Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Photo essay of Shuffle


Chuck Vosburgh is a local photographer and instructor at the Art Center. He leads monthly photo walks around the community. Shuffle was the October venue. You can check out the groups photos on Chuck's Flickr site. Pages 3, 4 & 5 have pictures of shuffle.

Picture by New Age Photography.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Holiday Craft Shuffle

The Holiday Shuffle: An Arts and Crafts Festival
Friday Dec. 5th, 7-10 pm


Come see the craft heroes and a fabulous assortment of indie vendors who will be at The Holiday Shuffle, Fri. Dec 5 from 7-10 pm at the historic Mirror Lake Shuffleboard Complex as part of the Friday night St. Pete Shuffle.

Admission is free and you can play shuffleboard! Beer & wine available too!

Relax, have a beverage, and check out some cool video projection art outside after you've done your holiday shopping. Time to buy handmade--don't miss this fun festive night! Located at 559 mirror lake drive in St. Pete, 33701

About the Craft Heroes:
The St. Pete Craft Heroes (saving the 'burg from stale boring crafts) are Shannon Schafer (aka BoogieBead) and Coralette Damme (aka CraftyHag). These partners in craft teamed up to form the Craft Heroes when they saw a need for more accessible sales opportunities in the local art/craft community. As mentors and administrators on their local Etsy street team (Etsy is an online marketplace for all things hand made, and the local team of crafters is FEST:FLorida Etsy Street Team) they have helped numerous creative folks take the plunge and publicly share their passion.

The Craft Heroes pay particular attention to quality and creativity of the vendors at their events, making sure that guests find unique styles and unusual offerings at all of their events.

The Craft Heroes are community conscious and plan their events to aid and promote local charities and non-profit organizations. A portion of vendor registration fees from each event are donated to a worthy cause.

The Craft Heroes encourage everyone to buy HANDMADE FOR THE HOLIDAYS! Support local artisans and your local economy, reduce your global footprint all by buying from community crafters. A wide assortment of products will be available, something for every taste and budget! www.craftheroes.com

Saturday, November 15, 2008

St. Pete City Council approves $310K in shuffleboard repairs/improvements

To access:

Go to the published City Council Meeting Agendas

Click on November 6th.

Scroll down to G5 - item 5 in the reports section.

Upcoming Shuffleboard Tournament

CLEARWATER – The Clearwater and Pinellas Park Shuffleboard Clubs will have an amateur doubles tournament Monday, Nov. 17, 9 a.m., at the Pinellas Park Senior Center, 7625 59th St., Pinellas Park. There also will be a no two pros tournament Thursday, Nov. 20, 9 a.m., at Clearwater Shuffleboard, 1020 Calumet St., Clearwater. The clubs have members that belong to both clubs and the tournaments are open to all West Coast District shufflers.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Mirror Lake UU Church hosts Shuffleboard Mystery Dinner

UU St. Pete Launches First Mystery Dinner
Mark your calendar for 6-9pm Saturday, October 25. That's the date of the Mystery Dinner -- an evening of good food and friends.

For the evening, we're turning Gilmour Hall into Gilmour Convention Center, but due to a scheduling snafu, two conventions have been booked at the same time -- a roller derby team and a shuffleboard team. Talk about culture shock! Misunderstandings abound, the mystery deepens and mirth ensues.

This is a participatory event; everyone attending will be assigned a character, with a description of that character's personality and a suggestion for how to dress. There will be a variety of speaking parts -- you'll be asked to choose whether you want to have lots of lines or no lines, or something in between. We also are looking for props and would appreciate the loan of roller skates or shuffleboard poles for the evening.

Because this is a fundraiser, it will be a potluck. For those bringing a dish (enough to serve 6-8 people), attendance is $10. If you don't want to bring a dish, attendance is $20. We will waive the attendance fee for those who cannot afford it.

If there is sufficient demand, childcare will be available for an additional fee.
You can RSVP directly to Mike Manning (727) 374-0570. Please indicate who and how many are attending; whether you would like a large, medium or small speaking part, or a no-speaking part; if you will bring a dish; and if you would like childcare to be available.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Retro recreation and the St. Pete Shuffle

Rand McNally reported on St. Pete Shuffle on their blog.

Here's the link.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Old Mirror Lake shuffleboard complex to have a spring in its step

St. Pete Times 9/17/08

ST. PETERSBURG — More than six months after City Hall cited itself for neglecting the historic Mirror Lake shuffleboard and lawn bowling complex, city officials say they will spend at least $150,000 to repair and renovate the downtown landmark.

The growing popularity of a free Friday night shuffleboard event ultimately persuaded city leaders to repair the site after years of unsettled debate over what to do with the deteriorating complex, said Clarence Scott, city services administrator.

"Our strategy is to preserve it as it is right now," he said. "We are anxious to move on this and get things done."

In March the complex was cited for five code violations after the neglect of the nearly 90-year-old shuffleboard and lawn bowling center.

The list of violations, discovered by the city in January, include chipping and peeling paint throughout the structure, rotted window frames and siding, excessive rust on the bleachers, large settlement cracks, exposed wires and electrical outlets, and improperly boarded windows.

The city fixed only the electrical system. The other repairs need permission from the city's preservation board, Scott said.

The repairs could cost about $65,000, he said.

Other renovations are also being considered.

Within the next 12 months, the city wants to turn one of two lawn bowling areas into green space, install air conditioning in the complex's clubhouse, repair the shuffleboard courts, install signs detailing the significance of the site and enhance security fencing around the complex, said Scott.

The AC would cost about $82,500, Scott said. His staff is figuring out how much the other improvements would cost, he said.

The Mirror Lake complex, built in 1923, is home to the nation's oldest shuffleboard club.

In May 2007, the city held a public meeting to discuss the site's future. Residents demanded it be fixed, but no action was taken.

As recently as July, city officials said they did not want to pour money into the aging facility and were holding out for a self-sustaining tenant to take over the property.

But the success of St. Pete Shuffle, a weekly event that attracts younger people and families alike, convinced city leaders that the property is still viable, Scott said.

Community activists started the shuffleboard revival event in 2005 to drum up civic support for the complex. St. Pete Shuffle draws about 100 people each Friday night.

"We have been proving week in and week out that this is a valuable place in our community," said event founder Chris Kelly. "Every Friday night that people come out here is a victory. If the buildings get cleaned up as a result, all the better."

Cristina Silva can be reached at (727) 893-8846 or csilva@sptimes.com.

Link to original article.