My Seminole Heights

I had heard that the Refinery was still serving some of the old Bistro's menu while they got their legs beneath them and made some changes.  A guest and I decided to visit the Refinery after they pulled together their first all-Refinery menu.  Some of the other foodies in the area were talking about the unusual food combinations we could expect from the Bakers and I could not wait to sample their craft.

HIllsborough Area Region Transit (HART) is looking at light rail solutions for the area. One of the proposed North/South legs goes right through Seminole Heights, possibly on Nebraska Avenue.  

Yes, you can.  You can walk some of it, too.  Many of us are children of suburbia. If your parents were like mine, we bough a 60s ranch home near the edge of town and settled down into the model atomic family life.  Our home was dominated by the garage, which was the largest and most prominent feature.  The large asphault driveway curved gracefully up from a wide street lined with purple plum trees.  Nowhere in our small town was out of our reach because we owned cars--everyone owned cars.  The town was designed around the concept of the automobile.

Last weekend, while many of us were experiencing Seminole Heights' first ever Sunday Market, a neighborhood favorite quietly changed its ownership and name.  Greg and Michelle Baker, aka the Culinary Sherpas, are now the owners of their very own restaurant. 

Remember the October story about using your own yard waste to make spooky Halloween decorations?  Many of our yards are filled with plants that would qualify after nearly two weeks of consecutive hard freezes.  Folks, the Adams Family would be at home in my once lush yard these days.  If you, like me, are a compulsive gardener, you are itching to break out the clippers, loppers, and electric trimmers to cut the unsightly brown mess away.

I am here to beg you to stop.  Stop right there.  Put the clippers down.  Dare I say... Freeze!

Council will meet at 10:30am Thursday morning to finish the vote to deny requested zoning changes for CVS.  Public comment on this issue was closed by motion last Thursday.

AP News covers the situation here.

CVS went before City Council late Thursday evening to request a zoning change from commercial intensive to planned development in preparation for locating their store at Sligh and Nebraska Ave.  A number of residents showed up to the meeting, as did the presidents of all three neighborhood associations and the business guild. 

  Chef Rene Valenzuela is looking to create a unique t-shirt to represent the Taco Bus restaurant. In his own words:

The Hampton Terrace Elves normally help Santa off the lake the weekend after New Years, but things have been too cold, even for elves. However, there are folks living adjacent to the lake that may prefer to have Santa back in his home rather than floating around in the middle of January.  So the elves decided to brave the freezing temperatures and reel him in.

Old Seminole Heights Neighborhood Association (OSHNA) held its annual Great Neighborhood Yard Sale this weekend. Besides the incredible deals to be found on may sidewalks and driveways, was the map itself. Jeff and Helen Harmon put a lot of work into organizing this neighborhood event and the map is a treasure. Why? Because it's a self-guided tour of the area from one corner to the other. Every time I drive this map I find something new. This weekend was no exception; I found Viitals Lifestyle Cafe.