Displaying items by tag: Pinellas County Newspapers

Happy Holiday Market A new Holiday Tradition in Downtown Clearwater When: Monday through Friday 4pm until 7pm Saturday 11am until 4pm, Sunday 12pm until 4pm A creative holiday shopping experience like no other… More than just a great place to shop for unique gifts created by local artists and purchase holiday accessories – The Happy Holiday Market is an interactive creative celebration of the season. Located in the big white tent off Court Street, between East Street and Garden Avenue, we are open 7 days a week for your convenience. What: Seasonal merchandise: Local artists provide a wide variety of items for unique and creative holiday gifts… Merchandise changes weekly. But wait there’s more… we said interactive and fun for the whole family. • Every Saturday: 1pm to 2pm – Free acting classes!    2pm to 3pm – Free dance classes! • All classes taught by professionals in their field. • Bring the kids each week for the classes, stay for    the unbelievable entertainment afterwards. • Live Entertainment from 3pm to 4pm – Suggested donation    of $10.00 for the show. • December 6th: Badway on Broadway – Professional Broadway    performer. • December 13th: Holiday Medley – Dancing, Singing and Trapeze    Dance performance. Proceeds from and entertainment benefit several local charities providing free tutoring and after school activities for children in Pinellas County.

Tampa Bay Informer
The Good News Newspaper

Supporting Good News...The Tampa Bay Informer - The Good News Newspaper serving Pinellas, Hillsboro and Pasco Florida cities: Clearwater, Dunedin, Largo,Safety Harbor, St. Petersburg, Clearwater Beach, Indian Rocks Beach, Sand Key, Pinellas Park, Palm Harbor, Tampa, Port Richey, New Port Richey, Oldsmar and other Tampa Bay area cities, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Urban Dining and Entertainment News by Ali Seghrouchni

Time to Make the Doughnuts

Win FREE DUNKIN’ Doughnuts for a Year!

A brand new Dunkin’ Donuts is now open in Downtown Clearwater, located in the Historic Red Brick Telephone Building, 534 Cleveland Street.

Their Grand Opening Event – Friday, December 5.

First 50 customers in the doors beginning at 5 a.m. will win FREE Dunkin’ Treats for a year (including products such as coffee, sandwiches, etc.)

Anyone making a purchase on Friday, December 5, will have their receipt entered in the store’s raffle drawing for 1pm on Saturday, December 6 (must be present to win.)

Mayor Frank Hibbard will be visiting the location at 10am for the restaurant’s official ribbon cutting.

More prizes at the Grand Opening Event – Saturday, December 6

For the 1pm raffle drawing (for which people are entered if they made a purchase on 12/5 and are present for the drawing), 1st prize is a Flat Screen TV, 2nd prize is a digital camera, 3rd prize is three iPod Nanos (3 winners), and 10 runner-up prizes of $50 gift cards (10 winners) will be given away.

Visitors between 6pm – 11pm will receive a free cup or cone of Baskin Robbins Soft Serve Ice Cream for 25 cents.

You may have noticed that the news media “Grinchs” have been spreading fear regarding the economy. Most news reports, talk shows, and newspapers spew numerous reports about how bad things are, or how bad they will be.

According to the “Grinchs of Doom” our country is going down the tubes. Unemployment is up, retail sales are down all are touted as major indicators of the economy and how hopeless your future is. The fact is that you and I have very little immediate control over any of these things.

However, we do have control over our businesses, the quantity and quality of the product or services we produce, the speed we produce that product and the price we charge for it.

“Depression” is an over‑used term to describe many symptoms, some of which are normal life stresses. When hearing the word, we simply put it into a category, in our minds of, “Well! Who hasn’t been depressed?” and, “Oh, they have pills for that kind of thing.”

In fact, the use of this term has been promoted by the psychiatric industry since 1952, at which time the first edition of psychiatry’s “Billing Bible”, The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, was published.  This diagnosis has resulted in millions of people on psychiatric medication and billions of dollars lining the pockets of the pharmaceutical industry and psychiatry.

With the winter holiday season quickly approaching I am once again compelled to encourage everyone to prevent crime by eliminating opportunity.  There are many steps that you can take to protect yourself and your valuables from a holiday thief.

One of the most effective ways to protect yourself is to remain aware of your surroundings.  This means taking the extra time to park in well lit areas, and to look for suspicious people loitering nearby before getting out of your car.  If you see something or someone that makes you feel uncomfortable, move to another parking area and/or report your suspicions to security guards, or a law enforcement officer.  We would much rather investigate a suspicious person report than a violent crime.  Other suggestions include limiting the amount of cash and credit cards you carry while shopping, and when possible, avoid shopping alone.

The most effective way to protect your valuables is to properly secure them.  One of the most common points of entry for car burglars is through an unlocked door or an open window.  You would be surprised how many vehicle burglaries we investigate because owners simply did not lock their cars.  By locking your car doors, and closing windows completely, this is arguably one of the most preventable crimes.  For this reason, locking your car doors and windows is especially important during the holiday season when many people travel from one location to another while shopping.

It is also recommended that you place gifts, packages, and other valuables in the trunk of your car or at least move them out of plain view.  Purses, wallets, gift cards, portable electronics, and cash are all an open invitation for a criminal to break into your car.

