SAINT PETE BEACH
St Pete Beach seeks new city manager – St Pete Beach City commissioners have chosen the same executive search firm that brought them City Manager Wayne Saunders, 69, previously city manager of Clermont, who replaced former city manager Mike Bonfield; Saunders was given a year-to-year contract to manage St. Pete Beach in October 2014.
In July, 2018, commissioners extended Saunders’ contract with an 8% increase to $164,430. His contract requires he notify the city 120 days before he wants to leave office. Mayor Al Johnson said in a phone interview Oct. 10 it was during the last round of budget hearings that commissioners first got wind that Saunders, planned to retire. Johnson said the city manager’s contract required 120 days notice, but he gave the city 180 days, and is willing to stay on a little longer as a consultant should the city need him.
Lightning “Away” Game Watch Parties on Beach at Guy Harvey Resort and at RumFish Grill
- Sat., Dec. 1–7–vs. FL Panthers
- Sat., Jan. 12-7pm–vs. Buffalo Sabres
- Fri., Feb. 1–7pm –vs. N Y Islanders
- Sat., Feb. 2–7pm –vs. N Y Rangers
- Sun., Feb. 10–6pm –vs. FL Panthers
Parties begin a half hour prior to start of game.
TradeWinds Island Resorts is inviting hockey fans to head out to St. Pete Beach for fun-filled, family-friendly Tampa Bay Lightning game watching parties all season long. The action takes place at Guy Harvey Outpost, a TradeWinds Beach Resort.
The games will be broadcast on a huge screen directly on the beach and ThunderBug and the Lightning Girls will be on-hand with fun giveaways. There will also be a DJ and beach games for the whole family. Food and beverages including cookout items and drink specials will be available for purchase. Fans are encouraged to bring their own beach chairs, umbrellas and towels, but coolers are not allowed. 6000 Gulf Blvd , St. Pete Beach. Admission is complimentary.
For watch parties on the beach, $10 parking will be available at the Guy Harvey Outpost and at the neighboring Island Grand (while available – discounted from normal $20) Parking is free for all RumFish Grill patrons. www.JustLetGo.com/Lightning Or call (727) 367-6461.
Volunteers are being recruited for the St. Pete Beach Classic Race Weekend.
Volunteering is a great way to see behind the scenes and take part in your community. There are many important volunteer positions available.
We need your help to make this event spectacular and help the runners reach their goal. There are spots for everyone, including teams & groups, friends & family.
Runners, if you have family or friends that want to participate, cheer you on, get behind-the-scenes access… volunteering is a great way for them to join in!
For volunteer opportunities on: Thursday, January 10, 2019; Friday January 18, 2019; Saturday, January 19, 2019; Sunday, January 20, 2019
For all the positions available, www.stpetebeachclassic.com Hit the volunteer tab to register. Race Distances: Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, 3.8 Mile.The St. Pete Beach Classic, 2019 is January 19-20, 2019.
Pass-a-Grille Road Construction Report by Jay Anderson from mtg. 10-18-2018
Progress – 62.8% done. Finish date – late June, 2019 (27 days are for change orders, weather etc.)Duke Energy is keeping up.
Nov 5 -12 they will mobilize to finish all street hookups and power to houses from 12th to 19th (This is for those houses who receive their power from poles on PAG Way) They hope to finish by sometime in January. (Not street lights which are last to go in)The electric apparatus at 3rd for storm water pump is temporary; it will be underground eventually. New reclaim and potable water from 19th to 1st should all be turned on north to south starting around November 1st.
The contractor mobilized in early November to begin work between the north side of 8th and the south side of 10th.hence new traffic pattern (let’s see if I can get this right) 10th Ave remains open going west bound…11th will be open too 9th remains open going east bound until the 2nd alley that goes behind Seahorse so traffic will use alley to 8th …..8th remains open both ways; traffic will be able to use 7th and Pass-A-Grille Way from 8th to 7th.
This is a work in progress and will be monitored and even changed if needed. But it won’t be fun…..no timetable but getting it done by tourist season would be nice. The street lights from 12th south will be turned off….. not back on until end of project. Finish date looks like late June. There is a plan over 2 – 3 years to pave all Avenues from 19th south, but they will start with 7th to 12th… also all alleys will get shell upgrade.
A Silent Auction by The Friends of the St. Pete Beach Library will offer 15 baskets of selected books during the five-week bidding period (Nov. 12 – December 14). For those patrons who can’t wait to claim their winning highest bid, various BUY IT NOW baskets will also be presented. There’s a Chanukah Basket and an Art Basket.
Basket themes of new and pristine books will be: A Christmas Basket, The Civil War, Baseball, Florida Cooking, WWII Europe, Wine, Art, Authors of Florida (First Editions), A Dogs Basket, International Cooking, Women in War, Florida Authors Signed Books, WWII Pacific, Paris and Asian Cooking. These themed baskets make great holiday gifts or presents for any occasion and the money raised is used by the St Pete Beach Library for the many special programs offered throughout the year for all patrons.
