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Tag: Amber Gerard

  • Pirate Fashions in Tampa faces challenges due to tariffs

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    TAMPA, Fla. — Halloween is nearly here, and many people are still looking for the perfect costume. One popular spot for the perfect outfit is Pirate Fashions in Tampa, but this year, tariffs are having an impact.

    What You Need To Know

    • Pirate Fashions in Tampa faces challenges due to tariffs on imported materials

    • The store specializes in authentic pirate costumes, crucial for Tampa’s Gasparilla festival

    • Tariffs on materials from India have raised costs significantly, impacting inventory

    The only thing “piraty” about the building located at 4006 West Cayuga Street is the pirate flag, but walk inside and you’re greeted with skulls, pirate ships, jewels and of course pirate costumes.

    Pirate Fashions is considered “the” store for authentically made pirate costumes and has been in business for fifteen years. When the original owner retired two years ago, he sold it to his employees. At the helm now is general manager and co-owner, Devin McCabe.

    “Pirate Fashions is a store where you don’t buy your clothes in a bag. You buy everything separately. So, corsets, blouses and skirts are here,” she said, referring to the vibrant colored garments on each side of the aisle.

    All the costumes are made in-house. Using leather sourced in the states, the store’s Leatherman makes belts and boots. And in an upstairs sewing room, seamstresses stitch fabric to create the coveted costumes.

    “A pirate costume is an ultimate luxury. It is so unnecessary, even though I keep telling people it’s necessary in Tampa,” McCabe said.

    She’s of course referring to Gasparilla. It’s the busiest time of year for the store. In fact, one-third of their yearly profits are made in the month of January.

    Authentic pirate costumes are made with rugged, earth tone-colored fabrics and finding them in the states she said, is a challenge and a costly one.

    “I have a bunch of inventory that I can’t sell because it is in another country,” McCabe said. “We actually have fabric that is custom woven and dyed for us in India. Stuff we can’t really get per yard at a good price here in America that would be reasonable at all.”

    That’s why most of their fabric is imported from India, a country known for its textiles. 

    “We have a manufacturer named Amaud, and I swear we talk every day,” McCabe said.

    But with the 50% tariff on India, McCabe says wholesale prices have increased by 60%.

    “Every time there’s an obstacle like the tariffs going up — the tariffs changing — I have to redo my game plan,” she said. “I have to really figure out what will work because I have to keep people employed.”

    All of her employees earn a living wage, have 401Ks and benefits, but that would be impossible to do, she said, if her purchasing was limited to the U.S.

    “I know of three mills that have closed. Despite the fact that the tariffs forcing people to use American manufacturing, these American manufacturers are still closing,” McCabe said. “So, I’m still having to go out and find alternatives. Despite the fact that hypothetically they are supposed to encourage American manufacturing, I don’t see that result at all.”

    In an attempt to offset the impact of the tariffs, McCabe said she’s buying things upfront in smaller quantities and then waiting until tariffs go down before she has them shipped. But it’s highly unlikely that will happen before Halloween, which means she’ll miss out on those sales.

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    Amber Gerard

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  • AI helping startups thrive at Tampa Bay Innovation Center

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay has long been considered a growing startup hub, and while more innovators continue to come to the area, major funding can be hard to come by.

    That is why new technologies like AI have become instrumental in their growth.

    To foster this growth, the Tampa Bay Innovation Center in St. Petersburg has created a space where like-minded entrepreneurs are using technology to turn their ideas into reality.

    What You Need To Know

    • Experts say the lack of funding can be an obstacle for many start-ups, but using artificial intelligence many are doing more for less

    • Tampa Bay Innovation Center has become an incubator for talent and technology

    • Product designer Matthew Vergin says AI has both benefits and limitations when used for things like engineering and product development

    The Innovation Center has been widely described as an incubator — a place where entrepreneurs can access hands-on resources to grow their businesses and connect with other start-ups to share ideas and offer advice.

    The Ark Innovation Center became the new home of the Tampa Bay Innovation Center two years ago, and ever since it’s become a center of activity and networking. 

    Tampa Bay Innovation Center CEO Rebecca Brown says one of the biggest impediments for startups is funding — accessing the capital to hire employees and outside vendors to provide specialized services. SHe said that’s where AI can lend a helping hand. 

    “AI is critical right now,” Brown said. “Friends, what we can do now with AI development tools was not even possible 23 years ago. So, if you’re a developer, you can actually use things like Claude by Anthropic to create a minimum viable product and use that as your, sort of, beta ground to test the ability. And that wasn’t possible even a few years ago.”

