From the finest in first class designers to historic and cultural centers, the Tampa Bay/St. Pete area offers an immense variety of shopping. Whether you're looking for a great cigar in Ybor City or looking for a relaxing water front stroll, you can find it here.

Central Avenue, St. Petersburg
Central Avenue in St. Petersburg has something for everyone. From great antiques to furniture to clothing, if you're in St. Petersburg this is a great part of town to visit.

2429 Central Ave., St Petersburg, FL 33713
727-328-7086, www.grandcentraldistrict.org

Centro Ybor
Centro Ybor features an exciting mix of retailers, restaurants and entertainment venues situated around a palm-lined plaza that captures the flavor of Tampa 's historic Latin Quarter--Ybor City. Anchored by the Muvico Centro Ybor 20 Theater and featuring such names as GameWorks, The Improv and Urban Outfitters, Centro Ybor is a unique and unforgettable experience you'll not find anywhere else.

1600 East 8th Avenue, Tampa, FL 33605
813-242-4660, www.centroybor.com

Pinellas County: Hurricane preparation information

EVACUATION ZONES
Pinellas County evacuation zone map (PDF file, long download)

Pinellas County has an interactive evacuation zone lookup on their website, but it takes a long time to load, and a plug-in is required.
Interactive lookup

SHELTER LOCATIONS
Pinellas County has a number of emergency shelters, but they may not all be open during any given storm.  Study them ahead of time, but listen to FOX 13 during a storm to find which shelters are open.
List of shelter locations

SPECIAL NEEDS SHELTERS & REGISTRATION
Citizens with special medical needs can get help during an evacuation. Pinellas County has partnered with local municipalities to offer sheltering and transportation, if you meet the eligibility requirements. Those with certain medical conditions may be able to stay in special needs shelters.

In order to know when to evacuate for hurricane surge flooding,
you must KNOW YOUR ZONE! Keep in mind,
you evacuate to avoid deadly surge flooding.

There are many ways to learn your zone.
Evacuation Lookup includes update features! Pinellas County’s Evacuation Level Lookup has a new feature for you. Enter your address and you will be provided not only information on your evacuation level, but also the closest shelter, the closest special needs shelter and the closest hotel accommodations.

A proposed entrance fee into Fort De Soto Park is back to life, and bigger than ever.

A proposal to charge $8 per car load to enter the park, nationally popular for its beach, will be discussed by the County Commission on Tuesday. It's now free after paying a separate state toll.

A similar proposal at $5 was canned last year after it generated criticism.

But park and preserve supporters have pressed more urgently for adding fees this year, hoping to stave off deep cuts to staff and maintenance efforts without raising property taxes.

"Fantastic — I'm thrilled. This is what we have do," said Lorraine Margeson, a St. Petersburg environmentalist who has prodded commissioners to support the fees.

Here is an article created by the Pinellas County  Utility Company in conjuction with the University of Florida.  It lays out some vital information you would  want to keep mosquitoes from having a breeding area in and around your property.

http://www.pinellascounty.org/PublicWorks/mosquito/Mosquito-bites.pdf

Most of us take water for granted. Water is piped into our homes and landscapes; we turn on the faucet or irrigation system and there it is. Water conservation goes way beyond watering efficiently, which is the second principle of the nine major principles emphasized by Florida Yards & Neighborhoods. Naturally, checking our irrigation systems for leaks and misdirected or broken heads, making repairs, and calibrating the system to apply ¾” per application are all good practices.

We can do more, including following local water restrictions. The Tampa Bay area has been in a four year drought. While we have had some recent rains the drought is not over. We can still see the effects of it in our lakes, rivers, and groundwater. Recently the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) eased water restrictions from Phase III to Phase II. We are still limited to one day a week watering before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. and will need above normal rainfall this winter to bring our levels up enough to lift restrictions further.

Attend Pinellas County Extension’s December Classes

Pinellas County Extension offers residents a wide variety of classes to help them make sustainable decisions.

Be sure to check out our lunch break, on-line classes, Solutions in 30. Each week this month you will learn how to use living Christmas trees and holiday plants, tips to make your office or work environment more “green” and how to reduce financial stress during the holidays.

Solutions in 30:
December 2nd - Reducing Financial Stress During the Holidays
December 16th - Green Office

Pathways Adventure Series:
December 5th - Nature’s Holiday Ornaments

Lawn & Garden:
December 15th - Rain Harvesting Workshop

Commercial (Pesticide/FNGLA/ISA) CEUs: Fall Pest Update
December 1st - Fumigation
December 1st - CORE
December 1st - General Household
December 1st - Termites
December 9th - Lawn / Turf Ornamental Pest Control
December 9th - CORE

Sustainable Living:
December 11th - Financial Incentives for Energy Efficiency
December 15th - Pinellas County Green Business Partnership

You can register for classes on-line at http://www.pinellascountyextension.org/ Please look for the “Online Class Registration” button on the right hand side, near the top of the page.

Rust mites: A common occurrence this time of year is to see oranges that have brown, rough areas. This is most likely rust mite damage (unless it smells rotten). Rust mite damage is nothing to worry about as it doesn’t affect the taste of the fruit, it just makes the outside not look completely orange.

If you want perfectly orange rinds, spray your trees in March or April with a horticultural oil (use an oil that lists paraffinic oil as the active ingredient). Always read and follow directions exactly as indicated on the label of pesticides.

Leafminers: This is another common problem on citrus. Leaves will look misshapen and one can see serpentine tunnels on the leaf surface. Mature trees are not harmed by this slight damage to their leaves. Not much control is available. Either accept the damage and do nothing, or during the spring growth flush spray the tree with horticultural oil twice, spaced two weeks apart. Very young trees can be hurt by the loss of leaf surface that leafminers cause. Young trees should be treated with horticultural oil during the spring growth flush.

Oktoberfest celebrations tapping the beer kegs

By Sherry Robinson, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Thursday, October 1, 2009

OktoBEERfest

Don't even think about carving a pumpkin in this heat. Dunedin Brewery has a better way to celebrate October, and we think you know what it is from the title: OktoBEERfest. The brewery, at 937 Douglas Ave. in Dunedin, is kicking off four days of beer goodness. Admission is free, but there is a charge for food and drink. Here's the schedule:

Tonight: Get the party started with Liter Release Night, in which sales begin of the brewery's liter mugs. The mugs are $30 (it comes filled; refills are $6). If a liter is too much, buy the $1 pint glass with refills for $4.50. And if you already have one of the Brewery's mugs, you can bring that in for one free refill.

Friday: Enjoy the Ultimate First "Fry day" Party with live music and the tapping of the ceremonial keg at 9 p.m.

Saturday: A street party starts at noon with the Porsche Club "Show and Shine" and live music (The Heavy Pets, 7-11 p.m. and The Trio 11 p.m.-1 a.m.).

Sunday: Rover gets a chance at the fun during BarktoBEERfest, in which your pooch gets a bath and you get a beer. You pay $7-$10 for the bath and funds go to the Dunedin Doggie Rescue. Go to dunedinbrewery.com or call (727) 736-0606 for more information.

There are several other events you can tap into:

Brews by the Bay

The Florida Aquarium's Oktoberfest celebration Saturday gives you the chance to drink like a fish, whether it be a guppy or a goliath grouper. You can sample from more than 35 craft beers from around the world, but to really get in the mood, try Jack's Pumpkin Stout. Food from bay area restaurants, including Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Square 1 Burgers and Datz Deli, also will be featured. It's from 8 p.m. to midnight at 701 Channelside Drive, Tampa. $50 advance, $60 at the door. (813) 273-4000; flaquarium.org.

Oktoberfest Street Party

The Dubliner Irish Pub will have live music, lots of beer and traditional German food. Admission is free on Friday, from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. On Saturday it's $5, featuring music from Tribal Style and Offshore Riot. Get your lederhosen and join in the action from 1 p.m. to 3 a.m. at 12836 Henderson Road, Tampa. (813) 300-2076; www.thedublineririshpub.com.

Oktoberfest

German food, rare beers, live music, drinking contests, raffles and more. It's at 3 p.m. Friday ($5) and 11:30 a.m. Saturday ($5) and Sunday (free) at International Beer Garten, 16540 Pointe Village Drive, Lutz. (813) 749-0884; ibgtampa.com.

For more Oktoberfest fun, go to entertainment.tampabay.com for a list of upcoming events.

Sherry Robinson, Times staff writer

500 bus drivers will hit the road Tuesday in an effort to pick up 42,000 students and get them to school.

Sarah Medeiros' son is already a little anxious about starting class. "He's nervous about school as is, because it's a new school and new friends," she said.

One day before school starts, Donovan's mom says they still don't know what school he'll attend or where he'll catch the bus.

We found plenty of parents with similar questions as the Pinellas School District adjusts to $11 million in budget cuts and changes with bus stops and school assignments.

We're told half of the elementary school bus routes have been cut and others have been moved to streamline routes and fill-up seats.

