Tower Construction Costs $700K for Caladesi Friends

Friends of the Island Parks officials said building an observation and interpretive facility on Caladesi Island is more complex and costly because of its location.

Cindy Farris is excited about plans to bring a 25-foot observation deck to Caladesi Island. Farris, president of Friends of the Island Parks, told Dunedin city leaders May 16 that the group is close to naming a contractor for the project and fundraising efforts are going strong. The proposed $700,000 Caladesi Discovery Center would provide a panoramic view and include hands-on exhibits in a planned interpretive facility on the popular barrier island. An additional $150,000 would be for educational exhibits. The expense of the project is due, in part, to the high cost of transporting materials and equipment to the remote project site, Farris said. "It's not easy to build on the barrier island," she said. The group's first major fundraising …

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Top Headlines: Returning Soldier, Gun Show Request, Highlander Band at Disney

OK, so you had a busy week. We understand. Let Dunedin Patch catch you up on all the highlights!

When a Dunedin girl was invited to throw out the first pitch at Thursday's Rays game, she received a very special surprise. Do you agree with these Patch readers' opinions on a recent story about the possibility of a gun show at the Dunedin Community Center? The following report shows charges associated with residents in Dunedin booked at Pinellas County Jail between May 4-10. The "Visit Dunedin" website is looking to populate its directory with tourism-based businesses before fall. What should the city do, if anything, to keep the Toronto Blue Jays here for many springs to come? And if they do leave, would you be sad to see them go? The Dunedin High School Scottish Highlander Band took the show on the road for performances at Disney. City…

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Cousteau Visits Clearwater Marine Aquarium's New Care Facility

Fabien Cousteau sat, swam and took photos of Winter the dolphin during a visit to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium on Thursday.

Fabien Cousteau sat, swam and took photos of Winter the dolphin during a visit to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium on Thursday. Cousteau, the great grandson of famed sea explorer Jacques, was the guest speaker for the dedication and naming ceremony of the new R.O. Jacobson Center for Education and Animal Care facility at the aquarium. The center is part of a $14 million expansion for the aquarium to increase its capabilities to rescue and rehabilitate marine life. The facility offers office space for marine biologists, more lab and work space. There is an 18-foot-deep, 250,000-gallon rooftop pool, other pools for injured sea turtles and space for four North American river otters. Cousteau is the founder of Plant A Fish, a nonprofit dedicated…

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Rosy Silhouette on the Dunedin Causeway

Thanks Janice Spencer Smith for sharing this sunset silhouette from the Dunedin Causeway! We love seeing your photos Dunedin! Please upload sunset pictures to this community gallery.

Winning Powerball Ticket Sold in Florida

Lady Luck has made her presence known in Florida, where the lone winner in the roughly $600 million Powerball jackpot reportedly bought the ticket at a Publix supermarket.

  Were you shopping at a Publix supermarket in Pasco County when you bought your Powerball jackpot ticket? More specifically, were you in Zephyrhills? If so, take a close look at your ticket. If you see the numbers 10, 13, 14, 22, 52 and 11, then take a deep breath and realize that your life has taken a dramatic term, if you're so inclined to claim the cash value of your roughly $600 million winnings. That's right, you're the lone winner to the record Powerball jackpot, as noted by USA Today.com, in an article posted 2:46 a.m. today, May 19. A Florida Lottery official reportedly told the Associated Press that more details were to be released. Not the lucky one? According to Powerball.com, the current estimated jackpot resets at $40 million…

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What's Tampa Bay Saying?

$600 Million Powerball Jackpot Breaks Records: How Would You Spend It?

With the jackpot for the May 18 Powerball drawing now reaching record-breaking territory, we’d like to hear your ideas for spending that much cash!

What would you do with $600 million in cold, hard cash? That’s what we’re wondering as the jackpot in tonight’s Powerball drawing hits the $600 million mark. That number, according to the Florida Lottery, tops the previous $587.5 million Powerball record jackpot set in November 2012. Players in Arizona and Missouri won that prize, the lottery website says. Florida, by the way, hasn’t had the best showing in jackpot wins since it joined the Powerball’s other 42 states in 2009. Only five people have hit the Powerball jackpot in Florida, according to a Powerball analysis website. There have been 185 second-place winners to date. Just how much would you take home if you won tonight’s drawing? According to USAMega.com, that $600 million …

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'Fun Ride' to Tour Dunedin's Artistic Bicycle Racks

The city invites bicycle enthusiasts on an 8-mile bicycle tour on Tuesday evening.

The city is inviting Dunedin's bicycle enthusiasts on an fun ride bicycle tour on Tuesday evening. Matthew Campbell, assistant to the city manager, who is spearheading a project to construct connections from the Pinellas Trail at Michigan Boulevard through Highlander Park and to other parts of the city, wants to celebrate May — National Bicycle Month — with an eight-mile "fun ride" to view artistic bike racks throughout town. Campbell, who is leading the ride, said he plans to visit the following racks: The social ride is open to bicycle riders of any age. Helmets are mandatory, and children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Campbell does caution riders that some stretches may not be suitable for children on a single-speed bike…

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Military Dog Sniffs Bomb Inches from Handler's Foot

Eddie, a military working dog stationed at MacDill Air Force Base, is up for a national "Hero Award" for saving the lives of 13 troops in Afghanistan, thanks to a Dunedin woman who made sure he was nominated.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Shannon Hutto will always consider Eddie a hero, regardless of the outcome of a public poll for the next American Hero Dogs. Eddie, a 6-year-old military working dog stationed at MacDill Air Force Base, is up for the prestigious recognition. He was nominated by Dunedin resident Carol White, who is advocating to get Eddie and all service dogs the recognition she feels they deserve. Eddie is credited with sniffing out an explosive 6 inches from Hutto's foot while deployed in Afghanistan. A short time later, during the same sweep, Eddie located a second explosive near a bridge, saving the lives of at least 13 troops and villagers nearby. "He got some street cred that day," Hutto said.  He is one of 13 nominees in the…

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