Patel Project Given An Extension

On December 18th the Clearwater City Council granted Kirin Patel and his development group a 3 year extension to begin construction on a 450 room hotel on Clearwater Beach. It was originally approved in 2004. The property will be used for city parking during the extension.

Island Estates Boat Parade Winners

Braving unusually cold weather and very low tides 47 boats participated in the Island Estates Yacht Club Memorial Holiday Boat Parade which passed by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and Island Way Grill showing off a spectacular light display.

The Best in Parade winner was Puff the Magic Dragon, which took 2 years of planning. The winner, Captain Braun, is donating his grand prize to Toys for Tots charity.

The parade is organized by the Island Estates Yacht Club ad is the largest in the area. 23 businesses contributed money or gift certificates as prizes.

2008 winners:

• Best in Parade: Puff the Magic Dragon – Drew Braun

• Power boats 30 feet or more: First place, Semper Fi, John Tornga; Second place, Sea Spirit, Bob Griffin; Third place, One Wish, Gene Williams

• Power boats 30 feet or less: First place, Sea Hunter, Tom Tafelski; Second Place, My Son, David Smart; Third place, JCREW, James Boswell

• Sailboats, First place, Annalea II, Anton Hopen; Second place, Island Hopper, Carol Elwood; Third place, Venor Divino, James B. Thurber

Outback Bowl Beach Day

Outback Bowl Beach Day will be held Tuesday, December 30th from 11 - 4, at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort on Mandalay Avenue. This annual event will include live music, skydivers, and contests like tug-of-war. Everyone is invited to join the teams, their marching bands and cheerleaders as they enjoy the sun and beaches at the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort. This fun day includes live music, skydivers, a tug-of-war and other contests.

2008 Holiday Boat Parade Schedule

Island Estates: The 34th annual Memorial Holiday Boat Parade has been set for Friday December 13th. The area's largest and most popular boat parade is being organized by the Island Estates Yacht Club. Boats will gather at the South Bridge in Mandalay Channel at 6 pm, and then proceed east into the basin by Island Way Grill and the, meander through several canals before heading to Coachman Park around 8 pm, then head back following the causeway to maker 7, finally heading south to Clearwater Yacht Club. Prized will be awarded, there is no entry fee. Registration forms will be available the first week of November. Call Captain Wayne Millington 727-462-81006

Indian Rocks Beach:Holiday Lighted Boat Parade December 20, 2008 at 7:00pm. Big or small, all boats are welcome. Vessels tour the IRB fingers via the Intracoastal Waterway, beginning at Holiday Inn Harbourside, near the Walsingham Bridge, up to the northern IRB city limits and returning to the Holiday Inn Harbourside.Visit www.IRBHOME.com for more information.

Tierra Verde Lighted Boat Parade: Dec. 10. Begins at 6 p.m. from Pass-a-Grille Channel, passes under the Tierra Verde bridge, heads south along the east side of Tierra Verde, then returns by the same route to Pass-a-Grille Channel. Best viewing is from the Tierra Verde bridge or the vacant lot next to Billy's Stone Crab. To enter your decorated boat, register by Dec. 9 at Billy's Stone Crab. $500 prize awarded. For information, call 458-8512.

St. Pete Beach Holiday Boat Parade and celebration: Dec. 12. Begins at 6 p.m. at the St. Pete Beach Yacht and Tennis Club, 94th Avenue and Blind Pass Road, along the Intracoastal Waterway through Boca Ciega Bay and ends at Pass-a-Grille Way. Also holiday tree lighting, boat parade viewing party, an appearance by Santa and holiday music by the Boca Ciega Jazz Band at the Community Center. For information or to participate in the parade (sign up by Friday) call 363-9245 and check the Web for a detailed route at http://www.stpetebeach.org/.

