Category — Neighborhood News

CLEARWATER BEACH, FLORIDA – Master Illusionist Criss Angel of popular A&E Television show fame “Mindfreak” survived a daring escape from the imploding Spyglass Hotel on Clearwater Beach.

The stunt has been in works for months and the grand event was held yesterday evening as thousands watched from the beach. Angel said before the event, “It is going to be one of the biggest, baddest, craziest escapes I have ever done in my career.” Criss vowed to his mother to no longer perform life threatening tricks.

The stunt involved 450 sticks of dynamite, 4,500 tons of cement, hand cuffs, and a helicopter. He had 3 minutes and 30 seconds to exit before the dynamite leveled the building.

Angel says he chose Clearwater because no other city in the country would allow him to perform the dangerous stunt. “We’ve been looking for a building now for nine months, and no one would allow me to be in a building that would be imploding,” he said.

Good work Criss and to the Spyglass Hotel, you will be missed.

Here is a link to Bay News 9 wrap up of Criss Angel’s amazing escape from the implosion.

Here is a blog posting and video from Tampa Bay’s 10 Adam Vance, who was in the vicinity filming reporting from a helicopter.

The Old Seminole Heights 10th Annual Home Tour is happening this weekend in Tampa.

April 6th 11:30am to 5:30pm. Tickets are $10 and on sale now. For more information about the home tour and tickets go here.

Old Seminole Heights is located near downtown Tampa with many stately bungalows and historic homes and is at the center of an urban revival movement to restore the many beautiful homes within the district.

As many of you know, my girlfriend and I are home tour junkies. We travel throughout Florida for home tours and love learning the stories of the people, their homes, and their neighborhoods. I highly recommend getting out and learning more about communities in the Tampa Bay area.

Check out our pre-foreclosure property on sale in the neighborhood if you are in the area.

I received this information in an email from a friend recently. It is a list of ways to build community. Wouldn’t it be great if we all followed the suggestions? We can’t change the location of our neighborhood, but we do have the power to change the quality of life. I challenge you to make your neighborhood the best neighborhood ever.

• Turn off your TV
• Turn off the computer
• Leave your house
• Know your neighbors
• Greet people
• Play together
• Look up when you’re walking
• Sit on your stoop
• Plant flowers
• Use your library
• Buy from local merchants
• Share what you have
• Help a lost dog
• Take children to the park
• Honor elders
• Support neighborhood schools
• Fix it even if you didn’t break it
• Recycle, Reuse and Re-purpose
• Have potlucks
• Garden together
• Pick up litter
• Read stories aloud
• Dance in the street
• Talk to the mail carrier
• Listen to the birds
• Put up a swing
• Help carry something heavy for someone else
• Barter for your goods
• Start a tradition
• Ask a question
• Hire young people for odd jobs
• Organize a block party
• Bake extra and share
• Ask for help when you need it
• Open your shades
• Sing together
• Share your skills
• Take back the night
• Turn up the music
• Turn down the music
• Listen before you react
• Seek to understand
• Learn from new and uncomfortable angles
• Stay in curiosity and out of judgment
• Know that no one is silent though many are not heard
• Work to change this