MacDill Happenings

If you looking for some great entertainment close to base, then go no further than the MacDill AFB movie theater this weekend.  For only $4 for adults and $2 for kids from 5-12 yrs old you can see the some of the latest movies.  And you can get a medium popcorn and two medium soft drinks for $10!  This Friday at 7pm and on Saturday at 3pm you can see “Kung Fu Panda” which is rated PG-13 for martial arts action and has a run time of 93 minutes. Po is the biggest fan of Kung Fu around…which doesn’t exactly come in handy while working every day in his family’s noodle shop. Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po’s dreams become reality when he joins the world of Kung Fu and studies alongside his idols, the legendary Furious Five — Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey — under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu. But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it’s up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat.  At 7pm on Saturday, come check out “Get Smart” with Steve Carell it is rated PG-13 for rude humor, action violence and langauge and has a run time of 99 minutes. Maxwell Smart is on a mission to thwart the latest plot for world domination by the evil crime syndicate known as KAOS. When the HQ of U.S, spy agency Control is attacked and the identities of its agents compromised the Chief had no choice but to promote his ever eager analyst Smart. Smart is partnered with the only agent who’s identity has not bee compromised, Agent 99. As they unraveling KAOS master plan, they discover that the key KAOS operative Siegfried and his saving the world and loving it.

If you’re looking for something to do that’s fun and free, head on over to Pinellas Park at the Park Place Stadium 16 movie theater and check out “Charlotte’s Web” and “Shrek the Third“.  “Charlotte’s Web” stars Dakota Fanning as the voice of Fern in the classic cartoon tale.  Wilbur the Pig and Charlotte the Spider, Julia Robert’s voice, work together with all the other animals to save Wilbur.  “Shrek the Third” has all the characters from the first two movies, including Mike Meyers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz.  Pinellas Park located between the Gulf of Mexico and Hillsborough Bay and just north of St. Petersburg is just a 30 minute drive from MacDill AFB.  Pinellas Park is an easy commute to anywhere close, including regional airports, major shopping area’s, and Florida’s Gulf Beaches. The city has one of the largest equestrian hold outs in Pinellas County. You will find the largest horse trail located in an urban environment, mini farms, and world class equestrians centers.

This Wednesday come listen to 3 of the great bands of the 80’s and 90’s, Journey, Heart and Cheap Trick at the Ford Amphitheatre!  Although Steve Perry is no longer with the Jounery, there is a great new leader singer with the vocal power to give the band the sound it lost when Perry left the band in 1996. This should be a great show from all three bands! Gates open at 6:30pm with the concert scheduled to start at 7:30pm.  Parking gates open at 5:30pm. Tickets start at $25 for lawn seating.  There is still a good selection of seats available.  The Ford Amphitheatre features over 9,500 reserved seats under a one of a kind canopy and the General Admission Festival Lawn provides a unique open air concert experience for nearly 10,000 additional fans. The Amphitheatre is located near the intersection of I-4 and Hwy 301. Access to general parking on event days is through the gates located on US Hwy 301 (Florida State Fairgrounds Main Entrance) and Martin Luther King Boulevard, Jr. (also a Florida State Fairground Secondary Entrance). If arriving from the East, please utilize the US Hwy 301 entrance and if arriving from the West please use the MLK entrance.

Make your plans now for Youth Soccer this Fall.  Youth registration for 5-12 yrs old is going on right now thru 15 August at the Youth Center. Registration costs are $30 for members of the Youth Center and $45 for non-members. Each child must have a copy of their birth certificate, immunization records and a current physical exam form at the time of registration.  If you need to make an appointment for a sports physical call the Base Clinic at 828-2273.  Call the Youth Center at 828-7956 for more information about Youth Soccer. If you want to learn more about the Youth Center’s School Year Program, stop by at the Open House, Friday 15 August, from 3-5 pm at the Youth Center.  The Youth Center will provide activities in five core program areas for youth ages 9-18.  The Youth Center is located at the corner of Hanger Loop Rd and Bayshore Blvd.

Check out the historic Tampa Theater in downtown Tampa on Sunday 27 Jul.  Starting at 3pm, 12 classic Warner Bros. cartoons in 35mm film will be presented.  The program will include 12 classic cartoons featuring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety Bird, Sylvester the Cat and more. Cartoons that will shown are: What’s Opera Doc?, One Froggy Evening, There They Go-Go-Go, Little Beau Pepe, Rabbit Seasoning, No Barking, Beanstalk Bunny, The Bee-Devilled Bruin, Kit for Kat, A Lad in His Lamp, Dr. Jekyl’s Hide, and Knights Must Fall. The cost of admission is $8.  You can get dropped off in front of the theater and park on the streets around the theater for free.  The park meters do not have to paid for on the weekends. The Tampa Theater was built in 1926 as one of America’s most elaborate “movie palaces”. The Tampa is a superior example of the “atmospheric” style of theatre design. Inside the Tampa, audiences are transported to a lavish, romantic Mediterranean courtyard replete with old world statuary, flowers, and gargoyles. Over it all is a nighttime sky replete with twinkling stars and floating clouds.

