Tampa Bay Parent

The Strawberry festival opened on February 26^th and is open until March 8, 2009 in Plant City, Florida

Kids’ Day – Saturday, February 28: For one day only, kids through high school age are admitted free to the Festival, with rides reduced.

Military Day – Wednesday, March 4: Courtesy of Winn-Dixie, those who are Active, Active Reserve and Retired military, and have valid I.D. will be admitted free all day at any gate.

Moonlight Magic Nights – Friday, February 27 and Friday, March 6, 11 p.m. – 3 a.m.: Enjoy the thrills of the midway on these special Friday night events, when each guest is required to purchase a wristband for $20. The wristband entitles patrons to ride most mechanical rides unlimited times.

Pepsi Day – Friday, February 27: Courtesy of Pepsi, guests can receive $1 off the regular gate admission of $10 (ages 13+) or $5 (ages 6-12) by presenting a Pepsi Day coupon (available on 2-liter Pepsi bottles), when they purchase their tickets at the gate that day.

Ride-A-Thon Days – Thursday, February 26, 3 – 11 p.m.; Monday, March 2, 10 a.m. – 11 p.m.; Tuesday, March 3, 3 – 11 p.m.; Wednesday, March 4, 3 – 11 p.m.; Thursday,     March 5, 3 – 11 p.m.: On these special days, a wristband is available on the Midway for $17, which entitles guests to ride most mechanical rides an unlimited amount of times for this one low price.

Senior Citizens’ Days – Thursday, February 26 and March 5: Sponsored by Master Spas, patrons 60 years of age and better get $2 off the gate admission of $10 all day.

On February 26, seniors will be able to enjoy a free show at 10:30 a.m. by Jimmy Sturr and Orchestra.  The following Thursday, March 5, folks can enjoy music of The Guy Lombardo Orchestra, also free in honor of Senior Citizens’ Day.  Both performances will be at the GTE Federal Credit Union Soundstage. 

A prize will be given away at 11:30 a.m. each Senior Citizens’ Day, following the 10:30 show, to the lucky guest whose ticket is drawn from the barrel. Tickets for the prize drawing will be available to seniors at the GTE Federal Credit Union Soundstage.

The Tampa Tribune Day
– Friday, March 6, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.: Courtesy of The Tampa Tribune, the special offer on the Midway for the day entitles patrons to $2 off the regular price of $20 Fun Pack Ride Coupon Book all day.

The Florida Strawberry Festival®
Location: 2202 West Reynolds St.
Plant City, FL 33563-4706
Telephone: (813) 752-9194

Additional Information Florida Strawberry Festival

Residents of Hillsborough and Pinellas counties can now experience the best of the beautiful downtown Tampa waterfront thanks to White Lightning’s innovative new SPLASH PASS.

Since its inception this past fall with the White Lightning Jet Boat – Tampa’s first and only thrill ride, White Lightning has seen the joy, the diversity and the splendor that the Tampa waterways can provide to all who venture upon it. With that, they have been proud to expand its offerings to include various ways for their clients to experience what they have experienced …eco-tours on the Hillsborough River, harbor and sunset tours of the Inner Harbor, and Tampa’s only daily water shuttle service along the downtown waterfront. All of these services, which are based out of the Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk Hotel at 200 North Ashley Drive, have allowed the residents of downtown and those visiting the area to experience Tampa from a whole new point of view.

With the new SPLASH PASS, White Lightning is pleased to be expanding that experience to all the residents of Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. According to Capt. Laurence Salkin, Director of Marine Development for White Lightning, “Most Tampa residents don’t realize the treasure they have with the wonderful rivers, estuaries and bays in Tampa and this new effort is designed to let people experience that for themselves.” John Barry, General Manager of White Lightning adds, “It really is time for Tampa to have that water culture you see elsewhere in cities like Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Boston, New York and Chicago to name but a few. Seeing the downtown from the water is truly something to be experienced.”

Kevin Abbott, a local resident of Tampa added this after a recent trip on the White Lightning Jet Boat, “It’s funny, I have worked downtown for years and lived here now for more than 10 and never knew how beautiful the skyline looks from the water, it really must be seen to believe.”

SPLASH PASS allows residents to receive UNLIMITED use of all of the water activities White Lightning has to offer for the low price of $10 per month per family of four! This can mean a savings of over $100 on JUST ONE TRIP! This inventive program also provides a number of other downtown discounts. For more information or to purchase a SPLASH PASS please contact Ally at White Lightning Excursions at 813-777- 9900. RESERVATIONS: 813-777-9900

WEB SITE: WHITELIGHTNINGJETBOATS.COM

SOURCE White Lightning

Time magazine highlighted the struggles that women around the nation face when attempting to have a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean). One woman in the story said that she would be driving 100 miles to a hospital so that she would be able to have a VBAC.

