Legislation is currently working its way through the Florida Legislature that will limit what perpetrators of  heinous crimes can receive from their victims.  The legislation filed by Sen. Mike Fasano and Rep. Richard Steinberg is modeled after a bill that passed in New Jersey in 2009. The bill seeks to plug holes in Florida’s existing “barring the killer receiving benefits” doctrine in current state law.  The bill does so by expanding the doctrine in many ways.

The largest event of its kind in the southeastern United States and one of the largest in the country, the City of Dunedin Parks & Recreation Department’s 11th Annual “Touch a Truck” is seeking vehicles to add to the over 150 in attendance each year. With an expected attendance of close to 15,000 this year, we are looking for new and old contacts alike to celebrate our second decade of events.

Displaying your vehicle is FREE and a great marketing opportunity, especially in today’s economy. You never know who will walk by your spot and say “we need this…” and could become a new customer for your business. It’s also a great opportunity for non-profits to show themselves off to the community at no charge.

To receive an application to display your vehicle, visit www.DunedinGov.com and click on “Special Events.” You will see a link to the application under “Touch a Truck” in April.

For more information, please contact the Dunedin Community Center at 727-812-4530.

Press Contact: Mathew Eberius, Recreation Leader III, 727-812-4533, meberius@dunedinfl.net

State Sen. Mike Fasano has been awarded the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine’s “Morton Morris Award.”  In a letter released by Anthony Jusevitch, Executive Director of the Board,  he stated the “…award is given annually to a citizen of Florida who exemplifies the public protection of all Florida residents. This award is in recognition and commendation of your dedication, integrity and commitment to improving healthcare for the citizens of Florida.”

“Through your tireless efforts to protect the public in the fight against prescription drug overdoses and prescription drug  trafficking, the citizens of the State of Florida are safer today,” Director Jusevitch further writes. “Your efforts truly embody the spirit of the Morton Morris Award.”

“I am humbled to even be considered for this distinguished award, let alone be named its recipient,” Sen. Fasano states.  “Dr. Morton Morris left a legacy of public service as well as being a pioneer in the field of osteopathic medicine.  His commitment to caring for people from all walks of life is impressive.  I truly appreciate the Board of Osteopathic Medicine for honoring me with this prestigious award.” Dr. Morton Morris was a past president of the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association and was the recipient of numerous state and national awards for his work in medicine and advancing access to quality healthcare.

The Dunedin Blue Jays are excited to announce that the 2012 Florida State League season will open with a rocking night at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium, as the Black Honkeys will play a concert on the field immediately following the Blue Jays game against the Clearwater Threshers.

The cross-town rivals will open the season with a 6:30 PM game on Thursday, April 5, and all fans in attendance will be invited to stay after the game for the concert by one of the Tampa Bay area’s hottest live bands.

The Thursday night game will feature “Thirsty Thursday” drink specials ($2 beer, wine, and soda) throughout the night, and admission to the park is just $6.

The Black Honkeys have been voted “Best of the Bay” in Creative Loafing magazine as the Best Local Soul/R&B/Funk Act in the Tampa Bay area, and they consistently sell out venues throughout the area. More information about the band can be found on their website www.theblackhonkeys.com.

For more information about purchasing Dunedin Blue Jays tickets – including season ticket packages that start at just $35 – visit the Blue Jays online at www.dunedinbluejays.com.

For more information, please contact Craig Durham at (727) 738-7014 or by e-mail at craig.durham@bluejays.com.

Craig Durham
Communications Coordinator, Dunedin Blue Jays Broadcaster

TORONTO BLUE JAYS SPRING TRAINING
DUNEDIN BLUE JAYS FLORIDA STATE LEAGUE
373 Douglas Avenue
Dunedin, FL 34698
Tel: 727.738.7014 Cell: 727.647.3428
Fax: 727.734.7661
www.dunedinbluejays.com

2012 Spring Training and Florida State League tickets now on sale.

We are pleased to invite residents this month to mark their calendars for an important upcoming event! On Saturday, April 28, 2012 the Sheriff’s Office will hold its seventh installment of Operation Medicine Cabinet (OMC). The event to be held in conjunction with the DEAs National Take Back Day, affords Pinellas residents an opportunity to dispose of unused or expired prescription medications, no questions asked.

The countywide OMC day events held so far on six occasions since May of 2009 have been a resounding success with 4,448.7 pounds of medications collected. Due to the high demand from citizens for permanent drop-off sites, drop boxes were placed at our North District Station and our Sheriff’s Administration Building just over a year ago. These alone have already collected an additional 1706.29 pounds, with January of this year as a record breaker with 333.32 pounds of medications collected.

OMC is aimed at educating the public about the dangers of prescription drugs; and creating the awareness that if they remain in the home and accessible they can fall into the hands of those who may abuse them. Disposing of those medications that are no longer needed is one way to help prevent their illegal use and abuse. In addition, OMC offers a safe and environmentally friendly way to dispose of the medications – through incineration.

