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Welcome to The Lealman Voice

Welcome to the Lealman Voice, your go-to source for all things happening in our vibrant neighborhood! We're here to amplify the heartbeat of our community by sharing upcoming events, latest news, and stories that matter most to you. Whether it's a local gathering, community initiative, or noteworthy achievement, we want to hear from you. Together, let's celebrate the spirit of Lealman and keep our neighborhood thriving. Share your news with us, and let's make our voices heard!
 

Lealmanites

Come to the Groundbreaking Ceremony at Neri Park on May 21!

Raymond H. Neri Community Park is about to get a major facelift. Please join Pinellas County Commissioners, County staff and Laura Neri to break ground for the construction and learn about what’s coming. Tuesday, May 21, 2024, 10 – 11 a.m., Raymond S. Neri Community Park. Use the entrance just past the Lealman Exchange at 5175 45th St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33714.

Young Lealman activist works to keep beaches clean

Leave it better than you found it.”

This message is central to the mission of Coastal Crusaders, an environmental nonprofit group started by 15-year-old Zoey Yuhasz.

Zoey, who’ll be a sophomore at St. Pete Collegiate High School in the fall, is using her group to better the environment with local beach cleanups, recycling items left behind on beaches and protecting nesting sea turtles.

As part of Earth Week, Coastal Crusaders is hosting a beach cleanup Saturday at 9 a.m. on Madeira Beach, across the street from John’s Pass Village. All supplies for cleaning up the community will be provided, and volunteers will be entered into a drawing for a prize.

Zoey, who grew up cleaning up litter while walking around her neighborhood and nearby beaches, said the group is not just about picking up trash – it is also about spreading awareness.

The different elements of the environment are all connected, she explained, so her group also tackles issues such as items left behind on beaches, including beach chairs and children’s sand toys. Zoey and her mom, Rhonda Yuhasz, said they do not want these items to end up in the ocean or in a landfill, so they have created beach boxes.

Beach boxes are large enough to hold several items, and Zoey utilizes her artistic skills to decorate them with vibrant drawings of sea creatures. Beach visitors, whether they are locals or tourists, can leave behind unwanted items in these boxes for others to use.

An additional initiative Zoey has taken is conducting “hole patrols,” or filling holes on the beach with sand and knocking over sand castles to protect nesting sea turtles, which crawl from the Gulf at night.

Beach-goers will walk over as they are intrigued by this process, explained Rhonda, and after asking questions and learning the importance of it, ask to help. Keeping beaches “clean, dark and flat” for the turtles by reducing litter, light pollution and holes is key to their protection, Rhonda said.

Many people are simply not aware of this, she added, so Coastal Crusaders aims to spread awareness on the topic. They spread information through flyers, social media, a website and word of mouth. They have many local partnerships too, such as Keep Pinellas Beautiful, which helps with providing cleanup supplies.

Coastal Crusaders, said Zoey, is a group where people take action while learning about the effects of their actions on the environment.

Driven by her passion for sustainability and wanting to provide a place for her friends and neighbors to get involved with environmental protection, Zoey said she crusades for the planet by inspiring change in people’s mindsets.

For information about Saturday’s beach cleanup event, visit CoastalCrusadersFlorida.com.

Via St. Pete Catalyst

Zoe and her family have been residents of Lealman their entire lives.  In addition, it's worth noting that Zoey has taken on the responsibility of caring for a county mile and a local community in West Lealman through Keep Pinellas Beautiful, where she and her Coastal Crusaders tirelessly work to maintain cleanliness and preserve the beauty of our surroundings."

When will National Hurricane Center start using new 'cone of uncertainty'? What you should know

The official start of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is just over a month away, 40 days if you're counting.

And you should be counting and starting to prepare yourself and your home.

Forecasters have been warning this season is expected to be "explosive," "extremely active," or "hyperactive."

To help residents in the event of an impending storm, the National Hurricane Center will be implementing several changes for the 2024 season, including a change to the"cone of uncertainty.”

The new cone from the National Hurricane Center will add tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings for interior counties in the path of the storm.

The current cone displays watches and warnings only for coastal counties.

In the past, watches and warnings for interior counties has come from local National Weather Service offices. The new NHC graphic will combine tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings into a single graphic.

Full Article

After decades-long wait, Lealman’s ‘crown jewel’ park will get upgrades

Pinellas County officials and residents of unincorporated Lealman have talked about sprucing up Raymond H. Neri Community Park since it was established in 2005 with additions that would give people more to do there. Nearly two decades later, those off-and-on discussions are finally set to come to fruition.

Earlier this month, Pinellas County commissioners approved more than $10 million for new play areas, restrooms, sports fields and a dog park, among other amenities.

“It’s always been a diamond that just needs to be polished a little bit more,” said David Lee, a neighborhood organizer.

Full Article Via Tampa Bay Times

Take the Local Mitigation Strategy Survey

Pinellas County’s Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS) is a plan that assesses our community’s risk to various hazards and identifies projects to reduce loss of life and property. It is a countywide all-hazards plan looking at natural and man-made hazards.

This plan makes local governments, businesses, non-profits, and residents in the county eligible to apply for federal hazard mitigation grant funding. The LMS also serves as the county’s floodplain management plan and earns credit under the Community Rating System (CRS) program, which provides flood insurance premium discounts to each participating jurisdiction.

Your feedback on this survey is essential to improve the Plan and develop appropriate mitigation actions. It will significantly improve our understanding of the local hazard risks. It will guide us in identifying policies, actions, and mitigation strategies that best fit our mitigation goals. 

English:  https://forms.office.com/g/dDdFER20bm

Spanish:  https://forms.office.com/g/24nnPi0q5f

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