If you’re new to Tampa or even if you’re not, come out the Tampa Bay History Center to learn about local and state history. Located in the Channelside district near Fort Brooke and behind the St. Pete Times Forum, the Tampa Bay History Center was built to teach visitors about the history that has shaped the Tampa Bay area. At the Center, there are hands-on activities, crafts, performances and more. Learn about Pioneer Life in Hillsborough County.  Find out what daily life was like, how homes looked, what people did for a living and find out what children did for fun.    The Center provides  historical and educational services and programs. A current exhibit is “Spies, Traitors and Saboteurs: Fear and Freedom in America”. Learn that terrorism is not a new occurrence in this country. This exhibit tells the forgotten tales of over 200 years of spies, domestic terrorists, radicals and saboteurs. See 145 historic photographs and documents and view a timeline tracing more than 170 different events   The two story Center contains 60,000 square feet of exhibits which show almost 500 years of recorded history and 12,000 years of human habitation in the Tampa Bay area. The Tampa Bay History Center is housed in Hillsborough County government’s first “green” building. Normal admission cost is $2 for ages 4-12.  Adults are $12.  The Museum is open daily from 10am to 5pm. There are several parking lots within a short walk of the Center.

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If your trying to think of what to do with your sweetie on Valentine’s Day, look no further than the Lowry Park Zoo. Lowry Zoo is hosting a “Wild at Heart” event for singles, friends and couples on 10 & 11 February. On Friday 10 February start time is at 6:30pm and on Saturday 11 February start time is at 5:30pm. A great event for animal lovers! Guests will receive a dinner and tour of the zoo along with tales of the pairing, partnering and mating habits of zoo’s residents. Guests will receive champagne, up-close views of the animals and then a romantic dinner. Dessert will be served at various animal habitats. This includes an open bar and should last around 3 hours. Reservations are required with a cost of $65 per person. You can register online. Located in the northern part of Tampa off of W. Sligh Ave, it is easily accessible from I-275. The zoo is about a 40 minute drive from MacDill AFB. 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. Check out the Zoo School for exciting programs for everyone, from tots to teens, adults, families, teachers and more. The Zoo’s conservation education programs are designed to meet Sunshine State curriculum objectives for Florida state schools. There are also rides for an additional fee. Expect to spend at least 4 hours to see all exhibits during a normal visit to the zoo. 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.

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Sign up now for the 2-Person Scramble Tournament at MacDill AFB Bay Palms Golf Complex on the 21st of January. There is plenty of time to start practicing now! It’s a best ball tournament where each player on the team hits a shot and best shot of the two gets selected for the next shot. It’s an 8am shotgun start. Cost is $30 for members and E1 to E4, $35 for E5 to O3, $40 for O4 and up and $45 for civilians. Price includes green fees, cart, prizes and a pasta lunch after the tournament. Before the tournament, warm up or work on your stroke at the 24-hour a day lighted driving range for only $1 for a bucket of balls. Of course, there are separate chipping and putting greens. The Bay Palms Golf Complex was named ‘Best Golf Program in the Air Force’ for 2002. There are two 18-hole, par 72 courses. The clubhouse has pro shop, restroom/locker areas and a great reasonably price eatery. The South Course is a scenic and challenging courses built along the Bay. The North Course course is a fairly straight course with several water obstacles. Group and private lessons can be arranged through the Bay Palms Pro Shop. The clubhouse has an excellent pro shop with a great friendly staff ready to help you. The snack bar serves a great variety of food and has an especially nice breakfast menu!

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After a long holiday trip, come to the MacDill AFB Auto Hobby Shop to work on your vehicle or have some work done on it for you.  The prices at the Auto Hobby shop can’t be beat! The mechanics at the shop will do a Freon Refill Service for $20 plus Freon cost, Evacuation & Recharge for $25 plus Freon cost, or do a A/C Retrofit to R-134A for $125 for most cars and trucks. This isn’t like a lot of Auto Shops on other bases. The friendly mechanics at the shop will do the work for you at a very reasonable cost. You can also get advice on the how to take care of your tires. One of the easiest things to do to get more miles on your tires and to save you money is knowing when and how to rotate your tires. When done at the recommended times, tire rotation can preserve balanced handling and traction and even out tire wear. Most manufacturers recommend that tires be rotated every 3,000 to 5,000 miles even if they don’t show signs of wear. Tire rotation can often be done with an oil change while the vehicle is off the ground. This is also a good time to have your tires rebalanced if you’ve been having any vibration issues than you suspect may relate to the tire balance. It’s also a good time to inspect the tires for any damage, remove stones or debris from the tire treads, check for uneven wear by checking the tire tread depth and of course, checking your tire pressure. Tire rotation helps even out tire wear by allowing each tire to serve in as many of the vehicle’s wheel positions as possible, hopefully promoting even wear across the tire tread pattern. Remember, tire rotation can’t correct wear problems due to worn mechanical parts or incorrect inflation pressures. At the Hobby Shop skilled technicians will show you how to recognize tire wear, how to use a wheels-free lift and removal/replacement of tires. The MacDill Auto Hobby Shop is open Tue-Fri 11am to 7pm, Sat 9am-7pm and closed on Sun and Mon. It is located near the MacDill Gym and Bowling Alley. There are plenty of work-bays for performing both minor and major automotive repairs. Hydraulic lifts, a paint booth, and a variety of computerized equipment are among the many services available. There are skilled technicians available who can provide professional guidance should you encounter any difficulties. They can also do minor repairs like wheel alignments, brake service and transmission oil changes and charge a lot less per hour than out in town.