Boca Ciega Yacht Club Christmas Boat Parade: Dec. 13. Begins at 6 p.m. at the Gulfport Marina, passes in front of the Gulfport Pier, into Town Shores, and into the Broadwater canals. For more information and a detailed route check the Web at www.sailbcyc.org or call 321-7295. To participate in the parade call 572-1356 or e-mail david.tarbox@yahoo.com.

Madeira Beach Holiday Illuminated Festival of Lights Boat Parade: Dec. 13 (rain date Dec. 20). Begins at 6:30 p.m. The boats will gather just north of the Tom Stuart Causeway and travel parallel to the causeway, around the City Hall Complex then travel back under the causeway in the Intracoastal Waterway, around the perimeter of the island and end at John's Pass. For a map of the route and more information check www.madeirabeachfl.gov or call 391-9951, ext. 231.

St. Petersburg: Bruce Watters Jewelers Illuminated Boat Parade: Dec. 13. Activities from 3 p.m.-10 p.m., Dec. 13, with activities at Spa Beach, 615 Second Ave. NE. Chili cook-off, food and beverage, live entertainment before and after parade. Best viewing is from the Pier and along the Vinoy Basin. Grandstand seating at Spa Beach, $10. Proceeds benefit The Children's Dream Fund and Rotary Charities. To enter your decorated boat, or for information, call 896-6661.

Treasure Island: Christmas Boat Parade and Holiday Celebration: Dec. 14 (rain date Dec. 15). Begins at 6:20 p.m. leaving the Treasure Island Tennis and Yacht Club basin then passing through the Treasure Island toll bridge at 7 p.m. and finishing at John's Pass between 8 and 8:30 p.m. The parade includes the islands of Paradise, Palms and Capri. To receive a pass to watch the parade from Treasure Island Tennis and Yacht Club and to attend the holiday party bring a new toy to the Recreation Department at City Hall or Treasure Bay on Paradise Boulevard from Monday to Dec. 12. Activities include holiday music and complimentary hot dogs, chowder, hot cider and cookies served poolside plus Santa will make an appearance. Toys will be donated to the Christmas Toy Shop Project Inc. Call 367-4511, ext. 236.

Indian Shores and Redington Beaches Christmas Boat Parade: Dec. 14. Begins at 5:45 p.m. on the north side of Tom Stuart Causeway and heads north through the Intracoastal Waterway, arriving at the Pub restaurant in Indian Shores about 9 p.m. Public viewing areas are Del Bello Park, 17925 Gulf Blvd.; the Pinellas County Boat Launch at Park Boulevard; and the Estelle Harper Park behind Indian Shores Town Hall, 19305 Gulf Blvd. Call 391-3875.

Beach Hotel Decision Delayed

The Clearwater Community Development Board approved a development agreement with Dr. Kirin Patel and his development company for a new hotel on Clearwater Beach 4 years ago. That was during the building boom. Now, building is at a standstill and financing difficult to find.

Patel has asked the city to approve an amended agreement. Among other things, it would give him 3 years from its approval to start the project. At the November 18th meeting Councilman Paul Gibson said that without a qualified partner, the project was “destined to fail” and may never get built. Plans call for a 450 room hotel to be built on the 2.75-acre parcel directly south of Pier 60, between Coronado Drive and S. Gulfview Boulevard. 200 rooms will be timeshares and the rest will be available to the public.

The property is currently vacant and used for temporary public parking by the city. If the amended agreement is approved, the city wants to add $240k worth of improvements that would add 101 spaces to the 103 spaces and add curbing and landscaping. The city would eventually get 8 public parking spaces in the hotel’s parking garage to replace the curbside spaces that will be lost to the hotel project. The City Council postponed a vote on the amended agreement until its Dec. 4 meeting so parking lot details can be tweaked.

Get Ready For Dixieland Jazz

Clearwater Beach will host 3 days of live music during the Suncoast Dixieland Jazz Classic from November 21-23. www.jazzclassic.net.

