Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Digest

Park production, parade to bring a crowd today

By MARY JANE PARK and TIMES WIRES
Published April 13, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG - If you plan to be near the St. Petersburg waterfront this evening, it's a good idea to get a head start.

A 5K race, the annual Festival of States Illuminated Night Parade and the opening gala for American Stage in the Park's production of Little Shop of Horrors all will take place downtown.

Different routes can be taken to the parade staging area and Demens Landing, where the musical will be presented.

The run begins at 6:15 p.m. with a 1-mile fun run and walk; the 5K race starts at 6:30 p.m. beginning and ending on Fifth Avenue at the north end of Straub Park.

The parade launches at 8 p.m., at Central Avenue and Fifth Street, proceeds east and goes north along Bayshore Drive. A fireworks display takes place afterward.

American Stage's dinner gala begins at 6 p.m. in Demens Landing. 

Stanton on 'King' tonight

LARGO - Fired Largo City Manager Steve Stanton won't be live on Larry King Live. Stanton, who taped a segment Thursday with his lawyer, was bumped to tonight's show, said Calla Devlin, communications director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the nonprofit group representing him.

Devlin said she got the news about 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Among other things, Stanton is expected to announce whether he will sue the city. According to the show's Web site, tonight's Larry King Live also will feature actor Valerie Bertinelli with an announcement of her own: She's overweight and plans to shed the extra pounds. The show airs at 9 p.m. on CNN.

Pasco may shut down school

LAND O'LAKES - After months spent reviewing documents, the Pasco County School District's recommendation for the Language Academy charter school remains the same: shut it down.

That's despite the recent change in leadership, a newly hired bookkeeper and fresh guidance from a new financial adviser. If the board approves, the charter school would have time to appeal the decision to the state.

Racehorse contracts virus

BROOKSVILLE - For the second time in two weeks, a Florida horse farm has been quarantined because of signs of a deadly equine virus.

State officials quarantined Buchanan Farm in Brooksville on Saturday , when one of the farm's 50 horses tested positive for the respiratory form of the highly contagious Equine Herpes Virus-1 and showed mild symptoms of a more deadly neurologic form.

While the respiratory strain of the virus is more common than the neurologic strain, it also can cause abortions and death, said Dr. Michael Short, the equine programs manager in the state veterinarian's office in Tallahassee.

The infected horse came from the Tampa Bay Downs racetrack, but there did not appear to be an outbreak at the track, Short said. The horse is recovering, he said.

[Last modified April 13, 2007, 00:54:45]