Dave Sorokowsky of Paph Paradise is the speaker at the Florida West Coast Orchid Society May 9th meeting.
His topic will be “Don’t Fear the Slippers” (paphiopedilums) Location is Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, 10891 102nd Ave. N, Seminole. Doors open 5:45pm; Beginner class at 6pm. Meeting starts 6:45pm.For information visit www.FWCOS.org email: parnold3@tampabay.rr.com or call 727-475-0750. Curious who you may have been before? Join the Past Life Regression Workshop, May 11, 5-7pm. $45 each at As Above So Below Metaphysical and Crystal Shop. Call or book online under classes/workshops. 727-289-1199 www.asabovesobelow347.com. Explore past life regression through hypnosis in a small group setting with Lora Hypnosis, Certified Hypnotist, Clairvoyant, and Intuitive Empath. Located in the courtyard at Dolphin Village Shopping Center, 4615 Gulf Blvd.#106, St. Pete Beach.
Good Day Sunshine State: How The Beatles Rocked FloridaWhen: Friday, May 17 at 7pmWhere: Gulfport History Museum, 5301 28th Ave. S, Gulfport. Come join award-winning journalist Bob Kealing, author of Good Day Sunshine State: How The Beatles Rocked Florida as he shares tales of that tumultuous year – 1964 – that John, Paul, George, and Ringo made their Floridian debut. Not only did Fab Four capture hearts and light up stadiums, they also, Kealing reveals, taught us something important about the connection between music and activism.
A book signing will follow the talk. Copies of Good Day Sunshine State are available for pre-order. Be sure to select the pre-order option when you register (payment will be due when you order). The talk itself is free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:30pm, programming begins at 7pm.
On Saturday May 18, or June 15, or the third Saturday of any month, at 3pm join the Gulfport Historical Society as they take a stroll through history in Gulfport. The tour examines the creation of this small seaside hamlet; the tour guides — all Gulfport locals with a penchant for history and storytelling — share the town’s history and stories with the group. The tour starts at the Gulfport History Museum at 3pm, where you can take a peek at some of their historic photos. Tour is $15 / person. (Free for Gulfport Historical Society members.) There is a water cooler at the museum to fill your bottle up before the tour. They don’t love turning people away, but when the group gets too large it’s hard for everyone to hear our tour guides. Please note: While it’s optional, tour guides do appreciate tips.
Hurricane Preparedness Expos Are you prepared? The Atlantic Basin Hurricane season begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30.Gulfport – Thursday, May 30, 6-8 pm at Catherine Hickman theater. Free and open to the public. Q & A with experts. Visit with hurricane related vendors. Find your evacuation zone. Enjoy slice of pizza and drink for $3.Bobby Deskins, Chief Meteorologist WTSP Channel 10 News will speak at 7pm.For information call 727-893-1118 or visit www.mygulfport.us/hurricane-center.Saturday, June 1, 10am-12pm – St. Pete Beach Community CenterThis is a free event aimed towards helping educate the local community about the importance of preparation and planning. Find out what the St. Pete Beach Fire Rescue team and other agencies are doing to prepare this year.All residents are encouraged to bring their families out to this great event. Goodie bags will be distributed to the first 120 participants. Bags will include educational materials and many other give-a-ways. Guest Speaker will be WFLA’s Jeff Berardelli, Chief Meteorologist and Climate Specialist and leader of the Max Defender 8 Weather Team with WFLA News Channel 8. Presentation will be at approximately 11:30am.
The City of St. Pete Beach Commission voted 3-2 to negotiate with Fran Robustelli, current city manager of San Leandro, Calif. for the city manager spot here. The city brought a retired prior city manager in as interim after Alex Rey resigned. Mayor Adrian Petrilla just started last April and all of the city commissioners are new also since the prior set all effectively resigned Jan. 1, due to new Florida state financial reporting requirements for local officials.
Two recent deaths have local connections. We regret the passing of Senator Bob Graham, who was a good governor and served a 40-year sentence in the U.S. Senate. In 2005 his name was given to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge he helped get rebuilt. The other character, Steve Lamb, was the most vocal of the barrier island drug smugglers of the 1970’s.
His book, Smuggler’s Ghost and a just released movie The Green Flash will likely make Steve more of a legend.
