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Hollywood is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States, located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. The average temperature is between 68 and 83 °F (20 and 28 °C). As of July 1, 2019, Hollywood had a population of 154,817.

Founded in 1925, the city grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s and is now the 12th-largest city in Florida. Hollywood is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area, which was home to an estimated 6,012,331 people at the 2015 census.

Joseph Young arrived in South Florida in 1920 to create his own "Dream City in Florida". His vision included the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean stretching westward with man-made lakes, infrastructure, roads, and the Intracoastal Waterway. He wanted to include large parks, schools, churches, and golf courses; these were all industries and activities that were very important to Young's life. After Young spent millions of dollars on the construction of the city, he was elected as the first mayor in 1925.

This new town quickly became home to northerners known as "snowbirds", who fled the north during the winter and then escaped the south during the summer to avoid the harsh weather. By 1960, Hollywood had more than 2,400 hotel units and 12,170 single-family homes. Young bought up thousands of acres of land around 1920 and named his new town "Hollywood by the Sea" to distinguish it from his other real-estate venture, "Hollywood in the Hills", in New York.

During the early days of development here, 1,500 trucks and tractors were engaged in clearing land and grading streets; two yacht basins, designed by General George Washington Goethals, chief engineer in the construction of the Panama Canal, were dredged and connected with the Intracostal Waterway. A large power plant was installed, and when the city lights went on for the first time, ships at sea reported that Miami was on fire, and their radio alarms and the red glow in the sky brought people to the rescue from miles around.

Prospective purchasers of land were enticed by free hotel accommodation and entertainment, and "were driven about the city-to-be on trails blazed through palmetto thickets; so desolate and forlorn were some stretches that many women became hysterical, it is said, and a few fainted.

Young had a vision of having lakes, golf courses, a luxury beach hotel (Hollywood Beach Hotel, now Hollywood Beach Resort), country clubs, and the main street, Hollywood Boulevard.

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood,_Florida

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

Hollywood is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States, located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. The average temperature is between 68 and 83 °F (20 and 28 °C). As of July 1, 2019, Hollywood had a population of 154,817.

Founded in 1925, the city grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s and is now the 12th-largest city in Florida. Hollywood is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area, which was home to an estimated 6,012,331 people at the 2015 census.

Joseph Young arrived in South Florida in 1920 to create his own "Dream City in Florida". His vision included the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean stretching westward with man-made lakes, infrastructure, roads, and the Intracoastal Waterway. He wanted to include large parks, schools, churches, and golf courses; these were all industries and activities that were very important to Young's life. After Young spent millions of dollars on the construction of the city, he was elected as the first mayor in 1925.

This new town quickly became home to northerners known as "snowbirds", who fled the north during the winter and then escaped the south during the summer to avoid the harsh weather. By 1960, Hollywood had more than 2,400 hotel units and 12,170 single-family homes. Young bought up thousands of acres of land around 1920 and named his new town "Hollywood by the Sea" to distinguish it from his other real-estate venture, "Hollywood in the Hills", in New York.

During the early days of development here, 1,500 trucks and tractors were engaged in clearing land and grading streets; two yacht basins, designed by General George Washington Goethals, chief engineer in the construction of the Panama Canal, were dredged and connected with the Intracostal Waterway. A large power plant was installed, and when the city lights went on for the first time, ships at sea reported that Miami was on fire, and their radio alarms and the red glow in the sky brought people to the rescue from miles around.

Prospective purchasers of land were enticed by free hotel accommodation and entertainment, and "were driven about the city-to-be on trails blazed through palmetto thickets; so desolate and forlorn were some stretches that many women became hysterical, it is said, and a few fainted.

Young had a vision of having lakes, golf courses, a luxury beach hotel (Hollywood Beach Hotel, now Hollywood Beach Resort), country clubs, and the main street, Hollywood Boulevard.

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood,_Florida

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

Hollywood is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States, located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. The average temperature is between 68 and 83 °F (20 and 28 °C). As of July 1, 2019, Hollywood had a population of 154,817.

Founded in 1925, the city grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s and is now the 12th-largest city in Florida. Hollywood is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area, which was home to an estimated 6,012,331 people at the 2015 census.

Joseph Young arrived in South Florida in 1920 to create his own "Dream City in Florida". His vision included the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean stretching westward with man-made lakes, infrastructure, roads, and the Intracoastal Waterway. He wanted to include large parks, schools, churches, and golf courses; these were all industries and activities that were very important to Young's life. After Young spent millions of dollars on the construction of the city, he was elected as the first mayor in 1925.

