royalties.
‘Tomlinson’s Wake’ Launch Event: Monday, Aug. 25. 6:15 doors. 7-8 p.m. $35-$40. Nova 535, 535 Dr M.L.K. Jr. St. N, St. Petersburg. tombolobooks.com Selene San Felice
NICK CARDELLO
LEE W. WHITE
Muffin compares to you
The Morean Arts Center has hosted its annual Cupcake Contest fundraiser for 14 years, giving local bakers as young as 10 a chance to show their chops and be judged by community sweet tooths. Pre-registered attendees will line up outside the Clay Center to receive a 12-count box ($25, $20 for Morean members) they’ll fill with the mini-cupcakes of their choice from the competition. Attendees can then vote for their favorite flavor to win the People’s Choice award. There’s Kahwa coffee to help reset taste buds. A panel of judges determines winning cupcakes in the novice, professional, youth/teen, specialty (gluten-free or vegan) and overall categories. Registration to enter is $15. There are no day-of sales to attend as the event usually sells out.
Great St. Pete Cupcake Contest: Saturday, Aug. 23. Noon-3 p.m. Morean Center for Clay, 420 22nd St S, St. Petersburg. moreanartscenter.org—Marleigh Brown
Round of a-paws
Tampa Bay’s best pups will be at Green Bench Brewing for the third annual Webbsminster Dog Show. Local musician Mike Tony and vinyl DJ Jayda Abello host this event benefiting New Port Richey’s Runaways Animal Rescue. Pups will compete for fur-st place in categories including: Pint-Sized, Large & In Charge, Senior Strut and Best Dressed. Prizes for Best in Show and People’s Choice will also be awarded. There’s no cover for well-behaved people and leashed pups to spectate. Tampa Bay’s best vegan hot dog pop-up Nah Dogs will be slinging glizzies.
Webbsminster Dog Show: Next Thursday, Aug. 28. 7 p.m.-9 p.m. No cover. Green Bench Brewing Co., 1133 Baum Ave. N, St. Petersburg. greenbenchbrewing. com—Marleigh Brown
Fantastic voyage
Mise en Place is one of just a few Bay area restaurants with a cult following—and its disciples will likely make the move to Ybor City when owner Maryann Ferenc and Chef Marty Blitz relocate this fall. The dynamic duo offers a sneak peek of the new place, too, when it’ll serve wines around the table at Mise’s Grand Central Avenue location before hopping on a limo bus and moving the party over to the rooftop at Casa Gomez where desert and wine (including a special port) will be served. Blitz is working on two courses (seafood and beef tenderloin), Ferenc told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, adding that one aim of the dinner is to illustrate how Portuguese cuisine compliments the Esporão wine. It’s also the first time customers will get to see the new space. “They’ll get to see our little corner of the world,” Ferenc added about the view which overlooks the Ybor City of old and another on the horizon. “You feel the energy there.” Read more about the event and Mise’s move via cltampa.com/food.
‘Odyssey to Ybor City for the Adventurous of Palate’: Friday, Aug. 22. 6 p.m. $150/person. Mise en Place, 442 W Grand Central Ave. miseonline.com—Ray Roa
Open doors
Legendary Tampa Bay newsman Rob Lorei has died at age 70.
By Ray Roa
Last March, days after announcing plans to leave the WEDU public affairs program he hosted for almost 24 years, Rob Lorei was already thinking about his next steps.
Yes, there was the treatment he’d get for stage four cancer of the liver and colon, but other people loomed large in his head. In particular, hundreds of folks in East Tampa and Sun City Center all gathered at a meeting about social security. “I think people are furious,” he told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay about the firestorm surrounding the entitlement program that week.
At that moment—with nearly 1,400 episodes of “Florida This Week” under his belt, and 43 years as WMNF news director to hang his hat on—the graduate of the journalism school at Ohio’s Antioch University was looking for another voice to amplify.
In the weeks following, he did just that, observing “No Kings” protests and even guestwriting the “As We Heard It” column for Tampa’s 103-year-old trilingual newspaper La Gaceta. Giving the community a microphone, and listening, was Lorei’s specialty—and he effortlessly showed journalists how to speak real truth to power while uplifting the values of peace, civil rights and social justice.
That talent for opening doors, hearts, and minds is what many are talking about following Lorei’s death last Sunday at the age of 70. Tributes and mentions from journalists at Democracy Now!, NPR, and others are pouring out online, but so are those from locals who knew him most intimately.
“His words were a hammer but he used them with deep thought, and almost a tenderness” Lynn Dingfelder, a documentarian, told CL.
Like many who crossed his path, she met Lorei through work. Mark Feldstein, who worked investigations for WTSP in the ‘80s, brought Dingfelder to the dilapidated South Tampa house that served as the headquarters for WMNF, which Lorei and a handful of scrappy dreamers founded after collecting donations door-to-door.
Tampa’s community radio station is where Lorei produced not just music shows, but the “Radioactivity” public affairs program that became his calling card. On it, he welcomed elected officials, candidates, and scholars
alongside activists, labor leaders and the occasional rabble rouser.
WMNF—where two past GMs unceremoniously fired him after disagreements and language the board of directors didn’t agree with—is also where Lorei was always encouraging other journalists.
“He took a chance on me and I don’t exaggerate when I say that it changed my life,” Justin Garcia, former staff writer at CL and current investigative reporter at the Tampa Bay Times, wrote on social media about the man who gave him his first byline. “But more importantly, over the years, we became friends.”
Garcia’s reporting has since ousted a police chief and is currently lighting a fire under the asses of Ron and Casey DeSantis as they try to distance themselves from their Hope Florida scandal. But what he remembers most is how deeply Lorei would listen to friends and colleagues alike.
“It was during those times that I could see how much he cared about the thoughts of others,”
Garcia added. “Not just for his interviews, but because that’s the kind of person he was.”
Last Monday, in the hours after Lorei’s passing, Garcia was among a handful of news people gathered at Ybor City’s Dirty Shame, a regular watering hole for Lorei. Near him was Patrick Manteiga, third generation publisher of La Gaceta, which published Lorei’s final byline. Politics, the news, and stories everyone was working on were all up for discussion, but missing was Lorei’s presence and feedback.
“Right now, he’d be probing me for facts, asking me 100 questions and looking for an opinion on everything,” Manteiga said, admitting that his friend pretty much kept his own opinions close to the chest.
“Rob didn’t want to really take sides, even in casual conversations, because he wanted that purity that a journalist is supposed to have. While I knew Rob’s heart, you didn’t necessarily know it by just listening to him.”
For Mantiega, Lorei’s endless curiosity, mentorship, and his ability to maintain a neutral line of questioning while the temperature is turned all the way up, is something the Bay area media landscape will miss most.
In his comments to CL last March, Lorei said he was actually not relieved about getting to leave TV at a time when finding rational
guests who’ve not become hyperpartisan is harder than ever.
“I still think we have to have those conversations,” Lorei said, alluding to a podcast conversation between Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom and conservative content king Charlie Kirk—two sides that normally would never come together. “I think we need to do more of that.”
Challenging falsehoods, especially when they compromise democracy, is a journalist and moderator’s obligation to their audience, Lorei said.
“I feel like I’m leaving just when things are getting really important and real serious,” he added.
What Lorei didn’t fear leaving, however, was his earthbound shell. In fact, he was more scared for young people without adequate healthcare than he was about the tumors growing inside of him.
“There’s people in much worse shape than I am,” Lorei said, opening the door, in a way, for the next part of his own story.
“I think everybody’s going to pass away, and everybody’s got to go through this—and, you know, hopefully there’ll be something very interesting on the other side of whatever this life is.”
KNOCK, KNOCKIN’: WMNF co-founder Rob Lorei will surely use his people skills wherever he is.
Hands off
St. Pete City Hall sees protests over murals and Florida DOGE.
By Selene San Felice
St. Petersburg residents last Thursday urged City Council to stop the FDOT-mandated erasure of street art—including LGBTQ+ Pride and Black Lives Matter murals. The Council voted unanimously to refer the issue to its Housing, Land Use, and Transportation Committee, which meets Sept. 11.
About 100 people rallied to “Save Our Street Murals” outside City Hall before the meeting, with many speaking out against FDOT’s mandate. Several of those included children and adults who helped paint the targeted murals.
Lives Matter street mural, and now homeless people on D.C.’s streets are being removed and arrested.
“One erasure leads to the next and the next and the next and when we don’t stand up to tyranny, what happens is the most vulnerable pay the price first,” Gascot said.
LOCAL NEWS
“But make no mistake, it’s going to affect me and you eventually.”
