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True Nature: Rodin and the Age of Impressionism presents works by one of the most celebrated sculptors of all time, Rodin, side by side with extraordinary paintings by his renowned contemporaries. This stunning exhibition is on view right now at The Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, and it is well worth the trip over the Howard Frankland Bridge (or Selmon Expressway!).

The beautiful museum is located at 255 Beach Drive NE in downtown St. Petersburg. The Museum of Fine Arts is home to the decadent Clementine Bakery, and their pastries are some of the best in the entire Tampa Bay region. Treat yourself to a matcha latte and a fresh baked croissant before entering one of the most awe-inspiring exhibitions we have ever seen.

A series of captivating sculptures, bucolic paintings, and even video footage of the artist himself provide an immersive experience sure to enchant even the most modest of art admirers. The collection will be on view through March 26.

This exhibition includes nearly 40 of Rodin’s masterpieces, ranging from intimately scaled marble statues to monumental bronzes. “It offers a remarkably comprehensive look at Rodin, placing him within the context of the profound artistic, cultural, and social changes occurring at the end of the nineteenth century in France,” notes the Museum of Fine Arts curatorial team in a press release.

Rodin’s revolutionary works illuminate the Museum of Fine Arts

Those who aren’t art historians will find themselves feasting on the sumptuous works of a genius for the very first time. Each towering sculpture, complete with elongated hands, strained neck, and abyss-like eyes, hold their own orbit. The hallmarks of Rodin’s style include his decision not to smooth over or hide signs of his sculptural process and the creation of sculptures from parts of the body such as hands. These points were revolutionary for his time, and inspired a generation of artist who studied under him in his studio.

Featuring examples of the artist’s most eminent works, such as Saint John the Baptist Preaching (1878), and Jean d’Aire (1886), this exhibition looks beyond Rodin’s popular persona as the tormented Romantic genius, revealing his extraordinary powers of observation and ability to capture emotion and movement. True Nature also includes major paintings such as Claude Monet’s Nympheas (circa 1897-1898), Paul Cézanne’s Still Life with Cherries and Peaches (1885-1887), and Edgar Degas’s The Bellelli Sisters (1865-1866). Consummate photographs, drawings, and sculptures by other masters of the period also join the exhibition.

This exhibition was organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

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The plan will be rolled out to area governments to guide actions on combating flooding, extreme weather and impacts of a changing climate.

The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council (TBRPC) last week approved the Regional Resiliency Action Plan (RRAP), a resource for local governments as they implement policies to help communities become more resilient to flooding, extreme weather, and other impacts of a changing climate.

The Tampa Bay Regional Resiliency Coalition, the 16th group of its kind in the nation, was formed in 2018 as an initiative of the Regional Planning Council. The first goal of the 32-member local government coalition was to create a Regional Resiliency Action Plan.

“Collaborating across jurisdictional lines on the RRAP has taken our regional resiliency ideas and goals and turned them into quantifiable actions,” said Pinellas County Commissioner Janet Long, who helped launch the initiative as Chair of the TBRPC in 2018 and later became Chair of the Coalition.

The RRAP includes 11 high-level goals with dozens of objectives and recommended actions for local implementation and regional collaboration.

“We are excited to take this significant step as we make the Regional Resiliency Action Plan a reality,” said Brandi Gabbard, TBRPC Chair and Vice-Chair of the St. Petersburg City Council. “Our recent hurricane impacts have only amplified how important it is for cities and counties to work together effectively in making our communities more resilient.”

The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council and Coalition members will begin forming working groups in early 2023 to work towards implementation of the plan. The TBRPC will be working with local governments on prioritizing resiliency-related infrastructure projects, promoting sustainable and resilient housing, protecting the region’s fish and wildlife, and helping businesses better prepare and recover from extreme weather and storms.

In just one example of how the RRAP could lead to actions at the local level, TBRPC leaders are beginning conversations with local jurisdictions about possible ordinances related to the Coalition’s Resilient Uniform Shoreline Model Ordinance. The ordinance is designed to promote activities that would make shorelines more resilient to flooding and extreme weather. Best practices may include taking such steps as upgrading seawalls or taking innovative steps to redirect or control flooding.

