Gulfport Tidbits
There is a city-wide Yard Sale planned on March 7th. Lists of participants will be all over town. Same day, there is also the Pink Flamingo Home Tour benefiting the Gulfport Chamber of Commerce.
The Gulfport Merchants Association welcomes new appointees to its Board of Directors:
Joe Guenther, O’Maddy’s Bar & Grille; Fred Metzler, Salty’s; Chris Spencer, Gulfport Fresh Market; John Haugen, Hudson Marketing Services; Christopher Ross, ASLA; & Paul Ray, Tropics Software Technologies. Continuing board members: Lori Rosso, Sea Breeze Manor Bed and Breakfast Inn, Pres.; Biff Lagan, Gulfport Beach Bazaar, Treasurer; Suzanne King, SIK Promotions; Scott Linde, Lizard Licks and Mangia Gourmet; Mike McCue and Michael Knettel, Domain Home Accessories & Gallery; & Daniel Hodge, Freelance Writer; The Gulfport Merchants Association promotes the well being of all member businesses located in Gulfport’s Historic Waterfront and Arts District in an atmosphere of sharing and cooperation with its neighbors. Meetings are open to all interested parties on the first Monday of the month at 6 pm in rotating member locations.Mixers are held quarterly on third Mondays. For more information about the Gulfport Merchants Association, its activities and events, visit www.GulfportMA.com.
Gulfport Toastmasters now meets Wed’s 6 – 7:30 pm at Scout Hall, 5315 28th Ave S., Gulfport. Toastmasters helps its members advance in personal and professional lives through improved communication and leadership skills. Visitors are welcome to participate in the impromptu speaking section of the meetings, or they can just sit back, relax, and enjoy the presentations! Develop confidence that will carry through to all aspects of your life. Call Gulfport Toastmasters representative (727) 537-9098 www.gulfporttoastmasters.com.
Isla Del Sol Tidbits
Fred Curtis, PGA professional at the Isla Del Sol Yacht & Country Club was honored recently by the PGA of North Florida as the chapter’s Golf Professional of the Year. One of the highest honors the Association can bestow, the award embraces a wide range of services executed by a golf club professional.
Madeira Beach Tidbits
Great American Grunt Hunt, Thursday, March 19 & Saturday, March 21, Madeira Beach Marina at 503 150th Ave, Madeira Beach. Family friendly fishing tournament. Over $2500 in cash & prizes. Community fish fry after weigh in at the city marina. www.facebook.com/greatamericangrunthunt.
Just over a year ago, we featured the NEW Madeira Beach in an XL edition of Paradise News Magazine. We can now share with you that the NEW Madeira Beach Rec. Center is OPEN and accepting applications for its after school program. The after school program offers pick-up from Madeira Beach Fundamental and Orange Grove Elementary. Kids grades K-8 are accepted. The rate is $40/week (+$30/sibling) or $8/day for Madeira Beach Residents. See application www.madeirabeachfl.gov/. For more information on the NEW Rec Center visit their new website MaderiaBeachFUN.com or follow them on twitter @MadeiraBeachFUN.
Madeira Beach will be participating in the Great American Clean-Up on March 21st. Volunteers who wish to participate should show up at Archibald Park between 8:30am & 12:30pm. The City will provide water, bags gloves and sunscreen. For more information contact Deb at 727.409.6089.
The Madeira Beach Marina & City Wide Garage Sale will be March 14th 7am – 1pm. The Marina will have fishing supplies (from lures to rods), boat parts (from seats to engines), life preservers, safety equipment, marine DECOR and MORE for sale. Vendor spaces at the Marina Sale are available for $10/Old Salt Members or $20/Non-Members. The Marina is located at 503 150th Ave, Madeira Beach. For more info or to reserve your space contact 727.216.6601 or visit http://oldsaltfishing.org/.
South Pasadena Tidbits
Pasadena Community Church is the home of a new labyrinth! Pasadena Community Church is excited to announce the installation of a permanent labyrinth at their church on the corner of 70th St & 2nd Ave S in South Pasadena. A Christian tradition since the early Middle Ages, Labyrinths facilitate prayer, personal and spiritual growth.Their octagon-shaped labyrinth is 45′ in diameter including a 9′ center “God space”, containing a fountain. The projected should be complete by Friday, March 6. They will be hosting a workshop “Walking a Lenten Path: Pilgrimage to Jerusalem” on Saturday, March 7th 9am-4pm to celebrate the labyrinth’s completion. Registration $30 March 3-7 and includes lunch. Contact Julie Miano 381-2499/210 or juliem@pccumc.org for information. (See full story here.)
Palms of Pasadena Hospital was named 2014 Overall Business of the Year by the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce.It is through the actions of our dedicated team members that we are able to provide our community with superior clinical care and a commitment to each patient’s individual needs. This award reinforces our pledge of support to our community and our patient centered culture. Palms of Pasadena Hospital is a Joint Commission-accredited, 307-bed acute care facility. The hospital provides, Breast Healthcare, Cardiovascular Services, Company Care,
Emergency Care, Imaging & Diagnostic Services, Orthopedic Services, Inpatient & Outpatient Rehabilitation, Sleep Disorders Care, Spine and Neurological Care at the, Weight Loss/Bariatric Surgery at the Florida Bariatric Centers and Wound Care. The hospital is a DNV Healthcare Primary Stroke Center. Average ER wait times are posted on hospital’s website at www.palmspasadena.com or by texting “ER” to 23000. For more information about the hospital, please visit www.palmspasadena.com
South Pasadena was named a 2014 Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of its commitment to effective urban forest management. The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service & the National Association of State Foresters. The city has been a Tree City USA for 26 consecutive years. The program’s four requirements: a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. The city has a Beautification Committee comprised of residents, Commissioner of Public Works, Public Works Director and Supervisor of Horticulture. The Community Improvement Department can be contacted at 727-343-4192 for questions concerning tree trimming and removal. The city also encourages residents to use only a licensed arborist to trim or remove trees.
