On Saturday, February 13th, concerned Florida residents and visitors will make their objections to off-shore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico known during Hands Across the Sand, a state wide event.
The Clearwater Marine Aquarium will release JoJo, an adult Loggerhead sea turtle on Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m. The release will take place on Clearwater Beach behind the Palm Pavilion restaurant at 10 Bay Esplanade. The public is invited to watch.
The world has changed over the last 20 years. Jobs that existed 20 years ago don't exist anymore, and if they do they are radically different. In 1989 the idea of the internet, mobile computing devices, cell phones and the like were not a significant part of everyday life; today they are an integral part of everything we do.
The Fight Against Human Trafficking
In recognition of Nation Human Trafficking awareness day, on January 11th, St. Petersburg College hosted a “Stop Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking” event at their Seminole campus. With speakers including Marc Klaas, founder of the KlaasKids Foundation – dedicated to protecting our children, and former adult film actress Diana, aka “Desi Foxx,” who spoke about the correlations between pornography and sex trafficking, and ending with a candlelight vigil, it was moving to see people and groups passionate about the issue working together to rid society of this evil.
On January 18th, a Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration March was held in Clearwater to honor the late Dr. King’s nonviolent message of human rights and equality. The event was marked by the spirit of the day, with people of different races, cultures and faiths coming together to pay their respects to the man and his legacy.
The mild waters off Florida’s sunny beaches are home to a variety of marine fauna, including our sea turtles, adapted to the sub-tropical climate. So when the recent cold snap hit, the sea turtles had trouble coping.
Clearwater Academy International and The Community Learning Center have teamed up to sponsor a monthly event called Books for Kids. Free books, that are new or gently used, are donated by the community and are given to any child that comes to the event.
Traditionally, auto detailing has employed a range of not-so-green-friendly products such as ammonia, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nonphenolethoxolates (NPEs), abrasive detergents, and chemical-based leather, vinyl, fabric and carpet treatments. Inside the car, they can off-gas harsh airborne pollutants; when washed down storm drains they can wreak havoc on public water supplies.
The 21st Annual Say No to Drugs Holiday Classic 5K, 10K and Children's 1 mile fun-run drew an extensive crowd on December 19th, exceeding all expectations with the number of participants running to forward the message – including myself, a first time 5K runner.
The inverted pyramid of The Pier has been a St. Petersburg landmark since it opened its doors in 1973. On January 6th, the Pier Advisory Task Force met to discuss plans to redesign and revitalize the colorful triangular edifice, which has been seen as a burden on the city in recent times. $50 million has been approved for future renovation of the structure, but will not become available until 2012.
The United Nations is dedicating a year to young people by proclaiming 2010 the “International Year of Youth”. But Youth for Human Rights Florida and several local schools are a step ahead of the game in youth-driven human rights advocacy. Washburn Academy, Delphi Academy Florida and Clearwater Academy International were all awarded “YOUTH FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AWARDS” for not only teaching human rights, but also involving their students in activities to help them understand how human rights are a part of our world.
Since 1933, the historic and stately Cleveland Street District (Downtown) Post Office in Clearwater has added a sense of aesthetics and charm to an already picturesque neighborhood, but recently the adorable location was in danger of being closed.
A portion of the funding for the Clearwater Downtown Boat Slips and Promenade project, currently under construction, is set aside for public art, and city officials are seeking public opinion on the type of artwork that should be installed at the project site. The Clearwater Public Art and Design Program, coordinator for the city’s artwork installations, is planning a public workshop to discuss the themes and types of artwork that that might be appropriate for the project. Information gathered at this workshop will aid the development of a national call to artists to solicit potential artwork and artists.
The Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA), a Clearwater staple since the facilities opened in the 1980’s, has seen a recent expansion in their activities. In the past year, the aquarium has released nine rehabilitated sea turtles, experienced a 31% attendance growth, and the phenomenon of Winter the Dolphin has exposed the CMA (and beautiful Clearwater) to millions of children all over the country. However, according to the CMA website, “in spite of tremendous growth and a global presence, we also remain a ‘neighborhood’ aquarium.”
The Clearwater Human Rights Experience is a multi-faceted event that transcends the normal boundaries of our society. The program, put on by Poets for Human Rights, has grown much broader than the reading of human rights-related poetry. The annual event includes a special group reading of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, showing of the Story of Human Rights (an entertaining yet informative look at the history of human rights), and the presentation of the Clearwater Humanitarian Awards.
Nearly 300 teenagers from Tampa Bay Technical High School made the pledge not to text and drive this morning. Students left their thumb print on a 16 foot banner traveling across the country on a 30 city tour. The event is part of X the TXT, Allstate’s public awareness campaign which is aimed at minimizing one of the most dangerous distractions facing teens today, texting.
Ladies, and Cougars and Dolphins... Oh Yeah!
Every woman, whether she realizes it or not,” reads the Cougars of Clearwater’s website, “has a Real Cougar just waiting to be unleashed.” The Cougars of Clearwater 2010 Calendar has unleashed the inner cougars of twelve Clearwater residents. The calendar features twelve beautiful ladies – including its creators Judy Barrows and Kathleen Slaven – posing in bikinis with delightful tastefulness and class. Photographer Michael Harris donated his services for the project.
In honor of the United Nations Human Rights Day, on December 10th, hundreds of youths walked across Clearwater’s Memorial Causeway carrying signs and singing songs to forward the message, “Embrace Diversity – End Discrimination” in the first ever International Walk for Human Rights, organized by Youth for Human Rights Florida. This diverse group of youths, from a wide range of cultures, religions, races, and educational levels, crossed the bridge carrying signs representing the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Clearwater City Council voted unanimously to name the Capitol Theater and the Lokey Building historical landmarks. Both buildings are located on Cleveland Street in the Cleveland Street District in downtown Clearwater. This is the first such designation by the City of Clearwater for any structure.
Among the most intelligent animals on Earth, three species of hyenas still roam in wilder parts of Africa and Asia. In general, hyenas are large, strong, flesh-eating animals that hunt a wide range of prey but mostly feed on carrion (the kills of other predators). They most closely resemble dogs but are in fact more closely related to cats. When full-grown, hyenas range from about 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 feet long and weigh between 75 and 175 pounds. Considered as smart as some primates, hyenas work in teams to hunt zebras and wildebeests. They communicate through a series of yells and growls, and their cries resemble human laughter.
Youth from every corner of the globe will walk in our first ever “International Walk for Human Rights,” on United Nations Human Rights Day, December 10, 2009. Covering 6 continents and 24 countries, the walk, sponsored by Youth for Human Rights International, will raise awareness and education about the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
“Vertical farming” is a term coined by Columbia University professor of environmental health and microbiology Dickson Despommier to describe the concept of growing large amounts of food in urban high-rise buildings—or so-called “farmscrapers.”
The NASA spacecraft MESSENGER (which stands for Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging Spacecraft), has given scientists an almost complete view of the planet’s surface during its third and final flyby of Mercury.
Today, higher education is essential for anyone who wants a better quality of life and job success. That’s why it’s so important to ready yourself to help your children in this important phase of their lives.