TIDBITS By Peter Roos
ST. PETE BEACH
Chris Graus won the District 1 Commissioners race with 413 votes over incumbent Terri Finnerty who received 332 votes. Chris is a Remax Realtor. Finnerty, who is in education, had served two terms following her husband’s term as mayor. Mayor Al Johnson and District 3 Commissioner Ward Friszolowski werere-elected unopposed.
CABA, the Corey Area Business Association, is electing a new board this month. The group and event promoter Paragon ended a two-year relationship in March. It was concluded that while the events brought crowds to Corey, the amount the weekend events paid the group did not cover the costs to their businesses and did not belong on Corey Ave.
TREASURE ISLAND
Maribeth L Wetzel won the District 4 Commissioner seat with 291 votes (61%) over Richard Harris.
Looking to complete in Spring 2020 is the Isle of Capri Water Booster Station Improvements Project. The nearly 40-year-old station will be renovated and upgraded to improve water service reliability, improve water pressure, improve operations and improve fire protection for Pinellas County water customers in Treasure Island and nearby communities. Pumping capacity will be increased to meet projected future demands and critical electrical equipment will be raised above a 17-foot storm surge level. Other improvements include new pumps, motors, valves, piping and electrical components to replace aging equipment and infrastructure. The project will also upgrade the facility’s appearance. The river rock on portions of the building’s exterior will be covered with stucco and painted, matching the existing wall color.
MADEIRA BEACH
John B. Hendricks is the City’s new mayor with 816 votes over Gary L. Hughes’ 570 votes. Mayor Maggi Black had decided one term leading Madeira Beach was enough for her.
Crystal Island in the City of Madeira Beach is home to more than 240 residences. The entire island is at or near sea level in elevation and prone to street flooding. In 2019, with streets nearing or beyond their expected lifespan and drainage systems suffering from years of sediment and biologic buildup, city officials decided to come up with a plan to address the problem. The vision outlined by city officials included fixing the streets on Crystal Island and other streets in the city which were deemed a priority. The Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to move forward with the project and directed staff to put together a Request for Proposal (RFP).
While the RFP was being developed, Pinellas County reached out to the city and asked to join the project to upgrade utilities such as fire hydrants, water services and replace the sanitary sewer force main on Crystal Island at the same time. The county estimated their portion would cost about $2 million. The city’s engineer estimated the street and drainage portion of the project would cost about $7.5 million. That brought the total estimated cost of the project to $9.5 million. Planned for March-April 1 is watermain installation and Stormwater system on Lillian Dr. and demo driveways/remove trees on John’s Pass Ave. and watermain installation in specified areas – stay tuned.
GULFPORT
April Thanos becomes the City Council member from Ward 1 defeating three-term incumbent Dan Liedke. Thanos won almost 60% of votes cast. On the agenda for the March meeting : A Resolution authorizing the City Manager to award the bid and enter into a contract with Midcoast Construction Enterprises, LLC for the Williams Fishing Pier Rehabilitation and a Resolution authorizing the City Manager to enter into a contract with J & M Displays, Inc. for the 4th of July fireworks display.
ST. PETERSBURG
Kozuba & Sons, a St. Petersburg-based craft distillery at 1960 5th Ave. S., has halted production on its artisanal vodka to reallocate its resources to produce hand sanitizer for the community following World Health Organization hand sanitizer formulation recommendations. “Shifting our full production line to hand sanitizer will allow us to remove all barriers for the production, rather than limiting the volume of hand sanitizer made from the production waste of other spirits,” said owner Matthias Kozuba. “That way, we can ensure a steady supply of hand sanitizer as long as our community needs it.”
New businesses just opened downtown include Synergy Sports Medicine & Fitness Florida’s First Postural Restoration Center and Modern Optics, whose owner, Chuck Eubanks, says “life is too short for boring glasses.” We can’t agree more. Chad Nuss’s Inside Out is ramping up with 150 job openings. Check out the Downtown Concierge for more DTSP news, and our Dining Out Delivery article for how you can support local restaurants and pick up or get food delivered.
