ST PETE BEACH
Come out and support the Pet Pal Shelter Fundraiser on Corey Avenue, Saturday, June 9th from 10-3. It is called “Beach Waggers Festival.” Corey area merchants are having raffles inside each store. There will be silent auctions, music by Lightning Jack, a Kids Zone & More. Adoptable dogs from Pet Pal Animal Shelter will be on site.
All donations benefit the shelter. Interested vendors should call Cheryl West at 727-363-8501. Pet Pal Shelter, formerly known as Pet Pal Rescue, was founded in the early 1980’s by two women who realized a high number of animals that were being euthanized due to pet overpopulation and neglect. Under the direction of Executive Director Scott Daly, Pet Pal has stayed true to their mission as they continue to educate the public about the importance of spaying and neutering pets and responsible pet ownership.
Cool off Fridays this summer with Dive-In Movies at the St. Pete Beach Aquatic Center. Bring your noodles, floats, and chairs to lounge by the pool while watching a movie on our big inflatable screen under the stars. Snacks, drinks, and Chick-fil-A will be available for purchase. Tickets ($5/person) go on sale at 7pm, gates open at 8pm. For info call (727) 363-9245 or visit www.spbrec.com
Summer Dive-In Movies
- June 15: Deep Under Pressure
- June 29: Nutty by Nature 2
- July 13: Coco
- July 27: Lego Batman
- Aug 10: Finding Dory
Powerboat P1 offshore powerboat race returns behind the PCI resort on St. Pete Beach on the weekend of June 15 – 16 from 10-3pm. This contest includes some of the finest racers of both personal watercraft and the big powerful offshore racers. Visit St. Pete/Clearwater is an active participant and promoter.
St. Pete Beach Robotics Camp teaches students to build and program fully autonomous robots using the EV3 Lego Mindstorm’s kit. The student-build robots will then compete in competitions such as Sumo-bot wrestling, Robo-parade and exhibitions. Robotics specialty camp at St. Pete Beach Recreation has 3 separate sessions: June 4 – 8, June 18 – 22 and July 9 – 13.
Change may soon come to the long-neglected Beach Theatre building on Corey Ave. Screenwriter Micheal France bought the theatre in 2007 “to save it” and operated it until 2012. Mike’s exwife and sister fought over it in court since Mike’s surprise passing in April 2013 at age 51.
The lawsuit has finally settled, and the theatre will be sold and proceeds divided. The lawyer involved in the suit says there’s been plenty of interest. “If I had a dollar for each inquiry I’ve had while the suit was pending I could have retired” he reportedly told Commissioner Terri Finnerty.
John Loder, Sr. is another beach personality who has left this world too soon. His father William “Bill” Loder, the founder of Crabby Bill’s had only been gone a month, when John recently passed at age 51. John had tried his hand at real estate development before returning to his roots, operating Captain Bill’s Kitchen in “downtown” Treasure Island for the past couple of years.
Soothe Our Souls (SOS) is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit volunteer organization providing free of charge sailing trips on the first Sunday of every month to provide a healing environment for those in our communities that are facing serious health challenges. Captain Dan, of Dolphin Landings Charter Boat Center, founded SOS in 2012 following the passing of a dear friend and fellow sailor of 40 years. In the weeks before his passing, on Sunday mornings, Dan would take his friend and family, along with some of their friends on sailing trips. The time together was precious and therapeutic.
It didn’t take long to see that the peaceful setting further improved the mental and emotional well being of all involved. It was from those wonderful experiences, and in honor of Dan’s friend, that SOS was created. Making memories since 1972 Dolphin Landings Charter Boat Center wants those facing serious health challenges to be able to benefit from time on the water and create their own special memories while celebrating life.
Dolphin Landings Charter Boat Center is located in the Dolphin Village Shopping Center, just behind the CVS pharmacy at 4737 Gulf Blvd. St. Pete Beach, FL 33706.