After 1980, when the National Institutes of Health (NIH) held a conference on skyrocketing cesarean rates, more women began having VBACs. By 1996, they accounted for 28% of births among C-section veterans, and in 2000, the Federal Government issued its Healthy People 2010 report proposing a target VBAC rate of 37%. Yet as of 2006, only about 8% of births were VBACs, and the numbers continue to fall–even though 73% of women who go this route successfully deliver without needing an emergency cesarean.

So what happened? In 1999, after several high-profile cases in which women undergoing VBAC ruptured their uterus, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) changed its guidelines from stipulating that surgeons and anesthesiologists should be “readily available” during a VBAC to “immediately available.” “Our goal wasn’t to narrow the scope of patients who would be eligible, but to make it safe,” says Dr. Carolyn Zelop, co-author of ACOG’s most recent VBAC guidelines

A new study discussed testing that pregnant women can undergo during late pregnancy to check their c-section scar. The study says that the test is a good indicator for determining if a woman would be a candidate for a VBAC. The major issue facing women who want to have a VBAC is the rupture of the uterus. Uterine rupture can be deadly for both the woman and baby.

Repeated c-sections also pose more risks to moms and babies.

With each repeat cesarean, a mother’s risk of heavy bleeding, infection and infertility, among other complications, goes up. Perhaps most alarming, repeat C-sections increase a woman’s chances of developing life-threatening placental abnormalities that can cause hemorrhaging during childbirth. The rate of placenta accreta–in which the placenta attaches abnormally to the uterine wall–has increased thirtyfold in the past 30 years

Source: Time.com

Tampa ranked in the top five of America’s most popular big cities according to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center. Tying for fourth place with the cities of Orlando and San Francisco, 34 percent of the people surveyed said they wanted to live in Tampa or its surrounding area.

The national survey, conducted as part of the Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project, looked at places Americans most want to live as well as ideological patterns. The survey’s results are based on a sampling of over 2,200 adults in the United States that were interviewed by telephone in October 2008.

For additional information visit www.pewsocialtrends.org or to see a final copy of the survey report visit the Publications Library on the City of Tampa’s website at www.tampagov.net and click on News Information Sheets.

During the Great American Clean Up, the City of Tampa is holding its Third Annual Clean City Day. The event will be on Saturday, March 28, 2009 at Al Lopez Park, located at 4810 North Himes Avenue. Registration that morning will be from 8 to 8:30 a.m. TV and Radio personality Jack Harris will kick-off the day at 8:45 a.m. The clean-up initiative is from 9 a.m. to noon. Following the clean up, a celebration with food and live entertainment will be held from noon to 2 p.m. at Al Lopez Park.

Volunteers are needed for all areas of the city to help make this event a success. There will be remote registration areas throughout the city and volunteers will be assigned to support one of the five districts (New Tampa, North Tampa, East Tampa, West Tampa and South Tampa). All volunteers will receive a Clean City Day t-shirt.

The City of Tampa Clean City Division, along with Friends of Clean City, is proud to initiate this effort during the Great American Clean Up, the nation’s largest community improvement program, held between March and May each year. This event is designed to support beautification projects, clean up efforts, adopt-a-street and trash receptacle programs and recycling awareness.

For more information regarding this event, or to become a volunteer, please visit our website at: http://www.tampagov.net/cleancity or contact Eva Hughes at (813) 307-5516 or via email at eva.hughes@tampagov.net.

You do get a free t-shirt, but the satisfaction of helping to clean up your community is the greatest reward. If you know of other volunteer opportunities throughout the Tampa Bay area be sure so contact Tampa Bay Parent with that information.

The Gasparilla Distance Classic Association announced today that throughout this week and throughout Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco Counties, 900+ pairs of Nike Running Shoes will be distributed to all 2009 Let Me Play Kids Running Program participants.

On Thursday, February 12 at 9 a.m., Tampa Bay Buccaneer Derrick Brooks will distribute Nikes to 60 participating kids at Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School and on Friday, February 13, at 1:30 p.m., Mayor Pam Iorio and Police Chief Stephen Hogue will do the same with 200 kids at Rampello Downtown Partnership School.

The Let Me Play Kids Running Program, a joint partnership between the Gasparilla Distance Classic Association, City of Tampa and Tampa Metro YMCA, is funded by Nike, Kellogg’s, Publix Super Markets and a matching funds grant through the Hillsborough County Children’s Board.

