How Neighboring Communities Use County Dispatch

Some local municipalities outsource police dispatch on nights and weekends to save costs.

For the past year, Gulfport city leaders have discussed the possibility of outsourcing the city's police dispatch to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office (PCSO). It would be a cost-saving measure as the city's budget continues to grow and officials search for ways to make cuts while maintaining essential emergency services. Savings could be significant – as much as $147,677 for the first year and an annual savings of as much as $305,226 thereafter, according to an estimate obtained by Gulfport Police Chief Robert Vincent in September 2010. There is debate as to whether the city's needs would be sufficiently met, since the dispatchers outside the city might not be as familiar with Gulfport's geography. The initial estimate that Chief …

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Pleasure Doing Business

Pleasure Doing Business: The Bug Man

Rick McChesney's "The Bug Man" business has built a loyal following in Gulfport and surrounding communities with pest control services and supplies for more than 30 years.

Rick McChesney opened “The Bug Man” extermination business 33 years ago out of his home and opened the retail location in Gulfport in 1991. Florida has always been a paradise for pests and McChesney enjoys a thriving business doing battle with them every day. Originally from Knoxville, TN, McChesney has lived in St. Petersburg most of his life and as physically demanding as the job can be, he maintains a sense of humor and is as much into educating clients as he is doing the job himself. The “Bug Man” sign in front of his store is ingrained into the memories of passersby on Gulfport Blvd. and to those who have never stopped, the tiny showroom offers a bit of education with a display of all insects known to infiltrate local homes. He also …

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Pleasure Doing Business

Pleasure Doing Business: SIK Promotions, Inc.

Suzanne King has become the go-to person to organize events in the Tampa Bay area and beyond.

Suzanne King volunteered to help organize a local festival years ago and now finds herself doing it as a full-time gig as SIK Promotions, Inc. Event organization is something many think they can do and want to take part in but when it comes time for everyone to be where they're supposed to be on the big day it takes an experienced organizer to make it happen. She has made it happen for more than a decade and works from home, riding a constant wave of emails and phone calls each week in preparation for the next event. She began by helping set up a festival in John's Pass Village and gradually moved on to organizing festivals while maintaining a full-time job in the restaurant industry. Through word-of-mouth she eventually started getting …

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Daniel Hodge

2:51 pm on Friday, August 12, 2011

Suzie King is the real deal. She is immensely talented in event organizing and has the tremendous energy it takes to put it all together. My hat's off to Suzie for her great work and her many contributions to making Gulfport a great, fun place to live.   more ›

Pleasure Doing Business

Pleasure Doing Business: Pat Dunham Consulting

Pat Dunham has been operating home-based businesses for 50 years, has a new book and a fresh perspective on being your own boss.

Pat Dunham learned early in life that if she wanted anything she could go make the money herself to get what she wanted. She also knew when she started a family that she would be there to watch them grow up. She has stuck to those two values and has been operating home-based businesses ever since and now operates Pat Dunham Consulting out of her Gulfport home. Originally from East Hampton, Connecticut she and her husband, Frank, moved to Gulfport decades ago. Her consulting business caters to those looking to create home-based businesses and she has hundreds of options for clients and spends all the time necessary to find the best fit for them. She consults with clients both international and local and focuses on a list of more than 600 …

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Pleasure Doing Business

Pleasure Doing Business: Senior Solutions of Pinellas County

Business owner Jane Ogilvie strives to do for her clients what she would do for her own family.

Jane Ogilvie founded Senior Solutions of Pinellas County, based in Gulfport, 13 years ago to answer the demand for a much-needed service. The business assists individuals and families in need of geriatric care by arranging for assisted living, medical care and being there to assure the well-being of loved ones. With the number of elderly residents in Florida and the fact that many of their family members are out of state, it is a service much needed and appreciated. She describes her position as care coordinator and consultant and will speak with anyone regarding issues pertaining to the elderly before, during and after a crisis. It is an individualized service not to be confused with what some would refer to as case management. Originally…

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Pleasure Doing Business

Pleasure Doing Business: Sea Breeze Manor Bed & Breakfast

Lori Rosso worked for years in Washington D.C. for numerous organizations arranging tours for diplomats before landing in Gulfport as the owner of a B&B.

Lori Rosso stumbled upon a gem of an opportunity nine years ago in acquiring the Sea Breeze Manor Bed & Breakfast. She didn't have much time to ponder the opportunity but took it and ran with it and continues on a fast pace, getting more involved with her community as she goes. Originally from Long Island, New York, Rosso worked hard to develop a successful career arranging delegation tours for Washington diplomats throughout the 1980s and 90s, ascending to the level of arranging trips for President George Bush (senior). In that role she acquired one of the all-time intricate titles bestowed upon a person: Special Assistant to the Assistant to the President for Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs. After 20 years she tired of the …

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Pleasure Doing Business

Pleasure Doing Business: Media Concepts, Inc.

Media Concepts has been in business on 49th St. since 1974 and continues to stay ahead of the media curve.

It all started in 1974 when John P. Gallagher and Bob Skidmore, two broadcast veterans in New York, came to Florida to sell in-room, closed-circuit movie systems to local hotels. The idea was a hit and eventually led to renting movie videos, which led to a video production facility, and the business continues to evolve to this day. Media Concepts is now owned by Scott Richardson and Rick Smith, who both worked for the original owners and continue to roll with the punches in the media business. Located at 559 49th St. the building is well marked but but well hidden at the same time. Few probably realize how much equipment and history is steeped inside the three structures that house the business. Media Concepts is a full-service media …

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Pleasure Doing Business

Pleasure Doing Business: The Golf Shop

Rick Yarrington is a former long-drive champion and current owner of The Golf Shop.

Golf professional Rick Yarrington has owned and operated The Golf Shop on Gulfport Boulevard since 1985 selling a complete line of equipment with professional golf instruction and a full-service equipment repair facility. Centrally located among a slew of golf courses, his shop is the only place in the area where a golfer can bring in a broken club or a loose grip and have it repaired and make his or her tee time within the hour. Yarrington shoots straight with a no-nonsense personality and a powerful presence behind the desk at the back of his shop. He doesn't hesitate to suggest a repair instead of purchasing new equipment even though he has just about anything a golfer could want, brand new, in his store including clubs, bags, shoes, …

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Gulfport City Council

City Council Rejects Golf Cart Ordinance

The Gulfport City Council rejected a proposed ordinance governing the use of golf carts on city streets out of concerns for safety and liability.

The Gulfport City Council rejected the proposed golf cart ordinance that has been a subject of much discussion in recent months. After another round of debate at Tuesday's council meeting the council voted 3-2 against adopting the new ordinance that would have created new regulations regarding golf cart usage in line with the city's safety standards, insurance liability, legality and geography. As a result of the vote, golf cart users will simply have to comply with existing state statutes (316.212) regarding use on city streets. The proposed ordinance is now history, and any new ordinance would have to be re-created. It is unclear whether the council will attempt to do so, but there was no indication that it will come up again in the …

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