MacDill Happenings

On Sunday, come enjoy Easter Brunch at the Bayshore Club on MacDill AFB.  The Bayshore Club is located at Bayshore Blvd and Florida Keys Ave.  The Bayshore Club is open to all ranks.  Instead of cooking at home, Mom might enjoy the day off from cooking and enjoy a delicious buffet instead.  And the kids won’t have to clean dishes afterwards!  Brunch will be served from 11am to 2pm. Reservations are required and can be made at 828-4756. The menu includes scramble eggs, bacon, sausage, and hashbrowns. If you don’t want breakfast foods, then try the roast beef carvery with au jus, baked ham with pineapple sauce, chicken breast chasseur, baked crab stuffed fish, rice pilaf, garlic mashed potatoes, corn o’brien, and season green beans. There will be an array of salads, an assortment of fresh fish, cheeses, and breads and desserts! There will be a pasta station with cook to order pasta, assortment of toppings, seasonings, sun dried tomatoes, garlic and a variety of oils.  The beverage station will have lemonade, orange juice, mimosas, coffee, hot tea and water.  The cost for members is $17.95, non-members $19.95, children 6-12 $8.95 and children 5 and younger are free. 

The Lakeland Center in the city of Lakeland is one the best venues for all kinds of entertainment in Central Florida.  Located off of I-4 between Tampa and Orlando, it is about a 45 min drive from MacDill AFB.  This Thursday night you can see the Temptations.  For more than 40 years the Temptations have part of American music.  They were a key part of the Motown sound of Barry Gordy.  Their songs are historic from “My Girl” to “Papa was a Rolling Stone”.  The lineup has changed through the years, but originally member Otis Williams is still there and the music is still has that famous Motown sound.  The show starts at 2:30pm with tickets priced from $40.  Parking will cost you $5 or $7 for a oversized car.  The Lakeland Center includes a 100,000 square feet convention center, a 2,296 seat theatre, a 10,000 seat arena, in-house catering services, a grand ballroom and on-site hotel accomodations provided by Hyatt Place Hotels.

Pinellas County is right across Tampa Bay from MacDill AFB and Tampa.  The eastern border of the county is the Gulf of Mexico.  The largest city in Pinellas County is St. Petersburg.  The county seat is Clearwater.  Clearwater Beach is a popular tourist location and always has a crowd during Spring Break and during the summer.  Boating, beaches and fishing are popular recreational pursuits.  Communities are varied and along the coast are geared towards vistors and the water.  St. Petersburg is home to world-class museums, big-league sports and endless sunshine. The oldest city in Pinellas County, Tarpon Springs combines the history of its sponge diving tradition with the rich cultural infusion of the Greek heritage.  Tierra Verde in an island community with boating influences that is the location for Fort De Soto Park, home of the No. 1 beach in the United States.  Surrounded by John’s Pass to the north and Blind Pass on the south, Treasure Island delivers on its family-friendly, fun-oriented image as a beach destination. South Pasadena is nestled along the banks of Boca Ciega Bay, this town is anchored by delightful shops and restaurants, as well as local landmark Ted Peters’ Famous Smoked Fish.  Gulfport is proudly boasting a quirky, eclectic smalltown feel, Gulfport has experienced a revival to its downtown village with the influx of a thriving arts element. Largo is the proud home to Heritage Village, where 23 historic structures make up an open-air district with an eye into the past, along with stores, parks and delightful neighborhoods. Madeira Beach is the home to John’s Pass Village, a hotspot for commercial and charter fishing as well as the launching spot for innumerable cruises for every occasion.  Sitting at the top of Tampa Bay, Oldsmar is known for its multitude of parks and features green pastures and protected wetlands. It is also the neighbor to Tampa Bay Downs Racetrack. Pinellas County is home to America’s Award Winning Beaches: Caladesi Beach, America’s #2 beach in 2006 and 2007, Fort De Soto Park, America’s #1 beach in 2005 and 2008.  There are 35 miles of white-sand beaches on some eight major barrier islands.  Pinellas County is within minutes of many popular Florida attractions: just 30 minutes to Busch Gardens in Tampa and 90 minutes to Walt Disney World Resort, Sea World and Universal Studios Escape in Orlando. 

Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department (PRC) manages more than 70,000 acres of parkland; 42 year-round recreation centers offering activities and classes for all ages; therapeutic programs; youth and adult athletics; and partnerships with community and civic organizations throughout the county. Athletic Services provides a youth basketball program for boys and girls in grades 1-10 and the Leaguerett Softball program, a slow pitch program for girls ages 5-17. It also operates an adult slow pitch softball program for more than 200 teams including an over 60 “senior” league. Athletic Services works with the recreation section in programming Track and Field meets and assists with organizing the athletic leagues for the teen program. Most youth sports leagues in the County (and neighboring cities) are independently organized separate of the recreation department but operate as non-profit associations on County (or City) property. The County provides assistance, maintenance, equipment, and education to the leagues, their boards, coaches, parents and players. Each league has its own set of by-laws and policies to govern its program (under County guidance) and they set their own fees for registration. There are ten regional parks of diverse natural character that have picnicking, boating, canoeing, swimming, hiking, nature study, bicycling, horseback riding, and camping available. The Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department provides a wide variety of recreational trails. Trails ranging from the Suncoast Trail, a paved trail than begins in Hillsborough County and extends 42 miles into in Hernando County at Hwy 98, to the more than 30 miles of off-road single track trails in Wilderness Park. Boat ramps are provided free of cost by the County. Hillsborough Blueways are paddling trails for canoes and kayaks on the rivers, creeks, bays and estuaries throughout Hillsborough County. There are year-round activities at recreation centers and playgrounds throughout Hillsborough County and are staffed with recreation specialists.

Carrollwood is a unincorporated planned community in northwest Hillsborough County. It is about 16 miles and a 20-30min drive from MacDill AFB, depending on the time of day. It was one of the first planned communities within the State of Florida and the first in Hillsborough County. It remains one of the most popular places to live within suburban Tampa because of its close proximity to the city compared to new developments. Carrollwood boundaries include Lake Magdalene to the north, Tampa to the east, Egypt Lake to the south, and Citrus Park to the west. The Hillsborough Area Rapid Transit (HART) has an express bus route (Route 26X-Carrollwood Express) from the Carrollwood area to Downtown Tampa, a great way to save money as gas prices rise! The ZIP codes for Carrollwood are 33618 and 33624 although the city address will be Tampa. Carrollwood like other unincorporated communities cannot be used as a physical address for U.S. mail. As of the 2000 Census there were 33,519 people living in the 10.3 square mile area of Carrollwood. The median income for a household in the community was $50,833, and the median income for a family was $61,223. The per capita income for the community was $29,107. The Tampa Tribune online has a section about Carrollwood that can be very useful source of current community events. There are 3 hospitals near Carrollwood: Town & Country Hospital (about away 3 miles in Tampa), University Community Hospital at Carrollwood (about away 4 miles in Tampa), and the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute (about away 5 miles in Tampa). Tampa International Airport is about 7 miles away from the Carrollwood boundaries. In Carrollwood there are 2 shopping centers: the Palms of Carrollwood Shopping Center and Main Street Shopping Center. Near Carrollwood are 3 large shopping malls: Citrus Park Mall, University Mall and International Plaza.

A lot of times as you move from base to base, one consideration for the military family is what educational opportunities are available for the service member or family member. As the kids get older, you may have to decide if MacDill AFB and the Tampa area is right for them if they are going to graduate from high school and go to college during your PCS move to MacDill. Or for a spouse, is there a university where they can start or finish their degree? College bound students can choose to attend one of many major colleges, universities, technical and trade schools. Tampa Bay is home to a respected medical school, top-ranked law school, private national liberal arts college and several graduate schools. Within minutes of MacDill AFB right near downtime Tampa is the University of Tampa. UT is a small private school with about 5600 students. There is an Evening College that allows students to work during the day and attend class in the evening. The University of South Florida is a large public school with about 45000 students in several campuses throughout the Tampa Bay area. The largest USF campus in the northern part of Tampa and about a 40 minute drive from MacDill AFB. The Stetson University College of Law has about 1000 students, full-time and part-time, working on their law degrees. Located in Gulfport, Stetson is nationally recognized for its excellence. There are 16 other colleges and universities in the Tampa Bay area: Argosy University/Tampa, Eckerd College, Florida College, Florida Metropolitan University, Hillsborough Community College, TT Technical Institutes, Keller Graduate School of Management, National-Louis University, Nova Southeastern University, Saint Leo University, Southwest Florida College, The Art Institute of Tampa, The International Academy of Design and Technology, Troy University, University of Phoenix and Webster University. There is a wide variety of educational opportunities that can meet almost everyones needs.