Eight-year-old Norah Egozcue told council she helped paint the Pride flag on Central Avenue for her late uncle, who was gay.
African American Museum director Terri Lipsey Scott spoke up on behalf of the “Black History Matters” mural outside the museum.
“They (FDOT) say it’s about safety but we know it’s about suppression,” Scott said. “They can paint over our streets, but they can’t erase our faces. They can edit the history books, but we will keep telling the truth.”
Rob Hall, executive director of St. Pete’s Winter Pride and owner of Pour Behavior, recalled moving to the city in 2022 to start his life over shortly after coming out and seeing the rainbow flag mural on Central Avenue. Seeing it, he said, empowered him to become involved in the LGBTQ+ community.
Avenue’s rainbow mural being defaced last year, to which Mayor Ken Welch responded that the city is “no place for hate.”
“The people in charge of the state and the federal government are literally siding with the people doing hate crimes,” Floyd said. “This is no different to me, this is another one.”
Welch released a statement earlier in the day restating the possibility that some public art may qualify for an exemption from FDOT, and that the city is waiting to hear from the state before taking action.
John Gascot, who helped paint the “Black History Matters” mural outside the Woodson African American Museum, pointed out that one of the first moves the Trump administration made when he returned to the White House in January was to get rid of D.C.’s Black
“When I painted that stripe, I felt like I was giving a piece of my love to him and to everyone who feels like they don’t belong,” Egozcue said.
“I see a promise that we will stand up for each other. ...they make kids believe that this city cares about everyone.”
“When people ask us if it’s safe here, we tell them, ‘Yes, St. Pete is a bubble. We are the safe space. But it’s not just our words that tell them that,” Hall said. “The world is watching to see what you decide...to see if we live up to the message we’ve been sending for years.”
Council member Richie Floyd chairs the committee that will discuss FDOT’s memo next month. He recalled two instances of Central
“I want to reassure residents that we have taken a thoughtful approach to this issue,” Welch wrote. “ Regardless of outcome, we will continue to explore ways to reflect our culture and values as a city. Ultimately, we want to be sure we are working through this process strategically, while also supporting our community.”
Florida DOGE’s St. Pete audit starts with protests
State-appointed auditors came to St. Petersburg last Wednesday to begin two days reviewing spending by Mayor Ken Welch and
continued on page 20
Woodson
RAINBOW COALITION: A packed St. Pete City Hall chamber on Aug. 14, 2025.
the majority Democratic-led City Council. Confronting them was a group of local residents in front of City Hall who declared they didn’t trust what the DeSantis administration says is the motivation for looking into local government spending.
Mimicking the federal initiative led by Elon Musk in the first months of the second Trump administration, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis introduced Florida’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) earlier this year, describing it as an effort to eliminate waste within state government, save taxpayers money, and ensure accountability. But it’s been turbocharged into a higher gear, looking at municipal and county government spending, ever since DeSantis appointed former GOP state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia as chief financial officer last month.
“Look, all of this is … because property taxes have been skyrocketing here in the state of Florida,” Ingoglia told reporters inside St. Petersburg City Hall on Aug. 13. But the critics who stood outside in the blazing heat earlier said they weren’t buying it.
“They have no business messing around with our city government,” said St. Pete resident Diane Willis. “They don’t even run our own state government well. I mean, the governor talked about transparency and accountability was the reason for DOGE.”
“He should look in his own backyard,” she continued, explicitly naming Hope Florida, the community-based welfare program initiated by First Lady Casey DeSantis that came under fire earlier this year and whose foundation is reportedly being investigated by state prosecutors.
“I think it’s a lie,” added Seminole resident Mary McMullen, who grew up in St. Petersburg, about the stated mission of DOGE to eliminate waste in government spending. “That’s not why they’re here.”
DEI
“Their letter talked about DEI,” McMullen said. “It talked about whether we have electric vehicles. It talked about the environment and that we are having the nerve to get involved in anything that might speak about problems with the environment. So, if they were here for what they say they were here for I’m fine, but that’s not it.”
That’s a problem, as far as City Council member Brandi Gabbard is concerned. “Surprisingly and upsettingly, there’s also a lot of questions regarding our resilience work and sustainability work. And we live in a coastal community where we’re incredibly vulnerable. And so to think that those sorts of initiatives could potentially be opposed by our state, to me really doesn’t look like moving forward in a cohesive way to protect the residents that we serve,” she told the Phoenix while walking out of City Hall to observe the protest last Wednesday.
“I would push back on any claim that there’s any waste within those tax dollars.”
McMullen was referencing the nine-page letter sent by Florida DOGE to St. Petersburg officials on Aug. 1, which made numerous references to DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) policies adopted in the city in recent years. Auditors also said that they wanted information about policies regarding resiliency and battling climate change, as well as specific purchases or leases of electric vehicles.
In January 2019, St. Petersburg was selected to participate in the American Cities Climate Challenge, an initiative backed by Bloomberg Philanthropies to tackle climate change and promote a sustainable future. Florida DOGE is now requesting records of “all actions, communications and expenditures to date in support” of that program.
Like most locally elected officials who have been interviewed by the news reporters ahead of planned DOGE visits, Gabbard said she welcomed state officials scrutinizing the city budget, because she believes the council and Welch have
been “good stewards” of the public’s money. “I would push back on any claim that there’s any waste within those tax dollars,” she said. “As far as any savings to be found, if there’s an opportunity to save a single penny that is a taxpayer dollar, we certainly want to look at that, but we are very confident in what we spend our tax dollars on and that is to get the best service that we possibly can for the city of St Petersburg.”
‘A long-term thing’
Florida DOGE’s two-day audit of St. Petersburg’s budget comes two days after a similar inquiry began across the bay with the Hillsborough County Commission. There, Ingoglia promised that this month’s inquiries were not a one-and-done situation.
“We have a lot of work to do with the counties. We have a lot of work to do with the cities. But what I can tell you is that I’m not going away,” he said on Monday. “Cities and counties should not be mistaken that this is a short-term thing. This is a long-term thing.”
During a Tampa press conference, DeSantis appeared surprised when asked about the planned protest against DOGE in St. Petersburg.
“What are they protesting?” he asked of the photojournalist who posed the question.
“They don’t like DOGE,” the journalist responded.
The governor replied by talking about the rise in property taxes, as he and Ingoglia have been campaigning for a 2026 constitutional amendment that would ask voters to limit taxes on homestead properties. Such an initiative would have to be approved by the Legislature early next year, and there are no specific details about what it would entail at this time.
“The question is, you’ve seen a lot of bloated budgets,” DeSantis said. “Where is that money going to? And they’ll say that it’s for things that we all agree on. Education. Public safety. First responders. But I can tell you, there’s a lot of stuff beyond that that some of these governments are spending these tax dollars on.”
“Do you need to be spending $3 million on DEI consultants?” he said, perhaps in reference to St. Petersburg’s budget. “Would you rather them spending it on that, or would you rather have property tax cuts?”—Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix
Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.
SEBASTIÁN GONZÁLEZ DE LEÓN Y LEÓN
GET OUT, DOGE: Blaise Ingoglia at St. Pete City Hall on Aug. 13, 2025.
All stripes
Tampa City Council candidates enter the Tiger Bay den.
By Valerie Smith
“We thought only having qualified candidates would limit the field. Boy, were we wrong,” said Missy Martin, Tampa Tiger Bay Club’s secretary, as she kicked off the Tampa City Council special election candidates forum last Friday at The Cuban Club in Ybor City. Eleven candidates, including one write-in candidate, comprised the largest group on stage at any Tiger Bay event in recent memory—even with three candidates absent.
Tiger Bay Club is known for its indelicate, nonpartisan political forums where club members ask questions of candidates for local office. The queries attempt to get to the essence of issues and often ask curveball questions that challenge candidates in unexpected ways.
Tampa’s District 5 City Council special election is packed with 13 qualified candidates and one write-in. Candidates
Audette Bruce, Darrell Ashley Dudney, and Carrie West were not in attendance.
Alison Hewitt cut right to the heart of most questions. While most candidates tended towards non-answers for particularly challenging questions—opting to instead give generic responses like “we need to work together as a community”—Hewitt used her experience in various governmental bodies to give clear, detailed answers on how she would work within the government to accomplish community goals.
When the candidates were asked how they would interface with Title I schools, Hewitt was the first to say that council members need to respect the authority of the school board while still playing a supporting role to the local education system by funding affordable housing so teachers and families could remain with their schools.
Fran Tate, a longtime community advocate heavily involved in East Tampa, said she regularly volunteers at Potter Elementary as a reading coach and fundraiser because she is grateful for the education her children got, saying she wants to pass this education on to today’s students.
