Yoga is a growth industry locally, with the opening of two new facilities nearby. In addition to Perfect Circle Yoga which offers “Hot Yoga” in a storefront between PJ’s and A Slice of New York on West Corey Ave., and longtime Paradise NEWS advertiser Jeanne Salvo who practices at of Pasadena. Classes are also held at the Longhouse and on the beach in Gulfport, Sundays at noon at the Dali, and several other locations downtown. More information can be found at the end of our Arts & Leisure Listings, generally on page 57.
Many young people are facing some kind of adversity. Whether they are living below the poverty level, coming from a single parent family or have a military parent who is deployed. One-on-one mentoring has the potential to make a huge difference in our Little Brothers or Little Sisters lives and can promote an everlasting transformation. Volunteers come from all walks of life, but they all have one main thing in common: the desire to make a difference in the life of a child.Some prefer to volunteer just an hour a week; for others, time on the weekend may work better with their schedule. Shaundra McCants, the Director of Partnerships for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay is looking to cultivate mentorship programs by increasing relationships with potential community partners. Email: ShaundraM@bbbstampabay.org Visit: www.bbbstampabay.orgBig Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay 918 West Bay Dr. Largo, FL 33770 Direct: 727-518-8860 ext. 234 Cell: 727-277-1332 Fax: 727-584-8953.
Gulfport Tidbits
Gulfport Area Chamber of Comm. Pink Flamingo Tour of Homes broke all prior records by doubling last year’s attendance. Chairperson Karen Love & her committee, Edie Farst, Kim Morrissey, Bob Newcomb, Gerry O’Reagan, Margo Scannell, and April Thanos and board Liaison Joe Soska showed great dedication to this event. The Gabber and Paradise News for promoted the event and the Beach Bazaar sold nearly 700 tickets. The chamber’s 21st Annual Springfest Garden Art & Faerie Festival is planned forSat., April 11, 10 am – 8 pm, & Sun., April 12 10 am – 5 pm. The Gulfport will be transformed into an “enchanted village” inhabited by costumed faeries, sprites, gnomes, ogres and trolls. Renaissance-era characters, gypsies, minstrels, wizards and roving entertainers in costume will also stroll through the event. All visitors are encouraged to join in the spirit of Springfest by donning wings, faerie-tale finery, Renaissance flair or any imagination-inspired attire. Event free, family & dog friendly, & open to public. Activities & entertainment.
A few weeks later the Gulfport Area Chamber of Commerce welcomes Local Shops1 Top Local Chef to the Historic Gulfport Casino & Ballroom Sunday, April 26 – 5-7 pm. Top Local Chef brings together some of the area’s top restaurateurs and private chefs, with a silent auction sponsored by the Gulfport Area Chamber of Commerce.
Madeira Beach Tidbits
In March, David James Waschko was made a Master Mason in the Gulf Beach Masonic Lodge, Madeira Beach. Sixty-six Masons from as far away as Canada and Scotland attended this gala event. The ceremony was led by Past Master John Anthony assisted by the officers of the Lodge. Gulf Beach Lodge No. 291 F&AM welcomes Brother Waschko as their newest Master Mason and looks forward to many years of dedicated service. Interested in more information about Freemasonry? Visit www.gulfbeachlodge.org or email the secretary secretary@gulfbeachlodge.org.
South Pasadena Tidbits
George Lewis, President of Leverock’s Seafood House was presented the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch’s “Gold Star Award” by President, Bill Frye & Pinellas County Sheriff, Bob Gualtieri. Leverock’s founder Johnny Leverock had hosted a Fish Fry at the original location in Pinellas Park. When Leverock’s opened their Pasadena Ave. location eight years ago, the annual event was restarted there. Sheriffs and Politicians from all over the Tampa Bay Area and beyond attend the event which typically serves 750-850 meals in an old fashioned outdoor tent seating. The Annual Fish Fry has raised more than $100,000 for the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch since its inception.
St. Pete Beach Tidbits
St. Pete Mad Dogs kicked Triathlon season into full gear in early March as they re-started their Famous Weds Night Swim/Run/Social on beautiful Pass-A-Grille Beach. The Mad Dogs’ swim every Wednesday through the summer. They walk up the beach at6 PM sharp from Hurley Park North to The Don Caesar! They do a run afterwards, then socialize and enjoy the sunset! To join in the fun, bring your favorite beverages and food/snack for afterwards! Grills are available too. Meet at the Hurley Park Shelter at Pass-A-Grille Beach at 1600 Gulf Way, St. Pete Beach 33706. Visit http://stpetemaddogs.org or call 727.582.1910.
