Oh, sugar [Times photo: Skip O'Rourke] For stores that sell candy, business is sweet -- and bustling -- at this time of year.

Parkway promises a whiz-bang commute
Sick of "mundane junk," a planner pushes the envelope for the 9-mile link from Brandon to downtown Tampa.

Lunch with Ernest: In Clark's humor, a life lesson
Bob Clark Jr. owns Tampa Steel Erecting near Gibsonton, but his company, and his homespun humor, are known well beyond east Hillsborough.

Plan lays out future of South Shore
It outlines a vision of controlled growth and hopes to avoid problems found elsewhere in the county. Traffic, for one.

Valrico: I live here
Sidewalks are a Valrico woman's conduits of life, each destination offering another chance to commune.

People: Ageless art
Boris Chezar is nearing 90, but he shows no signs of retiring from his lifelong passion: painting.

Daytripper: Ybor's prebar era
Tours and trolley rides reveal the melting pot and work ethic that shaped Ybor City.

Farmer's Market: Bird business soars
Quail and pheasant -- which can't survive in the wild in our climate -- are raised on a Sydney farm and then sold to hunters.

Here and Gone
Here's a look at some of the new businesses setting up shop in the area:

Real Estate: Full steam ahead
Construction starts this month on a gated marina community with direct access to the bay and the gulf.

Zoning: School Board plans tech training center
Editor's note: This column follows zoning petition requests for new commercial, retail and residential developments to provide you with specific information about what's being planned in your community. We'll also alert you about public hearings so that you can make your voice heard. Petition numbers are provided in bold to help you get more information from the county.

Gardening: Add color to brighten your garden and mood
I hope your landscape survived the cold. Don't be too quick removing damaged plant materials. Often the roots survive even if the top growth may look dead. Wait until the end of the month to start pruning. There is always the possibility of more cold weather in February and pruning now may stimulate new growth that will be damaged easily if the temperature drops again.

Community Report
Gibsonton: Road to citizenship
A new business, Simple Solution, helps immigrants with passports, immigration forms and ID cards.

Notebook: Donations sought for family that lost home
WIMAUMA -- A month after a mobile home fire left a Wimauma teenager dead, another mobile fire nearby has a family of eight hoping for help from the community.

Apollo Beach: Patients sought for return of records
Former patients of three bankrupt labs may be able to get back their records if they pay a service fee -- soon.

Brandon: Drawing up a downtown in Brandon
Planners hope to create a neotraditional, pedestrian-friendly downtown in central Brandon.

Sports & Recreation: Snapshots
Chandler Powell, Seffner

Prep notebook: Brandon's Eagles have winning streak
The boys' basketball team, in the No. 9 spot on the state's boys' Class 4A poll, is hosting Jefferson today.

Wimauma: What's in a name?
The name for the Hillsborough County community was derived from the names of a settler's three daughters.

Lane Ranger: This bedeviling road's a boulevard and a drive
They say evil takes many forms, and goes by many names.

Briefly: Sun City art show today
SUN CITY CENTER -- The Sun City Center Art Club will hold its 36th annual art show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today in the Florida Room of the Sun City Community Association building, 1009 N Pebble Beach Blvd. Jim Tschirgi will demonstrate his watercolor technique throughout the day. Call 633-3500.

Front Porch: Feeling at home on the base
ALFONS AND MARSHA Hofrichter find home in a taupe, concrete block building constructed in the 1950s. One of 674 family housing units on the South Tampa military base, it's not much to look at on the outside. But inside the front door, the Hofrichters make a life.

Homes: Coming to a theater extremely near you
More homeowners in need of a cinematic escape with a fridge close at hand turn the corner to media rooms.

Homes: Furniture buffs set up shop for vintage lovers
Burlap Home, newly opened on MacDill Avenue, offers a hodgepodge of restored pieces at bargain prices.