MacDill Happenings

If you’ve ever been to a Raymond James Stadium and wondered what everything looked like behind the scenes, then here is your chance!  The Tama Sports Authority has sent up public tours of the stadium.  No reservations are required for individual tours, just show up 15 minutes before the start of the tour.  Tours are subject to stadium availability, so call ahead  at 350-6500 to make sure that tours are still being conducted on the day that you want to go.  Scheduled dates are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.  Start time is 2pm each day. ’Cost is $5 for ages 16 and up, $3 for ages 6-15 and seniors Group tours can be schedules with a minimum 10 guests, and maximum 30 guests. Call at least two weeks in advance to reserve your groups tour time slot. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the tour to allow for check in. Reserved group tours are done on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays starting at 9am or 10:30am. The cost for Camps, Rec. Centers and Paid Summer Programs is $3 per child, adult groups (16 and older) is $5 per person, senior groups (65 and older) is $3 per person, and Hillsborough County School Groups are free during school year. You see how big or how small the stadium seems when there is no one else around. This backstage tour will take an hour. During that one hour, you will have the opportunity to checkout the locker rooms, have a chance to feel like one of the players while venturing out onto the field through the ‘home team’ tunnel, have Club/Suite access and have the opportunity to play Buccaneer aboard the infamous pirate ship. RayJay of course is home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the home field of the USF Bulls.

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Get out, get fit and have some fun at Mommy and Me Skate on Wednesdays at United Skates of America! Dads can also join in on the fun!  United Skates of America is located at 5121 N. Armenia Ave in Tampa. This weekly Wednesday event will take place from 9am to 11:30am. This is a great opportunity for mom’s to get some fun exercising skating and sharing with their toddlers. You put your child in a stroller, ride-on toy or push cart and speed them around the ring while you skate. Bring some friends along! The admission price is $3.50 and this includes skate rental. Come check out the rest of the facility. This is a great place to host a birthday party or a school fund raiser. For new skaters, skating lessons are available. For youths interested in hockey, there is a youth roller hockey league. There is a pro shop available to meet all your skating needs. The video arcade has the latest games and with your winning tickets you can redemp them for some great toys. The pizza restaurant serves a delicious pizza and other goodies that will satisfy everyone.

Oakfield Lanes is having $1 a game bowling on Monday 19 July.  The special runs from 9am to noon, but make sure you get there early.  Oakfield Lanes offer 32 lanes of air conditioning bowling.  During the special, shoe rental is only $2. One neat thing about Oakfield Lanes is the pond at the back.  From the deck, you can see some very large fish and a lot of turtles just enjoying the water!  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.

This Sunday is $5 Admission Day to Lowry Park Zoo !  Zoo hours are 9:30am to 5pm. Located in the northern part of Tampa off of W. Sligh Ave, it is easily accessible from I-275. Lowry Park Zoo has been named the #1 zoo in America by “Parents” magazine and “Child” magazine. There are more than 2000 animals on 56 acres of natural habitats in seven main exhibit areas. There is a combination of natural habitat exhibits and caged exhibits in each area. The seven exhibits are Asian Gardens, Primate World, Manatee and Aquatic Center, Native Florida Wildlife Center, Free-Flight Aviary, Wallaroo Station children’s zoo and Safari Africa. At some exhibits you have the opportunity to feed the animals. There are two water play areas and you can see educational shows. There are also rides for an additional fee. Expect to spend at least 4 hours to see all exhibits. You can bring a picnic basket to enjoy before or after the visit at Lowry Park. Of course, there are plenty of restaurants in the zoo. Parking is free.

The Patel Conservatory at the David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa is offering free ballet classes on 14 and 28 August for children in prekindergarten to grade 12. This is a great opportunity to introduce your children to dance and maybe pique their interest. These are beginner and intermediate classes. Registration is required by calling (813) 222-1263. During the school year, the Patel Conservatory holds courses weekly, after school and on weekends in a beautiful, 45,000-square-foot facility attached to the Straz Performing Arts Center. The Conservatory’s instructors are highly skilled artists and many are working professionals in the area of their expertise. There are studios and classrooms for dance, media arts, theater, on-camera acting and private lessons in all disciplines, plus a piano lab, a recording studio, a scene shop, a costume shop, a library and a “black box” theater. SPAC is in downtown Tampa along the beautiful eastern bank of the Hillsborough River. It is easily accessible from I-275 or the Crosstown or a 15 minute drive from MacDill AFB. Parking is available in nearby lots or on the street on the northside of SPAC.