The Twelfth Annual St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs was held Feb. 6-8 at the USFSP Student Center. This year’s theme, “Rethinking,” explored how artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the world and its impacts from national security and risk management to art and disseminating information. Other topics included how U.S. politics is viewed by foreign observers, the relevancy of monarchies, erosion of the rule of law and democracy and civility. “In a rapidly changing world, we still face persistent challenges with international conflict, rising nationalism and xenophobia, and erosion of the rule of law. The conference will help us reimagine solutions to these challenges,” said Thomas Smith, vice provost of Academic Affairs at USF St. Petersburg. Smith co-founded the conference in 2013 with former U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Douglas McElhaney. The conference has grown in size and scope, attracting accomplished professionals and scholars who have lived and worked abroad and overseen critical decisions around the world. Videos of the conference presentations are now available at www.worldaffairsconference.org.
Straz Center’s Opera Tampa has been giving audiences their fix since 1996 and presents a lineup for 2025 worthy of a standing ovation. It includes two Opera Tampa premieres and a fresh production of a perennial favorite − in all, a blend of American and Italian fare that will appeal to both die-hard fans and newcomers. The season includes their first-ever presentation of Leonard Bernstein’s Candide, Jan 31 at 8pm and Feb. 2 at 2pm, based on the satire by Voltaire. Then comes an original staging of Gaetano Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, March 7 at 8pm and 9 at 2pm, set not in the Rome of the original story, but here at home − in Ybor City. The season wraps up with that favorite tear-jerker, Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème on April 11 and 13, 2025.
Preserve the Burg’s Vision-Aire Porch Party in Pinellas Point, May 22After arriving in St. Petersburg in the early 1950s, Chicago architect Glenn Q. Johnson partnered with industrial designer George Ely to introduce Vision-aire homes on 69th Avenue South and Pinellas Point Drive South. George Ely was head of the design firm Visioneering, and president of Better Living, Inc., the firm that purchased and developed the 100-acre plat between 9th and 7th Streets South, from 58th Ave. South to Pinellas Point Drive S. Vision-aire homes were designed with living areas that faced the southeast with jalousie windows, to invite breezes in from Tampa Bay. Over time, the Vision-aire name faded in use, and they came to be known as “bird-cage” homes for their unique and open-air design. This is a special opportunity to visit and tour one of the original split-level Vision-Aire homes. $30 for PTB members and $35 for non-members. May 22, 6pm, 780 69th St. S, St. Petersburg.
Florida Museum of Photographic Arts While most artistic photographers of the 1960s focused entirely on black and white, Joel Meyerowitz (b.1938) bridged a gap by exploring two very different bodies of work contemporaneously. His energetic black and white New York streetscapes are celebrated for their quirky characters and architectural detail; at the same time, his ethereal photographs of Cape Cod, Mass., focused on the singular light and seascapes of the unique peninsula. By 1972, Meyerowitz permanently adopted color photography so that even his urban images explored the tones and hues of city life. Together, his collection of works explores the visual gatherings of a master at his best. On view through July 7.1630 E. 7th Ave., Ybor., Tampa, 813-221-2222 Admission: $12 Adults $10 Students/Military/Seniorswww.fmopa.orgIn 1977, photographer Gary Monroe, a native of Miami Beach, embarked on a decade-long project to photograph the aging community of South Beach. Vastly different than the glitzy beach community of today, the area was home to primarily Jewish retirees who embraced the sun, sand, and cheap rents. The photographs in the exhibition are composed of the community’s candid moments, daily activities, and community gatherings. Monroe‘s sharp eye and empathetic viewpoint transform the mundaneness of people walking down the street into a reflection of a vanished way of life. On view through May 19.
The Historic Old Northeast in St. Pete is a beautiful place to live and visit. It’s a hot spot for wild Halloween decorations during spooky season, hosts an enchanting candlelit tour of homes in the winter, and is walking distance from the fabulous Coffee Pot Boulevard and North Shore Park. The neighborhood was just named the most idyllic urban haven in America according to a survey conducted by www.easycoops.com
Alley’s Way, the 34ft 1985 Sea Ray Cruiser used by Repair the Sea, a Tampa Bay nonprofit with a focus on marine restoration, has been refitted from to new electric power, making it completely carbon neutral. Repair the Sea was founded in 2022 by Rabbi Ed Rosenthal, who has been working at Eckerd College since 2009. Rosenthal also leads SCUBI Jew, a club that works with Repair the Sea in their educational and marine cleanup efforts. “We are partners with God in repairing the world, but if we don’t work to repair the sea now, the rest of the world doesn’t stand a chance,” Rosenthal says. The organization hosts biweekly dives, aboard Ally’s Way, to collect debris in the bay. Eckerd students are active participants. The vessel was named in honor of former SCUBI Jew member Allison Willen, who passed away in 2015. The project took around three years to complete with the help of three international businesses, Xantrex, Mastry Engine Center and Vetus. For Ed Rosenthal, the connection between conservation and Judaism is a clear one. He references the traditional Jewish value of Tikkun Olam, which means “repair the world,” and encourages kindness and action to make the world a better place. The emission-free propulsion system is powered by Xantrex Lithium-ion batteries. “What better way for the club and its certified divers to clean the Tampa Bay reefs than with clean technology,” said Mastry Electric Hybrid Manager Nancy Frainetti, who spearheaded the three-year effort, in a prepared statement. “It’s exciting to bring this project to fruition and to provide the latest technological advancements to benefit such a worthwhile organization that does so much to improve the area’s marine environment.”
