Stewards of Our Urban Lakes Looking to the Future

By Tina Stewart Brakebill

Volunteers in a kayak pickup trash Crescent Lake Photos by Brian Brakebill

The Beginnings of a Big Idea

Incorporated in January 2021, the Florida-based nonprofit Stewards of Our Urban Lakes (SOUL) can trace its beginnings back to Crescent Lake. Algae blooms had left the area mostly void of plants and wildlife, reducing its status to “a bowl of water in the middle of a lawn.” Wanting to improve the water quality and see the lake come alive again, concerned community members organized the Friends of Crescent Lake (FOCL) in 2007. Thanks to the continued hard work of those volunteers and a partnership with the City of St. Petersburg, the natural beauty and habitat of Crescent Lake are being protected and preserved.

Why Not Just Stay Friends?

The rebirth of Crescent Lake inspired other concerned community members to contact FOCL about issues with their own neighborhood waterways. These inquiries, coupled with hopeful ideas about the future of Crescent Lake, motivated FOCL to ask the question: Could more be done, not just for Crescent Lake, but also for other urban lakes? Members thought that was possible, but the group lacked formal legal status. To mature into an effective advocacy group and qualify for grants and other sources of funding, they needed to make a change. That began the transition into something new: SOUL.

Something New: SOUL

A volunteer cleans out the watergoat at Crescent Lake

beyond Crescent Lake to other communities striving to improve their urban lakes. Crescent Lake remains crucial to the mission, however, because SOUL understands Crescent Lake provides a successful case study for the public value of improving urban water systems. Saving Crescent Lake didn’t just renew the natural beauty of the lake; it evolved into an invigorated wetland that helps to clean its own water while also providing a strengthened habitat for renewed flora and fauna. The park and the neighborhood around the lake also are thriving, but it’s not just the immediate surroundings that benefit. As part of the Tampa Bay Estuary system as well as a shared watershed, a regenerated Crescent Lake can have extended long-term effects on water quality as well as unique ecosystems. The same is true for all urban lakes, which is why SOUL is looking to preserve and rejuvenate other urban waterways to help protect the future.

Know More, Do More

Under the immediate guidance of a board of directors with a wide range of skills and an executive team that comprises an ecologist, an environmental scientist, and a birder/management consultant, SOUL’s objectives are evolving as the group blends their talents and include cultivating partnerships that enable further research while also providing immediate action. For example, the organization received a Citgo grant that helped finance litter pickup from the watershed adjacent to both Crescent and Round lakes. In addition to the immediate cleanup, the collected debris will be analyzed to determine its origins. SOUL also plans to expand its community outreach to help build support for protecting our urban lake environments. The possibilities are boundless. Eco-scavenger hunts may inspire futurescientist grade-schoolers. An internship could inspire a college student to pursue a new line of research. For more information, visit

www.soulinc.org or send email to info@soulinc.org.

Brooke and Josh Anderson, owners of Big Man’s Moving Company recognized as #1 Mover in Tampa Bay by readers of the Tampa Bay Times

Big Man’s Wins #1 Best Mover

Annually readers of the Tampa Bay Times vote on the best businesses in Tampa Bay. Big Man’s Moving Company has won the #1 Best Mover in Tampa Bay 2-consecutive years! “Customers and neighbors have given us a chance, had a great experience, and told their friends. Their word of mouth and recommendations have been instrumental in the success of our business. We are grateful to have over 400 5-star reviews. Honestly, this award is dedicated entirely to our team. They are good, honest people who genuinely care and work very hard,” says Josh Anderson, owner (and mascot). “The greatest challenge and reward in business ownership has been finding the right people with a positive attitude and mindset.” Big Man’s movers are all full-time, W2 employees covered by workers compensation.

