From my inbox:
The All Children’s Hospital Guild North Pinellas Branch invites you to join them for their annual Bunco Party on Saturday, October 2nd , starting at 12:00 PM at Regency Oaks Life Care Community at 2720 Regency Oaks Blvd. This year’s theme is “Fun and Fantasy” so dress up and join in on the fun, or come as you are. A $20.00 donation includes Bunco and a delicious lunch as well as plenty of prizes! There will also be a chance at “Opportunity Baskets”.
No need to know how to play. Seating is limited so sign up by calling Carolyn at 727-942-3028. For directions call 727-252-0540 or go to www.regencyoaks.com
The All Children’s Hospital Guild members are dedicated volunteers who assist the All Children’s Hospital Foundation by providing volunteer service and resources for children who need the Hospital’s services. Proceeds from this event will benefit the Neo Natal Intensive Care Unit at All Children’s Hospital and the East Lake Therapy Center.
From my inbox ...
As part of HART’s Dog Days of Summer ridership promotions, HART is inviting the community to book a free tour on Route 30, which connects Downtown Tampa to Tampa International Airport (TIA). It’s HART’s way of showing appreciation to current riders, while giving the public the opportunity to experience how easy it is to get around with HART!
Free tours will take place Saturday, Sept. 11, and begin at the Marion Transit Center in downtown Tampa. Participants will meet their guide, who will jet them along the service route to TIA. They will then have time to visit TIA shops to receive special offers from TGI Friday’s, Ron Jon Surf Shop, International Plaza and more! Riders will also receive a complementary fare card to use on a future bus trip.
All Route 30 service tours must be booked at least 24 hours in advance. Tours may be booked by calling 813-449-4713 or emailing CampbellM@goHART.org
Route 30 serves TIA every 15 minutes on weekdays from 6 a.m.- 8 p.m.
From my inbox:
The Tampa Bay History Center kicks off its preschoolers’ program, A Little History, on Wednesday, September 15th from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. with “Little Ybor.”
Your little ones will explore Ybor City’s rich Hispanic heritage by playing the same games young immigrants loved as well as embarking on a scavenger hunt for Ybor’s artifacts. Kids will even practice making a pretend Cuban sandwich! Story time, music, and crafts add to the fun.
A Little History is open to children ages 3 to 5 with an adult companion. One adult must accompany every two children. Programs are held one weekday per month. Each program is $10.00 per child and $6.00 per adult. Members of the Tampa Bay History Center will receive a $2.00 discount for both children and adults. Gallery admission is included in the fee. Space is limited, pre-registration
Here’s some upcoming discount days and deals at Tampa’s Museum of Science and Industry:
Grandparent’s Day : Sept. 12, 2010
Free admission for a grandparent on Sept. 12, 2010 with the purchase of a full-priced general admission ticket (child or adult).
Cannot be combined with any other offers or discounts. Limit one (1) offer per household. Grandparent and grandchild(ren) must be present at time of ticket purchase. Excludes special engagement films. Must mention offer to receive discount. Offer is valid Sept. 12, 2010.
Motts applesauce will also be here on this day from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. handing out samples of applesauce and apple juice.
Dia de la Familia: Saturday, Sept. 19
9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Two free child admissions with each paid adult admission in celebration of the Day of the family for Hispanic Heritage Month.
$5 Day: Saturday, Sept. 25
9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Guests are invited to enjoy MOSI exhibit galleries and an IMAX standard film for the special admission price of $5.
National Museum Day : Sept. 25, 2010
BOGO off any ticket type. Free ticket must be of equal or lesser value.
Cannot be combined with any other offers or discounts. Limit of four (4) offers per household. Excludes special engagement films. Must mention offer to receive discount. Offer is valid Sept. 25, 2010.
Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration: Sept. 15 – Oct. 15, 2010
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, MOSI is offering $10 off general admission.
Cannot be combined with any other offers or discounts. Limit of four (4) offers per household. Excludes special engagement films. Must mention offer to receive discount. Offer is valid Sept. 15 – Oct. 15, 2010.
The hot topic with my neighbors has turned from the first day of school to the first day of sports. The big discussion has been whether we should enroll our 4-year-olds in a town league or at the YMCA. But I just found out about another youth sports league, and this one sounds really good, too: i9 Sports.
