Hometown

By Times Staff Writer
Published November 25, 2007

High Fives

Reese Hearing Expert:Audiologist, Dr. Judith Reese, has been selected by the Department of Veterans Affairs to serve on a panel of hearing aid experts that will develop hearing aid satisfaction research. The research is intended to determine the outcomes of two hearing aid fitting types, open-ear versus traditional hearing aids. In recent years, the open-ear hearing aid style has become the most popular type of hearing aid selected by users across the country.

This is not the first time Dr. Reese has collaborated with the Department of Veterans Affairs on audiological research. Before opening her clinic in Lutz in 2005, she jointly conducted research with audiologists at the James A. Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa, as well as the Bay Pines VA Center in Pinellas County, and the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center in Mountain Home, Tenn. Her research work provided new insights to patients' recall of hearing aid use and care information and its relationship to hearing aid satisfaction.

Upcoming events

Cheer Clinic:Sunlake High School cheerleaders will have a cheer clinic from noon to 2:30 p.m., Dec. 8 in the Sunlake High gym. Children ages 4 to 15 are invited to participate for a fee of $35. Each participant will receive instructions from the Sunlake cheerleaders and a T-shirt to wear at the home basketball game on Dec. 14. Participants will perform on the court with the cheerleaders during halftime.

The cheerleaders held a similar clinic before the football season.

The basketball clinic has new material and a different T-shirt.

Registration forms are available at local elementary and middle schools or from a Sunlake cheerleader. In order to participate, the registration form must be signed by a parent or guardian and turned in the day of the clinic.

To reserve a spot for this clinic, call Susan Hardy at (813) 857-5776. For information call cheerleading head coach Pennye Garcia at Sunlake High School at (813-346-1000).

TICKET TO BROADWAY AUDITIONS: Auditions for Ticket to Broadwaywill be at 6 p.m., Dec. 9-10 at the Richey Suncoast Theater in New Port Richey.

Auditions are open to high school students in and around Pasco County. Musicians, singers, dancers, ensembles, comedians, jugglers and tumblers are encouraged to audition. Students should audition using the material they plan on using in the show.

This year, Ticket to Broadwayis pleased to announce its partnership with Wachovia Bank as the "Presented By" sponsor of the event.

"We are excited and honored to provide support for this outstanding program. Wachovia proudly supports the arts and these student performers are excellent representatives of the many talented young people in our Pasco County community," said Larry Starnes, Wachovia's area president for Pasco, Hernando and Citrus.

Ticket to Broadway performances are scheduled for 8 p.m., Feb. 1-2, and at 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 3. Individual tickets for the event are $10.

Entering its fifth year, Ticket to Broadway is produced by the Richey Suncoast Theatre and The Pasco Education Foundation Inc. to promote and recognize talented high school students as well as raise dollars for scholarships to assist students seeking a degree in performing arts. The same event in 2007 raised more than $5,000 in scholarships.

High school students interested in the technical aspects of producing shows are encouraged to get involved and can do so by calling the Richey Suncoast Theatre.

Corporate sponsorships are available for $300 and include company name and/or logo in the playbill and 10 choice seat tickets to any of the three shows.

For information, contact the Richey Suncoast Theatre at (727) 842-6777 or Chip Wichmanowski at Pasco Education Foundation (813) 794-2705, (727)774-2705 or (352) 524-2705.

Extension Expo 2007: The Pasco County Extension Expo 2007 will take place, 9 a.m. -2 p.m., Saturday, at the Pasco County Fairgrounds. With a focus on Florida friendly and family friendly topics there will be many areas of interest for all ages.

There will be educational exhibits, demonstrations and hands-on activities. Participants can try their skills at making bread in-a-bag, creating a mini-gingerbread house, or guessing the "secret ingredient" in a recipe. The Home and Community educators will have their annual craft/yard sale fundraiser.

Outside activities include learning camp cooking, fishing, steer roping, or making a rain barrel to practice water conservation and recycling. A visit the wildlife conservation trailer and touring the demonstration garden may appeal to some. Smoky the Bear is also scheduled to appear.

Admission is free but canned goods will be collected to benefit the Suncoast Harvest Food Bank.

The Pasco County Health Department will be there giving flu and pneumonia shots to adults for a charge. Attendees may donate blood and there will be a drop-off for household chemicals.

Live entertainment and free refreshments will round out the activities.

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[Last modified November 24, 2007, 20:47:04]