October and November are great months to be in Florida. Evening weather is pleasant for movies and concerts in parks like the Clearwater Jazz Festival, now at the Sound, the SPB Fall concert series and downtown St. Pete’s Movies in the Park. Our cover story this month is a salute to the non-profit organizations that work to keep our Gulf and Bay waters clean and protecting marine life. At the top of the list is Tampa Baywatch, celebrating their 30th anniversary this fall. Congratulations Peter Clark.
Most of us dodged another bullet as September began, when Hurricane Idalia raced past early predictions of a Tampa Bay landfall, hitting instead 200 miles north of us leaving a 100-year-old oak tree leaning against the governor’s mansion in Tallahassee. Some of our neighbors had Gulf water in their pools, their garages and their homes, and many lost parts of their landscape as the surge behind the storm breached 50-year-old seawalls and made streets impassable for hours. FEMA cleanup is underway. There are full instructions on most city websites.
SBA disaster loans are available to repair damaged businesses, homes, vehicles www.disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela/s. The FEMA pre-registration hotline number is 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). A FEMA office has opened at The Enoch Davis Center, 1111 18th Ave. S, St. Petersburg, open seven days a week, 9am-7pm. Pinellas small business owners in need of assistance are encouraged to visit www.FloridaJobs.org/EBL before Oct. 25th, to apply for the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program.
In mid-August, southern California got drenched by a hurricane for the first time in a century. It is obvious global warming is affecting our weather already, making life less predictable. We still have 60 days of storm season ahead. The Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and Atlantic Ocean are hotter than usual, so the potential for powerful storms still exists. Keep your plan in place.
The Alligator and Wildlife Discovery Center was devastated by fire this summer. Much more than a “zoo,” Sonny Flynn had built a home for rescued exotic creatures and she and her staff adopted them. While the John’s Pass facility is being repaired, they have opened temporarily at 14805 Gulf Blvd, Madeira Beach. They continue to seek donations to rebuild at John’s Pass and build on their new farm property in Seminole. Visit www.alligatorwildlife.com.
Special thanks to Executive Editor Nanette Wiser and the rest of our talented team who put this issue together with a minimum of our involvement, allowing us to thoroughly enjoy our 53rd honeymoon this summer. For weekly updates, subscribe for FREE to our weekly digital newsletter. Sign up on our website www.paradisenewsfl.com. We will send it to your inbox on Thursdays with our top choices for the weekend. If you do not get Paradise NEWS in the mail, you can subscribe to 10 issues for just $19.95. Thanks for reading and letting us know how much you love Paradise NEWS. If you want info about advertising, please call 727-363-6888 or email sales@paradisenewsfl.com.