Posts
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
St. Pete revs up once again
Here's what's going on this weekend in the Tampa area: ST. PETERSBURG - A full weekend of racing is already in gear in St. Petersburg. The festivities officially started with a Thursday night parade down Central Avenue. It featured last year's champ, Will Power, and this year, Budweiser added a float and its world-renowned Clydesdale horses. A big party followed at North Straub Park where fans got the opportunity to meet the drivers. "Anytime we bring in the Honda Grand Prix, it brings 150,000 people to a downtown spot. So the hotels are filled, restaurants will be packed, there's a lot of economic impact with this event," Mayor Bill Foster offered. "And then, of course, you've got the impact of a three-hour commercial on national television." The weekend of racing wraps up with the main event, Sunday's Honda Grand Prix. There are several closures in the downtown area. Through race weekend, the following roads will be closed or have limited access: For more traffic and parking information, click on over to the city's website.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
March Teacher Month
Here's an interesting event for Tampa Bay for the month of March:
Free teacher with a guest every day in March to Dinosaur World. Valid teacher ID required. Click here to visit their website
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Recycling fishing line for marine life
Here's an interesting article about our marine life here in Florida: TAMPA - Many people consider Florida to be the fishing capital of the world. But with so many anglers comes a lot of fishing line. Images of dolphins and turtles tangled in fishing line or nets are disturbing and unforgivable. "As an environmental scientist, as a person who loves the outdoors, I like wildlife and I feel bad when I see them suffering in a way like that," said Kevin Misiewicz, an environmental scientist with Tampa Bay Watch. Fishing line causes needless suffering, due to some anglers' improper disposal of it. Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's produced a video on fishing line recycling to put stop the suffering. A popular reminder of this is Winter the dolphin. Her tale was amputated after it became entangled in fishing line. Most animals aren't as lucky -- especially birds. Misiewicz explained, "The hooks will get lodged under the wing, the wing gets pinned down, and then they can't fly. If they can't fly, they can't catch food, if they can't catch food they can't feed their young, and often times the whole nest can parish." There is a way to prevent these disasters: monofilament fishing line recycling bins posted at many major fishing areas. Misiewicz helps clean the bins. While cleaning, he notes items of garbage that are not supposed to be in it. Click here to learn more.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Aquarium undergoes massive expansion
Here's some interesting news in Tampa Bay: CLEARWATER - The Clearwater Marine Aquarium plans a $12 million expansion, hopefully to be largely completed before the September release of "Winter: A Dolphin's Tale." The motion picture features Winter, the Aquarium's star attraction. She lost her tail when it became entangled a crab trap line, but was later fitted with a prosthesis and has been featured in broadcast and print articles around the world. The expansion will essentially create a new Clearwater Marine Aquarium: new lobby and gift shop area, new restrooms, and much larger facilities for treating rescued dolphin and sea turtles. "We'll go from about 400,000 gallons now to about 2 million gallons," said director David Yates. Instead of gathering around a railing for dolphin shows, the public will sit in a 1,000 seat outdoor auditorium. There will also be a new parking garage and additional surface parking.
