Energy-Efficient Lights Save Downtown Merchant Thousands

Switching over to LED lighting more than paid off for downtown Dunedin merchant Lee Mullen, owner of Lasting Impressions Engraving and Gifts.

Lee Mullen likes to keep a copy of his shop's February 2010 Progress Energy bill handy. It's most powerful to see how much the electric bill drops after replacing all the lights in his downtown store with LED bulbs, Mullen said. The numbers don't lie.  "You can talk all you want, but when you actually see proof," said Mullen, owner of Lasting Impressions Engraving and Gifts, as he walked over to retrieve his old bill. The City of Dunedin recently recognized Mullen's efforts with its 2012 Environmental Advocate Award during an April 18 commission meeting.  Mullen invested about $4,800 and three months of tweaking to install all of the energy-efficient lighting inside his 1,200-square-foot Main Street storefront (but technology has come a …

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Red 'Roderic' Replaces Celtic Shop's Lost Scotsman Angus

Roderic the Red is not Angus, but he's quickly become a symbol of community for owner of the Celtic Shop of Dunedin Lynn Thorn.

Lynn Thorn was saddened the day her Scotsman left. So one of Dunedin's active Scottish and Celtic heritage groups decided to restore hope to the heartbroken downtown merchant. Angus, so loyal and stoic, kept her company and welcomed shoppers into her downtown Celtic Shop of Dunedin. That is, until one day in early December when the brown-bearded, kilted cutout disappeared. Thorn put out a call for help in a "Lost & Found" announcement on Dunedin Patch Dec. 2, but to no avail. Then one day, the New World Celts surprised Thorn at a meeting and introduced her to a new kilted Scotsman, a red-head. The cutout was designed, painted and donated by local artist Jay Archer, Thorn said. "It's a good example of how community got behind me and …

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Rebecca Wellborn

1:32 pm on Thursday, March 21, 2013

Just one of the many ways in which the New World Celts provide service in our community. It always makes me feel good at special events knowing they are there helping with security, which they do on a volunteer basis. Thanks NWC!   more ›

Laundromat Owners Offer Olive Branch to Obama Supporters

Owners at Rogers Linen Services on Douglas Avenue removed a controversial sign against President Barack Obama, and in its place, painted another message.

Victor and Karen Rogers don't want any hard feelings left over from their political statement in the 2012 election. Their sentiment is painted on a storefront window at Rogers Linen Services, Inc. in the same place a controversial sign suggesting President Barack "Obama Can Kiss My Ass" for his July "You Didn't Build That" campaign speech in Roanoke, VA. To get off on better footing in 2013, Victor Rogers had another message painted in his store window a week before the president's inauguration on Jan. 21: "The Election is over the talk is done. My Party lost, your Party Won. So let us be friends, let argument pass. I'll hug my elephant, You kiss your Ass." It's a poem he found on Facebook, which is where he also found the "Kiss My Ass" …

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Commission Decides Achieva Incentive Package Tonight

City leaders will decide on a $127,000 incentive package for Achieva Credit Union to build its corporate center in Dunedin during tonight's commission meeting, 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.

Holiday Lamp Post Winners Announced

Dunedin's annual holiday-decorating lamp post contest saw 40 entrants from restaurants, businesses, civic groups, churches, and city departments. Winners were announced at Dunedin's Holiday Parade and Old Fashioned Christmas.

Judges named winners in Dunedin's holiday lamp post decorating contest this week. The annual contest saw 40 entrants this year from restaurants, businesses, civic groups, churches, and city departments decorating lamp posts in time for Dunedin's Holiday Parade and Old Fashioned Christmas.  Judges Kim Rohr, Wendy Barmore, and Joan McHale, city employee, helped pick winners in six categories, including "Best Overall" and "Best Holiday Spirit." More than 90 lamp posts are available to decorate. The contest is free to enter, except for a $10 identifying "plaque," and the overall winner gets to display a silver trophy all year long. Bob Ironsmith, city community redevelopment agency director, announced the 2012 winners at Pioneer Park during …

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Achieva May Receive $127,000 in City Incentives

Dunedin staff told officials that Dunedin would recoup the funds by 2016, and almost quadruple its investment over a 10-year period.

City leaders agreed on a roughly $127,000-package of start-up costs for the Achieva Credit Union headquarters on Thursday. City staff told officials that Dunedin would recoup the funds by 2016, and almost quadruple its investment in the company over a 10-year period.  "This is a very strong economic driver to the city of Dunedin," Bob Ironsmith, director of economic housing and development, told commissioners. Achieva is investing $12 million into its new Virginia Street headquarters, on the site of the former Nielsen Co. call center. It translates to $3.24 million in temporary construction income to the city and $41,162 in annual real property taxes, a city memo states. Also, the company's 140 top-level employees making $60,000 annual …

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Dunedin Grad to Bring Craft Brews to Clearwater Beach

The wine and Florida-based beer bar is expected to open by year's end on north Clearwater Beach.

A Dunedin native will soon bring the gift of craft beer to Clearwater Beach. Cork N Brew Bistro is set to open before year's end on the 500 block of Mandalay Avenue at the base of the Sandpearl Resort on north Clearwater Beach, according to owner Jackie Eash. Eash grew up in Dunedin and graduated from Dunedin High School. After working and living on Clearwater Beach the last few years she decided it was time to open her own place. The bar features 20 craft beers on tap from local, Florida and international breweries and and about 40 bottles of wine — some of which can be sampled in Napa Technology Wine Tasting dispensers, Eash said. "It's a very fun, interactive system for people to use," Eash said. The bar also will offer small plates, …

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Meet the Moms & Pops

Italian Restaurant Moves Into Downtown Hair Salon

Michel and Robin Rey are broadening their business base to include an Italian restaurant alongside their downtown Parisian salon, in an ultimate pairing of the couple's nationalities.

Move over Paris Hair Design, there's a new Italian restaurant on the block. The owners of Paris Hair Design are opening a new Italian restaurant, Pensare, in downtown Dunedin at the former longtime location of their hair salon. Pensare, pronounced pen-SAR-ay, is an Italian verb meaning to think and owners Michel and Robin Rey’s desire to build a menu so delicious that when you are thinking Italian, you will always think Pensare. The word Pensare also has great meaning to the Reys because they have been thinking of, and thinking on bringing a restaurant to Dunedin since they bought the stretch of shops on the southeast corner Highland Avenue and Main Street in 1994. The location was ideal. The square footage was large enough. There was room…

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Craft Brewery Coming to Countryside Mall Area

Sea Dog Brewing Co. of Maine plans to open its first Florida brew pub in Clearwater.

Florida's first Sea Dog Brewing Co. pub is coming to the former Pssghetti's building along U.S. 19 near Countryside Mall in November. The Sunshine State is one of the Maine-based beer maker's strongest markets, which led it to open the Sea Dog Brew Pub here. An Orlando location will open soon after.  “People know the Sea Dog brand in New England and they seek it out in Florida,” Paul Carbone, Florida sales and marketing manager of Sea Dog Brewing Co., said in a news release. “There is a craving for quality craft beer in this region and it’s an area where we feel we can grow.” Sea Dog’s beer, especially the Blueberry Wheat Ale, has grown in popularity in Florida over the last 10 years, according to the release. Being a brew pub means most …

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What Do You Think of Publix's New Look?

Publix Super Market at Caladesi Shopping Center reopened this week after a 10-month reconstruction project that added 13,000 square feet and a a drive-thru pharmacy. Tell us what you think of the new look.