“Moving the Regional Resiliency Action Plan forward will be a collaborative effort, with a wide variety of stakeholders taking part,” said Hillsborough County Commissioner Harry Cohen, a leader for the Coalition’s efforts. “Hillsborough County is implementing major resilience initiatives, from our One Water Plan to a robust Vulnerability Assessment that includes consideration of social vulnerability. The RRAP will assist in those efforts.”

The RRAP is a robust yet flexible tool for local governments to use as they decide which goals and priorities work best for their individual communities. The goals in the plan cover a wide range of important priorities, from transportation to neighborhood-level resilience to food policies, all reflecting the goals and priorities of member governments.

“The one unifying factor that our local communities share is a commitment to increasing the resilience of their communities to the impacts of extreme weather and climate change,” said TBRPC Executive Director Sean Sullivan. “The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council is proud to serve local governments in their endeavors to create more sustainable communities throughout our region and beyond.”

About the Tampa Bay Regional Planning CouncilThe Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council brings together governments to coordinate planning for the community’s future and provide an opportunity for sharing solutions among the local government jurisdictions in the Tampa Bay region. The TBRPC works with six counties and 21 municipalities as they make long-range plans related to the future of the Tampa Bay region. The Council’s work focuses on resiliency, planning for climate change and sea level rise, environmental management, water quality, emergency preparedness planning, protection and restoration of the Tampa Bay estuary, economic analysis, coastal zone management, housing and infrastructure analysis, and stormwater management.

About the Tampa Bay Regional Resiliency CoalitionThe Tampa Bay Regional Resiliency Coalition was officially formed in October 2018 and grew to 32 members in 2022. Currently, the Coalition includes seven counties, 24 cities, and more than 90 partners which include businesses, nonprofit community organizations, universities, and advocacy organizations.

ST. PETERSBURG — Tropicana Field’s baseball diamond had disappeared under a sea of interlocking squares of squishy matting. Soon, a Christmas wonderland would rise from the new floor.

Jay Stuber, the event manager for this undertaking, was shepherding nearly 100 workers to the construction site, making sure dozens of sections of black fabric were draped properly across the dome’s roof to keep out the sunlight.

During the course of just three weeks, the Tampa Bay Rays home base gets turned into Enchant Christmas, dubbed the country’s largest Christmas light maze. Opening the day after Thanksgiving, the event will feature a 100-foot tree plus light sculptures of reindeer and snowmen, and, oddly, blue whales, as well as a marketplace and a ceiling that looks like a starry night.

On a recent visit to see how the magic comes together, the first installment was a beautiful 100-foot tree pieced together in 10 sections and bathed in white lights and crystals.

“We have 10 sections so obviously we need to assemble it all from the ground up or they’d be climbing and climbing and climbing,” Stuber said, “so we have to do it sort of backwards and use a crane to lift it up.”

Next were the walls separating the Christmas village from the many merchants and food stalls ringing the stadium.

“I’m worried we might work ourselves into a corner and not have enough space,” Stuber said, eyeing the crews advancing with vendor stalls toward left field.

The walk-through maze will have more than 4 million sparkling lights, trees that look like cherry blossoms, a dome of lights dubbed “the dandelion,” an ice skating trail, live entertainment, Santa visits and a holiday shopping marketplace with crafts, gifts and culinary treats. They expect 300,000 visitors to explore the light maze by the end of the season.

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It all begins on a laptop. Designs utilize 3D technology to create the light maze and a huge new installation making a background of lights with patterns that seem to float from one side of the field to the other.

Stuber said it feels like he’s putting on a Broadway show with so many different pieces for the set, followed by dress rehearsals for performers and staff who will see the final scene this week. But unlike a show, there isn’t just one stage, but a 360-degree set going all at once.

“There’s no live control so everything has to be done ahead of time,” Stuber said. “The electric team and lighting team has it all worked out. That’s why programing is so important.”

Some fun facts:

? Approximately 20 giant tractor trailers arrived at Tropicana Field in early November, filled with supplies needed for this year’s design.

? The sprawling display covers 10 acres.

? It takes more than 2 million feet of electrical wiring to connect Enchant’s 4 million lights.

? It takes 450,000 square feet of black-out curtains that weigh over 39,000 pounds to transform Tropicana Field’s roof into a night sky. The curtains hang from three concentric rings suspended 250 feet off the stadium floor to create a North Pole sky over the maze with starry night chandelier effects.

