The early morning rain may have wet the ground at the James B. Sanderlin Center, but it did not dampen the spirit and excitement of the families who came to the “Chilled by the Grill” event Aug. 10.

The center hosted its annual family fun day with approximately 350 people in attendance.  Saturday’s event celebrated the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year.

“We wanted to be sure that our students and parents are prepared for the current school year to achieve excellence,” said Executive Director Dr. Celeste Thomas, who noted that the turnout was outstanding.

The James B. Sanderlin Neighborhood Family Center is a non-profit agency in south St. Petersburg. The center focuses on family education, arts, economics, employment, positive values and health and wellness. Their mission is to cultivate a community where children and families are valued, loved and destined to succeed.

Family fun day has been a part of the Sanderlin Center since its inception, according to Raymond Sanderlin, Jr., a long-term board member and the nephew of Judge James B. Sanderlin, the first African-American judge in Pinellas County.

The event became more formalized as the years went on, but the goal has remained the same: to bring the community together while introducing the many services available to better lives.

Children received a backpack full of school supplies and other items sponsored by Simply Healthcare Plans and the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County. Free physicals were conducted, compliments of the Nurse Practitioners Association.

In the dining area, finger-licking barbeque hamburgers and hotdogs along with ice pops conquered thirst and hunger.

Across the way from the dining hall, barbers made sure the youngsters were stylish for the first day of school by providing free haircuts. Long lines of students caused throbbing hands and tired feet, but the barbers worked until every kid was serviced.

“It is important for our children to look the part of excellence,” said Nick Samuels, a volunteer from Foundation of Truth Tabernacle. “A fresh haircut helps our kids with their self-esteem. When you look good then you feel good. When you feel good then you perform well. When you do well then you get excellent results, higher achievement and you are recognized as such.”

On the outside, vendors lined the sidewalk and filled the yard, providing participants with tools to increase literacy, healthy eating and lifestyles. They also offered nutritional packets and information, childcare brochures and voting instructions, which certainly can be important to citizens desiring to re-establish voting rights.

Other activities for the kids included bounce houses, music and the Tampa Bay Rays, who gave out cool shades.

Through the rain clouds, Judge Sanderlin must have been smiling to create the rainbow that hovered over the family fun day. It was a full and eventually dry day of fun festivities.

To view article by The Weekly Challenger visit: http://theweeklychallenger.com/chill-by-the-grill/

It’s official. Pinellas County commissioners unanimously approved maximum millage rates for fiscal year 2019-2020 as proposed by staff during an Aug. 1 budget information session.

Commissioner Kathleen Peters was absent.

The rates will be certified and passed on to the property appraiser to include in Truth in Millage notices, aka TRIM notices, which will be mailed to property owners on or about Aug. 20.

After millage rates are certified to the property appraiser, commissioners can decide to decrease them, but they cannot be increased. Final millage rates must be approved before the beginning of the next fiscal year on Oct. 1.

Millage rates are used to calculate property taxes, aka ad valorem taxes, which are assessed on real property and tangible personal property. The rates are in mills. One mill is one dollar of taxes for each thousand dollars of taxable value. For example, a tax rate of 5.9 mills on a taxable value of $100,000 would cost $590 in taxes.

The property appraiser establishes taxable values as of Jan. 1 and certifies them in June. For more information, visit https://www.pcpao.org.

Maximum millage rates set by Pinellas County government remain unchanged from the current year, except for seven fire protection districts, which will see reduced rates. They include Belleair Bluffs, Clearwater, Dunedin, Gandy, Largo, Safety Harbor and South Pasadena.

The county has 12 fire protection districts that provide services to unincorporated areas. The county does not have its own fire departments. Property owners in the districts pay a separate millage to pay for contracted fire services.

Property owners who live within the High Point, Pinellas Park, Seminole, Tarpon Springs and Tierra Verde fire districts will have the same millage rates as the current year.

When TRIM notices arrive, property owners countywide will see separate millage rates for the general fund, health department and emergency medical services.

Residents in unincorporated areas of the county will see a millage rate for the municipal service taxing unit, better known as MSTU, which generates revenue to pay for services, such as law enforcement and others similar to those available to residents who live in a municipality. Unincorporated property owners also will see a millage rate for the Public Library Cooperative.

Property owners in Palm Harbor and East Lake will see millage rates that generate revenue dedicated to recreation and library services. Property owners in Feather Sound will have a millage rate for its community services district, which provides money for a variety of needs.

