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Anne Lindberg, Times Staff Writer

Anne Lindberg

Anne Lindberg covers the southern midsection of Pinellas County that includes the cities of Pinellas Park, Seminole and Kenneth City, as well as the unincorporated Lealman and Seminole areas.

Phone: (727) 893-8450

Email: alindberg@tampabay.com

  1. Developers formalize plans for Tides golf course

    05/10/13GrowthBy Anne Lindberg, Times Staff Writer

    SEMINOLE — It's what neighbors have expected and dreaded for months: A developer has officially asked the county to clear the way for building up to 170 homes on the Tides golf course.

    Neighbors have been organizing for months to oppose any redevelopment to the 150-acre course at 11832 66th Ave. N in the unincorporated Seminole area. It's bounded on the west by the Intracoastal Waterway. A portion of the course's northern border abuts Boca Ciega Millennium Park. The rest is surrounded by subdivisions with single-family homes....

  2. Pinellas Park say job duality ruling doesn't apply

    05/07/13 Local Government By Anne Lindberg, Times Staff Writer

    PINELLAS PARK — Officials here pride themselves on trying creative, out-of-the-box solutions to issues facing the city.

    But their latest innovation — to let a police captain and the fire chief train and compete for the job of city manager — may have collided with the state Constitution, which forbids dual office holding.

    Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi ruled on April 18 that the dual-office-holding clause prohibited a Miami police officer from simultaneously serving as acting city manager, The ban applies, Bondi said in the opinion, even if the "appointment is of a limited and finite duration, without tenure or additional remuneration."...

    Earlier this year, Mike Gustafson said he plans to retire.

  3. Mom to put up statue of son at Youth Park in Pinellas Park

    05/04/13 Human Interest By Anne Lindberg, Times Staff Writer

    PINELLAS PARK — Julian Rosario-Valentin was typical of many 5-year-old boys: He adored Buzz Lightyear. He loved to play T-ball. And he wanted to make people laugh.

    In September, he complained of a headache. Two days later, on Sept. 8, Julian died of a heart ailment.

    Now Pinellas Park officials have agreed to do something they've never done before. They're letting his mother erect a life-sized bronze statue of Julian in one of their parks....

    Cait Valentin sits in front of a drawing of her 5-year-old son, Julian Rosario-Valentin, who passed away last year. “He was my best friend, my other half, the most helpful little boy in the world,” she said. “He would do anything for anybody at any given moment.”

  4. Pinellas Park to ban synthetic marijuana

    04/30/13 Local Government By Anne Lindberg, Times Staff Writer

    PINELLAS PARK — Council members here are ready to ban synthetic drugs and herbs that mimic the effects of marijuana and illegal narcotics.

    The ban would include the use, possession and sale by businesses as well as individuals and would carry a potentially hefty penalty, especially for retailers: $500 plus court costs and attorney fees per violation. Each package would count as one violation. Police would also seize the drugs....

  5. Pinellas Park sees early payoff from land buy

    04/27/13 Local Government By Anne Lindberg, Times Staff Writer

    PINELLAS PARK — No solid redevelopment plans are on the drawing board, but council members here say they're already seeing a good return on the hundreds of thousands they spent buying almost a block of Park Boulevard.

    They've also had their first success with two houses they built a block away from the Park Boulevard property. They're renting one to Rick Incorvia, owner of Sign Doctor. Incorvia, who lives in Odessa, wants a more central location to be nearer his customers. He plans to live upstairs and run his business out of the ground floor of one house. ...

  6. Construction to begin on Gateway apartment complex

    04/23/13BusinessBy Anne Lindberg, Times Staff Writer

    PINELLAS PARK — Construction is set to begin on an upscale apartment complex in the Gateway Centre.

    The complex will be built on about 39 acres formerly owned by Hardy Huntley's Gateway LLC. Huntley sold the land in October to Apartments at Gateway of West Palm Beach for about $8.64 million, according to Pinellas property appraiser records. Apartments at Gateway is a corporation registered in Delaware whose registered agent is the Richman Group of Florida, according to state corporate records....

  7. County rejects Pinellas Park proposal for fire coverage in High Point

    04/20/13 Local Government By Anne Lindberg, Times Staff Writer

    Saying the savings would not be dramatic, Pinellas County Administrator Bob LaSala has rejected a Pinellas Park proposal to reduce the cost of fire service in the unincorporated High Point area.

    The county is instead forging ahead with its original plan to ask Pinellas Park, Largo, Clearwater and St. Petersburg for formal bids to provide service to the area, east of Largo. The county currently pays Largo and Pinellas Park about $2.4 million a year to provide fire coverage there....

  8. Largo commissioners embrace idea of new bird hospital at McGough Park

    04/13/13 Local Government By Anne Lindberg, Times Staff Writer

    LARGO — City Commission members here have taken the first step to building a bird hospital and rehabilitation center at George C. McGough Nature Park.

