CBD & Wellness

By Margo Gilliland

A Couple Favorite CBD things….

Oh the humidity is back in grand fashion! The cooler breeze in the evenings makes sitting on the porch and visiting with friends a pleasant summertime activity. The cool air conditioning in my shop makes me so grateful we live with air conditioning!

I always think of those pioneer woman who lived in Florida before it’s invention. I was not meant to be one of those women!!

Feeling grateful about some of my favorite things, I started thinking about my favorites of the CBD products we have in the store. The Goods carries CBD gummies with 15mg, which come in several flavors. They have no taste of nature (as my mom puts it) and taste very good. My favorite is watermelon. I love this company - they are located just north of Seattle. I have used them personally for several years. They have organic, very high quality, third party lab tested products. I always think of them as the Cadillac in the industry. You can carry the gummies with you and if you find you are getting stressed you can pop one in your mouth and watch the calming ingredient keep you balanced. We have many customers who swear by these and show up to buy them weekly!

The second is the Freeze therapy gel that has 2,000mg of CBD and is full of essential oils. It is a newer product that we have started carrying at The Goods. Freeze therapy gel is amazing for pain. I love the quality of hemp these farmers produce. The farmers are both veterans and decided to go into hemp farming together. Designed for use on areas of muscle and joint pain and inflammation, it is organically grown, full spectrum CBD and filled with lots of essential oils. It provides instant cooling and is fast acting. I have been sampling it in the shop and people have found it very effective. My mom and has been using it daily on her thumb with arthritis and gotten complete relief.

We are so excited to announce our new educational and tasting program – The Goods Gatherings. Schedule a time with us by calling the store or next time you are in the shop; let’s get it on the schedule. Bring four or five of your friends and I will sit down with you and talk about cannabis, answer your questions, share my story, and hand out samples of some of our products.

I am committed to providing organic, high-quality, third-party lab-tested products for my clients. I help customers with combining solid cannabis science and my own life experience. I look forward to seeing you soon at: The Goods. CBD. Hemp. Relief. 2939 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, FL 33713. Our store number is 727-289-6020. Stop by the store and say hi to me, Margo, and my store dog, Oliver! No medical card is ever needed at The Goods. Mention Paradise NEWS and get 10% OFF your first purchase.

Manatee aggregation at Blue Spring State Park, a warm water refuge for manatees during cold weather.

Story by STEVE TRAIMAN Photos courtesy Save the Manatee Club Archive

Florida manatee deaths are at more than 500 in just the first four months of 2022, a toll nearly equal to the fifthdeadliest year on record, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

This comes after a disastrous report released by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) earlier this year. From January 1 to December 31, 2021, preliminary data shows that there were 1,101 reported manatee deaths in the state – nearly double the five-year average – with most dying of starvation.

Of the more than 1,000 deaths, the state found 103 of them were watercraft-related, seven were crushed or drowned in flood gates and canal locks, and another seven were killed by human-related causes, such as poaching or rope entanglement. More than half of the deceased manatees were not necropsied, or their cause of death has been undetermined.

Only about 6,000 manatees left in all of Florida, the nonprofit organization Save the Manatee Club previously told CBS News.

With that high rate of mortalities as a backdrop, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced May 2 in Jacksonville he will sign off on more than $30 million in manatee care, rehabilitation and other support allocated recently by the legislature. Co-sponsors of the House bill were Representatives Darren Soto (D, 9th District) and Vern Buchanan (R, 16th District).

“This historic funding will support important restoration efforts across the state to benefit our manatees and Florida’s natural environment,” DeSantis said. The funding will direct nearly $25 million to expand and upgrade the network of acute care centers, such as those run by Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park (see accompanying sidebar) and SeaWorld Orlando; restore manatee access to springs; restore seagrass and other habitat conditions where they concentrate; and expand rescue and rehabilitation capacity.

The $25 million also will underwrite experimental responses such as the program to feed lettuce to manatees in Brevard County that recently ended.

Another $5.3 million will bolster manatee response abilities, including hiring 12 more employees for the FWC. About $160,000 will support increased aerial surveys of manatees.

