Mike Walker of CoCre8 Spaces has done a remarkable job filling in a valuable space in Downtown Clearwater.

Station Square is one of the biggest and most conveniently located condominiums in Clearwater and now home to a set of suites designed for cosmetologists and other artists who work with people to give them the appearance they desire.

With 20 plus suites that are furnished already for those with careers in cosmetology and salon experience. Mike Walker has led a successful life as a public speaker and consultant and is continuing this drive towards assisting other achieve their dreams by creating a working space that others can use to achieve their dreams.

Each suite in Station Square is designed to be fully furnished for a specific business purpose, while being adaptable with some minor modifications to meet the requirements of other professions. This makes these spacious suites a desirable location for everyone with experience in tattooing and massage therapy to hair dressing and cosmetology.

This set of business suites is the brainchild of Mike Walker and his partners. Downtown Clearwater demonstrates its viability as a thriving business community through the ability to attract such startups like CoCre8 Spaces.

In addition to bringing new businesses to downtown, the added benefit will be more traffic when the suites are full. This will bring even more life to the downtown area and more aspiring business owners too.

If you are interested in renting of these suites then you can call 727-270-8200 for more information.

So we were supposed to be hit by Hurricane Hermine.  

I don't know about anyone else, but for me this reminded me of home.  Growing up in an area where storms are common and power goes out frequently for extended periods of time meant that hearing the thunder overhead was rather comforting.  Seeing lightning flashes outside my house windows?  Gorgeous.  A 2 year old who doesn't like loud sudden noises?  Not quite so pleasant.

While in northwestern Florida, Hermine was categorized as a Category 1 Hurricane, down here in Clearwater we just got frequent gusts of wind and a fair bit of rain.

I have never experienced a hurricane and have heard so much about them.  But this wasn't it.

No one I know suffered irreparable harm from it, and it did not stop the delivery guy from bringing us a pizza last night.  

My mother-in-law might disagree about the tame effects of the storm, seeing as how she is one of the nearly 50% of Tallahassee without power currently, but again, down here?  I am severely disappointed.

I was on the phone at work today when I noticed that just down the street on Cleveland there were three firetrucks, at least three fire marshall cars and lots and lots of lights flashing.

My curiosity was piqued as I saw more and more people gathering outside the building in question, which just happened to be the Carthage Grille.  For those who don't know yet, this is a high class restaurant with Moroccan, Italian, French and Spanish/Basque cuisine for lunch and dinner, as well as brunch on weekends and holidays.

I was watching the firemen work, wondering what was going on, when the owner, Adbul Taieb walked up to the man next to me and started asking him how he was doing and explaining what had happened.  Interested even more, I introduced myself and let Mr. Taieb that my bosses and a friend of theirs had eaten at his place last week and loved it, which is why I was so interested in what was going on, because I am planning a date night with my own wife to come there and enjoy a nice meal out.

Apparently the Carthage Grille had a weird smell coming from the ventilation system and that caused the staff to send their patrons outside as a precaution while the Fire Department arrived to investigate.

Fun fact: before the Carthage Grille opened two weeks ago, that building in Downtown Clearwater had been empty for 12 years.  

Now it is full with a high end restaurant that is busy throughout the day.

CoCre8 Spaces is opening in Station Square, and we are increasing the amount of restaurants in Downtown Clearwater. Basil, Asian/Mexican fusion has opened recently, and Fuku is competing for the sushi market in downtown.  Mana Mana has been here a while now, bringing traditional Israeli cuisine, while Cleveland St Grill is now owned with an Italian flair next to Riedo's Croatian tastes.

The Carthage Grille incident just shows how much that we denizens of Clearwater, FL really care about our city, and are helping make it the cosmopolitan environment we all know it can be.  But really, the real heroes of this story are the Clearwater Fire Department's firemen who came to the Carthage Grille so fast and helped solve the problems they were experiencing so quickly.

Thank you on behalf of everyone at Wabamm, Clearwater Fire Departments.

MR. DONALD TRUMP – AN INDEPENDENT OR NOT?