This new town quickly became home to northerners known as "snowbirds", who fled the north during the winter and then escaped the south during the summer to avoid the harsh weather. By 1960, Hollywood had more than 2,400 hotel units and 12,170 single-family homes. Young bought up thousands of acres of land around 1920 and named his new town "Hollywood by the Sea" to distinguish it from his other real-estate venture, "Hollywood in the Hills", in New York.

During the early days of development here, 1,500 trucks and tractors were engaged in clearing land and grading streets; two yacht basins, designed by General George Washington Goethals, chief engineer in the construction of the Panama Canal, were dredged and connected with the Intracostal Waterway. A large power plant was installed, and when the city lights went on for the first time, ships at sea reported that Miami was on fire, and their radio alarms and the red glow in the sky brought people to the rescue from miles around.

Prospective purchasers of land were enticed by free hotel accommodation and entertainment, and "were driven about the city-to-be on trails blazed through palmetto thickets; so desolate and forlorn were some stretches that many women became hysterical, it is said, and a few fainted.

Young had a vision of having lakes, golf courses, a luxury beach hotel (Hollywood Beach Hotel, now Hollywood Beach Resort), country clubs, and the main street, Hollywood Boulevard.

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood,_Florida

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, United States, northwest of Tampa and St. Petersburg. To the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and to the southeast lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 107,685. Clearwater is the county seat of Pinellas County and is the smallest of the three principal cities in the Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater metropolitan area, most commonly referred to as the Tampa Bay Area.

Cleveland Street is one of the city's historic avenues, and the city includes BayCare Ballpark and Coachman Park. The city is separated by the Intracoastal Waterway from Clearwater Beach.

Clearwater is the home of Clearwater Marine Aquarium, where bottlenose dolphins Winter and Hope live.

The global headquarters of the Church of Scientology is located in Clearwater; the organization had tried to take over the city in what was called Project Normandy.

By the early 1900s, Clearwater's population had grown to around 400, ballooning to nearly 1,000 in the winter. Clearwater's oldest existing newspaper, the Clearwater Sun, was first published on March 14, 1914. Clearwater was reincorporated, this time as a city, on May 27, 1915, and was designated the county seat for Pinellas County, which broke from Hillsborough County in 1912. In 1915, a bridge was built across Clearwater Harbor, joining the city with Clearwater Beach to the west. Clearwater Beach, although located on a separate barrier island, belongs to the city of Clearwater and fronts the Gulf of Mexico. A new, much higher bridge now arcs over the bay, replacing the former drawbridge; the connecting road is part of State Road 60 and is called Clearwater Memorial Causeway.

During World War II, Clearwater became a major training base for US troops destined for Europe and the Pacific. Virtually every hotel in the area, including the Belleview Biltmore and the Fort Harrison Hotel, was used as a barracks for new recruits. Vehicle traffic was regularly stopped for companies of soldiers marching through downtown, and nighttime blackouts to confuse potential enemy bombers were common practice. The remote and isolated Dan's Island, now the highrise-dominated Sand Key, was used as a target by U.S. Army Air Corps fighter-bombers for strafing and bombing practice.

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clearwater,_Florida

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

1 East Broward truly is the number one choice for businesses seeking first-class, downtown office space for lease in Fort Lauderdale’s Central Business District. The 19-story, Class-A office building comprises 350,000 square feet at the northeast corner of Broward Boulevard and Andrews Avenue. This premier location is within walking distance to several local attractions including Flagler Village’s Arts and Technology village (FATVillage), Music & Arts South of Sunrise District (MASS), and renowned Las Olas Boulevard.

Tenants enjoy unparalleled amenities including a luxurious grand lobby with soaring floor-to-ceiling glass and high-end marble finishes, impressive panoramic views, an exclusive state-of-the-art fitness center, complimentary shuttle services, manned 24/7 security, and a variety of on-site services including restaurant, café/sundry shop, dry cleaning, car detailing, banking/ATM and property management. Tenants also enjoy plentiful parking in the garage, connected by an air-conditioned, newly renovated skywalk.

1 East Broward offers the best in convenience and walkability with fantastic access to I-95, I-595, and the Hollywood/Fort Lauderdale International Airport. It’s also the closest office building to the new Fort Lauderdale Brightline station.

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
www.1ebroward.com/
www.emporis.com/buildings/124328/one-east-broward-bouleva...
en.phorio.com/file/931558045/image

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

The church shares this message on its website: "We are all about two things: Jesus and His Word! CBG is a hyper-creative and fully-charged church where no perfect people are allowed."

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
www.google.com/maps/place/127+S+M+St,+Lake+Worth,+FL+3346...
www.cbglades.com/
www.pbcgov.org/papa/

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

The church shares this message on its website: "We are all about two things: Jesus and His Word! CBG is a hyper-creative and fully-charged church where no perfect people are allowed."

