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By Times staff writers
© St. Petersburg Times, published April 28, 2001
New play area covered, cooler
PALM HARBOR -- After decades of seeing its students play four-square under a scorching sun, Palm Harbor Elementary School Friday celebrated the completion of its new covered physical education court. The court's new shelter rests on top of green girders and covers a 60-by-88-foot area. The corrugated roof is designed to reflect heat and shade children at play from harmful ultraviolet rays. It also provides a glimpse into the future of other schools as well. Pinellas County School Board member Carol Cook said the board has decided to include the shelters at all new elementary schools and add them when existing elementary schools are renovated. Palm Harbor Elementary has its shelter now thanks in part to the contractor, RJ Bunbury Co., which agreed to donate $22,000 of the $52,000 cost. Cook praised the school's PTA for raising the rest of the money. "It's not only a shelter for the children, but a symbol of what PTA does when they put their minds to something," she said. Last week, teachers put a thermometer on the sidewalk outside the shelter, and the concrete's temperature was 116 degrees. Under the shelter, the surface temperature was 82 degrees. "I was going to retire," said physical education teacher David Bright, 53, "but this will let me teach a few more years."
LARGO -- The city's Solid Waste Division has moved its recycling center from the Southwest Recreation Center to the Reclaimed Water Facility at Vonn Road and 134th Avenue N. The center will continue to take newspaper, glass bottles, plastic milk containers, water and soda bottles, cardboard and aluminum cans. For more information, call 587-6760.
The Florida Blood Services Bloodmobile will be at several Subway restaurants from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today as follows: 10761 Ulmerton Road (at Seminole Boulevard) in Largo; 11111 Park Blvd. (just east of Seminole Mall), Seminole, and 2569 Countryside Blvd. (at Countryside Square), Clearwater. Donors will be offered several free items: a cholesterol screening, T-shirt, coupon for a Subway sandwich and a voucher for a free lower-deck outfield ticket to a Tampa Bay Devil Rays game of their choice. Donors must be at least 17 years old and weigh at least 100 pounds. Identification is required before donating blood. For information, call 1-800-682-5663 (1-800-68-BLOOD).
CLEARWATER -- Gulf Coast Community Care needs volunteers for two of its programs. Linking Lifetimes matches adults 30 and older with a child from a single-parent, low-income home. The Adopt-A-Grandchild program needs adults 55 and older to volunteer at least two to four hours a week for an infant or up to 16 years old. No experience is necessary for either program. Training is provided by Gulf Coast Community Care, 14041 ICOT Blvd., Clearwater. To sign up or for information, call 538-7460, ext. 3019 or ext. 3192.
The adult choir at St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Tarpon Springs has scheduled its first golf tournament May 5 at Lost Oaks golf course at Innisbrook, formerly known as Tarpon Woods, in Palm Harbor.
Registration will be from 7 to 8 a.m. The $75 cost includes greens fees, cart, range balls, dinner and beverages. Tournament proceeds will benefit the choir's concert tour to Rome. Call (727) 937-5427 or (727) 934-4649 to enter.