Set Your Clocks Back Tonight

The time officially moves back one hour at 2 a.m. - remember, Spring Forward, Fall Back. State Sen. Bill Posey tried to persuade the rest of the Florida Legislature to pass his bill ending the practice, but the bill failed. Posey wanted Florida to join Hawaii and Arizona as the only states that don't follow Daylight Savings Time.
The Daylight Savings Time switch is later than normal this year. To save energy, President George Bush in 2005 signed a bill that extended Daylight Saving Time about 4 weeks starting this year. Congressional leaders reasoned that having more hours of daylight in the evening would reduce the need to turn on lights.

Ironman Triathalon November 8th

The 3rd Annual Foster Grant Ironman World Champsionship will take place on Saturday November 8th. Road and lane closures are planned along the 56 mile route throughout Pinellas County. Traffic impact for Clearwater Beach will be heavily impacted because most of the event will take place at Pier 60.

All of South Gulfview Boulevard will be closed from 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 4 to 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10 and Coronado will be closed from the Clearwater Beach roundabout to Devon Drive starting at 3 a.m. on race day. Residents should plan to leave the beach before 7 a.m. to avoid the traffic impacts. Between 7 and 9 a.m. North Beach residents will have limited access to the roundabout. South Beach residents and those needing access to and from south beach after 3 a.m. will need to use the Belleair Causeway.

2 New Construction Projects Approved

Work on two Clearwater Beach construction projects has been approved by the city council.

Ocean Properties site: The 14-story Adams Mark was a landmark at 430 S Gulfview Blvd for 30 years. It was demolished 3 years ago to make way for a condo tower. That didn't work out due to the troubled housing market. It was then purchased by Ocean Properties, an international hotel developer and manager that operates more than 100 hotels. Ocean Properties planss to build a 230-room hotel on the site with a restaurant, bar, ballroom and five-story garage.

Clearwater Beach Resort & Hotel: Where the Spyglass recently stood at S Gulfview and Coronado Drive, Dr Kirin Patel is planning a 900,000 square foot project - 2 150-foot tall towers connected by a 95 foot tall building. It was originally going to be mostly condos, but then the condo market declined. The Community Development Board approved a new design on Tuesday mapping out 250 hotel rooms and suites and 200 weekly time-share rooms. Developers will now ask the city for an extension delaying a construction start until 2011 instead of 2010.

Clearwater Beach May Land For Garage

The city is in negotiations with the owners of land along BeachWalk where it would like to build a parking garage. Surf Style Retail Management proposes building a 6 floor, 500 space garage on Gulfview Boulevard just south of the Hyatt Aqualea condo hotel. The city would buy the 300 spaces on the bottom 4 floors for nearly $13-million and agree to buy the other 200 spaces for $5 million in 2014. The City Council voted 4-1 to approve the idea, with council member Carlen Petersen opposed it, objecting to having 500 parking spots next to where the Hyatt Aqualea's garage will include another 400 public spaces. Negotiations will continue.

Beachcomber Art Show October 20th

Bob Heilman's Beachcomber Restaurant will host a live art show for Peruvian artist Patricia Filomeno Hunter whose work is currently on display at the Beachcomber. CLEARWATER BEACH –– On Monday, October 20, beginning at 3:30, Bob Heilman's Beachcomber Restaurant will host a live art show for Peruvian artist Patricia Filomeno Hunter. It's an extraordinary opportunity to meet this up and coming artist, whose bold, colorful work is currently on display at the Beachcomber. The live art show is free and open to the public and starts at 3:30. Patricia will be giving gift bags to the first 20 people who arrive. Guests will enjoy wine and cheese while watching Ms. Hunter create artistic magic right before their eyes. Bob Heilman's Beachcomber Restaurant is located at 447 Mandalay Avenue, North Clearwater Beach. Call 727.442.4144 for more information.

