In the ninja world, Jason and Kathy Bergstrom and their family – nine kids, five of them adopted – are known as the Bergstrom Bunch. The Seminole family operates the Jungle Gym, an obstacle-based facility in Pinellas Park, but three members of the family have taken their passion for competition to another level, excelling on the NBC show "American Ninja Warrior."

Mayor Leslie Waters has a new title to add to her name — author.

She has released “Good Morning Mayor, What’s Up?” through self-publishing and print-on-demand company Xlibris Book Publishers. This primer on local government explains how city governments are formed, managed and governed.

By now, Save the Tides is used to protesting the development of green space, said Ron Stephens, a board member for the organization.

It didn’t take long for the residents living near Bardmoor Golf & Tennis Club, 8001 Cumberland Rd., to activate once they learned the property’s owner, Bayou Golf LLC, intended to sell the property to developers if they were able to successfully appeal to the county to rezone the land. They immediately created Save Bardmoor, an organization dedicated to saving the property from redevelopment.

For nearly five years, owners of Baypointe Golf Course, 9399 Commodore Dr., have neglected the property, said Linda McDowell, founder of the Save Baypointe Golf Club.

“They’ve basically abandoned it,” she said in an interview with the Beacon. “Something needs to be done.”

Bardmoor. Baypointe. Tides. Three Seminole-area golf course properties with uncertain fates. In many ways, their stories are similar. In Pinellas County, the most densely populated county in the state of Florida, large swatches of open green space — undeveloped land — are hard to come by. Developers eye these properties as attractive possibilities, whether they’re active golf courses or not, which has inspired thousands living in nearby homes to step up and speak out against these plans.

Late last fall, Seminole Fire Rescue welcomed the newest vehicle to its fleet — a former Army cargo truck, a Stewart & Stevenson LMTV, converted into a brush truck.

Registration is open for the 14th annual Tri If You Dare Youth Triathlon, which will take place Sunday, June 30, at the Seminole Recreation Center, 9100 113th St. N.

Richard Khan, a Seminole resident, participates in the Great Cycle Challenge each June to raise money for childhood cancer research. He rides in the memory of his sister, Natalie, who died at 27 from lymphoma.

Firemedic Chris Collins and Izzy Broihier, daughter of the city of Seminole's finance director, Allison Broihier, water a newly planted live oak during the city's April 26 Arbor Day tree planting celebration at Waterfront Park.

Save Bardmoor and Save the Tides organizations have joined forces to host a Green Space Rally on Saturday along Park Boulevard in front of Waterfront Park. The rally is a protest against “overdevelopment by out-of-state developers and further loss of what little open space we have left in the county.”

Tampa Bay beer lovers will have the chance to say goodbye to award-winning brewer Greg Rapp at a Celebration of Life event Saturday at the brewery he founded, Rapp Brewing Company. Rapp, one of the region’s early craft brewers, died March 10 after battling prostate cancer for three years. He was 60 years old.

SEMINOLE — City councilors gave preliminary approval to Aldi’s plan to expand its storefront in Seminole.

Those who remember Shadia Martin from her time at Seminole High School likely recall her as a shy but talented and creative student with a penchant for singing and playing guitar.

Her former classmates might be surprised to learn that the 2012 graduate is living in Los Angeles pursuing a career as an actress.

She was featured in the recently released music video for EDM producer and DJ Marshmello’s song “Here with Me” featuring the Scottish band Chvurches. By press time, the video had amassed more than 5 million views on YouTube.

Though Bella Rincon’s coffee education didn’t begin until she took a job as a barista at Indian Shores Coffee nearly 10 years ago, coffee has “always been in my blood,” she said.

After retiring early from his role as art director at New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority nearly a decade ago, Clif Militello decided to focus on his own endeavors through his creative moniker, Madfog.

Mayor Leslie Waters told council members at their March 12 Seminole City Council meeting that leaders at American Legion post in Madeira Beach are “concerned” that there is no American flag installed at Seminole City Center.

Registration is open for the 26th annual Seminole Stampede 5K Race and 1-mile Fun Run, set for Saturday, March 23 at Walsingham Park, 12620 102nd Ave. Participants must arrive before 7:30 a.m.

The city of Seminole recently launched a new website, City Manager Ann Toney-Deal told the Seminole City Council at its March 5 meeting.