When Bryan and Robin Van Vranken moved to the Old Northeast, they didn’t know that every October, their house would become the “Monster Mash” house on 17th Avenue NE. 

They were warned about the holiday, though. 

“Our realtor had said, ‘Hey, it’s a big Halloween here,’ but that was okay with us; we’re festive people,” Robin said. “We knew people had themed houses, and we had a set of turntables, so we were prepared in that way, but what we weren’t prepared for were the trick-or-treaters.” 

In 2018, Robin got the disco ball that would be a staple of the event, a giant Frankenstein, the “Monster Mash” letters, and the Halloween lights and took charge.… Read More

The Tampa Bay estuary encompasses over 400 square miles of open water and 2,300 square miles of highly developed watershed. In1993, two things happened to address the restoration of these marine and wetland environments: Tampa Bay Watch was founded, and it hosted the inaugural Great Bay Scallop Search.

“Our annual Great Bay Scallop Search is a way for citizens to get involved with the scientific portion of our environment,” said Richard Radigan, oyster shell program manager at Tampa Bay Watch. “This is a way for everyone to feel good about what they’re doing – get out into the water, snorkel, see what’s under the waves, and have that sense of stewardship in learning what it takes to conduct science.… Read More

During the 2024 hurricanes 20 inches of intense rainfall and a seven-foot surge flooded between 10,000 and 15,000 homes, many businesses, and city critical facilities. Damage estimates from Hurricanes Helene and Milton exceeded $2 billion. The lion’s share of this, between $1.3 and $1.5 billion, impacted neighborhood homes. And some $500 to $700 million is still under construction or awaiting repair. Many residents lost or have not yet returned to their homes. 

Sadly, such devastation was not a “one off” but part of a pattern of accelerating extreme weather. The 2024 hurricanes highlighted infrastructure vulnerabilities and water service disruptions. The storms threatened two of St.… Read More