There has been much written about the political process, the political candidates for the Presidential election, senatorial and congressional elections and even the local elections that concern all of us in Pinellas County and elsewhere around the country.

Each of us has our own unique, or shared, political views.  Some of us are hard, party-line voters with ideals that do not change.  Some of us are flexible voters who analyze each candidate we are eligible to vote for and base our decisions based on the policies they preach.  Many of us are completely ignorant of the political process, and as much as the greater United States doesn’t want to admit it, a great many voters are completely ignorant of what each politician stands for outside of the spin that the mainstream media bombards them with.

However, there are two types of voters that stand out: the revolutionary and the enlightened.  These may seem like bombastic descriptions, but if you bear with me through this analysis, let me explain.

The revolutionary voter is inclined to align him or herself with the candidate that speaks to the oft unspoken ideals, like Bernie Sanders who is so far out of the mainstream of public policy that his policy proposals are nothing but revolutionary in the country.  He is radical, charismatic and intelligent.  A potentially lethal combination.

The enlightened voter is similar in their choice of candidate to the flexible, with the distinction that they will look beyond their personal interests to the greater good of the country and world.

So the question begs: do we have any enlightened candidates?

I theorize that we do.

And here is why.

We have one candidate this election cycle who most closely represents the political ideals that our founding fathers, in part espoused, of personal freedom, small federal government and an increased sense of social mobility and hard work.  Who embodies this decidedly Jeffersonian outlook?  None other than Mr. Donald J. Trump.

 

 

How?  How can anyone say that this bombastic lunatic, with such aggressive rhetoric and tenor can be considered in the same philosophical league as such illuminaries as Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Marshall and Benjamin Franklin?

It’s quite simple.

The economic principles that Mr. Trump has espoused in this election cycle thus far, and in his past have indicated his bent toward the Independent Party, and Jeffersonian thought.  As he has said multiple times before, and in this Q&A with Chuck Todd on Meet The Press, October 4th, 2015:

“Q: Are you going to get rid of entire departments?

TRUMP: I would get rid of some. For example, the Department of Education. I would certainly get rid of a lot of it. I want local education. We could save a fortune with Environmental Protection–

Q: what is another agency you’d get rid of?

TRUMP: Even in the military, I’m going to build a military that’s much stronger than it is right now. But you know what? We can do it for a lot less.

Q: So you believe you can spend less money on defense than we do today?

TRUMP: I think we can make our defense much stronger and spend somewhat less money.”

This is a man who wants the federal government to spend less money, cut out oversight on defunct organizations and bring the economy back to the working class of the United States of America, where those who are in the game can flourish and prosper.  This is one of the core arguments of Jeffersonian Principle.  Thomas Jefferson killed departments that he considered a waste of federal resources, and by extension that of the people’s.  Thomas Jefferson encouraged individuals to work, albeit in agriculture primarily, but we move adapt with the times, and that too was something Jeffersonian principle dictate.

These are strong indicators that Donald Trump is an enlightened political candidate, and not merely a revolutionary candidate who wants to bring drastic change to the societal make-up of this country, and to be damned with the results.

You may not like him as a person, and no one is asking you too.   But, for those who are not party-line voters or ignorant of the political process, Donald Trump is one of the best candidates we have seen so far this century.

Feel free to agree or disagree below.

Marketing Civic Duty and Helping Your Community

This weekend, at 9 AM the Church of Scientology sponsored a "clean up the city" event where dozens of volunteers from the community, including the Vice-Mayor of the City of Clearwater and his election opponent this autumn, Jay Polglaze.  It was a nice brisk morning making the walking around the city that we did very relaxing, while others were businesses and election candidates did their own personal marketing for promotion.

We started across the street from Coachman Park in Downtown Clearwater, and divided into three groups of volunteers, each with a different zone around the city.  Groups of us went up North Ft. Harrison and down South Ft. Harrison, while the third group went down the business district in Downtown Clearwater. 

This was the group my family was with and starting at the corner of Ft. Harrison and Cleveland Street by the old, historic bank building, we headed east down Cleveland street picking up trash and cleaning windows as we went.  Sadly, you notice how many vacant buildings and offices there actually are, but the positive side is that there is a much cleaner feel to the sidewalks and streets of Clearwater this quiet Monday morning.  

