MARCH / 2008 ISSUE 12

Anona Elementary School has a unique place incounty history. The first schoolhouse, which waslocated on the current site of Anona UnitedMethodist Church, was the oldest recordedstructure used for educational purposes inPinellas County.

The school was built in 1874 by pioneer GeorgeHammock out of logs rafted in from Cedar Key.The land was given by the first permanent settlerin the area, Captain John Thomas Lowe, whodonated part of his homestead to be used for achurch, cemetery and school. The fledglingcommunity was known as Lowe's Landing. Itsname was changed to Anona in 1883 when apost office was established there. The entirearea around the Narrows, both on the mainlandand the barrier island, was called Indian Rocks.

The simple log cabin erected by Hammockserved both as a school and church, and playeda vital role in the community. About 30 childrenof varying ages attended the school. Gradedclasses would be at least a generation away.

In the early 1890s, a new one-roomschoolhouse was constructed on Oakhurst Roadon property owned by Richard Meares, anotherprominent pioneer settler. Meares donated theproperty because his disabled daughter couldnot walk to the older school. The schoolbuilding was located opposite today's Christ theKing Lutheran Church.

Around 1908, the school was moved to whatwould become its permanent site at 12301Indian Rocks Road. The student roster of thatera read like a "Who's Who" of local pioneerfamilies, and was dominated by the namesLowe, Hammock, Hendrick, Meares, Olliff andWilcox.

A two-room brick structure replaced the one-room schoolhouse in 1918, and three gradeswere taught in each room. This building waslocated to the rear of the present Anona Schoolcampus and is still in use today. A stove wasadded in 1925 from funds provided by a boxsupper social benefit, and the pupils were ableto enjoy a heated classroom for the first time.

During the World War II years, students raisedtheir own vegetables in a Victory Garden on theschool grounds. Home cooked lunches wereprepared in the kitchens of Mrs. AngusMcMullen and later Mrs. Victor Lowe. A schoolcafeteria opened in 1952 with Mrs. Lowe asmanager.

Today, Anona Elementary is aflourishing school and a vital partof the community, with 420students attending kindergartenthrough fifth grade.

PRESORTED STDU S POSTAGE

P A I DPerm

it No.39Clearw

ater,FL

By Wayne Ayers,Indian RocksHistorical Society

Find more stories like this in IInnddiiaann RRoocckkss AAss IItt WWaass, available at the HistoricalMuseum. $20 each, proceeds benefit the Historical Society.

Anona Elementary School as it looked in 1896 after a fresh coat of paint. This was the second school building on land owned by the Meares located on Indian Rocks Road north of today's school.

ANONA ELEMENTARY SCHOOLthe oldest school in Pinellas County

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CITY NUMBERSCCIITTYY HHAALLLL.. .. .. .. .. .. .. 559955--225511771507 Bay Palm Blvd www.Indian-Rocks-Beach.com

CITY MANAGER - VacantMAYOR/CITY COMMISSION . 517-0204MAYOR - Bill Ockunzzi COMMISSIONERS — R.B. Johnson Vice Mayor • Bert ValeryJose Coppen • Terry Wollin-HamiltonCity Manager, . . . . . . . . . . . . . 595-2517

Building Department: . . . . . . . . 517-0404John Mortellite, Dir

Planning & Zoning: . . . . . . . . . . 517-0404Danny Taylor, Dir

Public Services: . . . . . . . . . . . . . 595-6889Dean Scharmen, Dir.

IRB LIBRARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 596-1822Next to City HallM-F 10A-4P; Tu-Th 7P-8:30P, Sat 10A-1PM;Closed Sunday

IRB HISTORICAL MUSEUM . . . 593-3861Across from the Post Office

IRB HOMEOWNER ASSOC.. . . 517-0525Phil Wrobel, President - IRBHome.com

BEACH ART CENTER . . . . . . . . 596-4331Next to City Hall, 1515 Bay Palm BlvdM-Th 8:30A-4PM, Fri 9AM-Noon.

POST OFFICE / IRB. . . . . . . . . . 596-2894204 4th Avenue 33785, Near Crabby Bill’sMon-Fri 8:30A-4:30P; Sat 9A-12:00P

IRB ROTARYwww.Indian-Rocks-Rotary.orgMeets at Jimmy Guana's every Wed. 7:15AMDavid Kline, Past President . . . . 593-2605

ACTION 2000John Todia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 595-2369Meets 2nd Monday Each Month Beach Art Ctr

EMERGENCIES: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-1-1SHERIFF NON-EMERGENCIES 582-6200SHERIFF DISPATCH . . . . . . . . . 582-6177PINELLAS COUNTY INFO . . . . 464-3000CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Gulf Beaches . . . . . . . . . . . . 360-6957Clearwater Beach . . . . . . . . 447-7600

WELCOME CENTER . . . . . . . . . 595-4575ELECTRICITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443-2641PHONE (Residential) . . . . . 800-483-4000PHONE (Business) . . . . . . . 800-483-5000WATER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 464-4000CABLE (Bright House) . . . . . . . . 329-5020SEWER / IRB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 595-6889TRASH / IRB / Pick Up . . . . . . . 595-6889-------------------------------------------------COUNTY INFORMATION . . . . 464-3000COMMISSION OFFICES. . . . . . 464-3377

Karen Seel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 464-3278STATE:Senator Dennis Jones . . . . 727-549-6411

Republican, District 138940 Seminole Blvd, Seminole 33772Jones.Dennis.web@flsenate.gov

Representative Jim Frishe . 727-518-3902 Republican, District 54125 Indian Rocks Rd, Belleair BluffsJim.Frishe@MyFloridaHouse.gov