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
www.google.com/maps/place/127+S+M+St,+Lake+Worth,+FL+3346...
www.cbglades.com/
www.pbcgov.org/papa/

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

The church shares this message on its website: "We are all about two things: Jesus and His Word! CBG is a hyper-creative and fully-charged church where no perfect people are allowed."

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
www.google.com/maps/place/127+S+M+St,+Lake+Worth,+FL+3346...
www.cbglades.com/
www.pbcgov.org/papa/

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

Stuart is a city in and the seat of Martin County, Florida, United States. Located on Florida's Treasure Coast, Stuart is the largest of four incorporated municipalities in Martin County. The estimated population is 16,237 according to the most recent United States census estimates. Stuart is the 126th largest city in Florida based on official 2019 estimates from the US Census Bureau. It is part of the Port St. Lucie, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Stuart is frequently cited as one of the best small towns to visit in the U.S., in large part because of its proximity to the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon.

In the 18th century, several Spanish galleons were shipwrecked in the Martin County area of Florida's Treasure Coast. The multiple wrecks were reportedly the result of a hurricane, and the ships were carrying unknown quantities of gold and silver. Some of this treasure has since been recovered, and its presence resulted in the region's name.
In 1832, pirate Pedro Gilbert, who often used a sandbar off the coast as a lure to unsuspecting prey, chased and caught the Mexican, a U.S. merchant ship. Although he attempted to burn the ship and kill the crew, they survived to report the incident, ultimately resulting in the capture and execution of Gilbert and his crew. The bar from which he lured his intended booty is named "Gilbert's Bar" on nautical charts.

The Old Martin County Courthouse, built in 1937, now the Courthouse Cultural Center

The Treasure Coast area that became Stuart was first settled by non-Native Americans in 1870. In 1875, a United States Lifesaving Station was established on Hutchinson Island, near Stuart. Today, the station is known as Gilbert's Bar House of Refuge and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

From 1893–1895, the area was called Potsdam. This name was chosen by Otto Stypmann, a local landowner originally from Potsdam, Germany. Stypmann, with his brother Ernest, owned the land that would become downtown Stuart. Potsdam was renamed Stuart in 1895, after the establishment of the Florida East Coast Railway, in honor of Homer Hine Stuart Jr., another local landowner.

When Stuart was incorporated as a town in 1914, it was located in Palm Beach County. In 1925, Stuart was chartered as a city and named the county seat of the newly created Martin County.

The city of Stuart is known as the Sailfish Capital of the World, because of the many sailfish found in the ocean off Martin County.

From 1871 to 2005, 19 hurricanes passed through Stuart, including Isbell (1964), Frances (2004), Jeanne (2004), and Wilma (2005).

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart,_Florida

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, United States, northwest of Tampa and St. Petersburg. To the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and to the southeast lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 107,685. Clearwater is the county seat of Pinellas County and is the smallest of the three principal cities in the Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater metropolitan area, most commonly referred to as the Tampa Bay Area.

Cleveland Street is one of the city's historic avenues, and the city includes BayCare Ballpark and Coachman Park. The city is separated by the Intracoastal Waterway from Clearwater Beach.

Clearwater is the home of Clearwater Marine Aquarium, where bottlenose dolphins Winter and Hope live.

The global headquarters of the Church of Scientology is located in Clearwater; the organization had tried to take over the city in what was called Project Normandy.

By the early 1900s, Clearwater's population had grown to around 400, ballooning to nearly 1,000 in the winter. Clearwater's oldest existing newspaper, the Clearwater Sun, was first published on March 14, 1914. Clearwater was reincorporated, this time as a city, on May 27, 1915, and was designated the county seat for Pinellas County, which broke from Hillsborough County in 1912. In 1915, a bridge was built across Clearwater Harbor, joining the city with Clearwater Beach to the west. Clearwater Beach, although located on a separate barrier island, belongs to the city of Clearwater and fronts the Gulf of Mexico. A new, much higher bridge now arcs over the bay, replacing the former drawbridge; the connecting road is part of State Road 60 and is called Clearwater Memorial Causeway.

During World War II, Clearwater became a major training base for US troops destined for Europe and the Pacific. Virtually every hotel in the area, including the Belleview Biltmore and the Fort Harrison Hotel, was used as a barracks for new recruits. Vehicle traffic was regularly stopped for companies of soldiers marching through downtown, and nighttime blackouts to confuse potential enemy bombers were common practice. The remote and isolated Dan's Island, now the highrise-dominated Sand Key, was used as a target by U.S. Army Air Corps fighter-bombers for strafing and bombing practice.

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clearwater,_Florida

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

“Alati” Salt by the sea, The ancient Greeks called it Alas. 2 locations, Tarpon Springs & Clearwater Beach, Florida. This little community brings us back to the islands of Greece. Alati is a warm intimate place to gather with your friends to enjoy a great Food & Drink Experience.

