Niece of the Week: Kryssy Lynn
This energetic young lady is one very hard worker! When not working at Hamburger Mary’s, Kryssy enjoys spending time with her friends and family.
You Just Can’t Make This Stuff Up!
For many years we have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Miss Stephanie Shippae. Every time we’re with her, she will do something that cracks everybody up. One Sunday afternoon, Stephanie had just finished an afternoon show at Hamburger Mary’s in GaYBOR. Out on the balcony on a beautiful day, she was trying to unwind a little. All of a sudden she noticed there was a big crowd starting to form on the sidewalk below. She was dressed in a beautiful blue rhinestone dress with a cut that went down past her belly button and jewelry to match. In classic form, Stephanie let out her signature saying, “HEY EVERYBODY!” and gave the crowd a big 180 degree wave.
One spunky blue hair senior citizen hit her clueless husband and pointed up to the balcony. Stephanie cracked a big smile and said, “I bet you can’t see this at Ruth Eckerd Hall!” A group of young people all dressed alike were waving at Stephanie. The next thing we know they are all on the HM balcony having photos taken with Stephanie. HEY EVERYBODY!
2014 Entertainer of the Year Competition
The regional pageant for the nationwide 2014 Entertainer of the Year competition had a wide variety of talent and charm. The two divisions were “Illusion Drag Talent” and the “Boys’ Competition.” The Honey Pot hosted the fierce competition with winners competing in the National Entertainer of the Year and the Mr. Entertainer of the Year contests in Louisville, Kentucky.
The funny and stylish characters had the crowd entertained. Some of the outfits were purely stunning and very original with great props! The Tampa Bay stars that won the regional EOY were Miss Trinity Taylor and Mr. Matthew Kelly.
New at Cristino’s Italian: Their GRAND OPENING
Alongside all your favorite Cristino’s Italian specialities, there is now a lunch buffet, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. from Monday-Wednesday. Cristino’s grand opening and ribbon-cutting is April 11th with special guest Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and YOU are invited. At 4 p.m., come celebrate their grand opening in Ybor City. They are located at the corner of 8th Avenue and 17th Street. Come in and see their famous coal ovens for cooking and their numerous gelato desserts.
George Sheldon for Florida Attorney General
Greeting potential voters at King Corona’s Meet and Greet in Ybor City was George Sheldon, running for Florida’s Attorney General. He is off and running to defeat current Florida Attorney 
General Pam Bondi.
Sheldon’s political career began in 1969, when he was a legislative aide for state senator and future governor Reubin Askew. Sheldon was a state representative in the Tampa area from 1974 to 1982, before running against Congressman Michael Bilirakis. Sheldon would serve in private practice until 1999, when he became Deputy Attorney General for Central Florida under Attorney General Bob Butterworth. In 2003, he assumed the post of Associate Dean at St Thomas Law School, and in 2008, Sheldon became the Secretary of the Florida Department of Children and Families under governor Charlie Crist.
While at Florida DCF, Sheldon played a key role in relief efforts for refugees from Haiti’s 2010 earthquake. He was also recognized by a national child welfare coalition as leading the “largest transformation of an American child welfare system in recent decades, turning Florida from the national example of failure into, relatively speaking, a leader in doing child welfare right.” Sheldon would later become the Acting Assistant Secretary for the federal Administration for Children and Families in the United States Department of Health and Human Services from 2011 to 2013.
Talking with a group of us at the get-together, he said that he is and has been in favor of marriage equality and gay adoption rights. While a member of the Florida House, he stood up against the crusading Anita Bryant and her shenanigans.
