St. Petersburg recently unveiled its first green swing overlooking the waterfront at Flora Wylie Park. The swing is a prototype and an ode to the city’s famous green benches. While the swing is also green, it is a brighter hue than the historic benches. A real estate salesman installed the first bench during the 1920s, and others soon followed. St. Petersburg became known for its preponderance of green benches, although like the rest of the city at the time, the resting spots were segregated. The new swing is a pilot program of sorts and offers a QR code for people to scan and provide feedback. Flora Wylie Park is located at 1400 N Shore Dr. NE.
Following Wednesday’s meeting, the Pinellas County School Board has narrowed its search for superintendent Dr. Michael Grego’s replacement down to three candidates. Here are the finalists from a pool of 19 applicants: Kevin Hendrick, associate superintendent of teaching and learning for Pinellas County Schools; Michael Ramirez, deputy superintendent of Denver Public Schools in Colorado; and Ann Hembrook, area superintendent for Marion County Schools. Board members will interview the candidates on May 11 and make a final decision during a special meeting on May 17.
Brett Karlin, artistic director of the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay since the group's 40th anniversary season in 2018, is stepping down in June. In a statement announcing Karlin's departure, the group did not provide a reason. "Brett is like family to us and we will miss him dearly in the rehearsal hall and on the concert stage," the statement said in part. "We wish him the absolute best always."
Preserve the ‘Burg, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting historic buildings and places in St. Petersburg through community outreach and education, is recognizing the Pinellas County school district for its commitment to preserving St. Petersburg High School. The district recently completed a $43.8 million renovation to the historic school that restored the original architecture and historic features while integrating the latest technologies. Preserve the ‘Burg will present Pinellas County Schools with the Preservation Award during a ceremony at The Palladium Theatre on April 27.
Foster care services provider Eckerd Connects has filed a notice to lay off 176 employees as it prepares to close the Tampa facility on Florida Avenue. The layoffs are expected to occur on June 30th. The positions of the affected employees include those who serve as youth and child care workers, case managers and family support workers. Late last year, the group said it was going to lay off over 230 employees in Trinity, Largo and Dade City. The additional layoffs follow the news of the state firing the Clearwater-based private organization, which was contracted through the state to offer foster and child care services in Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco counties. During that time, an investigation was launched as there were allegations that children in the company’s care had been allowed to sleep overnight inside the Eckerd Connects administrative building, which is not licensed for foster care.
During a Monday morning press conference discussing his first 100 days in office, Mayor Ken Welch announced he will make a final decision regarding who will redevelop the 86-acre Tropicana Field site by June 30. Shortly after taking office in January, Welch said he wanted to reassess the visions for the site from the two prospective master developers - Miami-based Midtown Development and Sugar Hill Community Partners. At the time, Welch emphasized the importance of affordable housing and equitable inclusion for the redevelopment project. Previous Mayor Rick Kriseman selected Midtown Development shortly before leaving office.
The City of St. Pete Beach is hosting two Earth Day celebrations on April 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The first is at Horan Park, 7701 Boca Ciega Dr. and the other takes place at the Pass-a-Grille Concession area at 900 Gulf Way. Both events are free. The Horan Park celebration features landscaping demonstrations and water conservation tips, and the city is also offering free red maple, beautyberry, sugarberry, magnolia, red mulberry, slash pine, sycamore, cypress and loquat trees to residents. In Pass-a-Grille, local environmental organizations Keep Pinellas Beautiful and Sea Turtle Trackers will speak about their missions and offer informational handouts.
Clearwater-based PODS, the industry leader in portable moving and storage solutions, and ACERTUS, an omnichannel automotive logistics platform, have finalized a partnership to provide nationwide auto shipping services for PODS’ residential and corporate customers."We are excited to partner with ACERTUS to provide a more comprehensive moving solution that now includes vehicle transportation," Opal Perry, chief strategy and digital business development officer at PODS, said in a news release. "By giving our customers the option to book vehicle transport at the same time as booking a move, we're enabling a more seamless digital customer experience, advancing our commitment to provide the very best in moving and storage." The rollout of the automotive capabilities launched this week. Financial details of the partnership were not disclosed.
The Cross Bay Ferry that connects downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa recently set a new record, taking 53,444 riders across Tampa Bay over the past six months. That represents a 2% increase over pre-pandemic numbers with over two weeks left before the ferry ceases operations for the summer on May 1. Many local leaders hope to soon see the ferry operate year-round. Continuous service requires a bigger boat and more funding, and the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority received nearly $5 million in federal dollars for the ferry in February.
The once-popular phone numbers that connected callers with an automated voice that notified them of the time and temperature are making a resurgence, including throughout Tampa Bay. The lines faded over a decade ago with the preponderance of cell phones and weather apps. However, a handful of devotees are restoring the nostalgic numbers. About a year ago the numbers returned to the Tampa Bay region, reportedly receiving thousands of calls a week. Local numbers are as follows: (727) 894-6666 for St. Petersburg, (813) 622-1212 for Tampa and (727) 447-6611 for Clearwater residents. Friday morning, the St. Petersburg line first played an ad for a pest control service. Following that commercial, a distinct voice nostalgically said, “Today is Friday, April 15, the time, 8:05 a.m. and the temperature is 72 degrees.”
Just before Tuesday night’s Rays game at Tropicana Field, a young fan handed her favorite player a bracelet that read “Rally for Chloe our Princess Warrior.” Tampa Bay outfielder and Seminole-native Brett Phillips put it on his left wrist and promised to try and do something special for Chloe Grimes, battling cancer for the second time at just 8 years old. The fan-favorite delivered. In the third inning, while Chloe and her mother, Jacquie, were interviewed by the in-game reporter, Phillips crushed a pitch from Oakland A’s pitcher Jacob Lemoine over the right-field wall for a solo home run. With an exit velocity of 107.8, it was the hardest-hit ball in Phillips’ career. Stadium personnel retrieved the ball from the c-ring catwalk at the ‘Trop, and Phillips later autographed it and presented it to Chloe. Phillips also tweeted that he and the Rays charitable foundation would help with medical bills and a few extra gifts. The Rays went on to beat the A’s 9-8 in extra innings.
Charlie Crist, a Democratic candidate running for Governor of Florida, will hold a panel discussion tomorrow with University of South Florida Students in St. Petersburg. The event will be held at 12 p.m. at the campus. Details on the panel discussion were not released.