Governor Charlie CristCharlie.Crist@myflorida.com

FLORIDA UNITED STATES SENATORS:Mel Martinez . . . . . . . . . . 202-224-3041

www.Martinez.Senate.govBill Nelson . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202-224-5274

www.BillNelson.Senate.govAREA UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE:Rep Bill Young . . . . . . . . . . 727-394-6950

9210 113th St, Seminole, FL 33772www.house.gov/young

MMAARRCCHH:Historical Society Spring Luncheon 13rd Annual Fashion Show Tea 2

Calvary Episcopal ChurchMeet the Candidates 3Monte Carlo Night Beach Art Center 8Daylight Savings Time Begins 9Election Day (Tuesday) 11Homeowner’s Happy Hour 13 Great American Clean Up 15 St Patrick’s Day (Monday) 17Good Friday 21Easter Egg Hunt / Nature’s Park 22Antique Car Show Heritage Village 22Easter Sunday 23APRIL:Blood Mobile at the Post Office 4Gulfside Gallop 5K Run 5Beauty and The Beach Art Show 5Heritage Village World War II Event 5Homeowner’s Happy Hour 10IRB Garage Sale (Sat / Sun) 19-20Biggest Beach Party Ever (Sat) 26

MAY:Turtle Nesting Season Begins 1Homeowners Happy Hour 8Postal Workers / Food Drive 10Mother’s Day (Sunday) 11Stone Crab Season Ends 15Heritage Village Civil War Days 17Household Chemical Cleanup 17Community Clean Up IRB 19-21Homeowners Annual Meeting 21Memorial Day 26 JJUUNNEE::Children’s Camp Beach Art CenterHurricane Season Begins 1Homeowners Happy Hour 12Flag Retirement Event (Tentative) 14 Flag Day 14Father’s Day 15Summer Begins 21

CREDITS

© 2008 Griffin Productions, Inc.

2008 CALENDAR OF LOCAL EVENTS

This newsletter is published byGRIFFIN PRODUCTIONS, Inc.and is mailed to every occupiedresidence and business in IndianRocks Beach We are not officiallyassociated with the City of IndianRocks Beach.

PUBLISHERBob & Becky Griffin

Residents of Indian Rocks Beach

ART DIRECTIONBecky Griffin

SALES727-517-1997

CONTACT INFOP.O. BOX 1314

Indian Rocks Beach, FL 33785517-1997 ~ 517-1998 FAX

IRBNewsletter.com

Is there something you would liketo see included in this newsletter?

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This newsletter is printed everyother month and survives onlocal advertising. Pleasesupport the people advertisinghere. If you are an IRBresident wanting to advertise,you get a discount. We alsooffer discounts for advertisingin our other issues, MadeiraBeach, Belleair Area andDowntown St. Petersburg.

Call me for the next issue. Formore information, or to readour other issues online, visitBeachNewsletters.com

NNEEAARRBBYY RREESSTTAAUURRAANNTTSSBELLEAIR AREABonefish Grill DD 518-1230Cody's Grill D 584-8473EE&&EE SSttaakkeeoouutt L D 585-6399Jewel Cafe B L 518-7901Le Bouchon L D 585-9777*Marlin Darlin's D 584-1700Panera Bread B L D 518-8900Venus Restaurant B L D 581-3849Westshore Pizza L D 585-6974*INDIAN ROCKS BEACHAl & Stella's Italian D 596-5900Blue Marlin L D 593-2808Brewmasters D 595-2900Coasters Grill L D 596-3332CCrraabbbbyy BBiillllss L D 595-0041GGuuppppyy''ss L D 593-2032JD's Restaurant B L D 595-1320Jimmy Guana's B L D 595-8356Keegan's L D 596-2477Kooky Coconut B L D 517-1300La Cachette D 596-5439Lighthouse Donuts B L 517-8722Los Mexicanos L D 596-5253My Place L D 593-7040PJ's Oyster Bar L D 596-5898RReedd LLiioonn PPuubb B L D 596-5411Sandy's B L 596-6896Tao Japanese Diner D 596-7135TJ's Italian L D 595-1714*Thai Pan Alley D 593-3663*INDIAN SHORESMickey Quinn L D 593-3208Salt Rock Grill D 593-7625The Pub B L D 595-3172SAND KEY AREABackwater's L D 517-7383Cabana Grill L D 595-2491Columbia Restaurant L D 596-8400Maggie Mae's Sunrise B L 595-1096Rusty's At The Sheraton D 595-1611Watercolours (Marriott)B L D 596-1100NEARBY LARGO AREACafe Largo D 596-6282Europa Restaurant B L 593-3874Geo Pappas B L D 596-0491Match Stick Grill L D 585-1816Pizza Shack L D 596-6780Rose & Crown L D 593-7673Savory Restaurant B L D 593-2030Village Inn B L D 596-3762PIZZACasa Bella Pizza L D 596-7175*Dominos L D 596-7175*HHuunnggrryy HHoowwiiee’’ss PPiizzzzaa L D 596-1400*Pajano’s Pizza L D 595-8446*Papa John’s L D 584-7272*Planet Pizza L D 596-3663*Uno’s Pizza D 517-0222*Westshore Pizza L D 585-6974*

BBoolldd lliissttiinnggss have ads in this newsletter** - Delivery B - Breakfast L - Lunch D - Dinner

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RREEPPRREESSEENNTTAATTIIVVEE BBIILLLL YYOOUUNNGG 77, the senior Republicanin the House of Representatives, announced he is runningfor a 20th term. Young wants to return to office tocontinue addressing the needs of the military and thewounded. His influence is a major contributor to bringingFederal money to Florida and Pinellas County.___________________________________________________KKIIDDSS,, LLEEAARRNN TTOO SSAAIILL:: Calvary Episcopal Church andPSF&R are teaming up for the 8th year to offer sailinglessons for children 7-16. Children must be“intermediate” swimmers. This program teaches childrenbasic sailing skills. Enrollment is limited to 20. Theprogram is two week (MON-FRI, 9-Noon), and beginsJune 9th. The cost is $50. Applications are accepted on afirst-come / first-served basis. Call 510-6153 for moreinformation, or drop by the Church at 1615 1st Street.___________________________________________________