NFL football  fans get ready for another exciting season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers!  Get a jump on football fever at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Training Camp this weekend. Practices are open to the public and free! Practices are at the Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World at Lake Buena Vista. Practices this Saturday and Sunday start in the morning at 8:30am with afternoon practices starting at 2:45pm.  Last year’s team won the NFC South division and are looking even better this year!  Although Jeff Garcia won’t be there this weekend, Chris Simms will be there and Cadillac Williams should be there, hopefully fully recovered from his knee injury!  The first pre-season game is against the Miami Dolphins in Miami on 8 Aug.  The first home pre-season game is against the New England Patriots on 17 Aug at 8pm at Raymond James Stadium.  Regular season starts on 7 Sep against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans.

Save at the South Tampa Salvation Army this Saturday during their 50% sale.  Everything in the store is 50% off! The Salvation Army store is located on the one block north from the intersection of Bay to Bay and MacDill Ave.  With the start of college just around the corner, this is great inexpensive way to furnish your college student’s apartment.  There is large of selection of clothing, furniture, dishes and also sporting goods!  There are also TV’s and other electronic equipment available.  If you have a question on the price of something, just ask one the clerks walking around.  They are very friendly and helpful.  Parking is available right in front of the store on MacDill Ave and on the south side of the building.  They take cash, credit cards or debit cards.  If you don’t need to buy something, then think about donating something.  It’ll help you and someone else at the same time!

If you’re looking for a inexpensive night out this weekend, then checkout the MacDill AFB Movie Theater this Friday and Saturday.  Admission is only $4 for ages 13 and above and $2 for ages 5-12.  The price of a medium popcorn and two medium sodas is only $10!  On Friday at 7pm, “You Don’t Mess with Zohan” is playing.  This movie is rated PG-13 for crude/sexual, language, and nudity. Playing time is 113 minutes. Adam Sandler stars as Zohan, an Israeli commando, fakes his own death in order to pursue his dream: becoming a hairstylist in New York. On Saturday at 7pm, “The Happening” is playing. This movie is rated R for violent/disturbing images. Playing time is 90 minutes. Mark Wahlberg start is this movie about family on the run from an inexplicable and unstoppable event that threatens not only humankind…but the most basic human instinct of them all: survival. For a high school science teacher Elliot Moore what matters most is finding a way to escape the mysterious and deadly phenomenon. He and his wife Alma are in the midst of marital crisis, they hit the rode with Elliot’s math teacher friend Julian and his daughter Jess. Heading for the Pennsylvania farmlands where they hope they’ll be out of reach of the grisly attack. Yet it soon becomes clear that no one and nowhere is safe.

The Back to School Garage Sale at the Summerfield subdivision recreation building in Riverview will be held on 26 Jul from 10am to noon.  Toys, clothing, school supplies, games, books, and computers will be sold at bargain prices.  Make sure that you get there early for the best selection.  Summerfield has a 18 hole golf course, tennis, basketball, community pool, sand volley ball, and a recreation building.  You can find a range of housing available from townhouses to single family homes.  Summerfield is near the bustling Big Bend Rd and 301 intersection that has  new Publix and Sweet Bay grocery stores along with restaurants, hair salons, hardware stores and a new bowling alley.  This is about a 35 minute drive from MacDill AFB. Summerfield Crossings Elementary School is located in the subdivision. Eisenhower Middle School and East Bay High School are nearby with school bus service provided by the Hillsborough Public School District.

If you’re looking for something to encourage your child’s creative side, then check the SouthShore Regional Library in Ruskin today.  Teens in grades 6-12 can take part in the free Fine Arts experience in the Art Studio Classroom at the SouthShore Regional Library, 15816 Beth Shields Way, Ruskin, from 6:30pm to 8 pm, Tuesday, July 22. Artist Ping Chen will provide instruction in learning to draw a portrait. Chen usually teaches classes at her Riverview home, in New Tampa and at the University of South Florida.  She has helped cartoonist Fred Lasswell design his syndicated Barney Google and Snuffy Smith comic strips.  All materials will be provided. Class size is limited to 25 students. To be a part of this great opportunity, 25 admission tickets will be distributed beginning at 5:30pm in the classroom.