    One company that has made the Innovation Center home is product designer and developer, ROBRADY. The company headquartered in Sarasota and its partners are using AI technology to target new markets and specific sectors of industry to further grow their client base.

    “We’ve been using AI to be able to widen the scope of what types of companies, like our partners Armorit, can reach out to in order to see if we can maybe make parts for those new companies,” product designer Matthew Vergin said.

    And on the production side, he said they are using AI to streamline the design process, particularly when it comes to presentation.

    “We’re beginning to use AI for our marketing, but we’re also now beginning to use it for product visualization,” Vergin said. “So, when we create a design for a product, a lot of times there’s a phase where you need to create photo realistic imagery of it for the client to be able to then either put it in some press release or use it for some internal documents.”

    Vergin said producing that kind of imagery was previously a multi-step process — they would have to make a 3D model, create a scene, set up lighting and then take pictures.

    “But now with AI, we’re beginning to be able to take an image of that type in the scene that we wanted to be in, and then the AI will generate the image with the product that we’ve designed in it with proper lighting, proper perspective, all of that,” he said.

    As product developers Vergin said his job is to turn his clients’ ideas into tangible products. And while AI is a great tool, he said there are some things it can’t, or shouldn’t, replace.

    “There’s always something that you get from having the human element in your design,” Vergin said. “Because even when you get those thousands designs from AI, you need someone who understands design to be able to select the one that is the best. And in terms of engineering, there’s a lot of stuff having to do with regulations, materials, processes and just the finesse that’s needed. You just don’t get that with AI.”

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    Amber Gerard

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  • Metropolitan Ministries seeking seasonal workers for holiday tents

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    TAMPA, Fla. — Metropolitan Ministries is seeking seasonal staff for its iconic holiday tents, which serve 30,000 families each holiday season.

    The Holiday Tent assistance program is Tampa Bay’s largest outreach initiative serving families in crisis for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

    What You Need To Know

    • Metropolitan Ministries needs seasonal staff for holiday tents

    • The program helps 30,000 families each holiday season

    • 25 positions are still available, paying $15 to $18 an hour

    Justine Burke is the Ministries Vice President of Marketing and said that each year the holiday tents serve approximately 1,000 families daily.

    “We do have singles that come in, seniors that are alone that want to get some food for the holidays for themselves, but the majority is families with children and if you multiply all that, by the end of it, it’s almost 100,000 people,” she said.

    To ensure that they can meet the demand and be efficient, they rely on volunteers and seasonal workers.

    “That’s a lot of hands that come in and help us,” Human Resources Director Darly Belluccia said. “This year what is new is we’re expanding our mission to Pinellas County, so we’re looking for team members there as well.”

    Belluccia says Met Ministries is looking to fill 25 more positions to work through the holiday season. 

    Positions include outreach holiday associates to help in the tents, customer service associates to help with donations and maintenance techs to keep the tents running.

    “This is great for college students and retirees,” Belluccia said. “A lot of our seasonal positions or seasonal team members have either come back here after a year or they transitioned into full-time position so it’s a great way to get your foot in the door.”

    Most positions will be full time and pay between $15 and $18 an hour.

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    Amber Gerard

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  • Tax exemption and new open carry law drive thousands to Tampa gun show

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    TAMPA, Fla. — Thousands were expected to attend this weekend’s gun show at the Florida State Fairgrounds. When all is said and done, organizers estimate that between 8,000 and 10,000 people will have attended.

    What You Need To Know

    • Thousands were expected to attend the Tampa gun show at the Florida State Fairgrounds

    • The increase in attendance is partly due to changes in Florida’s open carry law and a tax exemption on firearms and accessories

    • Firearm instructors stress the importance of safety and proper training for gun owners

    Organizers said the increase in number is partly due to recent changes to Florida’s open carry law as well as the Second Amendment Sales Tax Exemption on firearms, ammunition and accessories that runs through the end of the year.

    “I’m a numbers guy. Tax-free is huge because if you’re taxing something for $1000, $2000, $3000, you’re basically saving $100, $200, $300 on just one item. Saving that much money is huge,” Naim Smith said.

    As a gun owner for nearly five years, Smith said it is exciting to see all the new firearms and cool accessories on display, but the foundation of gun ownership is rooted in safety and skill.

    “It’s the knowledge people have behind the gun,” he said. “You have to learn first … it’s the most important thing. In order to have a gun, you must have training. I think that’s the most important thing.”

    Firearm instructor John Helmes couldn’t agree more. With more than 25 years of experience working in law enforcement, Helmes, owner of Bulldog Tactical Group, was tasked with teaching students all the facets of responsible gun ownership.

