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Southshore Story Time

The Circus Town

Part Three

The circus life never really leaves you. Most of the performers who settled in Gibtown kept a piece of it. A lucky charm, a costume, a photograph with the name scratched out.

Some had old trailers filled with props, buried in vines and rusted shut. Others kept journals, not just of tricks and tours, but of dreams they’d had. Dreams where the ring never closed, and the crowd never stopped clapping. Dreams that felt more like memories of things that hadn’t happened yet.

One such journal belonged to a man named Petrov—a contortionist turned groundskeeper. In his final years, he took care of the Showmen’s Cemetery, keeping the grass neat and the markers clean.

His journal, found after his death, included this entry:

“I heard them again. In the early dark. Jeanie’s bell. Al’s cane. They walk the rows, counting. Always counting. I think they’re making sure the number stays the same.”

The caretaker who replaced him didn’t last a year.

He said he saw footprints one morning—barefoot, sizeless—looping in perfect circles around three gravestones. The grass inside the circle hadn’t grown back since.

Featured Story

From Fertilizer to Front Porch: The Stuff Beneath Southshore

If you've been keeping up with The Southshore Circle, you might remember our recent story about that curious road project out in Mulberry. Mosaic, one of the biggest names in phosphate production, is currently building a test road using phosphogypsum. Yes, that’s the mildly radioactive byproduct from making fertilizer. Don’t worry though, it’s all happening on private land with a lot of scientists and safety checks standing by.

The EPA approved the project, saying the risk is "extremely low," which is comforting... kind of. Environmental groups aren't so sure. Lawsuits have already been filed and critics are concerned about what happens if this test paves the way (pun very much intended) for radioactive roads in the public space.

But while we’re watching what’s being built out there, we might want to pay attention to what’s already sitting under us here at home.

Southshore rests on top of Florida’s phosphate-rich terrain, which sounds great until you realize that it naturally gives off radon gas. Radon is invisible, odorless, and tasteless. Basically the ninja of indoor air pollutants. It's also the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., which feels like a pretty uncool superpower.

So how bad is it in our neighborhoods?

According to the Florida Department of Health:

• Sun City Center had 14 percent of homes test above the EPA’s action level

• Riverview came in at about 9 percent

• Apollo Beach showed around 7 percent

These aren’t massive numbers, but they’re nothing to ignore. And that’s only from the homes that actually tested. If you haven’t checked your own radon levels yet, well... you might be breathing in more than just Florida humidity.

The good news? Testing is easy, and no one has to wear a hazmat suit. The Florida Department of Health offers radon test kits you can request straight from their website.
👉 floridahealth.gov/radon

So while Mosaic tests its radioactive roads over in Polk County, let’s make sure we’re not living on surprise science projects ourselves. No need to panic, just test your home, get peace of mind, and maybe skip the whole "my house glows in the dark" thing.

After all, this is Southshore. We’ve got sunshine, golf carts, and an above-average amount of wild headlines. Let’s just make sure the air inside our homes doesn’t make the next one.

Things to do

What’s Washing Up on The Shore This Week

AROUND TOWN

Featured Summer Camps & Training

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Until next time,

Keep It Local.