Painting Prep

Painting Prep
Originally uploaded by davidzentz.

John Harte, 79, sits in Straub Park in St. Petersburg sketching in preparation for a watercolor of the Grayl's Hotel on Beach Drive, part of a continuing series of watercolors of notable area buildings, including the Progress Energy Building, the Pennsylvania Hotel and Park Shore Plaza. Originally from Nebraska, Harte has lived and worked as an artist from his home studio in St. Petersburg for 5 years. On the winding journey from Nebraska to Florida he spent 21 years in California and was a commercial artist in New York City. Locally, Harte says he has work exhibited in such places as the Red Cloud Indian Arts Gallery, Sarasota's Palm Avenue Gallery and Miami's Historical Museum of Southern Florida, as well as in the California's Oakland Museum of California and the Palm Springs Desert Museum. "I particularly like to do buildings under construction and historic buildings," Harte says. The Grayl's Hotel building is a Spanish Mission style building erected in 1922, according to its website. He markets his paintings to the owners of the buildings. (Times photo by David Zentz)





Driving Lessons

Driving Lessons
Originally uploaded by davidzentz.

Devonteay Watkins, 14, grabs the wheel of his 16-year-old brother Charles Watkins' Quad Sport four-wheeled bike while riding around in Straub Park on Tuesday afternoon. Along with their sister, Crystal Watkins, 20, the siblings from St. Petersburg rented the vehicles for the afternoon from Wheel Fun Rentals on the Pier and were just out enjoying the day. (Times photo by David Zentz)

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa
Originally uploaded by davidzentz.

Josiah Austin, 5, left, and Imhotep Tyler, 10, play the drums at the start of the African American Arts Council of Greater Tampa Bay's celebration of the first day of Kwanzaa, known as Umoja, or Unity, at the Boys and Girls Club in St. Petersburg on Monday night. Celebrated the 26th of December through the 1st of January, Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday celebrating family, community and culture. Although modern Kwanzaa was invented by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966, "first fruits" celebrations, which, in Swahili are called "matunda ya kwanza" are said to date back to ancient Egypt. Kwanzaa celebrations will continue each night this week at different locations throughout St. Petersburg.



Christmas at the Park

Christmas at the Park
Originally uploaded by davidzentz.

Robby Liebel, 10, bounces a tennis ball on his racquet while enjoying a sunny Christmas Day with his father, brother and sister at North Shore Park. (Times photo by David Zentz)

Biminis Crash 1

Biminis Crash 1
Originally uploaded by davidzentz.

Aerial of Bimini, Bahamas. The island, located 50 miles east of Miami, is home to 1,600. Of the 20 passengers who perished in the Chalk's flight 101\110 on Monday, December 19, 12 lived here. The deaths affected nearly everyone on the island. (Times photo by David Zentz)

Biminis Crash 2

Biminis Crash 2
Originally uploaded by davidzentz.

Audley Dean tends bar at the Compleat Angler Bar where Ernest Hemingway once drank. Dean has been a bartender there for 25 years and knew many of those who perished aboard the Chalk's flight 101\110 that crashed in Miami Monday. Of the 20 passengers, 12 were from Bimini, a small island in the Bahamas with a population of only 1,600. (Times photo by David Zentz)

Biminis Crash 3

Biminis Crash 3
Originally uploaded by davidzentz.

Venencha Rolle is comforted as she grieves for the loss of loved ones who perished aboard Chalk's flight 101\110 that crashed in Miami on Monday, in Bimini. Of the 20 passengers who perished, 12 were from Bimini, a small Bahamian island of only 1,600.(Times photo by David Zentz)

Biminis Crash 4

Biminis Crash 4
Originally uploaded by davidzentz.

Denise Rolle grieves with husband Max Rolle in front of Chalk's International Airlines office in Bimini on Tuesday. Denise Rolle lost a sister, an aunt, a brother-in-law, an infant niece and a cousin on the Chalk's flight 101\110 that crashed in Miami on Monday. Of the 20 passengers who perished, 12 were from Bimini, a small Bahamian island of only 1,600. (Times photo by David Zentz)

Biminis Crash 5

Biminis Crash 5
Originally uploaded by davidzentz.

A grief-stricken Denise Rolle boards a Chalk's International Airlines flight to Ft. Lauderdale in Bimini on Tuesday along with husband Max Rolle and others. Denise Rolle lost a sister, an aunt, a brother-in-law, an infant niece and a cousin on the Chalk's flight 101\110 that crashed in Miami on Monday. They were going to Ft. Lauderdale en route to Miami in order to identify the bodies of their loved ones. Of the 20 passengers who perished, 12 were from Bimini, a small Bahamian island of only 1,600. (Times photo by David Zentz)

Biminis Crash 6

Biminis Crash 6
Originally uploaded by davidzentz.

Kaila Keefe, 7, waves goodbye to a Chalk's International Airlines plane as it departs from Bimini on Tuesday, carrying onboard some relatives of those who lost their loved ones in the Clark's flight 101\110 that crashed in Miami on Monday who were going to Miami to identify their bodies. Keefe's mother and father, Nowdla and Bill Keefe, live and work on the island are friends with the pilots and also lost friends in the crash. "That was very brave what they just did there," Nowdla Keefe said. They were surprised the airline and pilots were brave enough to resume flying the day after the tragic event. (Times photo by David Zentz)

Biminis Crash 7

Biminis Crash 7
Originally uploaded by davidzentz.