"In the case of the elementary kids going to the zone schools that's going to be a decrease in bus ride time once everything settles down they're going to be seeing less time on the bus," said Rick McBride, the director of transportation.

The trade-off? Some high-schoolers headed to schools outside their zone will have much longer rides to their bus stop and to school. It's not easy to explain to parents but the school district is trying.

"Number one questions is where is my stop? We still have a lot that aren't prepared and oh, school starts tomorrow," said Kim Laughlin who's supervisor of the county's school communications systems.

She says they got more than a thousand calls Monday into their temporary call center and expect just as many Tuesday on the first day of school.

Largo business owners are banding together to promote their stores and their community in an area they're calling "Old Northwest."

Joseph Stefko owns Hair Jungle in Largo. About a year ago, he felt like the part of the city where his business was located needed more of a community-feel.

So, he created the name Old Northwest.

"They did it in St. Pete," he said. "They did it in Tampa. You say you're Hyde Park, you're Old Northeast, things like that. I see us doing that here and so I just want to pull everything together and make it a community where you live, work and play."

Signs reading "Proud to live in Old Northwest" are sprouting up outside businesses and in store windows across town.

Frank Lopez recently opened a bike shop called Ride-N-Roll. Lopez says Old Northwest has helped him succeed.

"Advertising and trying to get people to come into your place is very very difficult with the economy being so bad," he said. "So it's good to cross reference with other businesses that are existing and business and have a customer base already."

Old Northwest currently holds a meeting each month at one of the participating businesses. Business owners take any issues they have to the city commission. They're also helping redevelop the residential area

A list of the Area Businesses of Old Northwest are below:

The search is under way to find a replacement for Publix Supermarkets at the Seminole Mall when the grocery giant moves across the street in December.

Earlier this year, Publix announced plans to close its 40,000-square-foot store in the mall Dec. 1 and open the following day in a former Albertson’s store at 7880 113th St. N.

No mention has been made by Publix or the mall property management company on the status of the Publix lease or whether the Lakeland-based chain bought out its remaining time.

“We can’t really discuss lease terms,” said RMC Property Group spokeswoman Shannon Densham, “but RMC is actively seeking new anchors for the entire mall.”

When asked if that meant Kmart, Ross, Beall’s and Steinmart are also leaving, Densham said RMC is seeking tenants for “anchor space that is (currently) unoccupied.”

Meanwhile, Densham said renewal of leases for current tenants would continue.

The mall, which has been the subject of speculation and rumors for three years since its purchase by Downtown Seminole LLC, has an abundant amount of space available.

“RMC has been asked to become more aggressive in finding new tenants,” said Densham. “Their focus is to bring in more retailers into the property.”

Densham didn’t release any names, noting RMC is “in negotiations right now.”

The move by Publix to close its store in the mall is part of a larger plan to relocate smaller Publix stores into larger sites formerly operated by Albertson’s.

Publix also will close its Pinellas Park store at 7580 49th St. and move into a larger former Albertson’s store at 4701 Park Blvd.

The new Seminole store will be 35 percent larger than the existing store and include a pharmacy, as well as a liquor store.

The move was made possible when Publix purchased 49 Albertson’s stores across Florida in June 2008.

The 39.3-acre mall was sold to Downtown Seminole LLC in December 2006 for $35.7 million.

The mall, which includes 2,064 parking spaces and the Seminole 8 movie theater, was built in 1965 and renovated in 1992.

As part of its efforts to attract more customers, the mall is offering Back To School Fun Day Saturday, Aug. 22, noon to 4 p.m. The day will include back-to-school sales at various stores, music, games, slides, face painting and balloons.

Using the sun’s energy to power our lives is really nothing new; it has been around since the 70s, right? Actually humans have been using solar power as long as we have been human. Using the sun to warm our homes, dry our clothes, heat water and even defeat foes are only a few ways humans have harnessed solar power throughout the centuries. Every hour, enough sunlight reaches the earth to meet the world’s energy needs for a year.

With almost too-late attention being paid to renewable energy sources, the sun is again front-and-center in Florida’s energy future.

We enjoy an average of 200 sunny days here in the Sunshine State. In addition, Florida has 85% of the maximum solar resource available in the US, only being outdone by the southwestern states.

Yet with all this free solar energy, we still depend on non-renewable resources that are not even produced in Florida. 37% of our energy comes from burning coal. Although coal is very abundant in the US, it still needs to be transported to Florida’s power plants. In 2008, the US IMPORTED 34,000 tons of coal from countries as far away as Australia, Indonesia and China.

Next on the list is petroleum. It is no surprise that we depend on foreign oil to power our lives. But did you realize the scale? In April 2009, the US imported 360 million barrels of oil. Just in April.

21% of our power plants are fueled with natural gas. Our very own Progress Energy just this year switched from its oil-fired units to a combined natural gas/steam turbine system. The pipeline that supplies our natural gas stretches from Mobile Bay in Alabama, across the Gulf of Mexico and into Manatee.

Florida has several nuclear power plants as well, and combined they provide 18% of our energy needs. This leaves us with 3%; the amount of renewable energy that is consumed in Florida. This is a combination of solar, wind and geothermal.

Solar energy comes in the form of light and heat. Energy produced from light is called photo-voltaic and the sun’s heat is referred to as solar thermal.

It is possible to take advantage of solar thermal power and depend less on your local service provider. 20% of your energy bill goes for the heating of water. A solar water heater can bring that percentage down to 0.

There are three basic types of solar water heaters available in Florida; the pumped, or direct circulation system, the integral collector storage (ICS) system and the thermo-siphon system.

All these systems involve some sort of solar heat collecting device usually placed on the roof. Within this structure (flat rectangular metal boxes) are pipes containing the potable water supply from the household.

A pumped, or direct circulation system, uses an electric pump to bring the water into the rooftop heating unit, and then, once heated, into a holding tank back on the ground. A controller regulates the movement of water through the system, using a series of thermostats and valves.

The integral collector storage (ICS) system uses the home’s water pressure to circulate water through the system. With this set-up the rooftop unit actually serves as a storage unit, not just a heating chamber. On demand, water is pulled from this rooftop tank into a small auxiliary tank.

The thermo-siphon system uses thermophysics (!) to work. Cool water is introduced into the collector on the roof, at the bottom of the collector. As the water is heated it expands and rises to the top of the chamber and out into a holding tank, also on the roof. Then, just as the ICS system, the home’s water pressure drives the system and brings heated water back down to ground level.

ICS and thermo-siphon systems do not require the electric pump or controller to keep things moving. Those two components may also be powered by sunlight as well, with the light being transformed directly into electricity, or by photo-voltaics. This fascinating and very modern technology will be our next Timely Topic.

Converting sunlight is to electricity is a fascinating and only slightly complex process.

Light from the sun is referred to as solar electromagnetic radiation. This radiation is made up of little bundles of energy called photons which can behave like waves (think: microwaves and radio waves) as well as behaving like an object with physical properties. The wave-like radiation is broken down into five categories based on the wavelengths; these include familiar UV radiation as well as visible light.

When the photons behave like objects they can produce electricity. When these “solar fastballs” strike certain atoms, they can knock them with such force as to disrupt the electrons associated with those atoms. This disruption causes a release of energy and makes the electrons “excited”. When these “excited” electrons move in a particular direction this is referred to as “current.” Sound familiar?

The current produced is Direct Current (DC), which needs to be converted to Alternating Current (AC) for practical use. In order to do this you need a photovoltaic (PV) device. PV converters have very few parts: a surface covered with a material made up of “excitable” electrons, a simple magnet to move those electrons in one direction, a converter that will change DC power to AC, and the most important part: the Sun.

Currently the most popular material used to provide electrons for knocking about is silicon. Now, silicon is a pretty abundant material, it is what sand is made of. But getting PURE silicon is a tricky and expensive procedure. This makes PV systems costly. Other concerns with silicon are the production process and environmental impacts. However compared to the environmental, social, and geo-political impacts of our dependence on oil as our primary energy source, and solar comes up looking pretty good! In addition, materials other than silicone are being researched, with some success.

Some think that the heat of the sun is somehow a factor in producing PV electricity. Interestingly, the system works a bit less efficiently in extremely high temperatures. Therefore, even though the desert southwest of the US may receive more hours of daylight than Florida, the heat there makes PV systems much more inefficient, therefore making Florida nearly perfect for efficient solar energy production.

There are incentives for including solar energy, both thermal and photo-voltaic into your energy system. Any solar energy system, including the more affordable water-heating systems, is not subject to sales tax. In addition, you can claim 30% of the total cost of the project (including installation) as an income tax write-off as long as the system is operational by December 31st 2010. There is currently a measure before the Florida lawmakers that would prevent the addition of solar technology from adding to a home’s value and driving up the taxable value of that home.

If you are interested in learning more about Solar Power in the Sunshine State, please join us on Saturday, August 22nd here at Pinellas County Extension for a solar energy workshop. Experts from Progress Energy and the Solar Source Institute will be giving lectures and answering questions from 9:30 – 12:00. In addition several local vendors of solar products and services will be displaying their good in a mini-trade show, all right in our main auditorium.

