MacDill Happenings

Get ready for game 2 of the playoffs with the Tampa Bay Lightning taking on the Boston Bruins. Game 1 was a scoring fest with the Lightning scoring 5 goals and the Bruins scoring 2. No game is ever easy during the playoffs, but expect some great hockey! Tampa is hot having won the last 8 playoff games including 3 straight against the Penguins and a 4 game sweep against the Capitals and the opener against the Bruins on Saturday! Game 2 is in Boston, so if you’re like most Lightning fans you won’t be able to see the game up in Boston. But come to the St. Pete Times Forum and join in with Tampa fans for a Lightning Watch Party. This is a free event! Game time is 8pm, but the fun starts at 6:30pm. The game will be shown outside on the west plaza. Starting at 6:30pm, fans can enjoy live music and entertainment, games and other activities.. Individual Fans can bring blankets, lawn chairs and coolers packed with food and non-alcoholic drinks for the game. But there will be vendors selling food and alcohol. The first 500 fans who arrive at the arena for Game 2 on Tuesday night will receive a free Bolts Nation fan pack while supplies last. Free parking will be available in both the Forum West Lot, as well as the VIP East Lot, on a first-come, first-served basis. The St. Pete Times Forum is located in the Channelside District of Tampa just south of downtown Tampa.

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Come out to the Tampa Bay Youth Expo at the Tampa Convention Center this Saturday. The Expo was created to celebrate positive youth sports for young people in the Tampa Bay community.  The Tampa Bay Sports Expo is a fun family oriented one day event on that runs from 9am – 5pm. The Expo promotes youth sports to kids, parents, coaches and youth program administrators. There is an interactive experience where professional athletes, trainers and sports experts offer kids and their families the opportunity to learn new skills both on and off the field. Boys and girls ages 6-18 can participate in sport clinics and demonstration with professional players from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Rays and the Rowdies. There will also be representatives for hockey, tennis, golf, cheer/dance and volleyball. Parents, coaches and youth administrators can attend workshops addressing positive coaching techniques, sport injury prevention, sports nutrition, childhood obesity and preparing your student athlete for college. Also, check out information provided on sports camps, amateur teams and leagues, specialty sport retailers and youth sport organizations. There will be an Autograph Zone for a meet and greet with participating professional athletes and coaches. There are various public and private parking lots near the Convention Center and at Channelside. Usually the public lots offer the most cost effective price. But wherever you park, the Convention Center and Channelside are within walking distance of each other. The Florida Aquarium has a parking lot and Channelside has parking structure across the street. There is a large variety of restaurants from casual eateries to fine dining. If you’re looking for pizza, sandwiches, steak, Thai, Spanish food or something in between, Channelside has it. Or if you’re just interested in dessert, then you can find some delicious ice cream at Channelside! Admission runs from $5 to $15.

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Get ready now for the Tampa Bay Rays, the 2010 American League Eastern Division Champions,  home opener in Tropicana against the Baltimore Orioles!  Game time is 7:10pm.  The Rays will be raising the American League Eastern Division Pennant for 2010 at the start of the game!  Buy your tickets now, because this game is sure to sell out!  All fans will receive a magnetic season schedule.  This is pretty good start for the home stand for the Rays with 3 consecutive games against the Orioles.  Bring out the cowbell!  The Rays are a team to be reckoned with in the American League East.  They come back with 5 outstanding starting pitchers. We just need the bullpen to pull it together again!  We lost a lot of great players in the off season, but wish them well in their new homes. But we have Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez! Parking again is free at the stadium when there are 4 or more people in a car!  Expect the parking lots to fill up quickly so get to the stadium about 2 hours ahead of time to find a free spot.  You can use that time to have a tailgate party!  Try to find a spot near the grass so that you can have some room to spread out.  Or park early and stop in for a bite and drink at Ferg’s Sports Bar and Grill right across the street from the stadium.  Ferg’s is the place to be before and after a game!  