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
www.pcpao.org/?pg=https://www.pcpao.org/general.php?strap...
alatifooddrink.com/

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

Tarpon Springs is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 23,484 at the 2010 census. Tarpon Springs has the highest percentage of Greek Americans of any city in the US. Downtown Tarpon Springs has long been a focal point and is currently undergoing beautification.

The region, with a series of bayous feeding into the Gulf of Mexico, was first settled by white and black farmers and fishermen around 1876. Some of the newly arrived visitors spotted tarpon jumping out of the waters and so named the location Tarpon Springs. The name is said to have originated with a remark of Mrs. Ormond Boyer, an early settler from South Carolina, and who, while standing on the shore of the Bayou and seeing fish leaping exclaimed, "See the tarpon spring!' However, for the most part, the fish seen splashing here were mullets rather than tarpon. In 1882, Hamilton Disston, who in the previous year had purchased the land where the city of Tarpon Springs now stands, ordered the creation of a town plan for the future city.

On February 12, 1887, Tarpon Springs became the first incorporated city in what is now Pinellas County. Less than a year later on January 13, 1888, the Orange Belt Railway, the first railroad line to be built in what is now Pinellas County, arrived in the city. During this time the area was developed as a wintering spot for wealthy northerners.

In the 1880s, John K. Cheyney founded the first local sponge business. The industry continued to grow in the 1890s. Many people from Key West and the Bahamas settled in Tarpon Springs to hook sponges and then process them. A few Greek immigrants also arrived in this city during the 1890s to work in the sponge industry.

In 1905, John Cocoris introduced the technique of sponge diving to Tarpon Springs by recruiting divers and crew members from Greece. The first divers came from the Saronic Gulf islands of Aegina and Hydra, but they were soon outnumbered by those from the Dodecanese islands of Kalymnos, Symi, and Halki. The sponge industry soon became one of the leading maritime industries in Florida and the most important business in Tarpon Springs, generating millions of dollars a year. The 1953 film Beneath the 12-Mile Reef, depicting the sponge industry, takes place and was filmed in Tarpon Springs.

In 1947, red tide algae bloom wiped out the sponge fields in the Gulf of Mexico, causing many of the sponge boats and divers to switch to shrimping for their livelihood, while others left the business. Eventually, the sponges recovered, allowing for a smaller but consistent sponge industry today. In the 1980s, the sponge business experienced a boom due to a sponge disease that killed the Mediterranean sponges. Today there is still a small active sponge industry. Visitors can often view sponge fishermen working at the Sponge Docks on Dodecanese Boulevard. In addition, visitors can enjoy shops, restaurants, and museum exhibits that detail Tarpon Springs' Greek heritage.

In 2007 and 2008, the City of Tarpon Springs established Sister City relationships with Kalymnos, Halki, Symi, and Larnaca, Cyprus, honoring the close historical link with these Greek-speaking islands.

There are several districts or properties in Tarpon Springs that have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

Tarpon Springs Greektown Historic District
Tarpon Springs Historic District
Arcade Hotel
Old Tarpon Springs City Hall
Old Tarpon Springs High School
Safford House
Rose Hill Cemetery
Tarpon Springs Depot

Many sites related to the sponge industry within the Greektown District also have been recognized. They include but are not limited to two sponge packing houses:

E.R. Meres Sponge Packing House
N.G. Arfaras Sponge Packing House
And several boats:

N.K. Symi (Sponge Diving Boat)
St. Nicholas III (Sponge Diving Boat)
St. Nicholas VI (Sponge Diving Boat)

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarpon_Springs,_Florida

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

Tarpon Springs is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 23,484 at the 2010 census. Tarpon Springs has the highest percentage of Greek Americans of any city in the US. Downtown Tarpon Springs has long been a focal point and is currently undergoing beautification.

The region, with a series of bayous feeding into the Gulf of Mexico, was first settled by white and black farmers and fishermen around 1876. Some of the newly arrived visitors spotted tarpon jumping out of the waters and so named the location Tarpon Springs. The name is said to have originated with a remark of Mrs. Ormond Boyer, an early settler from South Carolina, and who, while standing on the shore of the Bayou and seeing fish leaping exclaimed, "See the tarpon spring!' However, for the most part, the fish seen splashing here were mullets rather than tarpon. In 1882, Hamilton Disston, who in the previous year had purchased the land where the city of Tarpon Springs now stands, ordered the creation of a town plan for the future city.

On February 12, 1887, Tarpon Springs became the first incorporated city in what is now Pinellas County. Less than a year later on January 13, 1888, the Orange Belt Railway, the first railroad line to be built in what is now Pinellas County, arrived in the city. During this time the area was developed as a wintering spot for wealthy northerners.

