A salute to the Big Apple, free lunch and a wager

Tampa columnist HOOPER E-mail: Click here Archive

© St. Petersburg Times
published September 10, 2002

Honora Berninger scoffs at the notion New Yorkers aren't friendly.

Married to a native New Yorker and having lived there for 15 years, she can recall folks in the Big Apple performing random acts of kindness before that term became vogue.

Although she has lived in the Tampa area for more than 20 years, Berninger still has a passion for New York. In the wake of Sept. 11, she expressed her passion with a 9-foot-long, stained-glass design of the New York skyline that sits above the sliding door of the lanai at her Lithia home.

Berninger, who learned the craft at an Ybor City store no longer in existence, varied the textures of each building. The Empire State and Chrysler buildings are distinguishable. For the World Trade Center towers, she chose clear glass. A rose from her garden sits in front of the towers to symbolize that the city and the country live on.

In a moving essay about her work of art, Berninger wrote: "Translucent but not transparent, glass and its hardness symbolize what New York City offers -- unbounded opportunity, with the dual conditions of motivation and desire; promise with the requirement of perseverance in the face of failure; punishment, with the knowledge that sharp edges cause harm and carelessness causes breakage; and hope, with the full understanding that hope gives life and meaning."

Asked if she was comfortable with a daily reminder of the terrorist strike in her home, Berninger said, "I think it's a reminder that the country is resilient and New York is resilient.

"They are wonderfully resilient and friendly people when they need to be."

In remembrance of Sept. 11 and as a salute to local heroes, Mise En Place invites all Tampa police officers and firefighters to a free lunch today through Friday. Officers and firefighters just need to call 254-5373 and offer a valid ID upon arrival.

Meanwhile, Stump's Supper Club in Channelside will offer free meals to all all active military, police, EMS and firefighter personnel with a valid ID on Wednesday.

"We want to thank these good folks for serving us and now it's time for us to serve them," commented Guy Revelle, co-owner of Stump's. "These folks put their lives on the line every day, so why not risk it one more time by eatin' here?"

Said co-owner Mark Gibson "He's kidding, of course."

The NAACP Hillsborough County branch is moving forward with plans to open an economic empowerment center.

The center, which will be next to its offices at 308 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., will aim to increase credit capital and financial service access for minorities, as well as advocate financial literacy programs.

I have a lot of mixed emotions watching the Bucs play. I want to see the good guys I covered -- like Keyshawn Johnson, Derrick Brooks and John Lynch -- do well, but a part of me still is bothered by the firing of Tony Dungy.

By the way, Dungy won his first game with the Indianapolis Colts.

How bad did my Gators play against the University of Miami? Florida A&M alumni Keith Berry called immediately after Saturday night's 41-16 Hurricanes victory to note that the Division I-AA Rattlers managed to score more points (17) against Miami than Florida.

Of course, I look forward to Keith calling again at the end of next year's game between Florida and Florida A&M. I'm willing to make a gentlemen's wager that FAMU won't score 17 points at Florida Field, unless the Marching 100 gets points for showmanship.

That's all I'm saying.

-- Ernest Hooper can be reached at 226-3406 or Hooper@sptimes.com.

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