OOUURR BBEEAACCHH PPAARRAADDIISSEE!!This photo taken on IRBoff 8th Ave, won IRBresidents Linda & JerryGash a trip to Hawaii,for best "PictureParadise", thanks toConde Nast TravelMagazine! The personfishing is their son-in-law Steve. _____________________

MMOONNTTEE CCAARRLLOO NNIIGGHHTT,, AATT TTHHEE BBEEAACCHH AARRTT CCEENNTTEERR isMarch 8th. This annual event is a fun way to raisemoney for the Art Center. Come join the fun! Gamesinclude Blackjack, Roulette, Wheel of Fortune, and TexasHold’em. Tickets are $20 and includes appetizers, adrink ticket and a door prize ticket. Call Grace, 596-4331, to buy your tickets._________________________________________________HHEELLPP MMIILLIITTAARRYY PPEERRSSOONNNNEELL CCAALLLL HHOOMMEE:: Participate in astatewide program collecting working cell phones to helppay for their calls. Each phone means a calling cardworth 240 minutes. Managed locally by Lee and GloriaOrstein, 6 firestations act as collection centers. Theycollected over 660 phones in this area in one week!Donate your phones at the IRB Fire Station, PublixGrocery Store (Indian Rocks Road) or Bayside Pharmacyon Indian Rocks Road. Cell phones can be in anycondition. Get more info at HelpThemCallHome.org.___________________________________________________AANN EEAASSTTEERR EEGGGG HHUUNNTT sponsoredby IRB’s Parks & Recreation alongwith the Homeowners will be 10amSat., March 22nd at the Indian RocksBeach Nature Park. Everyone isinvited._________________________________MMEEEETT TTHHEE CCAANNDDIIDDAATTEESS NNIIGGHHTT isbeing sponsored by the IRBHomeowners and the League ofWomen's Voters, March 3rd, 7pm atCity Hall. All the candidates will be present along withrepresentatives of the Pinellas Suncoast Fire Rescue. Tosimplify things, they are encouraging everyone to submittheir questions early. Email them to info@irbhome.com_________________________________________________OONNLLIINNEE:: Read this issue (as well as others) online atwww.IRBNewsletter.com. The next issue will be in May.

TTHHEE AANNNNUUAALL VVAALLEENNTTIINNEE PPAARRTTYY sponsored by A2K wasFebruary 9th and once again sold out. The evening waswonderful and City Hall looked like a swanky dance club.An event like this can not be done without the help ofmany IRB volunteers (pictured below). Helen Tilston, aPlein Aire Cottage Artist, donated an original painting ofColonial Court for the ‘live auction’.

___________________________________________________PPRROOPPEERRTTYY TTAAXX UUPPDDAATTEESS:: Now that Amendment 1passed, what does it all mean? Get more info atwww.MyFlorida.com/dor. You can visit the PinellasProperty Appraiser at www.pcpao.org to calculate yourproperty’s portability. Search the database for youraddress and click on the Portability Calculator at the top. ___________________________________________________GGOONNEE,, BBUUTT NNEEVVEERR FFOORRGGOOTTTTEENN John Susor, long timeowner of Mahuffer’s, the eclectic Key West style bar inIndian Shores, died January 10th. Mahuffer’s will remainopen. John’s 22 year old grandson, Mike Rogacki isdetermined to keep his grandpa's beach institution alive,much to the dismay of some city leaders. There is amemorial service for Susor at Mahuffer’s, March 8th.___________________________________________________MMAARRCCHH EELLEECCTTIIOONNSS In addition to the Mayor and twoCity Commission seats, we have a referendum for ourlocal fire department. They are asking for a $70 perhouse annual increase. There has not been an increasesince 2003, when gasoline was only 1.50 per gallon.Imagine how much it costs just to fill up a firetruck now!Read about the election and get details atVotePinellas.com.___________________________________________________HHOOMMEE TTOOUURR CCAANNCCEELLLLEEDD:: The Annual IRB HistoricalSociety’s Tour of Homes, scheduled for March 29 hasbeen cancelled. They hope to bring this back in 2009.They had difficulty lining up new old homes that would beavailable for tour. Want to open your home next year?Call call Patti Mueio at 727-517-8076.___________________________________________________BBIINNGGOO:: Do you like to play bingo? The Indian ShoresWomen’s Club play Monday Night bingo at 7PM thruMarch 31st at the Indian Shores Town Hall. Call Marleneat 415-8738 for info.___________________________________________________BBIIGGGGEESSTT BBEEAACCHH PPAARRTTYY plans are underway.. This yearwill be bigger and better. Join the Rotary and IRBHomeowners on the beach April 26th for music, food,beer & wine. This year’s event is an hour longer!_________________________________________________IINNSSPPIIRRAATTIIOONNAALL TTEEAA AANNDD FFAASSHHIIOONN SSHHOOWW at CalvaryEpiscopal, Sun. March 2, 3pm. Tea and light lunch servedwith apparel from Inspirational Elegance in Largo. Therewill also be a Chinese Auction. Tickets are $20.00 withprofits going to various church ministries. Contact theparish office @595-2374 or Susan Brillat @595-4744

Did You Know...