Island Estates Boat Parade Scheduled

The 34th annual Memorial Holiday Boat Parade has been set for Friday December 13th. The area's largest and most popular boat parade is being organized by the Island Estates Yacht Club. Boats will gather at the South Bridge in Mandalay Channel at 6 pm, and then proceed east into the basin by Island Way Grill and the, meander through several canals before heading to Coachman Park around 8 pm, then head back following the causeway to maker 7, finally heading south to Clearwater Yacht Club. Prized will be awarded, there is no entry fee. Registration forms will be available the first week of November. Call Captain Wayne Millington 727-462-81006

Clearwater Beach Chamber Golf Outing

The Clearwater Beach Chamber of Commerce’s annual Chamber Challenge Golf Tournament will be Friday, Oct. 10, at the Belleview Biltmore Golf Club. The 1 p.m. shotgun scramble will feature prizes for low net and low gross scores, longest drive for the men and ladies, closest to the pin and a putting contest. Registration and lunch by Publix on Island Estates will begin at noon. The awards and buffet will begin on the 19th hole immediately following the tournament. The field of players is limited and is filling up quickly. To register a foursome, volunteer , donate a door prize or for sponsorship, call 447-7600.

Aquarium Begins New Project

Clearwater Marine Aquarium has begun work on construction to expand its facilities. The project includes:
• A newly refurbished, 145,000-gallon dolphin pool
• A new, USDA-certified quarantine and stranding area to support CMA’s mission of rescuing stranded and/or injured marine animals
• An additional 4 sea turtle tubs and two fish quarantine tanks
• Roof access for guests to see otters on the roof undergoing rehabilitation• A new stranding pool for animals
• A new, refinished parking lot

Donations to help fund the project are being sought. Visit www.SeeWinter.com The aquarium will remain open during the construction.

Hometown Hero Celebration

The Clearwater Yacht Club on Bayway Blvd will host a celebration to honor Olympic medalist Zach Railey on Sunday September 7th. The event is open to the public and will have free food and music. Railey will be on the Oprah Winfrey show on Monday September 8th.

Zach Railey Takes Silver in Sailing

Clearwater Yacht Club's Zach Railey won the silver medal in the Finn class at the 2008 Olympic Games, finishing in 5th place. Railey sailed a consistent regatta, never falling below second place. After he was awarded his silver medal Railey gave his flowers to his mother. Wrapped in an American flag, he walked into the press conference.

Mandalay Pedestrian Brdge Finished

Construction of the Mandalay Pedestrian Bridge is now complete, and the bridge that links the Memorial Causeway to Clearwater beach is open for public use. The bridge provides safe, scenic access for people who wish to walk, jog, or bike to or from the beach.
The bridge provides an integral link of the Ream Wilson East-West Trail, a designated National Recreation Trail that connects Clearwater Beach to Tampa Bay. The trail, when complete, will provide 14 miles of paved non-motorized pathways for pedestrians.
The trail is open during daylight hours for use by non-motorized users such as walkers, joggers, runners, skaters, and cyclists

Spyglass Resort Demolished

The Spyglass Resort on Clearwater Beach was imploded last night on live television. The landmark was brought down with over 400 sticks of dynamite. Once the tallest building on the beach, it featured a large balloon mural on one side. It will be replaced with a hotel and timeshare, The Clearwater Beach Resort. Illusionis Criss Angel used the implosion as part of a stunt, which was telvised live on A&E.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium To Host Fishing Tournament & Community Party

The Clearwater Marine Aquarium will host its first annual “Ted Williams Teammates Fishing Hall of Fame Tournament” and silent auction Saturday, August 16th. Boats will leave from the Aquarium’s marina for the fishing tournament. The Aquarium will host the other day’s events
The tournament will be led by local fishing expert and TV personality Captain Sergio Atanes. The event will give CMA an opportunity to educate the public about marine conservation and promote responsible fishing and will include a day of fun for the whole family with food, live music, a moonwalk, dunk tank, games and more.

