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© St. Petersburg Times, published February 16, 2002
Briefs and news of note
Good Morning America will be back in the Tampa Bay area later this month to remodel a 1960s kitchen -- and it could be yours. Handyman Ron Hazelton is seeking a kitchen from the 1960s or '70s with as much harvest gold and avocado green as you can dish out; the original outdated appliances; the original flooring, old plumbing fixtures, those dark wood cabinets and the incandescent fixtures that make everyone look old and gray.
Hazelton and his crew will be in town Feb. 25-March 1 to remodel the kitchen on air on the ABC morning show. The homeowners must be willing and able to work every day (and sometimes into the night) during that week; must be interested in learning about home improvements, be willing to have a TV crew there and have a high tolerance for mess and chaos.
The home must have a parking area that can accommodate Ron's tool trailer and crew vehicles, and the neighbors should be understanding and tolerant. GMA is seeking a home of at least 2,500 square feet that should be within 10 miles of a Lowe's Home Improvement Store, which provides materials for the makeover.
To qualify, get busy: Send a tape and/or pictures of that gorgeous mess of a kitchen and your home by Monday to Lynn Drasin, Good Morning America, 147 Columbus Ave., New York, NY 10023. You can e-mail photos to her at Lynn.Drasin@abc.com, but she needs hard copies as well.
The spring Parade of Homes season steps off today, when 134 new models open their doors in Manatee and Sarasota counties. Models are open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. through March 3. Visit the parade Web site at www.paradeofhomesinfo.com for locations where you can pick up the parade magazine, maps, information about the homes sorted by builder, price and location and lots more. The magazine is also available at models. Parades of Homes are annual showcases of new construction sponsored by the local builders' association, in this case the Home Builders Associations of Sarasota & Manatee Counties.
Monday is Washington's Birthday, so test your knowledge of our nation's leaders with this quiz from the Hardwood Information Center: Which logs were used in Abe Lincoln's cabin: tupelo, alder, oak or gum? Which tree was felled by George Washington's ax: maple, elm, hickory, cherry? The nickname for Andrew Jackson: Old Hickory, Stonewall, Ashen Andrew or Ever Poplar? Which tree was planted at the White House to honor mothers of U.S. Presidents: basswood, birch, beech or cherry? John F. Kennedy's rocker was crafted from: oak, ash, poplar or maple? George Washington planted these trees on each side of Mount Vernon: poplar, elm, willow, sycamore? Answers are at the center's Web site, www.hardwoodinfo.com (click on "Species").
- Compiled by Homes editor JUDY STARK