The Save the Manatee Club praised the funding as a needed step in the right direction for a wildlife disaster that state and federal agencies refer to as an “unusual mortality event.”

“Due to the unprecedented severity of the ongoing Unusual Mortality Event (UME) – in which more than 1,600 manatees have died statewide over the last 16 months – these and additional extraordinary measures are called for in order to protect manatees and their critical habitat,” said Patrick Rose, the group’s executive director.

(Save the Manatee Club was started in 1981 by singersongwriter Jimmy Buffett & former Florida Gov. and U.S. Senator Bob Graham. Its mission is to protect endangered manatees and their habitat for future generations. You are encouraged to join the Club and participate in the annual Manatee Run & Walk.

Save the Manatee Club founders Jimmy Buffett (left) and former Florida governor Bob Graham (right, in Sea World tee).

As an example, “Environmental conditions in portions of the Indian River Lagoon remain a concern,” the state’s FWC says on its website. “Researchers have attributed this UME to starvation due to the lack [of] seagrasses in the Indian River Lagoon. In recent years, poor water quality in the Lagoon has led to harmful algal blooms and widespread seagrass loss.”

The state says that “most of the seagrass in the Indian River Lagoon has disappeared,” and that the lagoon has seen declining rates of seagrass, a staple food for manatees, since 2011. The lagoon has been hit by several algal blooms since that time, which reduces the amount of light able to hit the water and allows seagrass and other aquatic plant life to grow.

“The effects of prolonged starvation are detrimental,” the FWC says on its website, and can result in organ atrophy, metabolic and reproductive shutdown, decreased mobility and susceptibility to disease.

In January, Florida Fish and Wildlife initiated a supplemental feeding trial in the northern area of the lagoon, where most of the deceased manatees have been found, to provide “some aid” to manatees.

The state wildlife commission and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service set up their emergency feeding program at a Florida Power & Light Co. power plant south of Titusville where manatees gather during winter cold snaps.

“We must insist that the state of Florida and the Environmental Protection Agency join forces to ensure that improved water quality standards are set and met if we are going to restore these aquatic ecosystems for the long-term future,” Save the Manatee Club’s Rose said.

Save the Manatee Club founder Jimmy Buffett and Executive Director Patrick Rose review a script for a public service announcement in the early 80s. Credit: Chris Gotshall, Sea World Zoo Tampa team readies rehabbed manatee for return to wild.

For 30 years, Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park has been widely known for caring for critically injured, sick, and orphaned manatees at the David A. Straz, Jr. Manatee Critical Care Center. Molly Lipincott, a Zoo Tampa curator, told Paradise NEWS, “This vulnerable species has been at the heart of our commitment to the conservation of Florida wildlife.

“Our animal care and veterinary teams are often called upon to assist in the field with rescuing orphaned, sick or injured manatees. When a concerned citizen spots a manatee they think may be in trouble, we respond. Since 1991, we have treated over 500 manatees and have returned more than 280 of them to their native waters. Manatees are strong, resilient, and can overcome some of the most severe injuries with the care that they receive at our Critical Care Center.

“There’s nothing more rewarding than when a manatee has fully recovered and is ready to return into its natural habitat. It is an awe-inspiring and often emotional moment for the team and our community when a manatee is released, sometimes after many years of care and rehabilitation.

“Our Center was the country’s first nonprofit, acute care facility of its kind specifically dedicated to critical care of wild manatees and is one of just four manatee rehabilitation centers in the state of Florida. As manatee patients recover, our visitors can see this life-saving care in real time in the recovery pools of Manatee Mangrove.

“To enhance animal welfare and expand our mission to save Florida wildlife, we recently completed an upgrade to the water filtration system at our David A. Straz, Jr. Manatee Critical Care Center. This upgraded life support system allows us to provide advanced, specialized care to our patients, and enables us to treat even the most severe cases.”

For more info about Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park, go online to www.zootampa.org.

