Edition 3 March 17th, 2023
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Credit: Leo Gomez Studios
Hello there.
Welcome back to The Lealman Voice, Edition 4!
Our mission is simple: To help connect the people of Lealman.
You have the ideas, the projects, the events, and the energy - everything needed to keep Lealman thriving. The biggest challenge is often simply getting the word out. The Lealman Voice will help us meet that challenge.
Thank you to everyone who reached out to share their updates, news, and happenings; keep them coming!
-The Lealman Voice
Habitat hands over the key to its 800th home
-Bill DeYoung St. Pete Catalyst
Since August 2021, Brianna Clayton and daughter Paisley, now 5, have been living in a guest bedroom – sharing a bed – at Brianna’s dad’s house.
The awkward arrangement officially changed today as Habitat For Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties officially dedicated its 800th home, in St. Petersburg’s Lealman district – and handed the key to Brianna Clayton.
“Two bedrooms, two bathrooms,” Clayton marveled just before the public ceremony began. “We’re going to officially move in today. Moving trucks are waiting, and we’re ready.”
As part of the Habitat contract Clayton, who tends bar at Buffalo Wild Wings and is taking college classes, put in around 400 sweat equity hours on the home at 2790 53rd Ave. North, as well as on other local builds. She also took 32 home buyer education classes.
“This is a huge accomplishment, and a good example to set for my daughter,” she said. “So she knows that you can do anything, no matter what life throws at you.”
April 8th @ 2PM
April 29th @ 10:00 AM
May 6th @ 06:00 PM
Summer Resources
-Keara McGraw, St. Petersburg Foundation
Summer is rapidly approaching in Florida, and we all know what that means; time to start planning for childcare for those months when school is out. With this comes the usual obstacles, wait lists, choosing safe and enriching programs, and seeking the most affordable option.
A few options available to Lealman residents include the following:
YMCA @ Lealman Exchange
Ages: 5-12
Cost $160 a week
https://www.stpeteymca.org/childcare/day-camp/
Pinellas Athletic League
K-5th
6th-12th $500 (scholarships available)
https://pinellaspal.com/summer-little-pal/
Summer Bridge Program
High School
Cost: Free
Transportation available
Creative Pinellas
Ages: Vary
Cost: Grants available for Pinellas County Residents
https://creativepinellas.org/opportunity/arts-summer-camp-grant-2023/
St. Petersburg Parks & Recreation
Ages: Elementary
Cost: Varies, ELC eligible
https://www.stpeteparksrec.org/elementarycamp/
Summer recreation programs provide a range of benefits for young people, including staying active, socializing with peers, and learning new skills.
According to experts in child development, such programs offer numerous advantages for children's physical health. Summer camps and other recreational activities provide children with opportunities to engage in physical activities such as swimming, hiking, and sports, which can improve their physical fitness, coordination, and overall health.
SPCA Tampa Bay goes big with two locations for 32nd-annual Pet Walk this April
Every year, the Pet Walk in downtown St. Petersburg is the biggest fundraiser for SPCA Tampa Bay, an annual celebration of furry loved ones. For 2023, they’re going bigger than ever and doubling the furry fun with two huge events on the same day. On the morning of April 15, the 32nd-annual Pet Walk will take place as always in North Straub Park in downtown St. Pete. Meanwhile, at the exact same time, another Pet Walk will be happening at OCC Road House & Museum at 10575 49th Street North in Clearwater.
Both events offer locals a chance to support the area’s only for-all shelter, while spreading out the fun and making it more accessible to more people throughout Pinellas County and the entire Tampa Bay Area. And for those who haven’t been to OCC Road House before, it truly is a spectacle, and will be a stellar venue for this celebrated fundraiser. And participating walkers – don’t forget about the costume contest.
Blue Sky plans to bring more affordable housing
St. Petersburg-based Blue Sky Communities, which built Skyway Lofts, the Skyway Marina District’s first affordable housing complex, will be expanding the number of units with a new building.
“The Phase 1 complex has an extensive year-long waiting list. By delivering Phase 2, it is going to provide an immediate source of affordable housing for some people who are already in an unstable housing situation or are overpaying,” Blue Sky Communities President Shawn Wilson said.
The project, dubbed Skyway Lofts II, will be bounded by 34th Street South to the west and 38th Avenue South to the north, and will be directly across from the existing 65-unit Skyway Lofts building at 3900 34th St. N.
The proposed development entails constructing a four-story building with 66 units and 65 on-site surface parking spaces, including 34 parking spaces on the ground floor, and a stormwater management system.
Local foster children receive long-term mentors
Kids growing up in the foster care system often lack a consistent adult presence through their formidable years – so a regional nonprofit provides them mentors from kindergarten through graduation.
With a $1.1 million grant from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott and a desire to make a lasting impact in the lives of some of the area’s most vulnerable kids, Friends of the Children – Tampa Bay (FCTB) is bringing its long-term mentoring model to Lealman Elementary School.
The nearly nine-year-old nonprofit’s leadership announced the innovative partnership, the first of its kind in Pinellas County, Jan. 23. Lealman is an underserved, unincorporated community just north of St. Petersburg.
Christopher James
(Updated to reflect additional commentary)
Please introduce yourself to your neighbors.
I’m a Technical Director by trade. I work on lighting, sound and set designs as well as fabrication and artist photography
How many years have you lived in Lealman?
59yrs, which is born and raised. I’m 3rd generation on the same land. Back when Lealman was mostly dairy farms, horse stables and produce stands. Back when you could swim at Joe's Creek and dive off the trestles and eat crawdads and fish. When there were lightning-bugs, quail, mulberry trees, wild raspberries on the tracks. Back when they used to oil the roads to keep the dust down, and there was food on every corner of the main streets. There were restaurants, local shops and a small mom-and-pop grocery and from the tallest to the smallest, you were safe. When my brother and I were little, I called us the Lealman Knights. As we got older I changed it to Lealmanites to explain to people who never heard of Lealman what we call those born and raised here. Throughout my life I’ve shared this title with other Lealman natives and encouraged them to proclaim their identity as a Lealmanite.
What organizations are you involved in?
Pinellas cleanup and theater. Lealman doesn’t have a theater, but it should. It’s a very good way to bring people together in the community. Rather than tearing down the old fire department, repurpose it into a local theater. Or have a theater at the Leaman Exchange - make it the Lealman Community Center for the Arts? Nice ring, just saying.
What gets you out of bed every day?
Work and various hobbies like aquaponic farming. I built my own greenhouse during the pandemic. I’ve engineered a custom 600-gallon system where I’ve grown pretty much every vegetable and herb including saffron. I share the bounty with friends and neighbors.
What is one thing you've seen change for the better in Lealman in the last few years?
The outdoor areas and parks and recreation.
What's next for you?
I would like to travel now that the world is opening back up. I would also like to go further with my art.
Hello Lealman
