Monday, December 30, 2019

Manatee County River Run 2019


Saturday December 28, 2019 was the 19th running of the Manatee River
Run sponsored by the
Bradenton Runners Club.

The Bradenton Runners Club is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.  All of our races are hosted by our board members and generous volunteers.  All the proceeds from the race, after expenses are deducted, go to our scholarship fund and summer camp financial aid programs for Manatee County student athletes.  We also provide financial assistance to local high school and track programs for gear and uniforms on a case-by-case basis. We give upwards of $7500 per year to local Manatee County student athletes.
The Manatee River Run 5 Miler is open to all ages and abilities. In addition, it has been awarded RRCA State Championship status, so there will be special state championship awards for the overall, masters, grand masters, senior grand masters, and veteran grand masters winners.  Age group awards will be awarded in standard 5 year age groups.
A scenic adventure on hard shell-packed winding trails through a variety of native ecosystems, including beaches, lagoons, salt marshes, mangrove swamps, tropical hardwood hammocks, coastal strands and finished on a paved 1.5-mile roadway to the finish and great post-race party.
All photos taken with an iPhone 11.
Here is a link to my photo essay of the event Manatee River Run 2019
Before you click this link and hit download note there are about 300 images.
All the images are unedited and are not protected. Please feel free to copy and share any individual photo, photos or the link with friends and relatives.
For more information on the Bradenton Runners Club Click here: Bradenton Runners Club.
E-mail Doc at mail to: dr.gwebb@yahoo.com or send me a Facebook (E. Eugene Webb) Friend request. Like or share on Facebook and follow me on TWITTER  @DOC ON THE BAY.
See Doc's Photo Gallery at 
Bay Post Photos.  
Disclosures:
Please comment below.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Vinik’s transit tax promoter claims voters wanted minimal oversight


Tampa, Fl
From: Tampa Bay Guardian
Edited by: Tom Rask

Posted by TBG2016 on DECEMBER 17, 2019

During a panel discussion yesterday, All For Transportation (AFT) President Tyler Hudson claimed that voters only wanted “some modicum of oversight” for the $16 billion sales tax increase he helped pass in Hillsborough County in 2018. The Merriam-Webster dictionary definition of “modicum” is “a small portion : a limited quantity.”

AFT’s tax hike effort to fund transit was largely funded by Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik, whose real estate interests will benefit financially to a large degree from the tax.

At the 2019 “Transit Initiatives and Communities Workshop” held at the Tampa Marriott,
Hudson was discussing what his group had found that voters wanted. Hudson stated the following (video):

“The concerns that people had were really consistent across the board: safety, congestion relief, and some type of oversight, some modicum of oversight given the lack of faith in, really, elected officials, which will hopefully change.”

Hudson thus claimed that voters lacked faith in elected officials, and therefore wanted some kind of oversight, yet those voters only wanted a small amount of oversight.

The Guardian has previously reported on the so-called Independent Oversight Committee (IOC) that AFT promised voters. The legality of such an IOC is the subject of a lawsuit that will be heard by the Florida Supreme Court in early February.

Given Hudson’s comment about a “modicum of oversight”, perhaps “IOC” really stands for Ineffective Oversight Committee.

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) arranged the conference-style workshop that Hudson spoke at. The conference is being held at the same time that the Federal Transit administration released data showing that despite a 7.4% increase in federal, state and local subsidies by taxpayers nationwide in FY2018, transit ridership fell 2.1%.

The decline continues this year: transit ridership fell 1.6% nationwide in October 2019 as Uber, Lyft and similar companies increasingly replace old school transit. Bus ridership is now lower than it was in 1940 when the US population was less than half of what it is today.

As always….the Guardian reports and our readers decide. Like our Facebook page to find out when we publish articles.

READ THIS POST AT: Tampa Bay Guardian

This post is contributed by the Tampa Bay Guardian. The views expressed in this post are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher of Bay Post Internet or any publications, blogs or social media pages where it may appear.