Operation Medicine Cabinet, Saturday, May 16, 10 am – 1 pm at St. Pete Beach Recreation Center. Drop off your expired or unused medications. If possible, please safely remove medications from bottles and place in zip lock bags. Liquids should remain in their original containers and the caps secured with tape. Remember to remove labels from the bottles and destroy them. This is the best way to dispose of your unwanted medications. The Pinellas Sheriff’s office is a dedicated partner in the effort to stop the illegal prescribing, sale and abuse of pre-scription drugs. This program is for the general public, and not for commercial use such as doctors’ offices. Any prescription drug or medicine used for people or pets, including pills, liquids, inhalers, patches and Epi-Pens are accepted. Syringes and medical equipment are not accepted.
Thrift Shop of Pass-A-Grill Beach Community Church continues to serve the community by providing quality used and new merchandise donated by church and community members. New merchandise, priced to sell, is available daily and includes women’s and men’s clothing, linens, china, glass and dish-ware, household items, knick-knacks, books and games. All proceeds support local charities such as Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army, AmiKids Pinellas and church missions. The shop is located on the corner of 17th Ave. and Pass-A-Grill Way, St. Pete Beach and is open every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, 9 am to noon. Shop now for the best goods before they close for the summer.
St. Petersburg Nights near Upham Beach entertained a full house of guests Thursday, March 26th when they held their final Burlesque performance in St. Pete Beach. It was run for ten years by one of the first Jewish families to emigrate from Russia when Ronald Regan was president. Ilona Sakovich, along with her mother, Fiona and her father, George provided a cultural experience available nowhere else in Tampa Bay. Business had been steadily improving of late and the family was looking forward to taking their first paychecks in April. Now they are planning to take their burlesque show on the road, while they negotiate to reopen in another location, likely in downtown St. Petersburg. The landlord decided not to renew their lease when investors, including Rory Hardin, owner of the Salty Rim offered the landlord substantially higher rent for the rather unique facility. Their Facebook page says they plan a bar called “Greenbacks” in that location.We will miss the Eastern European experience and the monthly belly dance shows by students and instructors from Hip Expressions Dance Studio.
Madeleina Cottage on Corey Ave. is also closing, but the family that operated it is opening another location, just south of Dolphin Village as the ‘Sea Turtle’. While very successful in England, the Cottage never reached its full potential in downtown St. Pete Beach. British food and attitude along with a lack of advertising might have contributed to that. They did an elaborate build out of leasehold improvements over 18 months at “the Cottage” before opening late in 2007, and are reportedly taking much of the interior decor to their new location. Just two blocks west, A Slice of New York has opened where the“The German Baker” once stood at 595 Corey Ave. in the same center as the iconic PJ’s Oyster bar in St. Pete Beach. Open daily from 11 AM until 4 AM, the new pizzeria appears to be making a name for themselves in terms of food quality and service. Vito & Michaels has been highly successful for over 20 years as strictly an eat in and carryout operation with the same schedule. The new competitor is also offering delivery until 4 AM. Craig Munroe hired some familiar faces from his time managing the Salty Rim, a couple years ago. With the comments being seen already on Yelp and elsewhere, people seem to rave about the food. Call 727-201-9900 to get yours.
Verducci’s Italian Market will open “soon” says co-owner Vinni Fortunato. “It made no sense to rush to get open for the tail of the season, get slammed and maybe start with poor reviews for service,” says Vinni. “We are here for the long run. We decided to wait to open in a slower time, so we could get everything perfect, our staff fully trained and be ready for the big crowd when season comes around next winter.”
Crowder Brothers True Value Hardware is getting rave reviews since its opening before Christmas. The store is still evolving, but readying for its “official grand opening” on Saturday, April 11th. Special values, give-aways & demonstrations are planned, along with a local product debut for an organic potting soil called Naturali Pro Florida. A presentation about “Using Food as Medicine” is planned at 1:30 and 3:30 PM.
