Get Inspired to Climb Your Own Mountain

If you need a little inspiration to overcome a challenge, Largo Patch has you covered. Check out these stories about people who faced down obstacles and came out on top.

We all face challenges that can seem insurmountable. It’s how we handle those challenges that defines us as people. For the past few weeks, Patch and Grape-Nuts have been teaming up to share stories about folks in Florida who have faced down challenges and have come out on top. If you’re looking for a little inspiration to climb your own mountain, check out these stories, including one Largo woman who's fulfilling her lifelong dream: Tanya Pistillo opened a community art gallery on West Bay Drive, and her plans go way beyond brick and mortar success. The Hillsborough County commissioner from District 6 talks about the challenges he has faced since being elected and what it's taken to achieve the goals he has set for himself. Whether it's …

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Sidewalk Sale This Weekend on West Bay Drive

The event is designed to bridge the gap until the Fresh Market returns to Ulmer Park in the fall, according to organizer Tanya Pistillo.

With the state of the Largo Open Air Market in limbo following the closing of the Community Center event in March, Tanya Pistillo felt something had to be done. She had already been working to resurrect the market at Ulmer Park in the fall, but the owner of Wandering Star Gallery didn’t want the vendors to suffer through a summer of doubt and drought when it came to setting up shop in town. So she brainstormed and came up with an idea that could alleviate many problems at once; a sidewalk sale along West Bay Drive that will benefit vendors and visitors as well as local merchants.   “I asked most of the vendors from the fresh market to come, and I think most of them will,” Pistillo said last week. “It’s Mother’s Day weekend, so hopefully …

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Largo Open Air Market Could Return To Ulmer Park

Tanya Pistillo of Wandering Star Gallery is working with the city on possibly relocating the market to its original home next season.

Before Tanya Pistillo even decided to open her Wandering Star Gallery, she had plans to host community events at nearby Ulmer Park.  Now that her gallery has officially launched, she is refocusing on the park plans, which include monthly themed family friendly events and, possibly, a return of the Largo Open Air Market.  Pistillo recently sat down with city leaders to present her plans for the park, and during the discussions the subject of reviving the market at its original home came up. “I proposed to put on monthly community events at Ulmer Park before the gallery even came to be,” Pistillo said. “I wanted it to be family and local business-oriented, with a different theme every month.”  “Later I met with (Recreation, Parks and Arts …

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The Deli Diva

8:57 pm on Monday, May 13, 2013

Yes Les, you are right. During the time I was Director of the old Downtown Largo Main Street our members put on a very successful market right where you mention.   more ›

Wandering Star Gallery Owner "Humbled" By Grand Opening Turnout

Tanya Pistillo's lifelong dream - to open an art gallery in her hometown - became a reality on Saturday, and it was an emotional event for her.

Tanya Pistillo had been planning for the grand opening of her art gallery for most of her life. Ever since she had a vision while she was in high school of creating a community focused endeavor in downtown Largo, she had been working constantly in some way shape or form for that day to arrive. Saturday the culmination of Pistillo's years, months and days of hard work paid off, as the opening of her Wandering Star Gallery was deemed a big success by all who attended. "I'm really excited to see this gallery here," Largo City Commissioner Jamie Robinson said. "It's nice to see foot traffic here on West Bay Drive." "Tanya is extremely community driven. I think she has the vision and the drive to really get something going here," he added. "I …

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Wandering Star Gallery Grand Opening Today

The West Bay Drive community art gallery will welcome everyone who comes through the doors beginning at noon.

Wandering Star Gallery Grand Opening Is Saturday

The downtown community art gallery is the culmination of a lifelong dream for owner Tanya Pistillo.

When we first reported the news that a new community art gallery was opening on West Bay Drive, owner Tanya Pistillo was still in the planning phase of the project.  Three weeks later the Wandering Star Gallery’s grand opening is set for this Saturday, and Pistillo is also busy working on plans to host community events at nearby Ulmer Park.  To say it’s been a whirlwind few weeks for Pistillo would be an understatement. But the energetic artist is eager to begin her journey to enliven the community she grew up in. “It’s been crazy. I’ve been working around the clock like a madwoman for the past few weeks,” Pistillo said from the gallery, located at 220 West Bay Drive.  “But the support I have received has been great. The flooring was …

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Largo Woman Hopes To Unite Community Through Art

Tanya Pistillo is opening a community art gallery on West Bay Drive, and her plans go way beyond brick and mortar success.

Tanya Pistillo has a vision for her hometown. The lifelong Largo resident hopes to unite the community via her new West Bay gallery, Wandering Star, which she is currently working feverishly to open.  And even though the self-professed straight shooter admits she has little working capital and no formal art training, she possesses something more vital for what she plans to do — talent and passion. “I’ve always been artistic, ever since I was eight years old,” she said during a break. “And I’m very community driven. So I started thinking what could I do that’s bigger for this community?”  “I’ve never taken a formal art class,” she added. “But if all I have is my hands, put it together with my heart and I’m unstoppable.” Pistillo’s vision is…

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