Cross Posted with permission from: Tampa Bay Guardian

Friday, December 13, 2019

From 1 year Ago - Healthcare – The business - How safe are you?





When you are looking at health care services or even particular doctors, here are some questions to ask and things to look for.

December 2018
St. Petersburg, Fl
Opinion by: E. Eugene Webb PhD
Author
: In Search of Robin, So You Want to Blog.
If you sit there watching those hospital-based semi reality TV dramas, you might find yourself thinking this is just fiction. I know I am safe at the hospital; I am sure my children are in good hands.
Those money-grubbing, company centered, hospital and healthcare administrators who put dollars ahead of patient care are just some figment of a TV drama writer’s imagination. Right?
All hospitals reflect the finest in us as businesses and human beings. They are really all about taking care of people, especially the most vulnerable among us. Right?
Then along comes a real-life example like John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital where we are smacked in the face with the reality of health care and the business that controls it.
If you have not been following the Tampa Bay Times reporting of John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, here are links to the articles, and they are a MUST READ.
These articles and this excellent reporting are chilling if you don’t have any small children and downright frightening if you do.
Do not, however, delude yourself into thinking this is an isolated case.
As healthcare becomes an ever-larger business, money wows increase, and you will see consolidations of hospitals, clinics and even doctor's individual practices. Revenue and profit are the driving factors behind how health care is delivered.
Anytime you see a consolidation or purchase of a hospital, clinic or large practice by a corporately run shell or hedge fund it is time to be on the alert if you are a patient.
A real tip off is when the first page of its annual report is all about numbers and money.
 The unfortunate part of all of this is there are still a lot of doctors who want to provide excellent care and healthcare administrators who want to provide the best and safest health care services they are just being overwhelmed by healthcare businesses who answer to the stock holders.
When you are looking at health care services or even particular doctors, here are some questions to ask and things to look for:
  • Who actually owns the Hospital you are considering? 
  • Who owns the clinic or even the doctors practice you are seeing?
  • Do some research and look for outcomes and lawsuits?
  • Check on physician and staff turnover. High turnover is a sign of a problem. 
Don’t wait until you're on the way to the hospital in an ambulance to start worrying about these things. Make some plans and talk to your primary-care physician now so when the time comes, you’ll be prepared. 

E-mail Doc at mail to: dr.gwebb@yahoo.com or send me a Facebook (E. Eugene Webb) Friend request. Like or share on Facebook and follow me on TWITTER  @DOC ON THE BAY.
See Doc's Photo Gallery at Bay Post Photos.  
Disclosures:

Please comment below



Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Sunset view of ever changing downtown St. Petersburg from Tampa Bay



St. Petersburg Fl
Photo Essay
By author/contributor: Robert Neff

On November 30, 2019,  sunset behind an ever changing downtown St. Petersburg, Florida was photographed from the Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas.

This past week, St Petersburg’s Development Review Commission (DRC) unanimously approved the 45-story mixed use tower located at 400 Central Avenue.

The fate of the Tropicana Field and Tampa Bay Rays continues to be an unknown. The City declined to split the season with Montreal. Tampa Bay's baseball fans are caught in the middle.



Tropicana Field has 80 acres and a close proximity to Interstate 275 and a downtown that is busting at the seams with condos, apartments, restaurants and nightlife. The City desperately needs office space. The Tropicana Field property may be more valuable to the City and residents as a business park and mixed used property.



Photography: ©2019 Robert Neff. All rights Reserved





Monday, December 9, 2019

Sunshine Skyway Bridge’s New Light Display




St. Petersburg Fl
Photo Essay
By author/contributor: Robert Neff

In August 2019, a light display was added to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. From dusk until dawn seven days a week, over 1,800 LED lights illuminate the Skyway’s 1.7 miles of columns and both sides the bridge deck.  

The shows or animated routines are organized by themes. There is “Patriotic,” “Sunset,” “Verdant Green,” “Waves and Water”” and “Purple Majestic.” For Breast Cancer Awareness Month the bridge was pink. For Veterans Day, the bridge was red, white and blue.

