The Florida Democratic Party (FDP) has announced the candidates it’s supporting through its regular “Take Back Local” program in four March 11 municipal elections across Palm Beach and Pinellas counties.

Two of the four candidates are incumbents, so they’re not really “taking back” anything, though FDP spokesperson Matt Dailey said the program’s name isn’t exactly literal.

FDP Chair Nikki Fried said in a statement that each candidate “has what it takes to win elections.”

“The Florida Democratic Party is focused on making gains at the local level in 2025,” she said, “and we’re proud to invest in their success as we build a brighter future for Florida Democrats.”

The new “Take Back Local” candidates — selected through a “rigorous application and vetting process,” an FDP press note said — will receive grassroots organizing and fundraising support from the state party.

They include:

— Lake Park Commissioner Michael Hensley, one of four incumbents on the Town Commission — including Vice Mayor Kimberly Glas-Castro and Commissioners Mary Beth Taylor and Judith Thomas — running to keep their seats. Two challengers, John Linden and Michael O’Rourke, are also running. The four candidates who score the most votes will take (or hold) their seats on the Town Council.

— Coconut Creek Commissioner Jackie Railey, who faces one challenger, no-party candidate Philippa Sklaar. Races for the Commission’s District C and E seats are also up for grabs.

— Marlene Shaw, who is running for the Gulfport City Council’s Ward 2 seat. She’s one of two candidates, the other being Byron Chalfont, challenging incumbent Council member Christine Brown.

— Dom Vargas, who is running for the District 3 seat on the Boynton Beach Commission. Standing in his way is incumbent Republican Commissioner Thomas Turkin.

Boynton Beach, Coconut Creek and Lake Park are in Palm Beach County. Gulfport is in Pinellas County.

The deadline to register to vote in the March 11 elections is Feb. 10. Voters wishing to cast their ballots by mail must register by Feb. 27.

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New swimming safety measures could be implemented to help protect children from drowning.

The bill (HB 413), filed by Boca Raton Republican Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman, would create the “Kareem Angel Green Autism Drowning Prevention Act.”

If passed, the act would prohibit organizations that provide care for children under the age of 12-years-old, or children who have been diagnosed with autism under the age of 18-years-old, from gaining access to public swimming pools and bathing places without first getting specified information from the child’s parents or legal guardians.

These organizations include summer day camps, full-time residential summer camps, schools, preschools, kindergartens, nursery schools, or childcare centers that provide care for more than five children.

Under the bill, parents and legal guardians would first have to provide one of the following — a certification from the American Red Cross, the Y.M.C.A, or other nationally recognized aquatic training program that the child is proficient in swimming; a signed written statement from a parent or legal guardian that states the child is able to swim; or a waiver that acknowledges their child is unable to swim and could be at risk of injury while swimming, releasing the organization from any liability.

If a parent or guardian notifies an organization that their child is unable to swim proficiently, the organization would be required to provide a Coast Guard-approved floatation device to the child before they can enter the water.

Drowning is one of the leading causes of death in young children in Florida, and a significant cause of death for medically frail elderly people, according to the bill.

The bill notes that constant adult supervision and the use of safety features would be key to reducing drowning deaths. It further notes the health care costs, loss of lifetime productivity, and legal expenses associated with brain disabilities that come from near-drownings are “enormous.”

The bill would require new swimming pools, spas, and hot tubs to be equipped with at least one safety feature. The Florida Department of Health would be responsible for producing or adopting a publication that informs parents and caregivers of how to prevent drownings.

Licensed pool contractors would also be responsible for providing drowning prevention information to clients who are getting a new pool, spa, or hot tub installed under the bill.

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The Gulf of Mexico became the Gulf of America with the stroke of President Donald Trump’s pen.

Could the Cross Florida Barge Canal become the American Freedom Canal?

If Citrus County Commissioners get their way, it could. Taking a cue from Trump, the board will consider renaming the barge canal to reflect its “historical and strategic importance.”

County Administrator Steve Howard said he placed the proclamation on the Feb. 11 agenda after receiving consensus from commissioners to do so.

They’re not all on board, though.

Commissioner Jeff Kinnard, the board’s champion for a planned $11 million multi-lane boat ramp at the barge canal, said the proclamation will divide the community and place the boat ramp project in jeopardy.

“We have unanimous support from Marion and Hernando and never once mentioned anything to them about renaming the canal,” he said. “That’s an unnecessary and unpredictable move by the Citrus County BOCC, potentially distancing some in all three counties.”

Howard said the proclamation is to bring awareness to the barge canal. He noted the Coast Guard is relocating its Yankeetown station from the Withlacoochee River to the canal, and the proposed name change is more in line with that move.

He also downplayed the current name’s significance.

“‘Cross Florida Barge Canal.’ No one calls it that,” Howard said. “They call it the ‘barge canal.’ It’s hard for me to understand why someone is upset about it.”

The barge canal has a lengthy and scattered history. President Franklin Roosevelt created the Florida Canal Authority on the belief that cutting a shipping route through the width of the state would stimulate the economy.

The project sputtered, and finally President Richard Nixon halted construction for good in 1971. The 110-mile Cross Florida Greenway, named for environmental activist Marjorie Harris Carr, stretches from Yankeetown to Palatka. The canal cuts through northwest Citrus County.

It’s used mostly used for recreation. The county has an official Port Citrus designation on the barge canal, but it was never built, and no such port exists.

Since 2012, the county has sought funding and permits for a multi-lane boat ramp that it hopes will alleviate boat traffic on the heavily congested Crystal River. At $7.2 million, it is the county’s top legislative request this year.

Howard said he and others were discussing the Coast Guard addition to the barge canal and thought the waterway should be renamed to welcome that security presence. He said the idea for “American Freedom Canal” came from those discussions.

The proclamation makes direct reference to Trump’s decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico.

“Whereas, in accordance with Executive Order 14172, entitled Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness, which directed the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and promotes the restoration of names reflecting American ideals, it is proposed that the Cross Florida Barge Canal be renamed the American Freedom Canal, in recognition of its historical and national defense significance…” it reads.

Howard, however, insisted that renaming the canal was unrelated to Trump’s executive order.

Many readers of the Just Wright Citrus blog, which reported on the proclamation Wednesday, were critical of commissioners for even considering the move when they have more pressing needs.

A sampling of comments:

— “That name has nothing to do with the history of the canal! It’s plain stupid. Besides, how is a dead-end canal freedom to anything?”

— “I could care less what it is named. The name doesn’t affect the lives of 99% of Citrus County residents. We are way more concerned with getting roads paved, infrastructure built, affordable housing, insurance costs, etc.”

— “I would like to propose that we rename the worst 10 roads in Citrus to Freedom Ave., Bald Eagle Drive, etc. They will get fixed instantly, right?”

— “Wow, I thought the county had much bigger issues to spend their time on! What a waste of staff time working on this. Some things should be left alone, and this is one of them.”

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