Summer Sashays By Nanette Wiser

There are 101 ways to enjoy summer in

Paradise. Pinellas County is the ultimate playground. Check our Arts & Leisure section for more ideas. Here’s some of our faves.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS Plan an excursion with Nauti Kayak Adventures who will come to you or the fishing hole of your choice. Go retro with a shuffleboard game in Pass A Grille or St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club. Explore the Pinellas Trail or pedal Walsingham Park. Motor or sail out of Freedom Boat Club of Tampa Bay or take a sunset sail from Dolphin Landings. Rent a paddleboard or kayak at Hubbard’s Marina or book a fishing excursion. Experience Boyd Hill overnight: St. Pete’s Terry Tomalin Campground has opened and is welcoming guests. Overnight stay options include primitive campsites, updated cabins, and a group campsite. Or head over to Fort De Soto for camping, kayaking, paddleboarding, fishing, biking and more. www.pinellascounty.org/park/camping

Known for its many unique, family-friendly activities, TradeWinds Island Resort has also added the new Zing Ray Zip, making them the first-ever St. Pete Beach resort with a three-story, dual-line zipline on the beach. Resort guests can enjoy unlimited rides, soaring through the bright blue Florida sky for a thrilling bird’s eye view of the award-winning beach. Many more fun-filled amenities will be hitting the beach this summer at TradeWinds, including the Aqua-Bana, a 10-person covered floating cabana complete with a table and a cooler of ice. The resort has also replaced their floating cabanas with a newer king-sized version and has added new components to the popular Floating Water Park, including a new water slide, catapult swing and monkey bar apparatus

GAME ON Kids love Treasure Island Family Fun and Beach Escape Game while adults flock to DTSP’s Park & Rec, 3 Daughers Brewing, Right Around The Corner Arcade Brewery for everything from arcades to cornhole and Jenga. Bowling on Sundays is our neighbor thing at Seminole and Ten Pin Lanes. Topgolf in Tampa is coming to St. Pete or putt and giggle at Smuggler’s Cove Adventure Park. Head over the bridge to Dave & Buster’s, the ultimate arcade fun served with strawberry margaritas. For trivia nights, Irish 131 (music Wednesday), The Taproom at Hollander, 3 Daughters, Big Storm Brewery, Mastry’s and Grand Central Brewhouse win our vote. HANG OUT Local coffeehouses and tea emporiums offer cool havens from the sun. Read a book, write a short story downtown at Blush Tea, Bandit Coffee, Black Crow Coffee, Beans & Barlour, Paradeco Coffee Roasters, Kraft Café, The Chelsea St. Pete. At the beach, linger at Indian Rocks Coffee, Gypsy Soul, Grove Surf + Coffee and Craft Kafe near O’Bistro, another fine spot for sipping good wine in addition to Sea Grapes, Vino Simpatico and Elizabeth’s Wine Bar’s weekly wine tastings.

CULTURE & COCKTAILS With all the museums and galleries, theaters, and concert venues, plan a date night around culture and cocktails. Pair Social Roost and The Dali, Dr. BBQ and Zubrick Magic Theater, Two Graces and freeFall Theater, Datz and The James Museum, Green Light Cinema and Sea Salt St. Pete, Flute & Dram before American Stage.

If music is your muse, tiki with a beachy sunset panorama will delight at Caddy’s, Crabby’s, Bongo’s, Ka’Tiki, Jimmy B’s, Undertow Beach Bar, Sloppy Joe’s, Dewey’s, Ikki Woo Woo’s Tiki Hut, The Island Grill and Raw Bar, The Club at Treasure Island, Neptune Grill, O’Maddy’s and the rooftop Vista Way at Tierra Verde’s Residence Inn by Marriott.

TRY SOMETHING NEW Indulge your inner artist/writer with a class at Sunken Gardens, Florida CraftArt, Fairgrounds St. Pete, Painting With A Twist, Morean Arts Center, Creative Clay and Keep St. Pete Lit. Channel the Rolling Stones at The School of Rock. Spice up your fitness routine with belly dancing (Hip Expressions) or aerial yoga at The Centre @ St. Pete Beach.

Save the planet with Tampa Bay Watch and get close-up and personal with exotic animals at Alligator & Wildlife Discovery Center, Clearwater Marine Aquarium (hosting happy hours this summer) or Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center.

