Southshore Prepares for The Summer of 26'

Want to get your business in The Southshore Circle?

Let’s Talk!

THE SKINNY

• Spring Bling Giveaway Winner Announced Monday!

• Summer Starts Closing In

• Graduation Tickets Hit The Black Market

• Mosquito Problems

Featured Story

Summer is Knocking

Big plans, hot days, and everything you need right here in Southshore

That’s right, Southshore. Step outside after 8 AM and the slight tinge you feel in your armpit is a humid 90-degree day peeking around the corner. Summer is on its way, and it’s not waiting until Memorial Day.

As Floridians, this is what we live for. So let’s kick this thing into high gear and start planning now. From vacations to beach days, summer is meant to be legendary. And in Southshore, we’re taking that to a whole new level.

So what if gas prices are $30 a gallon and TECO is about to start collecting organs for payment? I’m sure you all got the same email, and hey, we’ll be getting some shillings back in September. (Thanks, TECO… not really.)

Over the next several newsletters, we’ll be bringing you all the summer fun happening in and around Southshore. From pickleball parties to paddleboard propaganda and everything in between. We’ll also be ramping up the giveaways, and our team will be out on the town making sure Southshore Circle readers never have a dull moment.

This is all in an effort to show you that you don’t have to go far. Southshore has something for everybody. But let’s be honest, with the current price of gas, who’s trying to drive anyway?

So buckle your seatbelt, crank up the AC, and turn your favorite song on full blast. Summer is taking the driver’s seat, and The Southshore Circle just called shotgun.

The Hottest Ticket in Town

Southshore high school graduation ticket limits leave families scrambling for seats

Graduation time is right around the corner, and the black market for tickets is heating up. If you’ve got a senior in Southshore at one of the six public high schools, you already know the deal. Tickets are limited, usually around ten per student, and for a lot of families, that’s just not enough.

Back in my day (CO 1998, I’m not that old), graduations were held at the Sun Dome, and tickets weren’t even part of the conversation. You showed up, you cheered, and everyone who mattered got to be there.

Now? It’s a little different.

Families are making guest lists like it’s a wedding. Grandparents or siblings. Aunts or uncles. Someone’s getting left out. And when that happens, people get creative. There’s been a quiet but very real black market for graduation tickets for years now. I’m breaking the first rule just by mentioning it. If you know, you know.

But the bigger question isn’t just why tickets are limited. It’s why everything feels like this now. Because this isn’t just about graduation. It’s about what happens when we start taking the humanity out of everything.

In and out. Next group up. Keep it moving. It’s efficient. It’s controlled. It’s calculated. And maybe that’s the problem.

We talk all the time about AI taking over, about machines replacing people, about losing that human touch. But if we’re being honest, we’ve already started doing it ourselves.

We’ve started thinking like systems. Counting seats. Managing flow. Optimizing time. Making decisions based on what’s easiest to manage instead of what actually matters.

Graduation isn’t supposed to feel like a process. It’s supposed to feel like a moment. One of the few in life where everything slows down just enough for you to take it in. Look around. Find your people. Feel it.

But when you turn it into a schedule, into a rotation, into an assembly line… That feeling starts to slip. And life already moves fast enough. We rush through mornings, race through workdays, scroll through nights, and before you know it, the weeks are gone. The years too. Moments like this are supposed to make us pause.

Because if we don’t…

One day, we’re going to look up and realize we didn’t just move things along. We moved right past them. And those are the moments you don’t get back.

Things to do

What’s Washing Up on The Shore This Week

Your Weekly What in the World

Mosquitoes Aren’t Guessing… They’re Hunting You

If you live in Florida, you already know mosquitoes are a problem. But what you probably don’t realize is this… they’re not just flying around hoping to get lucky. They’re targeting you.

New research tracking millions of mosquito flight paths shows they’re far more calculated than we thought. They don’t rely on just one signal. They combine multiple things at the same time to find you.

Carbon dioxide from your breath. Your body heat and scent. Even what you’re wearing, especially darker colors.

On their own, those signals don’t do much. But when mosquitoes detect more than one at once, they start circling you, closing in until they land.

And if you’ve ever felt like they go straight for your head, you’re not imagining it. That area gives off a steady stream of carbon dioxide and stands out visually, making it an easy target.

Now put that into a Florida setting. Heat, humidity, standing water, and long summers create the perfect environment for mosquitoes to thrive. Which means you’re not just dealing with more mosquitoes. You’re dealing with better ones.

The upside is this kind of research could lead to smarter traps and better ways to keep them away. But for now, it explains a lot. So next time you step outside and feel like they’re only going after you… You might be right.

Southshore Spotlight

OUR LADY’S PANTRY

If you’re looking for a way to make a real impact right here in Southshore, Our Lady’s Pantry is doing exactly that.

Run entirely by volunteers, this local nonprofit provides free food to families across Apollo Beach, Ruskin, Riverview, Wimauma, and beyond, helping ensure no one in our community goes hungry.

Whether you’re in need, looking to donate, or just want to give back, there’s always a way to help. And around here, that kind of work doesn’t go unnoticed.

Nominate your local hero by emailing us at [email protected]

We Know a Guy…or Girl

LLT Destinations

Interested in joining the list? Shoot us an email to [email protected]

“Keep it Local!”

Foodies Only

Roots Southern BBQ

If you haven’t heard, Roots Southern BBQ is heading back to South Carolina this July. Safe to say, we’re going to miss them. If you haven’t stopped by yet, now’s the time… and if you have, you already know.

If you’ve got a restaurant, food truck, or even a lemonade stand, it could be featured here. Email us at [email protected]

Local Sports

Our area high schools boast state champions and multiple division titleists. Come out and show your support for these teams and for our community.

Got news, events, or press releases that the Southshore needs to know about? Submit them here. (We’ll do our best to add press releases in our regular rotation.) If you’re looking to run an actual ad, go here instead.

Until next time,

Keep It Local.