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Looking back, catching up

By TIMES WIRES
Published December 31, 2006

GREATEST DONATION: Great Explorations, the Children's Museum, had a great year. Beth Houghton, Scott Wagman and their family donated $1-million to the museum and challenged the community to match it. The gift, announced in November, was the largest single donation in the museum's history.

Update: The community matched the donation. "The outpouring of the support of the community, with more than 100 donors contributing toward this matching challenge, has been wonderful," executive director and chief executive David Penn said. "We are grateful to the many people who have supported us over the past 20 years." Penn noted that the money is restricted for specified purposes such as completing exhibits, paying off past debt and creating an endowment fund. It does not go toward Great Ex's annual operating budget.

Update: Six months later, few repairs have been made, according to Redington Shores Building Official Steve Andrews. The aging pier, recently cited by the county health department for leaking sewer lines, remains open to the public, but its long-term fate is still under court jurisdiction.

PIER PRESSURE: Last June, the town of Redington Shores closed the Redington Long Pier to the public after it was damaged by Tropical Storm Alberto.

Owner Tony Antonious successfully fought the closure in court after agreeing to barricade areas that were potentially unsafe and promising to make repairs to damaged pilings.

Update: Sara is responding to aggressive chemotherapy treatment. Parents Laura McCaslin and Erik Clifton say both tumors are shrinking. "We're very, very relieved and excited," her mom said. "She's to continue the same treatment, and hopefully we'll be done sometime next summer." Sara, who recently turned 2, has a healthy twin brother, Seth.

SARA'S BATTLE: Neighborhood Times first told of St. Petersburg toddler Sara McCaslin's battle with desmoplastic infantile ganglioglioma, a rare brain tumor, in July. Sara must have regular blood tests and undergo chemotherapy treatments that require lengthy hospital stays, but her family remains positive. Her mother also started a Web site to tell Sara's story at www.caringbridge.org/visit/saramccaslin.

Update: Companies and individuals responded. "We have almost everything covered," Baker said. "There are a few things that we're paying for. We got most of the bigger stuff." The couple is getting the venue, wedding menu and wedding gown at a discount. The cake, which will be big enough to feed everyone twice over, is free. In return, they will advertise the vendors at their wedding, displaying business cards and promotional items at a special table. By the way, the wedding is June 7. That's a Thursday because it's cheaper than a weekend.

Update: The November show raised more than $10,000 to benefit Wildlife Haven Rehab Inc., an Odessa-based group that cares for sick, abandoned or orphaned wildlife. Founder Fred Clausen said the dancers are taking a short break to buy new costumes, train new dancers and create new routines. They're also still waiting for that one special woman to call - Oprah. So far, she hasn't called to invite them on her show.

GIVING THEIR ALL: In the name of charity, a group of mostly senior men bared it all (well, almost) at the Palladium in St. Petersburg in November. The Forever Young Dancers have been stripping and posing for calendars since 1997. All proceeds, including tips, go to charity.

NUPTIALS SPONSORED BY... With little money and not wanting to go into debt, Marie Baker and her fiance, Chris Porter, decided to ask for help to throw their wedding. Earlier this year, they asked businesses to give them free stuff in return for exposure at the celebration.

[Last modified December 30, 2006, 22:19:39]