The MacDill AFB Youth Center is holding a free Youth Basketball Camp from 9 to 13 August.  Register by 6 August.  This camp is open for youths ages 9 to 15.  Lunch and snacks are provided free of charge.  Get in shape and get ready for the fall basketball season at school.  Kids will get to work on passing, free throws, defense, dribbling and classroom instruction to really learn about the game.  The camp is free, but participants have to attend all week otherwise they will be charged for the camp.  Call 828-7956 for more information. Programs and activities offered at the Youth Center help improve and maintain the physical, social, and mental well-being of youth to include year-round programs and wholesome leisure-time experiences. Not only are there games, crafts, life skills, and sports, but youth can learn how to become meaningful members of their community. Some instructional classes are conducted, but this is contingent on the availability of instructors. A diversified youth sports program offers basketball, baseball, and soccer leagues along with a cheerleading program. Teens have their own area where they can come to interact with their peers, get homework and career assistance, or play video games. Special events are conducted periodically for both the pre-teens and teens. The Youth Center is available to any children who are eligible for an ID card.

The Westfield Mall in Brandon will host a free summer arts and crafts event on Friday from 1 to 3 .m. This summer-themed family fun event is designed for families with children ages 5-10. Bring the kids out for some free fun in some cool air conditioning and out of the rain. Before or after the fun, you can try out the food court for some reasonable priced food. There is a wide variety of food offerings. The Westfield Mall in Brandon is one of the largest malls in the Tampa area. Anchor stores at the Mall include Dillard’s, Macy’s, JC Penny’s, and Sears. With stores offering everything from shoes to sports to sunglasses and everything in between, the Westfield Mall is also a destination place for dining out from something quick to eat in the food court to a sit down restaurant in the restaurant courtyard. The Mall is open on Mondays to Friday from 10:30am to 8:30pm, Saturdays 10am to 9pm and Sundays from 11am to 6pm. 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.

This Tuesday the AMC Summer Camp movie is Madagascar! The price of the movie is only $1! While the movies are not new movies they will be great movies for the children to watch.  This special will occur at all AMC theaters. Doors open at 9:30 am and movies begin at 10 am. Make sure you get there early because the theater usually fills up fast and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. There also are some refreshment deals, including a $4 KidsPack concession combo. All admission and refreshment proceeds will benefit Variety — The Children’s Charity and the Will Rogers Institute. Four zoo animals are shipped back to their homeland by an animal rights group that feels they belong in the wild. When the ship capsizes, the animals find themselves stranded in Madagascar. Having had humans care for them their entire life, they know nothing about survival and must work together with the locals to help them fit in. Movie run time is 80 minutes for this family fun cartoon!

The City of St.Petersburg is celebrating Independence with their 4th of July Extravaganza and Fireworks. There will be activities and music at North Straub Park and The Pier throughout the day. In North Straub Park, a world renowned sand artist will create a patriotic sand sculpture from 40 tons of sand which will be near the Plaza (north end) of North Straub Park. Fireworks are viewable along the waterfront across the Bay beginning at 9 pm on July 4th, weather permitting. Also depending on sunset, fireworks may go as early as 8:30 pm or as late as 10 pm. At The Pier, there will live music starting at 1pm. Family entertainers will be throughout the Pier from jugglers to magicians, to hypnotists. Face painting is available for a minimal charge. Or stop by the Pier and try out an econo-friendly boat,  The Electric Marina Boat Rentals! Like the name says, you can rent earth friendly electric boats to leisurely cruise Tampa Bay! The top speed of the electric non-polluting boats are 5 mph, but the best about these boats at the end of your cruise you don’t have to pay a huge gas bill! Their new 24′ boats seat up to 12 people comfortably. And are equipped with a private restroom, swim transom, a recessed swim ladder, water sink and shower 4 speaker stereo/mp3 compatible, convertible top for shade or sun or fishing. The boats are equipped with GPS, depth and fish finder. You can also rent a propane barbecue for $28. Boat rental fees are $40 for a half hour and $75 for one hour. Besides electric boats, you can also rent water bike, kayaks and sailboats!

It’s that time of year again!  School is almost out with just a few weeks remaining! It’s also that time of year for teenagers to start looking for a job.  With the economy in a slump and everyone looking for a job, it can be tough for a teenager looking for a job.  Sometimes, teenagers are just a little too shy and don’t want to walk around from store to store looking for a job.  Well,  MacDill AFB has an opportunity for those enterprising teenagers, 16 years and older, looking for a job.  Instead of walking around the mall looking for a job, the MacDill AFB Family Readiness Center is sponsoring a Youth Job Fair on 19 May from 1pm to 3pm.  The Fair will be at the Youth Center, Bldg 382 at the corner of Bayshore and Florida Keys Ave, in the gym. There will be representatives from around MacDill for on base hiring and in the past there have been off base companies who have been looking for employees from restaurants to retail store.  Bring a resume along to highlight the past jobs you have had.  If this is your first time looking for a job, then don’t worry about bring a resume because employers will have applications to fill out.  Make sure you have some basic information like references with names and phone numbers, your Social Security number and your contact information.  It’s very important to make sure that you dress for success, no flip flops, shorts, torn jeans, so that you stand out in the crowd.  Talk politely and confidently.  If you need some more information, contact Angie Fields at 828-0132 or Loretta Gaines at 828-7985.