December Tidbits

ST. PETE NEWS

Mayor Ken Welch named . Lavender brings more than three decades in non-profit executive and senior management experience, and nearly 20 years of experience in systems change leadership to the position. He most recently served as Interim Co-CEO and Chief Equity Officer at the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg. Writes Welch: “Carl is a transformational leader and advocate in our community whose expertise will help us advance equity and inclusive progress at the city, in partnership with community stakeholders. His work over the years has intersected with various city initiatives, including the 2020 Plan, Agenda 2010 (which was the catalyst for the creation of the South St. Petersburg Community Redevelopment Area), and Grow Smarter (a collaborative effort with the St. Pete Chamber and others). Carl’s vast experience, historical knowledge of the community, and breadth of equity efforts will be valuable as we move forward with establishing this office.”

With the support of U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, the city of St. Pete applied for the U.S. Department of Transportation Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Community Planning Grant to improve access and reconnect the community to the Historic Gas Plant District. $1.2M in grant funding would support an 18-month community-informed planning project for the two-way conversion and lane reallocation of Eighth and MLK streets to improve access, safety, mobility, and connectivity as well as address the environmental and economic burdens impacting surrounding neighborhoods. 

AIR TAXI DEBUTS @ TPA  

Volocopter CEO Dirk Hoke, Mayors Ken Welch and Jane Castor, Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, FDOT, and Tampa International Airport leaders got a bird’s eye view of the first-ever electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft test flight at a large U.S. airport, as well as the first to test in the state of Florida. Look forward to connecting the cities of the future, where aerial mobility (i.e., air taxi!), connected vehicles, and sustainable infrastructure work together to transform the way people move around Tampa Bay.

PINELLAS COUNTY

First-time home buyers in need of some financial assistance may be eligible for more money than before to help with a down payment. Pinellas County’s down payment assistance program has increased the maximum it offers from $50,000 to $75,000. According to the U.S. Federal Reserve, the homeownership rate in Florida stands at 68.1%. That ranks the Sunshine State 22nd in home ownership. www.pinellas.gov/programs/housing-finance-authority-first-time-homebuyer-program/

GULF BEACHES ROTARY

We heard from PN pal and Rotarian Mitchell Shenkman about the Madeira Beach/Treasure Island chapter, always doing good deeds and host of the annual March Spring Carnival in R.O.C. Park. In October, the Community Service Day at the Free Clinic on 10/31 culminated the October donation drive that netted 170 pounds of non-perishable goods and 59 pounds of hygiene and baby diaper goods. Barktoberfest was a “take a bow” WOW, with State Representative Linda Chaney judging the costumed pups while pet fosters and buy a pup paver helped fundraise for our furry pals. On 12/10, the 13th annual Robby’s Pancake Breakfast co-hosted by Middle Grounds Grill and Gulf Beaches Rotary will be held 8am-noon at Treasure Island Community Center, bring an unwrapped toy or non-perishable food. 

MANATEE

As water temperatures drop in the Gulf of Mexico, hundreds of West Indian Manatees will make their way to the warmer waters in and around Crystal River. Known as Manatee Season 11/15-3/31, this annual influx of Florida’s beloved state marine mammal makes the pristine, spring fed waters of Crystal River and Homosassa the perfect place to learn about these curious creatures in their natural habitat.

DTSP NEWS

St. Petersburg is known as a city with a high quality of life. Preserve the Burg, the local historic preservation education and advocacy organization, wants to know what role, if any, historic preservation plays in creating and maintaining that quality of life. PlaceEconomics, a DC-based research and consulting firm, has been commissioned to do an analysis of the impacts of historic preservation in St. Pete. www.surveymonkey.com/r/8YT6BRH

Pinellas County Commissioners have more than doubled their previous funding allocation, from $5.6 million to $12.4 million, to help start construction on a long-awaited affordable housing project in St. Petersburg. In Sept. 2021, the city of St. Petersburg became Florida’s first municipality to take advantage of House Bill 1339. Also in the works is a multifamily development on the former Raytheon parcel and purchase of land from SPC Gibbs Campus for affordable housing.…Check out Tampa’s holiday events via the Cross Bay Ferry departing Downtown St. Pete from The Port St. Pete, 250 Eighth Ave. SE through June 2024. 

