MacDill Happenings

It that time of the year again! Hillsborough County Public high schools actually started their graduations on Thursday and Friday, but there are still plenty of graduations that will take place this week. There are two locations that are used for graduation venues: the Florida State Fair Grounds Expo Hall and the USF Sun Dome. The advantages for each venue is the large parking lots available and the easy of accessibility. The State Fair, located off of the intersection of 301 and MKL Blvd, is right off of I-4 and just west of I-75. Parking lot access can be made off of 301 or MLK. The USF Sun Dome off of Folwer Ave and is west of I-75 and east of I-275 with huge parking lots. There will be two ceremonies each day, one starting 3pm and one starting at 7pm. Graduations can take up to 3 hours so be aware of that if you are attending a 7pm ceremony, because you may run into traffic. At the State Fair on 1 Jun at 3pm, Brandon High graduates, then at 7pm Lennard High graduates. At the Sun Dome on 1 Jun at 3pm, Freedom High graduates, then at 7pm Middleton High graduates. At the State Fair on 2 Jun at 3pm, Robinson High graduates, then at 7pm Spoto High graduates. At the Sun Dome on 2 Jun at 3pm, Armwood High graduates, then at 7pm Chamberlain High graduates. At the State Fair on 3 Jun at 3pm, Tampa Bay Tech High graduates, then at 7pm Blake High graduates. At the Sun Dome on 3 Jun at 3pm, Leto High graduates, then at 7pm Bloomingdale High graduates. At the State Fair on 4 Jun at 3pm, Riverview High graduates, then at 7pm Adult Education graduates. At the Sun Dome on 1 Jun at 3pm, Wharton High graduates, then at 7pm HIllsborough High graduates.

If you looking for some inexpensive entertainment this weekend, then stop by the MacDill AFB movie theater. Admission price is half of what you would pay out in town and the snacks are a lot cheaper than a theater out in town! This Friday at 7pm, 17 Again, starring Matthew Perry and Zac Efron, is playing. This movie is rated PG13 for sexual material, language, and teen partying with a run time of 102 minutes. Mike O’Donnell (Matthew Perry) is a star on his high school basketball court with a college scout in the stands and a bright future in his grasp. But instead, he decided to share his life with his girlfriend Scarlett and the baby he just learned they are expecting. 20 years later, Mike is given another chance when he is miraculously transformed back to the age of 17. Unfortunately, Mike may look 17 again, but his thirty-something outlook is total uncool to the class of 2009. And in trying to recapture his best years, Mike could lose the best things that ever happened to him. On Saturday at 7pm, Dragonball: Evolution, is playing with Chow Yun Fat. This movie is rated PG with intense sequences of action/violence, and brief mild language with a 85 minute run time. Goku’s quest begins innocently in the backyard of his grandfather’s home where Gohan is training the young man in some exotic martial arts moves. On Goku’s 18th birthday Gohan gives him a small round Dragonball with four stars floating inside the ball. There are only six others like it in the world. The holder with all seven Dragonballs will be granted one perfect wish. In the quest to find out about his past and his connection to the Dragonball, Gohan promises to reveal all to Goku at his birthday dinner. When Goku skips out to attend a party he finds himself facing the deadliest enemies on Earth.

If you’re new to kayaking or want to explore easy going rivers near Tampa, then try out the Little Manatee River in southern Hillsborough County. The Little Manatee Kayaking company offers rental kayaks and shuttle service. Their start point is Canoe Outpost on the river with the end point at Wild Cat Park in Ruskin, but you can be picked up at the point of your choice. The Little Manatee River Canoe Trail is an easy 5 miles with banks lined with sweetgum trees, oaks and palmettos. The water is tea-colored, with a white sandy bottom. The Little Manatee River Canoe Trail is officially designated as part of Florida’s Statewide System of Greenways and Trails. Only 25 miles from Tampa, this dark, tannin-stained trail has a sandy bottom and steep, sandy banks. Along the beautiful Little Manatee River, you will paddle through a variety of habitats including sand pine scrub, willow swampy, and hardwood forest. Look for otter, alligator, and turtles along the trail. You might even see an eagle soaring overhead. The trail ends at Little Manatee River State Park on the south bank.

If you’re basketball player and want to work on your game this summer then try out the Newsome High School Summer Basketball Camp. The Newsome High School boys basketball coach, Jon Mackey, is offering two weeks of basketball camp at the Newsome High School gym. The dates are: Week 1: Monday-Thursday, June 8-11 and Week 2: Monday-Thursday, June 15-18. The morning sessions are from 9 a.m.-12 Noon for grades fourth-sixth (as of this fall), and the afternoon sessions are from 1-4 p.m. for grades seventh-ninth. All campers will receive a camp shirt. Each camp session is limited to the first 35 campers who sign up. You may attend more than one week. The cost is $75 and checks can be made payable to Newsome High School. E-mail Coach Mackey at Jon.Mackey@sdhc.k12.fl.us for more information. Located withint a 40 minute drive to downtown Tampa and MacDill AFB, FishHawk Ranch is a unique community with walking and biking paths throughout the neighborhood. You’ll find shops and grocery stores all around the neighborhood for your shopping convience with a wide variety of restaurants for every taste. Top rated elementary, middle and high school are nearby with a new sports park close to Randall Middle School. Hillsborough Area Rapid Transit also offers express bus service to MacDill AFB from FishHawk Ranch. MacDill AFB also provides free monthly bus passes to military and civilian personnel.

