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Three storm shelters to take Pinellas pets

By TIMES WIRES
Published March 27, 2007

CLEARWATER - With hurricane season beginning June 1, animal owners will have new options for protecting their beloveds from howling wind and flying wreckage.

The Pinellas County School Board has named three locations pet-friendly shelters for 2007. One is in St. Petersburg, the remaining two are in Clearwater and Dunedin.

The move will increase the number of spots for pets to an estimated 700, which is 50 percent more than what was available last year, said Welch Agnew, Pinellas County's assistant director of veterinary services.

The designated schools are Thurgood Marshall Middle School, 3901 22 Ave. S, St. Petersburg; Oak Grove Middle School, 1370 S Belcher Road, Clearwater; and Dunedin Highland Middle School, 70 Patricia Ave., Dunedin.

To gain access to the pet shelters, owners must register in advance for the 2007 hurricane season, even if they were registered last year. And space is limited. Priority is given to those living in high-risk, coastal areas and mobile home parks.

Residents can register by going to www.pinellascounty.org/animalservices or calling 727-582-2150 .

Pasco to approve land for high school

HUDSON - Pasco County commissioners are poised to sign off on the school district's effort to acquire land for a new high school in Hudson.

The commission's vote today on the site's concurrency doesn't guarantee the district can get the school built for a desired 2009 debut, though.

"We need the money for that school," superintendent Heather Fiorentino said Monday, putting the cost around $58-million.

A 39-year-old central Pasco landmark is the latest golf course to face the advancing rumble of home builders.

Today, it's still the Quail Hollow Golf & Country Club, an 18-hole championship course off Old Pasco Road. But by the time Landshore Communities is through, the 174-acre site might be just Quail Hollow.

The Michigan developer wants to raise 597 homes on the golf course, which is also home to 34 acres of wetlands and 10 acres of lakes. No commercial component is proposed.

The developer would need a rezoning to build that many homes.

Swiftmud may caution counties on pumping

BROOKSVILLE - Along with warnings of overpumping, longtime concerns over the health of water resources could lead the board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District, commonly known as Swiftmud, to create "water use caution areas" in Hernando and Citrus counties.

After meetings with water permit holders, local government and utility officials, board members are expected to make a decision in July.

The designation, which could be in some or all parts of both counties, could eventually mean higher rates for residents using too much water.

The 11-member water board voted to investigate water use in January, and has since been piecing together a rough plan for the northern part of its 16-county district.

[Last modified March 27, 2007, 00:51:30]