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The Transitions Championship for Healthy Sight is offering all Active, Reserve, National Guard and Retired Military Service Members and their dependents free admission to this PGA Tour tournament from March 17-20. The tournament will take place at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Palm Harbor.  Innisbrook Resort and Golf  Club is one of the country’s most well known golf clubs consistently rated in Golf Magazine’s “Top 100 You Can Play,” and Golf Digest’s “Top 75 Golf Resorts in America.”  A partial list of players include Vijay Singh, Stewart Cink, John Daly, Chris DiMarco and David Duval.  Just show your military ID for free admission. Anyone including dependents with a military ID card can get in for free!  With your active duty ID card, you can also (6) Good-Any-One-Day tickets at half price – $15 each.   Players are permitted to sign autographs only after the completion of their round. Cell phones will be allowed into the tournament but must be on silent. Concessions stands are located throughout the course and serve a wide variety of food and beverage products. To get to the course take US Hwy. 19 or Belcher Rd. to Klosterman Rd. and watch for signs to the public parking located at the St. Petersburg College – Tarpon Springs Campus. Public Parking (for spectators who have not purchased a parking pass) is available at the St. Petersburg College – Tarpon Springs Campus located at the corner of Klosterman Rd. and Belcher Rd. A $10 fee per vehicle is collected at entrance. Use of the following items will NOT be permitted at the tournament: cameras, picnic baskets, coolers, radios, televisions (including hand-held televisions), backpacks, pagers, ladders, signs, banners and lawn chairs. Bags will be searched upon entering the event.

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The Bay Palms Golf Complex on MacDill AFB is a great place for the entire family to play a game of golf or to grab a bite to eat. There is a North and a South course for a total of 36 holes with 6,761 total yards on the par 72 courses. The courses are open 6:30am to 6:30pm every day. I recommend the North Course, which is a little more forgiving, for the novice golfer. The Main Course Eatery grill in the clubhouse is serves food from 6:30am to 2pm. 7days a week. The breakfast specials and lunch specials can’t be beat. The Hole in One breakfast special can’t be beat. It includes 2 eggs cooked to order, hash browns or grits, toast or muffin, and a choice of sausage links or patties, or bacon, and a cup of coffee.

The Pro shop has everything a golfer could want from clubs, bags, balls, shoes, shirts to shorts. You can rent clubs if you happen to forget your own. The Pro Shop number is 840-6904 and you can reserve a Tee time at 840-6915.
Here are the golf prices:

Monday – Friday
Cart & Green Fees
7 am – 10 am
E1-E4 $14 O-4 – Up $22
E5-O3 $19 Guests $30
10 am – 2:30 pm
E1-E4 $12 O-4 – Up $20
E5-O3 $16 Guests $25
After 2:30 pm
E1-E4 $8 O-4 – Up $12
E5-O3 $10 Guests $15

Saturday-Sunday Specials
Cart & Green Fees for 18 Holes*
7 am – 10 am
Posted Rates
10 am – 2:30 pm
E1-E4 $12 E5-O3 $16
O-4 – Up $20 Guests $25
After 2:30 pm
E1-E4 $8 E5-O3 $10
O-4 – Up $12 Guests $15
* Cart Renewals available for $4 for 9 holes and$6 for 18 holes per person

3 Guests + 1 Military Special $100 Includes Hot Dog Lunch
(After 10 am • Sat-Sun)

Junior golfers are only an additional $5 when accompanied by an adult sponsor.

The lighted driving range is self-serve where a bucket of 24 balls only cost a $1. Of course, there is a putting and chipping course.

Every Saturday morning from 8:30-9:30 there is a Junior Golf Clinic that only costs $3 a child. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, there is a free Active Duty Military Clinic from 12-1pm.

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The Tampa Bay Ray Fan Fest is 19 February at Tropicana Field in St. Pete.  Admission and parking is free! A $40 charitable donation will allow fans the opportunity to get autographs from Rays players and coaches. Proceeds from Fan Fest will go to the Rays Baseball Foundation, the families of slain St. Petersburg policemen Sergeant Thomas Baitinger and K-9 Officer Jeffrey Yaslowitz, the ALS Association and the Salvation Army Centers in St. Petersburg, Tampa and Bradenton. Autographs for season ticket holders and kids 14 and under are free. Fan Fest will again feature numerous interactive activities for children and families. At the TV32 Kids Interactive Zone, fans can swing away in a big league batting cage, try out their fastball in the speed pitch booth, hit a home run in the Wiffle Ball Home Run Derby and show off their speed at the Steal Home Challenge. The Rays will have a Charity Yard Sale where fans will have the opportunity to purchase unique game-used and autographed memorabilia dating back to the inaugural season. Among the items for sale are game-used and autographed bats, baseballs, jerseys, batting helmets and lineup cards. Tampa Bay Rays Manager Joe Maddon will serve up his traditional “Thanksmas” meal. A limited number of fans will have the opportunity to chat with Maddon over a plate of his homemade spaghetti, meatballs, sausage and pierogies-a meal he has served at area homeless shelters over the last five winters as part of his Thanksmas initiative. Meals also include salad, mixed desserts, water and soda. Maddon’s hearty feast will be served at Tropicana Field’s Batter’s Eye Restaurant from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Adult tickets are $30 when purchased in advance through raysbaseball.com, or $40 at the door. Tickets for children 14 and under are $10 in advance, or $15 at the door. Tickets are limited and subject to availability. The big question for fans is whether Johnny Damon or Manny Ramirez will be there! The Rays won the division last year and although a lot of players have left if the bullpen can be rebuilt then expect the Rays to be really competitive. The first spring season game is against the Pirates on the 26th. Opening Day is 1 April against the Orioles.

