By Peter Roos
MADEIRA BEACH
The Treasure Island / Madeira Beach Chamber of Commerce has been adding new members rapidly since the first of 2022, outgrowing space after space for their popular Friday morning coffee and donut networking, now held at the City of Madeira Beach meeting room second Fridays at 10am.
On October 29th, the TIMB Chamber is hosting a Halloween Hustle 5K Fun Run and Kids Dash, starting and ending behind Sloppy Joes in Treasure Island, with awards, prizes and a costume contest, all benefitting the Beaches Environmental Committee. Visit https://timbchamber.org/.
PINELLAS COUNTY
The Pinellas chapter of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association is hosting its 30th annual Extravelganza at the Opal Sands Resort on Clearwater Beach, Oct. 14th 7-10pm.
Hospitality partners provide vacations, hotel stays around the country and the world, for the silent and live auctions. Gourmet samplings from some of the area’s best chefs and sips from the regions beer wine and alcohol purveyors, and the venue make it an evening to remember.
Get yourself a 2023 vacation at a bargain to boot! Visit www.Extravelganza.org for more details about the evening.
Pinellas County Schools are the first in the nation to partner with Tom Brady’s TB12 Foundation to provide an holistic approach to student wellness. Through a partnership among Pinellas County Schools, the Pinellas Education Foundation and the TB12 Foundation, there’s now a semester-based course at the middle schools The concepts behind the regimen’s pillars – muscle pliability, movement, nutrition, hydration and mental fitness using foam rollers and pliability spheres represent a paradigm shift for physical education in middle and high schools. Ten schools are starting this year. Next year they will all be involved.
PSTA debuts the SUNRUNNER on Oct. 21, 22, their first attempt at Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), as they unveil what was supposed to be a $43 million experiment. The express route goes from St. Pete Beach to downtown St. Petersburg. Their marketing plan includes free passes for all riders for 6 months. The Federal Department of Transportation is betting that BRT can solve the nations commuting woes faster and cheaper than light rail. The long-term plan is extend a network through the airport to Brandon and “New Tampa.”
Solar United Neighbors (SUN) announced the launch of the Pinellas 2022 Solar Co-op to help Pinellas County residents and small businesses go solar. “The co-op will enable Pinellas County homeowners and business owners to join the growing community of people saving money by harnessing solar power,” said Julia Herbst, Gulf Coast program coordinator for Solar United Neighbors. “Together, we’re building a movement to transform our electricity system into one that is cleaner, fairer, and shares its benefits more broadly.”
The co-op is free to join and open to homeowners and business owners in Pinellas County. Together, co-op members will learn about solar energy and leverage their numbers to purchase individual solar systems at a competitive price and top quality. Individuals interested in going solar can sign up at the co-op web page solarunitedneighbors/pinellas.Florida Solar 101 Wednesday, Oct. 19 6-7:30pm For more info about Solar United Neighbors, contact:Erin Hellkamp 407-432-6400 ehellkamp@solarunitedneighbors.orgSeth Newmeyer 202-227-5434 snewmeyer@solarunitedneighbors.org
ST. PETE BEACH
Soothe Our Souls (SOS), a nonprofit based in St. Pete Beach, invites those in need of healing and their caregivers to join them for a free sail on Boca Ciega Bay at 9am the first Sunday of each month. To register, visit www.sootheoursouls.org or call 727-360-7411. Dan Peretz, co-founder of SOS and owner of Dolphin Landings Charter Boat Center, donates use of his sailboats. SOS volunteers lead calming exercises such as yoga and meditation. Remaining 2022 sailing dates are Nov. 6 and Dec. 4. Boats sail from Dolphin Landings, 4737 Gulf Boulevard, St. Pete Beach and return about noon.
Paddle Board rental stations are appearing on the beaches from Pass-a-Grille to Sand Key and in Tampa. PADL is an excellent way for first-time or novice paddle boarders to get on the water without having to invest in the purchase of their own board. In most local areas, rentals are $25 per hour with the PADL app.
Nori Thai and Basil Leaf, our favorite Thai and Sushi purveyors in St Pete Beach are instituting happy hour on weekdays with appetizer and drink specials for dine-in customers. Visit Nori Thai Mon.-Thurs. 4:30-6:30pm or Basil Leaf Monday-Friday 4-7pm and ask about the happy hour specials.
ST. PETERSBURG
Sacino Dry Cleaners is a long-time St. Petersburg institution. Awesome service is their main concern. They are hoping to become the preferred cleaners in the Paradise NEWS readership area. They will pick up and deliver your wash, dry cleaning, alterations, even comforters, drapes, cushions, even shoe and purse repair, you name it, twice each week! Call 727-471-0573 and tell them you read about them in Paradise NEWS. Ask about patio cushion cleaning, which is on special this month.
TAMPA BAY
In an effort to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, Tampa Electric will be investing $5 million in USF’s Clean Energy Research Center. TECO said emerging technologies and ideas are crucial to achieving the objective of net-zero carbon emissions. The $5 million gift, which will be made possible by shareholder funds, will be used by the Clean Energy Research Center (CERC) to create an endowed fund to assist in the study and creation of cutting-edge energy technology. TECO plans to cut its carbon emissions by 60% by 2025 and 80% by 2040 in order to reach net-zero emissions. Visit TECO’s website on carbon reduction, for more details on its goals for 2050. University of South Florida officials announced that the school reached an all-time high in the U.S. News and World Report’s annual ranking of the best colleges in America. The university now sits at No. 42 among all public institutions. Additionally, USF continues its distinction as the fastest-rising university in the nation over the past 10 years.
FLORIDA
Melissa Seixas, state president of Duke Energy Florida said. “We have completed our commitment to build 700 MW of solar by 2022. By 2024, we plan to provide 1,500 MW of solar generation as part of our ongoing strategy to offer cleaner, smarter energy solutions that will benefit all Florida customers.” They recently announced the completion of 10 solar facilities located throughout Florida. With a combined investment of more than $2 billion, Duke Energy Florida’s solar generation portfolio will, by 2024 include 25 grid-tied solar power plants, which will provide about 1,500 MW of emission-free generation from about 5 million solar panels. Duke Energy Florida, owns 10,300 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 1.9 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across 13,000-square-miles in Florida.
Florida’s Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Deployment Plan was approved ahead of schedule under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, by the Biden administration in mid-September. The plan is to implement high-power chargers across over 6,244 miles of designated EV corridors in the state of Florida. Florida is now one of 35 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico with approved plans, the FHWA said. The state plans to add 6,772 public charging ports to its charging network using funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Florida now has access to their share of more than $900 million in NEVI formula funding to help build EV charges across the country. Florida is estimated to receive $198 million in funding with almost $30 million expected in 2022.Sargassum, a type of seaweed that is brownish red in color, has been washing up on Caribbean and South Florida beaches in huge quantities this summer. It recently also made it to Pass-a-Grille. As it decomposes, Sargassum releases an unpleasant rotten eggs smell.
In May 18 million tons were removed from the east coast beaches. In June it was 24 million tons. Miami tried burying it in the sand, but it was not a good idea. The Fort Lauderdale government has been collecting the seaweed and taking it to an open space where it is left to mature for 90 days and become rich soil. Then planting projects in the city utilize it. This month, it reached Pass-a-Grille.