                                                                                                 

As you can see, it wasn't just City officials and business men who participated in the event, but also local children and adolescents who have parents instilling in them a sense of civic duty and who found it fun, like my two year old who  loved running around picking up garbage and throwing it away.  The amount of hand sanitizer we used.... 

These are just some of the things that you can do to get involved in your community, promote your own businesses and make the areas we live in nicer.

Thanks to everyone who came out and helped keep Clearwater clean!

Advertising Tarpon Springs Teacher's Heroism

Let's talk about advertising the heroes in our lives that we don't even acknowledge. Tarpon Springs gives us today's story, and is one that I think we can all celebrate.

Sure, they get commendations infrequently when they hit certain landmarks and milestones in their careers, and they occasionally get mentioned in awards acceptance speeches, but these are the people who spend hours with our children and do the little things that make them happy, healthy students.

One story pops out, and while she has made the news on Bay News 9's website, she deserves extra credit here too.

Tammy Steffen helped one of her colleague's students stop choking. Ileana Duncan deserves plaudits for knowing to get assistance when the situation was out of her control and beyond her ken to solve. These are the heroes that we should celebrate.

How often do your children go through things, whether choking like Cameron Lawrence, being bullied, getting injured at sporting events, or anything else where the teachers and coaches who spend half their waking hours with are the ones to keep a level head and help them when we as parents are unable to do so.

Teachers especially do not get the commendation they deserve, in my mind, so let's promote this story and advertise the impact they have on our children's lives.

They deserve it, don't you think?

This story was brought to you from Bay News 9, here.

The cities, towns and communities of Pinellas County are stabilized and expanded by commerce. Some individuals leap into entrepreneurship taking on risks, working long hours, and adding their creativity. These individuals and their businesses are the foundation of Pinellas County and are admired and commended for what they provide to others.

For 25 years, Dave Rutter has been the owner operator of Dave's Auto Tops located in Largo, Florida. Dave moved from from London over 30 years ago and is a legal citizen if the United States.

Dave Rutter is highly commended for his actions of providing service and employment to the citizens of Pinellas as well as financially supporting the Fire and Police Departments' through their various fund raisers and even was awarded a "Brick on the Wall" for his benevolence. 

Besides financial support, Dave gives his time by caring for a local homeless veteran, his 93 year old mother and other causes of his choice.

In business, Dave's Auto Tops has thrived by ensuring his customers leave happy, even when he has to go the extra mile to pull out the smile. Dave is highly rated with the Better Business Bureau and Angie's List.

Besides supporting Largo and the surrounding communities with expert auto roofing services, Dave adds to the Pinellas economy by employing  county residents to work at his auto shop and has his business in the heart of Pinellas.

Support those that are making a difference in Pinellas - support Dave's Auto Tops by giving him your business when you have installation or service needs for sunroofs, convertibles and/or headliners. Dave's Auto Tops also has vinyl packages to help improve the aesthetics of your ride. 

Congratulations to Dave Rutter - your positive actions and service are appreciated!

Dave's Auto Tops

727.532.4004   www.DavesAutoTops.com

12735 Starkey Road, Largo, Florida 33773

Congratulations to Charles Crandall for winning the Creating Pinellas Award!

The cities, towns and communities of Pinellas County are stabilized and expanded by commerce. Some individuals leap into entrepreneurship taking on risks, working long hours, and adding their creativity. These individuals and their businesses are the foundation of Pinellas County and are admired and commended for what they provide to others.

Dr. Charles Crandall was a graduate of the National College of Chiropractic in 1998. He started practice here in Clearwater in 1999. Wife of Dr. Crandall, Kristi graduated from Humanities School of Allied Health in 2000 with her certificate in Massage Therapy. 

They are a family owned business and work together as a team, with Kristi managing the front and also doing massages. They are a young, active family with 3 lovely children involved in sports and girlscouts. Dr. Crandall is a very caring individual and likes to see himself as the local "go-to" guy in his area where people will go to if they are feeling pain or suffering. 

