PJ Tampa Bay

PJ Tampa Bay Story Winner of the Week

papastampabay — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 15:55:17 +0000

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.

St. Pete revs up once again

papastampabay — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 14:25:37 +0000

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:

CLOSED - First Ave. S. from First St. to Bayshore
LIMITED ACCESS on Second Ave. S from First to Second St. S
CLOSED - Beach Dr. from Central Ave. to First Ave. S
CLOSED - First St. from First Ave. S to Fifth Ave. S
LIMITED ACCESS - First St. S from Fifth Ave. S to Eighth Ave. S AND Sixth Ave. S from Second St. to First St. from March 25 through March 27

For more traffic and parking information, click on over to the city’s website.

Harlem Globetrotters at St.Pete Times Forum

papastampabay — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:06:59 +0000

When:

March 12 : 2 p.m.
March 12 : 7 p.m.

On Sale Date:: November 22, 2010

Price:: $15, $25, $33, $51, $106

Event Phone Number:: 813-301-2500

St. Pete Times Forum

401 Channelside Drive

Tampa, FL 33602

813-301-2500

Watch these guys, dribble, pass and dunk like never before. The legendary Harlem Globetrotters are celebrating their 85th consecutive season of tearing up the court with their magical 2011 “4 Times the Fun” World Tour that stops in Tampa at the St. Pete Times Forum on March 12, 2011. Don’t miss your chance to watch two of their performaces that day. The first is at 2 p.m and the second is 7 p.m. More information can be found atwww.harlemglobetrotters.com.

March Teacher Month

papastampabay — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 19:43:35 +0000

Here’s an interesting event for Tampa Bay for the month of March:

March 01, 2011 – March 31, 2011
Address: 5145 Harvey Tew Rd., Plant City, FL 33565
Times: 9am to 5pm
Admission: free teachers
Contact: Nicole Randall
Phone: 813-717-9865
Email: dinosaurworld@scrtc.com

Free teacher with a guest every day in March to Dinosaur World. Valid teacher ID required.

Click here to visit their website

Recycling fishing line for marine life

papastampabay — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 20:37:21 +0000

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.

PJ Tampa Bay Story Winner of the Week

papastampabay — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 22:29:46 +0000

From: Ruth Doroslovac

Flowers To Eat is an independently woman owned business, maker of delicious and unique fruit and vegetable arrangements right here in the Temple Terrace community.
It was the first fruit bouquet store to open in Temple Terrace in the fall of 2004. The owner, Ruth Doroslovac had created arrangements for her family events and then gone to Washington D.C. to train with Food Network chef and winner, James Parker.
Coming back to Temple Terrace, she opened her store offering only 8 fruit bouquets. But when customers asked for chocolate covered strawberries, she responded by creating many unique arrangements using gourmet dark, milk and white chocolate. She also added apple wedges and her famous Banana Bites™.
With the downturn in the economy over the last few years, Ruth saw many people who had willingly or unwillingly left corporate America and were looking for a small business in which they could showcase their creativity. In November of 2009, Flowers to Eat began offering classes to teach budding entrepreneurs the tips and techniques of making bouquets like the ones that they offer. Hands on classes have become very popular and attracted students ready to start their own new business and have come from as far away as Taiwan, Turkey, Ecuador and Costa Rica. Now people in many countries are enjoying Flowers to Eat type of bouquets and the store owners are expanding their product lines to create their own variations using the fruits and vegetables that are popular in their countries.

BALLROOM DANCERS GO TOE-TO-TOE IN TAMPA BAY DANCE-OFF

papastampabay — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 15:35:25 +0000

TAMPA, FL - Ballroom and Latin dancers from around the country are gathering for the 10th Annual Florida Superstars Dancesport Championships, being held in Tampa next week.

Wearing their most enchanting outfits, dancers hope to dazzle the judges as they compete for $85,000 in cash and prizes at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Downtown Tampa, where the ballroom will be decked out in a Venetian Masquerade theme.

“This is an exciting and glamorous spectator sport where cheering for your favorite couples is all part of the fun,” said Michael Chapman, event organizer. ”You’ll see amazing dancers of every age and skill level, from talented professionals and youths to dedicated students dancing with their teachers, just like on Dancing with the Stars. See them perform the Cha Cha, Rumba, Waltz, Quickstep, Jive and more. The competition runs morning to night, so you can come for a session or stay for the entire day.”

Click here to continue reading.

Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball Tour

papastampabay — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 19:26:35 +0000

For all of you Lady Gaga fans out there, here’s your chance to see here in concert in Tampa:

When:

April 16 : 8 p.m.

On Sale Date:: October 2, 2010

Price:: $64.65 – $193.80

Event Phone Number:: 813-301-2500

St. Pete Times Forum

401 Channelside Drive

Tampa, FL 33602

813-301-2500

See this hot, controversial, meat-wearing pop sensation live at the Forum on April 16, 2011 at 8 p.m.

Lady Gaga has captivated audiences around the globe with her stunning international smash, The Monster Ball tour, presented by Virgin Mobile. In 2010 the tour has taken her throughout Europe and North American, where she received rave reviews everywhere she stopped. With the majority of North American dates already sold out, Lady Gaga has announced she will be extending her North American 2011 tour, now including a stop at Tampa’s St. Pete Times Forum on Saturday, April 16. The 2011 North American Monster Ball Tour, produced globally by Live Nation and presented by Virgin Mobile, will begin on February 19th, 2011 at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall, taking her spectacular show to top arenas and a host of new cities.

Click here to continue reading.

Valentine’s Day Events

papastampabay — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 21:47:49 +0000

Here’s a great website to see what you and your love one can do for Valentine’s Day in Tampa:

All the best cupid-inspired events for you lovebirds out there this Valentine’s Day

Ah, it’s that time of year again – drugstore aisles are exploding with red confetti and singing teddy bears to let you know it’s time to pay a little extra attention to your sweetie this Valentine’s Day. Fear not, young lovers, you don’t have to rely soley on cheesy gifts to show your heart’s desire that you care. We’ve searched out the best romantic dinners, heart-filled events and just plain fun couple activities to make sure you’re feeling the love this Valentine’s Day!

Click here to go to the website to see the events.

Florida State Fair (2011)

papastampabay — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 16:45:47 +0000

When:

Daily (ends February 21)

On Sale Date:: December 22, 2010

Price:: $5-$12 General Admission

Event Phone Number:: 813-621-7821

http://www.floridastatefair.com

Florida State Fairgrounds

4800 U.S. Highway 301

Tampa, FL 33604

813-621-7821

Tickets are on sale now for Florida’s biggest event. The Florida State Fair is being held Feb.10-21 at the State Fairgrounds. This year’s event features many of the attractions you’ve come to love and expect. There will be amusement rides galore, ongoing indoor and outdoor entertainment, food and merchant vendors and state competitions.

Don’t miss the shows and attractions at the Entertainment Hall or outdoor events such asCircus Hollywood and Willy Washboard’s Jamboree. Magic shows take place on the Children’s Stage. Catch the outdoor rodeo before hopping on the giant slide. This year’s fair boasts of 106 rides ranging from ferris wheels, merry-go-rounds, bumper cars, tilt-a-whirls and roller coasters.

In addition, for more than 100 years, the Florida State Fair has hosted competitions in a variety of areas. This year is no exception. People will be coming from all over the state to showcase their arts, crafts, produce and livestock. Competitions include baking, knitting, painting, horticulture, woodcarving and dance competitions.