[Times photo: Toni L. Sandys]
	Lee Medart feeds Prudence, Plucky and Patience a morning snack of American cheese. Other times, they get brown rice, lettuce and tuna. “Don’t call my chickens wildlife. They’re pets,” she says.

Beauty school pampers birthday girls
Today's well-heeled kindergartener can skip the mundane pizza party or sleepover and celebrate with a makeover party.

Cluck if you must; chickens are loved
With designer coops and doting owners, some pets scratch out a very comfortable living, as on Davis Islands.


Amy Scherzer's diary
For charity, a fantasy
Chairwoman Sharon Yerrid, a.k.a. Princess Jasmine, used her magic to create a wish-filled Aladdin Storybook Ball benefitting Ronald McDonald House Charities on Saturday.

Cars
Where rubber meets the road
It was like a Monday morning quarterback getting a chance to start in the Super Bowl.

City People
Keeps on ticking ...
Kevin Burns is a bit like the Rolexes he buys. His latest interest, and there always is one, is dragon boat racing.

Everybody's Business
Deluxe digs, eats set for Westshore
A $45-million hotel with ritzy restaurant is rising next to International Plaza.

Homes
A spread as pretty as the koi
When Bill and Martha Brooks bought their little acre of heaven in Brandon 36 years ago, there was nothing around but citrus trees and cattle pasture.
Talk about creature comforts
A functional family of skin, fur, feathers and fins calls a cottage and tropical yard home.

Neighborhood report
Rent trouble cleared up for day care
In a deal brokered with the city's help, a Palmetto Beach day care will get to keep its building and get new managers.
Restoration commitment wins praise
City leaders say plans for the West Tampa overlay district will preserve the area's historic feel.
This is one elephant he won't ever forget
A Blake High School senior's pachyderm painting will be part of an exhibit in Washington, D.C.
Yacht club fashions span 10 decades
More than 70 outfits worn since 1905, from pantaloons to gym garb, fascinate and amuse a sellout crowd.
Neighborhood notebook: Domestic violence shelter plans donation collection
Dust off that old furniture and clean out your kitchen drawers.
Garrison Channel to host city's dragon boat races
The first Greater Tampa Bay International Dragon Boat Festival races are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday behind the Tampa Marriott Waterside.
Kids' club closer to finding a new home
The West Tampa Boys & Girls Club is in talks with the city about building a new facility at Riverfront Park.

Obituary
Restaurant owner main ingredient in Ybor past
Joseph Licata owned one of the city's first upscale steakhouses, but he will best be remembered for his stories of Ybor's colorful history.

School news
Students become sleuths of history
As part of a nationwide campaign, students at three Tampa schools researched their schools' rich past.
Blake High students take flight in 'Cuckoo'
Theater students at the school give life to classic characters, including Randle Patrick McMurphy, played by Jack Nicholson in the award-winning movie.

What's Brewing?
Just ask an urban pioneer
Michael Feehan calls himself the Mayor of Franklin Street.

What's in a name?
Diamond named for a fiery gem
A field bears the name of a famous baseball player and much-ejected manager.