Weekly Tidbits May 23, 2024

Learn more about boating safety and how you can take a course in Pinellas County at https://www.paradisenewsfl.com/safe-boating/.


2024 St. Pete PRIDE Events Listing

If it’s June, it’s time for Pride! It’s celebrated all month and all around St. Petersburg, with events designed to satisfy every preference and gender. Below is a list of events planned by St. Pete Pride, which has been commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community for more than 20 years. The Gay Pride Parade, this year on June 22, is the biggest in Florida, last year drawing a crowd of more than 348,000. A number of this year’s events are free; should you attend any of those, please think about making a donation to help St. Pride continue to keep its events accessible to the LGBTQIA+ community. Look for our 2024 PRIDE events listing in our June/July issue or online at www.paradisenewsfl.com/pride-2024-events/.


Celebrate International Wine Day at a Local Winery

In honor of International Wine Day, celebrated on May 25th plan a trip to one of these incredible wineries thriving right here in Pinellas County:

Learn more about these wineries at https://www.paradisenewsfl.com/wineries-in-pinellas/.


Yucatan Shrimp Day at Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille

This Friday, May 24th is National Yucatan Shrimp Day at Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille’s! As Bubba Gump of “Forrest Gump” not so succinctly pointed out, there’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup … yada, yada, yada. But at Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille, Yucatan Shrimp is the star. So much so that there’s a national day of recognition for the restaurant’s house specialty: May 24 is National Yucatan Shrimp Day.  For each purchase of a Yucatan dish or bottle of the restaurant’s proprietary Yucatan Sauce, customers get an entry to the drawing for a YETI prize pack.

Learn more at https://www.paradisenewsfl.com/yucatan-shrimp/.


Get Your Local Business Noticed in Paradise News!

Fall in love with Paradise News this snowbird season! Reach more locals and visitors in print or online by placing your ad or advertorial in the December issue of Paradise NEWS- read by 100,000 locals and visitors online and in print. Book your ad or advertorial now for 2024/2025 for our best rates and placement. Deadline for ads & advertorials in our DECEMBER HOLIDAY issue is November 10th. To place your ad, contact PETER ROOS by email at sales@ParadiseNewsFL.com or call 727.363.6888!



NEW TIDBITS:

  • The May Issue is NOW online. Read it here.
  • The updated ratings are in, Rock the Block: Treasure Island delivered HGTV’s highest-rated series to-date in 2024, with the seven-episode season attracting 13.6 million total viewers. Learn more about what it was like filming in The City of Treasure Island, Florida including a video from Visit St. Pete-Clearwater at https://www.paradisenewsfl.com/rock-the-block-rocks-ti/.
  • Dennis Merritt Jones was guided to write When Fear Speaks…Listen to examine these  questions and to introduce the idea that Fear may be an ally appearing at  the exact right time with the gift of information we need—not just to  survive but thrive. Learn more and find a link to buy the book at https://www.paradisenewsfl.com/when-fear-speaks/.
  • Customers who order the new Send It South cocktail at Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille restaurants and the Dixie Fish Company are improving the health of the Florida Everglades and Florida Bay. HM Restaurant Group is partnering with Captains For Clean Water, donating $1 from every drink to the nonprofit organization’s mission of restoring and protecting Florida waters for the use and enjoyment of all. Learn more at https://www.paradisenewsfl.com/send-it-south/.
  • St. Pete Beach Hurricane Preparedness Expo is set for June 1st! This is a free community event hosted by St. Pete Beach Fire Rescue and St. Pete Beach Community Center aimed towards helping educate the local community about the importance of preparation and planning. Learn more at https://www.paradisenewsfl.com/2024-spb-hurricane-expo/.
  • Indian Shores partners with Keep Pinellas Beautiful for the 2024 Great American Cleanup on Saturday, May 25th from 8-12 p.m. To sign up please visit Eventbrite – Indian Shores Coastal Cleanup.    
  • Please plan ahead to help make your travel easy as PIE!  Summer is a very busy time of the year, so please be patient and follow some easy travel tips. See St. Pete/Clearwater Airport’s (PIE) summer travel tips at https://www.paradisenewsfl.com/summer-travel-tips-2/.
  • Let us know what you are thinking about what is happening on our local beaches and St. Petersburg by submitting a Letter to the Editor at https://www.paradisenewsfl.com/letter/. Letters will be considered for inclusion in an upcoming issue of Paradise News.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

  • Christie Lenee: Coming Alive Tour at Gulfport’s Catherine A Hickman Theater- May 27 TICKETS
  • City of Gulfport Hurricane Awareness Seminar- May 31 INFO
  • St. Pete PRIDE- Month of June INFO
  • Gulfport PRIDE- June 1 INFO
  • 22nd Annual Puppy Love Event for Pet Pal Animal Shelter- June 1 INFO
  • 30th Annual Corey Ave Craft Festival- June 1-2 INFO
  • World Oceans Day- June 8
  • Skyway Marina District Summer Bash- June 8 INFO
  • Tampa Bay Rays PRIDE Game- June 8 TICKETS
  • American Stage Presents Hedwig & the Angry Inch at Jannus- June 13-16 INFO
  • Father’s Day- June 16
FIND EVENT MORE SUMMER EVENTS AT https://www.paradisenewsfl.com/summer-2024/.

