Pinellas Park wants theaters to return

By PIPER JONES CASTILLO

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 6, 2000

It's not that Betty McCall of Pinellas Park dislikes Pokemon, it's just that she'd rather stay in her own neighborhood. On Thursday, McCall and her 6-year-old grandson Austin were at Largo Mall to see a matinee of Pokemon 2000. "I don't mind driving to Largo, but I do want theaters close to my home again," she said.

McCall and her family likely will have to wait until next year. As of now, Pinellas Park is without a movie theater. ParkSide mall's multiplex of 16 screens, originally scheduled to open in November, won't open until Spring 2001 because of construction design glitches. Last week, the Movies at Pinellas Park, 7901 U.S. 19 N, closed to make way for a Wal-Mart.

"It's not that I am not grateful for what the mall is doing, but I'm just not used to not having a few different theaters close by to pick from," said McCall, 64, a resident of Pinellas Park since 1986. "And most cities have four or five."

Although she knows residents likesuch as McCall are frustrated, ParkSide spokeswoman Sue Robertson said everyone needs to hang in there.

ParkSide Cinemas is worth the wait, she says. "It will include state-of-the-art surround-sound, and architecturally, it'll be beautiful," she says. "All seats will be rocking chairs, higher-backed and plush."

The venue originally planned to have 19 screens. "We reduced the number to 16 so we wouldn't have to relocate our electrical room or build a parking deck," Robertson said. "When we reduced to 16, we had to redesign. It slowed us down a bit."

McBride and Associates Inc., a marketing and public-relations firm, has opened in the Republic Bank Building, Suite 1403, 111 Second Ave. NE, Suite 1403, St. Petersburg.

Monica Hilbert is the new owner of Family Barber Shop, 2327 Dr. M.L. King (Ninth) St. N, St. Petersburg. Before taking over the business from Georgeina Rhodes, Hilbert was a stylist at Northway Barber Shop in St. Petersburg. She also worked as a stylist in California for 10 years before moving to Florida.

- Please send your business news items to Piper Jones Castillo, Neighborhood Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. e-mail: piper@sptimes.com. Phone number: 893-8827.

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