Lealman Voice Edition 30
No images? Click here
Credit: Leo Gomez Studios
Hello there.
Welcome to the Lealman Voice, your vibrant hub for all things community-related in Lealman! 📣
In this newsletter, we celebrate the heartbeat of our neighborhood by spotlighting the latest news, events, and stories that make Lealman the wonderful place it is. But we can't do it without you!
We believe that every resident plays a vital role in shaping the character and spirit of our community. That's why we invite you to be an active participant in the Lealman Voice. Share your news, events, achievements, and even your favorite local haunts with us. Whether it's a block party, a new business opening, a community fundraiser, or a heartwarming tale, your contributions enrich the fabric of our shared experience.
Together, let's amplify the voices of Lealman and build connections that strengthen our bonds as neighbors and friends. So don't hesitate to reach out and share what's happening in our vibrant corner of the world. Let's make our voices heard, loud and proud, in the Lealman Voice!
Please forward this email to a friend so they can subscribe here.
County dedicates over $10 million to reimagine park
Raymond H. Neri Park will soon receive a $10.2 million facelift as part of ongoing efforts to transform a historically underserved area into a thriving community.
The vacant greenspace at 4303 46th Ave. N. in unincorporated Lealman will receive a playground and “challenge course,” multi-purpose playing fields, two dog parks, picnic shelters, restrooms and a new parking area. Pinellas County Commissioners unanimously approved the project funding Tuesday.
Commissioner Charlie Justice called the much-anticipated project a “big deal” for Lealman. The rapidly evolving community is just outside St. Petersburg city limits, and its over 20,000 residents lack a “first-class” community park.
“Local governments – we buy stuff, and we build stuff,” Justice said. “But this one is a little special. This one took a lot of time and a lot of people, and it’s not just a piece of road somewhere.”
County officials dedicated what was then Joe’s Creek Greenway Park in 2005. They renamed it after Raymond H. Neri, a longtime Lealman advocate, in 2018.
Community outreach for park improvements began in May 2019 at the Lealman Exchange. The park abuts the community center, and Justice said that factored into the county’s decision to purchase the building.
Lealman has historically lacked the government attention, amenities and area median income enjoyed by surrounding cities. However, commissioners have invested significant time and money into revitalizing the community in recent years.
Justice has helped lead those efforts. He said the park project highlights the commission’s continuous commitment to improving the area and aligns with multiple other Lealman initiatives.
“It’s all part of the puzzle,” Justice said after the meeting. “But really, to me, it’s all about how this impacts families.”
Justice noted that his parents held family events and birthday parties underneath picnic shelters at the county-owned War Veterans Park in St. Petersburg. He now carries on the tradition with his children and says there’s “nothing like that” in Lealman.
“And I hope families create memories there that will be just as special as the memories I have growing up,” Justice said.
Neri Park will also feature a new trail that connects to the Lealman Exchange’s public facilities and the Joe’s Creek Greenway. A $59.5 million project will restore the expansive watershed and provide an elevated, permeable pavement multi-modal trail.
Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties has also invested significant resources into Lealman. The organization and commissioners recently dedicated several townhomes across the street from the park’s south entrance.
Justice noted that those families will watch Independence Day fireworks from the park this year. “And that really brought it home for me,” he said.
“The quality of life, the generational wealth – you can’t understate any of that,” Justice added. “But those special little family moments like that, you can’t beat it, man.”
Tuesdays & Thursdays at the Lealman Exchange
YMCA Senior Exercise: Tu/Th 9 a.m.
YMCA Total Parkinson's Exercise: Tu/Th 10-11 a.m.
Family Night Open Gym
Tuesdays & Thursdays 6PM
April 8th - 19th
April 13th 12PM
Grand Opening Lealman Fire Station 19
April 13th 10 AM
AARP Shred Event & Fraud Forum
April 17th 6 PM
April 23rd 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
CES Kindergarten Round Up
April 25th 6 PM
May 12th 6 PM
How not to be a Cyber Attack Victim
FEMA ups Pinellas County’s flood insurance discounts
Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell was in Clearwater Tuesday, to announce that Pinellas County had received a Class 2 rating in FEMA’s in National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System (CRS).
The Class 2 designation, which went into effect April 1, reflects a community’s floodplain best management efforts. It provides unincorporated Pinellas property owners and renters substantial discounts on their NFIP flood insurance premiums.
“This is what it looks like when a community invests in resilience, and those investments pay off,” Criswell said in a ceremony following the regular meeting of the Pinellas County Commission. “Not only are the lives of your residents improved upon, but you are saving them money and creating a more resilient community for them to call home.
“And these savings serve as a down payment on a better future for all of us, especially as we continue to face more severe storms and hurricanes that are creating more catastrophic flooding events.”
Because it’s a peninsula itself, she added, “flooding is a risk that Pinellas Country has to always keep top of mind.”
