Tuesday, April 9, 2013
The new academic year begins Aug. 19 for Dunedin students.
Dunedin parents hoping to get a jump on planning activities around next year's Pinellas County school calendar are in luck. The school district has released its list of important dates for the 2013-14 school year. This school year (2012-13) ends Wednesday, June 5, 2013. Students only have two more days off before the year ends. The first one is Monday, April 29, which is a teacher professional development day. That means kids get to stay home, but teachers have to hit the books. The last holiday off of the school year is Monday, May 27 for Memorial Day, according to the district’s calendar. Here’s a look at the 2013-14 school schedule: Source: Pinellas County Schools
Monday, April 8, 2013
Dunedin leaders issued unanimous support April 4 for Pinellas County's proposed ban on gaming devices at Internet sweepstakes cafes.
Dunedin leaders issued unanimous support April 4 for Pinellas County's proposed ban on gaming devices at Internet sweepstakes cafes. The Internet cafes, which have been popping up in Dunedin and locations throughout the county in recent years, typically offer legitimate services such as Web access or telephone cards, in addition to onsite sweepstakes games. City Attorney Tom Trask explains: In general, a player purchases internet access at a point of sale station and receives an account, usually a card or number. The player uses that card or number at a terminal, sets his or her bets and begins to play. The terminal displays a game, such as spinning wheels like those of a slot machine, and then an outcome (a win or loss). When the player …
Friday, March 1, 2013
Officials say cold shelters will open at various locations around the county around 6 p.m. on Sunday, March 3. Guests will be accepted throughout the night.
Anticipated cold temperatures and high wind gusts over the weekend are prompting Pinellas County officials to open cold night shelters on Sunday, March 3. Temperatures are expected to drop to 48, and wind gusts may reach up to 20 mph. Officials say cold shelters will open at various locations around the county around 6 p.m. Guests will be accepted throughout the night. The shelters will close Monday morning at approximately 6 a.m. Shelter guests are provided a hot evening meal, a warm safe place to spend the night and breakfast the following morning, county officials say. Families with children are placed in motels. To make arrangements for a family, call Sarah Snyder with the Homeless Leadership Board at 727-424-1355. Nearby locations …
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Here is a look at some of the holiday closings in Dunedin and Pinellas County for Presidents Day.
Pinellas County government offices will be closed on Monday, Feb. 18 for in-house training. The Tax Collector and Supervisor of Elections offices will be closed, as will the Pinellas County Courthouse, the offices of the Property Appraiser and Clerk of the Circuit Court. The offices and adoption center at Pinellas County Animal Services will be closed. The Solid Waste Administration Building facility will be closed. The Environmental Education Center at Brooker Creek Preserve, the Cultural and Natural History Center at Weedon Island Preserve and Heritage Village will be closed. Pinellas County Schools are closed. There will be no U.S. Postal Service delivery. The HEC3 and scalehouse/landfill will be open regular hours Monday from 6 a.m. …
Friday, February 15, 2013
At its Feb. 26 meeting, Pinellas County Commissioners will vote on whether or not to place a sales tax for transit improvement on the November 2014 ballot.
Pinellas County Commissioners took the next step Tuesday to ensure there is a public vote on a sales tax increase in November 2014 that would go toward Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority improvements. By voting 6-1 Tuesday, commissioners cleared the way to decide at their Feb. 26 meeting whether or not to place the proposed sales tax increase on the 2014 ballot. The vote, however, is a mere placeholder until an ordinance is drafted for the PSTA sales tax referendum. "For more than 30 years, we having been talking about transit," said commissioner Janet Long. "We have never gotten as far as we are right now. I my mind, it’s time to move forward. Our citizens deserve better and our kids deserve better." The tax can be up to one percent, …
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Pinellas County Commissioners added a discussion about gun background checks to their legislative agenda.
Pinellas County Commissioners have added a discussion of gun background checks to their legislative agenda. Commissioner Janet Long said as elected officials, it is their responsibility to look at gun violence and gun policies in the interest of public safety. She said there are many holes in the existing background check system, including lags in time between when a person is officially listed as a felon and not. “Are you comfortable knowing the background check is not really a background check in terms of identifying people who are potential problems?” Long asked the commission Tuesday. “Are you aware that this is a real glitch in our state law and are your comfortable with it?” She said a person can be arrested for a violent crime on …
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Catch up on news from your neighbors with these great Dunedin blogs you might have missed, as well as some others in towns nearby.
Dunedin has a lot going on, and who better to know that than the folks who live and work here? Check out these great blogs posted recently around our Pinellas Patch sites: Dunedin: Also, this blog from a Dunedin High grad who is now the house musician at a bistro in Safety Harbor: Michael Rusch:"The Quiet Man" Who Lives Through His Music Clearwater: Largo Safety Harbor: Tarpon Springs: Do you want to start your own Patch blog? Email Charles.Schelle@Patch.com.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Pinellas County officials said they might have to start thinking about the long-term budget impacts of climate change.
Forming the county budget is always a mixture of art and science. Pinellas County Administrator Robert LaSala says this year's budget is no different. "This is like a mosaic," LaSala said at Tuesday's budget work session. "It's made up a lot of pieces … a lot of moving pieces." There are definite numbers, such as the millage rate and fee schedules, that county officials can rely on to form the budget. However, many items like potential new state/federal mandates, a stagnant economy and ongoing housing crisis, are things county officials have to regularly brace for. As of Tuesday, the county has added another item that could affect future budget forecasts — climate change. County budget director Eric Naughton said it might be time for …
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
St. Pete council members hope to get the ball rolling on the Tampa Bay Rays' stadium search by proposing that the team pay an annual "exploration" fee in exchange for looking at potential sites in Pinellas and Hillsborough.
For the past two weeks, Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Sternberg and the organization have made public presentations to the Hillsborough and Pinellas county commissions pleading their case to look for stadium options beyond Tropicana Field. Following the team's PR presentation calling for a new stadium in Pinellas County, St. Pete City Council Chair Karl Nurse stood in front of the Rays asking them to seek compromise and look at the Carillon/Gateway location first. In September, Darryl LeClair and CityScape made a presentation for the Rays Park at Carillon to be located in the Gateway area of St. Petersburg, which is just west of the Howard Frankland Bridge. Nurse told Patch that he wants to allow the Rays to look for stadium options …
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Pinellas County Commissioners will start forming the FY2014 budget Tuesday at a budget work session.
Pinellas County is facing a $12.1 million budget shortfall for fiscal year 2014. To close the gap, county officials will explore multiples options, including using reserve money, reductions in spending and increasing the millage rate. Tuesday, county commissioners will begin to take the first steps to tackle the 2013-14 budget during its budget work session. According to county documents, the budget gap could be partially closed by using one-time reserve money from the Service Level Stabilization Account. However, using one-time reserves, according to the county, would only help in the short term. The stabilization account was created from FY10-FY12 by taking reductions in the budget over and above what was necessary to balance the …
Christine Tsotsos
8:52 am on Wednesday, April 10, 2013
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