? The custom-designed ice-skating trail can accommodate 300 guests at once. This attraction is coupled with the LED dance floor, one of the most popular places for kids.

If you go

Enchant Christmas: The huge light maze at Tropicana Field opens Nov. 25 with a special tree lighting ceremony at 6 p.m. Kids are free on Nov. 30, Dec. 7 and 14. It runs through Jan. 1. $35 and up; $20 age 3-17; $32 seniors, military at enchantchristmas.com. Parking is $15 and ice skating, which includes skate rental, is $18 for all ages. 1 Tropicana Drive, St. Petersburg.

The FIFA World Cup is only days away, and DTSP’s favorite spot for international soccer is set to become St. Pete’s home for the 2022 Qatar World Cup this November and December. Mary Margaret’s Olde Irish Tavern, located at 29 3rd Street North, has big plans for the world’s biggest sporting event.

With the World Cup happening on the other side of the world, games will be starting at sunrise here in St. Pete, and Mary Margaret’s will be open for business when kickoff arrives. The Irish tavern, already a weekend favorite for catching the Premier League and the home of St. Pete’s American Outlaws chapter, will show every match with the sound on throughout the entirety of the World Cup, opening for breakfast service at 5 am every game day.

And a quick aside from the soccer here – if you haven’t yet tasted Mary Margaret’s Irish brunch, add it to your must-try list immediately. The corned beef hash and eggs is a delight, as are the Irish benedict, Ron O’Chin’s Beercakes, and the traditional Irish breakfast plate. 10/10, would eat again.

Catch every single game at any time of day at Mary Margaret’s

Following the 5 am start time for breakfast service, Mary Margaret’s will then start pouring pints o’ the good stuff at 8 am for those who truly want to get into the spirit(s) of the World Cup. The kitchen menu will switch to the traditional lunch and dinner service at 11 am, which once again is some the best Irish eats anywhere in St. Pete.

The menu is truly a festival of Irish flavors, from fish and chips, bangers and mash, and a traditional shepherd’s pie, to Reuben sandwiches, Guinness poutine, and pretzel bites. There are also a variety of salads, dips, sandwiches, sides and desserts to choose from. And of course, the bar menu is packed with tasty cocktails and draft beers, including Guinness on nitro, as it is meant to be served.

The 2022 World Cup officially kicks off on November 20, with 64 matches being played in just under a month before a champion is crowned on December 18. Mary Margaret’s will broadcast every match with full sound, opening in time for the first match every gameday. Follow Mary Margaret’s on Instagram for more, and check out their full menu here.

ST. PETERSBURG — A call to the city’s hotline to arrange a special pickup for items like furniture, carpet, appliances, empty fuel tanks, car batteries and tires brings a recorded message.

“Special collections are still currently suspended as we finish the cleanup of vegetation from the curb due to Hurricane Ian,”it says.

The city now says that message is outdated, and special pickups resumed Nov. 8.

Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida on Sept. 28, sparing St. Petersburg. The following week, the city began picking up vegetative debris. A city official said “100%” of debris was picked up in the city’s “first sweep” after the hurricane, which wrapped up two days before the arrival of Tropical Storm Nicole earlier this month.

The city sent out an email to customers through its service center Oct. 17 that said special pickup of nonstorm debris would be on hold for two weeks as the city focused on storm debris.

But it’s unclear when special pickups, which the city generally does free of charge, resumed. The city charges $20.96 per cubic yard for large quantities of accumulated waste, building materials and brush.

City Council chairperson Gina Driscoll said the city’s community and neighborhood affairs administrator who oversees sanitation, former council member Amy Foster, told her that special collections are happening, but there is a backlog of 500 requests.

“We have been in Midtown since Nov. 3 and are still working in that neighborhood there is so much,” Foster texted Driscoll on Thursday.

In a statement Friday, a city spokesperson said special pickup for trash and yard waste is operational and ongoing. City sanitation crews are currently responding to all requests through the city’s SeeClickFix app and website and working through the customer log in the order of receipt.

“For a short period of time during Hurricane Ian recovery efforts, some sanitation crews were reassigned temporarily to assist with debris removal throughout the city, and with the vast majority now completed, those crews have resumed prioritizing Special Pickup requests,” wrote spokesperson Erica Riggins in an email.

Riggins said residents in need of special assistance with bulk items should call 727-893-7398 or submit a report in SeeClickFix for pickup.