TIDBITS By Nanette Wiser
COVID-19 UPDATES
Citizen Information Center (CIC) can respond to calls concerning COVID-19, from 8am to 5pm Mon. – Fri., 10am to 2pm Sat., closed Sun. and subject to change. Pinellas County’s Emergency Operations Center remains under a full activation. (727) 464-4333 Those hard of hearing can connect via chat www.bit.ly/PinellasChat. Pinellas County introduced a redesigned, mobile-friendly COVID-19 website. The website provides comprehensive information about the County’s COVID response, plus recommendations for citizens, businesses, frequently asked questions, stay-home tips, health information and links to a variety of assistance.
Back To Work: Tampa Bay hospitals are preparing for non-urgent elective surgeries to proceed as Gov. Ron DeSantis’ order ceasing the surgeries expires in two weeks on May 8.
SBA Funding: U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) resumed accepting Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications from participating lenders for a 2nd round on 4/27/2020. The Paycheck Protection Program provides incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll. SBA will forgive loans if all employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest or utilities. Contact your local lender or SBA’s Customer Service Center (800) 659-2955.
Bionic Fur-Babies: In late April, Florida Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA) began delivering over 375 therapeutic robotic pets to socially isolated seniors and adults living with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia (ADRD). The interactive pets help combat social isolation and depression among older individuals and people living with ADRD by improving overall mood and quality of life. Family caregivers may experience a reduction in stress, and caregivers benefit when companion pets allow increased engagement with the older adult and their environment.
Kudos Publix: As of 4/22, Publix is buying fresh produce and milk to assist farmers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and donating them to Feeding America member food banks. The initiative will support Florida produce farmers, southeastern dairy farmers and the growing number of families looking to Feeding America for fresh fruits, vegetables and milk during the coronavirus pandemic.
Small Biz Help: To provide relief to small businesses impacted by local COVID-19 orders, the City of St. Petersburg has committed $6.8 million to the Fighting Chance Fund emergency grant for St. Pete’s negatively impacted locally owned and independently operated small businesses. www.stpete.org/assistance/fighting_chance_fund.php
GULFPORT
The Gulfport Gabber ceased publication in late March after weekly printing for 52 years. You could say they were victims of the Coronavirus and not be far fromthe truth. They are already being missed by loyal readers, particularly in Gulfport. Some of their longtime advertisers are finding Paradise NEWS.
ST. PETERSBURG
Sunshine Center rebuild or redesign may be in the works, thanks to Council Member Darden Rice’s suggestion of a public-private partnership to redevelop the center. Council Chair Ed Montanari and Vice Chair Gina Driscoll tentatively endorsed that suggestion. The Sunshine Center, at 330 5th St. N, is a nationally accredited multi-service center where seniors gather for support, socialization, fitness and other services provided for older people.
Virtual Summer Camps: Applications are now open to talented low-income students aged 10-17 in Pinellas County who aspire to be musicians, actors, dancers, writers or visual artists. St. Pete Arts Alliance’s Funding Futures Student Award Program is dedicated to helping students nurture their creative interests and develop their expressive talent by providing funding to eligible students and connecting them to local summer arts camps both in person and now virtually. Organizations can nominate a student(s) to attend one of their summer arts camps virtually (or in person when restrictions are lifted) to help further their artistic success and the Alliance will provide the funding. Parents can also submit student applications to attend a St. Petersburg Arts Camp either virtually or in person. Funds may be used for tuition for summer arts programs (virtual or live), musical instruments rental, purchase or repair, equipment or supplies for a special artistic project and individual instruction or master class tuition.
Advisory Board Named: Mayor Rick Kriseman named advisors to assist in strategies related to reopening the St. Petersburg economy with his Restart St. Pete Initiative. The advisor list includes elected officials, business and nonprofit leaders, health professionals, transportation advisors and local cultural leaders. Among the business and economic development advisors: Dr. David Berman, board certified pediatric infectious disease specialist, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital; Olga Bof, Executive Director, Keep Saint Petersburg Local; Amber Boulding, City of St. Petersburg Emergency Management Manager; John Collins, Executive Director, St. Petersburg Arts Alliance; Duggan Cooley, CEO, Pinellas Community Foundation; J.P. DuBuque, President and CEO, Greater St. Petersburg Area EDC; Dexter Fabian, Publisher, I Love the Burg St. Pete; Rene Flowers, Pinellas County School Board Member; Rev. Watson Haynes, President and CEO, Pinellas County Urban League; Dr. Mona Mangat, Member/Past Board Chair Doctors for America, board-certified allergist & immunologist, Bay Area Allergy and Asthma; Jason Mathis, CEO, St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership; Brad Miller, CEO, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority; Scott Smith, President, St. Anthony’s Hospital; Chris Steinocher, President and CEO, St Petersburg Chamber; Dr. Kanika Tomalin, City Administrator and Deputy Mayor; Michael Vivio, CEO-Owner, Corp Fitness Works; Dr. Israel Wojnowich, City of St. Petersburg Physician, board certified Family Medicine, Bayfront Health Medical.
Going Up! Saltaire, a 35-story condominium tower proposed for 300 1st Street S, recently announced it has broken ground on the site of the former parking lot of the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront Hotel. Back in October 2019, Ashford Hospitality Trust, the owner of the Hilton Bayfront, sold the hotel’s 1.65 acre parking lot to KT St. Pete Bayfront, LLC for $17.5 million. KT St. Pete Bayfront, LLC is controlled by the Palm Beach County real estate development firm Kolter Group which is developing Saltaire. Kolter Group was also the developer behind
ONE St. Petersburg, a 41-story condominium tower located two blocks north of the Saltaire site. The latest project is notably similar to ONE St. Petersburg, which was completed in 2018. Saltaire is expected to have 192 units along with a 596-space parking garage. As part of the sale agreement the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront Hotel will retain ownership rights to 205 parking spaces in the new parking garage. The development is also expected to have 9,681 square feet of retail space fronting 1st Street and 2nd Street.