    “Training is gonna be very important,” he said. “One — to stay familiar with your firearm because when you actually have to use it to defend yourself, you’re not gonna spend any time thinking about it. You’re actually just going to fall back to what your training was, and that’s why we wanna have good quality training because if your training is poor, you’re gonna respond poorly.”

    Another part of training, he said, is knowing the law.

    “We have to bear in mind that every year the legislature goes in the session, and they make changes to the laws and if you don’t know … you’re gonna wind up in trouble,” he said.

    As far as the new open carry law is concerned, Helmes said it’s imperative that gun owners know where they can and cannot carry.

    “Know where you can and can’t carry. There’s really not a lot of difference between that and the carry laws with concealed weapons,” he said.

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    Amber Gerard

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  • Bay Pines VA offers veterans support and services at resource fair

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. —  This weekend, veterans were able to find helpful resources all in one place.

    The VA Hospital in Bay Pines hosted a Resource Fair on the Medical Center’s campus. Multiple agencies and organizations were on hand, offering a wide range of information and services.

    What You Need To Know

    • Bay Pines VA Hospital held its first Resource Fair

    • Event offered legal, housing, healthcare, and mental health services

    • Veterans found support and connection through the fair

    The event was the first of its kind to be hosted by the hospital, and the person responsible for making it happen was Outreach Coordinator and Veteran Kelly James.

    “The meat potatoes is like what we give them every day right we give them a full course meal with their healthcare and so the gravy is when you get to come here and socialize with other veterans and socialize with our staff and really get to know how many community partners are there for you and everything that they have to offer,” she said.

    Everything from legal services, housing to aging care were offered, along with options for primary care, The Women’s Clinic and mental health.

    And helping them along the way – fellow veterans.

    “It’s like they’re walking with their own village. They’re here with other veterans, and when they run into each other, it’s an automatic bond,” James said.

    Tiffany Feen with the American Legion said while the VA does offer many services, some veterans may not be aware that they exist, and if they are, they might not be eligible, which can sometimes lead to frustration and a feeling of helplessness.

    “When you see how many people are suffering and how many people it’s affecting, and it’s just the way it is so when you have the ability to have a community come together and you have the village let’s make the village bigger,” she said with tears in her eyes.

    And that’s where the American Legion and other community partners come in – to help them understand what’s out there for them.

    “What doesn’t get covered under legislation, we can help them with. Through Project Relief, we can fill in the gap,” Feen said.

    And sometimes James said, veterans just need a break from life for a day

    “This is their village,” she said.

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    Amber Gerard

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  • Pinellas County nonprofit helps vision-impaired patients

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    LARGO, Fla. — Experts say changes in vision can be a part of aging, but significant declines in vision or complete vision loss can be a result of serious medical conditions.

    Those can include glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration — which are the leading causes of blindness in adults, according to the National Institutes of Health.

    What You Need To Know

    • In 2024, an estimated 20 million people suffered from macular degeneration

    • Lighthouse of Pinellas prepares aging Americans for vision loss

    • Macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of blindness in older Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health

    Each year, millions of Americans who have seen through clear eyes all their lives suddenly find themselves in a gray area, unsure if or when they will permanently lose their vision. And if they do, learning to adapt both literally and emotionally.

    Using sound and technology as guides, Lighthouse of Pinellas County is helping adults continue to lead active lives.

    More than 20 years ago, John Benjamin, a husband, father of four children, and an IT specialist, learned he had Stargardt Disease, a rare form of juvenile macular degeneration that causes progressive loss of central vision.

    According to the NIH, an estimated 20 million Americans suffered from some form of macular degeneration last year, with roughly 1.5 million experiencing a threat of total vision lost from the disease.  

    But for Benjamin, it’s more than learning how to do day-to-day things with poor vision — he wants to continue to provide for his family.

    Through the organization’s vocational rehab program, clients like Benjamin learn how to use assistive technology to help them maintain or gain employment.   

    Instructor Jessica Tomlinson is responsible for teaching the more than 250 adult clients that the Lighthouse serves each year.

    “Teaching the brain to process and prioritize things through different inputs can be challenging,” she said.

    Listening becomes a priority, as well as memorization.

    “It involves reading a small portion, sticking that in a corner of your memory, reading another small portion, putting it together with what you’ve already read, reading a third small portion, adding that to which you’ve already read,” Tomlinson said. “That’s a very mentally intensive task for a lot of people.”

    She said going through that process can be emotional, with people often feeling fear, embarrassment and uncertainty.

    “Life can still be really fulfilling and really colorful, and it takes courage,” she said. “But one needs to take the things that they really enjoy doing and find a way to get them to this new reality.”