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VOTERS OF FLORIDA HAVE SPOKENBy Jim Frishe, Representative, District 5464% of Florida voters voted in favor of Amendment 1. InPinellas County the vote was 66.92%. This is a clearindication Florida citizens want tax relief. People went to thepolls in record numbers and their vote clearly indicated theywant - no, demand - that we continue the process ofreforming our unfair property tax system. The will of thepeople must be addressed. The legislature must continue tobring meaningful tax reform to all Florida citizens. We mustlisten and act on the will of the people. It is important to remember: l You did not lose your Save Our Homes protection.l You did not lose your 3% tax increase limit per year. l You will receive an increased tax exemption on your

home if you are presently covered by Save Our Homes.The existing $25,000 exemption remains and you mayqualify for an additional exemption depending upon thevalue of your home. You can find out what youradditional exemption will be by going the Pinellas CountyProperty Appraiser's Web site, www.pcpao.org.

l You have created "portability" so that homeowners cantake up to $500,000 of their Save Our Homes tax savingswith them when they move.

l You have exempted $25,000 from the Tangible PersonalProperty Tax on businesses and mobile homes.

l You have created a 10% cap on tax increases for commercial and non-homestead property.

We are facing an affordability crisis in Florida. With risingproperty tax costs, rising property insurance costs, and rising

electricity and gasoline costs, livingand doing business in Florida isbecoming more and more difficultfor our citizens. Florida's economy issuffering and there is no choice butfor the legislature to take positive,carefully thought-out action to reducethese costs. It is clear the problem isnot that the government is notspending enough, but that it is takingtoo much from the people.Government spending is out-of-control. In 2001 (beforeproperty values skyrocketed and created a property taxboom for governments) our parks, libraries and lawenforcement agencies had enough cash to provide both theamenities we enjoy and the services we cannot live without.Local government must now prioritize their spending so asto stay within the means of their citizens and not threatenthem with cuts in police, fire, and other vital services. Suchscare tactics are counterproductive. State and localgovernment must begin the difficult work of reviewing theirbudgets, spending first on NEEDS and second (if at all) onWANTS. The state must reduce state spending by 2 billiondollars this year, so we understand how difficult it will be insome communities.State and local government policy-makers MUST put asidetheir differences and work harder, together, to find acomprehensive solution to the property tax crisis threateningto undermine our economy and erode the qualities thathave made Florida a special place in which to live, workand raise a family. The solution is one word - TOGETHER.

CCOOMMMMUUNNIITTYY SSTTUUDDYY:: Action 2000 paid $25,000 of a$55,000 special study being conducted by the USFSchool of Architecture and Community Design. The goalof the study is goal is a plan for the revitalization of GulfBlvd. and adjacent areas. The city budgeted their$30,000 in 2008’s budget. A2K initiated the study whichproposes to develop a coordinated plan for the futuregrowth of our area, reflecting the revitalized “coastalvillage center” concept envisioned by city residents. Thestudy starts with citizen interviews. The result is to be thedevelopment of a plan created by both City Staff andthe USF department. Call Danny Taylor at the City formore information___________________________________________________WWIINNNNEERR OOFF RREESSTTAAUURRAANNTT CCOONNTTEESSTT How manyrestaurants used to be in IRB? Find out in our May issue.We had quite a few entries in our January contest. TimKuklis and Beth McCuen of IRB won by naming 69restaurants. But they didn’t get them all - there are morethan that! Find out in May.___________________________________________________

FFRREEEE CCOOMMPPUUTTEERR UUSSEE Did youknow the Library offers freeinternet access for people whodon’t have it, such as ourtourists & out of town visitors ?Here Richard Greer fromToronto, Canada is using oneof the Library’s computers.___________________________________________________

LLIITTTTLLEE LLEEAAGGUUEE is underway. Come out to the ball park on15th Avenue and enjoy a game and a hot dog, They arealways looking for sponsors, coaches, umpires, volunteersand players. If you’d like to get involved, call Tracy Jeffriesat 727-586-1533 or Jan Monson at 581-7646.___________________________________________________

CCIITTYY MMAANNAAGGEERR:: As of press time, there are only a fewapplicants for City Manager. Current City Planner andActing City Manager Danny Taylor has applied for thejob. Taylor applied for the job last time. After the

election, the new commissionwill act to fill the position.___________________________

11..3355%% PPRROOPPEERRTTYY TTAAXX CCAAPPThere is a petition to get aconstitutional amendment onthe ballot that caps all propertytaxes at 1.35% of taxablevalue while preserving SaveOur Homes and allHomestead Exemptions. Learnmore about this proposal at

CutPropertyTaxesNow.com. Pictured here are IRB residentsMike Hatmaker and Liz Barrett collection signatures at theJanuary. election._________________________________________________

HHOOAA HHAAPPPPYY HHOOUURRSS are always the second Thursday ofevery month. The next happy hour is March 13th atCuso's Cantina. After that is April 10 at the Red Lionand May 8 at Coasters. You can always find the fullschedule at irbhome.com.

More Did You Know...

INDIAN ROCKS BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSLETTERINDIAN ROCKS BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSLETTER

JJOOAANNNNEE ““CCOOOOKKIIEE””KKEENNNNEEDDYY is a former CityCommissioner (1999-2002).Where she served on aNational League of CitiesCommittee and a FloridaLeague of Cities Committee.She was voted PSF&R’sCivilian of the Year in 2003,and received a Commitment

to Excellence in Leadership Award (2005). She has been amember of Action 2000, Chairman Planning and ZoningBoard (1994-1998), Chairman Budget & Finance Review(1998-1999), Indian Rocks Beach Charter ReviewCommittee (2003), Tampa Bay Beaches GovernmentCommittee (1999-2003), the Gulf Beaches YMCA (2005-07) and Beach Art Center Board (2000-06). Cookie haslived in Indian Rocks Beach for 21 years and is a Floridanative. She is a graduate of Largo High School, St.Petersburg Junior College, Eckerd College and the NewLondon Academy of Design. Kennedy owns The CookieCutter Hair Salon and has a son, Luke, age 11.