If you are affected by road construction and repair, the Pinellas County Roadway Advisory Map has the latest information on roadside construction and lane/road closures from Pinellas County, various municipalities, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and contractors in the area. You can even get contact info to reach the public official in charge.
FEMA maintains a discount program saving policyholders up to 40% off the premiums for their ever-increasing flood insurance bills. Pinellas County was just recognized as the best in the country, on April 1, when the new, better rating of 2 instead of 3 out of 10 earned it’s residents an additional 5%, to 40% off their flood insurance rates. County Commission Chairperson Kathleen Peters said two recent initiatives helped the county up its score, a vulnerability assessment and a plan to manage substantial flood damage. She said the score of 2 is an amazing improvement over the 7 they had in 2013 when they began to focus on it.
The Pinellas County Office of Resilience and Asset Management is made up of three programs: Enterprise Asset Management, Energy and Water Conservation, and Sustainability and Resiliency. These programs work together to promote efficient use of county resources. and significantly contribute to the county’s Resilient Pinellas Action Plan. Pinellas County has completed its Resilient Pinellas Action Plan, the county’s first comprehensive plan to guide its sustainability and resiliency initiatives for years to come. The plan sets multiple goals based on data and public feedback, with steps that will make the county and its residents more prepared to handle a range of challenges, from sea level rise to hurricanes. The 56 initiatives outlined in the action plan are either in progress or will be considered for inclusion in departmental work plans. Their aim: make emergency response infrastructure more resilient, help reduce energy and water use, promote healthy ecosystems, and keep the economy thriving, among others.
Pinellas County’s Sustainability and Resiliency Program developed the plan with community and partner organizations’ input. The program will launch a leadership committee to assist with the implementation of the plan across departments in collaboration with partners.
A few of the upcoming and in-progress initiatives in the plan include:
- Continuing to improve adaptability of water and wastewater systems to withstand environmental threats and hazards, such as flooding and hurricanes.
- Increasing resilience and capacity of emergency shelters.
- Implementing a new program to reduce invasive species on public lands.
- Switching more County vehicles from traditional gas-powered vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs) where feasible.
- Improving resource efficiency of County facilities by conducting energy audits.
“We are proud to announce this comprehensive plan, which reflects our commitment to creating a brighter future for Pinellas County for generations to come,” said County Commission Chair Janet C. Long. “This plan will help guide our efforts to support our residents and visitors, improve and protect our environment, and maintain a strong economy.”
The Resilient Pinellas Action Plan was developed over the course of two and a half years. The process included:
- An extensive review of county programs and policies, with input from internal advisory committees to consider all aspects of county operations.
- Public outreach through a public opinion survey and an external advisory committee.
- A greenhouse gas inventory to measure the carbon footprint of county operations and unincorporated Pinellas County communities. To learn more about the Resilient Pinellas Action Plan, visit: www.resilient.pinellas.gov
St. Pete Beach had previously gained notoriety for some of their resiliency plans which are being implemented. Treasure Island also recently introduced a Terrain Modification program to “Elevate TI” to reduce or eliminate “sunny day flooding” and better prepare for coming sea level rise. www.MyTreasureIsland.org
Sand dunes are the first line of defense against approaching storms. The Army Corp of Engineers plans a 10-foot-high dune system all the way from Pass-a-Grille to Clearwater Beach. Beach replenishment has been held hostage lately, however, in an effort to get a few remaining property owners to comply with easements to allow replenishment. In spite of all that, Pinellas County plans to proceed with initial emergency replenishment in Pass-a-Grille Beach using tourist tax dollars with a request out to the Army Corp to provide way more sand for phase 2. www.stpetebeach.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=827