Florida’s New Texting while Driving Law took effect! Getting caught will land you a steep fine. Florida is one of the last states to enact such a law, according to the Associated Press.
BEACHES CHAMBER
The Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce is bringing back Taste of the Beaches! This wildly popular event will resume Saturday, September 28th at Horan Park in St. Pete Beach.
The event is a fundraiser for the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas & West Pasco.
Purchase tickets at TampaBayBeaches.com/events. For more info, please contact jessica@tampabaybeaches.com or visit TampaBayBeaches.com.
The Chamber also became one of only 14 ‘Grow with Google’ Partners in Pinellas. This partnership allows the chamber to offer members training, tools and resources they need to grow their business and the ability to host events and workshops throughout the year.
For more information, please contact Jessica Morrow at jessica@tampabaybeaches.com or visit TampaBayBeaches.com.
ST PETE BEACH
Meet Tank, the new fire station dog, & Kelly the new Fire Marshall. You can follow Tank’s adventures on Facebook at St. Pete Beach Fire Rescue. He will soon have his own Instagram page Kelly Intzes, CFPS, Fire Marshal, St. Pete Beach Fire Rescue, 7301 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, FL, 33706, 727-363-9207
Wine Down the Summer at the Don CeSar Labor Day Weekend!
The Don CeSar has partnered with Halter Ranch, Four Graces, and Acrobat Wineries, to create an intimate weekend full of special events, one-of-a-kind culinary creations, take home gifts and most importantly… WINE!
Enlighten your senses with three days of events, each showcasing tastes from the wineries and an exclusive menu of gourmet dishes inspired by selections from each of our outlets and perfected by Executive Chef Alexander Reyes and his team of culinary professionals. Enjoy creations by Sea Porch Chef De Cuisine Amber Brownlee on Friday, Chef Emily Ferrari of Maritana Grille on Saturday, Special Events Chef Joseph Bove on Sunday, and dessert selections all weekend long by Pastry Chef Angela Smith.
EVENT SCHEDULE
- Friday, August 30th
Toast To The Coast Welcome Reception | 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Location: Sunset Deck - Saturday, August 31th
Oh Cheese, More Wine Interactive Class | 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Location: The Gatsby
Wine & Dine Grand Tasting | 6:00pm – 9:30pm
Location: Veranda & Maritana Grille - Sunday, September 1st
Wine Down The Weekend Brunch | 11:00am – 1:00pm
Location: Beach Pavilion
Bus Rapid Transit Update
“In spite of what you may have read elsewhere, no agreement has been reached with PSTA regarding the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project they and St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman are encouraging us to embrace,” St. Pete Beach Mayor Al Johnson recently reported. “The Beach Trolley route, which is separate from the BRT project is being shortened so that the Trolley will no longer go to Pass-a-Grille after our current PSTA agreement ends in October.” The big trolleys have been a problem, blocking traffic on our narrow streets.”
“We plan to service Pass-a-Grille with small electric vehicles instead, and are considering expanding that service north to 75th Ave. PSTA’s trolley is an adequate solution north of 75th since it continues north to Clearwater anyway.”
“Mayor Kriseman does not seem satisfied with our proposal to have BRT terminate at 75th Ave., or possibly at the county park across from Dolphin Village Shopping Center. City commissioners feel either is viable, as long as 40’ or shorter buses are utilized, and St. Pete Beach will not be expected to contribute to the cost of the BRT project.”
Commissioners are in a bit of a bind, as theoretically PSTA does not need SPB authorization to proceed, as the roads involved are state thoroughfares over which the city has no control. In order for the project to be approved for the Federal grant funds to be authorized, the project has to be selected for funding. Local dissension is likely to hurt that effort.
Mistletoe Market Seeks Vendors
The St. Pete Beach Parks and Recreation Department is introducing a new holiday market. They are currently accepting applications for vendors. If interested, please visit www.spbrec.com and fill out the application. The “Mistletoe Market” will be held in Horan Park at 7701 Boca Ciega Dr., St. Pete Beach FL 33706 on Saturday, December 7th.
ST PETERSBURG
St. Petersburg will host the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg the second weekend in March each year through 2024. The City Council approved a four-year extension to the existing agreement through 2024. The race has been the season-opener for IndyCar for the past nine years. The city receives $1 for every ticket sold. There were about 160,000 people at the most recent event in March.
Including “St. Petersburg” in the event name generated about $2 million worth of exposure for the city this year.
Dates set for the next five races:
- 2020 race event: March 12-15
- 2021 race event: March 11-14
- 2022 race event: March 10-13
- 2023 race event: March 9-12
- 2024 race event: March 7-10
Composting Program for Residents
To show its commitment to making the Sunshine City just a little bit greener, a new community composting program is being introduced. Kitchen and yard waste make up about 30% of what’s thrown in the trash, according to the City of St. Pete’s website. A community-wide composting initiative will help divert these materials.
A $50 million boutique hotel could kick off a new wave of hospitality development in St. Pete’s Edge District. Retailers and apartment buildings in the Edge district are flourishing, a developer says it’s time for the next wave of development.