DDAANNIIEELL TTOORRRREESS has servedon the Beautification Board(Vice Chairman 2000-Present)and the board of the IRBHomeowners Association (VicePresident 2006- Present). Heis a Certified ResidentialContractor and owns BeachWater Builders. He has livedin Florida 35 years and in IRBsince 1999. He is marriedwith 2 children.

DDOONN HHOOUUSSEE, houseirb.com,lives in a small Beach Trailhouse that has been in hisfamily for 40 years. Don servedon IRB's Planning & ZoningBoard for the past two years,has a B.A. in Finance from USFand worked for the IRS andComptroller of the Currency forthe U.S. Treasury. He is currentlyself employed designing nightclubs and installing audio,lighting and video systems. In addition he maintains hisPasco residential/commercial properties. Married for 35years, House has two children and twin grandchildren.

Meet Your Candidates for theMarch 11 City Commission Election

Want to know more? Join us at City Hall onMarch 3 for a question and answer sessionwith all the candidates. Sponsored by theIRB Homeowners Association.

HELP YOURSELF, YOUR CITY AND YOURLIBRARY ALL AT THE SAME TIME!!!

The "Friends of the Indian Rocks Beach Library" will hostanother GIANT Book Sale, Saturday, April 5th from 9:00am to 4:00 pm., at City Hall. The event coincides withthe Beauty and the Beach Festival and the Art Center's"Arts and Crafts" event. The library, adjacent to City Hallalso will be open for public convenience.

Space limits (and we are crowded) plus updating ofholdings makes it necessary to "weed out" someinventory. Also, library users and residents donate manyfine items to the "Friends" to use as a fund raiser. Aftersorting by the volunteers, all are made available at trulylow prices, with the City as the direct recipient of theentire proceeds. That is what "Friends" do.

This year's offerings include novels, biographies,sciences, art/crafts, health/medical, children's and otherbooks plus videos and much more. All MUST GO, andall at a distress price!! Come help yourself and yourlibrary.

ALL STRESSED OUT AND NO ANDNOWHERE TO GO? TRY A FREE

YOGAWORKS CLASS IN IRBNeed to neutralize life’s stresses? (Yep…even the beachhas a few stresses!) YogaWorks of Pinellas, Inc. offersbeginning and continuing yoga classes every Tuesday andThursday evening at 6:30 p.m. and on Wednesday andFriday mornings at 10 a.m. Classes are held at Calvary Episcopal Church, 1615 FirstSt., Indian Rocks Beach. No pre-registration necessary;walk-ins welcomed. Prices range from $7 to $10 per class,depending on class frequency, and can be purchased bythe 8-week session or on a single-class basis. The firstclass is FREE and is the perfect place to begin an enjoyablejourney to health and wellness. According to certified and registered (CYT/RYT) yogateacher Deanne Shower, “Yoga is NOT a religion; it’s NOTabout sitting in a circle making strange chanting soundstrying to wrap your legs around your neck. It’s aboutreducing stress, developing greater flexibility of mind andbody, and improving general well-being at your ownpace.” YogaWorks President Deanne Shower has beenteaching yoga in the area since 1991. Having initiated theyoga programs at theMorton Plant Mease WellnessCenters, Deanne is aregistered member of theNational Yoga Alliance, theInternational YogaAssociation and the SuncoastYoga Teachers Association.Shower holds one of thehighest national yogacertifications available andalso teaches yoga at EckerdCollege and Body Conceptsin Largo as well as chairyoga, modified for those with physical challenges, atImperial Palms in Largo. For more info, call (727) 596-9226 or e-mail: yoga4fr@tampabay.rr.com.

MEMORIES OF ANONA SCHOOLby Shera and Billy Bie, Students of Anona during the 1940sWhen Billy entered first grade at Anona School in1940, there were only two classrooms. Mrs.Grace Morris taught 1st through 3rd grades in oneroom and the principal Mr. Hugh Coil taught 4ththrough 6th grades in the other. There were about10-12 students in each grade. The classes wereseparated by a folding door. Desks were arraignedin rows, 2 for each grade, with the teacher's desk upfront, and open coat racks along the back wall. Theschool had two adjacent buildings; the restrooms afew feet east of the classrooms and connected with anoverhead roof, and the cafeteria/auditorium to thesouth. Fresh water came from a well and of course,there was no air conditioning, but there were largewindows to open. By the time Shera arrived from NewJersey in 1946, there were three classrooms with twogrades per room. Any time a lady entered a classroom,all the boys stood up until the teacher thanked them andsaid they could be seated. In addition to the blackboardlessons, we memorized. Some of those old classics arestill our favorites.The playground on the north and east sides consisted of atennis court, softball/soccer field, seesaws and swings. Onthe way outside for recess, we left our shoes in thecoat closet and ran around barefooted. Boys lovedthe big oak trees. They were lots of fun to climb andgood for playing "tree tag." They brought theirpocketknives to school for playing "root-the-peg." Girlsliked to play jacks, hopscotch and jumping double-dutch on the tennis court.There were two major events held each year in theauditorium. One was an operetta each springperformed by every student. The other was a bigcelebration of May Day with families in the audiencewatching students perform a play and the MaypoleDance, which included an elected king, queen and courtfrom the 6th grade. There was a yearly track meet for theboys and girls as well.Several activities were specific to the World War II years.Each week, we bought 10-cent and 25-cent stamps atschool, pasted them into stamp books and when we had afilled book of $18.75 worth of stamps, we turned it in for a$25 Savings Bond. We held a scrap metal drive. Themaintenance man, Mr. Pat Patterson, doubled as the VictoryGarden supervisor. In the garden, each student had two 20-foot long rows to tend. The picked vegetables were servedfor lunches in the school cafeteria and any extra was sold forincome for the school. When Mr. Paterson's rows of sugarcane were ripe, he cut them into 8-inch pieces and gave oneto each child to gnaw on his way home from school.The school bus picked us up on Gulf Boulevard, dropped offthe Anona Students and went on to Largo and Clearwaterhigh schools. After school, you could wait for the bus or, ifyou didn't want to miss "Hop Harrigan", "Terry and thePirates", "Tom Mix" "Superman" or other favorite radio serials,you could always catch a quick ride by hitchhiking.It was okay to climb trees, play with knives and hitchhike, butdefinitely against the rules to chew gum at school. Thosewere indeed some of the "good ol' days" when children werefun loving and mostly well behaved. However, the principaldid have a paddle, which he used on occasion.