    It’s now a reality for Benjamin that involves a cane, less driving, and reliance on adaptative technology. But he said humans are resilient and that’s exactly what he intends to be.

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    Amber Gerard

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  • Space 4 All STEM Day: Where the mind’s eye and science come together

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    PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Lighthouse of Pinellas, a nonprofit that offers services to children and adults with blindness and low vision, hosted “Space 4 All STEM Day,” an event that highlights accessible science for blind and visually impaired youth.

    What You Need To Know

    • Students with blindness and visual impairment enter the world of science and engineering

    • Lighthouse of Pinellas County chosen by NASA to host “Space 4 All STEM Day”

    • Blind since birth, a NASA project manager shares the highlights of her 30-year career

    The event is the result of a partnership between a coalition of organizations that includes NASA, the Tampa Bay Times Newspapers in Education and the Tampa Bay STEM Network.

    On Saturday, students at Lighthouse of Pinellas became engineers.

    They learned how to design airplanes using a sound-source target and took part in a lunar lander engineering challenge to see how spacecraft touch down on the moon’s surface.

    And for a little excitement, they launched rockets capable of blasting up to 200 ft into the sky.

    Lighthouse of Pinellas Marketing and Outreach Director Kayla Terrel said it’s important that children know that being blind or visually impaired doesn’t mean they can’t thrive in the world of science and technology.

    And the cool thing is, many of the kids have already had a test run.

    “Space 4 All STEM Day” takes place in Pinellas County. (Spectrum News)

    “These are all done by a 3D printer,” said Terrel, picking up three animal-shaped figurines — just one of many skills learned through the Lighthouse’s Work Experience Program. 

    “They got to learn the 3D printer programs through the computers, and some of them are totally blind, so they had screen readers read to them and tell them what to do to create these designs,” she explained.

    Then, using 3D printers, they transformed those creations into tangible products.

    “It’s an opportunity for them to explore different job opportunities and experiences and that they aren’t limited,” she said.

    Which is perfect for 10-year-old Samuel Volpy

    “I really do like space and science because it’s one of those things where I like to learn,” he said with a huge smile on his face. “You get to understand the world around you.”

    And considering he wants to be a pilot, getting a head start can’t hurt.

    “I really do like airplanes, and I like to fly to different places, and my favorite part about it is the landing,” he said.

    Through physical touch, form and aided by sound, these students are beginning their journeys into the world of science, engineering and technology, and proving to themselves that the sky really isn’t the limit.

    And you never know — Samuel might just be the next “Top Gun.”

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    Amber Gerard

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  • Air taxis in the near future? St. Pete task force discussing new rides

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — What if instead of a taxi or ride-sharing service, you could catch an air taxi to get where you need to go?

    It could be a way of the future.

    What You Need To Know

    • St. Petersburg’s The Advanced Air Mobility Task Force is already meeting with local leaders about the future of the industry 
    • Electric, pilotless air taxis could one day ferry people around the Bay area 

    • According to Lilium, one of the largest electric jet-manufacturers, a six-minute ride would cost about $70

    Aviation officials say an FAA approval is years away, but the goal for the St. Petersburg group is to get ahead of the game.

    The Advanced Air Mobility Task Force is already meeting with local leaders about the future of the industry. The task force is meeting Monday.

    Ed Montanari, the chairman of the group, said air taxis could very well be in St. Petersburg’s future.

    “You know, you think about the cartoon “The Jetsons” where the characters got into a vehicle that was totally operated without a pilot,” he said. “That’s where this industry is going.”

    Electric, pilotless air taxis could one day ferry people from Albert Whitted Airport to St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport, Tampa International Airport or even other popular destinations like Disney World.

    “There is a need, and look at the situation that we have here in the Tampa Bay area and it’s going to give you another option,” Montanari said. “They’re going to transport people, transport cargo and ambulance. Also, it’s just amazing technology that’s coming our way.”

    Until then, part of the ongoing discussions that the task force will have with city leaders and manufacturers will focus on design, how the planes are going to operate and the kind of infrastructure that would need to be placed.

    “We want to learn about the aircraft, and we want to see how they fit into, not just Albert Whitted Airport, but around the city,” Montanari said. “We envision these vehicles could be operating from the top of buildings, hospitals, depending on the use of the vehicle.”

    But the future Ubers, Lyfts and ambulances of the skies come at a much different price.

    According to Lilium, one of the largest electric jet-manufacturers, a six-minute ride would cost about $70. However, if the alternative is traffic on Interstate 275, $70 might not be all that bad.

    After Monday’s meeting, the task force will present its second progress report to the St. Pete city council in November, before presenting the final one in January.

