News Digest
Sarasota: “A City of Visionaries, Roundabouts, and the Arts”
Photo: Nate Ilardi for City of Sarasota The Jumping Fish sculpture stands 16 ft high by 12 ft wide in the center island of the modern roundabout at Cocoanut Avenue & Palm Avenue. The sculpture was selected from among 140 submissions and is the 84th piece in...
“Arbor Day celebration smaller because of pandemic, but still meaningful”
Photo: Meghan McCarthy, Palm Beach Daily "Putting on gray work gloves and yellow helmets, students from local elementary schools Thursday morning helped celebrate Florida Arbor Day by planting a kapok tree at Phipps Ocean Park in Palm Beach. 'This is hard work. But...
Scenic Florida’s negotiated takedown update: Another billboard removed from Interstate 95
Photo: Scenic Florida The second of three Outfront Media billboards (located along Interstate 95 in Southern Duval County) was dismantled and removed on January 7th as part of a take-down settlement negotiated several years ago between Scenic Florida and Outfront...
“View improves as billboard falls along A1A in Flagler”
Photo: David Tucker, The Daytona Beach News Journal "The last of nearly a dozen billboards that Palm Coast developer pledged to remove when he purchased them more than three years ago came tumbling down piece by piece on Monday... Jim Cullis, president of Grand Living...
“In honor of Sallye Garrigan Jude”
Photo: Coral Gables Garden Club "The Coral Gables Garden Club members voted unanimously to dedicate “Project Canopy” to our dear Life Member, Sallye Jude. The City of Coral Gables honored the Coral Gables Garden Club and Sallye Jude for her environmental work by...
Legal: “Pa. Supreme Court – Mt. Washington billboard can remain”
Photo: Nate Smallwood, Tribune-Review "The state Supreme Court on Wednesday sided with Lamar Advertising, finding that a large vinyl banner the company put on its Mt. Washington billboard nearly five years ago does not violate a Pittsburgh zoning ordinance. The banner...
National Award: “Selby Lights in Bloom returns for open-air holiday show in Sarasota”
Photo: Mike Lang, Sarasota Herald-Tribune "Florida Reindeer with lighted horns flock to Lights in Bloom every year. Over 2 Million LED lights are used to transform Selby Gardens... Still basking in the glow of national recognition, Marie Selby Gardens’ annual outdoor...
Land Preservation: “Pinellas County, City Of Dunedin In Lockstep On Douglas Hackworth Property”
Photo: Sierra Club "...Pinellas County Government and City of Dunedin officials have announced new developments in the effort to acquire land in North County for environmental preservation and passive recreation. 'We're very pleased with the public and private funding...
Scenic Jacksonville: “A Gift for Sulzbacher Village – for renewal and growth in 2021”
Photo: Scenic Jacksonville "Scenic Jacksonville is happy to announce our gift of natural beauty to the entrance of Sulzbacher Village! Now, the center is graced with trees and a landscaped garden that matches its mission of growth and renewal for families and...
Greenspace: “Clearwater voters reject bid to redevelop Landings Golf Course”
Photo: Google Earth, Tampa Bay Newspapers "Landings referendum Clearwater voters Nov. 3 soundly rejected a bid to transform the Landings Golf Course into a light industrial complex. Just over 61% of voters (35,464) voted no on a referendum question on whether the city...
Holiday Placemaking: How Downtown Lansing’s Ornaments Became A Cult Fave”
Photo: Abigail Censky, WKAR PBS "The big red ornaments sitting in the roundabout in front of the Capitol have been a Lansing tradition for more than a decade. But, last year—there was a chance that they’d disappear forever before a good Samaritan stepped in... Craig...
Tree Planting: “Planting helps restore longleaf pine forests in Florida, other coastal states”
Photo: AP in Tampa Bay Times "Scientists estimate that longleaf savannas once covered an area bigger than Germany. By the 1990s, less than 3 percent remained in scattered patches. When European settlers came to North America, fire-dependent savannas anchored by lofty...
Paddling in Florida: “What It’s Like to Canoe Down the Peace River”
Photo: Sarafina Murphy-Gibson, Sarasota Magazine "The Peace River offers an idyllic view of Florida nature... At first, I cling rigidly to my paddle, but soon find an easy rhythm as we glide past the lush combination of cypress, oak and palm. The river is almost...
“Walton commissioners could fast-track development along U.S. 331”
Illustration: Walton County "Walton County commissioners have taken a first look at a set of proposals that could reshape the economic potential of the U.S. Highway 331 corridor... The proposed development standards — more specifically, the establishment of scenic...
Editorial: “Give thanks for Jacksonville’s history, natural beauty”
Photo: Scenic Jacksonville Facebook "There is so much to be thankful for in Jacksonville. What comes to mind immediately includes beautiful natural resources and an incredible history. The natural resources are dominated by water. The majestic St. Johns River widens...
“Trees on the Coast plants 10 trees at South Walton Elementary School”
Photo: Land Air Sea Photography, in Northwest Florida Daily News "Trees on the Coast, a local environmental nonprofit, planted 10 trees during a planting ceremony on Nov. 13 at Van R. Butler Elementary School... Principal Jimmy Ross and 40 students participated in...
Technology: “Planning Commission Approves a Uniquely Styled Sunset Strip Billboard”
Photo: In WEHOville.com "With a unanimous vote on Thursday night, West Hollywood’s Planning Commission approved a new cutting-edge digital billboard on the Sunset Strip that will appear to float in the air. Using the latest LED technology, the 'Floating Billboard' at...
“NFL Kicks Off Super Bowl LV Community Greening Program”
Photo: in Patch - Super Bowl volunteers create sand dunes at Picnic Island Park "Each year, a symbolic Super Bowl 'Golden Shovel' is passed from one Super Bowl host community to the next. The National Football League, Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee, Keep Tampa...
Windfarm Siting: “Not In My Backyard: A Challenge To Decarbonization That Can Be Overcome”
Photo: Newsday via Getty Images - View of wind turbines off Block Island, Rhode Island in 2017 "Building large energy projects is hard business. Among the greatest challenges renewable power plant developers face is the question of where to build a new facility. This...
“Walton County OKs local funding for Inlet Beach pedestrian underpass.”
Photo: Northwest Florida Daily News "Walton County commissioners took another step this week toward making a pedestrian underpass at U.S. Highway 98 and County Road 30-A a reality In a unanimous Tuesday vote, commissioners authorized Chairman Bill Chapman to sign...