The one thing that you can count on when you own a car is that one day you will have to buy something to maintain it or to fix it. In the Tampa area, you can count on AutoZone parts stores for a military discount on almost all their products. The discount is 10% which adds up depending on what you need to buy. The other great thing about AutoZone is their customer service. I have been to several Tampa area AutoZones and have always had excellent customer service. Store personnel have always been very helpful and willing to answer any question. They have a large variety of products for car care and everything that you need to repair a car. They offer free testing of batteries and alternators. When your check engine light comes on, they can provide you a diagnosis, sell you the parts to fix it and show you where the parts go on your car. Another great help is the tool loan program they have. The tool loan program requires a deposit which you get back when you return the borrowed tools. Instead of buying expensive tools that you may not use too often, you can borrow tools and then return it!

Start celebrating St. Patrick’s Day early in Tampa by watching the annual St. Patrick’s Parade in Ybor City this Saturday at 8pm. Sponsored by the Rough Riders with the Tampa Tribune and the City of Tampa, this parade will run down 7th Ave and has more than 90 floats, krewes and bands. The 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment “Rough Riders,” Inc. was formed for the purpose of creating and perpetuating a living memorial to the unique accomplishment of President Theodore Roosevelt and the members of the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment known as the “Rough Riders”. The Rough Riders are well known for their charitable fundraising and are represented in parades throughout the Tampa area. Last year’s parade had nearly 80,000 spectators. Participants include the krewes of Gasparilla, Sant’ Yago, Neptune, Grace O’Malley, Fort Brooke, Libertalia, Agustina, Hillsborough and the Spirit of Cigar City, and many local dignitaries and celebrities. The parade runs about 2 hours, but with the expected large crowd and good weather make sure you arrive early to get a good parking spot. Parking can be hard to find if you arrive late. Ybor City is near the I-4 and I-275 intersection and just east of downtown Tampa.

The weekend movies playing at MacDill AFB movie theater are recently released movies.  On Friday at 7pm is Rambo, rated R for strong graphic bloody violence, sexual assaults, grisly images, language.  Slyvester Stallone returns as John Rambo has retreated to a simple life in a rural Thai village near the Burmese border, capturing snakes for local entertainers, and transporting roamers in his old PT boat. Following repeated pleas, Rambo helps ferry a group of Christian aid workers into war-torn Burma, where the local Karen villagers are regularly tortured and massacred by Major Tint’s sadistic soldiers. The humanitarian mission is going well, until the village is attacked and the missionaries are kidnapped, and Rambo is once again asked to transport - but this time a group of mercenaries, assembled by the missionaries’ minister on a deadly rescue mission. This time he doesn’t stay behind.   This movie is 93 minutes long.  On Saturday at 3pm Cloverfield is playing.  It is rated rated PG-13 for violence, terror, disturbing images and is 99 min long.  Five young New Yorkers throw their friend a going-away party the night that a monster the size of a skyscraper descends upon the city. Told from the point of view of their video camera, the film is a document of their attempt to survive the most surreal, horrifying event of their lives.  At 7pm on Saturday, watch Meet the Spartans.  It is rated PG-13 for crude/sexual content, language, comic violence and is 88 min long.  From the creators of Scary Movie and Date Movie comes this tongue-in-cheek parody of the sword-and-sandal epics.  Admission is $3.25 for all ages.  A medium popcorn and soft drink on costs $4.

If your teenager wants to spend an exciting week this summer, then apply for the Teen Aviation Camp at the US Air Force Academy. The Teen Aviation Camp runs from 31 May to 5 Jun at Colorado Springs. At the Camp, teens will take a Cessna flight, do a Ropes course, undergo flight simulator training, experience wilderness orienteering, tour the Academy, work on team building exercises, and meet with Cadets. This is a fun way to spend part of the summer and help your teenager decide on his or her future. This program is for eligible Youth Program users who are interested in aviation or would like to determine if the US Air Force Academy could be a future college option. This is open to eligible high school students who will be sophomores or juniors in Fall 08. All costs including transportation, lodging and meals will be paid for by the Youth Program. Participants will not travel with an adult staff from their Youth Programs. Aviation Camp staff members will be at the Colorado Springs airport to meet participants and provide transportation to the USAFA. All teens will then be introduced to the Air Force Academy through an extensive and active schedule.  For an application or more information, please contact MacDill AFB Youth Programs at 828-7956. Applications are due 26 Mar to MacDill Youth Programs.