The church behind the post office on Corey Avenue is for sale at $975,000 which appears to be a good deal. It occupies an entire ½ block in downtown St. Pete Beach. The new comp. plan allows 20 units to be built on the parcel, up to three stories over ground floor retail. Tom Rodgers, owner of Décor Studio 1, which is across the street from the site is seeking an investor for the project. An experienced developer, Rodgers said “I already have a design in my head. To be able to put 20 units on that site with a land cost around $50,000 per unit seems to be a no-brainer for an investor that is currently earning little on their capital. If the post office were to relocate and you could get the whole prime block, that would really be a home run.”
Local website host Digital Eel is hiring more computer programmers for their website management business. “Google just did us a huge favor,” explained marketing manager Steve Schwab. “They are beginning on April 21 to penalize websites that are not ‘mobile-friendly’. Sites that are not designed to adjust their format for mobile devices rather than full size screens will lose much of the traffic that Google now sends them. Our staff is working overtime to help the most affected website operators.
St. Petersburg Tidbits
Visit St. Pete/Clearwater reports that while Double-Digit Bed Tax Gains Continue With January Up More Than 23%, the Falling Value of the Euro raised concerns for next season at a Trade show in Berlin. Spending is down amongst Canadian visitors whose dollar has slumped 25% against ours. The Euro is at a 12-year low of $1.05, down from $1.40. The Brazilian Real has also lost 25% of its value in the past 12 months. This currency weakness amongst our largest trading partners will inevitably affect our tourism volume and spending. The tourism promotional group hosted the largest Latin American Familiarization (FAM) tour ever, in conjunction with last month’s Firestone Grand Prix in St. Petersburg. Grand Prix has gained popularity across many Latin America markets.
St. PetersBARK Natural Pet Market, St Petersburg’s only all-natural pet store is hosting a grand opening celebration Sat., April 11, 10 am – 6 pm. Owner Krista Schmidt is passionate about pet health. “Our expert staff is trained to recommend the best choices for your pet, and our philosophy is to nurture your loved one for the highest quality of life.”St. PetersBARK is at 2435 Dr. MLK Jr. St N. St. Petersburg.
St. Pete. Preservation’s popular ‘Movies in the Park’ returns each Thursday evening in May. Mark your calendar for what is known as the best “small” event on the Waterfront! The Movies in the Park “Announcement” Party on April 8th at Ale & Witch. Visit www.stpetepreservation.org or call 727.824.7802.
Tampa Bay Watch Tidbits
Volunteers Needed
TampaBayWatch volunteers built an oyster shell bar to restore the shoreline of MacDill AFB on April 1& 2. More help is still needed to build an oyster shell bar to restore the shoreline of McKay Bay on Thursday, April 9 from 9:45am – 12:45am, Friday, April 10 from 9am – noon and Saturday, April 11 from 9am – noon. The minimum age to participate is 15 years old.The meeting location is Desoto Park,2617 Corrine St.,Tampa, 33605.
Oyster shell projects involve shoveling fossilized shell into mesh bags, transporting the bags to the project site and placing oyster shell bags on the shoreline to create a series of oyster bars. It is pretty physical labor with oyster shell bags weighing around 30 pounds each.The goal is to restore lost habitat systems to the bay, prevent further erosion of the shoreline and improve water quality through natural biological filtration.3000 Pinellas Bayway S, Tierra Verde, FL 33715 (727) 867-8166 • www.tampabaywatch.org.
Baynard Charitable Trust
Awards Grant to Estuary EDventures THANK YOU to the Robert S. & Mildred M. Baynard Charitable Trust for awarding a$5,000 grant to support our Estuary EDventures program for the third year in a row! These funds will help Tampa Bay Watch give young people a unique, hands-on educational experience through school field trips to foster a spirit of environmental stewardship amongst them!
Seahorse
Tampa BayWatch Education staff came across this pregnant male dwarf seahorse last week!They have complex social behaviors, usually mating for life. Male seahorses carry the babies and give live birth. Adults only grow to about an inch tall. Sadly, seagrass habitat has been damaged from pollution, boats and changing ocean conditions causing the populations of these little seahorses to decline. Source: www.biologicaldiversity.org.
Summer Camp at Tampa Bay Watch
Does your child have an interest in marine science? Do they love going to the beach and finding animals?