This class is $15 and registration is required by Thursday, August 20. We can not accept walk-ins on the day as space is limited. To register, visit pinellascountyextension.org and select the “Online Class Registration” button. Then look for the Sustainable Living tab. We hope to see you there!

Knowing your evacuation zones is a critical first piece to the disaster preparedness puzzle. And, if you are comfortable using the Internet to look up information about your home, the web page of Pinellas County Emergency Management, giving you the information, has a brand new look.

While it will still be as easy as ever to enter your address, the amount of information you will be able to see is greatly enhanced. When we are not under the threat of a hurricane, the standard information of a property's evacuation level and the three nearest shelters will be listed. Additionally, the three closest hotels which are outside of your evacuation area will be listed. This way, viewers will be able to get the information about nearby lodging should a storm threaten.

When Pinellas County does issue an evacuation order, the information you're given will be even further enhanced. Only the accommodations in higher evacuation levels and non-evacuation zones will appear on the web site. During activation, Pinellas Countys Convention and Visitors Bureau will provide updates to give residents an up-to-date look at which facilities have available rooms.

Last year was a tough slog for Pinellas County schools, with leadership changes, a return to neighborhood schools and round after round of budget cuts. But this year won't be any easier. Pinellas faces a swamp of challenges when students return Aug. 25. Here are some of them, in no particular order:

Stagnant high schools

Nine of 18 earned D's this year. One earned an F. And the state grading formula is getting tougher. Starting this fall, it's no longer about the FCAT alone. Instead, Pinellas must show improvement on a long list of indicators — graduation rates, participation rates in Advanced Placement classes, etc. — or continue to be tagged with scarlet letters. On a related note, Pinellas' graduation rate climbed 7 percentage points last year, among the biggest increases in the state. But at 74.4 percent, it's still a long way from where everybody wants it to be.

Struggling black students

The poor performance of black students in Pinellas — worse than every other major urban district in Florida — is under the microscope like never before. Blame, or credit, a trifecta of developments: the F grade at Gibbs High. The rapid re-segregation of county schools. And a new legal agreement that requires schools to put more attention, and potentially more funding, toward boosting black students. Superintendent Julie Janssen sealed the deal on the legal agreement, and in doing so, staked her reputation on the toughest nut to crack in public education. She must find solutions while hamstrung with the tightest budgets in memory.

Cut, cut, cuts

The district is limping after four years of budget cuts. It cut $26.8 million last year and $38.7 million from the year ahead. That's why six schools were closed, four were consolidated and 1,000 employees were displaced. But Pinellas isn't in the clear yet. As the economy remains in a slump, some in state education circles expect another round of cuts by year's end.

Differentiated accountability

The words make people yawn, but the state program behind them is as important as it is technical. Scores of Pinellas schools are affected. Gibbs and 36 others, for example, are in an improvement category that requires them to make a long list of state-ordered changes, including more scrutiny of teacher performance. Bottom line: more work, more oversight and, maybe, more help. The state Department of Education will be looking over the district's shoulder.

Principal power

The district's experiment with "site-based management" and "decentralized decisionmaking" shifts into high gear this fall. Those words are just a fancy way of saying more budget, hiring and curriculum decisions will be made at the school level, where, theoretically, people know their students best and know what they need to improve. Eighteen principals will be the first guinea pigs. Twenty more will be trained this fall, and another 20 this spring. This could be the first step in a revolution. Or another fad that fizzles like disco.

Teacher morale

Teachers in Pinellas are being asked to do more work for less pay. Pinellas froze teacher salaries last year and is proposing a small cut this year, to the chagrin of the teachers union, which wants a small increase. Meanwhile, scheduling changes mean middle and high school teachers will teach additional classes. With unemployment at 11 percent in Pinellas, teachers won't get as much sympathy as usual. But it's fair to ask whether strained labor relations will take a toll on the kids.

If you've questioned why those solar panels on poles have popped up along the East Lake/McMullen-Booth Road corridor, you're not alone.

"I was wondering if it was a case of 'Big Brother' watching us but I didn't see any cameras attached," said Bob Wilson, 80, an East Lake resident.

Erinne Lansing, president of the Crest Homeowners Association, guessed they were powering the street lights with energy from the sun.

Close.

The solar-paneled stations will count vehicles and measure traffic flow on one of the county's most congested roadways.

Officials in Pinellas County's Public Works Department say that within about six months, the 25 stations lining the busy corridor from Trinity Boulevard to Drew Street will be saving you time and gas money.

The information they gather will allow traffic lights to be adjusted in real time based on traffic conditions, said Adam Moser, senior engineer for the county's Intelligent Transportation System.

"The solar-powered vehicle detection stations are a new technology with 97-percent accuracy," he said. "The McMullen-Booth project is the first time we've used that technology."

Similar stations have been set up around the Tampa Bay area along interstate roadways as part of the state Department of Transportation's SunGuide System.

The state is chipping half of the $7 million price tag.

In the county system, each station is 1,000 feet from the intersection and consists of a 30-foot concrete pole with a metal box and solar panel.

The detection units are above the panel and a 2-foot directional antenna sits on top. When online by December or January, a station will transmit information to the intersection's signal controllers.

During the day, the solar panels will store energy in batteries that allow the system to operate 24 hours a day.

The high-tech car counters are part of the county's ITS program, a network of computers and communication technologies designed to help move traffic efficiently, decrease response times for rescue crews and improve driver awareness of conditions with dynamic message signs.

Few would argue it's not needed.

The Texas Transportation Institute released a study this month that said that, each year, drivers in the Bay area spend 47 hours parked in traffic at a cost of $928 per commuter. The congestion wastes nearly 40 million gallons of gas annually.

The region's population is expected to double to 7 million people by 2050.

Two ITS projects already are monitoring traffic conditions along U.S. 19 and Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard through cameras and inductive loops — wires embedded in the pavement.

Studies indicated that these two projects have saved the public a combined $1.35 million a year in fuel costs.

But the inductive loops are considered less efficient and accurate than the newer solar-operated technology, Moser said.

Belcher Road, from Klosterman to Druid roads, is next in line.

However, don't look for solar panels there. An even newer technology will be used.

Traffic counts will be taken by magnetometers, small sensors shaped like hockey pucks embedded in the pavement. The sensors run on 10-year batteries.

"We've found they are a cheaper, better technology," Moser said.

It will cost an estimated $80 million to implement the multi-phased ITS program in the county.

Its cost, spread out over a 14-year time frame, is paid for with a 1-cent county gas tax added in 2007 and matching grants from the federal and state governments.

Officials say that means more money in our pockets in the long run.

A 2007 Florida DOT study determined that for every dollar invested in ITS technologies, seven would be returned.

"That includes a savings of fuel, time, reduced travel and increased productivity," Moser said. "And with the reduced car emissions, it's much better for the environment."

Lansing said that's good news.

"Anything that will alleviate the traffic congestion is fantastic," she said. "I am impressed with what our tax dollars are doing for a change."

Registering your child

New students in kindergarten, sixth or ninth grades will be assigned to their zoned school. All other new students will be assigned to their zoned schools on a space available basis. A zoned school is one that has been designated for each student based on factors such as proximity, program capacity and feeder patterns from one school level to another.

Step 1: Find your child's zoned school

Use the Zoned School Locator on the district Web site, www.pcsb.org or call your child's school or Student Assignment, (727) 588-6210.

Step 2: Reserve a seat

You will need a ParentCONNECTxp User ID and password. If you already have a User ID and password you can reserve a seat by following the instructions on the Student Reservation System located on the home page of the district Web site. If you do not have a User ID and password, you can go to any nearby school beginning Aug. 3, but call first to make sure staff has reported back to duty or call Student Assignment.

Step 3: Register

Visit the assigned school and deliver the following required documents:

Birth certificate or other proof of identity/age. Students must be 5 years old on or before Sept. 1 to attend kindergarten. Students must be 6 years old on or before Sept. 1 and have completed kindergarten to attend Grade 1. All new students must present proof of identity/age. For other items that may be accepted as legal evidence of birth, call your child's assigned school.

Proof of residency. Present one of the following: utility bill for power, water, cable, sewer or land-based telephone (not cellular); rental agreement or lease; closing document; Pinellas County tax statement with homestead exemption. The item must be recent and have the name of the parent/guardian and service address on it. If you do not have one of these items in the name of the parent or guardian, you must complete an Affidavit of Residency. This document is available at schools or the district Web site at www.pcsb.org. It must be completed, notarized on both sides and submitted with one of the items listed above in the name of the person with whom you reside and who is listed on the affidavit.

Child's Social Security number. School system personnel are required to ask for this, but the child is not required to have one.

Child's most recent report card. This is for students entering grades 1-12. The report card, if available, should include the school's address and phone number.

Florida Certificate of Immunization. All new students entering school in Florida for the first time must have a completed Florida Certificate of Immunization (DOH 680) appropriate for their grade level.

