Weekly Tidbits June 29, 2023

NEW TIDBITS:

• CLICK HERE to see last week’s tidbits.
• The June/July Issue is NOW online. Read it here.
• Set your sites on summer! Register now for City of Madeira Beach ‘s Sunset 5K on Friday, June 30, at 6:00 PM at Johns Pass Park. For just $30, you can register for this exciting race and experience the breathtaking beauty of the sunset along the sandy shores PLUS, each participant will receive a Sunset 5K Beach Towel! Register online now at https://runsignup.com/.
• The City of St. Pete Beach’s Independence Day Celebration begins on July 2nd, 2023 in Horan Park at 10AM until 3PM with Veteran’s of South Pinellas County’s “Salute to the Military”.  Features include a pancake breakfast, live music, a military enlistment ceremony and more! This event benefits Veteran’s of South Pinellas County programs which provide Veterans in need with mobility aids, small home repairs, emergency assistance, and veteran scholarship assistance grants. Learn more at https://www.paradisenewsfl.com/city-of-st-pete-beach-independence-day-celebration/.
• The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) is proud to unveil a new bus wrap that encapsulates Juneteenth. Self-taught artist and Illustrator, Sharard Saddlers or Sharard “X”, won the Juneteenth Bus Wrap Contest for his artwork called ‘A Path of Courage, Unity and Love”. Learn more at https://www.paradisenewsfl.com/psta-unveils-juneteenth-bus/.
• Congratulations to Little Satchmo on taking home the Best Historical Documentary EMMY at the The EMMY Awards – Southeast earlier this month! Read our latest update on Little Satchmo in our June/July Artists Spotlight at https://www.paradisenewsfl.com/june-2023-artists-spotlight/. Check out our 2021 arts profile on Little Satchmo at https://www.paradisenewsfl.com/arts-profile-little-satchmo/.
• The St. Petersburg Arts Alliance in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs is now accepting applications for the Individual Artist Grant Program. The program is designed to support public engagement of individual artists’ work/projects in genres such as Visual/Craft Arts, Dance, Music, Theater, Literature, and more. Learn more at https://www.paradisenewsfl.com/2023-spaa-grants/.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

• Coachman Park Grand Opening Celebration- June 28- July 4 INFO
• OZ: A New Musical- Now through July 9th TICKETS
• Madeira Beach Sunset 5K- June 30th REGISTER
• St. Pete Beach Independence Day Celebration- July 2nd INFO
• Madeira Beach Independence Day Fireworks- July 3rd INFO
• St. Pete Pier Run- July 4th REGISTER
• Madeira Beach Trash Pirates Cleanup- July 5th INFO
• Tampa Bay Ice Cream Festival- July 16th INFO