Baba’s Bakery, a Greek – Lebanese inspired restaurant and bakery + cafe opened its doors in the grand central district. While a restaurant portion is still prepping for a debut, the bakery & cafe portion is now ready to serve you coffee, sandwiches, salad, breads, and pastries.at 2701 Central Ave. from 9-4.
Proposed Two Tower Condo & Hotel concept at 400 Central AveJohn Catsimatidis’ $16.5 million 2-acre lot 400 Central may still house the tallest in Pinellas County. A 40-story tower is proposed, (down from 50 due to flight paths from Albert Whitted Airport) housing 325 condominiums, and a 20 story, 200 room Marriott-flagged hotel in a second tower and ground-level retail.
The Shave Cave, a ‘classic barbershop for the modern man,’ is leaving Sundial has announced plans to relocate, doubling its size.at 215 1st Street North in St. Petersburg, the new location is about 50 yards from the current storefront. The new 1200 sq. ft. barbershop will feature six state-of-the-art barbering stations, a craft beer and wine lounge, big screen tv’s, snacks, and an arcade – a haven for relaxation and comradely. “I love St. Pete”, says Max Glazer, owner.
Edge District businesses now have WIFI! The Edge District is located from Dr. Martin Luther King St. (9th Street) to 16th Street and between 1st Ave. North and South. This west end of downtown is skirted by Tropicana Field, the Tampa Bay Rays home. GoZone, a local company, installed WIFI routers through out the area inside businesses rather than on the streets. Once you sign up inside, one can travel outside and keep connected and the best part…. It’s FREE! All are secure networks to the businesses.
Welcome Home Family Chiropractic & Wellness Center, led by Dr. Joubert Desulme or “Dr. J”, had a nice crowd on July 25 to celebrate the opening of its new office with an Open House at 3773 Central Avenue. For more information on the full range of chiropractic services, call 727-317-5738.
Award-winning Fetishes Dining and Wine Bar has closed after more than 20 years as a local fine dining landmark, owner Bruce Caplan confirmed. He has sold the building on its prime Gulf Blvd. location, and definitely plans to reopen closer to downtown St. Petersburg. Fetishes has been a frequent winner of Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence for its outstanding wine cellar.
SKYWAY MARINA DISTRICT
The Flamingo Resort on 34th Street S. (US 19) will be bulldozed and the site redeveloped into an apartment complex. Operators of the only resort catering to the LGBTQ community says they will look for another on site to reopen.
TREASURE ISLAND
In spite of a 7.72% increase in revenues due to valuation increases, property tax rates will rise slightly next year in Treasure Island, adding $18 per 100,000 assessment, raising an additional $842,000 for future bridge and sewer system maintenance. The City also contemplates moving city hall to the Allied Building in the next couple of years,according to the city attorney.
ICE ANYONE – The City of Treasure Island has contracted with Ice Depot to supply Ice Vending Machines to the beach access at 104th Ave. and the pavilion at Sunset Beach. Ten pounds of Ice will sell for $2 and can be dispensed directly into coolers to protect the environment. The city supplies the location, power and water in exchange for 30% of gross revenues.
Vacation Rental BOOM – Andrea, the Head of Media and PR at AllTheRooms, the world’s first vacation rental search engine reported that Treasure Island made the list of fastest growing vacation rental markets in the country. According to their data:
- The number of vacation rentals in Treasure Island available on platforms like Airbnb and VRBO increased by 35.95% over the last 12 months.
- This took the total number of vacation rentals in Treasure Island on these platforms up to 503 as of May 2019, as homeowners put more rentals on the market.
- Over the last 12 months the average price per night at these rentals was $193, and the occupancy rate, or the proportion of days that these properties were rented out, was 54.90%.
- Over the last 12 months, homeowners in Treasure Island took $16,208,780 in bookings in total. A growth of 44.47% year-on-year, as they took advantage of buoyant demand from travelers for short-term rentals.
Mayor Larry Lunn told Paradise NEWS that the city has heard complaints from neighbors of units that are being rented illegally. He says the city owes it to its residents and hoteliers to enforce the city’s short term rental rules, and proposes hiring a computer-savvy enforcement officer to especially target and fine short term rental violators.
The Treasure Islettes elected a New Board for 2018-2019, Ms. Carol Lee, President; Ms. Diana Carbill, Vice president; Ms. Judy Koepkey, Treasurer; and Ms. Linda Gresik, Secretary. The Islettes was founded in 1955 to support community through volunteer service, beautification projects, scholarships and donations to the City, the Police and Fire Departments. They meet on the 4th Monday evening from September to May at the Treasure Island Community Center. Visit www.treasureislettes.weebly.com or more information about membership can be obtained by contacting Vice President Diana Crabill at treasurei2@aol.com
PINELLAS COUNTY
Mail in Ballots Information
The deadline to request that a ballot be mailed is August 17, 2019 at 5:00 p.m.
Mail Ballots must be received at one of the Supervisor of Elections Offices by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day. Voters are advised to allow at least ONE WEEK for their ballot to be returned by mail to the Supervisor of Elections Office. Mail Ballots may also be dropped off at any Supervisor of Elections Office. Check VotePinellas.com for hours and locations.