Physical examination certificate. All new students entering school in Florida for the first time must have a school health examination certificate signed by a licensed examiner (certificate must have been issued within 12 months prior to enrollment/registration).

Individual Education Plan (IEP). If the student participates in exceptional student education, he or she must have a recent IEP.

District highlights

Here are some Pinellas school district highlights for the 2009-2010 school year:

New schools

Clearwater Fundamental: A new middle school resulting from the merger of Coachman Fundamental and Kennedy Middle. The school will be on the old site of Kennedy Middle, 1660 Palmetto St., Clearwater.

Madeira Beach Fundamental: The district's first K-8 school created by the merger of Southside Fundamental Middle, Madeira Beach Middle and Madeira Beach Elementary. The new school will be on the old Madeira Beach Elementary and Middle school sites, 591 Tom Stuart Causeway, Madeira Beach.

Gifted middle schools

The Middle School Centers for Gifted Studies are available to incoming sixth-grade gifted students at Dunedin Highland, Morgan Fitzgerald in Largo and Thurgood Marshall Fundamental in St. Petersburg. This new program will provide a challenging and rigorous curriculum aligned with the National Association for Gifted Children curriculum standards and the Florida Frameworks for K-12 Gifted Learners. The program will expand to seventh and eighth grade over the next two years.

New magnet program

First Responders: National Guard Center for Emergency Management

This fall, Pinellas Park High School will launch a four-year program to prepare students for jobs as initial responders to emergency and disaster situations. First responders may plan for, assess, and/or manage natural disasters, terrorist acts, hazardous materials incidents, civil disturbances, air-land-sea rescues and other emergency situations. Among other things, instruction will focus on community planning, emergency preparedness and response, emergency health care, health safety and environmental issues, and concepts of command.

Hurricane season is two months old and not a single named storm has popped onto the radar. If that makes people complacent, it only makes weather watchers worry even more about what is to come. Officials and insurers are concerned about the ramifications of a "Big One," and Florida, the most ravaged of states, is looking at several novel approaches to riding out the storms — or even preventing them altogether.

The most innovative is a proposal from Microsoft founder Bill Gates to redirect or shrink hurricanes by cooling the waters where they are generated. Since hurricanes gather strength over tropical waters such as the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, cooling them would weaken the storms before they made landfall. The plan calls for huge ocean-going tubs that would use waves and turbines to push down the hotter surface water while sucking up the cooler water from below.

Coastal residents — who suffer under high insurance rates — would be asked to cover the cost, according to an application filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on July 9. Gates is one of a dozen inventors listed on the application submitted by Searete LLC, a subsidiary of Intellectual Ventures LLC, of Bellevue, Washington.

Paul "Pablos" Holman, an inventor at Intellectual Ventures, says the proposal would be used only as a last resort — as a "Plan C." But many experts are skeptical of its practicality. "I have a hard time picturing doing this on the magnitude required, but it's an interesting idea," says University of Florida Professor of Geological Sciences Ellen Martin. "It may be easier to just dump a bunch of ice cubes out of an airplane, but it will take a lot of those too."

Hugh Willoughby, acknowledged as the "guru of hurricane modification" and now a professor at Florida International University, dismisses the plan as "junk science." The cost and logistics don't add up, he says, estimating that it would take tens of thousands of the giant tubs put in the water within 24 hours of the storm's arrival. Others think the whole idea of trying to dissipate hurricanes before they start is misguided. Bob Atlas, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Miami, points out that hurricanes, as devastating as they can be, do serve some good, by helping ward off droughts, and that tampering with them could have untold environmental ramifications.

If the storms can't be warded off, the state is also looking to ways of responding to them more efficiently. Florida's top emergency manager has floated a novel idea to turn the housing crash into an advantage, by using 250,000 foreclosed homes as temporary hurricane shelters. "This option didn't exist two or three years ago before the real-estate market crashed," Ruben Almaguer, interim director of Florida's emergency management division, told the Miami Herald last month following a mock-disaster drill that highlighted the shortage of hurricane shelters in the state. "We can't not look at something staring us directly in the face," Almaguer said. "It's a solution to a potential problem."

But the proposal isn't getting much support. Richard Shuster, a Miami attorney who writes the Florida Foreclosure Defense blog, notes that foreclosed properties are often uninhabitable. "Homeowners in foreclosure or thieves after foreclosure often strip homes of appliances, fixtures, air conditioners, and anything else of value, including hurricane shutters," he says. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is not considering such a measure. "Under FEMA's mission of sheltering disaster survivors, this is not an option that we would utilize," agency spokesman Clark Stevens says.

That leaves the perennial problem of evacuation. Some have proposed reexamining a solution that traffic engineers began looking into in 1990, after Hurricane Floyd prompted massive traffic jams as people in the Carolinas fled their homes. The lanes going in the opposite direction were empty. So road scholars focused on the possibility of making all lanes go in one direction, says Louisiana State University Prof. Chester Wilmont.

Florida has had a standby plan for one-way evacuations since 1994, but it has yet to make the idea a priority. Officials prefer to execute staged evacuations, first with tourists and trailer park residents and then with outlying beach communities, so that the evacuation is orderly and traffic continues to flow, says Jennifer Olson, chief operating officer of Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise.

The standing one-way plan would also require a lot of manpower: an estimated 720 more transportation workers and state troopers to police traffic in the Miami area alone, more than doubling what was required before. Worst of all, traffic would slow where the roadway narrows in Palm Beach County. "You’ll have traffic jams backed up for miles," says Metropolitan Planning Organization Director Randy Whitfield. "If you have an accident, it will totally shut down the evacuation."

Tough watering restrictions will continue around the Tampa Bay area, but one county will be slightly easing restrictions.

Residents of Hillsborough County can still only water one time per week for four hours a day, but they can now wash their cars once a week and use decorative fountains for up to four hours per day.

Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties are under the "Phase IV" water restrictions.  They are the strictest water rules ever imposed in the region's history.

Members of the Southwest Florida Water Management District, or Swiftmud, voted unanimously in April to implement the plan.

"These are by far the most severe restrictions ever imposed in the state of Florida," said Swiftmud's Dave Moore. The rules impact Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties.

Pinellas County commissioners have agreed to continue talks with the Pinellas Utilities Department. The utility that serves Pinellas residents is asking for a 13% increase to replace some of its systems and because it says it is paying more to survive these days.

At a recent meeting, commissioner Nancy Bostock asked the utility if it could somehow look into cutting its administrative costs and report on the finding at the next meeting.

Residents are asked to attend that next meeting if they are against the rate increase. The rates include: base, fuel, nuclear, environmental and energy conservation. Grant said each rate is decided through a separate process that determines the final cost per kilowatt hour of electrical use.

Base rate

Progress Energy Florida informed the Public Service Commission of its intent to request an increase in the base rate in February and filed the necessary paperwork in March, Grant said.

The base rate, which, depending on fuel costs, amounts to about 1/3 of customers’ bills. It pays the cost to produce and deliver electricity which includes operations of energy plants, power lines, maintenance, improvements and other needs such as hardening facilities for hurricanes.

The increase is needed not only to keep up with the rising cost of plant operations and maintenance, it also would allow Progress Energy Florida to recoup the costs of improvements to the Bartow power plant located on Weedon Island in St. Petersburg. The two-year, $800 million project, which was completed this year, changed the 50-year-old facility's primary fuel source from fuel oil to more efficient, cleaner burning natural gas.

Fuel costs

Fuel costs make up the largest portion of the electricity bill, Grant said, and Progress Energy uses a variety of fuel sources to generate the power needed to serve more than 1.6 million customers in 35 counties.

Nuclear costs

Unlike non-nuclear powered plants, which utilities recoup costs on after they’re complete, a 2005 law allows for customers to be billed pre-construction for nuclear plants.

Grant said the law was meant to encourage utilities to build nuclear plants which are more efficient and less expensive than using other fuels.

Progress Energy began charging its customers in 2009 in anticipation of building two new nuclear plants in Levy County. Due to the economy, the utility requested permission from the PSC in March to reduce the nuclear charge, as well as the fuel charge, Grant said.

Taking control of electric bills

Beyond the ability to testify at a public hearing or send in a written statement, the public has very little control over the rates that make up their electricity bill. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t make change to lower their electrical use and their bills.

Grant said the public can do a lot to make a difference in their electrical bill, and Progress Energy has a number of programs to help, including free energy checks.

Living in such an urban area, people often think that we don’t have much wildlife; but it is all around us. However, sometimes we have to look harder to find it. With proper landscape planning and improved maintenance practices, we can just walk out into our backyard and see an abundance of creatures. Naturally, I’m not talking about deer, and other large mammals, unless you live next to a preserve. There are a myriad of songbirds, butterflies, reptiles, amphibians, beneficial insects and others. Florida is the third most diverse state in the nation with over 1200 species of animals. Now, I’m not suggesting that anyone try to attract all 1200 species, as that would be a futile endeavor, since some have very limited ranges in North or South Florida.