PAUSING WITH PETS Your fur-baby deserves a sashay, and lucky for us, there’s lots of pet-friendly parks, bars (The Dog Bar in DTSP), outdoor restos and events. Pinellas Ale Works (PAWS) is an award-winning brewery, tap room, beer garden with many fun events including pet fashion shows. Don’t have a pet? Cuddle up with a cat at Sunshine Kitty Café on Central or do yoga with a baby goat at DK Farms.

On July 7, puppies take over 3 Daughters Brewing for “Doggy Noses & Yoga Poses” to benefit Fluff Animal Rescue! You do the yoga – the rescue pups do the cuddles! Adorable rescue dogs and puppies will be allowed to ROAM FREELY and interact with you during this one-hour all levels yoga class, so be prepared to get puppy kisses! Ticket includes the yoga class led by The Studieaux instructor Emily Zaunbrecher (RN, RYT200, CPT) and a pint after the class (for guests age 21 and over). You bring a yoga mat and/or towel – Fluff Animal Rescue will bring the dogs! Nama’stay’!

To honor our history, celebrate our community, and create an accessible, safe place for members of the LGBTQ+ community, St. Pete Pride will be hosting the largest Pride festival to date headlined by the June 25th Parade downtown. This is a free event and open to the public. The Parade route will run from Vinoy Park to Albert Whitted Park along Bayshore Drive. The Festival kicks off at 2pm on both sides of the parade route. North Straub Park will host a variety of local vendors, food trucks, DJ, and the beer garden! South Straub Park will be a 21+ space with a DJ, food and bars, and vendors. This is the space for you during the day to enjoy a drink, some space, and watch the parade travel by.

At night South Straub will be transformed into a women and non-binary pop-up night club from 7-10pm. Entertainment lineup to be announced. Across the way in Spa Beach will be another opportunity to enjoy Parade Day. Vendors, food trucks, and beverage stations will line Spa Beach leading up to the main entertainment stage. Entertainment will run from 2-3:45pm. At 4pm the Parade will step off; don’t want to be in the crowd but do want to watch the Parade? Join us on Spa Beach for a livestream of the Parade to the main stage screen. Watch on your blanket for a more laidback experience. Main stage entertainment will resume at the end of the parade until 10pm.

CULINARY VACAY The Second Annual Family Reunion Aug 18-21 with FOOD & WINE at Forbes five-star Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, VA, presented by chef/author Kwame Onwuachi, is a foodie’s dream. The mission of The Family Reunion is to nurture, develop and celebrate racial and ethnic diversity within the next generation of hospitality professionals. The three-night, four-day event features culinary presentations, exclusive dinners, and thought-provoking discussions with talented chefs, sommeliers and leaders including Carla Hall, Rodney Scott, Nina Compton, Gregory Gourdet, Mashama Bailey, Tavel Bristol-Joseph, Pierre Thiam and other surprise guests.

Kwame Onwuachi is a James Beard Award-winning chef, and author of the critically acclaimed memoir “Notes from a Young Black Chef,” which is being turned into a feature film by A24. He has been named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs, Esquire Magazine’s 2019 Chef of the Year, and is a 30 Under 30 honoree by both Zagat and Forbes. Located on 340 picturesque acres in the storied village of Middleburg – the heart of Virginia’s famed horse and wine country – Salamander Resort & Spa is only 35 minutes from Washington Dulles International Airport. Designed to blend into the surrounding rolling countryside, it offers a series of immersive experiences unique to the area, including Harrimans Virginia Piedmont Grill, a Cooking Studio and Culinary Garden, a tree-top zip line tour, world-class spa, luxury amenities and a 22-stall equestrian center with riding arena. www.salamanderresort.com

