Archives: News

Date:03/14/2018 10:49 AM

Clearwater residents who live within the city limits can benefit from the city’s Rehabilitation Assistance Program and the Down Payment and Closing Cost Assistance Program offered through the city’s Economic Development and Housing Department.

The city’s Economic Development and Housing Department can assist eligible homeowners with code-related repairs.

A Clearwater homeowner may receive up to $40,000 in a home rehabilitation loan through Clearwater’s owner-occupied rehabilitation program. Examples of home improvements include roof replacement, electrical repairs, plumbing repairs, air conditioner installation, door and window replacement and Americans with Disabilities Act modifications.

To qualify, an applicant must own and occupy a single-family detached home, townhome or villa as their principal place of residence. The applicant must have current homeowners insurance, and the value of the home cannot exceed $177,000.

Down payment and closing cost assistance may be available to those who purchase a home within the city limits of Clearwater. The city may provide up to $20,000 in down payment assistance and closing costs toward the purchase of a home in the city of Clearwater.

Applicants for the program must meet income eligibility requirements and program guidelines to be eligible:

• An individual’s total household income cannot exceed $33,500.
• For a family of four, the total household income cannot exceed $47,850.
• The maximum sale price for an existing home is $177,000.
• The maximum sale price for a newly built home is $224,000.

For information on both programs, contact Terry Malcolm-Smith, the city’s housing coordinator, at (727) 562-4036 or terry.malcom-smith@myclearwater.com.

Post Date: 03/08/2018 2:18 PM

CLEARWATER, Fla. – The king of funk music and a pair of rock and roll hall of famers will be jamming out in Clearwater as part of the 2018 Coachman Park Concert Series. Located on the beautiful waterfront of downtown Clearwater, Coachman Park is like no other venue in the Tampa Bay area, offering a more intimate setting for visitors to get an up-close and personal experience with artists performing.

Getting the concert series warmed up will be legendary bandleader, songwriter and record producer George Clinton and his band Parliament Funkadelic. George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic will bring the funk to Coachman Park on May 5, Cinco De Mayo, at 7 p.m. Clinton, at 76-years-young, revolutionized R&B during the ‘70s with his eclectic form of funk music and psychedelic culture. He would later form the Parliament Funkadelic Machine and continue to dominate the music industry, recording three platinum albums and capturing more than 40 R&B hit singles.

Music icons and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artists John Fogerty and ZZ top will bring their Blues and Bayous Tour to Coachman Park on June 2 at 7 p.m. Fogerty not only founded, but was also the lead singer, lead guitarist and main songwriter for the band Creedence Clearwater Revival a.k.a. CCR. The classic rock band had nine gold albums along with nine top-ten singles, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. Fogerty went solo in 1972 pumping out hits like “Down on the Corner,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Fortunate Son” and more. He is also listed as one of the 100 greatest guitarists and 100 greatest singers by Rolling Stone Magazine.

Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard and Dusty Hill make up the legendary rock band ZZ Top. Formed in 1969, ZZ Top has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide which include 11 gold, seven platinum and three multi-platinum records; making them one of the top selling artists in the United States.

Don’t miss out on seeing these artists at one of the best venues in Tampa Bay. Purchase tickets by visiting ETIX.com, and get more information on these concerts and other events by visiting myclearwaterevents.com.

 

CLEARWATER, Fla. – The Clearwater Public Library System will host their annual free Comic Con event at the Clearwater Main Library, 100 N. Osceola Ave., Saturday, March 17, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Attendees will have the opportunity to meet comic writers and authors. Special guests include Chuck Dixon, Karl Moline, Austin Janowsky and the Fierce Comics team.

The entire family is invited to dress up as their favorite characters, visit vendor booths, and play video and board games. Food will be available for purchase from food trucks. The main sponsor of the event is Emerald City Comics.

Public internet computers, studio access and reference services will be suspended for the day. For more information, look for the event on Facebook, visit myclearwaterlibrary.com or call (727) 562-4970.