Brandon Area Youth Soccer League (BAYSL) Flames Select will be holding team tryouts from Tuesday-Sunday, May 26 – 31, at the J.C. Handley Soccer Field, located at 3104 S. Kings Ave. in Brandon, for U8, 9 and 10 Academy teams to U19 boys and girls. BAYSL summer camp programs will also hold the BAYSL Flames Select Team Pre-tryout Camp from Monday-Friday, May 18 – 22, for boys and girls ages 7-18. From Monday-Friday, June 8-12, BAYSL Recreational 1/2 Day Camp will be held for boys and girls ages 6-11. From Sunday-Saturday, August 2-8, BAYSL Flames Competitive Camp will welcome boys and girls ages 7-11 in the a.m. and ages 12-18 in the p.m. Register early – space is limited. For more information, call 684-5948. Brandon is an affordable housing alternative from many people who work at MacDill AFB. Brandon is about a 30 minute drive from MacDill AFB. The LeRoy Selmon Expressway runs from Brandon to Tampa and can cut 10 to 15 minutes off your commute during rush hour. Make sure you buy a SunPass transponder it’ll save you .25 cents at each toll booth. Also, instead of waiting to pay at the toll booth with a SunPass transponder, you can go through the automated pay lane and save yourself some time. Brandon has all the amenities that anyone would need. The Westfield Shoppingtown is one of the largest malls in the Tampa area. It not only a shopping destination but also a great place for dinner with the Cheesecake Factory, California Pizza Kitchen and Sam Selzer’s Steakhouse along with a host of other restaurants. A great local jazz club is Dela’s After Dark with its initimate setting and delicious food for dinner. There is a large variety of housing available. From single family homes to condos to townhouses, there something for every budget. The local community is very supportive of military families with many establishments offering military discounts. In Brandon there is the MacDill AFB Branch Medical Clinic across the street from the AMC 20 Brandon Regency movie theater so that military families don’t have to drive onto MacDill AFB for medical appointments. Make sure ask to go to the branch clinic in Brandon when you register at Tricare. A great source of information about Brandon can be found at the Brandon Chamber of Commerce website. There are some great neighborhoods in the Brandon area: FishHawk Ranch, Bloomingdale, Providence Lakes, and Brentwood Hills. Towns near Brandon include Seffner, Riverview, Lithia and Apollo Beach.

The MacDill AFB Movie is celebrating its grand re-opening with a free movie, “Knowing” starting at 7pm on Friday 22 May.  Coming in and check out the upgrades to the theater! “Knowing” starring Nicholas Cage is an action movie rated PG-13.  In 1959, as part of the dedication ceremony for a new elementary school, a group of students is asked to draw pictures to be stored in a time capsule. But one mysterious girl fills her sheet of paper with rows of apparently random numbers instead. Fifty years later, a new generation of students examines the capsules contents and the girls cryptic message ends up in the hands of young Caleb Koestler. But it is Calebs father, professor John Koestler, who makes the startling discovery that the encoded message predicts with pinpoint accuracy the dates, death tolls and coordinates of every major disaster of the past 50 years. As John further unravels the documents chilling secrets, he realizes the document foretells three additional eventsthe last of which hints at destruction on a global scale and seems to somehow involve John and his son. When John’s attempts to alert the authorities fall on deaf ears, he takes it upon himself to try to prevent more destruction from taking place. With the reluctant help of Diana Wayland and Abby, the daughter and granddaughter of the now-deceased author of the prophecies, John’s increasingly desperate efforts take him on a heart-pounding race against time until he finds himself facing the ultimate disaster and the ultimate sacrifice.  On 23 May, “12 Rounds” starring wrestler, John Cena, is playing at 7pm. Detective Danny Fisher is about to have the worst day of his life. A nearly untraceable internationally-known terrorist named Miles Jackson has kidnapped his girlfriend Molly Porter and forced him into “12 Rounds” of dangerous games carefully plotted throughout the streets of New Orleans. Danny struggles to keep focus while the obvious ticking clocks and crude consequences that accompany each one of these “rounds” do their best to derail him from rescuing the love of his life before it’s too late. 