In less than one and a half years, I have attracted at least 15 butterfly species to my backyard as well as many songbirds, owls, snakes, frogs and toads and a host of beneficial and non-beneficial insects. In other words, the good the bad and the ugly but, oh, what entertaining observations I’ve made. Hint: if it is a harmful insect and is causing limited damage, you don’t need to kill it--watch it awhile--natural predators may devour it. It is not an overnight process but, enlarging plant beds, removing some grass and gradually changing out “old-fashioned” hedging materials with plants that provide nectar and fruit will be a step in the right direction. Obviously, in addition to food, wildlife must also have water, shelter and space to raise young. Different plants offer different qualities so a change-out would require more than one species.

Research is the key to any good landscaping plan. A good place to start is “A Guide to Florida-Friendly Landscaping Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Handbook” which can be downloaded at: http://pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/fyn/fyn_publications.shtml or ordered from the Southwest Florida Water Management District at: http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/publications/type/all. It includes the “Florida -Friendly Plant List”. This list shows what part of the state a plant grows best in, if it’s a Florida native, height and spread, soil type, moisture needs, sun or shade requirements, salt tolerance and whether it attracts wildlife. Another great source of information is the University of Florida Wildlife Extension at: http://www.wec.ufl.edu/extension/landscaping.

Clearly everyone develops favorites. I love many of the native wildflowers and shrubs because over time wildlife has evolved with these plants. Also, it prevents the introduction of invasive exotics. My favorite of all shrubs, the biggest bang-for-the-buck, is Firebush Hamelia patens, a favorite of nectaring butterflies and hummingbirds. Later when the fruit ripens, the songbirds are attracted to it. Other great species are Beauty Berry Callicarpa americana, Rouge plant Rivina humilis, Simpson’s Stopper Myrcianthes fragrans, Florida Privet Forestiera segregata and many of the Hollies Ilex spp. Butterflies, besides the nectar plants, need plants for the larval stage. Caterpillars are eating machines, so you must remember you will have plant damage and you cannot use pesticides in a butterfly garden. Milkweed, Cassias, and Passionvine are good to start with as they each attract more than one butterfly species.

I could list plants and what they attract for days. That is not the point. You plant it and they will come. Not only does this help provide wildlife habitat in a state where it is dwindling at an alarming rate, it is the right and sustainable thing to do. We all want future generations to enjoy birds, butterflies, ladybugs, dragonflies, owls, hummingbirds, frogs, toads, snakes (I know not everyone wants snakes!), and countless other species. We can create corridors for the wildlife by starting in our yards and maybe convincing neighbors to make a few changes. Many of the plants that are attractive to wildlife are drought tolerant and require very little pruning, fertilizing or pesticides. With the possibility of saving time, money and helping the environment by keeping landscape chemicals out of the ground water, what better decision could you make? Just provide the basic needs of food, water, shelter, and space. You can attract all of the above and more depending on space and nearby water bodies. I did and what fun I’m having!

Alzheimer’s Association benefit pancake breakfast
SEMINOLE – A pancake breakfast that will benefit the Alzheimer’s Association is planned Saturday, July 11, 9 to 10:30 a.m. in the third-floor dining room of Freedom Square, 10801 Johnson Blvd. In addition to pancakes, the breakfast will include sausage, bacon, muffins and more. The cost is $5. Call 398-0379.

Poolside Premieres movie series
SEMINOLE – The annual Poolside Premieres movie series is back for another summer of family viewing fun at the Seminole Family Aquatic Center, 9100 113th St. Movies will be played pool side on the first Friday of each month during the summer through August.

The schedule is: Friday, July 10, “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” and Friday, Aug. 7, “Madagascar 2.”

The July showing has been moved back a week to July 10. The cost of admission will be the regular admission price to enter the pool. Each movie will begin at sundown, usually around 8:30 p.m. For more information, call 397-6085.

Music in the Park sponsors
SEMINOLE – The City of Seminole is seeking sponsors for the 13th annual Music in the Park series Sept. 18 to Oct. 23 at Seminole City Park. The free community event features six consecutive Friday nights of live music. The park is located at 7464 Ridge Road and will feature a different genre of music each week from 7 to 9 p.m. For more information, call Duane Crandall, recreation program coordinator at 391-8345.

Adult tap dance
SEMINOLE – Adult tap dance lessons are currently offered at the Seminole Recreation Center.

The Definition of Dance Studio presents the program for all Seminole Recreation members. Classes are $36 per four-week session. Preregistration is required. Participants must be Seminole Recreation members. For more information, call 391-8345.

Yoga classes
SEMINOLE – Yoga classes are offered at the Seminole Recreation Center, 9100 113th St., Mondays, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Classes are just $7 each. Participants should bring their own mat and must be a Seminole Recreation member to participate. For more information, please call 391-8345.

Step aerobics
SEMINOLE – A step aerobics class is back at the Seminole Recreation Center under the direction of instructor Amanda Collins. All ages and fitness levels welcome. Classes are on Tuesdays, 6 to 7 p.m. Cost is $5 a class. Participants must have a Seminole Recreation card. Call 391-8345 for more information.

T’Ai Chi classes
SEMINOLE – T’Ai Chi classes are available at Seminole Recreation on Tuesdays, 7:15 p.m. Cost is $5. Call 391-8345.

Tae Kwon Do classes set
SEMINOLE – Monday nights at the Seminole Recreation Center are a kicking good time. Its long successful Tae Kwon Do program, is still inviting new martial art masters to join the program for fun, exercise and fellowship. Kim Jackson instructs ages 3 and up with each class lasting 45 minutes. Youth and adult classes are $40 per four-week session. Call 391-8345.

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This video feature the highlights of Pinellas Trail for both locals and visitors to the Pinellas area.  It is a great way to see the citiesin an eco-freindly way.

A Largo middle school student Gabby D'Annunzio, 12, who was a contestant during Jeopardy's Kids Week can finally announce that she won!

The show was taped in March but she was not permitted to announce her win until now.  Producers asked the family not to talk about the show until after it aired Wednesday night.

"People were always telling me their theories," said D'Annunzio, who is enrolled in a gifted program for math and science at Fitzgerald Middle School. "I think you won, I think you came in second. And I'm like 'well, I would like to tell you that you're right or wrong but I can't!'"

The D'Annunzios threw a viewing block party that filled three homes on their block. The family estimates 200 friends showed up. They even hired some security to help with the crowd.

Gabby got the winning question about geography - one of D'Annunzio's favorite subjects.  After another contestant answered the question wrong, D'Annunzio got it right and won $15,201.

Gabby's former 5th-grade teacher says she's not surprised she won. "Her mind is quick and she's calm and she enjoys it," said Jeanne Wellings. "It's not pressure for her." So, what did D'Annunzio think about being on national TV? "I hope my hair looked good," she said. More than a 140,000 children nationwide applied for Jeopardy's Kids Week. Only about a dozen made it on the show. D'Annunzio says they're going to use some of her winnings to go on a family vacation in Europe. The rest will go into a college fund.

The private group"A Baseball Community," (ABC) exploring the options for a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium held another meeting Thursday. The group, continues to review options for Tropicana Field in the Pinealls County Area. Reports from ABC showed renovating, rebuilding and selling the stadium were bad ideas right now.

The group is also looking for ways to gain business and fan support for the Rays. The group expects to have detailed reports on five potential sites by August. The sites are downtown St. Petersburg and Carillon in Pinellas and downtown Tampa, the Westshore area and the fairgrounds in Hillsborough County.  An analysis of each site would consider income levels in surrounding neighborhoods, population within a 30- to 45-minute drive and availability of land. They are also looking at the economic impact of the team on the Bay area and trends in stadium design. Officials stress that the meetings are only preliminary and that the Rays' lease with St. Petersburg lasts until 2027.

Rays spokesman Michael Kalt said:  "This has evolved into a community discussion about where, what is the future of major league baseball (in the Bay area) and where it is best positioned here,' Kalt said. "And there is a lease between the city and the Rays and ultimately the city is going to have to be a part of the discussion as are we, as is the whole community.'

The Seminole "Music in the Park" event grows in popularity each year and excitement for event is back.

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Seminole City Park
7464 Ridge Road
Seminole, FL 33772

Seminole Music in the Park Band Schedule:

Friday September 18th - Molten Mike Group

Friday September 25th - Saint tone

Friday October 2nd - Boulevard Jazz Orchestra

Friday October 9th - Slickside

Friday October 16th - Big Night Out

Friday October 23rd - 60's Groove

When it comes to gay travel in Florida, there's an entire coast that often gets overshadowed by the glitz of Miami and the big-budget tourism push of Fort Lauderdale.

But mention to residents of the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area that you're from that well-populated area to the southeast, and they just nod and flash a smile that comes much closer to pity than envy.

They'll forgo the traffic and the trendiness in favor of their 35 miles of white sand beaches, arts-minded community, and gay bars without attitude, thank you very much.