GREEN THUMBS Bloomin’ Brands employees brought Tampa Bay Watch’s demonstration garden in Tierra Verde to life on their Annual Community Service Day. The goal of the garden is to inspire and educate visitors of TBW about the diverse possibilities for planting native gardens in their own yards and emphasize the connection between our landscapes and water resources in the Tampa Bay watershed. FYI: TBW’s education team is seeking spring interns to assist in facilitating onsite school field trips, outreach events, after-school programs, species collection and identification, and aquarium husbandry support. This internship is designed for individuals seeking experience in informal education or environmental sciences. Positions are unpaid, but academic credit is available www.tampabaywatch.org

VISITOR NEWS

Tampa International Airport is getting a quartet of new destinations next year, with Breeze Airways announcing four nonstop routes to Burlington, VT 1/31; Plattsburgh, N.Y. 2/2; Madison, WI 2/7; and service to Myrtle Beach, S.C. 5/10. U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Places To Retire reports that Florida is still prevalent in the top 25, with Daytona Beach in the top 10 (Daytona Beach) and Tampa, Sarasota, Lakeland, Melbourne and Orlando in the top 25. 

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Eckerd College Director of Athletics Tom Ryan ’87 has announced David Woodrum as the head men’s and women’s golf coach. “We are thrilled to have David join the Triton family. David impressed us throughout the search process with his passion and energy as a young professional. 

His track record of success at the collegiate level as both a player and coach, paired with the unique recruiting niche he has established, make him an excellent fit for Eckerd,” stated Ryan. “I am looking forward to watching our golf programs excel in the coming years.”

KUDOS

Tampa Fire Rescue was recently awarded a generous donation of $15,393 from SubPubs Hospitality Group which help upgrade the Honor Guard’s ceremonial equipment. Tampa’s Honor Guard plays a pivotal role in assisting the families of fallen firefighters, performing “Color” detail at promotional award ceremonies, graduations, and various other civic functions.

GOOD DOGS In November, four K-9s and their partners completed training and will soon be called for duty. Throughout their training, the K-9s learned obedience commands, bite work, area and building searches, tracking, and human odor response.  Kudos to graduates K-9 “Beau” and Deputy Justin Fineberg, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office; K-9 “Zorro” and Deputy Giancarlo Revilla, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office; K-9 “Joker” and Deputy Brennen Wede, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office; and K-9 “Bruce” and Officer Travis Hansen, Largo Police Department.

URBAN AGRICULTURE

Sen. Darryl Rouson and Rep. Lindsay Cross, both representing parts of St. Petersburg, have filed identical bills in their respective legislative chambers to expand the definition of “urban agriculture” to include new commercial agricultural uses. The bills (SB 404 and HB 397) would add new commercial agricultural uses to a Florida state statute that allows for urban agriculture pilot projects in areas where agricultural uses aren’t necessarily part of the zoning. TRAFFIC ALERT The eastbound Park Boulevard Bridge will be reduced to one lane between Gulf Boulevard and Danielle Court until approximately Saturday, Jan. 20. Pinellas County Utilities is performing a water main replacement in the area. The project will not impact access to the Park Boulevard Boat Ramp or pedestrian walkways. A reminder to click it or ticket (safety belts, please) and use a free beach ride after your holiday partying. TRANSIT FUTURE The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, PSTA, is beginning its Community Bus Plan, which is aimed at transforming the county’s transit needs over the next 10 years. People in the county can share their ideals at one of three community meetings, a survey or on PSTA’s Ideal Wall. The Community Bus Plan seeks to address the evolving needs of Pinellas County residents and businesses and find more accessible, efficient, and community-focused transit solutionspsta.mysocialpinpoint.com/cbp/ideas#

MASQUERADE Holiday 

Cosplay Tampa Bay 12/2-3 at the St. Pete Coliseum will feature The Star Cos, big-name voice actors, pro cosplayers, an idol group, and an internationally known body painter. Gamers can play games like Borderlands 3, My Hero One’s Justice 2 and Super Mario Bros Wonder for free, along with participating in a Super Smash Bros tournament. holidaycosplaytampabay.com

VOLUNTEER

The Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas needs volunteers with the SHINE program (offering seniors, adults with disabilities, and their caregivers free, unbiased counseling on Medicare and health insurance). A volunteer orientation will be held 12/11 @1pm at the Area Agency on Aging located at 9549 Koger Blvd., Suite 100, St. Petersburg. floridashine.orgCall 727-570-9696, ext. 234.  

HIRE VETS

For the fourth consecutive year in a row, the city of Treasure Island has been awarded the Gold HIRE Vets Medallion Award by the U.S. Department of Labor. The HIRE Vets Medallion Award is the only federal-level veterans’ employment award that recognizes a company or organization’s commitment to veteran hiring, retention, and professional development. This award ensures veterans have a long-term career and growth plan with the city of Treasure Island that uses the diverse skills they acquired through their military service.KUDOS The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners has elected commissioners Kathleen Peters as Chair and Brian Scott as Vice-Chair for 2024. Peters is the current Vice-Chair and represents single-member District 6.