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If you are thinking of starting your own business during the upcoming year, then you need to have a business plan to map your road to success. The St. Petersburg Business Assistance Center at 440 Second Ave. N St. Pete is offering free help this Wednesday starting at 5:30pm. This 2-part workshop will provide insight and access to business databases available through the City library services, including premium business databases for industry, market and demographic information critical to your business plan. You will then discover the importance of a business plan, including fundamental concepts and the process of writing your business plan. This is a free help presented by SCORE Counselors to America’s Small Business. SCORE is a national non-profit organization comprised of working and retired business executives who donate their time to assisting people in the U.S. in starting up a new business or by providing business counseling for existing businesses. The St. Petersburg Business Assistance Center (BAC) is your one-stop facility for starting or growing your existing small business. It’s wonderful resource that can help assess your goals and plan your future. The BAC provides business counseling, training and access to capital and credit for startups as well as established businesses seeking growth or specialized assistance. The Business Assistance Center (BAC) provides case management and follow-up services for the creation, retention and expansion of small businesses. To register or for further information, call (727) 893-714 or go online.

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If you’re new to MacDill AFB, then besides looking for a place to live, one of the first things that you should do is stop by the TRICARE service center on base to make sure that you are properly enrolled. The TRICARE office is located inside the base clinic near the Exchange. When you come in the Dale Mabry gate, the base clinic will be the big buildings to the right. The TRICARE office is located on the second floor . MacDill AFB is part of the South Region of TRICARE. The personnel in the office can assist you with any updates you have for DEERS,answer questions on local medical providers and the on-base medical services. MacDill AFB has a clinic on base that provides almost all medical services found at a hospital except for emergency room care and overnight stays. For emergency room care and overnight stays, MacDill sends patients to Tampa General Hospital on Davis Island, about a 5 mile drive out of the Bayshore Gate. There is a new hospital being built by the gas station on base which should be open in the Fall. 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. Brandon Clinic Pharmacy provides initial prescription service to eligible beneficiaries seen at the Brandon Clinic. The MacDill Clinic provides initial fill service to our Active Duty and those patients seen by a provider in the clinic. The PharmaCARE Center located near Burger King provides outpatient pharmaceutical care to all beneficiary categories. The BX Refill Pick Up Center is the central point for picking up all phoned in refill requests and any new prescription not claimed on the day it was left at PharmaCARE Center.

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If you are looking for something free to do on Monday’s, then head over to Sarasota and visit the Ringling Museum. Although it is not advertised on their website, the Ringling Museum has free admission on Monday’s. The John and Mable Ringling Museum was built with the fortune John Ringling earned with his brothers in the world famous circus empire. John Ringling became even wealthier through oil, railroad and real estate holdings. The Museum is partnered with Florida State University to produce educational seminars and programs. However, the free admission does not include Cà d’Zan and Circus Museum. When John Ringling bequeathed his art collection, mansion and estate to the State of Florida, his bequest included a requirement for free admission to the Museum of Art one day a week. Also, the grounds of the museum can be wandered for free any day of the week. The Museum of Art was built by John to house his personal collection of masterpieces, today features paintings and sculptures by the great Old Masters including Rubens, van Dyck, Velázquez, Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese, El Greco, Gainsborough and more. The Ca d’Zan Museum which means “House in John” in Venetian dialect is a palatial mansion with 56 rooms filled with art and original furnishings. The Ca d’Zan Museum is built in the style of Venetian Gothic architecture. The Circus Museums built after the death of John Ringling is a tribute to the American circus. The grounds and gardens are a beautiful part of the estate that can be enjoyed for free any day of the week. The Rose Garden, Mable’s Secret Garden, the Dwarf Garden, and the Millennium Tree Trail. Grounds are open from 9:30am to 6pm. The Museum is open daily from 10am to 5pm. Normal admission prices are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $10 for students 18 and older with an ID, children 6-17, Florida teachers with ID and active duty military. You can save yourself a lot of money by visiting the museum on Mondays!

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The City of St. Petersburg on Thursday night continues their free Music and Movies in the Park. The Park is North Straub Park located on the downtown waterfront. The music on Thursday starts at 6pm. After the music, the movie is the 1948 classic movie “Key Largo”. Key Largo is a 1948 film noir directed by John Huston and starring Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Lauren Bacall, Lionel Barrymore, and Claire Trevor. Key Largo was the fourth and final film pairing of married actors Bogart and Bacall. Trevor won the 1948 Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance. Ex-Major Frank McCloud (Humphrey Bogart) visits a Key Largo hotel run by James Temple (Lionel Barrymore), the father of McCloud’s World War II buddy, and his daughter-in-law Nora (Lauren Bacall), the friend’s widow, to pay his respects. Temple is deep in grief over the death of his son, and is under the impression that he died a hero in Italy. McCloud does not disabuse him of this, and at Temple’s urging he relates exactly the story Temple wants to hear, although it is apparent that McCloud was the actual hero. McCloud finds out that the visitors who are staying at the hotel, supposedly on a fishing trip, are actually notorious fugitive gangster Johnny Rocco (Edward G. Robinson) and his gang. The gangsters have crossed by boat from Cuba, where Rocco is living in exile, to make a “delivery”. Once Rocco’s identity is revealed by McCloud, the mobsters drop the pretense and take over the hotel, keeping McCloud, Temple and Nora at bay with the threat of violence; meanwhile, a hurricane is brewing up, heading in the direction of the Key. Admission is free, but you can rent a chair for $5. Or you can bring a chair or blanket! The weather should be good on Thursday. It would be a great time to have a picnic, but alcohol is not allowed in the park. The closest public parking lots to North Straub Park are: BayWalk (Midcore) Garage – 117 2nd St N, 2nd Ave N Lot – 231 2nd Ave N, Wachovia Center – 150 2nd Ave N and BayWalk (Midcore) Garage – 117 2nd St N.

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