Naya Young, former Executive Director of the Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association, and Juawana Colbert were in particularly challenging positions. Each sat on either end of the row, and were always either the first or last to answer a question due to the forum’s format. Still, Young held her own with fresh ideas and an overall consistent political philosophy, while Colbert, a Realtor, largely answered through a business and economic lens.
always about money. Everything is about money.” This was a recurring theme through most of his answers, with occasional references to his relationship with law enforcement through his involvement in TPD’s Chief’s Advisory Panel.
Candidates were asked which of the six current council members they most aligned with in temperament and political philosophy. Ariel Amirah Danley, daughter of late council member Gwendolyn Henderson, objected to the question, saying, “my mother is still a council member.” Danley said throughout the forum that she wants to dialogue directly with the community and neighborhood associations to learn what they need.
“[but] we’ve got to get things done.” Hewitt named Lynn Hurtak the council member she’s most similar to, citing attention to detail. The rest of the candidates generally said they needed to work with the council as a whole. Scott noted that four votes are required to do anything and it won’t always be the same three people who vote with him.
ELECTIONS
Special election for Tampa City Council District 5
Early voting Sept. 4-7. Election Day: Tuesday, Sept. 9. votehillsborough.gov
Melony Williams gave brief answers to most questions, often discussing her military experience. When asked about whether she’d support a public utility company to replace TECO, she said she’d support a feasibility study, saying that in the military she learned you do research to get all the information first.
Tom DeGeorge, owner of Crowbar in Ybor City and regional director for the National Independent Venue Association, emphasized community advocacy, but tended to avoid giving specific answers, focusing more on his connec -
Thomas Scott is a seasoned public servant who was on the city council and the county commission for years. He also has governmental insight, but gave slightly more restrained answers than Hewitt; he reiterated Hewitt’s point about the school board having jurisdiction, but didn’t expand on what the city could do to support underfunded schools.
Candidates were asked what they believed the role of city council was. Young said budget, comprehensive plan and zoning, but ultimately to be advocates for the people and to remove red tape. Colbert used a mnemonic device: BLLOR, meaning budget, laws, land use, ordinances and resolutions.
Albert Cooke answered like a businessman. When asked about council’s role, Cooke said: “It’s
tion to the community and his character. When asked what city council member he most closely aligned with, he said, “I am unapologetically myself, but that’s never stopped me from getting things done.”
Elvis Piggott said he favors a direct approach like Luis Viera or Bill Carlson. Fittingly, his responses were consistently among the shortest. “Love all of the council members,” Piggott said,
When asked about Resolution 568—a resolution to create a committee to address racial injustice within the city—the majority of candidates vaguely referenced racial justice and said they would work with the mayor and council to address inequality. Danley said she would rely on expert opinion. Tate went further, suggesting that the resolution become an ordinance with more teeth, but did not clarify what that meant (responses were limited to 30 seconds each). Hewitt said she would support funding a freestanding racial reconciliation committee, saying the six month time frame provided in the resolution is not enough time to address decades of inequity. Piggott stood to deliver his answer, saying he did so because he is “unapologetically Black.”
Jose Vazquez Figueroa is a write-in candidate who charmed the audience even as he joined the chorus of candidates who avoided giving direct answers. He discussed an eclectic mix of professions and community groups he’s been affiliated with in the past, and said he aimed to make sure city staff were doing their jobs.
Two candidates outright said they supported a municipally-owned utility company to replace TECO: DeGeorge, who said it would lower prices, and Cooke, who said when you own your own business you can make decisions quickly and effectively. Scott and Vazquez oppose the idea, saying the cost and complexity is something the city can’t handle. Other candidates said that they would have to see the data to figure out what would be best for the district.
COOL CATS: Candidates with members of Tampa Tiger Bay Club.
Saturday, Sept. 6th
10am-5pm St. Augustine, FL
“WHERE
Oh, buddy
Tampa’s Sen. Jay Collins is now Florida’s lieutenant governor.
By Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis selected Republican state Sen. Jay Collins to be his next lieutenant governor last Tuesday, immediately leading to speculation that the retired Army Green Beret could be the candidate to run for governor in 2026 and continue the DeSantis legacy.
Collins, 49, had been rumored to be the pick to succeed Jeanette Nuñez for months, telling the Phoenix in May that were his name in the mix, “that’s an incredible honor.”
Speaking at the Green Beret Association in Tampa just north of MacDill Air Force Base, DeSantis said he looked for a lieutenant governor who could help deliver “more wins” for Floridians and be capable of leading the state should he leave his job before he is term-limited out of office in January 2027. “You have to be strong on policy and you have to have a record of delivering big, conservative results,” DeSantis said.
“You’ve got to have a foundation of conservative principles. Rudderless ships will never find true north, and it’s very important that people bring with that, because we can talk about issues right now. A year from now into the future, you don’t know what’s going to go your way, so what are you going to look to as your frame of reference as you tackle big issues.”
The governor referenced Collins’ military career, including his service as a Special Forces medic in the U.S. Army and later as a member of the Green Berets. He was deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, and twice to South America. He was awarded a Purple Heart and sustained injuries that led to the amputation of a leg.
audience, the people we fight for, and the people we remember each and every day.”
Collins promised to be “relentless in the pursuit of excellence.”
“Excellence is a choice. We will not falter. We will not fail. We will not stop. Until we keep fighting and achieve excellence, all we do is the Florida standard, and that is my promise to you, governor.”
Political background
Collins, a resident of Hillsborough County, first came on the political scene in 2021, when he announced he would challenge Democrat Kathy Castor for Congress. Shortly after that, DeSantis himself recruited Collins to skip that race and instead run for the District 14 state Senate seat in 2022 that had been held by Democrat Janet Cruz. Collins went on to defeat Cruz by 10 percentage points and quickly became a close political ally of the governor. He has been a consistently conservative voice in the Senate since then. Among the bills he has championed was legislation to repeal the state law that bans the purchase of a long gun for anyone under 21 years of age. It passed the House but languished in the Senate.
LOCAL NEWS
Collins works as chief operating officer for Operation BBQ Relief, which distributes meals to Americans following natural disasters. In June, he traveled to the Middle East to help Floridians return to the United States during a military conflict between Israel and Iran.
“He was in these countries during the middle of a war, personally helping to rescue his fellow Floridians and fellow Americans,” DeSantis said. “Sen. Jay Collins is the Chuck Norris of Florida politics.”
In his speech, Collins thanked DeSantis, calling him “The GOAT,” and used military argot in describing how he plans to address his role as the state’s new lieutenant governor.
“The battlefield, it may change, but the mission stays the same,” he said. “We are going to protect and preserve every single thing that matters. We will not stop our fight. We will not slow down, we will continue to take the fight forward, because this is not politics, it is about people. It is about the people who are in this
He’s been a stalwart supporter of Hope Florida, the community-based welfare program initiated by First Lady Casey DeSantis that came under fire earlier this year and whose foundation is reportedly being investigated by state prosecutors. The question on everyone’s minds during last Tuesday’s press conference (which Casey DeSantis—for a while all but promoted by the governor as a possible successor—attended) is whether Collins would run for governor of Florida next year, taking on U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump and has raised more than $22 million.
Neither DeSantis nor Collins took questions from news reporters following the press conference. Collins did tell a group of reporters earlier this month in Orlando that while he would not say whether he would enter the race, he did believe that some other Republican needed to take on Donalds.
“I think competition’s good for anybody,” he said. “And look, I don’t want anybody to say anything. I have no umbrage with Byron. I don’t. I believe we should have a choice. Byron is a conservative leader. His family have done great things in the community. And, in the end, you know, what I think our government, our people, our world works better with choice, and we will
see where life goes, but, in the end, we’re going to be okay. Florida’s in a great position.”
Donalds congratulated Collins on being appointed lieutenant governor, writing on X, “I wish him all the best and look forward to working together on behalf of our great state.”
‘Performative’ politics
DeSantis has made it clear that he is looking to support someone other than Donalds next year. “Politics has become so performative, we often lose sight of why you’re really there,” he said at one point Tuesday in praise of Collins.
“It’s not to emote on social media. It’s not to get on as many TV shows as possible. Jay embodies one of our core principals. While words can be meaningful, it’s ultimately deeds that are the most powerful. You’re in office to deliver results for the people who put you there, not to serve your own personal interests. And I think that Jay’s life story has been the embodiment of that.”
Not everyone was in support of the pick.
DeSantis Watch, an organization critical of the governor, issued a statement contending that “the list of politicians willing to be associated with his failed agenda of higher costs and fewer freedoms has dwindled.”