I talked to a woman today who enrolled her grandchildren in the program after they moved from Polk County to Fishhawk Ranch in Lithia. Bryson, 8, played basketball in the spring and is trying flag football this fall. Hailey, 4, is sticking with cheerleading.
“The experience is really, really awesome,” Debbie Kallenborn said. “They teach a life lesson every week and they give a medal out to each child during the season.”
“A new value is taught each week, such as listening, respect, positive attitude, best effort, fair play, enthusiasm, cooperation, and accountability, just to name a few,” said Brian Sanders, president and chief operating officer of i9 Sports. The youth organization began in Brandon in 2003 and now has 300,000 children ages 3 to 14 participating in its franchises nationally. There are six locations in the Tampa Bay area: north Tampa, Riverview, South Shore, Brandon, South Tampa and St. Pete.
The teams have a one-hour practice on the same day as the game, which is a bonus for working parents. There are no tryouts and every child gets a chance to play. And every parent has to sign a pledge agreeing not to badmouth their child’s skills, the other athletes’ skills, the coach or the other parents.
“There are 42 million kids playing youth sports and half drop out by age 12 because it becomes a negative experience,” Sanders said. “We emphasize learning the basics of the sport, but also to have a good time, build their self-esteem, and learn values they can take them off the field.”
“I had zero horror stories and I didn’t see any,” said Arley Allen, who became a coach when her 4-year-old son, Brandon, started playing flag football in the north Tampa league last spring. She likes the philosophy of i9 Sports. “It provides a foundation of teamwork and achievement, something to work toward, and I think it made him a better kid.”
Children can sign up for flag football, soccer, basketball, cheerleading, lacrosse, baseball/softball, golf, volleyball and hockey. Opening Day isn’t until Sept. 25, and most of the programs will still take late registrations, Sanders said. The 8-week program costs $145 and that price includes the jersey and a medal. For more information, go to www.i9sports.com.
From my inbox ...
Operation Homefront-Florida is hosting Freedom Walk 2010, beginning and ending at Fred Ball Park in South Tampa, Saturday, September 11.
Dignitaries participating in the 8:30 a.m. two-mile walk along Bayshore Boulevard include Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio; Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor; Commander, 6th Mission Support Group, MacDill Air Force Base Col. Donald Barnes; and Hillsborough County Director of Homeland Security Col. Ed Duncan.
Registration fee is $5, and walkers are encouraged to independently raise funds for Operation Homefront-Florida. Walkers and other attendees will be treated to free Blue Bell Ice Cream and an Operation Homefront t-shirt while supplies last.
Throughout the country, citizens will simultaneously gather to participate in various Freedom Walks. The goal is to walk together as a nation uniting our communities behind a commitment to never forget those who died in the September 11, 2001 attacks. This event will help establish a tradition to reflect on the lives lost on September 11, renew our commitment to freedom and the values of our country, and to honor veterans, past and present.
Funds raised will go to Operation Homefront-Florida’s mission to provide emergency financial aid and other assistance to the families of our service members and wounded warriors.
Fred Ball Park is located at 2621 Bayshore Blvd., Tampa 33629, at the intersection of Bayshore and Rubideaux St. For more information, or to pre-register, visit www.operationhomefront.net/florida. Registration is also available the day of the event beginning at 7:30 a.m. at the park.
Want a free sneak peek of the new Glazer Children’s Museum in downtown Tampa? Here’s your chance to win a Golden Ticket to the elite preview event on Sunday, Sept. 19.
Between now and Sept. 12, click here and enter for your special code that will enter you into the contest.
The museum will have more than 170 activities in 12 themed areas. Construction workers are busy installing all the pieces, which were built off-site and then shipped to the museum. The Design + Build house is almost done, as is the Gasparilla Island cruise ship and the Twinkle Stars Theater, said Alan Mock, Manager of Marketing & Communications at the museum.
More than 50 winning families will be notified by email, phone or online the week of Monday, Sept 13th.
I got this in my email, thought I’d pass it along…
The Tampa Bay History Center shows its appreciation for Florida’s teachers with free weekend admission during the month of September.
All Florida K-12 teachers presenting a valid school I.D. will receive one free regular-price admission to the Tampa Bay History Center from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the month of September.
