GAINSWave Therapy in Pinellas Park, FL

St. Petersburg glimmers between the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay. Visit some of the city's best dispensaries while you're there.

Central West Florida has the big-city attractions of Tampa, Clearwater, and St. Petersburg, but it also has beautiful beaches, wildlife, clean springs, and scenic rivers.

St. Petersburg has top-rated restaurants, wonderful weather, and breathtaking beaches. This city has the record for “most straight days of sunshine”! Visit the world-renowned Salvador Dalí Museum or Fort De Soto Park in addition to the stunning, award-winning beaches.

The seaside hideaway is an ideal getaway with plenty to do! The sparkling new 26-acre St. Pete Pier blends the tranquil blue waters of Tampa Bay with the bright greenery of downtown St. Petersburg’s parks. This is the ideal location for a stroll, bike ride, meal, drink, shopping, or even swimming.

Downtown St. Petersburg is the city’s beating center, with excellent shopping, restaurants, and pubs, as well as cultural attractions. You’ll have a great day in the sun, whether you’re relaxing on America’s top beaches or viewing lovely Tampa Bay from downtown St. Pete.

GrowHealthy

Photo By GrowHealthy

GrowHealthy is Florida’s premier medicinal cannabis dispensary. They set the industry standard for product quality, purity, and safety, resulting in toxin-free, 100% natural medical cannabis products that bring relief and comfort.

In Florida, they have numerous beautiful spots. The GrowHealthy Clearwater site is one of the most visually gorgeous on its roster, and it is also the closest to St. Pete.

GrowHealthy’s mission is to provide high-quality, all-natural medicinal cannabis products that assist patients in living healthier lives. Check them out; you can either stop by on your route to the beach or use their online portal.

Fluent

Fluent is a dispensary located off 34th Street North in St. Petersburg. They have a love for technology, a thirst for knowledge, and a need for a consistent and rigorous approach. They are dedicated to providing consistent and effective products to their customers.

Being fluent in cannabis can help consumers become more fluent in life, allowing them to live it with more satisfaction, health, and well-being. On the scientific front, there is still much to be discovered, and Fluent gladly takes the challenge.

Fluent is all about flow and process. They are concerned about the customer from beginning to end, not just after the sale. They are sincerely dedicated to inspiring and educating customers, providers, and intermediaries, as well as continuously improving the process.

Curaleaf

Photo By Curaleaf

Curaleaf is dedicated to its clients. This dispensary business is prepared to meet all of your cannabis demands. The Curaleaf St. Petersburg Dispensary is committed to serving all stoners with superior, safe, and dependable medical marijuana products.

Curaleaf cultivates and produces to the greatest standards of quality. Their medically precise extraction and purification technologies elevate the user experience to a whole new level.

Their CBD and THC goods include flower and pre-rolls, as well as tinctures, vape cartridges, sweets, concentrates, pills, and edibles. Visit one of the many Curaleaf dispensaries in your area or purchase online to get the greatest cannabis deals.

RISE

Photo By RISE Medical Cannabis Dispensary

RISE Cannabis is a dispensary chain that provides registered patients with award-winning lab-tested medical marijuana products. RISE Pinellas Park provides award-winning, nationally trusted cannabis services and products to medical marijuana patients in the surrounding areas of Tampa Bay, Boca Ciega Bay, and the Gulf.

RISE Dispensaries’ objective is to supply medical marijuana patients in Florida with safe, effective, and beneficial medical marijuana. RISE is pleased to provide qualifying patients in Florida with nationally recognized, award-winning medical cannabis treatment and service.

For certified medical marijuana patients, RISE Dispensaries sell lab-tested cannabis and marijuana products. You can visit the RISE Cannabis in Pinellas Park or browse their online dispensary website for more information or to place an order.

Trulieve

Photo By Trulieve

Trulieve is proud to be the state of Florida’s first and largest medicinal cannabis retailer. They began their journey in Florida, but are now opening their market in other states. The St. Pete location is stunning and has all the beloved features fans of Trulieve stick to.

