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Speak up on expanding sponge dive area

By TIMES STAFF WRITER
Published August 6, 2006

TARPON SPRINGS - The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has scheduled a workshop to receive public comments on an industry request to allow commercial sponge diving in Florida gulf waters west of 84 degrees west longitude, near the Aucilla River.

The workshop will take place 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Tarpon Springs Cultural Center, 101 S Pinellas Ave. Anyone requiring special accommodations to participate should call Cindy Hoffman at (850) 488-6411.

Those hearing or speech impaired should call the agency at (850) 488-9542.

Monday is the deadline to register to vote in primary

The deadline to register to vote in the Sept. 5 primary election is Monday.

To help register as many voters as possible, the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections Office is scheduling registration sites throughout the county this week. A schedule is available at www.votepinellas.com.

The deadline also applies to anyone who wants to change parties or make other changes to voter information before the primary. Those wishing to register or make changes also can do so during regular business hours at any public library, driver's license office or government office handling social services or disabilities.

For more information, call the Supervisor of Elections Office at (727) 464-3551.

Palm Harbor Kiwanis Club to flip pancakes for funds

Once again, the Palm Harbor Kiwanis Club is ready to flip pancakes throughout the coming school year.

The nonprofit group has raised $44,000 for schools during the past nine years with pancake suppers and breakfasts. Kiwanis provides the pancakes, sausage, butter, syrup, plates and labor.

The group would like to meet with school representatives as soon as possible to schedule dinners from 5 to 7 p.m. weekdays or breakfasts Saturday mornings. The club suggests scheduling the meal along with other activities like book fairs, carnivals or entertainment to maximize fundraising.

The group also needs new members, especially teachers, to teach children leadership and community service in the Kiwanis service clubs in schools.

Call Gene Davis at (727) 939-0678, John Burnham at (727) 785-8782 or Carl Heifetz at (727) 375-9383.

Brooker Creek Preserve to offer educational programs

The Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center, 3940 Keystone Road, will offer these programs:

- Book time featuring Eliza and the Dragonfly by Susie Caldwell Rinehart for children ages 3 to 5 from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. Thursday. The program costs $1 per child, and advance registration is required.

- The imperiled bears of Florida from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday. Black bears once roamed throughout Florida.

Today, the range is greatly constricted, and Florida lists the species as threatened. Pat Kiesylis of the Defenders of Wildlife will reveal the world of the black bear and explain why preservation it is so important.

Call (727) 453-6800.

Congregations offer meal for the hungry, tai chi

TARPON SPRINGS - Congregation B'nai Emmunah, a Reform Jewish synagogue, 3374 Keystone Road, works with Mount Moriah AME Church, 722 S Disston Ave., to feed the hungry Sundays. Volunteers meet at 2:30 p.m. at the Tarpon Springs church to prepare a free meal that they serve from 4 to 5 p.m.

The synagogue also is offering tai chi and chi kung classes for all ages at 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays with certified instructor Jim Rosenthal.

Nonmembers are welcome. The cost is $40 per month. To volunteer or to sign up for classes, call (727) 938-9000.

Ski team features super show during August

OLDSMAR - The Tampa Bay Water Ski Show Team will perform a free Super Heroes Show featuring such characters as Captain Planet, Wonder Woman and the Green Lantern at 6 p.m. every Saturday this month on Tower Lake.

Tower Lake is behind the Oldsmar Flea Market. To get to the show from Tampa Road, go north on Race Track Road, left on Douglas Road and left at the small ski team sign. The show and parking are free, and there's a covered grandstand area. Call (727) 397-8904 or (813) 265-9685.

County sets hazardous waste day for businesses

Businesses can get rid of waste electronics and chemicals from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday at Pinellas County's next quarterly hazardous waste collection day for businesses.

The event will be at the county's Household Electronics & Chemical Collection Center, 2990 110th Ave. N, St. Petersburg.

Any business may drop off hazardous electronics. About 90 percent of all of the electronic equipment brought in is either reused or recycled.

To drop off chemicals, businesses need to qualify as small waste generators that produce less than 25 gallons or 220 pounds of chemical waste per month.

Businesses may also drop off their hazardous electronics and chemicals at any of Pinellas County's mobile collection Saturday events, which will resume in September.

