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Beaches notebook
By AMY WIMMER, Times Staff Writer St. Pete BeachDOT sessions discuss Blind Pass Road workThe Department of Transportation will conduct a construction open house on the widening of Blind Pass Road, 5-7 p.m. Tuesday in the Upham Room at St. Pete Beach City Hall, 7701 Boca Ciega Drive. Construction for this $6.1-million project, which will turn the two-lane road into a four-lane road with a center turn lane, began Jan. 22. Sidewalks and bicycle lanes also will be provided, along with drainage improvements along 80th, 83rd and 90th avenues. The public will be invited to ask questions and make comments during the workshop Tuesday, and DOT representatives will be available to discuss construction impacts. * * * The third annual Island Festival, a daylong event featuring live music, book signings by local authors, art vendors and exhibits, is March 2 in Pass-a-Grille Park. Island Festival III is sponsored by the Suntan Art Center, Gulf Beaches Historical Museum and the Island Community Theatre. The Island Festival Community Theatre will present miniplays throughout the day, Gulf Beaches Historical Museum docents will lead tours through Pass-a-Grille streets, local musicians will perform, and local authors will sign books. Also, the Suntan Art Center will provide arts and crafts projects for children. Artists, crafters and other vendors are invited to participate. All work must be original to the artist. Sixty-five spaces are available in the park or the street. Entry fee is $50, or $25 for Suntan members. Artists should register to participate by Feb. 20. Anyone interested in renting space should call 526-0664. Madeira BeachTop urban planning consultants will conduct a weeklong series of visioning sessions Feb. 23 to March 1, ending with a design presentation that will give residents a visual idea of what their city can be in years to come. The week's opening and final presentations will be at Madeira Beach Middle School. Other sessions will take place at City Hall. Among the community designers will be Andres Duany, a high-profile Miami architect and town planner. Between the beginning and ending sessions, which city residents are invited to attend, will be a series of visioning sessions. Immediately following those sessions and then, for two days at the end of the week, the professional designers will work on visuals that reflect what the city wants in a master plan. The sessions are: Opening presentation, 5-7 p.m. Feb. 23 at Madeira Beach Middle School gymnasium, 591 Tom Stuart Causeway. Madeira Beach neighborhoods, 2-3:30 p.m. Feb. 24, Madeira Beach City Hall, 300 Municipal Drive. Gulf Boulevard, 10-11:30 a.m. Feb. 25, Madeira Beach City Hall. John's Pass Village and surrounding area, 3:30-5 p.m. Feb. 25, Madeira Beach City Hall. The waterfront and natural resources, 10-11:30 a.m. Feb. 26, Madeira Beach City Hall. Codes, 2-3:30 Feb. 26, Madeira Beach City Hall. Final presentation, 6-8 p.m. March 1, Madeira Beach Middle School gymnasium. * * * The annual citywide garage sale is scheduled for March 16-17. Residents are invited to plan their own sales and do not need to register with the city to participate. Treasure IslandSunset Beach Civic Association will hold its annual neighborhood yard sale, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Feb. 23. A $5 fee covers advertising and puts your house on a map distributed to shoppers. Each house may display its own "yard sale" sign. Deadline for inclusion on the map is today. Call Norma Jusek at 367-6570 or Bette Lippke at 367-1422 for information. Indian Rocks BeachThe Beach Art Center will offer several new classes beginning in March. Charlotte DiGennaro will teach from the book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards. This four-week course will be taught from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays beginning March 5. The fee for the course is $48 for art center members and $60 for non-members. A Beginning Oil Painting course will take place 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays, March 6 through April 24. Intermediate students are also welcome. The instructors are Larry Pumfrey, whose forte is landscapes, and Judy Pumfrey, who does portraiture. The fee for the eight-week course is $110 for members and $125 for non-members. Pottery Instructor Gwen Gutwein will begin two eight-week courses in pottery on March 4. Students can choose from a 1 to 4 p.m. class on Mondays or a 6 to 9 p.m. class on Mondays. Class size is limited to allow for more personal instruction. The fee is $120 for members and $150 for non-members. There is a $20 materials fee. Stained glass instructor Irene Docherty will offer a six-week course from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays beginning March 6. The fee is $72 for members and $95 for nonmembers. Beginning Watercolor II, a six-week course, will be taught by Marie Cummings from 9 a.m. to noon Thursdays beginning Feb. 21. The course will focus on basic watercolor skills. Students will gain experience in color mixing, value changes and basic design by painting simple objects. The fee is $72 for members; $84 for nonmembers. Beginning Acrylics and Glass Painting will be offered Saturday mornings beginning March 9. This is a continuous class and may be entered at any time. The fee is $48 for members; $60 for nonmembers each 4 weeks. Please call 596-4331 for further information and registration. The Beach Art Center is located at 1515 Bay Palm Blvd. next door to City Hall in Indian Rocks Beach. * * * Applications are out for the Beach Art Center's annual Spring Fling Arts and Crafts Show. The Spring Fling will be held in conjunction with Indian Rocks Beach's music and food festival, Beauty and the Beach, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 6. Artists and crafters may obtain applications by calling the Beach Art Center, 596-4331. The center is at 1515 Bay Palm Blvd. - To submit items for the Beaches Notebook, e-mail wimmer@sptimes.com.
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