“With the selection of Jay Collins it is clear the only supposed allies the Governor has left are other politicians looking to play on his own
narcissistic need for complete and total fealty to advance their own quests for higher office,” DeSantis Watch communications director Anders Croy said.
“It is a testament to how Ron DeSantis views his job as an elected official that the qualifications for a constitutional officer are not whether you have real solutions to lower costs or raise wages for Floridians, but whether you’re willing to stand beside his administration as its last days are defined by bullying, corruption, and political ambition over doing what’s right for the hardworking people of our state.”
Several Republican legislators were on hand, including Panhandle Rep. Michelle Salzman, who, like Collins, served in the U.S. Army. She said it was important for her to travel to Tampa to observe the event. But she evaded the question of whether she would support Collins if he runs for governor.
“I’m going to let him decide that,” she said while laughing. “I don’t want to get into the middle of all of that. But I am very excited for him. I love him very much. He’s a phenomenal leader.”
Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.
HANDY MAN: Gov. Ron DeSantis has a new right hand.
Couldn’t bear it
Gary Nicklaus resigns from FWC ahead of vote that cleared way for Florida bear hunt.
By Noah Bookstein
Gary Nicklaus resigned from his post as a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC) Commission last week, according to reports. Nicklaus, a former professional golfer himself and the son of famed golfer Jack Nicklaus, was initially appointed to the commission in late 2017 and reappointed in 2022 by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Nicklaus’s term was due to end in August 2027.
The FWC, headed by seven commissioners appointed by the governor, is increasingly seen by critics as a body that prioritizes the interests of private sector development groups over environmental conservation.
Florida Politics notes that Gary Nicklaus had not publicly commented on his resignation, citing sources that claim he was “‘uncomfortable’ with the prospect of casting a vote on the hunt.”
The early resignation came just before FWC’s final vote on a controversial bear hunting proposal. The vote passed and clears the way for the first sanctioned black bear hunting season in the state in a decade.
Proponents of the hunt point to black bear population growth and tout hunting as an effective population management tool. Opponents of the hunt argue non-lethal methods including bear-proof trash cans would be more effective for humanely reducing conflict between human and bear populations. Critics also point to the last hunt in 2015, which wildlife officials had to shut down after hunters killed nearly the entire quota of bears in only two days.
The FWC has a broad mandate including law enforcement, wildlife and habitat management, fisheries management, and conservation research to ensure the preservation and responsible use of Florida’s natural resources—including those in state parks.
In August 2024, Tampa Bay Times uncovered a DeSantis administration plan to commercially develop nine state parks with hotels, golf courses and pickleball courts. The plan was abandoned after intense public backlash, including opposition from elected officials.
Amidst the state parks controversy, Gary Nicklaus’s position as an FWC commissioner drew scrutiny for his ties to golf course development companies with a history of projects on public land. He previously denied involvement in the proposed commercial development involving Jonathan Dickinson State Park near Jupiter, Florida.
Nicklaus isn’t the only FWC commissioner with ties to private sector development groups. Last Monday, the governor’s office announced that Joshua Kellam is appointed as the new FWC commissioner. Kellam was previously on the commission and is the president of The Garcia Companies, a development firm.
FWC approves Florida’s first bear hunt season in 10 years
Despite pleas from animal-rights advocates, Florida wildlife officials last Wednesday approved holding a 23-day bear hunt in December that could lead to 187 bears being killed. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved rules for the state’s first bear hunt in more than a decade. The hunt will take place in four regions of the state and use a lottery process for hunters to obtain permits.
Opponents announced plans to quickly file a lawsuit to fight the hunt, contending the commission hasn’t followed its own rules about the need to follow a science-based approach. “They haven’t taken into consideration habitat loss for these animals, and they (bears) should actually be recognized as an endangered species,” Raquel Levy, of the group Bear Warriors United, said.
But Commissioner Gary Lester said the agency’s staff members brought forward “good, solid science for us to follow.”
Commissioners otherwise made few comments about the hunt during a meeting that drew an overflow crowd to the Florida Public Safety Institute in the Gadsden County community of Havana. Hunt supporters wore orange shirts, while opponents mostly sported black. Supporters pointed, in part, to increased interactions between bears and residents.
“I’ve seen how these bears impact us. They have completely skyrocketed,” hunter Jason Smith said. “It used to be, when I was a kid, you didn’t see very many bears. Now they are all over the place. They are in our yard all of the time.”
But opponents of the hunt exited the meeting yelling that the “FWC has blood on their hands” and “shame on you.”
“This is solely based on greed,” opponent Bella Schwartz told the commission. “Let’s say even if the bears did need their population managed, we don’t need trophy hunting to do that.”
Officials from Gulf, Jefferson, Liberty and Franklin counties expressed support for a revival of bear hunting, which has occurred only once in the past three decades.
“Our number one responsibility is the safety and well-being of our residents. And over the
past several years, black bears have become a growing part of that conversation,” Liberty County Undersheriff Bobby Revell said. “We’ve seen a rise in service calls related to bears, bears on porches, in yards near schools and even our homes. These are not isolated incidents. They’re becoming regular calls for our deputies, and they reflect real concerns families in Liberty County are living with every day.”
Hunt opponents called on the commission to maintain non-lethal options for preventing bear-human interactions, such as the use of bear-proof trash containers and increased land conservation. Among the biggest concerns of hunt opponents were the use of feeding stations, which can lure animals, and the use of dogs in hunts starting in 2027. Hunters would not be allowed to use dogs to pursue bears in December. But that would change for subsequent seasons, which are expected to run from October into December.
“The use of dogs and taking of bears within close proximity of game feeding stations creates undue harm to all bears and other wild game that has become habituated to the feeding station areas,” Marge Holt, representing the Sierra Club in Central Florida, said. The Sierra Club used buses to transport hunt opponents from several parts of the state to Havana, after holding rallies over the weekend.
Baiting was a concern during the state’s last hunt, when 305 bears were killed in two days in 2015. The hunt was cut short after being planned to last a week. The commission contends that hunting around feeders would allow hunters to be more selective. The rules approved last Wednesday established a permit-drawing process that will be open to anyone paying a $5 entry fee. The process does not include a limit on the number of times people can enter, but people whose names are drawn will only be able to purchase a single permit. Floridians will pay $100 for permits. Non-Floridians will be limited to 10% of the permits, which will cost them $300.
The 187-bear quota is based on a formula. The hunt is planned to be limited to 68 bears in the Apalachicola region west of Tallahassee; 46 in areas west of Jacksonville; 18 in an area north of Orlando; and 55 in the Big Cypress region southwest of Lake Okeechobee.
The state had an estimated 4,050 bears in 2015, considered the most recent figures by the commission. Bears were on the state list of threatened species from 1974 to 2012, until a biological status review determined they were no longer at high risk of extinction. Over the past 50 years, the state has recorded 42 incidents in which wild bears have made physical contact with people, with the first recorded fatal bear attack occurring in May, when an 89-year-old Collier County man and his dog were killed.—Jim Turner/ News Service of Florida
GOLDEN CHILD: Gary Nicklaus is the son of renowned golfer Jack Nicklaus.
RESTAURANTS RECIPES DINING GUIDES
Glazy days
Everglazed Donuts comes to Carrollwood, and more local food news.
By Marleigh Brown
Fans of Everglazed’s loaded donuts and cold brew in Sparkman Wharf can now drive-thru for a sweet treat in Carrollwood. The new location opened Aug. 11 at 14777 N Dale Mabry Hwy. The Orlando-based company started in 2021 in Disney Springs and added a spot at Sparkman Wharf in downtown Tampa just two years later.
Everglazed is known for its over-the-top donut breakfast sammies, tender combos— yes, they come with a donut–and chicken sandwiches. The cold brew selection is just as sugar-fueled with combinations like cookies and cream, salted caramel and PB cup. The shop also has sugar-free flavor combinations and milk alternatives.
Mazzaro’s opens Zagara Gelato across the street from its Italian market
The Mazzaro’s lunch rush just got a lot sweeter.The team behind Tampa Bay’s cult favorite Italian market opened a new venture, Zagara Gelato, on Aug. 11. Located across the street from the market at 3001 22nd Ave. N— aka the Casa di Mazzaro gift shop—Zagara holds its grand opening event Sept. 3.
OPENINGS & CLOSINGS
Everglazed Carrollwood is open 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and until 10 p.m. on Friday-Saturday.
