Water Sprites: Bern's Park

This is the statuary and fountain ready to be unveiled at the new Bern's Park on South Howard Avenue. The park is located south of Kennedy Boulevard and two blocks from Bayshore Boulevard and is named in honor of Bern Laxer, famed restaurateur and founder of Tampa's world renowned Bern's Steak House.

A report from Bay News 9 on Bright House said this about the park:

"More than half a century after Bern Laxer opened his steak house, the city is preparing to unveil Bern's Park. The park will bear the name of Laxer, who died in 2004, ... The park has been in the works since 2003, and has been spearheaded by planner Laurie Potier-Brown. The first phase of the project is set to be completed in a couple of weeks."

"It does entail these beautiful walkways that will be lined in brick, and the fountain, which will be two-tiered," Potier-Brown said. The fountain will be the first in Tampa to use reclaimed water."We're placing eight benches surrounding the fountain, so people can enjoy the fountain at night," she said. "There will be lights on the sculpture and the water will be flowing."David Laxer said his father would have approved of the park."He's the type of person that would really enjoy that park a lot," he said. "Life sometimes gets a little bit too fast, and you need to just sit back and enjoy it."

Healthy dose of Java at Starbucks on Howard Avenue

What is it with Starbucks? (After my second cup tonight I'm prepared to tell you.) I admit it, I love Starbucks. But the initial luster, the huge love affair with the entire concept -lifestyle even- has dropped from a loud roar to a audible hum, but it's still very much alive. Some of my favorites shops: Newport, Rhode Island; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Prague, Czech Republic; Vienna, Austria; Paris, France; and even Savannah, Georgia ('cause I really like Savannah). Some of you are rolling your eyes and figuring I've gone off the deep end over an expensive, over-popularized, overly romanticized coffee. But, for those of you who have never experienced the world of Starbucks, the friendly coffee shops, convivial conversation, then you can't know what it is to enjoy Starbucks. Even the familiarity in faraway cities Comforting. For some, the price alone is grossly prohibitive. And the bitter taste is how I've heard some describe the coffee. But I've known more than a few regular Maxwell House-types who got hooked, literally and figuratively. When this Starbucks opened a few years ago, a couple blocks from my home, I practically lived there. (I'm sure there's a brass plaque on a chair out under that oak tree.) Every noon hour I'd grab a Vente-size Verona or Sumatra and settle in with my newspaper. I don't go as often, but I do drink my Starbucks morning, noon and night ... at home. Got to get my fix. Hooked. Their mission statement reads: To inspire and nurture the human spirit— one person, one cup, and one neighbourhood at a time. Sounds benign enough but tread carefully. It's addictive. From a coffee shop in Seattle in the 1970s, they sure have grown. 15,000 locations and still growing. I wouldn't mind discovering a few more in fascinating and even unexpected places on our globe. It's a sweet thing to enjoy a bit of home so far from home. Gotta go. The coffeemaker just beeped. Ah-h-h-h.

A man and a woman. So much tension, yet cold and unmoving.

This sweet couple stand greeting passersby on Howard Avenue, our SoHo entertainment and restaurant/bar district. After your first realization that, no, sadly, they are not living, breathing locals trying to decide which of the hottest clubs to hit, you drive on by. But that first glance makes you look. He's sporting an Au currant goatee, skull t-shirt and bleached jeans. She is almost touching his hand, she's moving in on the clean-cut young professional dressed for bar-hopping on a Saturday night. She is declaring 'poison' on her t. The latest jeans and t-shirt ensembles probably set them back a few bucks. Just so they could look properly casual and unconcerned with their clothes. There must be forty or so popular nightspots to choose from as they make their way up and down Howard, South Tampa's place to eat and party. The famous Bern's Steakhouse is a couple of blocks down. That's it. He has their proper jackets stashed and they're heading to Bern's for steak and the dessert room after. What an elegant evening he has planned. (Now, will she take his hand in hers?)