Recently I sat down with the owner of St. Pete’s indie Green Light Cinema, Mike Hazlett, who explained his mission simply: “We want to bring perspective and art from all over the world to the St. Pete community.” It’s been a journey to get here.

Mike tells me he first learned the movie business in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where he managed a 900-seat theater for eight years and worked at learning all aspects of the industry. He then moved into running a 2,000-seat movie theater in Portland, Maine for another seven years. Performing arts and film, he tells me, are in his blood. … Read More

Halley’s comet last appeared in 1986 and will next appear in 2061. The celestial body appears cyclically every 75 to 79 years and has been observed and recorded as early as 240 BCE. But it was not until 1705 that astronomer Edmond Halley determined the cyclical appearances were reappearances of the same comet. And thus, the comet was named after him. The comet itself is composed of a nucleus described by some scientists as a “rubble pile” of ice, dust, and frozen methane, and a “coma” or tail composed of volatiles like water, methane, ammonia, and carbon dioxide.

In 1986, Soviet probes Vega 1 and 2 made fly-bys of the comet and took the first images of its nucleus.… Read More

Traditionally, operatic stories are filled with melodrama, romance, and adventure. Chaim Freiberg’s latest book, Lily Flowers Finds Love (and Other Tales of Passion), published by St. Petersburg Press last year, has all those qualities, but with a twist: these opera fantasy stories all take place in now-shuttered opera houses.

“The stories are all inspired by real people, real places, and real opera houses that are no more,” said Freiberg, who has given several talks on his book at Studio@620 as well as Barnes and Noble. At these events he invokes some of the mysterious people, places, and opera houses that stirred him to divine these legends.… Read More

In 1972, Hurricane Agnes skirted the Tampa Bay area and made landfall near Apalachicola. Newspaper accounts of the flooding Agnes brought to Shore Acres might be mistaken for stories written about the impact of Hurricane Idalia, which followed a similar path at the end of August 2023. In both Agnes and Idalia, residents scrambled to find high ground for cars, appliances, and belongings. The high tide crested seawalls, came up storm drains, filled the streets, and then made its way into homes. 

There are important differences between Agnes and Idalia, however. On the June night that Agnes swept past us toward the panhandle, city and county officials thought impact would be minimal.… Read More

When we heard the news that Sunken Gardens’ welcome sign was down and a work crew with a bulldozer was on the move, a lot of people were alarmed that yet another iconic piece of St. Pete history might disappear. With all the development underway, it’s hard to not to overreact. What might be next on the chopping block? First Wilson’s, then El Cap changed hands, and now our favorite historic garden?

But as we now know, there was no need for concern. According to Jennifer Tyson, Sunken Gardens education coordinator, the previous Sunken Gardens welcome sign had some structural damage and was well beyond repair after decades of Florida’s sun and storms. … Read More

Snell Isle mom and St. Pete native, Catherine Nelke, is stepping up to the plate for youth baseball with Hit the Mitt, a baseball academy she founded to make the All-American sport fun and accessible to more kids.

And she definitely means fun. Picture a young player learning proper batting stance by taking a swing and connecting with a baseball that explodes, sending out a brightly colored cloud of chalk dust. Hearing their own “walk up” song as they step up to the plate, like the professional ball players. Or meeting baseball celebrities like Emmanuel Rosario, a former pitcher for the Savannah Bananas, an exhibition team known for entertaining “on-field hijinks” with music, dance skits, and stunts.… Read More

In St. Pete, our beloved Vinoy Resort was sold, renovated, and just named a member of the Marriott’s prestigious luxury Autograph Collection. An icon for nearly 100 years, the Vinoy has survived a lengthy renovation, while locals played the waiting game with faith that her refreshed look would still reflect the resort’s rich history.

The hotel has always endured the highs and lows of life with a certain charm, managing to entertain guests from movie stars and dignitaries to presidential candidates and demanding brides. Celeb sightings are legendary: the Princess of Spain, Jimmy Stewart, Babe Ruth, the du Ponts, the Guggenheims, and more have walked her halls.… Read More

In October, Mayor Ken Welch and the St. Petersburg City Council named Gloria Muñoz the city’s poet laureate. Muñoz, who was featured in the May/June issue of the Northeast Journal, is local poet, teacher, lyricist, and all-around multi-genre writer who has garnered an impressive roster of local and national grants, fellowships, and awards. Her book of poetry, Danzirly (pronounced “Dawn’s Early”), which explores the American dream from a Latinx perspective, won the Academy of American Poets’ 2019 Ambroggio Prize, and the Gold Medal Florida Book Award.

Muñoz told St. Pete Catalyst in October that she is “thrilled to be the first Latina in this position,” adding that she expects to be a “champion of poetry for the city,” and is particularly interested in highlighting more diversity, from BIPOC to inter-generational voices.… Read More

Michelle Jenquin is the third-generation owner of Wilson’s Book World on 16th Street North.

When the grandaddy of independent bookstores in St. Petersburg, Haslam’s, closed its doors at the start of the pandemic, no one thought it would be forever. A staple for local readers since the Great Depression, Haslam’s current 30,000- square-foot building is also prime real estate on Central Avenue. While rumors abound, dogged persistence by Tampa Bay Times reporters revealed in June that the famous Haslam Bookstore cats have been rehomed – at least for now. And third-generation owners Suzanne and Ray Hinst are “undecided” about the future.… Read More

Dogs, as well as many other pets, become part of the family in most households. They share time, shelter, food – and most importantly, love and companionship. And once you have had the opportunity to share all that with a loyal pet such as a dog, it brings you much joy and happiness and can help to cure depression among other afflictions. Just the simple act of petting your pooch can stimulate positive chemical reactions in your system that make you feel better.

Dogs are used in children’s hospitals and senior centers alike to bring warmth and joy to the sick and infirm.… Read More