The laid-back peninsula, sandwiched between the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay in the middle of Florida's west coast, is comprised of 24 municipalities -- the kind of towns where shops hawking seashells, miniature golf courses with giant pirate ships and ice cream stands shaped like oversize cones haven't been bulldozed to make way for Trump Towers. Or as one native says, "This is the kind of place where you shift your brain into neutral."

The 300-plus days of sunshine annually have made the peninsula's beaches the tourism-focused counterpart to Tampa's convention and business center over the causeway, 30 minutes east. But it's neither a community of beach bums nor an enclave for the elderly.

Over the past few years, St. Petersburg has seen an influx of gay business, the signs of major revitalization efforts along downtown's Central Avenue and an expansion of its already-vibrant arts scene.

St. Pete Pride will be held June 27, and it now presents one of the state's biggest LGBT pride festival, with an estimated 70,000 attending. The city is also home to the largest collection of Salvador Dali's works outside Spain, and houses a permanent exhibition from renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly, part of a downtown development project that includes retail space and condos. The nearby city of Gulfport, with its sherbet-colored homes and twice-monthly gallery walks, has a reputation as a lesbian mecca and haven for artists.

A rental car -- preferably a convertible -- is the most effective mode for exploring the sprawling beaches, parks, and downtown. Don't expect a major metropolis or Disney-style uniformity; St. Pete falls into a bohemian middle ground. Get into its groove and you'll soon find yourself singing loudly to '80s music with the top down.

Where to play

When it comes to gay nightlife, think casual. There's no need for Prada here. Don't miss the venerable Georgie's Alibi (3100 Third Ave. N.), by far the most attractive of the local gar bars. Friendly and festive, Alibi packs 'em in for Long Island iced tea nights Thursdays and stays busy through the weekend. It's the sister to the long-running Fort Lauderdale gay bar of the same name, but people actually dance at this location. (Perhaps the go-go boys inspire them.) Grand Central Station (2612 Central Ave; 727-327-8204) is connected to The Platform (2608 Central Ave; 727-327-8204) a leather/Levi bar, forming a sizable anchor in downtown's gay-popular Grand Central District.

In oh-so-gay-friendly Gulfport, The Oar House (4807 22nd Ave. S.; 727-327-1691) and PepperZ (4918 22nd Ave. S.; 727-327-4897) share the same owners, the same divey style, and are both connected to a liquor store. (Drink in or carry out!) Clearwater boasts the granddaddy of all the local gay bars: the Pro Shop Pub (840 Cleveland St; 727-447-4259).

The beach scene

Even if you're not a sun worshipper, don't miss taking a leisurely walk along the Gulf of Mexico, where dolphins are frequently spotted just offshore. Clearwater Beach to the north of the peninsula and St. Pete Beach to the south draw the biggest crowds. Join gay bathers at Sunset Beach, at the southern tip of Treasure Island, or laid-back Pass-A-Grille Beach, located in a sleepy residential community that was homesteaded in 1886 at the southern end of St. Pete Beach.

Natural beauty abounds in Fort De Soto Park, which connects to the southern end of the peninsula via bridges. Its North Beach claimed the No. 1 spot on Dr. Beach's "America's Best Beaches" list in 2005.

To really get away from the crowds, head north to Clearwater and take the ferry to Caladesi Island State Park, an undeveloped gem that's home to armadillos, wading birds, a three-mile nature trail, and another highly rated beach.

Get into the spirit of St. Pete with Kayoga (664 Central Ave; 727-895-9593), which combines paddling a kayak to one of the barrier islands near Fort De Soto with practicing yoga on a glistening white-sand beach. Tim Ganley, who conceived the trips, just might be the gay-friendliest straight man on the planet.

City highlights

Spanish painter Salvador Dali claimed he never used mind-altering substances to creates his surrealist masterpieces, but there's no denying that visiting the Salvador Dali Museum (1000 Third St. S.; 800-442-3254 or 727-823-3767) is quite a trip.

On a more traditional note, the Museum of Fine Arts (255 Beach Drive NE; 727-896-2667) houses a charming 4,600-piece collection ranging from Monet and Cezanne to African sculptures and regularly hosts touring shows.

Stock up on fresh produce, cheeses, and seafood for the condo fridge at the Saturday Morning Market (early October to late May; Central Avenue at Second Street) where you'll also spy plenty of gay locals in the mix.

Where to grab a bite

Gay-friendly businesses are plentiful in downtown St. Pete around Central Avenue. Dive into gay-owned Bella Brava (515 Central Ave; 727-895-5515) at lunchtime for salads, pizza, and paninis with yummy parmesan fries. Take the gang or a date to Ceviche (Ponce de Leon Hotel; 10 Beach Drive SE; 727-209-2302) to share tasty, authentic Spanish tapas.

Café Alma (260 First Ave. S., #100; 727-502-5002), with its basement locale, sets the mood for a romantic dinner; but it's also popular for its Saturday brunch with a build-your-own bloody Mary bar. For a major brunch splurge, sashay through the crimson draperies at Marchand's Bar and Grill in the luxurious Renaissance Vinoy Hotel (501 Fifth Ave NE; 727-894-1000) built in 1925.

Gay-owned The King and I Thai Restaurant (445 Central Ave; 727-898-8056; $9-17) is a pleasant, inexpensive stop for lunch or dinner, while gay-owned coffeehouse Café Dolce (2444 Central Ave; 727-327-3990) in the Grand Central District makes superb sandwiches and keeps the local gay publications on hand.

Watch the sun sink into Boca Ciega Bay from the second-floor deck of Gulfport's Aqua Bella Raw Bar and Grill (3128 Beach Blvd. S., Gulfport; 727-328-8280) while nibbling on super-fresh fish courtesy of Hook's, which operates the downstairs sushi bar (and has another location in downtown St. Pete, 1210 Ninth St. N.; 727-898-HOOK).

Home away from home

Settling in on the water for a day, a week, or a month is as simple as calling Condos by Sirata (office at 18131 Gulf Blvd, Redington Shores; 877-4-SIRATA or 727-319-8701). Properties include the Hotel Isis in Redington Shores, the charming 10-unit Coconut Villas across the street, and the Boca Ciega condos on the bay of the same name -- all of which blend tropical touches with recent upgrades.

Cuddle up with your honey at gay-friendly La Veranda (111 Fifth Ave. N; 800-484-8423, ext. 8471 or 727-824-9997) a quirky, rambling B&B with, yep, expansive verandas, and a convenient-to-downtown locale. Lesbian-owned Changing Tides (225 Boca Ciega Drive, Madeira Beach; 727-397-7706) on Boca Ciega Harbor markets its basic, clean cottages to "family." (Pets welcome, too!)

For more gay-friendly accommodations, request a copy of the visitor's resource guide from the St. Pete/Clearwater Area Convention and Visitor's Bureau (877-352-3224) and look for properties marked with a rainbow.

Written by L. Halden

Florida Association of Realtors(R) Announces Face of Foreclosure Project and Website

ORLANDO, Fla., July 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Across Florida, people are struggling to deal with some of the aftershocks caused by the current economy, including the alarming rise in foreclosed homes now devastating families and communities.

To gain a better understanding of foreclosure, the people who are affected by it and the impact it has on their lives, the Florida Association of Realtors(R) (FAR) has initiated "The Face of Foreclosure," a project aimed at gathering as much meaningful information as possible on this monumental, complex problem.

"Florida Realtors(R) are launching the 'Face of Foreclosure' website, www.floridafaceofforeclosure.com, in an effort to better define the true face of foreclosure in Florida," says 2009 FAR President Cynthia Shelton, CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member). "Our goal is to ask consumers - especially those who have personally experienced foreclosure - to visit the website and take a survey to help us compile this vitally needed research. We are discovering that in most cases, many victims of foreclosure believe they were never more than a loan number or a case number. They have a story to tell - a story that we all need to hear. Through this website, Florida Realtors are asking the questions that will reveal these personal experiences of foreclosure."

The Florida Association of Realtors recently received a $97,000 grant from the National Association of Realtors(R) (NAR) to assist with foreclosure prevention and promote foreclosure prevention awareness. As a result, FAR purchased statewide radio announcements to educate consumers about foreclosure prevention resources, and will continue to provide educational materials and support efforts aimed at foreclosure prevention.

In conjunction with these efforts, FAR has undertaken a research project that will foster a more thorough understanding of foreclosure trends throughout the state of Florida, says John Sebree, FAR's vice president of public policy. "As part of this project, we are currently examining the past three years of Florida foreclosure data from numerous sources, which we expect will shed light on some of the reasons for disparities in foreclosure information reported in the media," he said.

Through the Face of Foreclosure website at www.floridafaceofforeclosure.com, FAR hopes to collect high-quality, factual survey data regarding foreclosure victims and the circumstances surrounding their experience, he noted.