Hazardous business waste includes televisions, computers, printers, copiers, fax machines, cell phones and telephones. It also includes items such as fluorescent light bulbs, cleaners, toner cartridges, pesticides, laboratory vials, paints and process waste. Businesses should find an alternate means of disposal for explosives and medical waste.

Businesses pay the contractors directly, at the county's reduced contract prices, and for many electronic items, such as laptops or telephones, there is no charge.

For other electronic items, the charge is minimal, such as 5 cents per pound for a keyboard or 10 cents per pound for a monitor.

To arrange for dropoff and payment, businesses should call EQ Florida at (813) 623-5302, ext. 231 for chemicals or Creative Recycling Systems at (813) 621-2319 for electronics.

For information, call (727) 464-7500 or visit www.pinellascounty.org/bizwaste.

Recycle old phone books at John Chesnut Sr. Park

EAST LAKE - County residents recently received new phone books, and Pinellas County would like to see the old ones hit the recycling bins.

County residents discard more than 2-million phone books annually, according to Pinellas County Utilities, and recycling those will conserve landfill space and resources.

Last year, residents crowded around the recycling bins at John Chesnut Sr. Park the day the location of the bin was published in this column. It is hoped that residents will repeat that effort this year.

From East Lake Road, turn west on Sandy Point Road. The bins are on the left, on the northern edge of the park.

Directory serves as guide to how girls can volunteer

The Girls Guide to Giving is a directory of nonprofit agencies throughout Pinellas County offering volunteer opportunities.

Groups of young women can participate in projects such as peer interaction, service learning and "how to" projects.

The guide lists agencies, contact information, group capacities and minimum age requirements and is available online at www.211tampabay.org or by calling (727) 210-4233, ext. 4557.

Club offers classes for puppies and adult dogs

CLEARWATER - The Upper Suncoast Dog Training Club, a nonprofit organization, offers beginning through advanced classes in agility, clicker training, conformation, junior handling, obedience and puppy kindergarten.

The club also offers trials and provides opportunities to show your dog.

The air conditioned indoor club, 2101 Logan St., is near the Long Center. Call (727) 449-8738 or visit www.usdtc.org.

Writers group meets Fridays at library

TARPON SPRINGS - The Tarpon Springs Public Library Writers Group meets from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays in the library conference room, 138 E Lemon St. Call (727) 942-9540.

Big Brothers Big Sisters seeking mentors for kids

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Pinellas County seeks volunteers willing to spend as little as an hour a week with local children who need mentors.

Volunteers must be at least age 18 and have a valid driver's license.

For information, call (727) 518-8860 or visit www.bbbspc.org.

As part of the state's mentoring initiative, some employers allow an hour or so per week of administrative leave for employees to mentor.

Visit www.volunteerfloridafoundation.org to find out more about the program.

Literacy group needs volunteer reading tutors

PALM HARBOR - The Palm Harbor Literacy Council seeks volunteers to help adults, many of them recent arrivals to the United States, learn to read, write and speak English better.

The Literacy Council provides free, one-on-one tutoring to new residents, many of whom are foreign-born college graduates now working in the United States.

For information or to volunteer, call (727) 784-3332, ext. 211.

Aquatic classes available for pain sufferers

PALM HARBOR - Physiotherapy Associates, 35111 U.S. 19 N, Suite 100, offers aquatic classes for those with arthritis, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, and chronic back and neck pain. The classes, approved by the Arthritis Foundation, are also appropriate for those with diabetes, after-rehabilitation needs or weight-loss requirements. Classes are conducted as part of a nonprofit program. They take place in a heated indoor pool and offer range of motion, flexibility and strengthening exercises.

Participants do not need to know how to swim. To register or for information on fees and schedules, call (727) 210-0760.

Business people setting up Zonta service club chapter

North Pinellas business executives are organizing a new chapter of Zonta International, a service organization that works to advance the status of women. Zonta clubs support their communities through service projects, fundraisers, advocacy and community support.

For information on the new Top of the Bay Zonta Club, representing Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs, Trinity, East Lake, Oldsmar and Westchase, call Mary Fletcher at (727) 781-5949.

[Last modified August 5, 2006, 21:08:41]