REMINDERS

  • The MAY Issue is NOW online. Read it here
  • Reach snowbirds, locals & tourists in 2024 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.
  • Join the St. Pete Beach Dune Savers Friday mornings this spring to help preserve local sand dunes. Volunteers are welcome to join to help every Friday 8:30-9:30AM. Locations vary by week. Volunteers will also about native species and how you can help preserve our precious dunes by removing invasive plants. For more information email Deb Rothenburger at d2bvr@aol.comm or Ayako Ruckdeschel at aruckdeschel@stpetebeach.org.
  • Get ready to lace up your running shoes and join us for the Madeira Beach Sunset 5K on Friday, June 28th 6:30pm. For just $35, you can register for this exciting race and experience the breathtaking beauty of the sunset along the sandy shores. As an added bonus, each participant will receive a Sunset 5K Beach Towel, making it a perfect keepsake to remember this memorable event. Register online now at https://bit.ly/2024-sunset-5k.
  • Outdoor activities and spending time in nature are a great way to stay active and enjoy the greenery around us, with the added benefit of a greater emotional well-being. With so many proven ways to enhance mental health, there has never been a better time to enjoy the endless list of nature-focused activities that residents and visitors will find in the St. Pete-Clearwater area. See ideas for nature lovers at paradisenewsfl.com/nature-lovers-paradise/.
  • Registration for the 2024 Madeira Beach Recreation Summer Camp is Now Open! Find their application online at https://madeirabeachfl.gov/summer-camp/.
  • Registration for The Dali’s Junior Docent Art Camp in June & July is now open. Through the lens of Dalí and surrealist art, junior docents will be empowered to think independently about art and express their own thoughts. The week will conclude with a reception and junior docent-led gallery tour. Click here to register now.
  • Registration is now open for the Museum of Fine Arts Summer Camps. Learn more at https://mfastpete.org/summer-camps-at-the-mfa/.
  • The Madeira beach social club is an active senior group located in Madeira Beach, Florida. Their club provides a wonderful opportunity for seniors to socialize, participate in various activities, and build lasting friendships within our community. Click here to learn more.
  • The Madeira Beach Fitness Center is now accessible to Madeira Beach residents. Learn more about how you can access the Fitness Center at https://www.paradisenewsfl.com/madeira-beach-fitness-center/.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

May 2024

HURRICANE PREP 

Hurricane preparedness for residents in Pinellas County.

SEA TURTLE NESTING 

By Janet Nummi  LOGGERHEAD TURTLES RETURN TO THE GULF BEACHES TO NEST  In May, as…

PINELLAS TRAIL 

75 miles of bike trails throughout Pinellas County from the vibrant streets of St. Pete to the quaint shores of Tarpon Springs.

TIDBITS 

Catch up on local community news and upcoming events.

INTRODUCING The Beachmaker  

The Beachmaker Hotel brings all the imagery, beauty and spirit of your favorite beach town into one experience at Madeira Beach.

Tampa Bay Markets Offer Weekly Chances to Support Local Vendors

More than 75 vendors line Devil’s Drive, winding through the campus of St. Pete High, for this weekly market event

ST. PETE TACOS & TEQUILA FESTIVAL 

One of Tampa Bay’s Largest Taco & Tequila Festivals at one of the most beautiful waterfront parks in Tampa Bay May 10-11!  

Summer camps 

Janet Nummi shares summer camp options for kids in Pinellas County.

One-of-a-Kind Real Estate Opportunity in Treasure Island

Enjoy your new waterfront paradise built to today’s standards and showcase this OUTSTANDING  VIEW!  

PUBLISHERS MESSAGE 

Pete & Renee check in from Paradise to let you know about their latest adventure and what to look for in our May issue.

PRIDE KICK-OFF 

By Peter Roos  The St. Pete Pride month-long festival is back in its full splendor celebrating…

PET HEALTH 

Dr. Johnathan Pierce emphasizes why training our pets early is the best.