This dispensary offers you a product line you can trust. Trulieve stocks a wide range of products, including flower, CBD oil, concentrates, oral syringes, vaporizers, capsules, and more. Their personnel is among the best-trained in Florida and is there to have your back along the whole process.

Patient consultants interact with patients directly to fulfill doctors’ instructions and give product information. They are well-versed in medicinal cannabis as well as customer service philosophy.

St. Petersburg, already the nation’s most dog-friendly city, is about to become even more accommodating to canines with the highly anticipated Mutts and Martinis on track to open in March.

The brainchild of Natalie Conner, owner of Love My Dog Resort and Playground, which has locations in downtown St. Pete and northern Pinellas County, Mutts and Martinis, first announced by St Pete Rising in October 2020 and located at 2900 Central Avenue, will be the city’s first dog park and full-liquor bar.

With more than 5,000 square feet of space, the facility will feature a zero-entry splash fountain and water sprays. The fountain will be only about 10 inches deep so there’s no risk of drowning.

Like the nearby Dog Bar, memberships will be required and, to obtain a membership, dogs must meet certain requirements such as being up to date on vaccinations.

“I would love to be open for spring break,” Conner says. “The bar is built. The countertops and flooring will be the next stages.”

The property was formerly the home of an auto-repair shop, King’s Transmission, and Conner is taking full advantage of the large garage-door openings that were already part of the building.

“We’ll have nine garage doors,” she says. “It will have a nice pet fence, thick-gauge, wrought-iron fencing that goes around the entire property.”

Like a dog park, Mutts and Martinis will have double-gated entry to ensure the safety of dogs and their owners. “One way coming in, one way going out,” Conner says, adding that small dogs and senior pups will have a separate entrance for added safety. Dogs will have to be leashed when they aren’t in the specific park portions of the facility.

The entertainment of pup parents hasn’t been overlooked, though — Conner says the bar will have 27 TVs.

“We’ll be watching all the NFL games, the hockey,” she says. “We’ll have live music here, too. We’ll build out a stage.”

She adds, “The idea is that people go in with their dogs, then every 20 minutes or so, we’ll be like, ‘Hey, let’s get all the little dogs in, or all the senior dogs in.’ We’ll keep swapping them back and forth. That way, we won’t have the big guys chasing little dogs. It’s a little more controlled and it’s safer.”

Mutts and Martinis, Conner adds, will also have a dedicated area where pooches can be dried off after they’ve splish-splashed their way around the park.

Human customers will be able to enjoy a full selection of beer, wine, and liquor, with some of the cocktail names being dog-related, and Conner plans to bring in local food trucks to round out the menu. She also plans to sell dog treats and accessories and would like to host breed-specific meetups. Also, a portion of the bar area will be air-conditioned to provide relief from the summer heat.

Conner says Mutts and Martinis will likely have a soft opening and then it will be open Wednesday through Sunday, with Mondays and Tuesdays possibly being available for private events. Information about memberships will be forthcoming.

“We know a lot of doggie people,” Conner says. “We just hope they come down here and have a drink.”

Be sure to check the Mutts and Martinis Instagram page for updates.

From beachfront resorts to apartment complexes, these are the largest land deals to occur this year in Pinellas County.

The information was collected through Pinellas County public records. Please note, additional significant deals may close through the end of the calendar year.

The Top 10:

1. The $207 million sale of the Sirata Beach Resort: The 13-acre Sirata Beach Resort on St. Pete Beach at 5390 Gulf Blvd. sold to an entity connected to the privately-owned, Kentucky-based hotel company Columbia Sussex Corporation.

2. The $141 million sale of the Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach resort: The resort, which was owned by Tampa serial entrepreneur and philanthropist Dr. Kiran Patel and is the largest development on Clearwater Beach, sold to JEMB Pocono LLC, which is tied to Broadway, New York-based JEMB Realty. It was reported as a $170 million sale as it included the loan amount.