Event Schedule and cost:
Fishing Tournament - 7:30 am-1:30 pm. Entry fee $125 per boat angler, $50 per kayak angler
Community Party - fun for the entire family at CMA from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m
Silent Auction - items on display at CMA all day, bidding ends at 6 pm, followed by live auction
The cost of entry to CMA is $11 for adults, $9 for seniors and $7.50 for children ages 3-12. Admission on that day includes games for kids (including a clown, bounce house, etc.)Food bands may be purchased for $7 for adults and $5 for children.
The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is located at 249 Windward Passage on Island Estates in Clearwater Beach.

Beach Walk Offically Open

Clearwater's long-awaited $30-million Beach Walk opened officially Saturday,(it had unofficially opened in the spring). Narrow sidewalks have been replaced by two wide, paved promenades for skating, walking and biking — one along the sand and the other in front of the stores, restaurants and hotels on the east side of S Gulfview Boulevard.

While the transformation is wonderful, it's just the beginning. In 2009, the Hyatt Hotel will open, adding 400 public parking spaces. Passers-by will be welcomed into the hotel to enjoy its restaurants and shops. Other hotels, stores and restaurants are expected to open on the east side, where the promenade is 35 feet wide to permit sidewalk cafes and public seating. So while the west side of Beach Walk is unlikely to see many changes other than maintenance and minor tweaking, the east side is still a work in progress in some sections.

Beach Walk was designed to be a beautiful attractor — to attract new hotels and restaurants and to attract visitors who wanted an experience off the sand. Already, it is doing both.
Clearwater officials have good reason to be proud of the result.

Criss Angel Will Perform Stunt in Cleatwater Beach Tonight

Illusionist Criss Angel is scheduled to perform what he calls “the most exciting, biggest and baddest escape” yet before a live audience and live on television. This will be his first live performance on his show, “Mindfreak” and will be televised live on Wednesday night from 10 pm - 11 pm.

Angel is scheduled to stand handcuffed to a sixth-floor balcony of the Spyglass Resort where he’ll have 3.5 minutes to pick handcuff locks, then two door locks, run up three flights of stairs, pick two more locks on a roof hatch and escape to a 30-foot ladder that will dangle from a hovering helicopter. It will take 30 seconds for the helicopter to climb 1,000 feet. At the four-minute mark, the building implodes.“That’s 4,500 tons of cement that will be coming barreling down to the earth, and it’s my goal not to be in its path, and it will be coming down, no matter what,” Angel said during a July 24 press conference.

Two public viewing areas north and south of a 500-foot “safety zone” will be open for the event on Clearwater Beach, between the Pier 60 parking lot to the north and the Barefoot Beach House to the southA large video screen will be placed at the northern edge of the safety zone for public viewing of the live program.A&E and Criss Angel Productions is handling all invitations and credentialing for their live production area, which is separate from any public viewing areas.

Road Closures For Hotel Implosion

The following traffic closures will be required for the implosion and television coverage of the Spyglass Hotel:-

South Gulfview Boulevard will be closed from just south of the Pier 60 parking lot to just south of the Hyatt Aqualea construction site from 7 a.m. July 28 until approximately 7 a.m. July 31.

Coronado Drive will be open for through traffic during this time.- No traffic will be allowed on
Coronado Drive between Hamden Drive and Third Street from 7 p.m. until 1 a.m. July 30. North and south traffic will be able to use Hamden to access local residences and businesses during this time.

No northbound and southbound traffic between the roundabout and Fifth Street will be allowed from about 10:30 until 11:30 p.m. on July 30 for the implosion.

Traffic from north beach will be able to enter and exit the island using the Memorial Causeway Bridge. Traffic from Sand Key will need to use the Belleair Causeway as an alternate route.

Newcomer Club Meeting

The Welcome Newcomer Club will beet August 5th at noon the the Beachcomber restaurant at 447 Mandalay Ave. For more information visit the Newcomers website.

