Mayor Don Jones Can You Canoe?
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MAR/APR 2016 St. Petersburg, FL Est. September 2004 Happy 85th Anniversary Junior League of St Petersburg Virginia Littrell ow would you celebrate an 85th anniversary? Have a party, of course! And no one throws a party better than the Junior League! H Lest you think this is a Junior League of pearls, white gloves, and sterling tea service – think again. Since 1931, the Junior League of St. Petersburg (JLSP ) has been a driving force in improving our community for families and especially children. Members of the Junior League are accomplished collaborators who build coalitions, identify community needs, and develop effective and responsive programs to serve those needs. For 85 years, members of the Junior League have focused their energies on school readiness and literacy, improved health care and nutrition, Dr. George Stovall support for the arts, and advocacy for environmental responsibility through effective Can You Canoe? action and trained leadership. Linda Dobbs Collectively, the Junior League has donated more than $3 FROM OCEAN, TO GULF, TO BAYOU, AND SWAMPS AND million and 7 million hours of RIVERS, TOO... GEORGE CAN DO, CAN YOU? volunteer support to programs nell Isle resident, Dr. George Stovall, can canoe. In fact, and agencies in St. Petersburg he is locally famous for his adventures, large and medium – and Pinellas County. Sno small ones. Key Largo to Bimini; from Fort Clinch on So, it makes sense that when Fernandina Beach, up the St. Mary’s into the Okefenokee Swamp, into the Suwanee River, and down to Cedar Key; members of the League set out coastlines in Florida to Georgia to both Carolinas; George has to create a year-long celebration done it, alone and with companions. He likes to paddle; he loves honoring 85 years of service, it to experiment. He has kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddleboards turned out to be less of a party – but he loves his dugouts the most. in the traditional sense, and His 50- to 100-year-old, Honduran dugout (cayuka) isn’t just more of a challenge to its hanging on display at George’s office or at his home on Coffee membership to increase Pot Bayou. This dugout goes everywhere, but is stored on George’s volunteer hours in the dock when ‘resting.’ He has some buddies who accompany him JLSP members Mary Reed, Jenny Reese, Erin Lohmiller, Gentry Adams, community, and to raise funds – or he accompanies them – regularly on these adventures Chloe Firebaugh, Wendy Baker, and Brynne Johnson Continued on page 38 (probably his best-known buddy is Terry Tomalin, of the Tampa Bay Times). George and friends have paddled many miles over many years. “A number of years ago [2004], four of us paddled my 24-foot Mayor Don Jones dugout 100 miles down the Gulf Coast of Florida in three days in the first experiment of its capabilities,” George recalls. This Framework of Reason adventure was enjoyed by St. Petersburg Times readers, published Will Michaels in three parts, thanks to author and fellow adventurer, Tomalin. This is the first of a two-part article based on an extensive interview with former mayor Don Jones. Recently, George was approached with the possibility of Don Jones was mayor during a time of intense infrastructure improvement, and a watershed period for lending his antique dugout canoe for a new adventure: paddling St. Petersburg’s civil rights history. 130 miles to Cuba, Key Largo to Havana. In fact, it was one of on Jones was city councilman from 1963-1967 and mayor from 1967-1969. In a recent these paddling buddies – Aaron Freedman and his friend Jim interview, he described his tenure as ‘the best of times and the worst of times.’ “Five of those Hartnett – who presented their idea to him. Dyears were years of dramatic progress, accomplishment and growth. The sixth year was a Although George had contemplated such a trip for years, the time of stress, tension and confrontation due to the racial climate at that time in St. Petersburg logistics were and are still daunting. “I was quite interested when and America,” stated Jones. Jim and Aaron started thinking about paddling such a craft from Don arrived in St. Petersburg Florida to Cuba, and I have offered my dugouts to the endeavor,” from Geneva, New York, in George says enthusiastically. 1956, and established his own Continued on page 44 insurance business. He also was an avid pilot and joined the local pilots association. He became active in community SPECIAL SECTION INSIDE: affairs. One of his first volunteer activities was to chair a NEIGHBORLY NORTHEAST fundraising drive for the March of Dimes. He came up with the See what Neighborliness looks novel idea of a ‘March of Dimes Airlift.’ The public was given plane rides by volunteer civilian like in the Old Northeast! Continued on page 42 Don Jones with daughter Barbara in the 1965 Festival of the States Parade Page 2 March/April 2016 NORTHEAST JOURNAL WhatCall Me Today Is for Youra FREE 2016 Home Comparative MarketWorth? Analysis! COMPETENT | COURTEOUS | RESPONSIVE 1325 Snell Isle Blvd. #810 1601 50th Ave. N. 3021 Pelican Pl. 125 94th Ave. LAST LISTED: $648,900 LAST LISTED: $275,000 LAST LISTED: $399,000 LAST LISTED: $349,000 www.TampaBayResidentialProperties.com [email protected] 150 2nd Ave N, Suite 100 www.facebook.com/ChristopherEwingRealtor St.Pete, FL 33701 RE/MAX METRO is independently owned and operated and sells more residential real estate annually in South Pinellas than any other brokerage. 727.871.3300 PREMIERSOTHEBYSREALTY.COM Representing Premier Sotheby’s International Realty in Downtown St. Petersburg, Snell Isle and Old Northeast NEWLY LISTED RECENTLY SOLD 101 Bandera Way NE Last listed at $799,555 2300 ANDALUSIA WAY NE $1,100,000 2075 Hawaii Ave. NE Last listed at $850,000 1325 Snell Isle Blvd. NE Last listed at $534,950 255 14TH AVE. NE $795,000 7410 Burlington Ave. N. Last listed at $525,000 460 Lido Way NE Last listed at $399,000 1001 SNELL ISLE BLVD. NE $399,000 SANDY WATERBURY | JENNY PUTRINO 727.507.1788 727.385.0562 Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity. Property information herein is derived from various sources including, but not limited to, county records and multiple listing services, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate and neither suggests nor infers that Sotheby’s International Realty participated as either the listing or cooperating agent or broker in the sale or purchase of the properties depicted. Page 4 March/April 2016 NORTHEAST JOURNAL PUBLISHER’S NOTE In With the Old and New The first thing I’m noticing while proofing this issue is that we really Solutions For You need some new dog-blood in our NEJ ‘company’ mix... there are way too many women with cats showcased in People and Pets! But despite that oddity, this issue shows a lot of young blood coming From Your to the forefront of the community, and this is a really good thing, an encouraging sign of the community’s vibrancy and long-term viability. And, the youthful infusion is not just young in age, necessarily, but in Pinellas Team absolute young-at-heart attitude and spirit that is stretching and growing our community to another level of greatness. While the Junior League of St. Petersburg is celebrating its 85th anniversary, the young women leading the charge into the next chapter are maintaining the wonderful core values of the Junior League while at the same time infusing a refreshing youthful energy and optimism through both deeds and attitude. This is contributing to a sort of re-birth of the wonderful long-standing programs at the heart of St. Pete’s soul. Another example of using the experiences and traditions from our collective past and melding them with the new and youthful to (re)create new and exciting adventures is the use of Old Northeast resident Dr. George Stovall’s 100-year-old Honduran dug-out canoe for a jaunt to Cuba! Given both the physical challenge and the symbolism of such a trip to this until-recently-taboo island nation, this represents both a physical and metaphorical example of youthful energy and optimism at work reinvigorating our community and our world. It’s also a wonderful case of history repeating itself with a new twist, in that Dr. Stovall took his own long and challenging paddle journey some 43 years ago. Please read the cover story to learn more. Not to beat the theme to death, but I do so love that we as a community save and cherish the best of tradition and of the old to serve as a foundation (standing) (seated) for our future. Read the story on page 29 about heart-pine reclamation (a regional treasure) to simultaneously save the past while building a future Beth Horner Tim Mann Trust Director Market Director infused with it. Wonderful! Amanda Gilroy Scott Gault Lastly, please read about AARP’s local initiatives stemming from their Commercial Relationship Manager Pinellas County President national ‘Life Re-imagined’ campaign to help seniors find that ‘what’s Craig West Debbie Viveiros next’ phase of their lives in retirement. The beauty of these initiatives is Private Relationship Manager Treasury Services Manager that they’re about new beginnings, of a sort, and not about sun-setting... again, a perfect metaphor for embracing the old while creating the new... something the Old Northeast does so well and something we should all When you’re looking for a solid bank with try to learn from and emulate.