Tampa Bay Times from St. Petersburg, Florida • 96

TIMES WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1994 9 Thursday, 26 years of shoes will be history BRIEFLY Jim Stewart hasn't personally managed his Sunshine Mall shoe store in 21 years, but he'll be there Thursday night. "I'll pull the gate down and turn off the lights," he said. "I've got to do that. Too many memories. It's not going to be (X jQy BOB QZfcJ HENDERSON This was his first store in what grew into a small chain of successful stores.

He is closing it permanently this week, leaving more vacant space in the struggling 26-year-old mall on Missouri Avenue in ri i. Third madrigal feast planned Monday The Tampa Bay Opera will produce the third annual Royal Madrigal Feast at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the MINNREG Center at Honeywell, 63rd Street and 126th Avenue in Largo. The dinner show is in the style of a Renaissance feast. Entertainment includes jugglers, jesters, acrobats, musicians and seasonal music.

Dinner and show is $25; a light snack and show is $15. For reservations, call 538-0774. Safe boating class will start Jan. 3 The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary at Madeira Beach will offer a safe boating class from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning Jan. 3 at 299 Boca Ciega Drive, Madeira Beach. The course runs six weeks. To register, call 321-5858 or541-7965. Michener book review offered Thursday A book review of Recessional by James Michener will be held at 10:30 a.m.

Thursday at the Pinellas Park Public Library, 7770 52nd Pinellas Park. It is free and open to the public. The book is set in a retirement community based on College Harbor on the Eckerd College campus. For more information, call 541-0718. I I Jim he never lost I Yr I money at the Sunshine Mall AdJLJ stnr hut there has been no "They had children my age," he said.

Sunshine Mall was the place to go. It had a cocktail lounge and valet parking! But Jim struggled at first. He tells the story of a woman wanting a pair of black dress shoes in a size he was out of, but he remembered that his wife, Nita, had just bought the same shoes in that size. He told the woman he had her size in his "warehouse," rushed home and found the box in his wife's closet. "I needed that $20 sale," Jim said.

And Nita from then on always wore new shoes out of the shop. After the first five years, Jim began hiring managers for the Sunshine Mall store as he expanded. But he hasn't lost faith in that area. "There's a lot of business to be done on this side of town," he said. Shoppers in west-central Clearwater, Island Estates, Clearwater Beach, Sand Key, Belleair and even north Largo would agree.

So would Bob Christie, manager of the new Stein Mart store that opened Sept. 17 in the former Maas Brothers building downtown. He said last week that he's happy with business so far, which is following expectations and growing. All Sunshine Mall needs, Jim said, is some major renovation work to "upgrade the decor" and attract new tenants. If that ever happens, "I may want to come back," he said.

But in the meantime, he's out of there after turning off the lights Thursday night. Bob Henderson is editor of the Times' North Pinellas editions. Jim Stewart opened his Sunshine Mall shoe store 26 years ago Sept. 26, 1968. growth and most of his business the last few years has been "destination shoppers." That refers to repeat customers who came to the mall only for his store.

He wasn't pulling in new people probably muttered "Jim who?" and walked on. He took in $240. Jim had come to Clearwater two years earlier at age 23. His older brother Ed was responsible for 100 Leed's shoe stores in Florida. Jim opened a shoe department in Frank's Department Store in downtown Clearwater and then moved to a Leed's store in Sears Town on Missouri Avenue.

When the brothers heard about the fancy new mall to be built across the street, Ed said, "That thing's going to kill us." So they persuaded Dick Leandri, who was in charge of leasing at Sears Town and the new mall, to take a chance on a new business to be started with money borrowed from their parents. They were going to call it Stewart's Shoes but worried about being confused with the established Stuart's clothing store also opening in the mall. Thus, the name Jim Stewart Shoes and, at least in the beginning, the "Jim who" reaction. Sunshine Mall was an exciting place to be 26 years ago, Jim recalled last week. Business was good.

The happy merchants were like a big family, with the mostly older store owners and managers looking after that Jim Stewart kid. from the mall concourse, because there haven't been that many people out there. That's kind of how he started out, too. Jim remembers opening day for the mall and his store Sept. 26, 1968.

