The Man Who Knows How To Get Things

Posted Jan 27, 2007 by Mike Samuels

Updated Jan 27, 2007 at 10:48 AM

10:07 a.m.
Charlie Macheski is the guy who gets things done.

A veteran of more than 20 Gasparilla parades, Macheski in charge of taking care of everything “from A to Z” dealing with the parade.

He sets up the buses with PalMar Transportation Management to transport the krewe to the parade, gets the food catered to the staging area and makes sure everything gets done smoothly.

“Nothing would happen with out me,” he said. “I know what to do and who to call.”

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T-Minus Four Hours, And Already A Full House

Posted Jan 27, 2007 by Josh Poltilove

Updated Jan 27, 2007 at 10:11 AM

At 9:45 a.m., more than four hours before the Gasparilla day parade begins, many of the prime spaces to stand closest to the parade route are starting to fill in.

Some businesses near Bayshore and Bay to Bay boulevards are charging $25 to $30 for parking spaces.

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Treasure Bounty

Posted Jan 27, 2007 by Mike Samuels

Updated Jan 27, 2007 at 09:47 AM

9:31 a.m.
Krewe member Jose Suarez just pulled a whole hunk of beads out of the trunk of his car. He’s got two bags full plus many more strands. 888 in all. Not to mention the 720 he’s already got on the float.
How many does he expect to have left when the parade is over?
“Not many,” he said. “Not many.”

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You Know It’s An Invasion When

Posted Jan 27, 2007 by Mike Samuels

Updated Jan 27, 2007 at 09:23 AM

It’s 7:30 in the morning and you wake up to cannons firing. Not exactly where they coming from, but I certainly didn’t get much sleep after that.

9 a.m.

After a quick breakfast myself of Total Raisan Bran cereal, I have found the Krewe of Hillsborough under the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway. They’re with the Thieves of San Lorenzo, who have provided a breakfast of Dunkin Donuts, bagels, cheese, grapes, coffee, bloody mary’s, screwdrivers and a few bottles of water.

This is the second year that Jill Vanderkam has helped the thieves prepare the breakfast.

“Last year we got too much food, so this year we scaled it back,” said Vanderkam, 38, of Temple Terrace. “It’s really just a guess and go.”
As expected, the bloody mary’s are a big hit. The water? At 9 a.m.? Not so much.

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A Balanced Breakfast Before Going Bananas

Posted Jan 27, 2007 by Josh Poltilove

Updated Jan 27, 2007 at 08:17 AM

Largely due to a lack of parking on Gasparilla day, business at Pach’s Place, a restaurant a block from the parade route, usually drops off about 20 percent from a normal Saturday.

But owner Isun Maes was pleasantly surprised by business this morning. At 7:45 a.m., the place was packed. No table went empty.

“This year is another year – a better year,” said Maes, 52, a south Tampa resident who has owned Pach’s for six years.

Customers ranged from regulars to paradegoers to police officers. Early Saturday, about 50 people sat inside eating everything from omelets to a Pach’s specialty: fruit, yogurt and granola.

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