TIERRA VERDE
GULF BEACHES – ADOPT A MONOTUBE:
Tampa Bay Watch partners with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to recycle old fishing line, through a network of monofilament collection bins called “monotubes”. Monofilament or “mono”, is another term for the commonly used plastic fishing line. It has great fishing utility, but takes over 600 years to break down and can result in wildlife entanglement, accidental hookings, and ingestion. Let’s keep fishing line out of our waterways! Take action to protect our wildlife by adopting a monotube for at least a year.
Adoption involves checking your designated location once a month to empty its contents and clean/prep the collected line for recycling.
City of St. Petersburg:
Clam Bayou Nature Preserve (4099 34th Ave S) (2 tubes)
City of St. Pete Beach: (N to S)
- Ron McKenney Park (9300 Blind Pass Road) (2 tubes)
- Margaret Peg Creed Park (9000 Gulf Blvd) (1 tube)
- Mini Park (603 79th Ave) (1 tube)
- Stan Cidlowski Park (698 76th Ave) (1 tube)
- Colonel Michael J. Horan Park (7701 Boca Ciega Dr) (1 tube)
- Fisherman’s Park (intersection of Corey Ave & Sunset Way) (1 tube)
- Sunset Park (7200-7298 Sunset Way) (1 tube)
- 35th Ave/Pinellas Bayway Bridge (2 tubes)
Contact Melanie Grillone at mgrillone@tampabaywatch.org with the specific site(s) that you’d like to adopt
TPA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Tampa International Airport is the best airport in North America for its size, according to Airports Council International, a leading industry organization. The prestigious 2019 Airport Service Quality Award, which is based on thousands of passenger surveys throughout the year, is considered one of the industry’s highest accolades, with nearly 500 airports participating in 95 countries.
Late last year, The Wall Street Journal ranked Tampa International Airport #1 among medium-sized airports in the U.S. The ranking, in particular, recognized TPA’sworld-class convenience, recent renovations, reimagined concessions program and the overall cleanliness of the facility.
Tampa Airport has maintained top customer service marks while serving a growing number of guests and flights. For fiscal year 2019, TPA served a record 22.2 million guests.
A reminder that if you want to fly after October 2020, you must obtain a REAL ID driver’s license before then. Beginning October 1, 2020, every air traveler 18 years of age and older will need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license, state-issued enhanced driver’s license with a star at the top of the card. Check your state’s DMV for more information on how to apply and what papers you need to bring with you. FYI: tsa.gov/real-id
COVID-19 UPDATES
In addition to the digital thermometer data updating a predictive map of those with temperatures…and perhaps infected, the University of South Florida has created a coronavirus-tracking map that shows users both the cases and deaths that occur from the virus spreading across the world. The tool was created by USF Libraries and the GIS unit of the digital heritage and humanities collections. The map shows data reflecting real-time cases and deaths, broken down by counties. From there, it breaks down how many cases are residents versus non-residents, the average age, how many are men versus women, deaths and hospitalizations, and if they are travel related.
Tampa Bay Partnership is calling for one regional set of response policies to the COVID-19 crisis from Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco County governments. Department of Environmental Protection closed all Florida State Parks in an effort to uphold CDC guidance to maximize social distancing and avoid gatherings but at press time, city parks like Boca Ciega Millenium and McGough were still open. Also cancelled are elective surgeries and most banks have closed their lobbies, offering drive-thru and in some cases, by appointment bank visits at press time. Hair salons and barber shops, nail salons and other non-essential services are closed for now in an abundance of caution – a good thing.
Shelter in place in Pinellas County is the new norm as of noon March 26, dubbed “Safer At Home.” It means that all people should follow social distancing guidelines from the CDC (six feet of separation from others and no group gatherings larger than 10 people). In addition, everyone should stay at home as much as possible, limiting all non-essential activity outside the home. Keep in mind that it is possible to limit your outings, even when they are considered essential – for example, shopping once a week for groceries rather than going every few days.” FYI: mytreasureisland.org/news_detail_T13_R63.php
With many employees now working at home, cybersecurity is a key issue. The Official Cybercrime Report from Cybersecurity Ventures estimates cybercrime damage costs may double due to the Covid-19 outbreak, such as malicious emails, or phishing attempts. Change and strengthen passwords, add security software and be vigilant.
Health companies pivot and telehealth is on the rise, as are mental health resources online. Florida Blue has opened a hotline for concerts 24/7 for FREE to ALL FLORIDIANS at 833-848-1762 and bilingual behavioral health counselors are available.