Come down to the Channelside district of Tampa to celebrate Memorial Day Weekend!  On Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 6pm each day, FreedomFest will have live music, strolling entertainment, patriotic family activities and great refreshments!  This event will take place on the Tampa Riverwalk from the Tampa convention Center to the main stage at Cotanchobee Park, the park directly behind the St. Pete Times Forum, to the Florida Aquarium!  On Monday, there will be a Memorial Day Service from 10am to 11am on the main stage in Cotanchobee Park.  Saturday’s schedule includes a 10am Sail Pavilion Ribbon Cutting at the Convention Center, and at Cotanchobee Park the schedule is 10:30am-Ms. Lisa’s Dance & Co, 11am-Atelier of Dance, 11:30am-Charlie Hotel, 1:30pm-The Flats, and 4pm-One Night Rodeo. Sunday’s schedule at Cotanchobee Park is 10am-Evvie Walker, Luke Preston & Cindy Matar, 11am-Saints Tone, 1:30pm-Kings Country and 4pm-Industry.  There are several parking structures to chose from, but expect a crowd and expect a lot of fun!

Fantasy of Flight in Polk City , off of I-4 between Tampa and Orlando, is marking the National Military Appreciation Month of May by offering free admission to all active duty, retired and reserve military members during the entire month of May. Guests need to have a military ID to qualify for free admission. Fantasy of Flight provides a world that captures the wonder of aviation and the history of flying machines. You can walk among the world’s largest collection of vintage airplanes dating from the early 1900s, including World War II standouts like the rare P-51C Mustang featuring red tail colors of the Tuskegee Airmen and the B-26 Marauder, which saw combat in the South Pacific and over North Africa. Themed sight- and sound-immersion experiences showcase memorable moments in aviation history, and a new self-guided audio tour gives an added sense of time and place, as well as insider details about featured aviators. Guided tours go behind the scenes to show how craftsmen restore vintage planes. The only attraction in the world that offers daily aerial demonstrations, Fantasy of Flight showcases different vintage planes with each flight and offers a question-and-answer session with the pilot. Witness mankind’s earliest attempts to fly, from hot air balloons to the Wright Brothers’ first successful flight. Enter the trenches of the Western front and feel the excitement of an aerial dogfight.Climb into the B-17 Flying Fortress to feel the bomber’s power as it soars above enemy troops. Design and build your own paper airplane, then set it free to see how far it gets through the Fun with Flight Center’s “fly zone.” Try out a state-of-the-art hang gliding simulator or see what it feels like to pilot a hot air balloon. Refreshments are available and stop by the gift shop on your way out to bring home part of your experience! Fantasy of Flight is open from 10am to 5pm daily. Normal admission is $28.95 for adults and $14.95 for ages 6-15 years of age. Age 5 and under are free.

Today is $5 day admission day at Lowry Park Zoo . Everyone gets in for $5! Visit more than 2,000 animals and learn about endangered wildlife. The normal admission price is $18.95. Lowry Park Zoo has been voted the #1 Family Friendly zoo by Child magazine. Extras like the train ride, camel rides and giraffe feedings are available at an additional cost from $2 to $5 each. But with your admission fee you can visit more than 2,200 animals. See the animals in their native habitats at Asian Gardens, Primate World, Free-Flight Aviaries, Wallaroo Station children’s zoo, and Safari Africa. The zoo is open 9:30 am to 5 pm at 1101 W Sligh Ave. in Tampa just off of I-275. Parking is free. Park hours are from 9:30 am-5 pm.

AfterImage Salon is having a fundraiser for the Moffitt Cancer Center on Sunday 17 May!  Their “Cut for a Cure” fundraiser will be open from noon to 5pm with all proceeds for haircuts, waxing, massages and raffle drawings being donated to the Moffitt Cancer Center.  There is no set fee for any service, donations will be accepted!  AfterImage Salon at 15274 Fishhawk Blvd in Lithia will have 6 hairstylists, Dave, Laura, Paige, Silvano, Tammie and Kay, Kathy and Donna for waxing services and Kristina for massage services. Everyone is donating their time for the event.  All Stars Italian American Grill will be serving free pizza and DaSilva’s Coffee House will be serving free coffee for all customers at AfterImage Salon!  Raffle baskets, designed by Dina Cagnina include: Alfaparf, Alterna, KMS, Love, Massage and Facial Services, Gift Certificates and Premier Jewelry.  Donations for raffle tickets are 1 for $5.00 or 3 for $10.00. Baked goods will be for sale starting at $3.00/dozen with various cookies, bars, brownies, cakes and more.  Bank of America will be on hand to promote their debit card offering donations for every time you use the card.  Liberty National Insurance will give out FREE accidental death policies to all who make a donation ($3,000.00 Value).  They will also have information about CANCER policies. Premier Jewelry will be for sale with all proceeds going to help Linda Chryslers fight with her very rare cancer. You can read her story at caringbridge.org.  You do not have to get services to donate.  Come out and be a part of the day!  All donations are tax deductable!