In the 1880s, John K. Cheyney founded the first local sponge business. The industry continued to grow in the 1890s. Many people from Key West and the Bahamas settled in Tarpon Springs to hook sponges and then process them. A few Greek immigrants also arrived in this city during the 1890s to work in the sponge industry.

In 1905, John Cocoris introduced the technique of sponge diving to Tarpon Springs by recruiting divers and crew members from Greece. The first divers came from the Saronic Gulf islands of Aegina and Hydra, but they were soon outnumbered by those from the Dodecanese islands of Kalymnos, Symi, and Halki. The sponge industry soon became one of the leading maritime industries in Florida and the most important business in Tarpon Springs, generating millions of dollars a year. The 1953 film Beneath the 12-Mile Reef, depicting the sponge industry, takes place and was filmed in Tarpon Springs.

In 1947, red tide algae bloom wiped out the sponge fields in the Gulf of Mexico, causing many of the sponge boats and divers to switch to shrimping for their livelihood, while others left the business. Eventually, the sponges recovered, allowing for a smaller but consistent sponge industry today. In the 1980s, the sponge business experienced a boom due to a sponge disease that killed the Mediterranean sponges. Today there is still a small active sponge industry. Visitors can often view sponge fishermen working at the Sponge Docks on Dodecanese Boulevard. In addition, visitors can enjoy shops, restaurants, and museum exhibits that detail Tarpon Springs' Greek heritage.

In 2007 and 2008, the City of Tarpon Springs established Sister City relationships with Kalymnos, Halki, Symi, and Larnaca, Cyprus, honoring the close historical link with these Greek-speaking islands.

There are several districts or properties in Tarpon Springs that have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

Tarpon Springs Greektown Historic District
Tarpon Springs Historic District
Arcade Hotel
Old Tarpon Springs City Hall
Old Tarpon Springs High School
Safford House
Rose Hill Cemetery
Tarpon Springs Depot

Many sites related to the sponge industry within the Greektown District also have been recognized. They include but are not limited to two sponge packing houses:

E.R. Meres Sponge Packing House
N.G. Arfaras Sponge Packing House
And several boats:

N.K. Symi (Sponge Diving Boat)
St. Nicholas III (Sponge Diving Boat)
St. Nicholas VI (Sponge Diving Boat)

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarpon_Springs,_Florida
www.pcpao.org/?pg=https://www.pcpao.org/general.php?strap...
usflibexhibits.omeka.net/exhibits/show/greek-community/ma...

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

1 East Broward truly is the number one choice for businesses seeking first-class, downtown office space for lease in Fort Lauderdale’s Central Business District. The 19-story, Class-A office building comprises 350,000 square feet at the northeast corner of Broward Boulevard and Andrews Avenue. This premier location is within walking distance to several local attractions including Flagler Village’s Arts and Technology village (FATVillage), Music & Arts South of Sunrise District (MASS), and renowned Las Olas Boulevard.

Tenants enjoy unparalleled amenities including a luxurious grand lobby with soaring floor-to-ceiling glass and high-end marble finishes, impressive panoramic views, an exclusive state-of-the-art fitness center, complimentary shuttle services, manned 24/7 security, and a variety of on-site services including restaurant, café/sundry shop, dry cleaning, car detailing, banking/ATM and property management. Tenants also enjoy plentiful parking in the garage, connected by an air-conditioned, newly renovated skywalk.

1 East Broward offers the best in convenience and walkability with fantastic access to I-95, I-595, and the Hollywood/Fort Lauderdale International Airport. It’s also the closest office building to the new Fort Lauderdale Brightline station.

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
www.1ebroward.com/
www.emporis.com/buildings/124328/one-east-broward-bouleva...
en.phorio.com/file/931558045/image

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

Tarpon Springs is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 23,484 at the 2010 census. Tarpon Springs has the highest percentage of Greek Americans of any city in the US. Downtown Tarpon Springs has long been a focal point and is currently undergoing beautification.

The region, with a series of bayous feeding into the Gulf of Mexico, was first settled by white and black farmers and fishermen around 1876. Some of the newly arrived visitors spotted tarpon jumping out of the waters and so named the location Tarpon Springs. The name is said to have originated with a remark of Mrs. Ormond Boyer, an early settler from South Carolina, and who, while standing on the shore of the Bayou and seeing fish leaping exclaimed, "See the tarpon spring!' However, for the most part, the fish seen splashing here were mullets rather than tarpon. In 1882, Hamilton Disston, who in the previous year had purchased the land where the city of Tarpon Springs now stands, ordered the creation of a town plan for the future city.