3. The $123.2 million sale of the Addison Skyway Marina apartment complex: The complex is one of the most significant developments to take shape in the Skyway Marina District. The 308-unit apartment complex sold to the TMP Skyway Marina Project LLC entity. The LLC is connected to Denver, Colorado-based Treeline Partners, according to public records. Treeline Partners is a privately held real asset investment management firm.

4. The $85 million sale of The Shoppes at Park Plaza: Belleair Development Group, which owns multiple local plazas and shopping centers, acquired the 352,670-square-foot plaza at 7200 US Highway 19 N. in Pinellas Park. The center is anchored by Target and the Regal Park Place movie theater; the purchase did not include Target or the Chili’s restaurant.

5. The $84.2 million sale of the Dolphin Beach Resort: The historic resort in St. Pete Beach was purchased by Tampa Bay Buccaneers co-owner and co-chairman Bryan Glazer through the SCG Beach Hospitality LLC.

6. The $83 million sale of the Postcard Inn: The nostalgic Postcard Inn resort on St. Pete Beach at 6300 Gulf Blvd. was acquired through a joint venture between The LCP Group L.P. and Safana, both based in New York.

7. The $80.2 million sale of Clearwater apartments: The 372-unit Clearwater apartment complex at 530 Fairwood Ave. sold to the Boca Raton-based Genesis Apartments LLC. It’s been rebranded as the Genesis Apartments.

8. The $75.5 million sale of the Bay Cove Apartments: The complex at 19135 U.S. Highway 19 N. sold to New York-based CLPF Bay Cove LLC.

9. The $66.9 million sale of The Sands at Clearwater apartment complex: The complex at 2168 Druid Road sold to Starwood Capital, a Miami-based investment firm.

10. The $65.92 million sale of the DoubleTree Beach Resort by Hilton Hotel Tampa Bay – North Redington Beach: The seven-story resort at 17120 Gulf Blvd. sold to South Carolina-based OTO Development, which is part of The Johnson Group.

Other noteworthy deals of the year:

If you’re the type who starts hunting evergreens as soon as you’ve emerged from your Thanksgiving food coma, that beautiful Christmas tree you picked out a month ago might be looking a bit Charlie Brown-ish by now. And even if you’re a live-tree lover who waits until mid-December with designs to leave it up through New Year’s Day or Epiphany, it’s probably time to think about when to dispose of the Fraser fir in the corner of your living room.

With the New Year bearing down, cities and counties across Tampa Bay are releasing guidelines on how to trash your trees. One rule they all share: Take off your lights, your ornaments, your toppers and stands before disposing of the tree.

Shed a tear for the end of the holiday season, then read on to find out the options for your neck of the woods.

Clearwater

Residents in single-family homes should place the trees, whole, on the curb on their regular yard-waste collection day. There’s no set end date on tree collection and no quantity limit.

Residents in apartment buildings or condos should check with their property management company or homeowners’ association for instructions on tree disposal.

Hillsborough County

The county will pick up trees on the curbside on regular yard waste collection days. Trees should be cut into sections up to four feet long and six inches in diameter. Yard waste won’t be collected on New Year’s Day; for households where the scheduled collection day falls on Jan. 1, waste will be picked up on the next scheduled day.

Trees can also be dropped off at two county yard waste processing facilities: one at 13000 U.S. 41 in Gibsonton, the other at 8001 W. Linebaugh Ave. in Tampa. Those facilities will be closed on New Year’s Day.

Pasco County

There’s no curbside pickup program for Christmas trees in Pasco, but residents have drop-off options at both ends of the county. One is Wesley Chapel District Park at 7727 Boyette Road; the other is Veterans Memorial Park at 14333 Hicks Road in Hudson. Both are open through Jan. 11.

Pinellas County

Pinellas County provides an online search tool, called Where Does It Go? , for residents to figure out where to dispose of different kinds of solid waste, including Christmas trees. It links to curbside tree pickup instructions for 18 cities, a few of which also have drop-off options. Residents who live in unincorporated parts of the county can see whether their waste hauler offers curbside pickup.

Those who don’t have a curbside option, or who miss their window, can take their tree to one of several yard-waste facilities listed on the page, including the Pinellas County Solid Waste Disposal Complex at 3095 114th Ave. N., St. Petersburg.

