Military Children - Heartwarming Story

Photo of Paisley Dorr, 2 by Brian Thomas from the St. Petersburg Times.

A non-profit organization began three years ago, calling itself Operation Hug-A-Hero. They are making Daddy Dolls for children whose dad's have been deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan. These dolls have photographs of their parent on the front of the doll, and the dolls have voice boxes, with a message recorded from the parent. Children have pressed them so many times, they have worn out the message.

Children carry these dolls everywhere and sleep with it. It helps them to cope with the parents long deployment. They hug it and tell their dad how much they love him.

Operation-Hug-A-Hero also makes dolls for fallen police officers.  Daddy Dolls are available to be purchased.

What a great idea to help children to recognize their dads or moms and actually hear their voice. Without this, young children are often frightened when their parent comes home from deployment. You can sponsor a doll for $25. For more information on making a donation, go to their website. 

What a great way to help out a service member.

Florida State Fair - Tampa, Florida

The Florida Legislature created the Florida State FairAuthority in 1975, naming Tampa as the official location. The current location at I4 and US Highway 301 opened in 1977. This years fair runs from February 12-19. Admission prices are Mon-Fri adults $10-Children $5. Admission on Sat-Sun is $12 for adults and $6 for children.

Livestock events will take place each day, consisting of 4H/FFA, rodeos, pigmy goats,Youth poultry, Youth Llama Show, Registered sheep show,Youth dairy show and much, much, more.

The Bob Thomas Equestrian Center is a 9,000 SF indoor pavilion, which includes warm-up rings and exercise grounds. Five barns with 471 stalls and a 314'x165' arena for the competitions are available on the grounds.

The State Fair Authority brings in classic county singers. Leroy Van Dyke, Bobby Bare, Jim Ed Brown, Helen Cornelius just to name a few. 

Alltrust Insurance presents a great firework display on Friday and Saturday.

Of course, every fair has the Midway section, and this one will not disappoint you. Midway rides are  only $1 each on February 19.

Bring the family and stay the weekend, there are plenty of local hotels. Attend the fair and check out other area attractions, such as the Seminole Indian Casino, Ybor City, Busch Gardens, Channelside, downtown St. Petersburg, or the beaches.

MezzaLuna Pizzeria & Ristorante - Downtown New Port Richey

Located on Main St. just east of Grand Blvd. is this wonderful gem -MezzaLuna Pizzeria & Ristorante. They offer plenty of parking behind the patio. (MezzaLuna means half moon.)

If you like authentic Italian food, this is the place. MezzaLuna has become a neighborhood favorite, that offers a beautifully designed indoor eating area, or you can choose outdoor dining under the moon and umbrellaed tables.

The menu offers something for everyone, from a full course dinner with salad and fresh baked bread to pizzas, calzones and grinders. They offer a children's menu and a large assortment of appetizers. We enjoyed the Bruschetta Luna and Fresh Fried Mozzarella, both excellent. They also offer beer and wine.

After you finish your meal, you might want to indulge in Tiramisu, Creme Brulee, Cannoli, Chocolate Cake or Cheesecake with a cup of coffee.

This is a family owned eatery, bringing authentic Italian cuisine to New Port Richey. The pizza dough is made fresh daily and their cheese is a special blend. All the toppings are fresh, not canned. The server was friendly, attentive and provided excellent service.

MezzaLuna is  open daily for lunch and dinner. During dinner you can enjoy live guitar music on the weekend. Check for times.

5749 Main St. New Port Richey, Florida 34652 Phone 727-264-8980

Aviation History in Tampa - Tony Jannus

Anthony Habersack Jannus (Tony) (1889-1916) 

Pilot Tony Jannus was an early American pilot who flew the airplane from which Albert Berry made the first parachute jump in 1912. The parachute which was strung to the bottom of the airplane with rubber bands, snapped with Berry's body weight when he jumped from the plane.

Tony's father was a patent attorney and Tony was born in Washington, DC. Tony was a boat mechanic before he and his brother became test pilots for airplane builder Thomas W. Benoist in St. Louis, Missouri in 1911. In October, 1913, he flew actress Julia Bruns in a Baldwin Red Devil 4,000 feet above Staten Island for twenty minutes. The following month he moved to St. Petersburg, Florida.

Many people have parked at the Tony Jannus lot at Tampa International Airport and been to the St. Petersburg Concert hall bearing his name, but don't really know who he was. He was an aviator pioneer who flew across the bay from St. Petersburg to Tampa which is 20 miles apart. In the early twentieth century there were no bridges spanning the gulf, so if you wanted to travel between the cities it would be by a 64 mile rail trip, steamship or an automobile or horse and buggy ride over primitive, bumpy unpaved roads taking several hours. 

A Jacksonville businessman Percival Fansler approached several St. Petersburg community leaders, led by L.A. Whitney of the Chamber of Commerce and suggested airline service to connect the cities. A 90 day contract was signed on the 10th anniversary of Wilbur and Orville Wright's historic first airplane flight. Jannus piloted the $5 per passenger  three minute inaugural flight before a crowd of 3,000 people. Skimming 50 feet above the water in a 75H.P. engine, he reached the maximum speed of 75 miles per hour. There was a crowd of 2,000 people waiting in Tampa for the landing. 