Click here to learn more.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Bucs lower cost of some tickets for 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Bucs eye Luck’s decision
Here's some recent news about our beloved Bucs in Tampa Bay:
By IRA KAUFMAN TAMPA—The Carolina Panthers aren’t the only NFL team monitoring Andrew Luck’s future. The Panthers own the No. 1 overall pick in the April draft and they are hoping Luck, a redshirt sophomore quarterback, declares himself eligible by Jan. 15 instead of returning to Stanford. Luck has been labeled one of the premier quarterback prospects of the past 30 years and Carolina sorely needs a new face for a franchise that bottomed out at 2-14 in John Fox’s final year on the sidelines. NFC South rivals like the Buccaneers are also keenly interested in Luck’s decision. Tampa Bay’s defense already has to face a pair of Pro Bowl quarterbacks—Drew Brees of New Orleans and Atlanta’s Matt Ryan—twice every season. Ryan is only 25 and Brees turns 32 on Jan. 15, the same day that Luck must announce his intentions. Luck could defy conventional wisdom and return to Stanford, especially in the unliklely event that Coach Jim Harbaugh comes back. The NFL’s uncertain labor situation might persuade Luck to bypass the 2011 draft because of the fear a lockout could leave him idle this fall. Click here to continue reading.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Miracle on Cleveland St.: 40 Tons of Snow Expected to Hit Downtown Clearwater December 4th
Here's an article to show you what happened in downtown clearwater on December 4th:
With nearly 40 tons of snow and 2 toboggan snow slides, Downtown Clearwater’s Miracle on Cleveland Street is back on December 4th with Carolers, SANTA and a special Christmastrain to take kids over to the Christmas Village! Clearwater, FL, November 9, 2009 - Who says it never snows in Florida? The Clearwater Downtown Partnership figured out how to make it snow at their inaugural Christmas event called Miracle on Cleveland St. last December. 20 tons of snow graced Cleveland Street along with 2500 attendees - many of which were children who came out in full force to ride the toboggan snow slide and see SANTA. This December 4th, there will be nearly 40 tons of snow, 2 giant toboggan slides and a play snow area for those infamous snow-ball fights! Click here to learn more.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Ultimate Dodgeball
For all fo you dodgeball fanatics out there, there is now a center where you can play dodgeball in a trampoline arena in Tampa. Read below to get more details about this place:
Boing! Jump Canter
welcomes all ages, beginners to professional athletes to defy gravity on our Giant Trampoline Arena! Whether you want to enjoy open jump, play dodgeball (BOING! style), host a party or event, or get a crazy workout doing BOINGRobics, BOING! Jump Center is the place for you! Located at 622-624 Ware Blvd, Tampa 33619, next to Brandon Crossroads Bowl Phone: 813-341-4897 Email: info@boingjumpcenter.com Click here to go to their website.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
White House: No drilling off Florida coast
Here's is an interesting article for all Florida residents: TALLAHASSEE (AP) - The Obama administration will maintain a long-standing oil drilling ban in the Gulf of Mexico off Florida after considering loosening it before the BP spill, a senior administration official told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Just a month before the spill started in April, the Obama administration had announced plans to allow drilling in the eastern portion of the Gulf as part of the management plan for the Outer "In light of the BP spill, we've learned a lot and understand the need to elevate the safety and environmental standards," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar planned to discuss the decision Wednesday afternoon. The eastern Gulf -- an area stretching from 125 to 300 miles off Florida's coast -- was singled out for protection by Congress in 2006 as part of a deal with Florida lawmakers that made available 8.3 million acres to oil and gas development in the east-central Gulf. Under that agreement, the protected region is to remain off limits to energy development until 2022. But the administration had entertained the idea of expanded drilling, until the BP spill that spewed an estimated 172 million gallons of oil into the Gulf. In order to open more of the eastern Gulf to drilling, the administration would have to ask Congress to lift the drilling moratorium. Click here to continue reading.
Continental Shelf.
decision hadn't been announced yet. "We took a second look at the announced plan and modified it to remove the Eastern Gulf of Mexico from leasing consideration."
Thursday, November 11, 2010
November 2010 at the Florida Holocaust Museum
St. Petersburg, FL (Nov. 4, 2010) – The Florida Holocaust Museum presents:
Daniel Jonah Goldhagen
Tues., Nov. 30, 2010, 6:30 p.m. LOCATION: USF St. PetersburgCampus Activities Center
140 Seventh Ave. S
St. Petersburg, Fl 33701
(727) 873-4596 Join acclaimed author Daniel Jonah Goldhagen as he discusses his newest book, Worse Than War: Genocide, Eliminationism, and the Ongoing Assault on Humanity, and challenges fundamental things we thought we knew about human beings, society, and politics.
“Genocide seems at once so familiar and so overwhelming that we don’t consider that if we change our thinking about the problem, then we can see the way to stopping the killing and do so relatively easily. . . . My work and my talk are devoted to making the phrase “never again” finally mean it for everyone.”
Daniel Jonah Goldhagen is the author of #1 international bestseller Hitler’s Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust. The book, available in fifteen languages, was named by TIME as one of the two best non-fiction books of 1996 and Goldhagen won Germany’s prestigious triennial Democracy Prize in 1997 as its author.