    The proposed complex would be a partnership between the newly formed Suncoast Bird Rescue and the city. Under the plan, the city would provide space. The rescue would provide all funding and oversee the operation of the center, which would be open to the public. The rescue would pay $1 annually to lease the park land....

  9. Unincorporated Seminole group to meet on Tides development

    04/13/13 Human Interest By Anne Lindberg, Times Staff Writer

    SEMINOLE — Homeowners who oppose the redevelopment of the Tides golf course may have found a powerful ally — the USEM Community Association.

    The unincorporated Seminole association has scheduled a public meeting to discuss the issues surrounding the possible development of the Tides into a community of single-family homes and condominiums. The meeting will be 7 p.m. Thursday at the Seminole Library, 9200 113th St., on the St. Petersburg College campus....

  10. Fire stations wait it out as county seeks to cut costs

    04/06/13FireBy Anne Lindberg, Times Staff Writer

    As many as 19 Pinellas Park firefighters, almost a fourth of the fire department's frontline force, could lose their jobs as Pinellas County looks for ways to save money in the unincorporated High Point area near Largo.

    County officials, who pay about $2.4 million to Pinellas Park and Largo for fire coverage there, say they want to give those cities, in addition to St. Petersburg and Clearwater, a chance to come up with new, cheaper ideas for providing fire service to High Point. ...

    Firefighter/EMTs Anthony Iorio, center, kneeling, and Jeff Keane, repack hoses at Fire Station 36 in Pinellas Park in March. There is a possibility the station would close, depending on the outcome of contract bids requested by the county to cut costs. 

  11. Annexation the latest idea to save Tides Golf Club

    04/06/13 Local Government By Anne Lindberg, Times Staff Writer

    SEMINOLE — Some neighbors want to know if the city will agree to block redevelopment of the Tides Golf Club if they agree to annex into Seminole.

    It's a deal the city won't make.

    Seminole officials say they don't offer special incentives to entice people to come into the city. Property owners who annex in do so because they want to be part of the city. They also get a free membership card to Seminole's recreation center....

  12. Tryouts in Pinellas Park for a new city manager

    04/03/13 Blog Anne Lindberg

    When City Manager Mike Gustafson announced he was eyeing retirement, two employees told him they're eyeing his job.

    Now Gustafson has figured out a way for them — and the City Council — to decide if they'd do well. He has made them co-interim assistant city managers. The two — fire Chief Doug Lewis and police Capt. Mike Haworth — will spend the next year or so overseeing city departments and completing projects and other tasks. The idea is to let them "test drive" the job to see if they truly want it and to provide on-the-job training....

  13. Pinellas Park to audition two city manager candidates

    04/02/13 Local Government By Anne Lindberg, Times Staff Writer

    PINELLAS PARK — When City Manager Mike Gustafson announced he was eyeing retirement, two employees told him they're eyeing his job.

    Now Gustafson has figured out a way for them — and the City Council — to decide if they'd do well. He has made them co-interim assistant city managers. The two — fire Chief Doug Lewis and police Capt. Mike Haworth — will spend the next year or so overseeing city departments and completing projects and other tasks. The idea is to let them "test drive" the job to see if they truly want it and to provide on-the-job training. ...

    Police Capt. Mike Haworth, left, and fire Chief Doug Lewis are now co-interim assistant city managers.

  14. Investigation of Largo fire chief finds morale and leadership issues

    03/30/13 Local Government By Anne Lindberg, Times Staff Writer

    LARGO — Fire Chief Mike Wallace's final days in office were defined by significant leadership problems and low department morale, according to the conclusions of an internal investigation.

    The report makes no suggestions of discipline or corrective action. Wallace announced his retirement, effective Monday, in the midst of the investigation. Had he not done so, one of the options for Wallace would have been termination, said Susan Sinz, director of Largo's human resources department....

    Fire Chief Mike Wallace leaves office on Monday.

  15. Homeless mission moving from Pinellas Park to St. Petersburg

    03/26/13 Human Interest By Anne Lindberg, Times Staff Writer

    Officials and neighbors in Pinellas Park have less than a week before one of their wishes comes true: The Suncoast Haven of Rest is going away.

    Not only will it no longer be on Park Boulevard, it won't even be in the city. It's moving to St. Petersburg.

    The Haven of Rest bought the approximately 0.71 acres at 1763 Ninth Ave. N for $260,000 on March 7, according to records from the Pinellas County Property Appraiser's Office. The property appraiser estimates the parcel, which is zoned for light manufacturing, is worth about $194,000. It's also about half a mile from the Center of Hope operated by the St. Vincent de Paul Society, which offers services to the homeless, including housing and a feeding program, at 401 15th St. N....