We attribute much of the success of the OMC collection efforts to the law enforcement, community and business partnerships formed. We continue to expand these partnerships each and every day. At this time our office is developing informational materials about the use and abuse of prescription drugs to be disseminated through area pharmacies, healthcare providers and treatment programs.

The problem of prescription drug abuse has reached epidemic proportions. From the lawenforcement perspective, the growing numbers of prescription pill mills and drug abusers have made prescription related crimes the single largest enforcement challenge in recent memory.

While a recent report from the US Drug Enforcement Administration indicated a 97 percent drop in the sale of Oxycodone by Florida doctors following the establishment of a prescription drug monitoring program and moves toward tougher enforcement, – the effects are not yet being seen at the street level in Pinellas. The price of the illegally obtained pill here remains high. No doubt the initiatives are a move in the right direction, but there is also no doubt that our job is far from done. Our office remains committed and will continue to combat the problem – on all fronts. If you have information on the illegal sale or use of prescription drugs contact our Narcotics Unit at 727-582-2828 or to remain anonymous contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 873-TIPS.

We invite you once again to our upcoming Operation Medicine Cabinet event. Remember to save the date of April 28 between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to drop off your unused and expired medications at one of our soon to be announced county-wide locations. The exact sites will be posted soon on our website at www.pcsoweb.com.

In the meantime, drop off your medications at one of the permanent drop-off locations at:

North District Station
737 Louden Ave., Dunedin
(727) 582-6900
7 a.m. to 11 p.m./7 days

Sheriff’s Administration Building
10750 Ulmerton Road, Largo
(727) 582-6200
7 a.m. to 11 p.m./7 days

Treasure Island Police Department
180 108th Ave., Treasure Island
(727) 547-4595
24hours/7 days

Your help will go a long way in the fight against prescription drug abuse.

The grant is among the first that have been awarded to The Pier Aquarium’s new visitor attraction that is scheduled to open at John’s Pass Village by the end of the year.

“We are thrilled to have Progress Energy on board as one of our founding Corporate Partners in the new Marine Exploration Center and Aquarium in John’s Pass Village,” said E. Howard Rutherford, president and CEO. “The ‘Energizing Research Mystery Station’ will demonstrate the impactful collaboration between Progress Energy and Secrets of the Sea.”

The Secrets of the Sea experience is designed around a series of “Mystery Stations,” interactive experiences in which visitors explore scientific mysteries regarding the ocean and how scientists or “sea sleuths” here in Tampa Bay work to understand those mysteries.

Progress Energy’s grant supports the “Energizing Research” Mystery Station, an interactive exhibit that allows the visitor to decide which future mysteries they would like see solved. Visitors will be presented with three proposed and competing graduate student research projects and can “vote” for their favorite project by placing a dollar in the designated box. A winner will be declared every six months. Visitors can opt to be kept up to date on the progress and results of their vote.

2010 Tampa Bay Business Journal Nonprofit of the Year Award
Finalist: Environment and Animals

2009 WEDU Be More™ Award
Finalist, Be More Entertaining
Finalist: Be More Enriching

2009 Florida Inclusive Culture Award for Best Practices in Access, State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs and VSA arts of Florida

2009 National Medal for Museum and Library Service nominee

2008 Tampa Bay Business Journal Nonprofit of the Year Finalist- Education

2007 WEDU Be More™ Award
Finalist, Be More Informed
Finalist, Be More Encouraged

2006 WEDU Be More™ Award Winner
Be More Brilliant, (Innovation) – The Big Fish Move book

The mission of The Pier Aquarium is to enhance the public’s understanding of the value and fragility of the local and global marine environment through research, education and personal experiences.

“Progress Energy is pleased to award this grant to the Secrets of the Sea Marine Exploration Center and Aquarium,” said Melissa Seixas, Community Relations Manager for Progress Energy Florida. “It is our responsibility to be good stewards of the natural resources entrusted to our care while providing affordable and reliable power to our customers. The Center will be a hub of both environmental and educational information for local communities, visitors and important partnerships like the Ocean Team that now call the Tampa Bay area home.”

Seixas presented the $50,000 grant a recent meeting of the Capital Campaign Committee.

About the Secrets of the Sea Marine Exploration Center and Aquarium

This new project of The Pier Aquarium is a 12,500 sq. ft. marine science center on two levels of the John’s Pass Village shopping complex in Madeira Beach. The site is adjacent to Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and Hooters restaurants.

The state-of-the-art marine attraction and interaction visitor experience is designed to make marine science accessible and understandable to people who benefit from it every day, often without even knowing it.  Much of the technology that will be featured at Secrets of the Sea has been or is being developed by the St. Petersburg Ocean Team, a consortium of 14 marine science-related groups including national, state, regional and local governmental agencies, environmental organizations, R&D businesses, educational institutions and The Pier Aquarium.

