Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Clearwater Holiday Boat Parade Set

The 36th annual Memorial Holiday Boat Parade, sponsored by the Island Estates Yacht Club, will be held on Saturday, December 11th. The event honors members of Island Estates Yacht Club who passed away during the year and is one of the area's largest holiday boat parades. Around 50 lighted and decorated boats will light up the waterways. Cash prizes and gift certificates donated by local businesses for the best decorated boats.

The parade will begin in Mandalay Channel between Island Estates and Clearwater Beach at 6 pm, head north through the channel, arriving at Coachman Park around 8 pm, then navigate under the Memorial Causeway Bridge to the Clearwater Yacht Club for judging.

If you are interested in entering your vessel, contact the Yacht Club Fleet Captain Tom Smith at (727) 776-3375 or Tom@TomSmith.com.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Aquarium May Get $750k For New Parking From City Council

Clearwater may give $750,000 in taxpayer funds to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium so it can buy the land next door, between the aquarium and Island Way Grill, to build a bigger parking lot. If the aquarium gets the funds, they will also receive a $750,000 matching grant from Sand Key philanthropist Richard "Dick" Jacobson. CMA needs the $1.5 million to secure financing for the $3.1 million parcel. There will be a vote Thursday at 6 p.m. at City Hall to decide if the private, non-profit facility will receive the funds..

In case you haven't heard, a major Hollywood movie, "Dolphin Tale" starring Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, Harry Connick Jr. — and local celebrity Winter the dolphin is filming at the aquarium, which is closed temporarily for the shoot. The aquarium expects attendance to double or triple next fall when the movie is released. It's not just the film that has sparked the need for more parking, the aquarium has been expanding and attendance has been up sharply the past 4 years.

Sand Key News