The Friends 50th Anniversary was celebrated October 27. In 1968 a small group organized the Friends and raised over $25,000 to buy the first Library building that opened in June 1969.
There are a number of changes in the local restaurant scene. Some were previously reported but are repeated here for our arriving seasonal residents and short terrm visitors.
Beth Morean closed the “Roost” and plans to reopen the concept (Pressure fried chicken with homemade sides) in the Edge district at the Morean Center for Clay.
The Oyster Shucker has officially closed.
Silas Dents Steakhouse is gone too, acquired by the Caddy’s group with plans to make it ‘Caddy’s by the Bay’. They hope to put a 3-story building there with boat docks in the back, if they are allowed. Odds are the prohibition on adding toilets in the city until the sewer is fixed and the proximity of condos to the back of the restaurant makes those plans a challenge.
Shrimpy’s Cajun Bistro is renovating the old Salty Rim and relocating there very soon. Tony at Nikko’s Dog Barrrrr can’t wait. He misses the overflow and staff from the Salty Rim since it closed. He says he had a pretty good year going until shortly after Labor Day, when business fell apart. Nikko’s is a fun place for a libation, featuring your choice of indoors or out, including a waterfront sunset deck. You don’t have to have a dog!
Skidders spent 30 days on a complete remodel and reopened looking like new in late October. Sadly it’s upscale sister, Selene, looks like she is gone permanently and not expected to reopen.
Verducci moved back into the larger facility just north of their prior location on Blind Pass Road, where they had previously tried to make an Italian Market work. It is now all-restaurant with a nice room in the back for private parties, a terrific air conditioner in the kitchen and the dining room, and a Prosecco Bar with six different Prosecco cocktails offered, in addition to a great wine list. Johnny is running that store while his partner in Verducci’s, Vinny Fortunato is about to open his newest place at the corner of Pasadena Shopping Center closest to Pasadena Liquors.
Sand Dunes Beach Services (SDBS) is renting Cabanas, umbrellas and lounge chairs at Pass-a-Grille Beach & Upham Beach, from 9 am – 6 pm, weather permitting.
CEO Ted McNamara said the company had also won a five-year contract renewal for the Pinellas County St. Beach Access Park, and new contracts for the Miramar Resort, Mariner Beach Club Resort, and the Plaza Beach Resort, all in SPB.
Mayor Al Johnson said, “The City decided to contract for beach cabana services directly rather than through the Upham and Pass-a-Grille snack bars. SDBS, a local company with local resident employees gave the best of 3 great proposals.”
SOUTH PASADENA
Regions Bank recently closed their branches in St. Pete Beach and South Pasadena, and opened a new high tech location on the east side of Pasadena Ave. South, across from Palms of Pasadena Hospital. The ATM’s, both walk-up and drive-through are equipped with ‘video tellers’ capable of doing anything a live teller can.
- Nitally’s a Thai/Mexican fusion restaurant opened for business in the PasadenaShopping Center. The restaurant is located next to Quest Diagnostics.
- Fortunato’s Italian Eatery will be opening very soon in the Pasadena Shopping Center as well. This new restaurant will feature indoor and outdoor seating and will be located directly behind the Pet Supermarket.
- Keke’s Breakfast Cafe has submitted documentation for their building permit. Keke’s will be located in the Pasadena Shopping Center near the Bealls Outlet. You can find more information at www.kekes.com
- The relocation of Pasadena Jewelers from their current location to make room for the new AutoZone Parts store has been approved by the Fire Department. Pasadena Jewelers will be moving one unit over towards Bealls.
GULFPORT
GEMS Senior trips in November are open to you whether a GEMS member or not. Nov 15th – Congo River Golf & Perkins. Enjoy lunch at Perkins with a menu full of fall favorites. Next we will head over to Congo River Golf where you will discover a world of excitement. With 18 holes of miniature golf and the opportunity to feed live gators, you will see why this place is #1 in Florida. $18 for GEMS Members / $20 for Non-GEMS Members. Price includes: Round-trip transportation, parking, & 1-round of golf. Meal paid for separately.
Nov 27th – Out-to-Lunch Bunch: Smokey Bones & Robert’s Christmas Wonderland. Grab a bite to eat at Smokey Bones where good food and good service is a priority. Then start your holiday shopping at one of the largest & most beautiful Christmas & Collectibles Stores in America, Robert’s Christmas Wonderland. Explore the magical holiday forest, home to 200 Christmas trees. $6 for GEMS Members / $8 for Non-GEMS Members. Price includes: Round-trip transportation & parking. Meal paid for separately.
Nov 29th – Holiday Light Tour: The Florida Botanical Gardens. Get into the holiday spirit with a special evening trip to the see the holiday light spectacular at the Florida Botanical Gardens. “Delight in the shimmering lights, holiday entertainment, beautiful flora, and warmth of the season.” $8 for GEMS Members / $10 for Non-GEMS Members. Price includes: Round-trip transportation, parking, & suggested admission donation.