This month-long opportunity allows educators to explore the History Center and familiarize themselves with this unique educational resource.
This offer is limited to teachers with a valid school I.D. For more information, visit www.tampabayhistorycenter.org or contact the History Center’s Curator of Education, Julie Matus, at (813) 675-8981.
If you are looking for stuff to do to fill up the coming long weekend, you might want to consider visiting MOSI. It’s your last chance to do the CSI Experience, which was alot of fun when I took my daughters this summer.
WHEN: September 4 - 6, 2010
WHAT: Celebrate Labor Day this weekend at MOSI with Buy-One Get-One FREE admission to MOSI’s exhibit galleries, CSI: The Experience, one IMAX® Dome Theatre film, and much more!
Don’t miss your chance to see the limited-engagement exhibition, CSI: The Experience, at MOSI until Monday, September 6. This is the last weekend to view this exhibit, and it would be a crime to miss it!
WHERE: MOSI, Museum of Science & Industry 4801 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, Florida.
*Free ticket must be of equal or lesser value. Offer valid with the purchase of a full-priced general admission ticket (child, adult or senior). Must mention offer at box office in order to redeem. Excludes special engagement films. Cannot be combined with any other discounts or offers. Valid only September 4 -6, 2010.
Kids who turn up their noses at cafeteria food have another choice.
Evos offers a Healthy School Lunch program at some public and private schools in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. The meals cost between $5 and $6 and the restaurant chain donates a portion of each lunchbox sale back to the student’s school.
The entrees include baked chicken strips, chicken wraps, soy burgers, and cheeseburgers and hotdogs that are hormone and antibiotic-free.
Here is the list of schools that are taking part already. If you’re interested in having your child’s school added to the list, go to www.evoslunchroom.com.
Participating Schools:
Christ the King
Academy at the Lakes
St. John’s Greek Orthodox Day School
Montessori Children’s House
AT. Jones Academy
Hand In Hand Academy
Montessori House Day School
Montessori Preperatory
Montessori Academy of Temple Terrace
Montessori Academy of New Tampa
Montessori Academy of Tampa Bay
Congregation Shaarri Zedek Preschool
The Goddard School
A friend of mine up north finally thought she had won the battle against head lice. All summer, her kids could not invite friends over as she made sure the little bugs were gone for good. Then the bad news: she spotted one on her youngest boy.
Sound familiar? Here are some tips to help stop the spread, and also why one expert says there’s no need to pull your kids out of school.
Presumably to build up demand before the holiday shopping season, K-mart has launched their answer to the American Girl phenomenom “What A Doll.”
The 18-inch knockoff of the popular higher-priced line looks to be a comparable product, but only sells for $29.99. Clothing and accessories ($19.99 to $24.99), as well as travel bags and cosmetics are also available. New assortments, featuring seasonal outfits, will start hitting store shelves in October.
Like the American Girl dolls, at least the non-historic varieties, What A Doll dolls wear trendy fashions and have long stylable hair.
They also have matching child and doll outfits, which sell at a considerably cheaper $19.99 for both pieces. The American Girl versions can be considerably more expensive. A simple pink sundress combo for child and doll retails for $28 for the doll and $58 for the child on their website.
They are a little more limited in the “look” of the dolls, however. There is currently only a blonde, a brunette and one that could pass for either hispanic or African-American.
I went grocery shopping last week and as I got out of the car, I saw a former neighbor with his two kids. Five years ago, he had everything. Then, in rapid succession, he got divorced, got cancer, lost his job and lost his house. As we went into the store together, we parted ways and I thought about how quickly life can change.
Millions of people who used to have good jobs and happy homes are hurting now. And millions have to use food stamps or turn to food banks to get the most basic necessities to feed their families.
One woman’s efforts just ensured 100,000 hungry people in our area would get a meal.
Northwestern Mutual Foundation named Tampa financial representative Melissa Powell its outstanding volunteer of the year. The company gave $25,000 to Feeding America Tampa Bay, where Powell has been a board member for seven years. The money will pay for 100,000 meals.
“We have about 600 agencies that work with Feeding America in the Hillsborough-Pinellas County area, including soup kitchens, Metropolitan Ministries, the kids’ café where we feed kids and the backpack program where we send kids home with food for the weekend,” Powell said. “We have 18 million pounds of food that went out last year. That impacted a half-million people in our community and the need is even greater. It’s twice that.”