On February 12, 1887, Tarpon Springs became the first incorporated city in what is now Pinellas County. Less than a year later on January 13, 1888, the Orange Belt Railway, the first railroad line to be built in what is now Pinellas County, arrived in the city. During this time the area was developed as a wintering spot for wealthy northerners.

In the 1880s, John K. Cheyney founded the first local sponge business. The industry continued to grow in the 1890s. Many people from Key West and the Bahamas settled in Tarpon Springs to hook sponges and then process them. A few Greek immigrants also arrived in this city during the 1890s to work in the sponge industry.

In 1905, John Cocoris introduced the technique of sponge diving to Tarpon Springs by recruiting divers and crew members from Greece. The first divers came from the Saronic Gulf islands of Aegina and Hydra, but they were soon outnumbered by those from the Dodecanese islands of Kalymnos, Symi, and Halki. The sponge industry soon became one of the leading maritime industries in Florida and the most important business in Tarpon Springs, generating millions of dollars a year. The 1953 film Beneath the 12-Mile Reef, depicting the sponge industry, takes place and was filmed in Tarpon Springs.

In 1947, red tide algae bloom wiped out the sponge fields in the Gulf of Mexico, causing many of the sponge boats and divers to switch to shrimping for their livelihood, while others left the business. Eventually, the sponges recovered, allowing for a smaller but consistent sponge industry today. In the 1980s, the sponge business experienced a boom due to a sponge disease that killed the Mediterranean sponges. Today there is still a small active sponge industry. Visitors can often view sponge fishermen working at the Sponge Docks on Dodecanese Boulevard. In addition, visitors can enjoy shops, restaurants, and museum exhibits that detail Tarpon Springs' Greek heritage.

In 2007 and 2008, the City of Tarpon Springs established Sister City relationships with Kalymnos, Halki, Symi, and Larnaca, Cyprus, honoring the close historical link with these Greek-speaking islands.

There are several districts or properties in Tarpon Springs that have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

Tarpon Springs Greektown Historic District
Tarpon Springs Historic District
Arcade Hotel
Old Tarpon Springs City Hall
Old Tarpon Springs High School
Safford House
Rose Hill Cemetery
Tarpon Springs Depot

Many sites related to the sponge industry within the Greektown District also have been recognized. They include but are not limited to two sponge packing houses:

E.R. Meres Sponge Packing House
N.G. Arfaras Sponge Packing House
And several boats:

N.K. Symi (Sponge Diving Boat)
St. Nicholas III (Sponge Diving Boat)
St. Nicholas VI (Sponge Diving Boat)

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarpon_Springs,_Florida
www.pcpao.org/?pg=https://www.pcpao.org/general.php?strap...
usflibexhibits.omeka.net/exhibits/show/greek-community/ma...

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

City Hall was built in 1966 to serve the people and staff of Clearwater Florida. It is beautifully perched on the historic Bluffs of Downtown Clearwater, overlooking Clearwater Harbor, just a block from the Historic Pinellas County Courthouse. The Bluffs of downtown Clearwater were once cherished and protected from investors and developments. The beautiful building is 53 years old and made of stone and concrete and has a state tax assessment value of over 17 Million dollars, however, it will need some updating and remodeling in the near future to keep it going for another 50 years.

But instead, our current city council wants to just demolish it. And, they have been vacating the building in hopes to tear it down and sell off the property to development investors. Once the building is vacant and no longer cared for, it will be easy to make the assessment that it is no longer needed and simply tear it down. Then the vacant lot will become a city investment property. And, that's when the city council will be looking to amend the Clearwater charter in order to sell it off the bluff property to investors and developers.

City Council hopes that having a vacant lot next to the Coachman Park & the waterfront properties will raise the property's value. Even with no clear redevelopment plan for Coachman Park or the waterfront.

The supposed redevelopment plan with a proposed budget of 55 million dollars, is still in just the planning phase and has been for the last couple of years as the city council has not been able to even agree on the band-shell design. It is starting to look like an over-hyped economic redevelopment in the downtown district that originally started with tearing down city hall for the Clearwater Marine Aquarium to relocate to, but even that plan failed. Downtown Clearwater is already struggling with low traffic numbers. Even our Mayor George Cretekos isn't convinced that the project is viable with the current council's inability to make decisions.

The redevelopment plan currently only has about 5.5 million dollars of city funding of the 55 million supposedly needed. The city will be signing a 5-year lease for offices in a private downtown high-rise. The leased space is not in a city building and not easily accessible by citizens of Clearwater. Mayor Cretekos thinks that we may be renting that space for at least 10 years from now. So with no clear plan set in place, is it really a good idea to just vacate another building downtown?

Do we really need another vacant dirt lot downtown?