Dr. Crandall understands the complexities that exist between health care and paying for health care and has worked with people. Mr. and Mrs. Crandall share a common goal - help people get and feel better.

With a small staff and caring heart, the Crandalls are adding to the Pinellas economy and improving the quality of life for its residents through their professional services.

Support those that are making a difference in Pinellas - support  Crandall Chiropractic by giving them an opportunity when you need chiropractic care or a massage.

CLICK HERE to visit Crandall Chiropractic on the web, Call 727.447.6779 or stop by 1501 Lakeview Road, Clearwater, Florida 33756.

Charles and Kristi Crandall's actions are admired and they are highly commended. 

Congratulations to Beth Sheedy for winning our Creating Pinellas Award!

The cities, towns and communities of Pinellas County are stabilized and expanded by commerce. Some individuals leap into entrepreneurship taking on risks, working long hours, and adding their creativity. These individuals and their businesses are the foundation of Pinellas County and are admired and commended for what they provide to others.

Beth Sheedy has recently become the owner of Salon Tru located in St. Petersburg, Florida. This St. Petersburg salon offers:

• Hair care services
• Nail salon services - manicures, pedicures, etc.
• Skin care
• Waxing
• Air brush make-up
• Body wraps
• Massage Therapy
• Exfoliating  

Ms. Sheedy has actively participated in local and national charitable organizations, such as, The Relay For Life and American Cancer Society and contributed to the fight against diabetes. 

Beth is cooking up some really interesting ideas on how to expand her role and others' participation into caring for the welfare of others.

Please support those that are creating Pinellas, like Beth Sheedy by utilizing her services at:

Salon Tru Florida

3801 Park Street North, Suite 2

St. Petersburg, Florida 33709

727.343.8783

CLICK HERE to visit their website.

Beth Sheedy... your owning/operating a business in Pinellas and your social activites are creating Pinellas and making it a better place to reside, thus positively impacting quality of life issues for our communities. 

Beth Sheedy's actions are admired and she is highly commended.

Congratulations to Carla Wiza for winning our "Creating Pinellas" Award

Carla, through her enterprise, help those who help others - pets.

Carla Wiza is the business owner and operator of Munchies Natural Pet Foods in Pinellas County (Oldsmar and Belleair Bluffs), Florida.

Anyone who has ever has a dog or cat can likely recall a time when their pet was super excited to see them or happy just to be in the same vicinity. Is there a more enjoyable experience than playing with a puppy or watching a kitten chase string? A pet's companionship to the young, elderly, lonely, and nearly everyone else adds life and perhaps undervalued as to their true benefits to others.

So who cares and looks out for the well being of these four legged creatures? 

Carla Wiza has created a business in Pinellas that adds to the economy of Pinellas, employs people and services animals. As a entrepreneur, she has taken on risks and devoted her time in creating a unique venture that improves the quality of life for our citizens and the pets of Pinellas.

Her care for pets has gone above and beyond commerce, Carla has donated items to St. Francis Society Animal Rescue, Paw Prints Animal Rescue. Currently, Munchies is involved with Canine Estates of Palm Harbor, an organization dedicated to saving the lives of abandoned, abused, and injured dogs, rehabilitating, vaccinating, spay/neuter them and then finding loving homes for each.

Recently, one of their customer's home burned down and Carla and the team at Munchies helped to ensure their pets had food for 6 months. 

Munchies prepares baskets and crates full of animal goodies for a big give-a-away during the Christmas holiday season.

The "wagging tails" of Pinellas County Florida are in good hands when we have people like Carla Wiza and the team members at Munchies caring for our pets.

Thank you Carla Wiza - your are highly commended  and admired for your actions in creating Pinellas!  

Please support those businesses that are creating Pinellas, support Munchies Natural Pet Foods.

CLICK HERE to visit their website 

Munchies Natural Pet Foods - Oldsmar, Florida

3705 Tampa Road, Suite 11 Oldsmar, Florida 34677 (By Ross/Aldi in the Forest Lake Plaza)

(813) 925.0449 

Munchies Natural Pet Foods - Belleair Bluffs, Florida

2893 W. Bay Drive, Belleair Bluffs, Florida (next to Wildfields, Panera, and Cody's in the Bluffs, across from Bonefish Grill)

(727) 581.1000 

Congratulations to Pinellas Humanitarian Award recipient Mr. John Ballard!