DowntownClearwater.com was launched on Friday, January 26 at the monthly Blast Friday event and city staff and volunteers handed out free DowntownClearwater.com sunglasses. Attendees were encouraged to take photos of where they find “Beauty Beyond the Beach” in Downtown Clearwater and tag #DowntownClearwater on Instagram for a chance to win prizes from downtown merchants. The top five images shown below were voted on CRA staff.  Congratulations to contest winners Ed Richter and Instagram members rhoxtar, tonideecolon, gregoryswilson and deadlyjawbreaker.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BedIrr8A9SB/?tagged=downtownclearwater

https://www.instagram.com/p/BerQZzXDTO5/?tagged=downtownclearwater

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfPkh8pHN1w/?tagged=downtownclearwater

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfJ7T3UgaGb/?tagged=downtownclearwater

https://www.instagram.com/p/BebxyQAle1h/?tagged=downtownclearwater

1- Parking! There is plenty of parking in Downtown Clearwater for all attendees! Here is a map of available lots, which are all FREE, there will also be parking signs throughout the Downtown area to help you find the garages! Important:The Harborview lot is for parking passes and ADA accessibility ONLY (both are first come, first serve). The 500-600 Block on Cleveland Street will be blocked off on Saturday only for our Farmer’s market from 7am-5pm. Beat the traffic and come early to enjoy the market!   2- Reminder!  ·     Low profile chairs for general admission are acceptable. ·     It is incredibly important to stay hydrated on this eventful weekend! One sealed water per person will be accepted at entry. ·     No outside food is allowed   3- CASH  Make sure to bring some extra cash to have on hand to enjoy the treats, drinks, and merchandise that our vendors will be providing! ATMS will be on sight if needed.   4- Food Paradise!  There will be many vendors offering delightful meals and treats. Don’t miss out on trying the best seafood Clearwater has to offer!   5- Relax and Enjoy! Don’t forget to bring a friend and enjoy yourself! This will be an eventful weekend in Downtown Clearwater.   Don’t miss out on: -Friday’s evening Blues Walk and Blast Friday in Downtown Clearwater featuring a performance by The Romantics! -Grand opening of the Clearwater Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning @10am -Clearwater Sea-Blues Festival!

Post Date:02/21/2018 2:21 PM

Post Date:02/20/2018 1:33 PM

Post Date:02/13/2018 10:36 AM

By SUZETTE PORTER, Tampa Bay Newspapers

Feb 19, 2018 Updated 22 hrs ago

CLEARWATER – If everything goes according to plan, the Clearwater Ferry could be making trips to Dunedin by end of the year.

Camille Hebting, sales and marketing manager for Clearwater Ferry, presented a report to Forward Pinellas Feb. 14 and talked about some of the plans the ferry’s owners have for the future.

Clearwater Ferry is a privately operated water taxi that has been providing service from downtown Clearwater to Clearwater Beach for almost three years. It operates under a contract with the city of Clearwater.

The ferry’s mission is to provide a connection between the mainland and beach allowing its riders to avoid traffic congestion and parking issues. Riders can take advantage of free parking in downtown Clearwater and then take the ferry to Island Estates and Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Clearwater Beach Marina or North Beach.

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By SUZETTE PORTER, Tampa Bay Newspapers

Jan 3, 2018

Microbreweries making a difference in areas throughout county

As the popularity of beer produced by smaller breweries continues to grow, local communities are benefiting in a number of ways. Pinellas County is no exception.

Florida had 195 craft breweries and was ranked 10th in the nation at the end of 2016, according to the Brewer’s Association. As of 2015, about one-third of the state’s microbreweries were in Tampa Bay and about 20 percent of those were in Pinellas County, according to statistics compiled by Forward Pinellas.

In 2017, 86 of these small-production breweries were open in the Tampa Bay region with more than 30 doing business in Pinellas, according to Dan Bjerk, senior international trade specialist for the U.S. Department of Commerce, who is working on a new project to help breweries expand their market.

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