Coffee Concrete opens in St. Pete’s Warehouse District as Sugar Baby Coffee temporarily closes in Seminole
Fans of Sugar Baby Cafe who are missing the caffeinated delicacies and extravagant food while its Seminole shop is temporarily closed can get something similarly sweet (and sturdy) in St. Petersburg. The shop’s new location opened June 20 across the street from FloridaRAMA at 2621 Fairfield Ave. S under a new name, Coffee Concrete.
EastCoast Concrete owner Mikey Lambert and Sugar Baby owners Victoria Shivock and Yauhen Yurhelevich collaborated to create a space that serves coffee, featuring a brutalist architectural style. Recently, one of the neighboring stores that shares a plaza with Sugar Baby’s Seminole location caught fire, causing it to close temporarily while they restore power.
Coffee Concrete will share some menu items with Sugar Baby, but will be more focused on pastries and handcrafted lattes. Some fan favorites from the menu include breakfast plates like the Chili Scrambled, which has scrambled eggs, chili peppers, creamy feta, crispy onions, chili oil with crunch, micro cilantro and dill and sourdough. The new location is open every day except Tuesdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Coming from the Italian word for “orange blossom,” the shop will offer traditional dense Italian gelato, espressosoaked affogato and granita—an Italian sorbet-adjacent treat often coupled with a citrusy brioche. A St. Pete staple for three decades, Mazarro’s has gathered many awards, including numerous Best of the Bays.
Zagara Gelato is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m on weekdays and Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Jani Burden & Selene San Felice
Indian restaurant Curry Leaves celebrates grand opening at Westshore Plaza
A Best of the Bay-winning restaurant that you’ve probably ordered Uber Eats from just got a major upgrade. Popular Indian eatery Curry Leaves has operated out of a BP gas station-adjacent spot at 4843 W. Kennedy Blvd for several years now., but just opened a brand new location around the corner.
According to the restaurant’s social media, Curry Leaves’ new, much larger location is now open at 204 Westshore Plaza. It boasts a fullservice bar with “Indian-inspired cocktails” and a massive dining room—a bit more upscale compared to its beloved, take-out only location down the street. Its new Westshore Plaza restaurant hosted a grand opening party on Aug. 9.
While Curry Leaves’ lunch buffet is an ideal way to sample its most popular curries, biryanis and vegetarian appetizers, its expansive dinner menu offers an even larger selection of Indian dishes. Smaller dishes on its menu include a variety of naans, salads, lentil soups, samosas, kebabs, and street-food inspired starters like sev puri (crispy shells stuffed with potatoes, chickpeas and spices), vegetable fritters and braised cauliflower.
Entrees range from vegetarian options like channa masala, yellow daal tadka and paneer khurchan to meat and seafood dishes like the classic chicken tikka masala, lamb vindaloo, tiger prawn mango curry, lamb chops and chicken chettinad alongside many other dishes.
Desserts, N/A drinks like mango lassi and masala chai, and a full spread of craft cocktails are also available at the new Curry Leaves restaurant.
Curry Leaves also operates a location in Lakeland (3260 U.S.-Hwy 98 N) in addition to its Tampa restaurant. With its new Westshore Plaza restaurant opening its doors this week, its beloved gas station spot will also cease operations.
Head to @tampa.curryleaves on Instagram or @curryleavestampa on Facebook for more news on the restaurant’s new Westshore Plaza location. The recently-opened Indian eatery also has a private room that’s available for event rentals. Curry Leaves’ newest location is now
open from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.-10 p.m. everyday except for Tuesdays.—Kyla Fields
Kinjo, a new concept from Michelin-starred team behind Koya, opens in Tampa Italian food meets Japanese sensibility in Tampa’s newest fine dining experience. Kinjo. The Wafu-Italian pop-up, opened Aug. 13. The concept is run by chefs Eric and Adriana Fralick, the minds behind Michelinstarred Koya.
While the restaurant’s permanent location is under construction, its team will serve fresh pasta, house-cured meats and melt-in-your-mouth crudo in the former K ōL āb Hospitality (around the corner from Koya). It’ll also have wines from Italy and France and Japanese sake, along with craft cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks.
Reservations for the seven-course tasting menu are $150 per person. A la carte reservations are also available (but both go fast).—Selene San Felice
YOU JELLY?: Everglazed Donuts is now serving massive donuts and cold brew in Carrollwood.
TAMPA BAY’S BEST LOBSTER ROLL
August 23, 2025
“We play first-run films, rep films, and signature programs.”
MOVIES THEATER ART CULTURE
Marquee move
Tampa scores relocation of Jacksonville indie cinema favorite.
By Gabe Echazabal
Despite its enormous size, ever-increasing population, and the obvious fact that it has become a sprawling city, there are still many hidden, unearthed gems to discover throughout Tampa. For every landmark and well-populated spot, there remains plenty of culturally rich and cool places that might still be under the radar for many residents. Add Sun-Ray Cinema to the top of that list.
moving south, the couple relocated their aspirations and passions to Tampa last year.
LOCAL ARTS
Offering a unique model of the moviegoing experience and a vibe all its own, co-owners and married couple Tim Massett and Shana David-Massett are, first and foremost, film lovers and devoted believers in the indescribable magic and pure joy that going to a movie theater can offer. Having operated a thriving version of their Sun-Ray Cinema establishment in Jacksonville for 13 years before
Right behind the previous structure that housed the University Square Mall on Fowler Avenue (and not too far from USF’s massive main campus), The Massetts have cultivated and developed an engaging and welcoming venue that is unlike the more conventional movie theater design most are familiar with. Appealing to movie lovers of all genres and demographics, Sun-Ray is unique in that it screens large Hollywood blockbusters, alongside smaller, lesser-known films, while regularly hosting special events that feature live guests to complement the experience.
“We play first-run films, rep films (as in repertory or older, notable films), and signature programs,” according to Massett’s description of
his Sun-Ray concept. But, that’s only a limited overview of what he and his spouse of 17 years have recently made a very welcome addition to Tampa’s entertainment landscape.
While happy to feature guaranteed crowd pleasers like the newest “Superman” film, SunRay also distinguishes itself by offering cool, one-of-a-kind events like the upcoming doublefeature event that consists of two films originally released in 1985: “Teen Wolf” and “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure.”
Thanks to the luxury of cable and streaming services, many have undoubtedly seen both films multiple times since they were originally screened 40 years ago, but Sun-Ray is offering a twist for this single-day event: they’ve invited actor Mark Holton, who appeared in each of those films, to be onsite to partake in a Q&A session following each movie. Audiences will remember Holton’s character in the Pee-Wee Herman film as Francis Buxton, the bratty, spoiled nemesis of Herman’s who masterminds the sinister plot to steal PeeWee’s super cool red bike.
And that’s only one of the hip to-dos SunRay regularly boasts. A sampling of some of its past events includes an appearance last spring
by punk rock poetess and artist Lydia Lunch, who screened her documentary film and spoke to the audience that came to see her after the conclusion of the movie’s screening.
As an avid admirer of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” the 2001 rock and roll fable film about a German wannabe rock star who undergoes a badly botched sex change operation before coming to America to launch a music career, it was a personal thrill to watch that film for the umpteenth time at Sun-Ray last May. What made it even more special was the in-person appearance by John Cameron Mitchell, the co-writer and star of the film that began as an off-Broadway stage show in 1998. Mitchell offered live, off-the-cuff commentary about the film and its sequences throughout the screening, which made for a hilarious and highly entertaining night.
Shana David-Massett sees herself as a person who “has a passion for putting on a show."
A trained vocalist and piano player (the Rhodes piano onstage at the Sun-Ray lobby is hers), she also loves movies, and gets excited when speaking about the upcoming events and special screenings she and Tim will soon be hosting.
continued on page 42
LONERS & REBELS: Tim Massett and Shana David-Massett have assembled a solid team at Sun-Ray.
DAVE DECKER
Fostering is free: all supplies provided!
Help cats and dogs get a break from the shelter
Raise kittens and puppies in a safe home environment
Earn 4 volunteer hours per day
A screening of John Waters’ 1981 cult classic “Polyester” is on tap for October, but what makes the event even more enticing is that the owners have made arrangements to have “odorama” cards (scratch ‘n sniff cards that include different scents on them that coincide with some of the movie’s scenes) on hand to pass out before the film commences. The gimmicky, interactive prop was part of the film’s original screening presentation more than four decades ago, so it’s only fitting that Sun-Ray would resurrect this essential detail and stay true to the film’s viewing. Oh, and the film’s director and creator Waters—sometimes referred to as “the king of filth,” thanks to his sometimes shocking and off-the-wall subject matter—will be in the house, too. Partaking in the screening as part of a concept the Massetts refer to as “The Talkies,” Waters will also offer commentary throughout this very special showing of the cult classic.