 

The County Advisory Board is pleased to announce that it has chosen to award Mr. John Ballard as a Pinellas Humanitarian for his efforts to improve the quality of life for others in Pinellas County, Florida.

Mr. Ballard is the owner/operator of "Always Gossip Salon"  in Seminole, Florida and has volunteered his time to provide hair care professional services to people in need. John Ballard has also donated in other ways to our county's arts and entertainment activities

Through his devotion to the welfare of others in need, Mr. Ballard directly affects the moral of  those serviced, which likely is paid forward throughout our communities, thus he is positively contributing to the overall quality of life for the citizens of Pinellas County, Florida.

The County Advisory Board awards the ambassadors of our county and John Ballard's actions are worthy of a public admiration.

Mr. Ballard, you are highly commended and we thank you for your service!

County Advisory Board Awards Committee Chairman

 Congratulations to Steve Chamberland for winning the Creating Pinellas Award!

The cities, towns and communities of Pinellas County are stabilized and expanded by commerce. Some individuals leap into entrepreneurship taking on risks, working long hours, and adding their creativity. These individuals and their businesses are the foundation of Pinellas County and are admired and commended for what they provide to others.

Steve Chamberland is the founder of 50 Legs, an organization that helps amputees obtain necessary care and prosthetic devices. These devises help those in need to live a healthier, happier life by improving mobility, but, perhaps even more importantly, an increased feeling of self-worth and confidence.

50 Legs educates people and increases awareness. They've helped get prosthetics to children, adults and military service men and women. 

When world events occur, 50 Legs is also there as evident by their immediate help to those victims of the Boston Marathon.

Currently, 50 Legs has requests in excess of $800,000 and all help, support and donations are welcome.

Support those that are making a difference - support Steve Chamberland and the 50 Legs team.

CLICK HERE to visit 50 Legs on the web.

Steve Chamberland... your founding a business and your social activities are creating Pinellas and making it a better place to reside, thus positively impacting quality of life issues for the residents of our communities.

Steve Chamberland's actions are admired and he is highly commended.

Congratulations to Barbara Barmore for winning the Creating Pinellas Award!

The cities, towns and communities of Pinellas County are stabilized and expanded by commerce. Some individuals leap into entrepreneurship taking on risks, working long hours, and adding their creativity. These individuals and their businesses are the foundation of Pinellas County and are admired and commended for what they provide to others.

Barbara is the owner/operator of The Pie Factory, a family owned bakery since 1990 providing handmade pies, tarts, and quiches to wonderful Largo, Florida and beyond shipping to anywhere in the United States.

The Pie Factory services individual pie lovers and does catering, weddings, wholesale, fundraisers, and much, much more. They can customize any event from personal to business, small or large and at any budget.

The Pie Factory participates in many local events including Taste of Belleair and the Bluffs where local restaurants will be offering tastes of their special dishes and non-food vendors will be showcasing their services.

This year's benefits will go to Gracies Big Splash, a mission to help kids battling life-threatening illnesses, and Shepherd's Village providing single parent families with affordable housing, services, and resources to experience growth, stability, and a path to self-sufficiency for the parent and children facing significant crises and changes.

Over the years, Ms. Barmore has served on the committee for UPARC, a non-profit dedicated to serving people with disabilities and provided help in raising funds for All Children's Hospital (ACH).

Support those that are making a difference in Pinellas - support  Barbara Barmore and The Pie Factory by giving

them an opportunity to win your "pie" business.

CLICK HERE to visit  The Pie Factory on the web, Call 727.593.1884 or at 12777 Walsingham Road, Largo, Florida 33774 

Barbara Barmore... your owning/operating a business in Pinellas County and your social activities are creating Pinellas and making it a better, safer place to reside, thus positively impacting quality of life issues for the residents of our communities.

Barbara Barmore's actions are admired and she is highly commended. 

 Congratulations to Andy and Sasha Citino for winning the Creating Pinellas Award!