Goldhagen, born in 1959, received a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from Harvard University and was a professor in Harvard’s Government and Social Studies departments until he decided to devote himself full time to writing. He is a member of Harvard’s Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies and on the board of directors of Humanity in Action.
Free to FHM members and college students with valid student ID; $9 for guests; please RSVP: (727) 820-0100, ext. 236. Guest admission may be applied to FHM membership.
Women of Ravensbrück: Portraits of CourageArtwork of Julia Terwilliger
Opening Sun., Nov. 14 through Tues., Feb. 15, 2011 This is an original Florida Holocaust Museum exhibition of memorial artwork by Julia Terwilliger. It tells the history of the Ravensbrück Concentration Camp, the Nazi’s major concentration camp for women that brought fear and terror to its imprisoned, tortured victims. The art is coupled with text and seven, large wooden panels of mixed media and transfer images of Ravensbrück women, young and old, survivors and those who did not. The exhibition also includes rare original artifacts from the camp, including a handmade recipe book and gifts secretly exchanged by the women and 17 history panels and 14 biographical panels of individuals. In addition, the artist created a 10 foot memorial triangle and an artifacts installation created by the artist will be on view. An exhibition catalog for Women of Ravensbrück is available for purchase in the Museum Store. Media Sponsors: Bright House Networks and the St. Petersburg Times Curator’s Talk and Reception:Thurs., Dec. 16, 2010; 6:30 p.m. The evening includes a talk by guest lecturer Rochelle Saidel, the original Curator of Women in Ravensbrück and Director of Remember the Women Foundation. Free to FHM members; $9 for guests; please RSVP: (727) 820-0100, ext. 236. Guest admission may be applied to FHM membership. Also on View: Resistance and Rescue
Photography of Judy Ellis Glickman Through Sun., Feb. 13, 2011 Through images and symbols, the horrors of the Holocaust are familiar to us all. Yet, too few of us are aware of the remarkable story of the flight of the Jews out of Denmark to safety in Sweden in the fall of 1943. This exhibition of photographs by Judy Ellis Glickman reopens a time in our history when the bravery of a few overcame the brutality of so many. Media Sponsor: WUSF Public Media Faith Under Fire: Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Holocaust Through Sun., Jan. 2, 2011 Jehovah’s Witnesses, a Christian community of 35,000 in Germany and occupied lands, refused to conform to the Nazi ideology of hate. They suffered severely for their belief in nonviolence and their utter rejection of racism. Thrown into Nazi camps, they became eyewitnesses of Nazi genocide. As historian John Toland wrote, this is a story of human courage that must be heard. A gallery guide for Faith Under Fire is included with Museum admission. Save the Date: To Life: Music of Hope
Thurs. Feb. 17, 2011 The Florida Holocaust Museum will present Violins of Hope as the major component of the Museum’s annual benefit, To Life: Music of Hope, on Thurs., Feb, 17, 2011; 6 p.m., at the Progress Energy Center for the Arts – The Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg. To Life: Music of Hope includes cocktails, Dinner-by-the-Bite, desserts and coffee. Also planned are a silent auction offering luxury travel packages, dining opportunities, upscale merchandise and services, and a chance drawing. Following dinner, attendees will be seated in the auditorium to hear the Violins of Hope, a concert played on Holocaust era violins rescued and lovingly restored. Musical performers will include members of the Florida Orchestra. Also planned are a special tribute to Edie Loebenberg (of blessed memory) and presentation of the Loebenberg Humanitarian Award to Dr. Herbert and Isabel Savel, FHM patrons. Proceeds from To Life: Music of Hope will benefit education, exhibitions and public programming at the Florida Holocaust Museum. The cost to attend the event is $150 per person. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Please call Dan Berman, (727) 820-0100, ext 242, for information. Images from all the exhibitions are available. Please send your request to:jsherman@flholocaustmuseum.org. Admission to the Florida Holocaust Museum (FHM) is $14 for adults; discounted admission is offered to seniors, students, adult and student groups and AAA members.