And, who might be the actual buyer of the lot? It is right next to a very controversial lot that the city had to buy to save face with some of its citizens at a cost of $4.2 million dollars, just to be used as a dirt overflow parking lot.

A drive around downtown and you will quickly notice that there are a lot of vacant buildings and vacant lots in the downtown district.

There is also no clear plan or budget for a new city hall or even a location.

Please sign this petition to help save Clearwater's City Hall from the wrecking ball and make our elected officials realize that we would like to keep using it as Our City Hall.

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
www.change.org/p/concerned-residents-of-clearwater-florid...
www.pcpao.org/?pg=https://www.pcpao.org/general.php?strap...

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

Sebring was founded in 1912. It was named after George E. Sebring, a pottery manufacturer from Ohio who developed the city. The village of Sebring, Ohio, is also named after George E. Sebring (1859–1927) and his family. It was chartered by the state of Florida in 1913 and was selected as the county seat of Highlands County when the county was created in 1921.

Sebring is a city in Highlands County, Florida, United States, nicknamed "The City on the Circle", in reference to Circle Drive, the center of the Sebring Downtown Historic District. In 2010, the United States Census Bureau reported a population of 10,491. It is the county seat of Highlands County and is the principal city of the Sebring Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Sebring is the home of the Sebring International Raceway, created on a former airbase, first used in 1950. It hosted the 1959 Formula One United States Grand Prix but is currently best known as the host of the 12 Hours of Sebring, an annual TUDOR United SportsCar Championship race. Nearby Highlands Hammock State Park is a popular attraction. Additionally, the house where novelist Rex Beach committed suicide is located on one of Sebring's main lakes, Lake Jackson.

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sebring,_Florida

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

Stuart is a city in and county seat of Martin County, Florida, the United States. Located on Florida's Treasure Coast, Stuart is the largest of four incorporated municipalities in Martin County. The population was 15,593 in the 2010 census. It is part of the Port St. Lucie, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Stuart is frequently cited as one of the best small towns to visit in the US, in large part because of Stuart's proximity to the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon.

When Stuart was incorporated as a town in 1914, it was located in Palm Beach County. In 1925, Stuart was chartered as a city and named the county seat of the newly created Martin County.

The city of Stuart is known as the Sailfish Capital of the World, because of the many sailfish found in the ocean off Martin County.

Data originated from this website:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart,_Florida

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

Tarpon Springs is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 23,484 at the 2010 census. Tarpon Springs has the highest percentage of Greek Americans of any city in the US. Downtown Tarpon Springs has long been a focal point and is currently undergoing beautification.

The region, with a series of bayous feeding into the Gulf of Mexico, was first settled by white and black farmers and fishermen around 1876. Some of the newly arrived visitors spotted tarpon jumping out of the waters and so named the location Tarpon Springs. The name is said to have originated with a remark of Mrs. Ormond Boyer, an early settler from South Carolina, and who, while standing on the shore of the Bayou and seeing fish leaping exclaimed, "See the tarpon spring!' However, for the most part, the fish seen splashing here were mullets rather than tarpon. In 1882, Hamilton Disston, who in the previous year had purchased the land where the city of Tarpon Springs now stands, ordered the creation of a town plan for the future city.

On February 12, 1887, Tarpon Springs became the first incorporated city in what is now Pinellas County. Less than a year later on January 13, 1888, the Orange Belt Railway, the first railroad line to be built in what is now Pinellas County, arrived in the city. During this time the area was developed as a wintering spot for wealthy northerners.

In the 1880s, John K. Cheyney founded the first local sponge business. The industry continued to grow in the 1890s. Many people from Key West and the Bahamas settled in Tarpon Springs to hook sponges and then process them. A few Greek immigrants also arrived in this city during the 1890s to work in the sponge industry.

In 1905, John Cocoris introduced the technique of sponge diving to Tarpon Springs by recruiting divers and crew members from Greece. The first divers came from the Saronic Gulf islands of Aegina and Hydra, but they were soon outnumbered by those from the Dodecanese islands of Kalymnos, Symi, and Halki. The sponge industry soon became one of the leading maritime industries in Florida and the most important business in Tarpon Springs, generating millions of dollars a year. The 1953 film Beneath the 12-Mile Reef, depicting the sponge industry, takes place and was filmed in Tarpon Springs.

In 1947, red tide algae bloom wiped out the sponge fields in the Gulf of Mexico, causing many of the sponge boats and divers to switch to shrimping for their livelihood, while others left the business. Eventually, the sponges recovered, allowing for a smaller but consistent sponge industry today. In the 1980s, the sponge business experienced a boom due to a sponge disease that killed the Mediterranean sponges. Today there is still a small active sponge industry. Visitors can often view sponge fishermen working at the Sponge Docks on Dodecanese Boulevard. In addition, visitors can enjoy shops, restaurants, and museum exhibits that detail Tarpon Springs' Greek heritage.