The light display is now a tourist attraction. This is not only an exciting moment for cruise ship passengers passing under the bridge and vehicular traffic crossing the bridge, but for anyone who wants to enjoy the view from the Skyway Fishing Pier State Park. 

There are two fishing piers, the north and south. The approaches to the old bridge were converted into fishing piers. On Interstate 275, look for the Skyway Fishing Pier State Park signage. The respective rest areas and fishing piers use the same exit. Follow the signs for the fishing pier. 

There is an entrance fee to sightsee or fish. Be sure to let the attendant know you are there to enjoy the light display. The fee to sightsee for an hour is $3.21. If you are fishing, the fee is more. This includes a fishing license and 24-hour pass that is good for both the north and south fishing pier. If you have a Florida State Parks Annual Entrance Pass, there is a discount.

The Tampa Bay side of the South Rest Area has great views. To reach the Tampa Bay views from the north side, exit the North Rest Area’s ramp but turn right at the ramp’s stop sign. Pass the gate and park along the road to enjoy the light display on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. You may want to bring a pair of binoculars to get a closer view.



If you check the Port Tampa Bay cruise schedule, you can plan your visit to watch a cruise ship pass under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Once the cruise ship leaves the port, takes approximately two hours to arrive at the bridge. 



In the above photograph, Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas is passing under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Passengers on the ship's bow can be seen enjoying the spectacular view.

Photography: ©2019 Robert Neff. All rights Reserved


Saturday, November 30, 2019

Bradenton Running Club 2019 Turkey Trot


Photo Essay

Tampa Bay, Fl 
Photo Essay by: E. Eugene Webb PhD 
The Bradenton Runners Club held their 22nd annual Fun Run Turkey Trot at the Robinson Preserve Thanksgiving Morning. The event kicked off at 8:30 AM as several hundred runners lined up for the start.
The 22nd Annual Bradenton Runners Club Turkey Trot was held in Bradenton again this year on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 28, 2019.  A unique and widely attended family-oriented community event, this race has never charged a registration fee, instead we ask all participants to recognize the efforts of selected local charities and help offset event costs through making donations via our registration page or race day (cash or canned goods).
Here is a link to my photo essay of the event Bradenton Runners Club 2019 Turkey Trot.
Before you click this link and hit download note there are 788 images.
All the images are unedited and are not protected. Please feel free to copy and share any individual photo, photos or the link with friends and relatives.
For more information on the Bradenton Runners Club Click here: Bradenton Runners Club.
E-mail Doc at mail to: dr.gwebb@yahoo.com or send me a Facebook (E. Eugene Webb) Friend request. Like or share on Facebook and follow me on TWITTER  @DOC ON THE BAY.
See Doc's Photo Gallery at 
Bay Post Photos.  
Disclosures:

Please comment below.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Happy Thanksgiving


Tampa Bay, Fl
Opinion by:
E. Eugene Webb PhD 
Author: In Search of Robin, So You Want to Blog.

Where I was born snow symbolized Thanksgiving. 

Northern Indiana is beautiful this time of year.

Often we awoke on Thanksgiving Day to a fresh snowfall. Everything was covered with a clean white blanket and for a little while everything seemed so perfect.

I have been in Florida for over 50 years now and I have become very fond of Thanksgiving Day Florida sunsets. A nice walk on the beach, some coolness in the air a fitting end to Thanksgiving Day.

This will be our first true Thanksgiving in our new home in Manatee County. I would be less than honest if i didn't say it has been a struggle.

If your paying attention to the news; it may seem a bit difficult to feel thankful this year.

You just have to look harder for the good because these acts, don’t sell newspapers, make ratings for TV news shows and cable networks or produce clicks on social media sites.

Every day a lot of people do a lot of good and they really don’t ask much in return. First responders, honest public servants, doctors, nurses, teachers, preachers, truck drivers, trades people, your mom, your dad and the next door neighbor.

There is also a lot to be thankful for in a sunrise. A new day, new set of opportunities and a new great grandchild. We are very blessed.