ANONA ELEMENTARYSCHOOL

Is the oldest school in Pinellas County. AnonaElementary School was originally established in the1800's. The first recorded history of Anona is in1874. While the school building itself has beenmoved from the original location, they still strive tomaintain that small community atmosphere. Today,they have a flourishing school community with 420students in Kindergarten through Fifth Grade.

An "A" School - At Anona Elementary the focus is toprovide an academic environment that will supporthighest student achievement in a safe learningenvironment. They were proud to have received an"A" grade for the 2005 - 2006 school years.Outstanding students, dedicated staff andsupportive parents all work together to help ourstudents succeed. They are very proud of Anona'saccomplishments and continue to strive forexcellence.

ROTARY CLUB & ANONAThe Rotary Club of Indian Rocks Beach, proud tobe celebrating its tenth year of serving the local,national and worldwide communities, haspartnered with numerous organizations since1997. The longest of those partnerships is ourseven year support of the Anona ElementarySchool.Our first opportunity to assist Anona came in 2001,when we provided, (1) a donation for first gradeschool supplies, (2) a donation for kindergartenplayground equipment and (3) a 'Back-to-School'appreciation breakfast for the first grade teachers.Our club has continued the annual support of the firstgrade teachers and students since 2001 and iscommitted to continue that support in the future.In 2005, as a response to Rotary International'songoing commitment to improve global literacy and tofollow the lead of thousands of other Rotary clubs, IRBRotary partnered with 'The Dictionary Project',dictionaryproject.org, to provide dictionaries to all of thethird, fourth and fifth grade students at Anona

Elementary. As an ongoing annual project, we havecommitted to provide dictionaries to every incoming classof third graders not only at Anona, but to the elementaryschools at Oakhurst, Ridgecrest and Bauder.This is another project your IRB Rotary Club sponsors.None of our projects would be possible without thecontinued community support of Rotary's Oktoberfest andSuper Bowl Raffle fundraisers. We appreciate all thesupport you gave us over the last ten years!The IRB Rotary membership continues to grow as thecommunity becomes familiar with the Rotary service. Weencourage anyone who would like to sample what ourclub is all about, to join us for breakfast at 7:15 am,every Wed. at Jimmy Guana's Restaurant. Nocommitments, no hard sell, justfellowship in serving humanity.David Kline, Past President,727-593-2605Indian Rocks Beach Rotary Clubindian-rocks-rotary.org

Shera and Billy Bie at their IRB home, 2008

WW II Victory garden - Students raised vegetables as part of the

curriculum and to raise money for the school. 1942

Anona Elementary (circa 1893) includedchildren from the Meares, Lowe, Hendrick,

Hammock and McMullen families

1947 Graduation of Shera Bie’s class. Sheand Wilma Curry Wilday (both picturedabove) are current IRB residents. Photo

courtesy of Shera and Billy Bie

1940, Billie Bie’s first grade class. He is in the

front , lower right corner. His teacher, Grace

Morris taught him during first, second & third

grade. She later became the principal.

Photo courtesy of Shera and Billy Bie.

Fifth grade graduating class 2008, 80 strong. Photo by Wayne Cathel, Belleair Images Jan. 2008Unless otherwise noted, photos courtesy of the IndianRocks Beach Historical Society.

The Brick School house was built in 1918

(photo date unknown)

INDIAN ROCKS BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSLETTERINDIAN ROCKS BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSLETTER

BBUURRNN TTHHEE FFOOOODD,, NNOOTTTTHHEE HHOOUUSSEE

By Marshall Eiss, Fire InspectorPinellas Suncoast Fire & RescueMost everyone I know likes to barbecue; some have veryexpensive and expansive grills while some have just a smallcharcoal grill.As fire inspector ofPinellas Suncoast Fireand Rescue, I amrequired to do annualinspections of allcommercial propertiesand all residences ofthree or more units.We, like many otherfire departments inthe area, haveadopted the codes ofthe National FireProtection Association as our book of rules and regulationsfor doing these inspections.One of the infractions that I write up most often is forhaving those grills on porches and balconies. The NFPAstates that this is not acceptable as these grills create anopen flame which, if not attended at all times, can get outof control and start a fire. Even if attended, the heatproduced by these grills can melt vinyl siding! When yougo inside your residence to enjoy that barbecue, thecooling grill still produces enough heat to do damage.A fire several years ago was the result of a gentlemanbriefly leaving his food on the grill to re-enter his unit.Upon his return, he discovered the whole backside of hisunit was on fire!Now I know you are all saying, "That will never happen tome"; but as evidenced by the pictures, it can and doeshappen when you least expect it! So please do your family,

neighbors, andfriends a favor andkeep your grills atleast 10 feet from thestructure at all times!We also suggest thatfolks in any buildingwith three or moreunits consider havinga community grill asa solution to thisproblem. Feel free tocontact us any time atthe fire departmentfor any questions youmight have on thissubject.As the old insurancecompany commercialsays "let's not meet byaccident!"