In 1914, Jannus left St. Petersburg to become a test pilot for Curtiss Aeroplane Company. In 1915, he was sent to Russia as Glenn Curtiss's test pilot and a trainer of Russian pilots for World War 1. Jannus died October 12, 1916, when his Curtiss H-7 had engine problems and crashed in the Black Sea, as he was delivering bombers to the Romanov government.

Jannus described flying as,"poetry of mechanical motion, a fascinating sensation of speed, and abstraction from things material into an infinite space." 

In 1964 the Tony Jannus Award was started to recognize outstanding aviation individual achievement for the likes of Eddie Richenbacker, Donald Douglas, Jimmy Doolittle, and Chuck Yeager.

Thomas Reilly's book "Jannus, an American Flyer," is filled with long forgotten pioneering figures in aviation. Reilly paints Jannus as a suave, handsome, articulate woman's man. He dated movie stars and women adored his dashing good looks. Jannus was a barnstormer, daredevil test pilot that had a magnetic personality. Any aviation enthusiast or history buff will want to get a copy of Reilly's book. Reilly spent 25 years as an aviation consultant and has completed years of research, including history from Russian archives. His research starts from the dawn of aviation.

Anthony (Tony) Haversack Jannus is a romantic and important figure from Tampa/St. Petersburg's past.

www.bornfreetravel.com

Another of America's Greatest Generation Laid to Rest

I never had the honor of knowing the Lt. Col. but we all owe him a debt of gratitude.

Lt. Col. USAF (Ret.) Dwaine A.. "Sandy" Sandborn was born in Portland, Mi. October 24,1922 and died January 29, 2011. It really is what he did with that dash between D.O.B. and D.O.D that matters.

In 1943 he joined the Army Air Corp., becoming a pilot, flying 65 combat missions in the European Theatre in the P-51 Mustang fighter "Tangerine", with the 8th Air Force as a member of the 357th Fighter Group. He was a veteran of five campaigns in England and Italy, decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal of Honor with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters and a Purple Heart. He Served in Korea and Viet Nam and had over 6,000 hours of flight time. He flew everything from the P-51 Mustang, the F84 Thunderstreak to the F4C - Phantom. Before retiring to Tampa, along with his beloved family, he was stationed in Tokyo, Panama City, MacDill, Tripoli, Libya, Sumter, and Germany. 

He leaves is beloved wife of 54 years,  two children and many grandchildren, and will be laid to rest with honors at Florida National Cemetery Bushnell.

Thank you Lt. Col "Sandy" Sandborn for your service of 28 years to our country!

Read more at http://www.legacy.com/guestbook/sptimes/guestbook.aspx?n=dwaine-sandborn&pid=148274474&sign=3

Spot Satellite GPS

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of SPOT. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

Spot Satellite GPS

The DeLorme Pn-60W with Spot Communicator.

For those of you who hike, ski or spend time in the woods where your cell phone is not working, this can be a lifesaver. It is lightweight, small, powerful and allows you to stay connected. You can send messages via satellite to friends or heaven forbid for a remote rescue. Hikers, boaters, backpackers, fisherman, kayakers, hunters and snowmobilers can benefit from this service. Using 100% satellite technology, Spot works nearly every where in the world, even when cell phones won't, all you do is push the button. They have three yearly service plans to chose from, ranging from $99.99 to $199.99 per year.  This is a very affordable option for peace of mind. SPOT Satellite GPS messenger. You can buy online at local retailers like Best Buy or Bass Pro Shops to name a few.

 

For the year 2010, PN-60W with SPOT Satellite Communicator was chosen as on the the Top 10 Breakthrough Products, by Popular Mechanics. Also, National Geographic chose the DeLorme Earthmate PN-60W with SPOT Satellite Communicator as one of its MUST HAVES for the year 2010. Click here to learn more, if you are interested in staying in touch in remote locations and for your safety. For your holiday gift giving, they are offering a bonus adventure kit worth $50. The kit includes a 15% off coupon on their basic service, plus more. See their website for all the details.

The Moon Under Water - St. Petersburg

The Moon Under Water is a British Colonial Tavern located in downtown St. Petersburg, overlooking the bay. The history of the name came from British Recruiting Sergeants visiting taverns to recruit people for the British Army. The Sergeants would walk into a bar and find some drunk, drop a Queen's Shilling in his beer and when he drank from the tankard, he was considered a recruit and hauled off. Their methods were very shady. The tankards were redesigned to see through, so the target could look through the bottom and see the shilling, hence the name Moon Under Water. This establishment is very European with its inside bar, and outside dining tables. The view of the bay is great as well as the food.

Executive Chef Michael Crippin moved to Tampa 15 years ago from his native England. He has a great culinary education as well as working for celebrities including Madonna, Prince Charles, and Bruce Willis. He has been at The Moon Under Water for six years bringing British and Indian cuisine to St. Petersburg. I had a seafood salad, consisting of shrimp and crab meat with raspberry vinaigrette. It was excellent and a lovely presentation. The menu is varied with several styles of curry. This restaurant is located close to the Chihuly Museum, the Pier, Baywalk, the Yacht Club and Central Avenue.

www.bornfreetravel.com