Spyglass Hotel Implosion Scheduled For Wednesday

The implosion will be on television network A & E at 10 p.m. But if you live nearby you can see it up close.Public viewing areas are available on the beach both north and south of the implosion site. The actual implosion is scheduled between 10:45 & 11:00 pm.
Large video screens will provide a feed of the TV coverage. Illusionist Criss Angel will attempt to leave the building in time before the strategically placed explosives fire off destroying the building's columns. If all works as planned the building will collapse on to itself. At the same time, Criss Angel will be taken away to safety after he escapes his binds.
Coming early is advised, as traffic is expected to back up by mid-evening (6-7 p.m.). Sunsets at Pier 60 will be taking place from 6-10 p.m., so families can come early to enjoy the sunset and stay for the event. Large screens will be set up on both the north and south ends of the beach to view the live production.

South Gulfview Boulevard will remain closed until 7 a.m. Thursday morning. Coronado Drive will close at approximately 6 p.m., at which time north/south traffic can use Hamden Drive as an alternate route. All north/south roads will close at 10:30 p.m. for the implosion and remain closed until approximately 11:30 p.m.

All public parking will be open, with the exception of some on-street parking on Coronado Drive and the temporary lots on the Patel property (both closed for safety reasons). Give yourself enough time to park and walk from remote lots on the north end of the beach, available parking on the Causeway, or at remote parking at St. Brendan's Church on Island Estates.

Beach Walk Grand Opening Celebration

The City of Clearwater &bSunsets at Pier 60, will Celebrate Beach Walk on Saturday, July 19. A dedication ceremony will begin at 6 pm at the Sundial Plaza at Beach Walk, with a fireworks display at 9:30 pm.There will be musicians, street entertainers, local mascots and others will perform along the Beach Walk promenade. Many beach businesses will be offering specials during the celebration. Fireworks are at 9:30 p.m.

Beach Walk was designed to revitalize the community that surrounds Clearwater’s popular south beach destination. The $30-million project has attracted new hotel development to the beach and will bring new tourism to the area.

Clearwater Beach Library Grand Opening

Celebrate the Clearwater Beach Library grand opening on July 21 at 10 am. It is also the 47th anniversary of the library, which has moved into a new facility inside the Clearwater Beach Recreation Center at 69 Bay Esplanade. Fore more information visit www.myclearwater.com/cpl

See Winter the Dolphin on Live Webcam

The Clearwater Marine Aquarium has installed a webcam where you can see "Winter" the dolphin live. Click here for a live shot.

Today's Triathalon Cancelled

The Morton Plant Mease triathon scheduled for this morning has be cancelled due to severe weather. Participants will be contacted regarding rescheduling.

4th of July Fireworks

Tonight's Fireworks Displays

Clearwater - Coachman Park 9:30 pm
Madeira Beach - John's Pass 9:00 pm
Safety Harbor - Marina Park 9:00 pm
Largo - Central Park 9:00 pm
St Pete - The Pier 9:00 pm

Saturday Fireworks Displays
Dunedin - Knology Park, Saturday 9:00 pm

Morton Plant Triathalon July 13th

The Morton Plant Mease Triathlon on July 13 will include a 1/3 mile open water swim in the Gulf of Mexico, a 13-mile bike ride and a 3.1-mile run ending in Sand Key Park. The race begins at 7 a.m. at Sand Key Park. To register, visit www.mpmf.org/triathlon/home.asp. $4,000 will be divided among the top finishers. Everyone who finishes the race will receive custom medals and custom plaques will be awarded to the top five finishers in each category.

42 Slip Dock Approved

Pinellas County commissioners voted Tuesday to approve the city of Clearwater's request to create a 42-slip commercial dock in a boat basin off Mandalay Channel. The project is being constructed in a city partnership with JMC Communities of St. Petersburg, the developer of the Sandpearl hotel and condo project on the beach's gulf side. JMC Communities will pay for the construction of the dock. 27 slips will be leased to the Sandpearl, and 15 slips will be available to the public.