Owners, Josh and Brooke, experienced a terrible local move themselves which fueled their desire to start a moving company. Using wedding gifts to purchase their first truck in January 2017, the fleet has now grown to 7 trucks. “Reinvesting into our business has always been a top priority. 5 of our 7 trucks are brand new, and this offers reliability for our customers.” Big Man’s Moving has completed 3800 successful local, state-wide, and out-of-state moves and offers packing services.

BIG MAN’S MOVING COMPANY; Bigmansmoving.com; 727772-3458; info@bigmansmoving.com.

Giving Chronic Pain Sufferers Hope

Patients find relief with fewer pills in breakthrough new clinic in St. Petersburg.

For those battling with pain, but unable or unwilling to alleviate their condition with potentially addictive pills it can feel as if they are on pins and needles waiting for a solution.

However, for some suffering from pain, pins and needles ARE the solution.

Dr. Matthew Mann, DAOM, who trained internationally with some of the leading practitioners in China, practices acupuncture and other advanced procedures at St. Petersburg Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine. He says that because of the opioid epidemic, many in the pain management field are skittish about prescribing pain medication. Prior to opening his doors in St. Petersburg, Dr. Mann practiced in Texas working in high volume clinics. He currently consults with practitioners all across the country and helps guide their cases in addition to treating and overseeing cases here in St. Pete. His new facility, St. Petersburg Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine (St. Pete AIM), will also serve as a training facility and be used to conduct clinical research.

Dr. Mann said almost all of his patients cannot or prefer not to take medications to relieve their conditions.

“I’ve been maxed out on pain meds for my migraines, and the pain was still so bad I couldn’t work,” said Harold W. from Clearwater. “The doctors just told me I was going to have to live like that. Acupuncture was my last hope and it gave me the best results.”

Harold began to see Dr. Mann in March after migraines that started six months prior became so severe that he was going to the ER multiple times a week. “He’s changed my life, before I started coming here I couldn’t work, I had trouble sleeping. I didn’t know anything about acupuncture, but I was desperate”, Harold said. “I’m so glad I gave it a chance after the pain meds failed to help me.”

Dr. Ralph Becker, pain management physician for the Mayo Clinic recommends acupuncture and said Harold’s comments are common. “Patients today realize that there are non-invasive options out there and want to avoid surgery if possible.”

Becker, who has been practicing 20 years, said he learned about acupuncture during his fellowship and has enthusiastically recommended it to his patients for years.

If people ask me, I encourage them to try it. Our saying is, can’t hurt, often helps.”

Becker says he has found acupuncture helps with many of his patients who have chronic pain and neurological conditions. “You give them less medication, there are less uncomfortable side effects,” Becker said. “They become more active.”

For others struggling with pain management and staying independent, such as Lily T, pills are not an option.

“I have nerve damage in my hands and feet from my chemo treatments for colon cancer,” Lily said. “While the cancer is gone, the burning needle sensation keeps me from driving and doing the hobbies I love. When the medications the doctors prescribed me didn’t help, they all told me that there was nothing else they could do for me.”

“Sometimes I’d be up all night because of the hurting,” Lily said.

Dr. Mann said initially he had told Lily that she could not be accepted as a patient, because he was skeptical that acupuncture could help Lily’s neuropathy (nerve damage) because it was so severe.

Lily said her pain is mostly resolved and now she is able to resume the hobbies she was unable to perform prior to seeing Dr. Mann.

She said she did not expect the treatments to work, but is delighted it has. Dr. Mann says, “while we see these seemingly miraculous results day in and day out, Lily turned out to be an unusually fast responder. Typically, I expect patients to take a few more weeks to report these kinds of changes, I’m very happy for her, and all of us here at St. Pete AIM are excited to see this look of amazement on our patients’ faces.”

“I tell all my friends. I don’t have the pain anymore and I’ve stopped using my cane,” Lily said. “My family doesn’t have to drive me to the store anymore, I’ve gained back my independence.”

To see if you are a candidate for the procedures used by Dr. Mann, call 727-235-0435 to schedule a consultation today. You don’t have to live in pain.