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    Amber Gerard

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  • Incentives announced for Pasco County teachers at 8 ‘Opportunity Schools’

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    PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — Paso County recently announced a package of incentives for teachers at eight designated opportunity schools this year.

    What You Need To Know

    • Teachers being incentivized to work at poorly performing Pasco County schools

    • Eligible teachers can earn up to $15,000 in incentives

    • New teachers explains why she decided to participate in incentive program

    The initiative was launched in July in hopes of filling any remaining vacancies before the start of the school year.

    The goal is to help kids succeed in school, but to do that, the district wants to bring in more strong teachers, especially at what the district calls “opportunity schools.” They are schools that have received a lower grade from the state, a D or lower.

    Shana Rafalski, assistant superintendent for Opportunity Schools, says this is a chance to help kids — and find incredible teachers. 

    “We know that the teachers of the Opportunity Schools are gonna be working really, really hard,” she said. “There’s a lot of extra scrutiny on them and so for their extra effort, we looked at the funding sources that we had that are earmarked specifically for this type of turnaround work and opted to provide all of the teachers that would qualify on some of this incentive money.”

    Teachers and schools are ranked on a state system, known as the “Value Added Model” — or VAM, for short.

    Teachers with a highly effective or effective rating on that system can receive up to $15,000 or $7,500, respectively — at a qualifying school.

    For teachers who don’t have a state score yet, there’s a different route to the benefits.

    Teachers with a district-level, three-year average rating of effective or highly effective can earn up to $4,500. And teachers with no rating can still get $2,000.

    One teacher participating in the program is Brittany Nelson, a new STEM curriculum specialist at Anclote Elementary school in Newport Richey. 

    She recently moved to the area from Illinois.

    “Having this new role as a curriculum specialist, that being able to coach the teachers and in the long run, we’re really looking for student achievement. So being able to be part of that teacher bond in that partnership with the teachers, really, pulled my attention towards that,” she said.

    Nelson says she was drawn to Pasco County school’s program not only because of the incentives, but because it recognizes the hard work and dedication that teachers pour into their jobs every day.      

    Additionally, all opportunity school teachers receive a 50% discount on several “before and after” school programs during the school year.

    There is no deadline to apply.

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  • Pasco County seeks public input on $585M in hurricane relief

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    PASCO COUNTY — Pasco County officials are holding a series of meetings to get community input regarding a $585 million federal grant recently awarded to the county.


    The money was issued through the Department of Housing and Urban Development because of damage caused by Hurricanes Dalia, Milton and Helene.

    The grant is being issued through HUD’s Community Development Disaster Recovery Program. It’s the first time the federal grant has been issued directly to a county or municipality, said Marci Espberg, the senior program administrator for the Pasco County office of Disaster Recovery Resources.

    “It the past they would have awarded it to the state and then we would’ve had to apply to the state,” said Espberg.

    Now that the county has been awarded the $585 million grant directly, they have much more oversight over how it can be spent.

    “So, these meetings will begin on April 14 and they are to get public input for the $585 million grant that we received from HUD on how to spend the money,” said Espberg.

    Espberg, said there are more than five eligible ‘buckets’ that the funding can be used for. The first is housing.

    “So, we can replace housing, repair housing,” said Espberg. “We can build mobile homes. repair mobile homes. We could build new affordable housing. We can build it for single family or multi-family housing.”

    Then there is infrastructure and economic revitalization.

    “We want to know how our businesses impacted by the storms and what kind of loans, or grants or programs can we do to help revitalize the business community,” she said.

    Additionally, of the $585 million, $76 million must be put aside strictly for mitigation purposes to ensure a safer Pasco County in the future.

    “Then last but not least there is money that can be put toward public services like services for the homeless, healthcare, work employment like job placement skills,” she said.

    Meeting Schedule:

    Monday, April 14, at 6 p.m.

    J. Ben Harrill Recreation Complex, 2830 Gulf Trace Blvd, Holiday

    Thursday, April 17 at 6 p.m.

    Hudson Regional Library, 8012 Library Rd, Hudson

    Monday, April 21 at 6 p.m.

    Moore-Mickens Education Center, 38301 Martin Luther King Blvd, Dade City

    Thursday, May 1, at 12 p.m.

    Virtual townhall

    Tuesday, May 13, at 6 p.m.

    Zephyrhills Train Depot, 39110 South Ave, Zephyrhills

    Monday, May 19, at 6 p.m.

    Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, 3021 Sports Coast Wy, Wesley Chapel

    Tuesday, May 20, at 5 p.m. (following BCC meeting)

    West Pasco Government Center, 8731 Citizens Dr, New Port Richey

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