From the Bench

North Shore. Photo by Brian Brakebill

A note from the Publishers

Elle Sica

This month marks six years of Green Bench Monthly! We are grateful for the opportunity to publish stories about our community and couldn’t do it without the support of our advertisers and readers like you. We believe that independent media is more important than ever, so we sincerely thank you for making our passion a possibility.

We would like to introduce you to our newest family member, Elle Sica! We are so in love. Many thanks to the labor and delivery team at St. Pete General. They took such great care of our new little one – we can’t thank the nurses and staff enough.

Congratulations to historic preservation advocate Peter Belmont! Last month, he received a key to the city in recognition of his more than 40 years of service to the St. Pete community. Peter, thank you for keeping St. Pete special!

In this issue: remember Goose Pond (pg. 6), get to know Antonio Brown (pg. 9), explore the local beaches (pg. 16), see what developments are on the horizon for St. Pete (pg. 20), and mark your calendars for upcoming events (pg. 22). Till next time, Ashley & Tony

All are welcome on this bench.

The history of the green benches is layered. For some, it is a reminder of a painful period of racism and segregation. To others, it is a symbol of welcomeness and hospitality. We carry this name to shine a light on our city’s history and in celebration of those who work tirelessly towards a more inclusive St. Pete. To read more about our story and the history of the green benches visit greenbenchmonthly.com/about.