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.

Tampa’s Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) is hosting the Tampa Bay Hurricane Expo on Saturday 30 May from 9am to 2pm. Admission is free to the Expo, but you can visit MOSI for only $8. Remember Hurricane season in Florida starts on 1 Jun and runs until the end of November. You need to start preparing now for an emergency. Get tips from more than 40 emergency management organizations on planning for pets, care for senior citizens, home safety options, items to prepare with and more. This year’s theme is “Run From the Water, Hide From the Wind.” This Hurricane Expo will focus on the importance of knowing what evacuation zone you live in, the threats you and your community may face this storm season by living in an evacuation zone, what plans you and your family should have in case you are asked to evacuate, and where are the best places to evacuate to. Keep in mind that not everyone lives in an evacuation zone and it is not necessary to travel hundreds of miles to be safe. This was evident in 2004 as Hurricane Charlie’s path took it over Orlando where many Hillsborough County residents evacuated. Storm surge is potentially the greatest threat to human life from a land-falling hurricane, and evacuations are based on how much storm surge is predicted. So running from the water means where evacuations are recommended, the storm surge may pose a threat to your home and community. If asked to evacuate, emergency managers recommend you go to a safe location outside of the storm surge area and hunker down (hide from the wind) there.  Normally, areas east of I-75 and north on I-4 are out of the storm surge areas. The Expo will be a family-friendly event featuring vendors, educational seminars and giveaways. Parking is free.

The annual Taste of Pinellas takes place 29-31 May on the waterfront at Vinoy Park in St. Pete! This annual food and music festival offers “tastes” from 50 area restaurants, a beer garden, Kid Zone, Frisbee Dogs Disc-Connected K-9’s, drum circles and more. The Kids Zone features play areas, entertainment, dancing, Live DJ (Rob Snyder Entertainment), drum circles, giant inflatable slides, bungee trampoline, and more! On Saturday night at 9:45pm is a fireworks show after the concert. Music includes Night Ranger and Lita Ford (May 29); Travis Tritt (May 30); and KC and the Sunshine Band (May 31). Admission is free including the concerts. However, there is a fee for food. Proceeds from this event benefits All Children’s Hospital. Hours each day are Friday 5pm to 10pm, Saturday noon to 10pm and Sunday noon to 7pm. There are parking structures available and some on street parking. Shuttle service is available. It is going to warm so make sure you bring a hat, sunblock, sunglasses and bring a chair or blanket to sit on to enjoy the concerts. Please leave pets at home and outside food or drink is not allowed.

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.

On Memorial Day, the Henry B. Plant Museum is offering free admission for all active or retired military personnel and their families with an ID card. Military families may enjoy self-guided and audio tours in the Museum throughout the day.  At 2 pm the Museum’s Upstairs/ Downstairs at the Tampa Bay Hotel Live Theatre series will feature Henry Dobson, a 20 year-old volunteer soldier, when he was encamped with his regiment in Tampa for several weeks prior to the outbreak of the Spanish-American War in 1898. Dobson documented his daily experiences in the army and his opinions on Tampa in numerous personal letters home. These letters, which are part of the Museum collection, were used by local playwright Jim Rayfield to create the script. The Plant Museum is located in downtown Tampa along the scenic Hillsborough River and is historic hotel converted into a museum and is on the grounds of the University of Tampa.  The Henry B. Plant Museum is housed in the 1891 Tampa Bay Hotel, now a National Historic Landmark and home to The University of Tampa.  During the 1880’s, Henry Bradley Plant was building an empire of railroads, steamships and hotels.  The hotel was financed by Plant personally, not investors, at a cost of $2,500,000 and an additional $500,000 was spent for furnishings. It took two years to build, covered six acres and was one-quarter mile long.  The 511 rooms were the first in Florida to be electrified. Advertised as completely fireproof, the structure is built of poured concrete reinforced with steel rails and cables in between floors.  The building featured all of the latest luxuries including a billiard room, barbershop, shoeshine service, beauty shop, flower shop, telegraph office, formal dining room, Grand Salon, Music Room with orchestra and telephones in all guest rooms.

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 Florida Aquarium will offer military personnel free and discounted admission during the Memorial Day weekend from 23-25 May. Military personnel who are eligible include active duty, retired, reservist, National Guardsmen and Coalition member. They will recieve two free admission tickets. Additional familiy member, up to 4 people, can receive 50% off the regular admission price. A valid military ID is required to receive this discount.  The Florida Aquarium is among the top aquariums in the world with more than 20,000 aquatic plants and animals from Florida and around the world.  Come out and pet the stingrays or get up close to the peguins when they come and do their march!  The Aquarium is located in the Channelside district of Tampa with parking for $5 for all day at the Aquarium parking lot.  There is also a hourly parking structure across the street from the Aquarium and is closer to the Channelside Bay complex.

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.