St. Pete Beach Tidbits
The Pass-a-Grille Community Church invites you, your family & friends to “Lentival”: A festival celebrating Lent! Organizers promise FOOD, GAMES for all ages, PRIZES, and an EASTER EGG HUNT – 11 am – 2 pm, MARCH 15, 2015 in Hurley Park (16th Ave., across from Pass-A-Grille Beach Community Church). ADMISSION is FREE!
Since opening their Cafe Soleil bakery and deli in April 2014 at the Dolphin Village in St Pete Beach,Lauren Chezaud and brother Alex have found business very good, with a growing base of locals and visitors from area hotels and motels. SPB is now home for Lauren and Alex, both born and raised in Paris, France. They’re loving everything this beautiful part of Florida has to offer and have been touched by the warm welcome they have received from both locals and visitors alike. They are proud to have catered for weddings and community events. The Cafe offers croissants and the famous, ever popular cronut- usually sold out by mid-morning. Specials include a large selection of toasted croissants, traditional french baguette sandwiches, quiches, salads and a daily array of fresh baked pastries and breads. Hours are 8am to 5pm daily, except closing 2pm Wednesday and Sunday, extending the closeto 8pm daily starting in March. For more information, call 727-238-9900.
Downtown St. Petersburg
A wave of restaurants and specialty food stores opened in St. Petersburg over the past couple of months, and many more are on the way. Sea Salt and Ruth’s Chris Steak House both opened in February, both on the second level of Sundial, the upscale shopping center that reinvented Baywalk, 12,000 & 10,000 SF respectively. Sea Salt, the upscale seafood restaurant includes a 7,000-bottle wine tower, 140 types of salt and live entertainment on weekends. Ruth’s Chris Steak House restaurant, which serves top quality steaks and award-winning wine, includes two private dining rooms. They opened with a cutting steaks rather than ribbons and donated $10,000 to Southeastern Guide Dogs. (See full story here.)
Two more upscale restaurants joined the Sundial. Locale Market,an impressively laid out and equipped restaurant deli and market combination that opened to rave reviews and has been busy since it began.
Trader Joe’s opened in mid-February with its traditional Hawaiian lei-cutting & specialty food, food demonstrations, and live music. The 9,000 SF specialty grocery store at 2742 4th St. North will be open 8 am to 9 pm daily.
Ruth’s Chris, with it’s 10,000 interior sq. ft., has a main dining room seating 195; bar, 105; patio 115; private room, 44; private room, 36. Almost 500 total seats. Added to Sea Salt’s 300 new seats, Sundial changes the dining dynamics in downtown St. Pete.
William Dean (pictured above) Chocolates of Clearwater. Dessert Professional magazine named him one North America’s Top 10 Chocolatiers! Bill’s chocolates have been featured on “The View” on ABC-TV and in “The Hunger Games” movies. Locale Market at Sundial is proud to sell his chocolates in their second-floor pastry station.
Midtown
Chef’s Creole Cafe opened Nov. 1st along “The Deuces” at 901-903 22nd St. South in a 1939 landmark building renovated by owners Elihu & Carolyn Brayboy. The restaurant, which has an open kitchen and formal dining room, serves Creole staples.
4th Street
California Tacos opened in mid-Dec. at 1003 4th Street North serving San Diegostyle Mexican cuisine. With two successful locations in Tampa, owners Chris Nelsen and Greg Lynn sought to join St. Petersburg’s expanding taco scene. The restaurant accommodates roughly 50 people and includes a patio with picnic table seating. Noble Crust opened in mid-January at 4th Street and 83rd Avenue in the 1920s building that housed the Hideaway Bar for decades. The restaurant, founded by former Bonefish Grill partners T.J. Thielbar and John Mays, serves a mix of seasonal Italian and Southern soul food.
Just Thai opened a week later in a converted gas station and convenience store at 4th Street N., & 32nd Avenue. This is the second location for the fast, casual restaurant with the original in South Tampa, and more are planned.
Hook’s 2 will open soon at 7900 4th St. No. This second location of Hook’s Sushi Bar and Restaurant is larger than its original location on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street with 102 seats.
PieTopia will open soon at 5226 4th Street North in a 2,500 SF space. This “farm to table” restaurant will serve specialty pizzas, the highlight of which is the “meter pizza.”
Treasure Island Tidbits
The Gulf Beaches Rotary Club and the Isle of Capri Civic Association will sponsor an EASTER EGG HUNT on Saturday, April 4, 2015 – 10 am Treasure Island Community Center & Park, Gulf Boulevard – 106th Avenue. Activities for children 10 year old and younger will include an egg hunt; bonnet and hat contest; and a visit with the Easter Bunny. Bring your cameras so that you can take your picture with the Easter Bunny. Event is FREE. Additional information contact the Treasure Island Recreation Department (727) 547-4575 or (727)367-2303
Treasure Island Causeway Bridges will be under construction for painting and repairs starting in December 2014 through April 2015. Expect lane closures and delays due to traffic control. Hours of construction – 7 am till 10 pm, Monday through Sunday. – See more at: http://www.mytreasureisland.com/newsdetail_T2_R163.php#sthash.qQuSGDs2.dpuf.