Housing agency holds STEM spring break program
ST. PETERSBURG — The St. Petersburg Housing Authority recently hosted a STEM Spring Break Program for SPHA youth. The two-day program introduced students to real-world environmental challenges while encouraging curiosity about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers.
On March 16, students participated in a "Pesky Pollution Workshop," where they learned about pollution and micro-plastics, and their impact on marine ecosystems. On March 18, students went on a field trip to The Florida Aquarium in Tampa.
The Spring Break program was part of SPHA's Gulf Futures 3D initiative, a grant-funded STEM program designed to build scientific and environmental literacy among youth in SPHA communities.
"SPHA's Gulf Futures 3D initiative is giving our youth the opportunity to see themselves in STEM careers and understand that they can be part of solving real-world challenges," said Kiara Lovett, SPHA director of social services.
The Gulf Futures 3D initiative is funded through a $740,860 grant from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
For more information about SPHA's Gulf Futures 3D initiative, email: SocialServices@StPeteHA.org.
Castor secures $3 million for Ed White transition
ST. PETERSBURG. — U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor has secured $3.15 million in federal funds to help transition the former Edward White Hospital to affordable housing.
The funding announcement was made March 13 by the St. Petersburg Housing Authority, which is redeveloping the property.
Once completed, the six-story, 121,000-square-foot building will become a multi-story affordable housing complex featuring 71 apartments for households earning at or below 80% of the area median income (AMI). SPHA will also relocate its administrative offices to the building, and Evara Health will establish a clinic at the site.
Completion is expected in early 2027.
St. Pete added as new leg of transatlantic sailing race
ST. PETERSBURG — In a historic first, St. Petersburg has become a hub for The Ocean Race, a fully-crewed offshore sailing race that traverses thousands of miles of open water.
The city will be a stop for ships that will depart Alicante, Spain, where the race will launch in 2027. From St. Petersburg, the ships will head to Cascais, Portugal.
This is the first time in the event's 54-year history that the Sunshine State’s Gulf Coast will serve as a race port. Fort Lauderdale and Miami on Florida’s east coast have been part of the race five times between 1989 and 2012.
The St. Pete-Clearwater stopover is scheduled for May 4-16, 2027. St. Petersburg Yacht Club in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg will anchor The Ocean Race festivities. During the St. Pete-Clearwater stopover, the waterfront will host an interactive Ocean Live Park (race village) open to the public. Visitors will be able to experience The Ocean Race through a series of free public events.
The 15th edition of The Ocean Race will depart Alicante, Spain on Jan. 17, 2027, sending the fleet on the longest opening leg in race history with an epic 14,000 nautical mile passage to Auckland, New Zealand. The route then returns to South America via Itajaí, Brazil, before heading north to the United States and the new transatlantic leg from St. Pete-Clearwater to Cascais. The race concludes with a sprint down the Red Sea to AMAALA in Saudi Arabia, marking the first time in race history that sailors have competed on the waters of the Red Sea.
Meeting to focus on business district
SOUTH PASADENA — The city of South Pasadena, in partnership with Forward Pinellas, will host a community meeting Tuesday, March 31, 6 p.m. to hear comments about the future of the city’s commercial corridor.
The meeting will be held in commission chambers, 7047 Sunset Drive S.
Register at https://tinyurl.com/yc8s6n2y
Robbins named master distiller of St. Petersburg Distillery
ST. PETERSBURG — St. Petersburg Distillery has named Clara Robbins as its new Master Distiller. Robbins made history in 2022 as the first woman in Florida to hold the title.
She previously spent four years at St. Petersburg Distillery as a gin distiller and quality manager, helping develop several of the company’s most celebrated spirits, including Tropical Gin, which earned Double Gold honors and was named among the top five Gins of the Year.
“We are thrilled to welcome Clara back home to St. Petersburg Distillery as our Master Distiller,” said Evan Brownstein, CEO of St. Petersburg Distillery. “Her creativity, combined with her strong scientific background and deep understanding of the craft, makes her an extraordinary talent. We’re excited to see her shape the next chapter of our spirits.”
She graduated from the University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical and Biological Engineering and an associate’s degree in mathematics. Early in her career, she worked in a medical laboratory while brewing beer on the side before being trained as a head brewer.
Her distilling career began at Castle & Key Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, where she initially worked with bourbon before being promoted to oversee production of the distillery’s vodka and gin. During that time, she also completed specialized training and became a certified Gin Specialist.
Beyond the distillery floor, Robbins has gained national attention for her craft. She appeared on the Discovery Channel series “Moonshiners: Master Distiller,” ultimately winning the competition and further cementing her reputation as an innovative and skilled distiller.