LET’S GO ORGANIC!If your New Year's Resolution had something to do withyour health, you are in good company. A person's healthis often their top priority with the New Year. Included inthis group are the co-owners of Crunchy Mama HealthFood Store in Largo. Andrea Harms and Christy Ward(both mothers of young children) believe health is acomplex balancing act with ups and downs. Striving to keep illness in check and teaching their childrenproper eating habits becomes a second full time job.They believe disease is often caused by toxin build-up,and it is important to keep the toxins to a minimum. Atoxin is anything that enters the body, does not becomepart of its organic tissue and is not excreted. Toxins cancreate an imbalance in our system and come to us frommany sources - the air, our water, the way we think, howwe eat.We fill up on toxins eating fast and processed foods, andfoods sprayed or injected with chemicals. Toxins get intoour cells and tissue. The tissue becomes inflamed. Ourbody communicates to us by excreting the toxins throughour mucus membranes. We feel lousy, we take a pill orwe go to the doctor and get an antibiotic. These thingssuppress the body's ability to communicate. We may feelbetter, but our bodies are now left with even more toxins!One way to decrease the amount of daily toxins weconsume is to eat balanced Organic food. "Organic"vegetables, fruits, meats, and dairy products have notbeen poisoned with chemicals such as pesticides,fungicides, herbicides, growth hormones, or antibiotics.The main difference between organic and conventionalfood is the method used to grow or make it.Conventional livestock is injected with hormones to fattenthem as quickly as possible and antibiotics to keep themfrom getting sick in their overcrowded feed-lots. Organiclivestock grow naturally without hormones and antibiotics.The land they graze and the feed they eat is certifiedorganic. Conventional produce is sprayed with harshchemicals to keep bugs and disease away. They are notsprayed on organic fruits and vegetables. Instead,organic farmers use natural alternative methods.The American way of producing food has become one ofthe biggest threats to the environment. After decades ofusing industrial fertilizers and spraying chemicals, bugsare stronger and harder to eradicate and the land is lessfertile. We have over sprayed and over farmed and notallowed the land to take care of itself through its ownnatural rhythm. Organic farming mimics the earth's ownprocesses for long-term health and renewal. Let this be the year we make a resolution for the health ofthe Earth as well as our families; let's go ORGANIC!

12788 Indian Rocks Road #8, Largo - 727-593-1800

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BBUUSSIINNEESSSS BBRRIIEEFFSSGREAT START TO YOURDAY- Crabby Bills now offersbreakfast at the new LoadingDock. Monday-Saturday 7 -11am, and Sunday 8 am -Noon. They have a greatham steak.__________________________MIKE IS BACK! Mike Kelleyhas opened an office with

EquiPoint Financial Network at 1401 Gulf Blvd. Hespecializes in Reverse Mortgages and other financialtools. Kelley, an IRB resident, used to have an office onGulf Blvd at Walsingham.__________________________________________________NEW VET IN IRB Dr MattFacarazzo has joined IRBAnimal Clinic with Dr. MattLicht. Licht is working less andFacarazzo is now helping IRBpets. They have added newrooms to hospitalize animalsonsite, offer dental cleaning,have new X-Ray equipment,state of the art surgeryequipment and a computer system. All of this in the last6 months. Their phone number is 596-9156__________________________________________________

FOR SALE: Do you have$949,000? If so you canbuy the SE corner of GulfBlvd at Walsingham, theSand Dollar Plaza. It has4,622 SF. It includesseveral commercialspaces, a restaurant anda one bedroomapartment upstairs. It has

been recently remodeled. For more info, call PatCalhoon, at Century 21 Champions at 398-2774__________________________________________________

REGIONS BANK is opening a new branch on IndianRocks Road at Walsingham on or near March 1.__________________________________________________BIKES FOR RENT: CookieKennedy has opened a bikerental company next to herCookie Cutter Salon, calledOff the Beaten Path. Theyare open Thurs.-Mon. Bikerentals are $15 half-day or$30 full day. Credit Cardsaccepted. Open 9-5. Checkthem out next to the Post Office__________________________________________________

BELLA CAPRI is takingpart in the Tampa BayBuilder’s AssociationSpring Parade ofHomes, which runsfrom March 1st -16th.It is free to tour oursales gallery and site.Their scaffolding is upwhich means stuccoand paint are coming

soon! Residences are available starting at $799,000

PPLLEEIINN AAIIRREE AARRTT SSHHOOWWIndian Rocks Beach rocked on Friday night, January11th to the opening of the Plein Aire Cottage ArtistsSAVE OUR COTTAGE, SERIES V. with 54 new paintingsof cottages, beach trail, sunrises and sunsets.

Politicians, local and out of state collectors and revelersenjoyed the evening at Guppy’s on the Beach.

The triptych painting was of particular interest. Itcomprises of three separate panels which can be hungindividually or hung close together to represent onescene. The three Plein Aire Cottage Artists each paintedone panel. The show continues through March. at Guppy's, 1701 Gulf Blvd. For additional informationcontact Additional Information contact Helen Tilston,Chair - Plein Aire Cottage Artists, 727.596.6370

Triptych on display at Guppy’s with the artists thatpainted it, Helen Tilston, Mary Rose Holmes and Violetta

Shtymeyzen www.pleinairecottageartists.com.

IIRRBB CCIIVVIICC AASSSSOOCCIIAATTIIOONNSSCCHHOOLLAARRSSHHIIPP FFOOUUNNDDAATTIIOONN

The Indian Rocks Beach Civic Association was dissolvedin 2005. They donated the excess scholarship funds tothe St. Petersburg College Foundation, Inc.

Scholarships Recipients may use the funds only for initialregistration fees, tuition, books & educational materials.Scholarship Criteria:1. Recipients of these scholarships may enroll or already

be enrolled in any; academic, technical, or certificateprogram at any campus of St. Petersburg College (SPC) as a full or part-time student in any discipline.