Projected Community Benefits

• Economic impact: 250,000 visitors to the Tampa Bay area generating $8 million into the local economy
• Education impact: reaching more than 40,000 students from six counties
• Tourism impact: anchoring one of Tampa Bay’s top attractions and expanding the visitation product of Pinellas County
• Scientific Impact: expanding scientific, corporate and educational partnerships while creating a new generation of environmental stewards

About the Progress Energy Foundation

Through its registered 501(c)3 Foundation, Progress Energy invests in a wide variety of local organizations and initiatives to add to the overall quality of life in the areas it serves. Grants focus on energy education, environmental stewardship, economic vitality and workforce development. In 2011, the Progress Energy Foundation invested nearly $10 million in the community it serves. The Progress Energy Foundation is funded each year by the company’s board of directors from shareholder funds, and is not in any way related to a customer expense.

The former CEO of Shell Oil USA says there is a “better than 50 percent chance” gasoline prices will hit $5 a gallon by sometime this summer.

John Hofmeister, founder of an advocacy group called Citizens for Affordable Energy,” says even though demand for gasoline is weak in the U.S., global demand for oil will keep driving the price of gasoline higher.

“What’s really unprecedented is developing countries, particularly China and India, have this insatiable need for more oil and that has not been taken into account when we think of public policy in this country,” Hofmeister said in an interview with CNBC.

Disagrees with the government

Hofmeister took issue with a report last week from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) that once again lowered its estimated demand for oil in the months ahead. His group advocates increased and faster U.S. energy development.

Hofmeister is not alone in forecasting higher gas prices, though most other predictions stop short of $5 a the pump. Since last year, some industry analysts have been warning consumers to prepare for $4 a gallon gasoline.

In the last four weeks the average U.S. price of self-serve regular has risen about 12 cents a gallon, to $3.50 a gallon, the highest it’s ever been in February, according to AAA. The trend matches the one from last year, when oil prices rose in reaction to the “Arab Spring” movement that some feared would interrupt oil supplies from the Middle East. Civil war did, in fact, interrupt the flow of oil from Libya.

Projecting a peak

In 2011, the average gasoline price peaked in early May at $3.98 a gallon before a slowing economy began to drag it down over the summer. Is it possible to project from last year’s rise what will happen to gas prices this year?

At this time last year, the average gasoline price was $3.12 a gallon, so the increase to $3.98 amounts to a 27 percent increase.

Today’s average price is $3.50. If last year’s same set of economic circumstances remained in place this year, and prices rose 27 percent from today’s price of gasoline, the result would be a peak of $4.44 a gallon, a bit shy of Hofmeister’s prediction, but enough to severely hurt consumers.

Ironically, U.S. consumers are paying more at the pump when supplies of gasoline are piling up. In the latest EIA weekly report, stockpiles of gasoline increased by 1.6 million barrels.

U.S. refining companies are caught in the squeeze between rising oil prices and falling U.S. gasoline demand. That puts severe pressure on their profit margins. Refineries are selling so much less fuel that three Pennsylvania refineris say their profit margins are not enough to keep them operating.

The mission of the Council is to bring together the North County’s neighborhoods to promote communication and cooperation between member organizations of Northern Pinellas County, to foster a sense of community, to provide a forum for member organizations, and most important is to act as a neighborhood advocate for the benefit of our member organizations and to bring a common voice to state and county government including and not limited to the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners and State Legislators.

UF/IFAS Pinellas County Extension has teamed-up with Pinellas County Libraries to offer a fun and factual new energy-conservation program. The goal of the Kill-a-Watt Campaign is to help Pinellas citizens monitor their home’s energy use to lower power bills. Check your local library for Kill-a-Watt monitors that you may borrow to evaluate your home. Sign-up for a class to learn more about the monitor and easy ways to save energy in the home; classes will be offered throughout the county.

Kill-a-Watt Library Programs
Tarpon Springs Public Library Wednesday Jan. 11, 3 p.m.-4 p.m.
Gulfport Public Library Saturday Jan. 28, 10 a.m.-11 a.m.
Palm Harbor Public Library Saturday Feb. 18, 11 a.m.-noon
Dunedin Public Library Tuesday March 13, 7 p.m.-8 p.m.
Clearwater East Branch Library Saturday March 31, 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
Safety Harbor Public Library Thursday April 12, 6 p.m.-7 p.m.
Oldsmar Public Library Thursday April 26, 1:30 p.m.-2:30 .pm.
St Pete Beach Public Library Monday, May 7, 1 p.m.-2 p.m.

For more information, please contact Paula Godfrey at the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative office at (727) 441-8408.

“No matter how big the bully in the schoolyard may be, if the loss of a chairmanship is the result of taking a stand for what is right, I wear that loss as a badge of honor.”

“As the final days of the president’s tenure comes to a close I encourage him to stand up for taxpayers and consumers to ensure that each and every tax dollar is spent wisely. The special interests should not prevail. I hope that he will do what is right and remember why we were all sent to Tallahassee.”

Contact information: Greg Giordano, Chief Assistant Legislative Assistant to Sen. Mike Fasano – (850) 487-5062