Keep Learning: The Greenhouse hosts 1 Million Cups from 9-10am every Wednesday morning meeting digitally on www.virtual.lunchpool.io/e/1-million-cups-st-petersburg. The format of these caffeinated events is simple: the speakers present their idea for six minutes followed by a 20-minute question and answer forum.
Grow Smarter aims to reduce gaps by race and place in St. Petersburg by introducing equity to economic development efforts. The COVID-19 pandemic has made this vision more relevant than ever. As part of the response, Grow Smarter is gathering needs across the community thatrequire action. The Needs Report is also informed by early results of the Organizational Impact Survey, created by Grow Smarter in partnership with the Greenhouse and the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce; One Community’s community survey and outreach efforts; and the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership’s COVID-19 Response Survey. www.growsmarterstpete.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Community-needs-report-2020.04.09.pdf
Java Thanks: To show appreciation for front-line responders fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, Kahwa Coffee Roasters is now giving free coffee to doctors, nurses, healthcare providers and first responders at various cafe locations in the Tampa Bay area. In its longtime charitable spirit, Kahwa has also teamed up with Kathy Ireland and National Pediatric Cancer Foundation. The strategic partnership and proceeds from all Kahwa coffee product sales will help serve and support NPCF.
ST. PETE BEACH
For all COVID-19 city updates, refer to www.stpetebeach.org/coronavirus.html. With the stay at home order still in place at press time, refer to the virtual City Hall and all notices for Business Tax Receipt renewals, parking decals, and permits are being handled by email. City of St. Pete Beach businesses must add your company email address to receive email notification regarding tax receipts and business license renewal options moving forward. Go to: www.portal.iworq.net/STPETEBEACH/entities/1101
1) Search for business here 2) View business for entity number 3) Select Edit 4) Update email address 5) Once the email address has been updated, city staff will contact you to confirm the update.
TREASURE ISLAND
For all COVID-19 city updates, refer to www.mytreasureisland.org/news_detail_T13_R63.php. You can watch a virtual city council meeting (5/5) www.mytreasureisland.org/news_detail_T13_R67.php
MADEIRA BEACH
For all COVID-19 city updates, refer to www.madeirabeachfl.gov/covid-19/. You can watch a virtual city council meeting www.livestream.com/cityofmadeirabeach
EDUCATION NEWS
Mask Production: When Eckerd College Theatre Professor Jessica Thonen heard of neighbors and community members sewing masks to supplement the low supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers, she realized she had found her niche. A group formed, Hope for Tampa Bay, with friends Kelly Thompson and Hope Griffin. They found patterns and set to work. In no time, the women had created a website encouraging others to join the effort. Thonen extended a membership invitation to her Technical Theatre group—costuming students who work for additional credit—and three students took her up on the offer. The class usually covers pattern making and construction, two skills that making masks from found fabrics will put to the test. “We have already made and delivered 900 masks to hospitals, assisted-living facilities, home healthcare workers, COVID units and more,” Thonen explained.
SPC Fall 2020: St. Petersburg College has added two new certificate programs that will kick off this fall term. These short-term training certificates, Laboratory Specialist Advanced Technical and Event Planning Management, provide students the opportunity to earn in-demand skills. “This is really good and we have just gotten started! We have over 6,000 mask requests and over 600 in the group working together!” And in other news, St. Petersburg College (SPC) was recently awarded a grant from the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) to help
develop SPC’s Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) Pre-apprenticeship Program. St Petersburg College’s Health Education Center (HEC) donated more than 26,000 medical supplies to local hospitals in need.
USF St. Pete: On 4/20, The University of South Florida announced a gift of $50,000 from longtime supporters Kate Tiedemann and Ellen Cotton to provide emergency financial support to students on the USF St. Petersburg campus facing hardships due to the coronavirus epidemic. The gift, made in response to the USF United Support Fund effort, will be administered through the Stay AFLOAT fund, which was created by the USF Foundation to help students with a short-term need that may prevent them from continuing their education without assistance. The COVID-19 pandemic created new challenges for many students, including lost jobs and decreased financial support.
St. Pete Friends Program @ USF: An initiative led by USF St. Petersburg is connecting college students with senior citizens to reduce social isolation and develop new bonds during the global pandemic. The program, called St. Pete Friends, offers an opportunity for community members and students to connect via phone, video chat or even traditional letters to talk about their current experiences with social distancing, hear about another person’s life and share a much-needed laugh.
TAMPA BAY UPDATES
Coast Guard: U.S. Representative Charlie Crist (D-St. Petersburg) has pushed the DOD to reverse a new policy that would kick children of Coast Guard servicemembers out of Department of Defense childcare, effective June 1. Congressman Crist stood with 20 bicameral, bipartisan members of Congress calling on Secretary Esper to reverse the policy to guarantee that children of Coast Guard members are given the same priority as children of members of all other armed forces.
Unemployment: Congressman Crist supports Gov. DeSantis using his emergency powers to expand unemployment, but called for Congress to send 2 more rounds of stimulus checks for the people, and for the state of Florida to take action to fix its broken unemployment system and expand benefits for those in need.
Prevent Oil Spills: Crist sent letters to the heads of Department of the Interior, Department of Energy, and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, calling on them to do everything within their power to require the safe storage of oil and gas surpluses amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Reports are surfacing that due to the weak demand and large supply of oil, producers are turning to unsafe practices to store the current oversupply, heightening the risk of an environmental disaster.