Property owners should note that Pinellas County is not the only taxing authority that receives property taxes. TRIM notices also could include millage rates from a municipality, the school board, Southwest Florida Water Management District, Pinellas County Planning Council, Juvenile Welfare Board and Suncoast Transit Authority.

Millage rates from all taxing authorities are added together to calculate each property owner’s total millage rate.

Taxing authorities are advising property owners that property taxes may be higher this year due to increases in property values, despite some decreases in millage rates. The TRIM notice will provide an estimated tax bill based on maximum tentative millage rates, as well as the taxable value for your property.

Potential budget changes

Pinellas County’s proposed fiscal year 2020 budget is just over $2.4 billion, according to the proposed budget presented to commissioners on July 23.

Bill Berger, director of the Office of Management & Budget, talked about some potential budget changes during the Aug. 1 meeting. He said if commissioners decided to fund the new requests, it would not affect the proposed maximum millage rates.

The medical examiner is asking for $99,000 to pay for a full time employee and equipment needed to satisfy an unfunded mandate from the state for THC testing.

A new state law, which took effect July 1, made it legal for farmers to grow marijuana for hemp fiber. In addition, it is legal for people to possess hemp products that contain 0.3% or less THC, which is the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana that produces a “high.” These products also contain the non-euphoric chemical CBD, cannabidiol.

The state attorney’s office announced Aug. 1 that it would no longer be charging people with possession of marijuana without an explicit confession or the development of a new test that distinguishes between cannabis and hemp.

Additional money, $149,000, may also be needed to fund the Cross Bay Ferry next year. St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman is expected to make a formal request for funding at the commission’s Aug. 6 meeting.

The health department also is in need of $226,000 to fill a funding gap in the adult Medicaid dental program. The state has been contracting with private Medicaid providers, but has recently cut back on the amount of funding for the program.

Without additional revenue, about 4,000 low-income adults could lose access to dental care. Staff is looking at other options, but wanted commissioners to know about the potential need for more money. Berger said money was available in the health department’s reserves to fund the program, if needed.

The final request was for more money for Court Case Management System enhancements. Berger said staff was not recommending funding the $220,000 in enhancements in next year’s budget. Instead, Berger recommends bringing back funding requests as the enhancements are needed in years 2020-2022.

Commissioners also discussed travel budgets, as some commissioners travel more than others, the need for matching funds now that the federal government has awarded the county a grant for a business incubator, social action funding and additional uses of bed tax revenue.

Staff will continue work to finalize the tentative budget and post the final version to the county’s website, www.pinellascounty.org, by Sept. 10. The first public hearing is set for Thursday, Sept. 12, and the second and final hearing will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 24. The hearings will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the fifth floor Assembly Room in the Pinellas County Courthouse, 315 Court St., Clearwater.

To view article by Tampa Bay Newspapers visit: https://www.tbnweekly.com/pinellas_county/article_bed3e3d8-b885-11e9-9e88-d38a536e2ecb.html  

Backpacks, lunch boxes and notebooks are all essential items needed for going back to school. Equally important are required back-to-school immunizations and physicals.

That is why the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County (DOH-Pinellas) is offering its annual summer back-to-school clinic services to students kindergarten through grade 12 to prepare for the 2019-20 school year.

DOH-Pinellas’ school-based clinics provide school, sports and well-child physicals, including immunizations, at no cost for clients in need. Vision screenings, provided by Preserve Vision Florida, as well as assistance for glasses and exams (for qualifying clients) will be available.

SERTOMA Speech & Hearing Foundation of Florida, Inc. will provide support to students who need additional hearing consultation and screening. The last day to receive services is Tuesday, Aug. 13.

The services will be provided at no cost by appointment only between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. from Mondays through Thursdays on a rotating schedule at the following locations:

• Pinellas Park High School Clinic: 6305 118th Ave. N
• Northeast High School Clinic: 5500 16th St. N
• Gibbs High School Clinic: 850 34th St. S
• Boca Ciega High School Clinic: 924 58th St. S

For appointments, call (727) 824-6900 and select menu option 4. A parent or guardian must bring the child’s immunization record and accompany the child to receive services. If the parent is not present, consent must be obtained before receiving services.

All Pinellas children entering kindergarten on Aug. 14 are required to present a school entrance physical, dated within one year of school enrollment.

DOH-Pinellas’ school-based clinics are a partnership with the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County. The clinics provide services to students on campus during the school year and open to the community during the summer months.

To view article by The Weekly Challenger visit: http://theweeklychallenger.com/back-to-school-immunizations-and-physicals/