You’ll get a remembrance of Tampa Bay residents we’ve lost, including heartwarming and amusing details about their lives, every Tuesday.

And those in apartments or condos should consult their property managers or homeowners’ associations for guidance on tree disposal.

St. Petersburg

A city-wide collection of trees is scheduled for Jan. 14. Once decorations are removed, trees should be placed at the usual trash pickup spot — on the curb or in the alley — by 7 a.m. Residents in condos and apartment buildings should ask their property managers for disposal instructions.

Trees can also be dropped off at any of the city’s five brush sites, which are open 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day except Jan. 1. They’re located at:

1000 62nd Ave. NE

7750 26th Ave. N.

2500 26th Ave. S.

4015 Dr. Martin Luther King St. S.

2453 20th Ave. N.

Tampa

The city will collect Christmas trees curbside, at no extra cost, beginning on Jan. 3. Tree limbs must be cut into bundles up to four feet long and put out on the regularly scheduled yard waste collection day. Any lights or decorations being thrown away should be put in the trash. Tree collection runs through Jan. 13.

Communities throughout Tampa Bay will celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day with parades, prayer breakfasts, marches and live music.

TAMPA BAY, FL — On the third Monday of January, the United States celebrates the birthday of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., born Jan. 15, 1929.

In his activism, King spoke of a vision of a "Beloved Community" — a community where everyone is cared for, absent of poverty, hunger and hate.

Each year, communities throughout Tampa Bay hold events to share King's vision and give back to others.

Here are some events honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:

The Improvement League of Plant City will host the 37th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Parade from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

Featuring school bands, floats, dance troupes, dignitaries and children's organizations, the 1.4-mile parade will begin at Wheeler Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Plant City, run along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and end at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Recreational Complex, 1601 E Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd.

Post-parade activities will continue with the Black and Brown Expo at the recreation center where attendees will enjoy food, vendors, entertainment and giveaways including the Drumline Battle of the Bands from 2:30 to 4 p.m. and live music from 4 to 7 p.m.

Click here.

Dade City will host its Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. parade Saturday at 10 a.m. The parade will run from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to Seventh Street, Meridian Avenue and Sixth Street, and end at the Robert D. Sumner Judicial Building.

Click here.

Dunedin will host its annual Dr. Martin Luther King celebration Saturday, Jan. 14, starting with a free Unity Breakfast from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. with keynote speakers, a performance of the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church Choir and readings of diversity essays submitted by students at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center, 550 Laura Lane, Dunedin.

The celebration will continue from 10:30 to noon with a march to John R. Lawrence Pioneer Park, 420 Main St., Dunedin, where there will be live entertainment celebrating the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Click here.

The 23rd annual Tampa Bay Black Heritage Music Festival will take place Saturday and Sunday at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park in downtown Tampa, 600 N Ashley Drive.

It will feature legacy R&B Band Dru Hill on Saturday at 8 p.m.. Known for hits like “Tell Me,” “In My Bed,” “Never Make a Promise” and “How Deep Is Your Love,” Dru Hill has sold more than 40 million records worldwide.

Jazz, Funk, Soul will perform Sunday at 7:15 p.m., featuring saxophonist Everette Harp, keyboardist Jeff Lorber and guitarist Paul Jackson Jr., who have collaborated with icons like Quincy Jones, Aretha Franklin and B.B. King.

Click here for the full lineup of performers during the festival.

There will be food and drinks available to purchase.

Gates open at noon both days. Single-day tickets are $20 and a two-day pass is $30. Click here.

The Tarpon Springs MLK Foundation will host its annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast, Parade and Festivities Saturday, Jan. 14.

The event will begin with breakfast at 8 a.m. at First United Methodist Church of Tarpon Springs, 501 E Tarpon Ave.

Edie Darling, ambassador of peace, author, spiritual leader, motivational speaker and humanitarian, will be the keynote speaker.

She will also serve as grand marshal for the parade, which will begin at 11 a.m. at the intersection of Levis and Tarpon avenues and end at Dorsett Park.

