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Nick Johnson, Times Staff Writer

Nick Johnson covers the south Pinellas beaches communities for Neighborhood Times. He has been with the Times since December 2006 when he was hired as a newsroom clerk. Johnson grew up in St. Petersburg, graduated from Gibbs High School and now attends the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.

Phone: (727) 893-8361

E-mail: nickjohnson@tampabay.com

  1. Men can look their best at a bargain

    11/14/09BusinessBy Nick Johnson, Times Correspondent

    ST. PETERSBURG — For the frugal shopper looking for a suit or a pair of loafers, Trendsetters Men's Exchange, downtown's first men's-only consignment shop, may be the ticket.

    Opened by California native Kevin McBride in October, Trendsetters Men's Exchange caters to a more fashion-savvy shopper than the average thrift store.

    The shop, at 701 First Ave. N, offers designer club wear, T-shirts, suits and shoes at a fraction of what they would cost new, providing the local gentry with a more affordable option before scheduling an interview or meeting up with a date....

    Kevin McBride stands in his new men’s-only consignment shop in downtown St. Petersburg on Wednesday. Trendsetters Men’s Exchange, which opened in October, offers designer clothes at a fraction of what they would cost new.

  2. Two ministries partner to meet rising demands for holiday help for the poor

    11/07/09 Human Interest By Nick Johnson, Times Correspondent

    PINELLAS PARK

    With the holidays quickly approaching, the unemployment rates in the Tampa Bay area at double digits, and families struggling to provide a Thanksgiving meal or Christmas presents, Metropolitan Ministries has undertaken a much-needed expansion of services.

    The effort has been dubbed "Compassion in Action" and consists of a Holiday Center in Pinellas Park as part of a partnership with Taking It to the Street Ministries. This will be the first Holiday Center outside Tampa. Organizers say the goal is to feed more than 2,000 families for Thanksgiving and again for Christmas....

    Volunteers at Taking It to the Street Ministries in Pinellas Park form a prayer circle Tuesday before packing boxes for the needy. They’ve teamed up with Metropolitan Ministries to feed families for the holidays.

  3. Royal Theatre's first artist in residence is intent on developing young talent

    10/13/09 Human Interest By Nick Johnson, Times Correspondent

    ST. PETERSBURG — The Royal Theatre Arts Academy is a greenhouse for young artists, a place where they can learn, play, perform and hone their budding talents.

    It's also now home to the first artist in residence working within the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Suncoast, Alexander Harris.

    Harris and his five brothers make up A7, an inspirational soul music group. In addition to being the driving force and lead singer of the group, Harris is also a classically trained vocalist and professional stage actor....

    Alexander Harris, center, artist in residence at the Royal Theatre Arts Academy, talks to students, from left, Kemoi Brown, 20, Taylor Ray, 14, Anastasia Eason, 16, and Blaine Krauss, 17, about a photo shoot.

  4. Tough budget decisions ahead for St. Pete Beach

    07/19/08 Local Government Nick Johnson, Times Staff Writer

    ST. PETE BEACH — The City Commission will face some tough decisions about next year's budget.

    The Amendment 1 tax cuts, loss of revenue from licenses and permitting and drops in property value will likely leave commissioners with a decision of cutting more positions, raising taxes or some combination of the two.

    The proposed 2009 budget was prepared with the intention of cutting positions in the police and fire departments to avoid raising the city's millage rate, but the Budget and Finance Committee has recommended raising the millage in an effort to save positions and build up the city's general fund reserve....

  5. Neurologists to move into Grand Central District

    07/15/08BusinessNick Johnson, Times Staff Writer

    ST. PETERSBURG — Construction crews recently started working on a project at the northwest corner of 22nd Street N and Central Avenue, the Grand Central District's first major development under the city's new design guidelines.

    Developers plan to have the three-story, 21,000-square-foot, Mediterranean-style building complete by February.

    Who is building it? ...

  6. Labs lower backlog of DNA evidence at FDLE

    06/25/08CrimeNick Johnson, Times Staff Writer

    While CSI and other television crime shows manage to process DNA evidence in minutes or days, the reality in Florida is something else.

    Criminal investigators can wait months for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to process DNA samples.

    But it's gotten better.

    Last year the FDLE began outsourcing some of its cases to private labs. The result was a considerable reduction in backlogged cases, from a high of 4,815 in November 2005 to 2,290 at the end of 2007....

  7. Downtown restaurants offer deals

    06/24/08BusinessNick Johnson, Times Staff Writer

    ST. PETERSBURG — As summer heats up and with snowbirds back in cooler climes, restaurants are turning their attention to their regular patrons and are coming up with creative ways to bring in new ones. For locals, that means deals, discounts and games at a number of the restaurants and bars in and around downtown. The flexibility that these locally owned businesses have when it comes to battling the off-season during tough economic times may turn out to be a saving grace. ...