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The Tampa Bay Lightning take on the New York Rangers at 7:30pm tonight at the St. Pete Times Forum. If you haven’t been to a hockey game, you will love the non-stop action! Danny Lokey from American Idol will be putting on a concert after the game! Lokey turned into country singer with his Nashville debut, My Best Days. He’ll perform outdoors on the West Plaza stage immediately following the Lightning -Rangers game. A game ticket is required to get into the area. Also the first 5,000 fans get a free Lightning hat! Tickets at the Forum start at $10.75. But you can purchase discount tickets at the MacDill AFB ITT office. The St. Pete Times Forum is located in the Channelside District of Tampa just south of downtown Tampa. The Forum has state-of-the-art technology and innovative design which combine to make the St. Pete Times Forum one of the best facilities in North America. In addition to NHL hockey, the St. Pete Times Forum hosts more than 150 events annually, including concerts, family events, ice shows, the circus and other indoor sports. The Forum has a full range of food available including a great restaurant with a buffet, The Medallions. There is plenty of parking nearby at Channelside or directly across the street from the Forum. Channelside offers a variety of restaurants sure to please any palate from Hooter’s to Stump’s. But if you show your military ID card at the box office, you can get two free tickets!

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After spending all that money for Christmas, the kids probably still need something to do. Oakfield Lanes is a prefect place for reasonably priced entertainment. Oakfield Lanes is having $1 a game bowling on Monday.  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 Ruby Tuesdays along with a host of other restaurants.

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The Tampa Bay classic Thanksgiving Day run, the St. Petersburg Times Turkey Trot, starts early on Thursday morning with a series of 4 runs. This race is a must race at least once for all Tampa Bay runners. The Wingding 5k starts at 7am. The Fun Run 5k starts at 7:30pm. The 1 mile Gobbler starts at 8:30am. The final race, the 10k Turkey Trot, starts at 8:45am. All races begin at Keene Road just south of Gulf to Bay Blvd. (except the 5k Fun Run) and end in Jack White Stadium at Clearwater High School. Proceeds from the St. Petersburg Times Turkey Trot will be donated to many local charities, including the West Florida Runners Club Scholarship Programs, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Pinellas County and the Children’s Heart Foundation. Canned goods and non-perishable food items will be collected in the stadium on race day. All collected foods will be given to the Food Pantry Program at Religious Community Services, Inc. The Turkey Trot Kick-Off Party will be held today from 5pm to 7:30pm at Jack White Stadium at Clearwater High School. It’s the last chance to preregister and save a few bucks! But the exact amount is required in cash or check. During the party, come out and enjoy free snacks, live music, fun and games. Purchase official Times Turkey Trot merchandise the night before the race. Online and Mail-in registrants can pick up their race numbers (with confirmation number) and/or T-shirt (with race number/T-shirt tag). Make sure you arrive early, because this is a really popular race and parking will be tight.

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The St. Pete Times Forum is hosting a NBA pre-season game with the Orlando Magic taking on the Miami Heat on 22 October. Tipoff is 7:30pm. This a great opportunity to see how the Heat’s big 3 players, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, meld together.  But don’t think that Superman, Dwight Howard, and the rest of the Magic will be intimidated by anyone on the Heat.    Instead of having to travel to Orlando to see a NBA game, come out for a short drive to the St. Pete Times Forum.  To get discounted tickets, stop by the MacDill AFB ITT office to purchase tickets. The MacDill AFB ITT office located in the Exchange Mall. In addition to getting a great discounted ticket price, you also don’t have to pay any taxes. so you save even more that you would off base! The ITT office is open Mon-Fri from 9am to 5pm, Sat 10am to 3pm and closed on Sunday. If you have any questions, please call the office at 828-2478. The St. Pete Times Forum is located in the Channelside District of Tampa just south of downtown Tampa. The Forum has state-of-the-art technology and innovative design which combine to make the St. Pete Times Forum one of the best facilities in North America. In addition to NBA pre-season games, the St. Pete Times Forum hosts more than 150 events annually, including concerts, family events, ice shows, the circus, NHL hockey and other indoor sports. The Forum has a full range of food available including a great restaurant with a buffet, The Medallions. There is plenty of parking nearby at Channelside or directly across the street from the Forum. Channelside offers a variety of restaurants sure to please any palate from Hooter’s to Stump’s.