Click here.

The community is invited to celebrate the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, Jan. 14, at 1 p.m.

Hosted by Lakeland's Martin Luther King Jr. Committee and the Education & Enlightenment Group Inc., churches, organizations, daycares, fraternities, sororities, dance groups, bands and businesses will stroll down Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. The parade begins at Providence and West 14th streets and ends at MLK Avenue and 2nd Street.

Click here.

The Florida Children's Museum, 600 Bonnet Springs Blvd., Lakeland, will host a Day of Caring Festival Saturday, Jan. 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This free family-centered community event will celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. There will be live performances, arts and crafts, giveaways, community resource vendors and other activities.

Click here.

On Sunday, Jan. 15, the Improvement League of Plant City will host the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Breakfast, catered by Steph's Southern Soul Food Restaurant, from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Trinkle Center at Hillsborough Community College in Plant City.

Deanne King of WFLA TV will serve as the mistress of ceremonies and Otis Cliatt, president of Pacific Railroad and a trustee at Florida A&M University will present the keynote speech.The breakfast will conclude with the presentation of Community Champion Awards and scholarships.

Following the breakfast, the Gospel Extravaganza will take place at Mount Olive Baptist Church, 604 W Ball St.

The event will feature the Georgia Mass Choir, which performed in the Whitney Houston movie, "Preacher's Wife," and during the 1996 Olympics. The Tampa Boys and local praise and worship teams will perform as well. Admission is $20.

Click here.

The city of Clearwater and the NAACP Clearwater Upper Pinellas County Branch will host its annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration on Monday, Jan. 16, at the North Greenwood Recreation Center, 900 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Clearwater.

Activities include a breakfast at 9 a.m., a ceremony at 10 a.m. and a march to the MLK memorial at 11:30 a.m.

Dr. Robert Stevenson Jr., assistant instructional professor of African American studies at the University of Florida, will be the guest speaker.

Click here.

The Safety Harbor Art and Music Center, 706 2nd St. N., will host a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Social Justice Project Monday, Jan. 16, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Students age 7 to 14 are invited to a full-day workshop where they will learn how to communicate about social justice through art and the significance of MLK Day.

Click here.

The Tampa Black Organization of Black Affairs will host its 43rd annual MLK Leadership Breakfast Monday, Jan. 16, from 6:45 to 9 a.m. at the JW Marriott Water Street, 510 Water St., Tampa.

Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis will be the keynote speaker. Artis is the first female president of Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina. She previously served as the 13th and first woman president of Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens. She is committed to the proliferation and transformation of colleges and universities that serve underrepresented men and women of color. Dr. Artis’ leadership has been recognized locally and nationally.

There will be an awards ceremony to honor corporations and individuals for their positive contributions to the community.

The cost is $50. Click here for tickets.

The city of Tampa’s Martin Luther King Parade will take place Monday, Jan. 16, from noon to 5 p.m. starting at Cuscaden Park, 2901 N 15th St., Tampa.

Parade entries include floats, marching bands, equestrian groups and decorated vehicles of all types providing an opportunity for businesses, churches, community groups and government officials to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy.

Click here.

The Interdenominational Ministerial Association of Lakeland will host the 19th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Interfaith Prayer Breakfast on Monday, Jan. 16, at 9 a.m., at Pilgrim Rest United American Freewill Baptist Church, 1052 N Kettles Ave., Lakeland.

The theme is “It Starts with Me: Cultivating a Beloved Community Mindset to Transform Unjust Systems." The guest speaker will be William Boss, Ph.D.

Tickets are $30. To purchase tickets, call 863-602-1875 or 863-687-1994.

Strong Tower Church, 719 N Massachusetts Ave., Lakeland, will host a community block party Monday, Jan. 16, at 1 p.m., celebrating the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. There will be free food, bounce houses, games, haircuts and other activities.

Click here.

On Monday, Jan. 16, at 10 a.m., Dade City will host its 2023 MLK Drive-Up Service to honor King's legacy at the Moore-Mickens Education Center, 38301 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Click here.