By taking a few minutes to protect yourself and your belongings you may prevent a crime.  By doing so you are once again helping us in “Leading The Way For A Safer Pinellas.”

If you would like other suggestions regarding holiday safety please contact the Sheriff’s Office Crime Prevention Unit at (727) 582-5611.

Tampa Bay Informer
The Good News Newspaper

Supporting Good News... The Tampa Bay Informer - The Good News Newspaper serving Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco Florida cities: Clearwater, Dunedin, Largo, Safety Harbor, St. Petersburg, Clearwater Beach, Indian Rocks Beach, Sand Key, Pinellas Park, Palm Harbor, Tampa, Port Richey, New Port Richey, Oldsmar and other Tampa Bay area cities, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

Haiti

Often we get caught up in our own busy lives and spheres of influence and forget that there is a whole other world out there, consisting of others that may not be as fortunate as us.

The economic situation in Haiti would make most of us long for home in appreciation for the opportunities we have in this country.

Haiti, with its 75% unemployment rate, $15-$20.00 average income per week, 70% illiteracy, 10,000+ homeless in the capital and thousands of children living on the streets; is visibly a country less blessed than our own.

Taking matters into their own hands, three of Clearwater’s Scientology Volunteer Ministers, Cary Goulston, Mike Campbell and Brad Kugler—all who have businesses and families to care for—decided to reach outside their comfort zone and give relief to Haiti. After months of fundraising and preparation, they traveled to Haiti last month to deliver enough Kenaf seeds (a fast growing plant that is an ideal food and building source) to feed thousands of Haitians.  Equally important are the educational tools the three provided to the people of Haiti. These tools were developed by L. Ron Hubbard (the founder of Scientology) to further assist them in reversing their unprecedented rate of economic decline.

Downtown Clearwater

The Greek Town Grill, located at 1230 Cleveland St. near downtown Clearwater, FL 33750 is one of the newest and finest restaurants in the area.

The Greek Town Grill specializes in original Greek Recipes and continually attempts to capture the warmth and vitality of Greece. They take the time to carefully select all their ingredients and prepare food daily with an emphasis on quality.

They also offer Banquet and special meeting facilities that could include music and dancing with seating from 20 to 150. They have a unique system of serving freshly cooked foods prepared to order and never precooked regardless of the size of your group. They are the difference between a banquet hall and a full service restaurant with banquet facilities. Whatever the occasion lunch for two or a holiday party contact The Greek Town Grill today at (727) 447-7800 or just drop in for a glass of wine and a delicious appetizer!

Tampa Bay Informer
The Good News Newspaper

Supporting Good News... The Tampa Bay Informer - The Good News Newspaper serving Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco Florida cities: Clearwater, Dunedin, Largo,  Safety Harbor, St. Petersburg, Clearwater Beach, Indian Rocks Beach, Sand Key, Pinellas Park, Palm Harbor, Tampa, Port Richey, New Port Richey, Oldsmar and other Tampa Bay area cities, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

Ding-Ding-Ding! Choo-Choo! All Aboard!

Come one, come all to the magical holiday festivities once again created by the Clearwater Community Volunteers, dubbed “Elves” by Santa himself.

If you’re already a faithful fan of “Winter Wonderland” I assure you, that this year has more surprises than ever!

Remember, Remember the 5th of December.

Urgent weather alert! Doppler weather radar at the Clearwater Downtown Partnership has just confirmed a 100% chance of an unprecedented blanketing of snow during the City of Clearwater’s annual Holiday Light Up on the 500 block of Cleveland Street. Expect complete road closures due to strolling carolers, gift vendors and merriment of the sort on Cleveland Street from 5pm – 8pm between Garden and Fort Harrison Avenues.

When Chairman Bill Sturtevant of the Clearwater Downtown Partnership was asked what he attributed the unusual weather pattern to he said Santa ordered it, towards the goal of strengthening our merchants by bringing more people to downtown. Bill further remarked that the board acted fast and decided to seize the opportunity in Downtown and established this event as our annual:
“Miracle on Cleveland Street.”

One of Bill’s colleagues Eleanor Lyda also stated since schools will be closed at that time a giant 10 foot snow slide is being brought in for children to toboggan down and play in the snow flurries.

Cleveland Streetscape

Clearwater FL, April 2007 - Spring has sprung and with it the fi rst block of Cleveland Streetscape is soon to be to be completed. The city plans to offi cially open the block of Cleveland St. between Ft. Harrison and Osceola with the First Stroll on March 16th at 11:00am.

Cleveland Streetscape has been an integral part of the city’s plan to redevelop downtown. The light pavers mesh well against the reddish borders of the new sidewalk, and a few weeks ago when the work crews started laying them, the excitement started spreading throughout the downtown core. In addition to the new blacktop, there are new antiquelooking street posts to light  the way at night and will help to give the area some ambiance. The landscaping isn’t done yet, and there is still some things  to do, but everyone I spoke with in downtown, as well as myself, are happy with the results.

Supporting Good News The Tampa Bay Informer - The Good News Newspaper serving Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco Florida cities: Clearwater, Dunedin, Largo, Safety Harbor, St. Petersburg, Clearwater Beach, Indian Rocks Beach, Sand Key, Pinellas Park, Palm Harbor, Tampa, Port Richey, New Port Richey, Oldsmar and other Tampa Bay area cities, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.