"All of this information will provide the building blocks for strong advocacy and ultimately, good public policy as it relates to the housing market in all its facets," Sebree said. "Along with further research, this data will help us find solutions as we seek to better understand foreclosures in Florida."

All ages and skill levels can learn from performers from the Levendia Troupe 7-8:30 p.m. today, July 16, 23 and 30 at the Heritage Museum, 100 Beekman Lane, Craig Park. $20 for four classes. Call (727) 942-5605 or visit tarponarts.org.

Today

Espresso Yourself: Children in grades 5-12 can create paintings using brewed coffee and tea at 2 p.m. at the Countryside Library, 2741 State Road 580, Clearwater. Call (727) 562-4970 or visit myclearwater.com/cpl.

Working toward a drug-free society: The Rotary Club of East Lake Sunrise will present speaker Patrick B. McEneaney, director, Phoenix Houses of New England and Florida, at its 7:30 a.m. breakfast meeting at Tarpon Woods Country Club, 1100 Tarpon Woods Blvd., Palm Harbor. Breakfast cost is $15. Call Roger Johnson at (727) 781-5555.

Beach concert: Enjoy golden oldies with Ron and the Classics 7-9 p.m. at a free concert on Sunset Beach, located at the west end of Gulf Road, Tarpon Springs. Refreshments available for purchase. Call (727) 942-5628.

Play chess: Join enthusiasts Jim Martin and Jack Thompson 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. or 5:30-7:30 p.m. every Thursday at the Palm Harbor Library, 2330 Nebraska Ave. All skill levels invited. Call (727) 784-3332, ext. 3006.

Summer art & story hour: This art-related program designed for young children and their families begins at 6 p.m. and Aug. 13 in the Interactive Gallery of the Leepa Rattner Museum, 600 Klosterman Road, Tarpon Springs. Free for kids; included with museum admission for adults. Call (727) 712-5762.

Genealogy help: Members of the Caladesi Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, are available to assist the public with genealogy research 1-3 p.m. Thursdays at Dunedin Public Library, 223 Douglas Ave. No appointment necessary. Call (727) 733-5383.

Bingo: All are welcome to play at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday at VFW Post 2473, 1401 N Hercules Ave., Clearwater. Call (727) 447-0922.

Noon bingo: Game starts at noon every Thursday at Turner-Brandon American Legion Post 7, 1760 Turner St., Clearwater. Wear your Legion shirt and get a second beverage free. Call (727) 442-5293.

Happy endings: Hear favorite "Once Upon a Time" folk and fairy tales at Thursday's Tales, 2:30 p.m. at the Clearwater Main Library, 100 N Osceola Ave. Call (727) 562-4970 or visit myclearwater.com/cpl.

Catch the rhythm: Participate in a drumming circle at 3 p.m. at the North Greenwood Library, 905 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., Clearwater. Call (727) 562-4970 or visit myclearwater.com/cpl.

Friday

Puppet show: Enjoy Show Time with the Dascaloja Puppeteers as they perform songs, folktales and puppet shows at 2 p.m. at the Clearwater Main Library, 100 N Osceola Ave. Call (727) 562-4970 or visit myclearwater.com/cpl.

Books to movies: Watch classic books that have been made into movies at the program Movies You Should Be Reading at 2 p.m. at the Clearwater East Library, 2251 Drew St. For a list of titles call Call (727) 562-4970 or visit myclearwater.com/cpl.

Writers group: Writers of all skill levels interested in getting published are invited to join the Writers Critique Group that meets 10 a.m.-1 p.m. every Friday at the Tarpon Springs Public Library, 138 E Lemon St. Call David at (727) 942-9540.

Friday night fun: 5 to 8 p.m. every Friday at American Legion Post 119, 130 First Ave. SW, Largo. Seafood or chicken dinners will be available. Cost is $6.50. Bill Johnson and his karaoke machine will entertain from 7 to 11 p.m. Call (727) 584-2038.

Musical extravaganza: Dickens' timeless characters come to life in Oliver! with performances at 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and July 17, 18, 24 and 25; and 2 p.m. Sunday, and July 19 and 26 at the Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center, 324 Pine St. Tickets $16, $14 members, $12 students. Call (727) 942-5605 or visit tarponarts.org.

Friday bingo: Open to the public, games start at 12:15 p.m. at American Legion Post 275, 360 Wilson St., Dunedin. Lunch available 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Call (727) 733-8153.

Sunset Sounds: Unwind with family and friends at this free music series 7-9 p.m. the second Friday of each month at Ulmer Park, 301 West Bay Drive, Largo. For information call (727) 587-6740 ext. 5014 or visit LargoEvents.com.

Flick N Float: Relax in the pool and watch a family movie 7:30-11 p.m. at Southwest Pool, 13120 Vonn Road, Largo. Free hot dogs and concessions available. Movie begins at dusk. Call (727) 518-3128 or visit LargoPools.com.

Saturday

Meet the authors: Dr. Stan Giannet and his mother, Dr. Dina Giannet, will greet the public and sign copies of their respective books (Love Is Stronger Than Death and Words to Live By) noon-2 p.m. at Book Bank USA, 10500 Ulmerton Road, Suite 360, Largo. Call (727) 588-0474.

Day to play: As part of "Your Day to Play," the U.S. National Synchronized Swimming Team will perform a water show at 10:45 a.m. at Southwest Pool, 13120 Vonn Road, Largo. The Largo Recreation, Parks & Arts Department will offer free fun at its other facilities starting at 9 a.m. For details call (727) 518-3016.

Watch a movie: Come out to Summer Saturday Movie Night 6-8 p.m. at Southwest Complex, 13120 Vonn Road, Largo. Registration begins June 1. For movie selection call (727) 518-3125.

Red, White & Blue: Katie Adams will tell tales and legends from America's early days entwined with old-time songs at 3 p.m. at Tarpon Springs Cultural Center, 101 S Pinellas Ave. Tickets $15, $13 members, students. Call (727) 942-5605 or visit tarponarts.org.

Twilight teens: Celebrate the Twilight series with a costume contest for grades 6-12 at 2 p.m. at Clearwater East Library, 2251 Drew. St. Register online at myclearwater.com/cpl.

Summer Saturday Green Market: Open 7:30 a.m.-noon the second Saturday of every month through October in Pioneer Park, at Main Street and Douglas Avenue, Dunedin. Features produce, cheeses, seafood, plants and herbs, honey, organic products and more. Call (727) 733-4215.

Teen fashion show: The Palm Harbor Library will host its second annual teen fashion show at 2 p.m. at 2330 Nebraska Ave. Free admission. All ages welcome, no registration required. Call (727) 784-3332 ext. 3006.

Your Pinellas home’s true worth: Who can tell these days?

One of the biggest mysteries in Pinellas County Real Estate these days is: How much is that house worth?

Appraisers, real-estate agents, buyers and sellers across Pinellas County are in a quandary about whether to include bargain-basement sales in the price mix when determining the value of a nearby, comparable homes.

It has really caused havoc in the Pinellas County Real Estate market right now. Hopefully it will turn around as we go through inventory of foreclosures and other distress sales. But I want to emphasize that it could take some time. Pinellas County is at an all time high when it comes to foreclosures and distressed sales in the real estate market.

The confusion over local home values in a changing market is compounded when it takes weeks – or even months – for actual sale prices to reach government and commercial Web sites.  Going to www.daniellekelley.com you can go to the sellers section and click on FREE neighborhood reports and submit your information, you will then recieve monthy updates of Real Estate Sold homes in your neighborhood.

If you’re trying to track trends in a specific neighborhood, at www.daniellekelley.com you can find out what homes sold for in any Pinellas County area. The service is free. Current sales information on Pinellas County Real Estate also can affect homeowners who are considering whether to sell or refinance their property as well.

Don't miss the boat - Now is the best time to buy Pinellas County Real Estate.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – July 7, 2009 – A new law empowers Florida homeowners to ignore some community’s covenants or deed restrictions to create an environment-friendly yard.

A water conservation bill signed last week by Gov. Charlie Crist, SB 2080, included an amendment concerning Florida homeowners’ lawns. Introduced as a stand-alone bill by Sen. Carey Baker (R-Eustis), the drive to empower homeowners to plant Florida-friendly yards was rolled into the larger water bill, and a side note to the larger issue.

According to the new law, the state has a “compelling public interest” in conserving water, and “the participation of homeowners’ associations and local governments is essential to state efforts in water conservation.” Consequently, the law creates new rules for local water districts, governments and homeowners’ associations.

For associations, the law says a “deed restriction or covenant may not prohibit or be forced so as to prohibit any property owner from implementing Florida-friendly landscaping on his or her land.”

The law creates questions, however, such as which plants are appropriate and which are not, and calls on the water management districts to work with the Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Association to create more specific guidelines. Developers are studying the new law.

Still, it could empower current residents to take on their homeowners’ association. A homeowner could, for example, decide to fill his yard with Florida wildflowers and ignore a deed restriction, such as a requirement for all homes to use St. Augustine grass, which requires a lot of water to maintain.