ST PETERSBURG
Eloyne & Bradley at Grand Central Stained Glass are reimagining their instructional service to focus on specific beginner to more advanced techniques and projects. They no longer offer Glass Classes and Studio Time. Those with unused, prepaid class credits, can call (727) 328-2428 to arrange for an exchange for merchandise, firing fees, or refund. They will maintain a glass supply inventory into the foreseeable future, however their retail inventory will be somewhat narrower.
School of Rock, 2401 Central Ave., opening in January 2019, is an after-school, performance-based, music education program where kids, teens and adults alike, take their passion for music to the stage. For more info call 727-871-ROCK (7625) or visit stpetersburg.schoolofrock.com
So You Think You Can Dance Live! – Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018
Toes will be tapping at The Duke Energy Center for the Arts – Mahaffey Theater when the touring company of the hit TV competition show comes to downtown St. Pete. With 15 Emmy® wins, So You Think You Can Dance will feature the show’s Top 10 Finalists and All Star guests. Get your TIX now: The Mahaffey.com (727) 300-2000
Give The Gift of Performance! Bring the family and friends for an unforgettable experience at The Duke Energy Center for the Arts – The Mahaffey Theater this holiday season. DRUMLine Live Christmas, Family Blessing, 98ROCK Not So Silent Night, Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker, Cirque Dreams Holidaze and more. (727)300-2000 TheMahaffey.com
TIERRA VERDE & ISLA DEL SOL
There is a new Third Sunday Morning Market coming to “Downtown Tierra Verde” on Sunday November 18th, from 8am – 1pm and each Third Sunday thereafter. Organized by Hunter Grose, in front of his office just west of the TD Bank and the Island Chapel, Grose hopes the market will become popular among islanders and folks heading to Fort DeSoto. Here is a facebook link: www.facebook.com/tvsundaymorningmarket
Owners Dean Okrasinski & Chris Lanardo are planning to open early to mid-December after a complete gutting and remodeling at Boardwalk in Isla Del Sol Shopper’s Village. Reopening as The Deck, they’ll serve seafood, ribs, wings, chops and burgers in a relaxed atmosphere with nightly entertainment and dancing.
TREASURE ISLAND
Funds are being raised for a John Marroni Memorial dog park at Roselli Park by the Isle of Capri Civic Association. They need $30,000 for improvements including ‘your’ and ‘theirs’ water fountains and lots more. They say commissioners agree to maintain the park. To raise funds they are selling personalized pavers for the entryway to the park. You have up to 75 characters on 5 lines for your message for $150. Make check payable to City of Treasure Island – Dog Park Mail or deliver to: Dominique Reiter, 153 Sun Isle Circle, Treasure Island, FL 33706
Questions? Call 727-644-3343 or email dreiter1@tampabay.rr.com
MiddleGrounds Grill and Gulf Beaches Rotary is having its 5th Robbies Pancake Breakfast on Sunday Dec. 9, 8 am – noon at the Treasure Island Community Center. Bring new toys or clothes for our needy children in foster care. Fill the huge Red Sled.
Sloppy Joe’s on the Beach has appointed Anthony Turman as Food and Beverage Manager, overseeing operations at The Bilmar Café and group catering events at the adjacent hotel, as well as Sloppy Joe’s.
PINELLAS COUNTY
St.Pete-Clearwater International Airport’s boardings climbed to record-breaking numbers for September. The airport saw 121,192 passengers, which is a 21 percent increase year over year. Year to date, it grew by 13 percent, according to the airport’s monthly passenger report. The airport has experienced 1.7 million passengers thus far, but is expecting to see more as passenger levels are projected to increase to 2.1 million by fiscal year 2022. There are currently 59 non-stop destinations at PIE, of which Allegiant operates 55.
TAMPA BAY
Cross Bay Ferry has re-launched its service connecting St. Petersburg and Tampa, using a portion of a Port Tampa Bay berth that The Florida Aquarium currently uses to moor its vessel, the Bay Spirit II, as well as where the SS American Victory ship is docked. It will connect into the Vinoy Marina in St. Pete.
The Cross Bay Ferry service will run until April 2019. One way tickets are $8 for adults, $3 for children and offer discounts for seniors, active and retired military & college students. The Cross Bay Ferry pilot project is a partnership between Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, St. Petersburg, Tampa and the DOT. When the ferry first launched in 2016, over 40,000 passengers rode it.
Tampa International Airport earned a top spot as one of the best U.S. airports by Condé Nast Traveler’s readers. In Condé Nast Traveler’s 2018 Readers’ Choice Awards survey, Tampa International Airport ranked No. 5.
Here were the top 4 airports:
- Indianapolis International (IND)
- Portland International (PDX)
- Bradley International (BDL)
- Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP)
The rankings were based on food and beverage choices, retailers, Wi-Fi access, fitness options and ease of connection.