Pointe of perfection [Times photo: Stefanie Boyar] Josette Manougian's dance school offers "serious classical ballet training." Her critiques are gentle, but her standards are tough.

Grand Central: Bucs and pirates so dissimilar
Pirate sightings consume us these days.

Children's museum considers new site
The director of Kid City envisions a world-class center downtown.

The end of a Wonder-ous era
When the bread factory in Hyde Park closes after 80 years, neighbors will take the good with the bad: no more fresh-bread smells -- and no more rumbling delivery trucks.

Amy Scherzer's Diary: Born to pillage
Columnist Amy Scherzer recently sat down with rookie Gasparilla pirate Raymond Haynes "Trey" Carswell III, 26, as he prepared to walk his first parade.

City People: Keepin' it real
The Tampa instructor is devoted to teaching traditions in Chinese martial arts. He regularly travels to China and is one of a few of Westerners admitted to the Shaolin Temple in the southern Chinese city of Henan.

Obituary: This Cowboy put the bad guys in jail
He shaped lives and careers in the Tampa Police Department.

Everybody's Business: Growing law firms make their move
Two firms pull up stakes in historic neighborhoods. "We need more space," says one lawyer.

RSVP Tampa: The pirates are coming!
Looking for something to do, here's a super calendar, ranging from pirates to Penzance.

What's in a name?: Storied mansion has many faces
The decades-old Biglow-Helms mansion has been a home and a hospital. Today it houses offices.

Neighborhood Report

• Culbreath Heights: Trophy arrives for Dale Mabry math champs
  Dale Mabry Elementary School's fifth-grade math team took first place in the Hillsborough County Math Bowl Championship.
  
  Westshore: Tentative stormwater deal reached
  Angry Westshore area residents gear up for legal challenge. They say the $1.2-million proposal doesn't do enough.
  
  South Tampa: City to spruce up 10 parks
  The parks will be improved using money from grass-roots fundraising, government grants and donations from nonprofit groups.
  
  Port Tampa: Landfill plan will wait for debate
  The city at first considered turning the old Manhattan landfill into a golf course. But some neighbors say it should be a community park.
  
  Palmetto Beach: Pepper patrol tries to nip pesky plant
  Volunteers gather at McKay Bay Nature Park to clear path of Brazilian pepper, one of the most vicious non-native plants to plague Florida.
  
  South Tampa: Chamber shops for executive director
  Jay Furnari quits after less than a year, citing stress, conflicts and health problems.
  
  Notebook: Officials warn of bacteria at Cypress Point Beach
  WESTSHORE -- Scary signs went up at Cypress Point Beach last week.
  

Homes: Artwork that soothes and moves
As people search for calming influences in their lives, the soulful sounds of a home fountain are becoming increasingly popular.

Getting rid of dreary
The house feels like a gift. The front door, framed by a white trellis and painted a zesty shade of lime green, practically shouts with happiness. Bahama shutters cool the windows. The exterior color -- a pale, beach shack yellow -- looks so perfect I want to find shoes to match.