REMINDERS

• The June/July Issue is NOW online. Read it here. 
• Reach snowbirds, locals & tourists in 2023 with a print ad in Paradise News!  Email Peter Roos at sales@ParadiseNewsFL.com to place your ads in Paradise News in Print. 
• Pinellas County Sheriffs Offices wants you to please lock your car doors and stow valuables out of sight.
• CLICK HERE to signup for ALERT PINELLAS to get vital updates during hurricane season.
• Coyotes call Pinellas County home too! CLICK HERE for safety tips for you & your pets.
• Clothes To Kids inventory on shoes is extremely low.  Sadly, they are out of many sizes starting at children size 12 all the way up to adult size 13 girls, boys, juniors, and young men.  Clothes to Kids asks that go through your closets and donate gently used shoes or purchase a pair or two and donate to Clothes To Kids.  All children deserve to have shoes that fit them.  Learn more about Clothes to Kids & how you can donate at https://www.paradisenewsfl.com/ctk-needs-shoes/
• The City of Gulfport Senior Center’s Telephone Reassurance Program is a free service for Gulfport Residents 50 years of age or older. Volunteers provide daily phone calls to registered members and provide comfort, security, and peace of mind to members and families. Registration is simple and free. If you or someone you know could benefit from this service during this difficult time, please call (727) 893-2237 and register today.
• It is illegal in Pinellas County to fertilize lawns during the rainy season (June 1-September 30), and slow-release products are required the rest of the year. Fertilizers containing nitrogen and/or phosphorus cannot be applied to lawns or landscape plants, according to Pinellas County ordinance. Learn more at https://www.paradisenewsfl.com/skip-the-fertilizer/.
• Preserve the ‘Burg’s Twilights Tours return this summer! Reserve your spot for one of their upcoming tours now at https://ptb.wildapricot.org/.
• St. Pete Beach Launches Pedestrian Safety Campaign: S.A.F.E. Safety Awareness For Everyone.  Visitors to our beaches expect Gulf Boulevard to be a lazy beach road rather than a state thoroughfare. Four to five lanes of traffic moving at 35 miles/hour has meant injury and even death to more visitors than anyone likes to see. Learn more in our April Tidbits at https://www.paradisenewsfl.com/tidbits-april-2023/.
• Rainy season is fast approaching, and the City of St. Pete Beach is excited to announce they are launching their very own “Adopt-A-Drain” program. Through the NEW Adopt-A-Drain program, St. Pete Beach is partnering with residents to help make sure storm drains are free of debris. This improves the ability of the drain to move stormwater and protects our wildlife as well as overall water quality. Click here to learn more.
• Parking rules on the beaches have changed since last summer. The cost to park has increased and fines for parking infractions have tripled to as much as $90 for parking on side streets in Pass-a-Grille. Free rides to and around St. Pete Beach are FREE with the new SunRunner (Bus Rapid Transit) to St. Pete Beach and the FREEBEE app on your smart phone. Visit www.paradisenewsfl.com/beachparking for detailed info about rates and places to park from Fort Desoto Park north through Madeira Beach. Rumor has it that talks are in the works for a SunRunner link to John’s Pass as well.
• Rip currents provide visual cues for you to identify potential hazard zones before getting in the water. One of the best visual identifiers of a rip current is to look out for gaps between the waves. The calmer gap between waves may look safer for you to swim but a small patch of calm water in an otherwise choppy sea is often a rip current. One of these gaps is pictured below—the rip current is in between the two red arrows. Learn more about how to identify rip currents on local beaches & how to stay safe at paradisenewsfl.com/identifying-rip-currents-on-local-pinellas-beaches/.
• Sea turtle nesting season takes place from May 1-Oct. 31 on Southwest Florida beaches. See the tips below for how you can help keeping nesting seaturtles & hatchlings safe. See the dos & don’ts for when you are on the beach or in the water at https://www.paradisenewsfl.com/sea-turtle-dos-and-donts/.
• Join The Florida Orchestra as they bring the best of America and the world to Tampa Bay LIVE in our new 2023-24 season. Music Director Michael Francis is featuring Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue – celebrating 100 years! – Copland’s Appalachian Spring, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, Mahler’s epic Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection,” and many more. Full season and flexible series passes now available. Learn more at https://www.paradisenewsfl.com/tfo-season-pass-2023/.
• Reminder to our residents and visitors. No Dogs On The Beach! If you see something, say something. Contact Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Non-Emergency Line at 727-582-6200.
• Registration is now open for The Dali Museum’s Junior Docent summer art camp at The Dalí, with sessions in June and July. Click here to learn more.
• Clothes To Kids is clothing more families this year than in previous years. Families in our community are experiencing homelessness and unforeseen difficult situations. School aged children are in need of clothes and shoes. Learn more at www.paradisenewsfl.com/ctk-spring-2023/.
• Treasure Islettes Bingo every Thursday at 6:30PM at the Treasure Island Community Center. Come for an evening of great fun, food and friendly people – Jackpot $200 – $250! Free parking, free coffee and tea. Great snack bar. All proceeds go to charity and college scholarships.  Doors open at 6 PM.  Questions? Call 727-270-3178.
• Connect with the City of Gulfport through their app! CLICK HERE to learn more and download it.
• The City of St. Pete Beach is now using See Click Fix for residents to submit issues to the city. Click here to learn more.

August/Sept Issue