Powell, 45, has a full-time job and is the mother of three boys, Joshua, 11, Jackson, 9, and Jarrett, 6. I asked her how she finds time to also volunteer. “Just go do it,” she said. “Put it on your calendar to pick up the phone and call a charity. See what tugs at your heart. There are a lot of things that need manpower and brain power.”
Powell is teaching her kids to make a difference, too. Her boys are in Cub Scouts, and two years ago her son asked the Council if the local Cub Scouts troops’ food drive could go toward Feeding America. They put 700 paper bags in mailboxes, and collected 2,500 pounds of food. Now, all Cub Scouts troops are donating to the same cause.
“It’s not the guy on the street corner begging for food. It’s somebody who is at church, somebody who has lost their assistance, somebody who just needs help after having a bad time (that benefits),” Powell said.
She told one story about a caregiver at a group home who started using Feeding America Tampa Bay’s services a few years ago, and is now saving $1,500 a month on her food bills. “That’s $1,500 she can now use for the kids, for soccer lessons, violin lessons, field trips. She took them to see Tallahassee. That’s huge, because if you can’t take care of the most basic needs, everything else falls to the side. It brought tears to my eyes.”
It’s a big day for parents in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties who saw their children off to school this morning for the first day of the 2010-2011 school year. Guest blogger Jeff Houck writes about sending his 15-year-old son, Brian, off for another year of high school.
My son Brian went back to school today. It’s 10th grade, which is not so nerve-wracking as ninth grade, but enough to make me anxious and unable to catch a full breath at the thoughts of another year of pushing and prodding and guiding him through the school year.
When he, his mother and I went to orientation last week, it was apparent how much the summer had changed him. Friends and classmates gawked at his height. (Eyeballing it, he looks as if he tacked on a couple inches.)
Girls squealed and pointed and giggled. Teachers marveled at the growth spurt. It was good to see the surprise my wife and I experienced at home all summer become manifest in other people’s expressions.
Last night, I asked if he had everything ready to go. He insisted that he did.
“I packed my gum and my earbuds…”
Not exactly what I was hoping my young student would say.
“Yes, father,” the fantasy would say to me. “I read all of my summer books. I have labeled all my school supplies. My backpack is ready, I am well-fed and immaculately healthy. I cannot wait for the challenge of cramming more knowledge into my skull.”
Okay, that’s a work of fiction no parent would believe - or hope for. Still, I’d like there to be more priortization than gum and iPods.
Which brings us to this morning.
There he is in his new Michael Jordan shirt with his friends Domenick and Shaun. They’re about to head to the bus stop down the street.
Would you believe the kid on the left got up at 4:45 a.m.?
Would you believe he ran a mile on the treadmill before breakfast?
Yeah. Summer changed the boy alright.
I insist on taking these photos every year. Mostly because I cannot believe how fast they fly by. And, on cue, he insists every year that he’s barely tolerating our tradition.
This was last year’s:
That was his friend, Gabe.
That was the first year of the Dark Walk To The Bus Stop.
It was less hospitable for photo taking, but I managed.
Improvise, adapt, overcome.
Eighth grade.
He wanted that photo shot before his friends Ketchie and Derek walked up.
Seventh grade.
That year, he walked with Robbie to the bus stop.
And so on.
Next year? He’ll probably be driving then.
And I’ll be fainting on the front lawn.
As hundreds of thousands of students head back to school this week, police are monitoring school zones to make sure drivers stay within the posted speed limits. Speeding carries the following fines:
1-9 mph over the speed limit = $156.00
10-14 mph over the speed limit = $306.00
15-19 mph over the speed limit = $406.00
20-29 mph over the speed limit = $456.00
Over 30 mph = court appearance
Also, officers are patrolling bus stops to drivers are following warning lights and stop signals by school buses. Drivers must come to a stop behind the school bus when the stop signals are activated and the stop arm is extended.
Drivers must stop if coming from the opposite direction unless there is a raised median separating the two directions of travel.
If you don’t stop, you could face a $271.00 fine.
Officers will also be enforcing pedestrian safety including violating the right of way of a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