Miami features provocative and eccentric photography by Alberto Van Stokkum throughout the hotel’s public spaces, adding an artistic touch to the property’s design features. Known for his work in Vogue, Van Stokkum’s pieces are often described as wild and experimental. Alberto captures the fun, cheeky side of his models, possessing a gift for releasing the inhibitions of his subject. In addition to the photography displayed throughout the hotel, The Gabriel Miami has partnered with Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) to showcase its collection of artists and exhibitions. This creates an opportunity for hotel guests to gaze at the artwork in the lobby screen through a series of videos on display – just across the street from the museum itself. SARASOTA HOPS The Sarasota area boasts brew-tastic craft tasting spots. Check out Lakewood Ranch’s Good Liquid Brewing Company which won Gold during the annual Best Florida Beer Competition with Peachy O’Rings Smoothie Style Sour. We also like Craft Growlers To Go & Tasting Room and Scullers Draft House. Calusa Brewing is a deep-sea-themed veteran-owned brewery with an epic logo featuring the mystical Kraken (octopus) creature producing amazing unfiltered, hops-forward beers and mixed-fermentation – including locally-acclaimed cans and kegs of Zote, The Rip, and Citronius IPAs, as well as oak-aged wild ales. The quirky circus-themed Big Top Brewing Company’s seasonal beers (Ringmaster Raspberry Berliner Weiss) and my fave, Circus City IPA, are Florida-flavored winners. Also, check out 99 Bottles Taproom & Bottleshop, Origin Craft Beer & Pizza Cafe, Cock & Bull Farmhouse Pub, Mandeville Beer Garden, Shakespeare’s Craft Beer & Pub, Brewster’s, and Pizza N’ Brew. In Venice, visit Off The Wagon Brewery & Kitchen, Linkster’s Tap Room, Venice Ale House, and Off-Trail Bike & Brew, which takes you on a fun bicycle ride and tour around the island of Venice, followed by socializing and sipping some fine Florida suds.

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iami Happiness is a place between too little and too much.” - Finnish Proverb

Tierra Verde’s best place to drink, dine, dock, and play is The Island Grille, a waterfront treasure. Acclaimed restaurateur Steve Westphal has polished the menu and the sensational fare at lunch and dinner is mouth-watering. Not surprising, as Westphal knows a thing or two about running a successful restaurant having owned Aqua Prime, The Pub, 400 Beach, Parkshore Grill, The Hangar and Café Gala at The Dali. Steve and wife Nancy love to research new dishes, from the Caribbean to Hawaii. The Island Grille’s updated menu benefits from their culinary travels. Best of show is the fish spread, tuna poke bowl, shrimp tacos, fresh grouper, lobster, pasta, lobster sliders and lobster bisque as well as the hand-cut steaks and audacious burgers. Want a light meal? Go with the delicious Caesar, Greek and chopped salads. There’s also an early trio dinner special 3-6pm, Mon.-Fri. Choose an entrée and two sides for only $16. With a cool, relaxed vibe, The Island Grille also features the best raw bar menu with oysters raw, roasted, or chargrilled. Wash down the amazing food with a full liquor bar featuring hand-crafted cocktails, marvelous martinis, Island Oasis frozen drinks, boutique wines by the glass and craft beers or bottles. Sip at the indoor/outdoor bar (40 seats) or at the fun patio tiki bar. Enjoy happy hour 11am-6pm daily. There’s live music seven nights a week and as well as daily on Saturday and Sunday with a rotating lineup of your favorite artists, from acoustic to island tunes and steel drum. Add to your fun day with $5 wristbands for entry to the pool area for a refreshing dip and comfy loungers while ordering from the full food menu and tiki bar beverage service poolside. Come by boat and tie up at The Island Grille’s docks with room for up to 20 boats or by car: there’s ample free parking (300 spots).

You can even book a room overnight at the adjacent hotel for you or 210 Madonna Blvd, Tierra Verde, FL visiting guests. It’s just minutes away from award-winning Fort DeSoto beach, 727.767.0020 • IslandRawBar.com voted America’s best beach. “Perfect place to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions.” Parties of 10 or more can reserve in the inside dining rooms or outside patio space. The experienced, attentive staff and management make every meal memorable. Take home a souvenir from the gift shop: adorable shirts, hats, beach towels, flip flops, sunglasses, even sunblock for alfresco pool time. Best of all, every meal you eat at The Island Grille helps support Feeding Tampa Bay and the effort to end hunger, one of the Westphals’ many philanthropic projects. Make today an Island Grille day! Sun.-Thurs. 11am-10 pm; Fri.-Sat. 11am-11pm.