Juan Frentz Bullard, 24, hangs out on King's Road, the main drag in the small Bahamian island of Bimini, population 1,600. (Times photo by David Zentz)

Biminis Crash 8

Biminis Crash 8
Originally uploaded by davidzentz.

Amill Levarity, 45, center, and Fred Rolle, top, ride a ferry to the airport in Bimini on Tuesday. Levarity lost his wife Jacqueline Stuart, 39, and 17-year-old daughter Niesha Fox in the Chalk's flight 101\110 that crashed in Miami on Monday. Rolle lost his mother. The two were going with other family and friends to fly to Miami to identify the bodies of their loved ones. (Times photo by David Zentz)

Standing His Ground

Standing His Ground
Originally uploaded by davidzentz.

Charles Plancon, 43, sits in front of his home in the Golden Lantern Mobile Home Park in Pinellas Park on Monday. Plancon is protesting a proposed mobile home owners ordinance and the rezoning of the Golden Lantern park, which will both be considered by the Pinellas County Commission Tuesday night. "It does not ensure our future in any way," he says of the ordinance. (Times photo by David Zentz)





"Smart" Label

"Smart" Label
Originally uploaded by davidzentz.

A UPS employee walks past a display of the company's "smart" label at the UPS Worldport facility in Louisville, Ky. The label contains all of the necessary information needed to deliver a package on time and is key to the heavily automated 4 million square foot facility.

Janaza

Janaza
Originally uploaded by davidzentz.

Mohammad Bennouna, Haris Khan and Khaled Chanbandar (from left), friends and acquaintances of Ali "Alex" Asghar, 35, perform the Islamic prayer Janaza in front of his body at the Royal Palm Cemetery in St. Petersburg. Asghar and his roommate and co-worker, Ikbalhusen Vakil, 52, were victims of a double murder in their residence in Brandywine Apartments last week in St. Petersburg. Asghar's body is wrapped in three white sheets, with his head to the right, facing Mecca. Janaza is a prayer traditionally performed before burial. Asghar's body will be placed in a casket and shipped to Karachi, Pakistan for burial. (Times photo by David Zentz)





Who Likes Jewish Mysticism?

Who Likes Jewish Mysticism?
Originally uploaded by davidzentz.

Attendees of a lecture on Kabbalah, Jewish Mysticism, by Australian author and lecturer Rabbi Laibl Wolf do the seventh-inning stretch before moving on to a meditation exercise at the Chabad Jewish Center in St. Petersburg. (Times photo by David Zentz)





Bucs or Mullets?

Bucs or Mullets?
Originally uploaded by davidzentz.

Norman Lovett meditates on the water as he watches for mullet to appear before getting his fishing gear from his vehicle on a rainy Sunday afternoon at North Shore Park in St. Petersburg. "After the rain stops, the fish will start moving. So, I'm just waiting for the fish to swim by," he said. "I'm wondering why I'm not at home watching the Bucs win," he added. (Times photo by David Zentz)

No Matchbox

No Matchbox
Originally uploaded by davidzentz.

Pop heartthrob Rob Thomas, of Matchbox 20, performs solo at the Tampa Performing Arts Center on Monday, December 12, 2005.

Banjo Bill

Banjo Bill
Originally uploaded by davidzentz.

Bill Jackson, 71, of Hazel Green Alabama, sits in a music studio in the home of friend Jimmie Lee. The former professional banjo player just arrived for a visit with his friend and is sleeping in his RV, which he parks in her back yard.

Fiddler in the Kitchen

Fiddler in the Kitchen
Originally uploaded by davidzentz.

Jimmie Lee listens to her ex-husband, Tom McClure, play fiddle in her kitchen in Tampa. The two are still good friends and come together to play country and bluegrass music with Jimmie Lee's 10-year-old grandson.

Mourning the Loss of a Friend

Mourning the Loss of a Friend
Originally uploaded by davidzentz.

Latoya Dortch, right, and Lorenda Bradford mourn the loss of their friend and co-worker Candace Fowler, 22, following the memorial service for her and her 20-year-old cousin, Winston Collins, at the 5th Avenue Church of Christ, 4200 5th Ave. S, on Saturday. "She was my best friend," Dortch said. The turnout for the service was so large, ushers put extra seats in the aisle and many stood in the back. The cousins died suddenly of natural causes within two days of each other this week.(Times photo by David Zentz)

Cousins' Funeral

Cousins' Funeral
Originally uploaded by davidzentz.

A member of the congregation stands during the memorial service for cousins Winston Collins, 20, and Candace Fowler, 22, at the 5th Avenue Church of Christ, 4200 5th Ave. S on Saturday. Not even the extra chairs ushers put in the aisle could accomodate the overflowing crowds of friends and family that attended the service. The cousins both died unexpectedly of natural causes within a two day period this week. (Times photo by David Zentz)

Celebrating Life, Mourning Death

Celebrating Life, Mourning Death
Originally uploaded by davidzentz.

Beverly Johnson sings "One More Sunny Day" with the Unity Gospel A Cappella Ensembel from the 20th Street Church of Christ during the memorial service for cousins Winston Collins, 20, and Candace Fowler,22, at the 5th Avenue Church of Christ, 4200 5th Ave. S on Saturday. Not even the extra chairs ushers put in the aisle could accomodate the overflowing crowds of friends and family that attended the service. The cousins both died unexpectedly of natural causes within a two day period this week. (Times photo by David Zentz)