Another attractive function Sun-Ray serves is presenting movies that many younger audiences might have never had the chance to see on a large screen, the way they were intended to be seen. The owners received nothing but praise from those who got to see the late-’90s perennial favorite “The Big Lebowski” on one of the theater’s 10 screens inside the spacious complex not long after their opening last December.
While Sun-Ray does things its own way when it comes to programming film selections and its one-of-a-kind events, obviously, there’s also an impassioned desire by its proprietors to keep the experience as fun and hassle-free for patrons.
Then there’s the prices.
No movie is more than $10.75 (adults matinees before 6 p.m. are $8.75), and tickets are $5 on "Tapped Out Tuesdays." There are also discounts for seniors, students, military and teachers (they get in for $8.50 all day), kids under 12 years old ($6.50), and USF students ($6).
Self-serve, popcorn tops out at $6 and comes with a refill (extra refills on 'corn are $1). Beers are $4 and up, and $4 fountain drinks also include a refill.
In another admirable attempt to become a viable player in the local arts and entertainment community, Sun-Ray is happy to entertain the concept of local nonprofits who’d like to screen documentaries or special interest films. They’ve started getting the word out that they’re willing to host these types of events on Wednesday nights for a nominal fee, and have done a few since arriving in Tampa.
LOCAL ARTS
“We’re doing this to make a living, not to get rich” is Tim Massett’s theory. He and Shana love movies and their goal is to create a third space for locals to congregate and coexist with others who might share a similar passion for a particular film or who have a burning desire to see movies they’ve never had the chance to experience on a large screen.
“It’s a shared space,” Shana adds. “It’s a place where you can sit with other like-minded people, who might have different viewpoints, but have this in common.”
“It’s a place where you can sit with other likeminded people, who might have different viewpoints, but have this in common.”
A list of suggested behaviors is prominently displayed near the theater’s entrance, and upholding those guidelines has made a significant difference in setting the right mood and atmosphere for the ultimate moviegoing experience. For example, kids under the age of 18 can't view a film at Sun-Ray unless accompanied by an adult, regardless of the film’s rating. Vaping, loud phone conversations, and the distracting, bright glow of a cell phone in any of the theaters while a movie is being screened are all frowned upon, as is bringing in outside food and drinks. Food is delivered directly to patrons in their seats.
Owners have more than two dozen people on payroll and built a dream team in the front-andback-of-house featuring heavy hitters from the Tampa and Ybor City hospitality scene including staff coordinator Britt B, kitchen manager Anthony Alt, Swiss Army Knife and handyman Brian Schille, plus OG St. Pete meme/pop culture fiend lord Craig Adams, and Rob Hampton.
Looking ahead at the events they have planned, both owners lit up and excitedly spoke of a retrospective series they’ll be hosting later this year which consists of the films of the late, renown director Stanley Kubrick. Filmgoers will be thrilled to know that, as part of that tribute, Sun-Ray will be screening a new 70mm print of Kubrick’s masterful 1968 classic, "2001: A Space Odyssey." Originally shot in 70mm format, this will undoubtedly be the optimal way to view this classic film in the rich, immersive format Kubrick intended for it.
Previous visitors and newcomers alike will no doubt find plenty of value in the passion and expertise its owners inject into their programs at Sun-Ray Cinema, and will surely want to stay connected with all the future events the Massetts have planned to bring to this unconventional and progressive establishment.
Sun-Ray’s arrival in Tampa is a huge boon for the local patchwork of art and culture, and gives the community a destination for seeing either blockbuster movies or offbeat classics.
Tim Massett put it even more plainly, adding that, “We want this to be an experience that people find value in.”
PICTURE SHOW: Sun-Ray’s Picture Phone photobooth is an export from Jacksonville.
Yankowitz, Cantilevered Painting X Marks the Spot, 1997, Acrylic
Firestone
Thursday, August 21, 2025 • 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Papa’s Pilar Rum Dinner
@ Columbia Restaurant - Ybor City 2117 East 7th Avenue
$190.04 General Admission bit.ly/PapaPilarYbor
Friday, August 22, 2025 • 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Jazz Night 5-Course Wine Dinner
@ Chateau Cellars Ybor
2009 North 22nd Street
$156.84 PP - Prix Fixe Menu + Wine Pairings bit.ly/JazzChateauYbor
Saturday, August 23, 2025 • 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Tampa Brushes and Bubbles
@ Ybor City Society Wine Bar
1600 East 7th Avenue
Tickets from $46.21
bit.ly/BrushesAndBubbles
Sunday, August 24, 2025 • 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Marketplace TPA @ 1920 Ybor
1920 East 7th Avenue
GA Flash Sale $13.45
bit.ly/MarketTPA
Wednesday, August 27, 2025 • 8:00 PM - 10:30 PM
Girls Night Out the Show® @ Showbar Ybor 1613 East 7th Avenue
Tickets start at $19.12
bit.ly/GirlsNightOutYbor
Friday, August 29, 2025 • 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Ybor Fiesta Community Event @ Ybor Square
1300 East 8th Avenue
On Sale August 21 bit.ly/YborFiesta
Saturday, August 30, 2025 • 9:00 PM - 3:00 AM
Retro Warehouse Party (featuring Minimalistuk + Thirsty Turtle)
@ 1920 Ybor
1920 East 7th Avenue
Tickets start at $30.66 bit.ly/RetroWarehouseParty
Saturday, August 30, 2025 • 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Raul Giovannetti: Cantares @ HCC Ybor City Campus
2001 North 14th Street
Tickets start at $21.50 bit.ly/RaulYbor
Saturday, August 30, 2025 • 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
BROADWAY BACKWARDS by Luis Rivera
@ HCC Performing Arts Ybor City
2001 North 14th Street
Tickets start at $17.85 bit.ly/BroadwayBackwardsYbor
Sunday, August 31, 2025 • 11:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Festa della Madonna Luncheon 2025 @ L’Unione Italiana
1731 East 7th Avenue
To-Go Orders - $20, Adult Ticket - $30, Table of Ten - $300
bit.ly/FestaMadonna
Copper Shaker Ybor 1502 E 7th Ave coppershaker.com
Where to Live:
Casa Ybor • casaybor.com
Casa Ybor offers unique retail spaces, office spaces, and apartment homes for rent or lease in both newly constructed and lovingly restored historic buildings throughout the vibrant National Historic Landmark District of Ybor City near Downtown Tampa, Florida.
La Union • bit.ly/LaUnionYbor
Community, connection, and culture come together at La Unión Apartments, where Tampa’s rich history and vibrant future unite. Inspired by the historic social hall once on this site, our Ybor City apartments honor that legacy by fostering bonds among residents, the neighborhood, and the area’s deep-rooted heritage.
Miles at Ybor • milesatybor.com
Step into the pulse of Tampa’s most vibrant neighborhood at Miles at Ybor, where modern luxury apartments in Tampa blend seamlessly with the rich cultural tapestry of historic Ybor City. These aren’t just furnished apartments in Ybor City – they’re your gateway to an elevated urban lifestyle that celebrates both heritage and innovation.