Theresa and I hope you have safe and very special Thanksgiving.

E-mail Doc at mail to: dr.gwebb@yahoo.com or send me a Facebook (E. Eugene Webb) Friend request. Like or share on Facebook and follow me on TWITTER  @DOC ON THE BAY.
See Doc's Photo Gallery at Bay Post Photos.  
Disclosures:


Please comment below.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

The Architectural Control Committee – The HOA Nightmare







Tampa Bay, Fl
Opinion by: E. Eugene Webb PhD, 
Author: In Search of Robin

If you live in a condo or an HOA association-controlled apartment, residence or property, your most likely interaction will be with something called the architectural committee or its counterpart.
The architectural control committee is established in the association’s declarations or CC&Rs (Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions) and in Florida, it’s also authorized in the Florida statute 720.3035. So, it’s functions and actions are not only provided for in the condo association/HOA rules and regulations, they are also supported by Florida's state law.
Generally speaking, the people who migrate to the architectural control committee or its condo counterpart are those most interested in controlling the lives of the people that live in the condo or development, and they have a significant tendency to be those least easy to deal with.
An acquaintance of mine whose son was in his in the driveway of his recently purchased home in an association-controlled community, was rinsing off his car when he heard the clicking of a camera behind him. He turned around to see a somewhat angry looking lady standing in his yard, who identified herself as a member of the “Environmental Control Committee” taking pictures of his son and the car.
A few days later and envelope was found taped to the door with a $25 fine from the Environmental Control Committee since washing your car is illegal under the HOA rules. Obviously, a battle ensued; feelings were hurt, and my friend is looking for a new home.
For a more detailed look at the law supporting architectural control committee’s click this link https://findhoalaw.com/architectural-committee/ .
Depending upon the provisions of the association’s governing documents, the architectural committee may be referred to as any of the following: Architectural Committee, Architectural Control Committee, Architectural Review Committee, Art Jury, Design Review Committee, Environmental Control Committee, Landscape Review Committee.
An architectural committee's authority and responsibility came from the Homeowners Association's bylaws also known as CC&Rs(Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions)
Members of the architectural committee are responsible for maintaining the aesthetic and structural integrity of the association and enforcing the CC&Rs.
They should be reviewing any applications for modifications, additions, or architectural changes in the community.

The architectural review committee is responsible for: 
  • Managing the change or modification application and approval process;
  • Monitoring the community for violations of standards;
  • Fairly enforcing standards set forth in the governing documents;
  • Making subjective and objective decisions about guideline compliance;
  • Making recommendations to the board of directors;
  • Reviewing guidelines for adequacy and proposing changes
  • Educating the community about set guidelines.
These committees operate under the guise of “protecting property values," “maintaining aesthetic consistency," “external conformity," but frequently it is all about power and imposing personal will than it is about property value or esthetic consistency.
Fighting with the Architectural Control Committee any of its iterations or the Association Board of Directors is usually a losing battle.
The courts have made it clear that HOA covenants are valid and enforceable provided there are clear policy guidelines establishing the overall standards and they are applied uniformly. Florida Statute 720 loads the game in the favor of the developers, lawyers and the feudal kingdoms they create.
Most year's minor tweaks in the Statute 720 are made by the legislature, but these changes are carefully watched over by the developers, lawyers and those that make significant money from litigation related to Statute 720 impositions.
It just seems unconscionable to me that the State would allow a situation where one of the conditions of purchasing real property could be the enforcement of an agreement that directly takes away rights guaranteed by our constitution.
It is way past time for the Florida Legislature to take a serious look at the requirements imposed by developers on their customers and make some changes that protect the buyer.
E-mail Doc at mail to: dr.gwebb@yahoo.com or send me a Facebook (E. Eugene Webb) Friend request. Like or share on Facebook and follow me on TWITTER  @DOC ON THE BAY.
See Doc's Photo Gallery at 
Bay Post Photos.  
Disclosures:

Please comment below.