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photo for Tropical Breeze courtesy Safety Harbor Kiwanis Club

photo for Tropical Breeze courtesy Safety Harbor Kiwanis Club

Kiwanis Donates $5,000

On July 5, Joe Incorvia of the Kiwanis Club of Safety Harbor presented a $5,000 check to Maria Kadau, Assistant Vice President of Development of the Pinellas Education Foundation in Largo. The money, raised by the Kiwanis Club of Safety Harbor, will be applied to the Doorways Scholarship Program. Doorways provides deserving Pinellas County public school students in grades 4-9 with a Florida Prepaid College Scholarship. This is the 26th time the club has made a donation to the program.

‘Tampa Bay: Living Legacy’ Documentary On WUSF-TV Chronicles Bay’s Spoiling, Recovery From Pollution

“Tampa Bay: Living Legacy,” a one-hour documentary film about Florida’s largest open-water estuary, will be broadcast on WUSF-TV (Channel 16)  at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 23. The film also will air on WEDU-TV (Channel 3) in October.

The film chronicles Tampa Bay’s transformation from a relatively unspoiled paradise in the 1950s, to a waterway battered by pollution in the 1970s, to its amazing rebirth and recovery beginning some 25 years ago and continuing today.

“Tampa Bay: Living Legacy” features interviews with scientists, elected officials and citizens, including well-known Floridians such as former Governor Bob Martinez, the mayors of both Tampa and St. Petersburg and former State Education Commissioner Betty Castor. Compelling archival images help tell the bay’s story, along with extensive new footage showcasing the extraordinary beauty of the bay’s habitats and inhabitants.

The film also pays homage to early bay advocates such as Roger Stewart, former head of Hillsborough’s Environmental Protection Commission, who was fired by the county in the 1970s for his outspoken criticism of sewage dumping in the bay, and rehired after a CBS “60 Minutes” piece exposed the severe pollution of the bay. Subsequent state legislation co-sponsored by former Rep. Mary Figg (also featured in the film) required all governments discharging sewage to Tampa Bay to utilize advanced treatment methods — a crucial change that sparked the bay’s dramatic turnaround.

“Tampa Bay: Living Legacy” provides a living history of the bay’s evolution over time. Two-thirds of Bay Area residents did not live here 25 years ago when these early bay champions were working to save the bay. The producers hope the film will inspire today’s residents, and future generations, to sustain their legacy.

The film is narrated by Patrick Wilson, a Broadway and film star who has appeared in “Phantom of the Opera,” “Oklahoma” and “The Full Monty.”  Wilson grew up in St. Petersburg, where his father, John, is a longtime local news anchor.

Funding for “Tampa Bay: Living Legacy” was provided by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program and the Pinellas County Environmental Fund. The film was produced by Public Media Productions of Tampa.

You Can Receive Emergency Notifications From Pinellas County On Your Cell Phone

The ReadyAlert program allows Pinellas County to provide one-way notices and alerts concerning evacuation and re-entry orders during hurricanes, as well as notifications during other types of emergencies. Text messaging has proven reliability, allowing users to receive messages when regular phone services are not operational. As long as a cell phone shows an operational clock it is able to receive text messages.

Pinellas County citizens can activate the service by calling 1-888-689-8905 on a cell phone and following the prompts. At any time users can opt-put of the service by calling the same number. Please note that your cell phone service provider may charge a fee for text messages; contact your provider for more information.

After the storm, go to the library for disaster recovery assistance. The Pinellas Public Library Cooperative, Inc. and Pinellas County Economic Development have partnered to provide alternate locations to perform critical business functions and provide assistance directly to the business community in the case of a disaster. In the event of a disaster, those libraries not affected will be able to offer temporary computer use, communications, internet access and basic work space to help businesses resume operations.

Visit www.pplc.us for a full listing of libraries in the cooperative.

Join The Great Bay Scallop Search

Tampa Bay Watch will hold its annual Great Bay Scallop Search 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26. More than 150 volunteer boaters and snorkelers will search Boca Ciega and lower Tampa Bay for the elusive bay scallop, which hides in seagrass beds. Tampa Bay Watch will partner with the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, Pinellas County Environmental Fund and Crabby Bill’s Seafood Restaurants for this year’s event. All volunteers receive an event t-shirt and boxed lunch from Crabby Bill’s. Volunteer boaters are still needed for the search.

Since the 1960s, the bay scallop population has virtually disappeared from Tampa Bay. Scallops are vulnerable to changes in water quality and polluted water from industrial and municipal wastes and large-scale dredging operations are believed to have contributed to their depletion. Although few scallops have been found in recent years in this part of the bay, volunteers still provide valuable data during this event. Tampa Bay Watch and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute are working to increase the numbers of bay scallops in this area. Scientists use the Scallop Search results to monitor restocking efforts currently underway.

The bay scallop is a member of the shellfish family known as bivalves (for its two halves, or shells), which grows to about two inches in size. It feeds continuously through its open shell by filtering small particles of algae and organic matter in the water. The scallop has many tiny, blue eyes along the outer rim of its shell that detect movement near the animal and function as a warning system. It can swim backwards by clapping its valves and expelling water rapidly.

In Florida, the bay scallop only lives about one year. Its short life span and high sensitivity to changes in water quality and salinity levels contribute to the extreme population fluctuations in Tampa Bay. Salinity levels vary within the estuary, especially with an increase of fresh water (such as heavy rainfall). Other occurrences, such as red tide and excessive nutrient levels in the water, also can negatively impact the scallop population.

The public is invited to help gather information about these marine animals and contribute to the long-term survival of the scallop population. Volunteers must pre-register. To participate, email Alexis Ackman, volunteer coordinator, at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 727-867-8166.