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Arts site has first event

By ABHA BHATTARAI
Published November 8, 2006

The plush auditorium chairs haven't been ordered yet and the sound and lighting aren't in place, but the Pinellas Park Performing Arts Center will host its first event Friday in honor of Veterans Day.

The Veterans Day Commemoration will be a 90-minute show, sponsored by Classical Christian School for the Arts, that will include hip-hop, tap dancing, color guard units and a multimedia presentation, said Sylvia Baker, the school's director.

Lance Cpl. Michael Delancey, a 21-year-old Pinellas Park Marine who was wounded in Iraq, will be honored during the ceremony.

Delancey is still in the hospital, so his parents will be present to accept on his behalf, Baker said.

"We need to honor veterans, especially local veterans, who serve our community and our country," Baker said.

The city purchased the building, formerly Crosspointe Baptist Church, three years ago and began renovations this summer, said Tim Caddell, the city's media director.

The city rebuilt the stage, replaced the roof and added air conditioning units.

"It's very ambitious for us to use it this week," Caddell said. "But we wanted to show people that it's here. Hopefully once they see it, it'll stir a lot of interest in the community."

When the center opens next year, Caddell said the city hopes it will be an affordable venue for both large-scale events like banquets and dance recitals, as well as for small events like trade shows and receptions.

"The performing arts center is very big for Pinellas Park," Baker said. "We're making a statement that says we're a cultured and diverse community."

She added that the Veterans Day ceremony was the perfect way to debut the center.

"We wanted to do something that would embrace the whole community," Baker said.

It'll be Kaelyn Wagner's second time in the ceremony. The seventh- grader will perform in the hip-hop, African dance and cheerleading shows.

"One of the chants is special for Veterans Day," she said. "Instead of spelling out 'spirit,' we spell out 'red, white and blue.' "

All five veterans in her family, including her dad and grandfather, will be there, she said.

"They're all coming, so it's a good time to celebrate what they've done for us and our country," Wagner said.

[Last modified November 7, 2006, 20:52:51]