Tampa Baseball Museum 2003 N. 19th Street
Follow the story of Al Lopez. Tampa’s first Major League player, manager, and Hall of Fame inductee. tampabaseballmuseum.org
Tempus
Projects
1624 E 7th Ave, 2nd Floor
TEMPUS PROJECTS is dedicated to nurturing established and emerging local, national, and international artists through exhibitions, collaborations, residencies, and events. tempus-projects.com
8/21
8/26 - ADAM STACKPOLE
8/29 - FLO-RAW
By Ray Roa
FRI 22
Katy Perry w/Rebecca Black Tampa’s been “Hot n Cold” on the new name for Amalie Arena, and there’s a good chance Katy Perry fans will hear the song this weekend when the pop icon plays the first big concert at Benchmark International Arena. Perry, a Dr. Luke stan who’s been nominated for 15 Grammys, announced the American leg of her “Lifetimes” tour this morning, with a press release that says she will perform “all of her hits.” (Benchmark International Arena, Tampa, Tampa)
C Rohna (Album release) w/Cannibal Kids/Jupiter Bloom/Twin Suns Anyone that’s been to a local “Indie Night” gig is well aware that Rohna’s figured a lot of things out as far as draw goes. Organized by bassist Andres Hernandez, Indie Night is consistently sold-out, but the band puts itself front and center for one night to celebrate a new LP, Don’t Come Down, which captures the highs, lows, calm and chaos of life these days. Some of Rohna’s best buds open the show. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
SAT 23
C Rudy De Anda w/The Venus Heartstring-tugging singer-songwriter Rudy De Anda plays a no-cover, intimate dive bar gig as part of his “Gulf of Mexico” tour which includes three Florida dates. (The Bends, St. Petersburg)—Matthew Moyer
Perception w/Philip Charos/Queen of Ex/9henom/Parriss & The Night Powerhouse Tampa rapper Queen of Ex doesn't play a lot, and she's picked a good night to be onstage. Flanked by beloved rappers from Tampa (Perception) and St. Pete (9henom), along with Greek drummer-songwriter and burgeoning pop star Philip Charos, the Queen will also share the bill with Parriss & The Night. The latter has a new single "Feel To Wrong," a rock anthem of sorts that's a little heavier than past releases. Expect Parriss & The Night to play it and tease more tracks from a forthcoming Breakfast EP due soon. (Music hall at New World Brewery, Tampa)
C Tampa Beat Weekend: Monae Marleau w/Knux & Friends/Jotta & Bauxmonk/ Sounds Anon/Daron Gem$/Xzstnce For a glimpse into the future of hip-hop look no further than Hmtwn (stylized in all-caps). The Tampa producer has always been on the bleeding edge of the beatsmith scene, and his annual summit brings together emergent talent from across the country. This year, he elevates West Tampa’s own Monae Marleau whose latest (“Goliath”) features work by Florida’s own Whoa! This weekend’s
festivities (kicking off Saturday, Aug. 23) are just a warm up, too, with an even bigger lineup—featuring a rare set from Tampa songwriter Adia, plus a homecoming for expat Roc Nation Tampa rapper Gat$—going down on Aug. 29. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
SUN 24
C Astropical There’s never been a better time to get out of Florida, but if you can’t leave, Astropical can at least set your mind free. The world-pop supergroup is made up of musicians from Colombian cumbia-delictronic duo Bomba Estéreo and Rawayana, a trippy world-pop band from Venezuela. A new single from the project, “Me Pasa (Piscis)” is an afro-pop gem that sounds like it was born on the shores of Santa Marta where the beach lives in the shadows of the Sierra Nevada mountains. On the road behind self-titled album released last March, Bomba vocalist Li Saumet promises that the Astropical show will be a counter to the darkness outside. “All of the songs on this album are very positive; they’re meant to lift people’s minds and spirits,” she recently told NPR in Spanish. (The BayCare Sound, Clearwater)
C Pohgoh (acoustic) w/Scars Are Proof of Survival Tampa’s emo kids don’t get many chances to see one of the city’s greatest contributions to the genre’s second wave, and an acoustic set is even more rare. Frontwoman Susie Richardson Ulrey plays this $5 matinee inside one of the best new venues in Tampa. (Deviant Libation, Tampa)
C Tampa Jazz Club: James Suggs 'James Loves George—the Music of George Gershwin' The busiest trumpeter in Tampa Bay switches gears a bit for a Sunday matinee where the Tampa Jazz Club asks him to pay homage to the music of George Gershwin, the American pianist and composer whose "Swanee" was partly inspired by the official state song of the Sunshine State. "Summertime" and "Embraceable You" are up for re-imagination, too, as James Suggs is joined onstage by bassist Alejandro Arenas, Patrick Bettison on keys, and drummer Jean Bolduc for this kickoff of the Tampa Jazz Club season. (Mainstage Theatre at Hillsborough College, Ybor City)
WED 27
Bleeding Truth w/Drosera/No Plea/The Wade Garrett Tampa promoter Eliot Mayo continues to pick off some of the South’s hardest hitting hardcore outfits and this time welcomes Dallas-Ft. Worth band Bleeding Truth to the pink-floored arena that is Deviant Libation. The band is on the road supporting a four-track EP, My Star My Perfect Silence Bands from Gainesville (Drosera) and right around here (No Plea, The Wade Garrett) open the show. (Deviant Libation, Tampa)
The Struts w/Dirty Honey Glam-rock is alive and well, especially when you consider the almost-billion streams earned by The Struts. Luke Spiller’s U.K outfit returns to St. Petersburg still grinding it out behind the frontman who comes off like a much-prettier, just-as-energetic hybrid of Mick Jagger and The Darkness’ Justin Hawkins. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)
THU 28
C Dominic Walker Trio (album release)
One of the best jazz gigs in the Bay area happens every Friday night in the jam-packed backyard of a Davis Island coffee shop. The maestro every week is guitarist Dominic Walker, but he’ll bring some of his favorite players—drummer Paul Gavin and pianist John C. O’Leary III—into the basement of the Palladium Theater to release a brand new album. Recorded at Morrisound, Hurricane Summer corrals the warm and soulful tone of Walker’s Gibson L4-CES, into a collection of jazz, rock and blues covers and originals that’ll come to life in a special way thanks to the addition of saxophonist Jack Wilkins and vocalist Allison Nash. (Side Door Cabaret at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)
C WMNF Save Our Sound-Waves: Mestaurant w/Lychee Camp/Shelby Sol & Jinx/Pet Lizard Since its inception, community radio station WMNF Tampa has been a surefire place for homegrown bands to get their first dose of airplay. To this day, 88.5-FM remains a core supporter of local musicians, and the scene is giving back in the wake of funding cuts from Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump. This gig is anchored by Mestaurant, the drum-centric project of producer and DJ Chris Wood. Rock bands Lychee Camp and Pet Lizard round out the bill alongside a special performance from songwriter Shelby Sol and her partner, rapper Jinx. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
Z!ster w/Pilot Jonezz/Domino Pink/ Spiderwall Atlanta artist Zl!ster embodies the interests of a new generation of genreagnostic music lovers. On the surface, songs play like hip-hop, but Z meanders into indierock and pop, too. That unbridled joy likely comes from the attitude Z!ster adopted after nearly dying when he smashed into a semi truck on the interstate. Some of the Bay area’s equally-joyous bands open the show. (Music hall at New World Brewery, Tampa)
See extended Music Week listings via cltampa.com/music.
C CL Recommends
Rohna
Two months after bringing his band’s farewell tour through town, Raekwon already has plans to come back to Tampa Bay.
The Wu-Tang Clan co-founder announced a new tour this month, and it includes two stops in Florida. The show is a co-headlining gig with Mobb Deep, which just played a sold-out show in Ybor City last weekend.
“Me and Havoc from Mobb will be pure hip-hop at its finest. This is gonna take rap shows to the next level—guaranteed,” Raekwon wrote in a statement about the tour celebrating 30th anniversaries for his solo album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… and Mobb Deep’s The Infamous
The 55-year-old Brooklyn-born rapper, who also just released a new album, The Emperor’s New Clothes, appears twice on The Infamous, so expect a lot of onstage collaboration at this one.
Tickets to see Raekwon and Mobb Deep play Jannus Live in St. Petersburg, Florida on Sunday, Dec. 14 are still available and start at $63. See Josh Bradley’s weekly roundup of new concerts coming to Tampa Bay below.—Ray Roa
Fil Pate Trio w/Vision Crysta l Friday, Aug. 29. 8 p.m. $12. Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa
Kenzie Wheeler Saturday, Aug. 30. 8 p.m. $19.75. Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa
Yo Majesty w/Julia Powell/Last Bias Saturday, Sept. 6. 10 p.m. No cover. The Bends, St. Petersburg
United Forces Friday, Sept. 12. 6 p.m. $22.56. Brass Mug, Tampa
Can you expand on your “zone of erotic autonomy” concept? It has been a big help to me in my relationship, but I’m wondering where the autonomous zone’s boundaries are. My partner is a major porn and masturbation enthusiast, and over the years, it has caused a lot of friction — the good kind for him, the bad kind for me. We have come close to breaking up over things like:
1. Messaging content creators. He took this way too far, with ongoing one-on-one conversations, video chats, picture exchanges, etc., that were basically an online affair.
2. Jerking off to pictures of people we know, including my close friends.
3. Most recently, exploring AI porn creation — and he’s combined this with the above-mentioned pictures of people we know.
4. Frequency of masturbation interfering with the quantity and quality of our sex life.
On the one hand, I agree with you that he has a right to erotic autonomy. What he does with his body is his business, and people are entitled to have their private, depraved fantasies without being thought-policed and controlled. On the other hand, some of this stuff is gross to the point of being immoral, and it makes me lose respect for him and not trust his judgment. And it spills over into affecting me and our sex life. This is basically the only thing we fight about, and it feels like once we resolve one issue, a new one pops up. So, can you say more about where you think this zone begins and ends? Is thought policing someone’s jerking off ever justified? Is a happy middle ground possible with someone like my partner?—Reluctant Thought Police Officer
not okay with you for emotional or financial reasons, you have every right to ask him to say something.
