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Professional wrestling Pins hopes to become a family-friendly business

By TIMES STAFF
Published October 30, 2006

BROOKSVILLE -- It's easy for most people to dismiss pro wrestling, with its over-the-top theatrics and exaggerated violence, as nothing but a stunt show.

Sal Hamaoui would not disagree, except that as promoter for Full Impact Pro wrestling, he knows what his fans want.

"They know it's not real; they just want to be entertained," offered Hamaoui. "We just try to put on the best show we can and let them decide whether it's worth the money or not."

With $10 to $15 adult and $5 kids admission prices, it can be a cheaper night out than most movie theaters - and some ardent fans might argue, way more entertaining.

Hamaoui launched FIP in August 2003 with a two-pronged mission: to bring clean, inexpensive, family-style professional wrestling to far-flung areas where other promoters never venture.

In the year that Hamaoui's company has been promoting shows in Citrus, Sumter, Pasco and Hernando counties, FIP has managed to amass a following. Most shows in Citrus and Sumter counties have drawn 300 to 400 fans.

"People in those areas feel a bit left out when it comes to live entertainment," Hamaoui said. "They aren't going to go to the city for wrestling."

St. Pete Beach: No way to get to the bar if the road is closed

It is one of the few places that has not been taken over by hordes of sunburned tourists.

On most days, Frank Theisen, owner of the Blue Parrot restaurant and bar, can name the dozens of regulars who sit around his bar, engrossed in a sports game on television and the Bud Light in their hands.

But Theisen fears the days of his cozy waterfront shack at the end of Corey Avenue are numbered.

Detroit developers have a contract to buy the property where his bar sits and want to use the space to build a marina. The only road to his bar will probably be closed by the city and given to the developers.

Corey Landings Development LLC has been in talks with the city to build a waterfront commercial and residential center along Boca Ciega Bay for nearly two years. Featuring shops, a hotel, a condominium and a pedestrian area along the water, the center is a city planner's dream.

Legally, his lease means he can stay, but if the road is closed and his customers are shut out, he wonders how he can stay open.

"I desperately want to see this area be developed," he said. "Think about it. I own a restaurant in the middle of a jungle."

Tampa: He gives up trucking company to paint-well

Jeff Monsein's funky and colorful studio is all about creativity.

The 1,000-square-foot building - a post-World War II cottage in the heart of South Tampa - sports sky-blue floors, matching adult-sized bean bag chairs and a papier-mache tourist wielding a vintage Instamatic camera and wearing plaid tennis shoes.

"What's neat is that I don't have to work out of my garage anymore," says Monsein, 48, a former trucking school owner with a chemistry degree who in 1999 answered his lifelong calling to be an artist.

Today, his business, Splat Paint, is among the most respected artistic painting companies in the Tampa Bay area. Last year, Monsein and his team were chosen to paint the restored dome and vestibule for the historic Centro Asturiano Hospital in Ybor City.

"I only like to work for people I really click with," he says. "That way, it's fun."

Port Richey: Jared trimmed down at Subway, and now he sings its praises 

Jared Fogle is just how you'd expect him to be in real life. He's the guy in all of those Subway commercials, the one who lost 245 pounds in college by eating two sandwiches a day and became an American pop icon.

He's been spoofed on Saturday Night Live and been on Oprah. He carried the Olympic torch.

Fogle is sweet. He's down-to-earth and sincere.

And he loves his job, which, for the past seven years, has been traveling the world telling his story. Last week, he brought his 60-inch-waist jeans to show the kids at Fox Hollow Elementary.

"WHOA," they said.

"Those are pretty big pants, right?" Fogle asked.

"YEAH," the kids chimed.

"He's Joe Average. He doesn't have pretenses and has nothing but good intentions," said Les Winograd, public relations coordinator for Subway. "He's on the road 250 days a year to tell people his story so they can be inspired and change the way they eat."

Spring Hill: Trust us-you'll want to buy your lottery ticket at this Publix 

On a recent Saturday morning, at the Publix at Barclay Crossing, the line at the lottery machine at the customer service counter was starting to get thick. Folks were picking from tickets like Jumbo Gold and Super Gold and Mega Gold and Mega Jackpot and Mega Monopoly and Cash Bonanza and Lucky for Life. Bag boy Travis Hogue put up silver poles and a black canvas strip like at an amusement park ride.

"The Lotto machine is always busy," clerk Marianne Fertig said. "Sometimes you have your lulls. But they are few and far between. We have some big players here."

This is no ordinary lottery-playing place. Not this county. Not this store. The Florida Lottery says this particular Publix is the top ticket-selling spot in Hernando County.

And Hernando County has had unusual success this year. Disproportionate success. Inexplicable success. Random has been regular.

The tally: one Lotto win, three Mega Money wins, five Fantasy 5s and the holiday giveaway that started all this back in late December.

Maybe it's the variety of tickets sold here. There are 28 different kinds. They're colorful and shiny. Or maybe there's no reason at all.

"We have people who come in and buy whole $300 books of scratch-offs," customer service worker Debbie Petrocelli said.

Port Richey: Ranks of at-home notaries public growing 

Barbara Carrier has joined a growing group of certified notaries public, who decrease forgery and fraud by certifying original documents. Experts say the work appeals to retirees, single mothers and those seeking extra income and flexible hours.

"I would rather work from home," said Carrier, 59, who earned her certification in March and now has sign on her lawn that reads "Certified Notary Agent." "It's my hours and my time."

While most banks offer free notary services for their customers, some are slowly phasing out certifying loan documents. That's because a bank can be sued if a notary employed by the bank is caught certifying a fake document.

Now, banks refer customers to notaries public such as Carrier, a move that has steadily increased the popularity of at-home notaries.

In 1997, there were 346,000 notaries in Florida and 4.29-million nationwide, according to the National Notary Association, which releases data every five years. In 2002, there were 364,000 Florida notaries and 4.5-million nationwide, according to the NNA.

"I think there are a lot of people who do this out of their homes to eliminate overhead," said Charles Faerber, the association's vice president of notary affairs. "You can kind of set your own schedule. It's consumer convenience, the fact that you don't have to stay home from work."

[Last modified October 30, 2006, 07:56:07]