The Trailblazer

  Hillsborough County’s Marine Safety Unit Based out of E.G. Simmons Conservation Park, Hillsborough County’s Marine Safety Unit (MSU) plays a vital role in keeping local waterways safe, accessible, and environmentally healthy. Last week, we had the opportunity to spend a day on the water with Marine Safety Coordinator Stephen Decatur and Marine Safety Specialists Alan Grinaldi and Blake Milner to learn more about the variety of work they do each  day.    Stephen Decatur, Alan Grinaldi, and Blake Milner As Stephen explains, “The Hillsborough County Marine Safety Unit (MSU) is responsible for maintenance, repair, and replacement of over 1,000 signs on the waterways of the county, derelict vessel management and removal, and assisting all law enforcement agencies (local, state, and federal).” While that may sound straightforward, no two days are ever the same.  “One day we might be making sure the waterway markers are up to compliance and the next we might be remov...

  The tenth year of the Hiking Spree drew to a close in March. While many of you may still be trying to remember to pick up your rewards, we’ve been reflecting on the past season – and the last ten – to see what we can do to make the next ten years even better. We think about the Hiking Spree a lot; in fact, there’s not a single month of the year where we are not actively planning or running the Hiking Spree. Planning for the Kickoff event is in full swing, our rewards are being designed and ordered, and the coveted trail list is being written and re-written throughout the summer. To celebrate the end of the tenth year and the beginning of a new Spree decade, we wanted to write about some of our favorite things about the Hiking Spree over the years, what we’ve learned, and where we want to go. Setting out on the Trail The origin of the Hillsborough County Hiking Spree borrowed the concept from the Summit Metropolitan Park District in Ohio, which has been hosting the hiking ev...