First introduced in 2007 to combat youth obesity and introduce running as a lifestyle activity, this year’s Let Me Play Kids have been working and training together to run the final two miles of the 2009 Gasparilla Marathon on Sunday, March 1. The eight-week training kicked-off in January. On a weekly basis, the YMCA and physical education-staffed program has featured fun activities that have gradually built the kid’s endurance and stamina.

Prior to running the final two miles of the 2009 Gasparilla Marathon on Sunday, March 1, the 900+ Let Me Play Kids will work as volunteers along four miles of Bayshore Boulevard and while giving back to the Tampa Bay community, will experience first-hand what it looks and feels like to run 26.2-miles.

Both schools are in Tampa and located at the following addresses:

Rampello Downtown Partnership School, 802 East Washington Street
Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School, 11602 North 15th Street

The Gasparilla Marathon & Half Marathon and Publix Super Markets Gasparilla Distance Classic are produced in cooperation with the City of Tampa and the Gasparilla Distance Classic Association, a 501 (c)(3) not for profit organization that raises funds for Bay Area Youth Charitable Organizations.

The Indianapolis Colts announced the addition of two new coaches on Friday and promoted one coach from within. Two of the coaches have ties to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Former Tampa Bay DL coach Larry Coyer has been named defensive coordinator of the Colts. Coyer is a disciple of Monte Kiffin, former Bucs defensive coordinator, who helped create the Tampa 2 defense with Tony Dungy. Also, WR coach Clyde Christensen has been promoted to assistant head coach/wide receivers. Christensen was an assistant coach with the Bucs during Tony Dungy’s tenure in Tampa and followed Dungy to Indianapolis in 2002 after Dungy was fired by the Bucs. Tony Dungy may have retired in early January, but his coaching tree is still bearing fruit.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This year’s Florida State Fair runs from February 5 to February 16, 2009.

The Florida State Fair,  always in Tampa and always in February, is organized by the Florida State Fair Authority under the leadership of Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.  Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson leads the Fair Authority, which oversees the Florida State Fairgrounds and the annual Florida State Fair. For more information about the 2009 Florida State Fair, call toll-free (800) 345-FAIR or (813) 621-7821, visit www.floridastatefair.com or myspace.com/floridastatefair.

Source: Florida State Fair

A middle school student in Hernando County has become infected with Bacterial Meningitis. Parents are asked to be vigilant for any signs of infection.

High fever, headache, and stiff neck are common symptoms of meningitis in anyone over the age of 2 years. These symptoms can develop over several hours, or they may take 1 to 2 days. Other symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, discomfort looking into bright lights, confusion, and sleepiness. In newborns and small infants, the classic symptoms of fever, headache, and neck stiffness may be absent or difficult to detect, and the infant may only appear slow or inactive, or be irritable, have vomiting, or be feeding poorly. As the disease progresses, patients of any age may have seizures.

According to new reports the principal of the middle school was notified Thursday night.

The child is being treated for Neisseria meningitis, and family members and other close personal contacts have been given preventative medication so they don’t become ill, Hernando County Health Department spokeswoman Ann-Gayl Ellis said.

The school district has notified parents of West Hernando students through phone calls and letters, said Jim Knight, director of student services. The information has also been posted on the school’s Web site.

Source: CDC, Hernando Today

A new football season begins in a few months and that means that it is time to find the new cheerleaders for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ team. The tryouts for this season begin on March 23, 2009. Every year new and returning members must audition for the squad.

Detailed information about the Tryouts is available at buccaneers.com

The City of Tampa’s Department of Solid Waste and Environmental Program Management, in partnership with Anheuser-Busch Recycling, will once again provide pirates, vendors, sponsors and parade attendees with the opportunity to get hooked on recycling during this Saturday’s Gasparilla Parade.

Be sure to look for the white recycling containers along the parade route and dispose of plastic bottles and aluminum cans responsibly. Recycling team members will roam the parade route and reward attendees caught recycling with beads. The team will also collect and bag recyclables before, during and after the parade.

Last year, the community recycled approximately 8,000 pounds of corrugated cardboard boxes and 4,400 pounds of commingled containers including plastic bottles and aluminum cans. This year, the City hopes to significantly increase the amount of recovered recyclables, and reduce the amount that ends up in the trash. Please help Gasparilla go green and remember to recycle.

The Gasparillas Parade is annual event in the city of Tampa.

Parade begins at the intersection of Bayshore Blvd. and Bay to Bay Blvd., moves north on Bayshore into downtown Tampa, turning east on the Platt Street Bridge. Parade continues east on Channelside Drive, turns north on Florida Avenue to Jackson Street, then turns east on Jackson, ending at Jackson and Marion Streets.

The parade is expected to go from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday February 7^th, 2009

Source: City of Tampa and gasparillapiratefest.com