In 2007 and 2008, the City of Tarpon Springs established Sister City relationships with Kalymnos, Halki, Symi, and Larnaca, Cyprus, honoring the close historical link with these Greek-speaking islands.

There are several districts or properties in Tarpon Springs that have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

Tarpon Springs Greektown Historic District
Tarpon Springs Historic District
Arcade Hotel
Old Tarpon Springs City Hall
Old Tarpon Springs High School
Safford House
Rose Hill Cemetery
Tarpon Springs Depot

Many sites related to the sponge industry within the Greektown District also have been recognized. They include but are not limited to two sponge packing houses:

E.R. Meres Sponge Packing House
N.G. Arfaras Sponge Packing House
And several boats:

N.K. Symi (Sponge Diving Boat)
St. Nicholas III (Sponge Diving Boat)
St. Nicholas VI (Sponge Diving Boat)

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarpon_Springs,_Florida
www.pcpao.org/?pg=https://www.pcpao.org/general.php?strap...
usflibexhibits.omeka.net/exhibits/show/greek-community/ma...

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

Tarpon Springs is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 23,484 at the 2010 census. Tarpon Springs has the highest percentage of Greek Americans of any city in the US. Downtown Tarpon Springs has long been a focal point and is currently undergoing beautification.

The region, with a series of bayous feeding into the Gulf of Mexico, was first settled by white and black farmers and fishermen around 1876. Some of the newly arrived visitors spotted tarpon jumping out of the waters and so named the location Tarpon Springs. The name is said to have originated with a remark of Mrs. Ormond Boyer, an early settler from South Carolina, and who, while standing on the shore of the Bayou and seeing fish leaping exclaimed, "See the tarpon spring!' However, for the most part, the fish seen splashing here were mullets rather than tarpon. In 1882, Hamilton Disston, who in the previous year had purchased the land where the city of Tarpon Springs now stands, ordered the creation of a town plan for the future city.

On February 12, 1887, Tarpon Springs became the first incorporated city in what is now Pinellas County. Less than a year later on January 13, 1888, the Orange Belt Railway, the first railroad line to be built in what is now Pinellas County, arrived in the city. During this time the area was developed as a wintering spot for wealthy northerners.

In the 1880s, John K. Cheyney founded the first local sponge business. The industry continued to grow in the 1890s. Many people from Key West and the Bahamas settled in Tarpon Springs to hook sponges and then process them. A few Greek immigrants also arrived in this city during the 1890s to work in the sponge industry.

In 1905, John Cocoris introduced the technique of sponge diving to Tarpon Springs by recruiting divers and crew members from Greece. The first divers came from the Saronic Gulf islands of Aegina and Hydra, but they were soon outnumbered by those from the Dodecanese islands of Kalymnos, Symi, and Halki. The sponge industry soon became one of the leading maritime industries in Florida and the most important business in Tarpon Springs, generating millions of dollars a year. The 1953 film Beneath the 12-Mile Reef, depicting the sponge industry, takes place and was filmed in Tarpon Springs.

In 1947, red tide algae bloom wiped out the sponge fields in the Gulf of Mexico, causing many of the sponge boats and divers to switch to shrimping for their livelihood, while others left the business. Eventually, the sponges recovered, allowing for a smaller but consistent sponge industry today. In the 1980s, the sponge business experienced a boom due to a sponge disease that killed the Mediterranean sponges. Today there is still a small active sponge industry. Visitors can often view sponge fishermen working at the Sponge Docks on Dodecanese Boulevard. In addition, visitors can enjoy shops, restaurants, and museum exhibits that detail Tarpon Springs' Greek heritage.

In 2007 and 2008, the City of Tarpon Springs established Sister City relationships with Kalymnos, Halki, Symi, and Larnaca, Cyprus, honoring the close historical link with these Greek-speaking islands.

There are several districts or properties in Tarpon Springs that have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

Tarpon Springs Greektown Historic District
Tarpon Springs Historic District
Arcade Hotel
Old Tarpon Springs City Hall
Old Tarpon Springs High School
Safford House
Rose Hill Cemetery
Tarpon Springs Depot

Many sites related to the sponge industry within the Greektown District also have been recognized. They include but are not limited to two sponge packing houses:

E.R. Meres Sponge Packing House
N.G. Arfaras Sponge Packing House
And several boats:

N.K. Symi (Sponge Diving Boat)
St. Nicholas III (Sponge Diving Boat)
St. Nicholas VI (Sponge Diving Boat)

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarpon_Springs,_Florida
www.pcpao.org/?pg=https://www.pcpao.org/general.php?strap...

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.