It was only the second enclosed mall on Florida's West Coast; Tampa's West Shore Plaza was the first. Excitement reigned. More than 60,000 people showed up. He remembers wishing that each of those people would throw just one dollar in his door. But they didn't.

They looked up at his sign, GOLF COURSES Adult courses open at Dixie Hollins Dixie Hollins Adult Education Center, 4940 62nd St. is accepting registrations for the following courses: Home Health Aide Course begins Jan. 10 and will meet from 4 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday until Feb. 14.

Applicants must register in advance by presenting proof of a Florida CNA and a CPR-C certification and by paying $15 tuition fee. An additional book fee of $26.66 will be collected the first day of class. Nail Tech and Cosmetology begins Jan. 3 and will meet from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

To enroll, students must successfully pass the TABE test. Upon completion, students will be qualified to apply for a Florida license. Health Unit Coordinator begins Jan. 9 and will meet from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the VA Medical Center at Bay Pines, 10000 Bay Pines Blvd. Students must have a current course C-CPR certification, have passing TABE test scores and make a $25 deposit. The balance fit tuition, $94.20, is payable the first day of class. To find out more on the above courses, and to schedule the TABE test, call 547-7872. WILDLIFE REHABILITATION Humane Society of North Pinellas, 3040 State Road 590, Clearwater; 797-7722.

Accepts all animals. Hours: 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays-Tuesdays and Thursdays-Fridays, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays, 1-4 p.m. Sundays.

Pinellas Seabird Rehabilitation 893- 7797; public, driving range, 18 holes, par 72. Pasadena Yacht and Country Club, 6300 Pasadena Point St. Petersburg, 381-7922; private, public driving range, 18 holes, par 72. Seminole Lake Country Club, 6100 Augusta Seminole, 391-6255; private, 18 holes, par 72. Stouffer Vinoy Golf Club, 600 Snell Isle Blvd.

NE, St. Petersburg, 894- 5500; private and hotel guests, 18 holes, par 70. Tides Country Club, 1 1832 66th Ave. Seminole, 393-8483; semi-private, 18 holes, par 72. Center, 840 Third Ave.

Tierra Verde; 864-0679. Accepts all birds and some small animals. Needed: heating pads, bleach, biodegradable laundry detergent, paper towels, unflavored Pedialyte, a blender, volunteers and cash. Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, 18328 Gulf Indian Shores; 391-6211. Accepts all wild birds.

Hours to accept injured birds: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. daily. Baypoint Golf Club, 9399 Commodore Drive, Seminole, 595-2095; semi-private, 18-hole executive, par 61. Isla Del Sol Yacht and Country Club, 6000 Sun St. Petersburg, 864-2417; private, 18 holes, par 72.

Lakewood Country Club, 2000 Country Club Way St. Petersburg, 864-1595; private, 18 holes, par 72. Mainlands Golf Course, 9445 Mainlands Blvd. Pinellas Park, 577-4847; semi-private, 18 holes, par 63. Mangrove Bay Golf Course, 875 62nd Ave.

NE. St. Petersburg, Oil (-Ml trick MM nil IV -rr 1 ftnH I LIT tA lOMJT rftto lies) efcm iftplo 9 1 think again life- i 11 lmi mm 'fcirttift it imtft yS fy TK5 Jwnslore. Jf fef 'r l'i This year, you ban take the guessing out of gift-giving. At Blockbuster Music you can listen to all of any CD in the store before you buylt Thaf wayf you're sure to buy the right And if you can't decide what they'll like best, try a Blockbuster gift certificate.

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'Sale Reg. 12" Pinellas Square, 7200 Park 526-7992 Sale ends December 24, 1994 7M) IT, Mrrd JUA Sunglass Savings! Buy a Ray-Banu or Bausch tS Lomb sunglass at $75 or more by 1 23 1 94 and receive a $20 rebate certificate on a second purchase made by 13195. Some exclusions apply. Details at store. Sunolas INTERNATIONAL Lowest prices guaranteed! Call 525-7389 mtm..