If so, this is their chance to learn more about it! Send them to Tampa Bay Watch this summer for some fun in the sun with our marine ecology summer camps where they will learn about amazing Tampa Bay and its inhabitants!
Tampa Bay Watch registration now for the eighth season of marine ecology summer camps. This camp targets children ages 6-14 years old in Pinellas, Hillsborough and Manatee Counties. Tampa Bay Watch offers four weeks of Sea Monkey camp (ages 6-8) and five weeks of full-time Tampa Bay Discovery Camp for ages 9-14. Some of the activities for campers include kayaking, snorkeling as well as sea oats plantings, oyster bar creation and salt marsh recycling.
Tampa Bay Watch established a marine education center in 2006 featuring outdoor wet labs, classrooms, specimen tanks and aquariums, all of which are utilized for education about Tampa Bay and restoring its marine habitats for school field trips by bay area schools, summer camps and community groups. Education programs build environmental literacy and encourage stewardship while educating students about estuarine science and habitat restoration through a mix of classroom curriculum and field experience. The goal of the program is to develop the student’s commitment to their local environment by increasing their understanding of the functioning of the Tampa Bay estuary, its importance in their daily life, its role in their future, human impact on it and opportunities to participate in its restoration. Tampa Bay Watch is set in an ideal location on Cunningham Key, near the Shell Key Preserve, which provides students with exciting, hands-on opportunities to learn about marine science and restoration projects. The property boasts rich mangrove forests, grass flats and shallow waters teeming with marine life.
The Marine Center features indoor classrooms, outdoor wet labs and two 5,000 gallon touch tanks. The Tampa Bay Watch education program is sponsored by Southwest Florida Water Management District. Tampa Bay Watch is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) stewardship program. For more information on upcoming events, becoming a volunteer or member, visit www.tampabaywatch.org or call 727-867-8166.
Tierra Verde Tidbits
Tampa Bay Watch installed an oyster shell bar on the shoreline of McKay Bay March 12 with the assistance of 30 – 40 Mosaic employees. The Mosaic Company Foundation recently renewed their sponsorship of Tampa Bay Watch with a $225,000 grant to support Tampa Bay Watch’s Community-Based Oyster Habitat initiatives over the next three years.
Freedom Boat Club is open and operating at the Tierra Verde Marina. Offering a variety of boats for use by its members in over 40 locations, membership has become a less expensive alternative to boat ownership. A one-time initiation cost of $2,500 is way under the cost of a boat lift, let alone a boat or a dock, and a $250 monthly fee for everything but fuel is less than it costs to store a boat in a marina.
YOLO TIERRA VERDE ceased publication & shuttered its website in January. Publisher Lisa Wright said she had been ‘unexpectedly overwhelmed’ trying to evolve the local magazine she bought from RJ Siviur 18 months before. RJ Siviur meanwhile was presented an American flag at the Veterans of South Pinellas “Salute to the Military” in Pass-a-Grille for his service as a meteorologist during World War II. The 92-year-old is close to releasing a self-help book he has been working on for years now. “How to Live To Be 100, By A 92 Year-old Who Will” will be marketed through Amazon.
Treasure Island Tidbits
Members of the Kiwanis Gulf Beaches are trying to help make a better life for needy children. Kiwanis, a global organization that has been in existence for 100 years, serves over 86 countries, helping children around the world to have many opportunities that they normally wouldn’t have. Members of the 501c3 charity pay a small yearly dues for operation of the club, so 100% of funds they raise go to charity. The Kiwanis do a lot of projects for the community.Projects include: TheMiracleLeague (for handicap children)RonaldMcDonald House, Locks of Love (making wigs from people’s donated hair), Alex’s Lemonade Stand (For Pediatric Cancer), Every Child a Swimmer (Free for children 5 to 8 years old at St. Pete Beach Aquatic Center).Money making projects like the Trever Mill’s 5K Run which will be held on April 4, 2015 at ParadiseIsland, Treasure Island.They have done the Mardi Gras, been in parades, Casino Night and many others. Service clubs are having trouble everywhere getting people to be a part of helping others. It takes people to make the commitment to make an organization work. There are children in need of help with less people helping. It’s about them. Learn more www.kiwanisgulfbeaches.comMeetings: Mondays 6:30-8pm 690 Gulf Blvd, St. Pete Beach.