Criswell presented a plaque to Board of County Commissioners Chair Kathleen Peters and Vice Chair Brian Scott.
“As a class 2 community, Pinellas County is in the top one percent of all our CRS participants,” she said, “and has achieved the highest rating in all of Florida. As of April 1, flood insurance policy holders are eligible for up to a 40 percent discount on their premiums. That’s amazing.”
According the FEMA administrator, that amounts to approximately $10 million in savings for policy holders countywide.
The county’s previous rating was Class 3, with a 35 percent discount.
“This is truly a shared accomplishment,” Peters said. “It’s only possible because of the great working relationship that we have with FEMA, with the Florida Division of Emergency Management, with our municipalities, and other partners such as the realtors and staff from across the county.”
Buy fresh produce, help feed a local senior
Dozens of elderly residents recently lined up outside the Sunshine Center in downtown St. Petersburg to receive a box of farm-fresh fruits and vegetables.
Saving Our Seniors already serves about 14,000 people monthly, and the woman behind the initiative plans to double its community impact. Starting April 6, the local nonprofit will donate an additional Produce PAC (people assisting community) for each box purchased.
Kelli Casto, founder and CEO, said the program would support her mission to buy, give away and deliver fresh, nutritional food. The goal is to serve 28,000 seniors on fixed incomes monthly.
“Physicians and insurance companies are saying food is important, but then they don’t give them the right access,” Casto said. “We truly value our seniors that have paved the way for so many of us.”
Tom Jordan, one of the elderly residents able to line up at the Sunshine Center, noted that grocery prices are “out of this world.” Many seniors must navigate soaring living costs on just $900 monthly.
Jordan became emotional when asked to describe the Produce Pac program’s benefits. “You might think eight items is not much, but those eight items help out tremendously,” he said.
“And I thank them,” Jordan added. “They always have a great attitude – because they want to help us.”
Accessibility is the cornerstone of Casto’s efforts. Selling the Produce PACs will allow her to deliver fresh fruits and vegetables to home-bound seniors.
It will also provide more produce to those who pick up boxes from area community centers. The nonprofit started its fresh market initiative in 2020.
Saving Our Seniors (SOS) does not offer donated food “because I value my freshness,” Casto said. She purchases the produce from trusted distributors in Tampa, as personally traveling to regional farms is impractical.
However, Casto does drive hundreds of miles daily to meet seniors “where they are.” She created SOS in 2016 to collect, offer and deliver discounted medical equipment.
Casto, an occupational therapist, recognized that seniors hoping to age in place lacked medical equipment needed to maintain their health and independence. She launched SOS from a one-bedroom apartment.
Casto also used her personal vehicle to deliver the much-needed medical equipment to seniors earning less than $1,500 monthly. She now has two trucks and a donated 2,500-square-foot warehouse.
Picking up fresh produce from the Sunshine Center allows seniors to utilize the city-owned facility’s myriad wraparound services. “The people behind me come every week that we’re here, and they’re just so thankful,” Casto said.
“They feel appreciated because we’re not handing them food that is donated,” she added. “We’re handing them out purchased produce. They value our charity as we value them.”
Summer Camp Opportunities
Parents planning summer enrichment programs can apply for free camps through Pinellas County Schools.
https://www.pcsb.org/summercamps
Looking for summer camps and programs that are educational, motivational and fun? St. Petersburg College and community partners host affordable summer camps and programs for elementary, middle and high school students.
YMCA offers camps at multiple locations! Summer Camp runs June 3 - August 9, 2024, and is held weekdays from 7:00AM - 6:00PM. Check out our weekly themes and field trips, below.
Pinellas County Parks offers camps at Booker Creek & Weedon Island for nature enthusiasts.
Sew Pinellas on Haines Road is offering Fashion Design & Cosplay Summer Camps.
Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program
We will call you to schedule an appointment!
The Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (BCCEDP) at the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County provides no-cost breast and cervical cancer screening exams, including mammograms, pap smears, pelvic exams, and clinical breast exams, to women who are 50 to 64 years of age, low income, and uninsured or under-insured.
Early detection is the key to successful diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer and cervical cancer.
Screening Guidelines:
- Women need their first pap test at the age of 21 regardless of sexual activity.
- Women need a pap test every three to five years after the first test as long as the test results continue to be normal.
- Women 20 years and over should have their breasts checked once a year by a health care professional.
- Women over age 40 should have a mammogram once a year.
Lealmanimals
Crooked jaw
How many years have you lived in Lealman?
Since the prehistoric era
What are your favorite snacks?
Why don’t alligators like fast food?
Because we can’t catch it!
Favorite place to hang
Under the shade of the turtle bridge, long slow strolls through Neri Park
Do you have a four-legged family member you want to introduce to the neighborhood? We want to meet them! Send your pet photos to news@lealmanvoice.org
Career Corner
Lealman Voice Powered by:
