Mayor to entertain at Saturday Morning Market

Budget cuts, the slumping real estate market, high property taxes and the uproar from the Tampa Bay Rays' expensive new ballpark can't spoil this party.

It's another rock and roll day in St. Petersburg.

The city's guitar-playing mayor, Rick Baker, will join Sam Stone for a performance during the Saturday Morning Market on Saturday. The two will play their renditions of classic rock tunes from 10 a.m. to noon.

The market is held every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Central Avenue near Second Street. N.

- Cristina Silva, Times staff writer

[Times file photo by Willie J. Allen (2004)]

Comments

[Get-Smart]

St.Pete Idol. He will pack the new Rays stadium.

[justme]

And this is news worth reporting? OH PULEEZE !! Don't expect me to zip down there to listen to him? Think I would rather stay away.
The man can't show up for last nights 3 ring circus on the new ball field because of prior arrangements? Change em dude cus that was more important. Personally he needs to be tossed out of office.

[Paul]

Maybe he's going to sing a song about how St Pete citizens are very much opposed to the stadium he's not saying anything about. Can't even show up for the meeting... geez. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that he was visiting a sick relative or something because I can't imagine ANYTHING being more important this stupid flippin stadium con job our City Council is in the process of screwing us with. Vote out all the bums. They cleaned the outside of city hall, now they need to clean the bums from inside too.

[jim]

HE OUGHT TO STICK TO MUSIC! IT DOESN'T COST US TAX PAYERS A PENNY. BET HIS TIP CUP WILL BE EMPTY.

[AnonyMouse]

Will he be playing "Dueling Banjos"?

Play some Skynyrd, man! ...

Is it hard to sing when you have a forked tongue?

[Suzanne]

Mr Mayor sings the "Blues" Why a new baseball field? Why not a cultural center that could be used for plays, intimate musical venues, art shows, or just about anything you could think of. I think it would be a lot more fun than baseball and enjoyed by more people. Also after that kind of event people are more likely to stay downtown and spend money on other things. Or maybe what about a tennis complex that could eventually sponsor a local tennis program for Pinellas county and at the same time draw big tournaments eventually. A lot of tennis players come to South Florida for practicing anyway, give them a great place for tournaments!

[John]

Anybody notice a common theme with those opposed to the stadium? They're all Senior Citizens!!!!!!
Most of them by and large are negative people(talked to any old people lately?)They just don't have any reason to vote for progress, seeing as how most of them will be long gone when the stadium is built.
I for one am looking forward to taking my kids to a game there and having one of the most unique ballparks in America right here in Saint Petersburg!!!!

[Jeff Handy]

Maybe he should have sung songs about how several of the Saturday Morning Market vendors are being tyranized by the Florida Dept. of Agriculture. The farm fresh eggs can no longer be sold. The Veggie burger guy can't cook his delicious sandwiches. (but he can sell them raw??) The orange juice people cannot sell more than a pint and cannot put a lid on containers. Why oh why is the St. Pete Times not writing about this?? The NY Times ran an op-ed piece about the horrendously downtrodden local food markets. Search the NYT site for "My forbidden fruits".

[Jeff Handy]

BTW, John, I'm not a senior and most of my friends here are not seniors. I know one person of about 40 friends who approves the new ballpark. They are all 30's and 40's professionals who moved to St. Petersburg because of its tradition of cultural leadership in Florida. Before the Devil Rays came along, St. Petersburg was doing just fine.