    Ferg’s is offering microbrews and talent shows. Drew Giordano plays guitar during a competition in February.

  8. So you got a bad review . . . now what?

    06/21/08 Working Life Nick Johnson, Times Staff Writer

    Performance evaluations are a fact of life for corporate America. Anyone who has held a job for a year or more has likely been given one. With cutbacks and a shrinking job market, getting a lousy assessment can be more nerve-racking than ever, so the St. Petersburg Times checked in with Lisa Letizio, the Home Shopping Network's executive vice president of HR, for some tips on how to cope with a poor job review. ...

    Lisa Letizio

  9. Eminent domain would ease way for Clam Bayou restoration

    06/20/08 Local Government Nick Johnson, Times Staff Writer

    The Southwest Florida Water Management District will ask St. Petersburg to condemn two properties to complete the Clam Bayou restoration project.

    The properties are in an undeveloped area east of the bayou, where Swiftmud plans to build a stormwater retention pond as part of the multimillion-dollar project.

    The city had begun negotiating with one property owner but had trouble contacting the other, the St. Petersburg Times reported in April....

    Tons of trash have been removed from Clam Bayou since Kurt Zuelsdorf started his cleanup program in mid 2006, offering volunteers a free kayak rental if they collected a bag of garbage.

  10. Business owners mixed on stadium proposal

    06/17/08 Human Interest Nick Johnson, Times Staff Writer

    ST. PETE BEACH — The Tampa Bay Rays held an informational meeting on their plans for a waterfront stadium for beach businesses and residents at the Don CeSar on Tuesday.

    Despite the potential impact on tourism in the area and a possible extension in the county hotel bed tax, the turnout was unimpressive.

    Michael Kalt, the Rays' senior vice president of development and business affairs, gave a presentation to about 20 hoteliers, business owners and residents....

  11. St. Pete Beach community rescues July Fourth fireworks

    06/14/08 Local Government Nick Johnson, Times Staff Writer

    ST. PETE BEACH — Budget cuts forced the city to eliminate a July Fourth fireworks display, but thanks to local business owners and residents, the long-standing tradition will be upheld.

    The announcement that the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce was organizing a fireworks display to be held behind the TradeWinds Resort came during Tuesday's commission meeting, when retired beach resident Steve McFarland asked the city to contribute $5,000 on behalf of the chamber....

  12. Loyal shoppers bemoan loss of Albertsons stores

    06/14/08 Human Interest Eddie R. Cole and Nick Johnson, Times Staff Writers

    ST. PETERSBURG

    When Publix Super Markets announced last week an agreement to purchase half the Albertsons stores left in Florida, residents in south Pinellas took note.

    Of 17 Albertsons stores in the greater Tampa Bay area, nine are in south county.

    The ensuing buzz the announcement generated revolves around whether Publix would close nearby Albertsons stores that scores of locals prefer. The fact that most of the stores are in close proximity to existing Publix grocery stores doesn't bode well for Albertsons shoppers....

    The future is unknown for this St. Petersburg Albertsons on Fourth Street N at 38th Avenue, one of 17 area stores bought by Publix.

  13. St. Petersburg still favors annexing sliver of Tierra Verde

    05/07/08 Local Government Nick Johnson

    ST. PETERSBURG — The city plans to move forward with a controversial plan to annex a sliver of Tierra Verde despite objections from Pinellas County, a city official said Wednesday.

    Those objections prompted the City Council to cancel a public hearing scheduled for tonight. It was the second time this year the council canceled a hearing on the plan to annex about 28 acres of commercial property and submerged lands....

    A boat leaves the marina next to the Tierra Verde Hi & Dry Wednesday. The city of St. Petersburg wants to annex this corner of Tierra Verde, which includes the marina.

  14. St. Pete Beach attorney is gone already

    05/06/08LocalNick Johnson, Times staff writer

    City attorney Ralf Brookes has resigned after serving less than three months in the position.

    The announcement came Friday in a letter Brookes sent to the commission and staff. In it, he did not explain why he was leaving but included an invitation to call on him for specialized legal services in the future.

    "He just said it was personal," City Manager Mike Bonfield said, adding that Brookes had agreed to stay on until a replacement was found. ...

  15. Despite city's logo, Treasure Island is short on swashbucklers

    04/29/08 Human Interest Nick Johnson, Times Staff Writer

    The town of Treasure Island may be in the middle of its most serious pirate shortage.

    The landmark swashbuckler that once graced the roof of the Buccaneer Resort Motel on Gulf Boulevard has been missed by beachgoers since 2005, when the building was demolished.

    More recently, the pirate that welcomed residents and visitors to the island for decades was removed, leaving a lowly planter where the cutout sign once stood....

    This symbolic swashbuckler, known to many simply as Bucky, was donated to the city when the Buccaneer motel was torn down.