The University of Florida IFAS has extensive information on native and non-native plants, and offers general guidelines on Florida-friendly landscaping at: http://fyn.ifas.ufl.edu/index.html

CLEARWATER Real Estate owners affected by Sinkholes?

— Sink holes, dried-up wells, money and saltwater intrusion are the biggest concerns of Clearwater real estate owners.

About 50 Countryside residents grilled city officials Wednesday night about Clearwater's plans to drill drinking water wells near their neighborhoods. The city brought a slew of engineers, consultants, charts, maps and diagrams to a community meeting at the Countryside Recreation Center to answer questions.

Some Clearwater Real Estate owners left the meeting at least somewhat reassured. Others remain vocally opposed to the project.

Clearwater officials say they're satisfied with scientific evidence supporting the city's plan to drill 13 new wells to pump drinking water from deep underground. They say the city must find more sources of fresh water, and they're confident that the wells won't cause sinkholes and won't affect Clearwater Real Estate Owners and/or the tenants of such. The City Council agreed last month to go ahead with this. The city recently started the project by fixing some old wells that had broken down. But before Clearwater begins drilling new wells, the council of Clearwater Real Estate Owners wanted to hold one more community meeting to try to allay the fears of Countryside residents. Six of the 13 new wells are to be clustered in an area near Countryside Mall.

Some Countryside Real Estate owners are firmly opposed to the wells and are considering some kind of legal action, and even hired a videographer to wander around and tape the proceedings Wednesday night.

Many Clearwater Real Estate homeowners wanted an ironclad guarantee from the city that the deep water wells will never cause any problems. But the city wouldn't give them that.

City engineering director's answer was that no scientist or engineer would ever issue a 100 percent guarantee. But he stressed that the city is confident it's doing the responsible thing.

Improvements being made to 102nd Ave in Seminole How will the affect Seminole Real Estate on 102nd Ave.

SEMINOLE Real Estate—It appears the county has finally figured out a way to alleviate some congestion on 102nd Avenue N with minimal disturbance to the neighborhood.

County commissioners agreed during a workshop Tuesday to adopt a plan that would widen the four-lane section of 102nd west through the Ridge Road intersection. There would be improvements to intersections at Seminole Boulevard, 113th Street, Ridge Road, 119th Street and Antilles Drive.

Signals would be added at the intersections of Ridge, 125th and Antilles. Sidewalks and bicycle lanes would be added, an upgraded signal would be installed at the Pinellas Trail crossing and a flashing crossing light would be installed for horses where the trail crosses 102nd near the Walsingham horse park.

The cost: $5.7 million for improvements to the 2.4 mile stretch of road. That's considerably less than the original $34 million plan that would have improved and widened a 10-mile stretch of 102nd. The design and construction timetable have yet to be determined.

Residents had long and loudly objected to the original plan for safety reasons and fears that a wider street would destroy their neighborhood ambience. Seminole Real Estate may be affected. We'll have to wait and see.

Looking for a place where your teens can volunteer in Pinellas County?

Are you looking for a good reliable place where your teens can volunteer, one which will offer them leadership roles, help the community, and teach them to make responsible decisions? Then you should consider the 4-H Teen Council for your teens where we will be applying all of the above in a fun and safe 4-H environment.

The Teen Council will be an all year volunteering organization open to all 4-H members ages13 and up. Teens who are not currently 4-H members are encouraged to enroll in 4-H and become members of this exciting group. If you are familiar with the 4-H District Council, then you can expect the same types of activities from the 4-H Teen Council. These activities can include community service projects, working with younger youth in the 4-H clubs, and helping with county-wide events. The youth will learn and apply parliamentary procedure in every meeting so that they will become proficient in it. While the Teen Council is a youth adult partnership, it will be up to the youth to organize and run the meetings. Also if any 4-H’er was thinking of becoming a part of District Council, Teen Council would be a great segue because Teen Council will teach the youth the importance of leadership and give them hands-on skills to advance to the District or State levels.

The teens joining the Teen Council, whether they hold office or not, are a part of Teen Council and thus responsible for the workings of Teen Council. Everyone will be expected to participate, share their ideas, and come to meetings. This will teach youth the value of being in a group as well as being reliable. All decisions will be put to a vote so the youth must choose whether they’re for or against a topic and then act on that decision.

A very important concern for parents of teens is Bright Futures and volunteer hours. Because 4-H is a non profit organization, youth can receive credit for volunteering with the Teen Council. 4-H Teen Council is really trying to boost leadership, community service and responsibility in our teen 4-H members. Any teen age 13 or up in Pinellas County should consider becoming a member of our council. If you have any questions or suggestions please feel free to contact us with the information below.

Andrew Yuan ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )(727) 582-2103 or Melissa Sharp ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )(727) 582-2514

Here you can find some of the latest lists info and Pinellas County Real Estate for sale.  Feel free to search all Pinellas Real Estate here at http://daniellekelley.remax.net

Waste Pro USA has acquired St. Pete Recycling Solutions, and expects to expand services in Pinellas County, reports BizJournals. 

Waste Pro’s Bradenton facility currently collects the waste of St. Pete Recycling’s accounts in the St. Petersburg vicinity. The acquisition looks to take advantage of major growth that is expected throughout Pinellas. Regulations requiring recycling in Pinellas are expected to drop in 2010.

St. Pete Recycling’s founder, Greg Foster, will be Waste Pro’s development manager for Pinellas.

Waste Pro is based in Longwood, Florida. They operate throughout Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina.

TREASURE ISLAND — The city's "sewer war" with St. Petersburg, temporarily resolved in 2001 and again in 2004, will now be fought in circuit court.

At issue is nearly $500,000 sitting in an escrow account that Treasure Island is refusing to pay for treatment of sewage pumped to St. Petersburg's Northwest Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The money, accumulating in the escrow account at an average of $25,000 a month, represents a 25 percent surcharge St. Petersburg began levying on Treasure Island customers in January 2008.

That was when a 25-year-old agreement between the two cities expired.

"It's a pretty big dispute. We have been collecting the surcharge and holding it under protest," said Treasure Island City Attorney Maura Kiefer on Thursday.

This is not the first time the two cities have fought over wastewater treatment rates.

In 1998, St. Petersburg tried to hike its fees 65 percent. Treasure Island refused to pay the increase.

That fight was resolved in 2001 when the cities agreed to a reduced rate schedule. Further disputes led to a revision of the agreement between the two cities in 2004.

When the two cities could not agree on a new contract last year, Treasure Island refused to pay a 25 percent surcharge Kiefer calls "just a money-maker" for St. Petersburg.

The two cities tried to resolve the dispute through nonbinding mediation, but were unsuccessful.

Kiefer says both cities "have agreed that a court declaration regarding the surcharge issue is necessary."

St. Petersburg officials declined to comment.

St. Petersburg began treating Treasure Island's wastewater in 1978 after the federal Environmental Protection Agency, acting under the Federal Clean Water Act, forced the closing of smaller municipal wastewater treatment plants, including plants on Treasure Island and St. Pete Beach.

The EPA designated St. Petersburg's Northwest Plant as a regional plant and funded millions of dollars in upgrades to expand its capacity.

Because St. Pete Beach has a different agreement with St. Petersburg that runs in "perpetuity," according to Public Services Director Steve Hallock, the city pays a wholesale rate that does not include the 25 percent surcharge.

Kiefer argues that even though Treasure Island's agreement with St. Petersburg has expired, the city should not face a surcharge, either.

A state law that allows such a surcharge does not apply, she says, because the Northwest plant lies within the St. Petersburg city limits.

Her larger argument, however, is that when the EPA granted millions to upgrade the Northwest plant, the Clean Water Act said that grant fund recipients — Treasure Island and St. Petersburg — should pay only their "proportionate share" of the costs to operate the plant.

Keifer warns that allowing the 25 percent surcharge violates the grant requirements and would cause "irreparable harm" to Treasure Island and St. Petersburg because the cities would then be required to pay back the money originally granted by the EPA.

According to the lawsuit Kiefer filed last week, Treasure Island wants the court to issue a summary judgment declaring the surcharge illegal and a permanent injunction against St. Petersburg preventing further efforts to collect the surcharge.

If Treasure Island is successful in its court action, the City Commission will have to decide what to do with the surcharge paid by residential and commercial sewer customers since January 2008.

Pinellas County Pending Home Sales Rise Again

Pending home sales show a sustained uptrend, rising for four consecutive months with very favorable housing affordability and a first-time buyer tax credit boosting activity, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in May, increased 0.1 percent to 90.7 from an upwardly revised reading of 90.6 in April, and is 6.7 percent higher than May 2008 when it was 85.0. The last time there were four consecutive monthly gains was in October 2004.

Closed existing-home sales have improved but are coming in lower than expected because some contracts are delayed or falling through from the application of new appraisal rules for many transactions,Rises in contract activity show buyers are becoming more active even as they face much more stringent loan underwriting standards. Speedy clarification of the appraisal rules could smooth a housing market recovery and support the overall economy.