🌱 Don The Beachcomber Coming To Tampa + DeSantis Targets School Board

Hello all. It's me, Carlos Hernandez, your host of the Tampa Patch newsletter. Come along to find out everything you need to know about what's going on in town these days, including updates on...

• Don the Beachcomber could be expanding into the area soon with Tampa-based 23 Restaurant Services.
• Governor Ron DeSantis and Moms For Liberty are targeting 5 Tampa area school board members in 2024.
• Davis Island's Bayou Bodega is shutting down nearly two years after opening.

But first, today's weather:

Partly sunny and very warm. High: 84 Low: 61.

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Here are the top stories today in Tampa:

1. Anonymous mailers are attacking elected officials critical of City of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor who is currently running for re-election. Incumbents Bill Carlson and Lynn Hurtak are the target of the attacks. This year's municipal election has experienced an influx of money with millionaire Blake Casper, whose net worth is $300 million, spending over $100,000 of his own money to target the seat of Bill Carlson for himself. (Subscription: Tampa Bay Times)
2. Davis Island's Bayou Bodega is shutting down, according to a Facebook post from the small business. The restaurant opened in April 2021. Owners blamed the closure on an "unexpected lack of support we faced on Davis Island." (Creative Loafing Tampa)
3. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Moms For Liberty are targeting five Tampa Bay area school board members for so-called "woke" idealogy. The plan comes amid book bans across the state, a battle of AP courses and Black history, and other politicals fights. The list of teachers was made public on Tuesday to conservative news network, Fox News. (Florida Politics)
4. Tampa City Council is discussing increasing the number of police officers in Tampa as the population surges in the area and how they could budget for hiring. Tampa Police Department currently employs 984 police officers with few vacancies. The president of the Tampa Police Benevolent Association would like 200 more officers if possible. (WUSF)
5. Don the Beachcomber, named after the iconic tiki movement leader, is looking at expanding into the Tampa region. Beach, whose real name was Ernest Raymond Gantt, opened the first Tiki bar under the Don the Beachcomber brand in the 1930s in California. The concept is now owned by Tampa-based 23 Restaurant Services and March Brown. (Business Observer)

Today in Tampa:

• Sunshine Sunday at Glazer Children's Museum. (10 a.m.)
• Beer Yoga Presented By Crystal Kage at Grand Central Brewhouse. (10 a.m.)
• Sunday Morning Market at Westshore Marina. (11 a.m.)
• Shiba Inu Meetup & Rescue Fundraiser at Two Shepherds Taproom. (noon)
• Damron Concert Artist Series at The University Of Tampa College Of Arts And Letters (2 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Tampa International Airport shared: "If you've got Maine on your mind, this summer is the perfect time to visit. With nonstop service available from TPA to Portland beginning May 17 on Breeze Airways, it's never been easier to explore the Pine Tree State." (Tampa International Airport via Facebook)
• Tampa General Hospital shared: "A bolt of joy struck our TGH Children's Hospital when ThunderBug and Tampa Bay Lightning players Mikhail Sergachev and Vladislav Namestnikov visited our patients and team members." (Tampa General Hospital via Facebook)
• Stuff To Do In Tampa Bay shared: "More money, more problems: Check out this guide that is full of the best activities in Tampa Bay under $20. https://loom.ly/My8IEhs" (Stuff to Do in Tampa Bay via Facebook)
• Tampa Museum of Art, Inc.: "Now open to the public! 💚 Experience a unique and captivating exhibition by the talented artist Salman Toor (Pakistani, b. 1983). His exhibition, "No Ordinary Love," explores power, sexuality, and imagination, featuring more than 45 spectacular paintings and works on paper between 2019 and 2022." (Tampa Museum of Art, Inc. via Facebook)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow morning with another update.

— Carlos Hernandez

About me: Hello my name is Carlos Hernandez and I am a food writer with over 10 years of experience in the industry. I write the food blog Carlos Eats (http://www.carloseats.com) and also contribute to several newspapers and magazines with food-related blogs and articles.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Tampa Patch newsletter? Contact me at SouthTampa@Patch.com