The cities, towns and communities of Pinellas County are stabilized and expanded by commerce. Some individuals leap into entrepreneurship taking on risks, working long hours, and adding their creativity. These individuals and their businesses are the foundation of Pinellas County and are admired and commended for what they provide to others.

Andy and Sasha are the proprietors of 6S - a boutique for the "classy sassy" side of you located in St. Petersburg, Florida. If you want to stand out and shine, the unique store has products for your eyes, lips, face, body, hair and nails.

Andy and Sasha love to get involved in making our county a more tolerant, safe place to call home. They've been involved in CASA (Community Actions Stops Abuse) working with survivors and their children, Metro Wellness Center providing comprehensive HIV, substance abuse, and medical services, and the AIDs Service Association of Pinellas.

Support those that are making a difference in Pinellas - support Andy and Sasha Citino by giving

6S Boutique an opportunity to win your business.

CLICK HERE to visit 6S Boutique on the web 

or stop by 7213 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, Florida 33710.

Andy and Sasha... your owning/operating a business in Pinellas County and your social activities are creating Pinellas and making it a better, safer place to reside, thus positively impacting quality of life issues for the residents of our communities.

Andy and Sasha's actions are admired and they are highly commended. 

Congratulations to Don Coffman for winning the Creating Pinellas Award!

The cities, towns and communities of Pinellas County are stabilized and expanded by commerce. Some individuals leap into entrepreneurship taking on risks, working long hours, and adding their creativity. These individuals and their businesses are the foundation of Pinellas County and are admired and commended for what they provide to others.

Don is the owner/operator of Coffman Construction, providing a world-class construction experience with one-on-one personalized service. They specialize in turn-key projects from design, engineering, build and completion of new, construction, renovations and additions for residential and commercial buildings

Mr. Coffman has developed a stellar reputation by providing quality work as evident by the number of referrals his firm generates. One of the secrets to his success is employing dependable, honest people who perform at very high levels. Many of his staff have been on post for years, some have retired with his firm.

 Besides commercial activities, Don Coffman contributes socially, even being thrown in jail (voluntarily) to help raise funds for Jerry's Kids. 

Support those that are making a difference in St. Petersburg and around Pinellas - support Don Coffman

by giving Coffman construction an opportunity to win your business.

CLICK HERE to visit Coffman Construction on the web or call 727.327.3031

Don Coffman... your owning/operating a business in Pinellas County and your social activities are creating Pinellas and making it a better place to reside, thus positively impacting quality of life issues for the residents of our communities.

Don coffman's actions are admired and he is highly commended. 

WABAMM at Tampa Bay Veteran's Alliance Memorial Groundbreaking Ceremony | Skycrest, Clearwater

Local press coverage is a vital part of small town USA and there is nothing to promote an organization like the ground breaking for a veteran’s memorial.  The Tampa Bay Veteran’s Alliance broke ground today on their regional memorial in Downtown Clearwater, FL today.

 

It was a bright sunny May morning, with few clouds in the sky, not too unbearable heat temperatures outside, and very good shade in Skycrest Park.  Father Bob Swick and Marc Norton, who head the TBVA introduced the first steps to making their veteran’s memorial a reality with patriotic fanfare and a vast amount of positive public relations from a number of very important local figures. 

 

The City of Clearwater’s Mayor, George Cretekos was in attendance and spoke a few words about the positive nature of the TBVA Memorial, and the nature of Father Bob.  Congressional Representative David Jolly also spoke and was effusive in his praise for the memorial and the good works that Father Bob has done for veterans in our area.

Marc Norton the President of the Tampa Bay Veteran’s Alliance Building Fund spoke and was very grateful for the attendance, thanking our veterans in attendance and describing how the memorial would look upon completion.

 

This was a great event and Wabamm is proud to be part of it.  Promoting the value of our nation’s veterans is always a worthwhile task, and anything we can do to promote one of the nicest parks in the county for families of all generations to come and spend time together is a good thing.

We would like to add our thanks to Father Bob and the Tampa Bay Veteran’s Alliance for producing this memorial and giving us the occasion to attend a local event we will remember.