2. People have been fantasizing about their partners’ friends, coworkers, and siblings for as long as people have had partners. In olden times, a person would close their eyes and picture the person they wished they were fucking—in addition to or instead—and their partner would never find out. Now, dumb people save pictures of their partner’s friends, coworkers, etc., in files on their desktops or scatter likes all over their sister-in-law’s thirst traps, and their partners find out. If your boyfriend can’t manage to hide this behavior from you, he shouldn’t engage in it.
SAVAGE LOVE
3. Ugh. Your boyfriend is allowed to fantasize about whoever he wants to fantasize about… but creating AI porn clips and leaving them somewhere his girlfriend can find them (or telling his girlfriend about them) is unforgivably inconsiderate. And if he’s not smart enough to hide these clips from you, he’s not smart enough to make sure they’re on a secure device in an encrypted file. Outside the zone.
4. If your partner is spending all his time— and all his erotic energy—masturbating to AI-generated porn clips featuring your friends and coworkers, his fantasies and porn creation/ consumption habits are negatively impacting your shared sex life and your relationship, neither of which falls within his zone of erotic autonomy.
ultimate fantasy. My friend told him she would “absolutely” have a threesome with him (she used the word “absolutely”) but only after they were married. But she told me she never intends to have a threesome with him. She said she plans on dragging things out after the wedding until he gives up and stops asking. It’s weird that he made agreeing to a threesome a condition to propose (which seems coercive), but it’s equally weird that she would pretend to agree to his terms (which seems deceptive). While I don’t think he should be making demands like this, I also don’t think she should be marrying him under false pretenses. This seems like a recipe for disaster. I’m not sure what, if anything, I am supposed to do about this.—My Friend’s Marriage
I’ve gotten letters from people (mostly men) over the years whose spouses (mostly women) agreed to have a certain sexual adventure—or agreed to maintain a general level of sexual adventurousness—before the wedding, only to back out after. While some Backer Outers were sincere when they promised to have that one threesome or keep attending all of those sex parties, some Backer Outers told their partners what their partners wanted to hear (“I’m down for a threesome sometime!”) to get their partners to tell them what they wanted to hear (“Will you marry me?”). Someone who lies about their willingness to have a threesome is not only betting their spouse will give up and stop asking someday, MFM, they’re also betting their spouse won’t be pissed because it’s “just sex” and marriage and family are more important and blah blah blah.
It’s a bad bet.
Private thoughts, fantasies, and desires fall within the zone of erotic autonomy, RTPO, and we don’t get to police the private thoughts, fantasies, or desires of our partners, or we shouldn’t put up with partners who attempt to police ours. People who’ve made monogamous commitments should honor those commitments, of course, but fantasizing about and/or masturbating about other people falls within the zone of erotic autonomy. Turn-ons are personal and kinks are hard-wired; so long as our partners don’t force us to participate in their kinks — and so long as their kinks don’t disgust our attraction to them — their turn-ons and kinks fall within the zone of erotic autonomy and shouldn’t be policed.
1. Content creators are real people, and erotic interactions with real people — even online — fall (just) outside the zone of erotic autonomy. He’s not indulging a private fantasy; he’s engaging with another living, breathing, charging-by-the-hour human being. If that’s
Policing the thoughts, fantasies, and desires of other people is not okay—it’s also not possible—but your partner’s private thoughts and fantasies aren’t private if you’re constantly confronted with evidence of them. I don’t know whether your boyfriend is leaving evidence where you can’t avoid finding it or if you’re actively searching for it, RTPO, but you aren’t going to be able to make this work if he can’t be discreet and/or you can’t resist the urge to search his laptop and his phone.
P.S. If he’s doing that thing some awful men do… if he’s going out of his way to rub your nose in the porn he’s watching (and creating!) to make you feel bad about yourself… he’s not just an inconsiderate clod with no self-control that you have police, he’s cruel piece of shit that you need to cut out of your life.
A friend just got engaged. Her boyfriend told her that he wanted to have a threesome at some point in his life and wouldn’t marry her if she didn’t want to have one with him someday. He didn’t insist on having one right away. It doesn’t even have to happen before the wedding. He just wants to have one at some point in his life. It’s his
If someone asks for a threesome before they’ll agree to marry you, they obviously don’t think a threesome is trivial. So, while your friend’s husband may not leave her once he realizes she lied because divorce is a huge pain in the ass and there might be kids in the picture, then, he’s definitely gonna be bitter about it. Even if they wind up staying together, your friend is upping the odds that her marriage will be an unhappy one.
P.S. Some Backer Outers were sincere when they agreed to that threesome or keep attending those sex parties. The arrival of kids, for instance, has a way of making even the most adventurous people — sexually and otherwise—more risk-averse; a sexual adventure that sounded hot, fun, and reasonable before becoming a parent may not seem reasonable after. Which is why I always recommend that couples have their first threesome before the wedding.
I’m a middle-aged poly woman, and until recently, I was dating a poly guy. Lots of people think poly people can’t cheat buuuuut, early on, this guy disclosed to me that he told his wife he would always use condoms with other people. I now know that he doesn’t always do that. I mean we had been using condoms, and then after a night where he pressured me repeatedly to go raw with him, he made this confession. Esther Perel says that if you cheat, you should stop, and it’s not necessary to tell your partner — indeed, it can be a bit of an act of love not to tell your partner. But this feels different, as it represents more than ten years of lying to his wife about his sexual health and the risk he’s exposing her to. I kind of want to tell his wife and others in the ENM community where we live. That said, I don’t want to destroy his family, his kids, and his life. I still have some level of compassion for all involved. What’s the ethical thing to do here? What would you do?—Seriously Torn Inside You could say something, STI, or you could let chlamydia do the talking.
Zooming out for a second: If the man you’ve been seeing is the kind of “poly” guy who lies to his wife about using condoms with other partners… and he’s been lying to her about this stuff for a decade… odds are good he’s already given his wife a sexually transmitted infection at some point. Which means their marriage has already survived the bomb you’re thinking about dropping. So, whether his wife finds out from you (“there’s something you need to know”) or she finds out from her doctor (“you tested positive for chlamydia again”), their marriage will most likely survive. This argues for telling if you feel like you should— and I would run and tell if I were in your shoes—but it also argues against feeling awful if you can’t bring yourself to make that call. Because sooner or later, STI, he’ll tell on himself.
P.S. One of the reasons people create “communities” around ENM or kink is to establish community norms around safety, honesty, and accountability. If friends in your ENM community aren’t safe with this man, you should let them know. If it gets back to his wife, so be it.
Got problems? Yes, you do! Email your question for the column to mailbox@savage.love! Or record your question for the Savage Lovecast at savage.love/askdan! Podcasts, columns, and more at Savage.Love
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE Pursuant to Section 715.109, notice is hereby given that the following property will be offered for public sale and will sell at public outcry to the highest and best bidder for cash: a 1980 SKYL mobile home, VIN 0161822N and the contents therein, if any. abandoned by previous owner Leigh Jay Nations, Known Heirs of Leigh Jay Nations and Unknown Heirs of Leigh Jay Nation on Monday, September 8, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. at 6735 54 th Avenue N., Lot 47 St. Petersburg, FL 33709. ICARD, MERRILL, CULLIS, TIMM, FUREN & GINSBURG, P.A. Alyssa M. Nohren FL Bar No. 352410 2033 Main Street Suite 600 Sarasota, Florida 34237 Telephone: (941) 366-8100 Facsimile: (941) 3666384 anohren@icardmerrill.com smenasco@icardmerrill.com Attorney for Century Mobile Manor
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE Pursuant to Section 715.109, notice is hereby given that the following property will be offered for public sale and will sell at public outcry to the highest and best bidder for cash: a 1971 BONZ mobile home, VIN 1501580 and the contents therein, if any abandoned by Robert Michael Humphrey on Monday, August 25, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. at 802 Fountainview North, Lakeland, FL 33809. ICARD, MERRILL, CULLIS, TIMM, FUREN & GINSBURG, P.A.
Alyssa M. Nohren FL Bar No. 352410 2033 Main Street Suite 600 Sarasota, Florida 34237 Telephone: (941) 366-8100 Facsimile: (941) 366-6384 anohren@icardmerrill.com
smenasco@icardmerrill.com Attorney for Fountainview Estates, LLC
sit-down encounters that usually don’t involve, say, pythons and tarantulas —unless you’re talking to 120 Across (whose name, by the way, is an anagram of this answer)
