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The damage that boat propellers do to Weeki Wachee | Letters
As a Florida resident who cares deeply about our fragile spring ecosystems — especially Weeki Wachee springs — I support a moratorium on propeller-blade watercraft inside our Weeki Wachee State Park River area. I witnessed two propeller blades tear up the sediment as the boaters got stuck in the riverbed within the park boundaries. It’s bad enough that combustion engine watercraft spew petroleum mist into the protected waterway, but the propellers are undoing all that is being done to preserve Weeki Wachee River inside the preserve. As I kayaked in Weeki Wachee State Park recently, I noticed a uniformed Florida Department of Environmental Protection official patrolling the area and later stationed near the kayak exit ramp to monitor watercraft activity in the river. But what good does it do if propeller-blade watercraft are still permitted in this stretch of river? Would it be better if only speed limit-regulated airboats were permitted inside the Weeki Wachee State Park River? At least those propellers are above the water surface and do not destroy the riverbed. Perhaps after a propeller-blade moratorium, a new ordinance could permit only airboats instead? I am hopeful this problem with boat propellers might be addressed this month before the “summer season of frolic” — Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day — begins.
With big spending on horizon, Pinellas lands record tourist-tax haul
Pinellas County collected more than $14.6 million in tourist taxes in March — its most ever in a single month, tourism officials said Wednesday. The haul, collected from taxes on overnight stays at hotels and short-term rentals, bested the county’s previous high, from March 2023, by more than $1 million, according to county tourism bureau Visit St.
3 people, dog rescued from sinking vessel off of Clearwater's coast
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Three people and a dog were rescued from a sinking vessel 35 miles off of Clearwater's coast on Monday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Crews received a distress call at around 5:30 a.m. from the three people, who were all on board a 47-foot vessel that started taking on water. Officials said they were able to find the boaters onboard their vessel at around 6:45 a.m.
Bay Pines VA program tailored toward health needs of women veterans
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Kathy Opel remembers how excited she was to join the Air Force back in 1980. "I love my country. I couldn't wait to serve. When I first got to my first job, I was not only the only female but the first female at this first assignment, so I had to almost kind of prove myself," said Opel.
Penthouse sales heat up at 400 Central
John Catsimatidis Sr., founder of Red Apple Real Estate, announced Wednesday that four penthouses in the Residences at 400 Central have gone under contract since the start of 2024. Buyers signed three contracts totaling over $15 million in the last 30 days. What will soon become St. Petersburg’s tallest condo tower will feature roughly 20 penthouses.
Seniors at Largo ALF stay sharp through virtual reality
LARGO, Fla. — Research shows incorporating virtual reality into health care can help maintain brain function and emotional well-being for seniors. Cypress Palms of Largo started its virtual reality program several years ago. Executive Director Melissa Wojewnik explained how the virtual reality exercises aid both long and short term...
New Clearwater council doubts Drew Street traffic data, may kill project
Two state transportation experts stood before the City Council on Monday and explained how reducing travel lanes on a stretch of Drew Street and adding a center turn lane would cut down on crashes without worsening congestion. But their computer modeling and data analysis did not convince most of the...
Clearwater company launches innovative approach for catastrophic home damage
A new Clearwater business has launched that will provide catastrophic event membership service to homeowners, and second/vacation homeowners, in Florida with properties at risk from storm damage, in 2024. Daybreak Response provides personalized disaster recovery services to high-value property owners. Daybreak leverages HOMEE’s national servicing footprint in Florida, which connects...
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