2. Recipients must be legal residents of Indian RocksBeach, Florida

3. Recipients must have a minimum high school or SPCgrade point average of 3.0. Continuing or returningstudents must be students in good standing at SPC

4. Any recipient of these scholarships is limited to four(4) scholarships

Students must apply for this scholarship through thefoundation. Each fall semester, foundationrepresentatives will make selections from all qualifiedapplications in conjunction with the Civic Associationand Friends of Scholarships at SPC.For more information, please contact Judy Ellis,Scholarship Coordinator at 727-341-3362

INDIAN ROCKS BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSLETTERINDIAN ROCKS BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSLETTER

CITIZENS ARE IN MIND ASBUDGET PROCESS BEGINSBy Karen Williams Seel, District 5Pinellas County Commissioner

Many people are asking how theoutcome of Amendment 1 will affectPinellas County. The passage of this amendmentdoubles their homestead exemptionand enables them to take their Save Our Homes benefitto a new house. However, it will decrease property taxrevenues to Pinellas County by an estimated $50 million.This will require county departments to reduce theirbudgets.This cost-cutting exercise comes at a time when citizensare telling us they enjoy the quality of the county'sservice. A recent statistically valid survey of 800 residentsgives us a snapshot showing what our residents think isimportant. Questions were specific to county issuesincluding the level of services, funding priorities andquality of life. There are some interesting findings in the survey.Citizens rated taxes the single most important issue forPinellas County, with education second. That falls right inline with the Jan. 29 vote. While voters passedAmendment 1 by 70 percent, they continued the advalorem tax for education by 70 percent.Overall, people are happy in Pinellas County, with 81percent of those polled rating the quality of life good orexcellent. Comparing the results of past surveys, morepeople are noticing road improvements and are feelingsafe in their neighborhoods, parks and downtowns. Thesurvey reveals county government providing goodoverall service and people finding our employeesknowledgeable and courteous.Additionally, the survey revealed the following top fivefunding priorities: public safety; attracting and retaininghigh paying jobs; transportation and traffic flow; andimproving water and sewer treatment. This will be usefulinformation to the County Commission as we moveforward in the budget process. The survey results and positive response about countygovernment will make the task of cutting the budgetmore difficult. Citizens may not be fully aware of theservices county government is required to provide bystate and federal mandate, such as the operation of jailsand Medicaid funding. We cannot significantly reducethese services, leaving the bigger burden of the cuts tonon-mandatory programs that impact our quality of lifesuch as parks, the environment and social serviceprograms. In addition to considering our citizens' priorities identifiedin the survey, your County Commission will continue tolisten to community feedback. There will be five budgetsessions during which you may voice your opinions.They are scheduled for April 24, May 8, May 15, May22 and June 5.The reality is that we will face the elimination of someprograms and services. This will help us to accomplishthe tax savings that our citizens desire while doing ourbest to preserve the level of quality that our citizens tellus they enjoy.

We are located just over the Belleair Causeway in Belleair Bluffs.Our location is ideally situated to provide exceptional service tothe areas that we specialize in, including the Gulf Beaches, theIntracoastal Waterfront Communities and the Mainlands fromSeminole to Belleair. David Gardella, Broker/Owner had been a

resident of IRB for over 20 years.

RREEAALL EESSTTAATTEE SSAALLEESS && PPRROOPPEERRTTYY MMAANNAAGGEEMMEENNTT

313 Harbor Drive, IRB. Newer 4BR / 2.5 Bath 3 Car Garagehome is engineered to perfection with panoramic waterviews throughout this open design. Deep water dockwith cradle lift system . . . $1,399,000

598 Indian Rocks Rd Belleair Bluffs, Fl 33770Office 727.584.0900 l Fax 727.210.2271 l

www.mandalayrealtygroup.comVisit our website to view “photo gallery tours” of our listings

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BBIILLLL OOCCKKUUNNZZZZII (incumbentCommissioner-Mayor) elected to theCity Commission in 2003 becameMayor in 2005. He has aGeography degree from Kent State,Ohio and a Masters in Geographyfrom USF. Previously, Bill served onthe IRB Planning and Zoning Board,various committees of the FloridaLeague of Cities, was a director ofthe Suncoast League of Cities, anexecutive director of the Tampa Bay Regional PlanningCouncil from 1981 to 1985 and served on the PinellasCounty Charter Review Committee in 1992. He is amember of the IRB Historical Society, Friends of theLibrary, Beach Art Center, IRB Homeowners Assoc. andAction 2000. Ockunzzi, a professional planner andRealtor, is married and has two children and agranddaughter. He has lived in Florida for 33 years andin Indian Rocks since 1994. Together with his wife Jan,they own and operate the Laughing Lizard Gallery & B&Bat 2211 Gulf Blvd.

RR..BB.. JJOOHHNNSSOONN (incumbentCommissioner), is a graduateof Rice University with degreesin History and Political Science.He has been on the CityCommission since 2000 andis the Vice Mayor. R.B. hasserved on the PinellasSuncoast Transit Authority(PSTA) Board of Directors(2002 to present) as

Secretary/Treasure and now Chairperson, Chair of theBeautification Board (1997-2000), and a Board Memberof IRB Historical Society. He has been a member of Action2000, IRB Civic Assoc., Beach Art Center, Friends of theLibrary, IRB Executive Committee and IRB Homeowner’sAssociation. Since 1989, R.B. has spearheaded volunteerplantings of sea oats and other native beach vegetation,Johnson, single has lived in Indian Rocks Beach since1989. His family has lived here since the 1930s and theirprevious home is now the IRB Historical Museum. Hiscurrent profession is Real Estate Management.

Meet Your Candidates for theMarch 11 Mayoral Election