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🌱 Patch AM: How did Clearwater’s City Council races shake out—and what’s next?

Happening soon: "Piano Man" – An Intimate Solo Tribute to Billy Joel Live! on the Clearwater Patch calendar

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Thursday August 20th Patch AM (Patch graphic)

Good morning Clearwater! We're back in your inbox this morning to keep you in the loop with what's happening in and around town. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • How did Clearwater's City Council races shake out—and what's next?
  • What to expect at Clearwater's first lantern festival this December
  • Quaker Steak & Lube closes in Clearwater after nearly 25 years

Also on today's calendar: "Piano Man" – An Intimate Solo Tribute to Billy Joel Live! and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: Why do fish live in salt water? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Thursday: Humid with a thunderstorm, with a high of 90 and low of 79 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
  • Friday: A t-storm around in the p.m., temps: high: 91, low: 80.
  • Saturday: A p.m. t-storm in spots, with a high of 90 and low of 79 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• Jared Leone upsets Bianca Latvala as Sam Wilson, Mark Bunker head to a runoff for Clearwater City Council (floridapolitics.com) — Clearwater voters have elected Jared Leone to City Council Seat 4 and pushed Sam Wilson and former council member Mark Bunker into a November runoff for Seat 5. The article details fundraising, political backing, and campaign positions that shaped both races. It also explains how outside strategists and local endorsements influenced this year's council contests.
   

• Art Everywhere launches in Pinellas this fall (83degreesmedia.com) — Clearwater will cap a new countywide arts initiative with the first-ever Clearwater Illuminations: Lantern Festival & International Night Market at Coachman Park on December 6. Funded through the Art Everywhere grant program, the event honors Clearwater's sister-city relationship with Nagano, Japan. Dozens of other Art Everywhere performances, exhibits, and festivals will run across Pinellas in November and early December.
   

• 10 Tampa Bay restaurants that closed this summer (tampabay.com) — One of the biggest local changes this summer is the closure of Quaker Steak & Lube in Clearwater after nearly 25 years of bike nights, car shows, and live music. The roundup also notes several other notable restaurant and bar shutdowns across Tampa Bay, from St. Petersburg to Tampa and Brandon, reflecting a challenging season for the region's dining scene.
   

📸 Around Clearwater

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Clearwater

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📣 Clearwater Shout Outs!

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Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

 

Thank you 👏👏👏 to these businesses for making Clearwater PatchAM possible:

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Pls help me find my missing cat.
    I know you may be rolling your eyes and thinking, another runaway cat, but Mackie is special. He was an outdoor cat up until just over a year ago. He… (Nextdoor On Top Of The World)
  • Hello neighborhood peeps!
    I'm interested in making my rescue dog's food. She has severe skin allergies, and even the pricey salmon kibble isn't helping as much as I'd like. … (Nextdoor Glenwood Estates)
  • Saint-Gobain S.A. posted a job opening for Material Handler in Clearwater. Apply here.
  • Public Storage, Inc. posted a job opening for Customer Service - Self Storage Manager in Clearwater. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Clearwater here.

🗞 Nearby News

Dunedin

  • Downtown Dunedin businesses seek open-container entertainment district (baynews9.com)
  • Brain Emoji escape their Florida confines • MUSICFESTNEWS (musicfestnews.com)
  • Benderson Development acquires three retail properties in region (businessobserverfl.com)

Belleair

St. Petersburg

  • Retro-Themed Bar, Restaurant To Close In Grand Central District (patch.com)

Ok Clearwater! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Pepper makes them sneeze (Thank you Karla H. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what's happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

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