Grand Central

Breath of acceptance [Times photo: Ken Helle] Gay people find a welcome at a fledgling church whose 20 or so members meet in a hotel conference room.

Toddler leads a dog's life
MY SISTER answers her cell phone at a Target store somewhere in Houston.

Obituary
Farewell to Big Mary and her big heart
She ran one of the first topless joints in Tampa, but was also known for charity efforts and kindness to the homeless.

Amy Scherzer's Diary: The Heart Beat
Queen and king of hearts
Two Bethune Cookman graduates bided their time and established careers before reigning for a day as bride and groom.

City People
Jack Harris
The man behind the voice
Jack Harris, who has been on radio and TV in Tampa since 1970, is a stranger to anonymity.

What's In A Name?
Chapin Avenue
Heiress gave lights, trolley line
Emelia Chapin, who wintered at a 15-acre estate in Tampa, financed a trolley line extension and street lights on Bayshore Boulevard.

RSVP Tampa
Goings On
The heart of the Mathers
Looking for something to do? Here's a super calendar, ranging from new appliances to standup comedy.

Neighborhood Report
News from around the block
YBOR CITY: In Ybor, how much noise is too much?
It's an attraction for club visitors, a nuisance for residents. The city hires a noise consultant to review the issue.

WEST RIVERFRONT: Teen goes far with classical guitar
Benjamin Pila, who has performed on the Today show and at the Kennedy Center, is considered the No. 2 classical guitar student in the nation.

HILLSBOROUGH RIVER: Patrols will keep close watch on water scooters
Police beef up river patrols because of complaints about personal watercraft using the boat ramp near Lowry Park.

CHANNEL DISTRICT: Neighbors propose communal parking lot
Property owners hope a "parking bank," in which spots are leased, will help attract more businesses.

Neighborhood notebook
Children's group in the works

Everybody's Business
New retro-style wheels for the mod driver
A Vespa dealership opens across from International Plaza, selling motor scooters and cool accessories.

Homes
Manses in the millions
CHOOSE YOUR ADJECTIVE: It's a sobering/depressing/annoying fact: There are 71 homes for sale in Tampa with an asking price of more than $1-million, according to the Multiple Listing Service. That means people actually live in these homes and expect people to buy them.

Home as a work in progress
The Levines have owned the same Bel Mar Shores house for three decades -- well, maybe not exactly the same house.

Buyers yearning for historic home gravitate to Plant City
Prices in South Tampa motivate people to consider a commute to a historic neighborhood in another city.