News & Public Affairs

At Tiger Bay Bill Foster addresses chase policy, BayWalk, budget listen

02/23/10 Seán Kinane
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: St. Petersburg, Bill Foster, Tiger Bay Club, Homelessness, police, budget, Baywalk

Last week, the St. Petersburg city administration and police department suggested loosening the city’s police chase policy. A new policy would allow police vehicles to pursue some fleeing car thieves and burglars. It was the first subject residents wanted to hear about at Tuesday’s Suncoast Tiger Bay Club meeting featuring St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster.

*The slight modificati...

1 comments

Activists protest Petraeus appearance listen

01/15/10 Tom Baur
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: War, Iraq war, Afghanistan War, civil liberties, protests, David Petraeus, CENTCOM, Baywalk, St. Pete for Peace

Thursday evening protesters gathered in front of the Rennaisance Vinoy Resort to denounce the St Petersburg Chamber of Commerce for choosing Central Command General David H Petraeus to give the keynote speech at their 110th annual dinner.

It was a great day for a protest at St Petersburg’s Straub park on the shores of Tampa Bay. 68 degrees, ...

Be the first to comment

St Petersburg Swears in New Mayor and History Making Council Member listen

01/04/10 Tom Baur
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: St Petersburg election, LGBT, government, Baywalk, digital billboards, public safety, St Petersburg College, Rick Baker, Bill Foster, Steve Kornell, Watermark

It was a packed house with standing room only at St Petersburg city hall Saturday January 2nd as newly elected Mayor Bill Foster and council member Steve Kornell were sworn in.

St Petersburg City Council celebrated and congratulated outgoing mayor Rick Baker with awards, the key to the city and high praise. Baker led St. Petersburg for almost 9 years until term limits forced him out of office. Baker...

Be the first to comment

Baywalk Gets Revitilization Help from City listen

12/18/09 Tom Baur
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: Baywalk, st petersburg city council election candidates, retail

Baywalk owners may get more St Petersburg property in their struggle to revive the ailing retail complex.

A few months ago The City of St Petersburg gave struggling Baywalk owners control of a public sidewalk in hopes they could stop protesters from distracting paying patrons. But now the new owners want to expand their control to the Promenade that leads from the garage to Baywalk. The city may cut a deal with Baywalk’s former owner Fred Bullard to tear up his control agreement of the Pro...

Be the first to comment

Baywalk protests continue after sidewalk privatization. listen

11/23/09 Joshua Lee Holton
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: Baywalk, privatization, protesters, free speech

Last Friday night 20 people with St. Pete for Peace protested outside the Baywalk shopping center, opposing further privatization of sidewalks in downtown St. Pete.

The decision by the St. Petersburg City Council to privatize a portion of the sidewalk near Baywalk has met with resistance from local peace groups who they say they will continue to exercise free speech outside the Baywalk development.

Chris Ernesto with [St. Pete for Peace](www.stpeteforpeace.or...

Be the first to comment

BayWalk protesters demand free speech not corporate bailouts listen

10/19/09 Seán Kinane
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: Baywalk, ACLU, St. Pete for Peace, Uhurus

On Friday night, over 80 free speech activists demonstrated at BayWalk to protest the St. Pete City Council’s decision to give away the sidewalk in front of that failing entertainment complex.

Two weeks ago, after an earlier vote where the City Council refused to give the public sidewalk away, the activist group St. Pete for Peace said they would not protest there for a year as a good-faith gesture. But following Thursday’s reversal by City Council, that group, as well as others including...

Be the first to comment

Protesters Will Gather Friday to Protest Private Sidewalks At Baywalk listen

10/16/09 Arielle Stevenson
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: Baywalk

Yesterday, the St. Petersburg City Council voted 5-3 to privatize the sidewalk in front of BayWalk. A fight broke out between two men in the meeting, and emotions ran high.

The vote reversed a decision made two weeks ago. Last week local activist group St. Pete for Peace, which has protested frequently at BayWalk, agreed to postpone any future protests for the next year, as a good faith gesture towards the city council. But when the council changed their decision last week,

St. Pete f...

Be the first to comment

Deadlock kills Baywalk privatization listen

10/01/09 Kate Bradshaw
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: Baywalk, Rick Baker, Kathleen Ford, Bill Foster, Wengay Newton, Jim Kennedy, NAACP, Uhurus, First Amendment, CW Capital, Leslie Curran, Herb Polson, Ray Arsenault

After a hearing that lasted nearly six hours, the St. Petersburg City Council voted 4-4 to reject an ordinance that would have privatized the sidewalk that lines the front portion of Baywalk.

Councilmember Herb Polson cast the final “no” vote on an ordinance that would have in effect barred protesters from demonstrating at the public entryway to the ailing shopping center. The site, once symbolic of Downtown St. Pete’s revival, has recently come to symbolize the disconnect between free sp...

Be the first to comment

Will St. Pete privatize a popular protest spot near Baywalk?

09/30/09 Robert Lorei
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: protests, free speech, Baywalk

Our guest is Dwight Lawton, a spokesperson for the St. Petersburg chapter of Veterans for Peace and a member of St. Pete For Peace. The group is concerned about tomorrow's St. Pete City Council vote, which could result in the privatization of a sidewalk in downtown St. Pete. The group recently issued a press release which said in part:

The proceedings will take place at St. Petersburg City Hall beginning at 8:30am, at 175 Fifth Street N (map). There will be a public hearing to discuss t...

Be the first to comment

Activists Discuss Upcoming Baywalk Decision listen

09/30/09 Kate Bradshaw
Listen to this entire show:

Tags: NAACP, Ray Tampa, Wengay Newton, Kathleen Ford, Carl Nurse, Bruce Wright, Baywalk, St. Pete City Council

The occupancy of the once-thriving complex is now at a dismal thirty percent. Some believe the only way to save it is to allow the owners of Baywalk to take over the sidewalk that skirts the main entrance; a site known for political demonstrations. Others, like NAACP president Ray Tampa, say the move would be blatantly unconstitutional and deliver a clear message about where the city’s true intentions lie.

[]

A coalition of groups that include the International People’s Democratic Uhuru...

Be the first to comment