Admission is free to active duty Military, FHM members and children 6 and under. Museum hours are 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Mon. through Sun.; the last admission is 3:30 pm.
NEW HOURS: Through May 31, 2011, the FHM will be open Thurs. evenings until 8 p.m.; the last admission is 7 p.m. Please call (727) 820-0100, or visit the Museum’s web-site, www.flholocaustmuseum.org, for directions and further details including holiday closures.
The Florida Holocaust Museum honors the memory of millions of innocent men, women and children who suffered or died in the Holocaust. The Museum is dedicated to teaching members of all races and cultures to recognize the inherent worth and dignity of human life in order to prevent future genocides. Please follow the Florida Holocaust Museum on Facebook and Twitter.Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Bears in tree delight, dismay neighbors
There's always something happening in Florida. Either it be concerts, games or in this case finding 4 bears up in a pine tree. Below is the news article and video link of Florida residents waking up to 4 bears in a tree just relaxing:
A mother bear and three cubs found themselves up a pine tree in Florida, bringing out the neighbors to gawk and worry. (Nov. 2)
Click here to see the video of these curious bears.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Dentist buys candy back
Here is a great article for people who have extra candy they don't want in Tampa:
TAMPA - If you have too much Halloween candy lying around, a Tampa dentist is ready to take it off your hands. Dr. Mark Goodnight is taking a stand against sweets with a candy buyback. He's shelling out a dollar per pound of candy to fight tooth decay, and to provide a treat to our troops serving overseas. The candy must be un-opened. Dr. Goodnight will be buying candy until Thursday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at two locations: 3223 South Dale Mabry Ave and at 6538 Gunn Highway. He then plans to ship the candy to Operation Gratitude, an organization that sends care packages to troops overseas. Click here to view more.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
New Spaceport in New Mexico
Every wanted to buy a ticket to go to space? Well soon you will be able too. Virgin Airways now have a spaceport in New Mexico where they will begin to develop their runway and terminal. Here is the website to check out more info about it:
The next step now is Papa Johns in space.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Roll out the barrels, it's Oktoberfest again
Oktoberfest is here again in Tampa: TAMPA - It's time to break out the strudel, sausages, sauerkraut and steins for Oktoberfest, that annual German-inspired celebration of beer brewing. And throughout the Tampa Bay area, people will mark the 200th anniversary of this German tradition with song, dance, food and drink. • The former Tampa Armature Works, 1910 North Ola Ave., is the location for Oktoberfest Tampa 2010, which runs Oct. 15-17. Converted to a Bavarian-themed building, the Works will host singing, dancing and, of course, drinking. The inaugural keg of Warsteiner will be tapped at 4 p.m. Oct. 15. Food will be served by South Tampa's Datz Deli. Activities include barrel tossing, a Mr. and Miss Oktoberfest and a beer stein relay. Click here to read more.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Exclusive poll: Schools are making the grade
Here is some local news about our school system:
By Dalia Dangerfield , Reporter
Last Updated: Thursday, October 21, 2010
TAMPA -- Bay area parents are overwhelmingly pleased with the quality of their children's schools and the education they are receiving. Those are the findings of a St. Petersburg Times/Bay News 9 exclusive poll that asked parents with children in Bay area schools about major education issues, including homework, the quality of schools, the FCAT, technology and advanced placement courses. Despite all the talk about school budgets, class size issues, standardized tests and early release days, 90 percent of Bay area parents call their kid's schools good or excellent. And the happiest seem to be in Hillsborough County. "If I were giving a grade this is my third child that's come through so I'd have to give it an A+,'' said Elizabeth Kieffer, a parent at Coleman Middle School in Tampa. Fifty-six percent of parents in Hillsborough County rated their kids' schools as excellent - 37 percent said good and three percent called their child's schools fair. Only four percent said their child's school was poor. Pinellas parents also are pleased with the public school system. They rated their schools like this: Excellent - 52 percent Good - 37 percent Fair - 7 percent Poor - 2 percent Meanwhile, parents in Pasco and Hernando counties also gave their schools a high approval rating. The poll also collected parent response on topics like homework, the FCAT, technology and advance placement.See the full results here. Click here to view more.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Daily Playoff Pitch: Giants the big winners; Tampa Bay has an advantage
Here is more news about our #1 baseball team - the Tampa Bay Rays:
Tampa Bay positioned itself for a big finish. Look who has the best record in baseball (hint: They don't play in the AL East). If it's Friday -- actually, just about any day -- there must be a change atop the NL West.
