Mitch Traphagen
SCC’s Lee takes on Orbison, Groban for Senior Idol competition
On April 6, Richard Lee will take to the stage again at Ruth Eckerd Hall...
Low-speed rail
Amtrak provides daily service between Orlando and Tampa and tickets start at only $10. ...
Observations: Old and crabby
A midlife crisis isn’t so much a desperate attempt to reclaim lost youth as it is a last-ditch effort to find some purpose....
Observations: Swallowing the hook
Life is an adventure — sometimes it’s joyous, sometimes it’s tragic...
Covering Cops
Covering Cops I have a pretty good relationship with the local sheriff’s office (The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, District IV). Part of that comes ...What is old could be new again
What is old could be new again In Ruskin, Florida, the fire department is moving into a brand, spankin’ new building. What to do ...
Observations: Baby manatees don't care about the price of gas
There has been a definite change in vibe over the past days and weeks. ...
Crime falls sharply in South Hillsborough
HCSO Major credits deputies, public, sheriff, in crime reduction; lowest rate in county...Observations: Let's not race to mediocrity
By Mitch Traphagen On a beautiful spring day in 1975, Reuben Svingen stood in his classroom at Worthington Junior High School, held up a silver coin ...Author info
Mitch Traphagen
Mitch Traphagen is a photojournalist, columnist and online editor for the Observer News Publications. He is the recipient of 55 awards of excellence from the Community Papers of Florida for his photography and writing. He has worked for some of the nation’s largest corporations, as Press Secretary for a U.S. Congressman, owned and published a weekly newspaper, and produced a commercial documentary video on sailing. He is a Commodore in the Seven Seas Cruising Association (ssca.org). Mitch is a writer, photographer, sailor and traveler with a bit of a geek thing going on. You can visit his personal website at mitchtraphagen.com