Donations are the lifeblood of non-profit organizations, and gifts of any size are welcome. Captain Dan has found an historic waterfront building in Madeira Beach he plans to make the new headquarters building for SOS. More about that in a future issue. If you or someone you know could benefit from these heart felt cruises please contact the dock office of Dolphin Landings Charter Boat Center at (727) 360-7411. For more info, visit http://sos.dolphinlandings.com.
ST. PETERSBURG
Chef Lee Aquino is the new Executive Chef of the Birchwood’s Birch & Vine. With a dynamic personality and hands-on work ethic, his goal is to make Birch & Vine the top downtown waterfront restaurant by delivering a dining experience like no other. He’s already making the changes necessary to reposition the restaurant and cultivate the staff to meet this goal.
“After six successful years as Executive Sous Chef of the Tampa Yacht and Country Club, I felt it was time to check out the other side of the Bay,” said Chef Lee Aquino. “We couldn’t be more excited to have Lee lead our Birch & Vine team,” added owner Chuck Prather, “We’ve already seen amazing things happening here!” Trained under an apprenticeship with the American Culinary Federation in St. Augustine,
The Birchwood is a Spanish Mission style building built in 1922 and renovated in 2013. An 18-room boutique hotel on floors 2 and 3, conference, event, with a Grand Ballroom on the 4th floor and a rooftop lounge, The Canopy, on the top floor overlooking Tampa Bay, Straub Park and the downtown skyline. It is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places. To learn more about The Birchwood call 727-896-1080 or go to www.TheBirchwood.com
City Council members recently authorized Mayor Rick Kriseman to sign a five-year lease with our favorite nonprofit organization, Tampa Bay Watch, which is dedicated to the restoration and protection of the Tampa Bay waters through scientific and educational programs.
Since 1993 Tampa Bay Watch and thousands of volunteers have performed a variety of habitat restoration and protection activities each year to help Tampa Bay recover from its environmental problems. Last fall the group submitted a proposal to the city to lease, operate, and manage the education center, which would include programs focused on marine and environmental education presented to families and tourists during afternoon and evening sessions and summer camps. Tampa Bay Watch will also manage the center as an event venue for corporate meetings and special events. Chris Ballestra, the city’s managing director of development coordination said, “Tampa Bay Watch is perfectly situated to manage the education center. They have decades of environmental stewardship, programming, and a proven ability to provide outstanding environmental education to the Tampa Bay Region.” For information visit, newstpetepier.com or tampabaywatch.org.
BEACHES
Parking Fees Initiated at Sand Key Parking – Beach goers must now pay to park at the Sand Key beach area north of the Clearwater Community Sailing Center. The lot has transitioned to a pay-to-park location, similar to the Courtney Campbell Causeway beach parking lot. The parking rate is $3/hour from 8 am to sunset. Meanwhile St. Pete Beach voted to increase parking fees from $2.25 to $2.75/hour. While Treasure Island rates remain at $2/hour, their meters are enforceable 24 hours/day. Most beach meters are enforced dawn to dusk. Madeira Beach commissioners are raising rates in their city lots from $2 to $2.50/ hour. For half a day or more at the beach, Fort Desoto is likely still the bargain, with a $.75 toll on the Pinellas Bayway and a $5 parking fee at the entrance to the park.
GULFPORT
Award-winning photographer & author John Russo & wife Lori are new Gulfport “artists in residence”. Recently retired, they moved from the Florida Keys (fortunately before Irma) and while house hunting, enjoyed a Halloween haunted reading in Gulfport. A few more visits and a chance meeting with Juliana Jewell of Forever Florida Real Estate, led them to their new home. As John said, “We just love the beachy-artsy-small town feel of this community and know it will be a perfect fit for our love of art, writing and music”. John’s award-winning photos have appeared in Penthouse and Gauntlet, among other publications.
He also is an accomplished business writer and fiction author, with four novels available on Amazon and Kindle: Futuristic Fable: Engram and his International Thrillers Series with Tabula Rasa, Darkness After Midnight and Compromised Interests, and a fourth, Whiteburn, due later this year. Lori has a background in business writing and editing during her career in healthcare and government administration, and now does John’s editing and marketing. Both are active members of the Bay Area Professional Writers Guild, Inc.