Thursday's heroes
Another shutout for the Giants, their second in three nights at Chicago, but Juan Uribe made that a minor factor in the 13-0 victory that helped San Francisco jump over San Diego into the NL West lead, the fifth time those two teams have swapped spots in the past seven days. Uribe hit two homers, including a grand slam, and drove in six runs in a nine-run second inning. San Francisco's 19-hit outburst began against Ryan Dempster, who had a 14-inning shutout streak entering the game. The seven hits off Dempster in 15 batters were as many as he had allowed in the 14-inning streak. In their past nine games, the Giants have scored two or fewer runs six times. They have 10, nine and 13 in the other three games.
Carl Crawford's two-run single, his second hit of the inning, capped a seven-run sixth against CC Sabathia and Joba Chamberlain as the Rays beat the Yankees 8-3 to split the four-game series in New York. Tampa Bay is back within a half-game of the Yankees, who won the first two games of the series. B.J. Upton's two-run double greeted Chamberlain after Sabathia left trailing 4-3 and the bases loaded. The victory also gives the Rays the season series against New York, 10-8, which would decide the AL East if the two teams tie.
Click here to read more.
From: Robyn Huber
TAMPA, FL – The 1Voice Foundation, a non-profit charity dedicated to supporting children with cancer and their families, is working with the Hillsborough County School District to open the 1Voice Academy, the first school in the United State for children with cancer.
The Foundation is kicking off its $5 million capital funding campaign with an open house at the Home Theater Gallery, 3300 S. Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa, on Thursday, March 24 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. “Children on treatment who miss school fall behind academically and resent their disease and the alienation it causes even more,” said Mary Ann Massolio, the Executive Director of 1Voice Foundation whose own son passed away from cancer. “Plus, many parents have to miss work to stay home with them. This can lead to financial devastation and add to the 80% divorce rate that parents of chronically-ill children face. The 1Voice Academy will provide children with a safe learning environment while their immune systems are compromised, such as in the 7 to 10 days following chemotherapy.”
“I always have to be vigilant about whether there is a flu or strep going around school,” said Natalie Willis, whose daughter, Mandy, was diagnosed with cancer when she was 7. “Mandy had to miss a lot of days even though she felt well, but she couldn’t risk coming into contact with a sick child. The truth is some parents send their kids to school even with a low fever or other signs of infection.”
“One of the greatest challenges we faced with Daniel were his counts were horrible, but otherwise he felt good,” said Holly Wade, whose 9-year-old son passed away from cancer. “My choice was to have him homebound, and he missed being around people his own age and his own friends. With this Academy, kids can be around classmates who aren’t going to look at you funny because you’re bald, or because you have to get up and throw up, or have an IV bag hanging off of you or a shunt. It’s an opportunity to make these kids feel as normal as possible in the most abnormal conditions you can imagine.”
Holly and her husband, Capt. Bill Wade with Tampa Fire Rescue, will be among the families on hand at the open house.
In addition to offering classes, the 1Voice Academy will offer after-school programs for tutoring, art and music, and will provide support groups and programs for parents and siblings.
About 1Voice Foundation
The 1Voice Foundation began in 2008 when six members of the Tampa Bay community – each having prior experience with pediatric cancer programs – realized organizations focused on research and organizations focused on assisting families were competing for dollars instead of working together. The 1Voice Foundation’s Executive Director is MaryAnn Massolio, who was the executive director of the Children’s Cancer Center for 10 years and who knows firsthand what it’s like when your child is diagnosed with cancer. In addition to researching cures for cancer, The 1Voice Foundation provides resources and support groups for patients and their families, outings for children with cancer, scholarships, and funeral assistance. The non-profit organization currently does not receive any state or federal funding and is dependent on corporate and private donations.