Digest

Dateline Florida

By TIMES STAFF
Published August 16, 2007

Joy of victory to ease agony of state budget cuts on UF academics

Winning pays. After collecting the national championships in football and men's basketball, the University of Florida Athletic Association is giving $6-million to academic programs jeopardized by state budget cuts, according to the Associated Press. University of Florida president Bernie Machen announced the gift Wednesday at the annual UF Joint Civic Club luncheon. "Our athletic programs have had tremendous success in the past couple of years," Machen said. "It takes a great academic university to be a top athletic university." The Gators beat Ohio State University in January to take the football championship and then beat OSU again to win its second basketball title in two years.

Brad and Bernice Bosman want Pickle back. Pet store owner Roger Young wants to give back Pickle - a lime, 1-year-old female Pacific parrotlet, a tiny breed about 5 inches tall. But there's a big problem. After the Bosmans boarded the bird at Young's store Friday, he sold her on Saturday. "I would do anything to push the undo button on this," said Young, 58, who owns BP Pets at 6046 U.S. 41 in Bradenton. "This just makes me ill." According to Young, a pet shop employee took the bird in its cage and did the paperwork, but "left the bird out front where it looked like it was for sale." Brad Bosman, in Young's words, was "seriously upset" when he found out. "I'll pay the guy double what he paid me if he'll just bring back the bird," Young said.

[Last modified August 16, 2007, 08:41:45]