Big dreams, high prices [Times photo: Mike Pease] Some clients say Boom Talent & Modeling Agency gave them high hopes but left them with stiff bills and disappointment.

Buddhist meditation center seeks smaller buffer
CARROLLWOOD -- Organizers of the Florida Buddhist Vihara Meditation Center, planned for a 0.68-acre tract on Pennington Road between Alica Road and Countryside Drive, want to alter their buffer requirements and substitute a 6-foot wooden fence along the north, south and west property boundaries.

Two activist moms feel sting of defeat
After two years of organizing around one school, the two mothers vow to remain friends but will no longer have children at the same elementary.

New ratios worry school's parents
Tampa Palms parents are concerned that a higher ratio of black students mostly from poorer neighborhoods will strain the school's resources.

Open & Shut

Chamberlain High swimmers place at state championships
TAMPA -- Chamberlain was the lone area team to send swimmers to the state high school championships Wednesday at the YMCA Aquatic Center in Orlando. Although the boys team placed a disappointing 37th, individual swimmers did find some success.

Sickles High star softball player signs with Boston University
Left-handed pitcher Julie Henneke will have 81 percent of her education costs covered by a scholarship.

Calendar
TODAY

Developer floats revised plan for self-storage building near Pebble Creek
Two months ago, community opposition killed a proposal for a four-story storage center.

Baptists confident plans will succeed
Officials at First Baptist Church of Citrus Park expect to clear regulatory hurdles and move forward with a 900-student school.

Plantation subdivision faces voting dispute
This should sound familiar to Florida voters: Allegations include fraud and misleading proxies, critics say the vote was illegal and there are threats of a legal fight.

Reported carjacking at mall a hoax
The man who said someone grabbed him at Citrus Park Town Center and took his car, later retracted the story.

Ehrlich gets a touch of patriotism
A local businessman seeks donations to help pay for the 10 American flags that make "The Avenue of Flags."

Developers reluctant to build roads in Pasco
A committee runs into resistance when asking developers to contribute the right of way and asphalt for roads serving new subdivisions.

School reverses proposal to move students
LUTZ -- School administrators are reversing a proposal to move children from the Van Dyke Farms neighborhood into a new elementary school, meaning the new school could start the next school year with one-third of its classrooms empty.

Schools roundup

The week in review

Teach-In exposes kids to variety of career options
From Army pilot to dog trainer, the Great American Teach-In supplies students with a launch pad to bright futures.

Unsung heroes
The Gaither offensive line is one of the hardest working and most unselfish groups its coach has encountered.

'One Big Block Party' marks Pinellas Trail's 10th anniversary
Communities along the 34-mile trail will host a party featuring music, safety exhibits, a bike rodeo for kids, tours of historic homes and a fishing competition.

Accident reports