Service to honor Bayflite 3 crew

By Times staff writer

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 5, 2000

TAMPA -- The public is invited to a memorial service from 9 to 10:30 a.m. today at Legends Field for the crew of Bayflite 3, who died April 25 in a helicopter crash.

Pilot Mark Wallace, paramedic Erik Hangartner and nurse Alicia Betita-Collins died when the helicopter hit a radio tower near Weedon Island on the way to St. Joseph's Hospital.

Their families will arrive at the memorial service by motorcade with police escorts.

The service will open with bagpipers and will include honor guards, prayers, hymns and a video tribute consisting of a montage of film clips.

Emergency workers from Tampa, St. Petersburg, MacDill Air Force Base, Sarasota, Longboat Key and Miami will participate, along with those from Pinellas, Hillsborough and Manatee counties.

Scheduled speakers include Sue Brody, president of Bayfront Medical Center, and Isaac Mallah, president of St. Joseph's-Baptist Health Care.

The service is to end with the playing of taps and a flyover by eight helicopters, which will approach Legends Field from behind home plate and fly east toward St. Joseph's.

Parking will be available in lots 2 and 3 at Raymond James Stadium across the street from Legends Field.

2 boys charged with having gun

RIVERVIEW -- Two 14-year-old Rodgers Middle School students were charged with carrying a concealed firearm Thursday after a Gibsonton boy brought an unloaded handgun to school and gave it to a friend, officials said.

According to sheriff's investigators, one boy brought a .25-caliber semiautomatic handgun to school and hid it in the boys bathroom for his friend to find. The friend, a 14-year-old from Brandon, picked up the gun and was carrying it in his waistband during school hours when teachers got a tip from students that the boy was carrying a gun.

School administrators searched the boy, found the unloaded gun and called deputies. Both boys, who are not being named because of their ages, were taken to juvenile detention facilities, authorities said.

Law group plans new building

TAMPA -- The Hillsborough County Bar Association voted this week to buy land downtown for a new headquarters.

The 3,300-member group is proposing to finance the $4-million project entirely with member donations. The group says it has outgrown its rented downtown building and would like to locate a new 24,000-square-foot law center near the planned new building for the 2nd District Court of Appeal at 1100 N Tampa St. Officials did not announce a specific site.

The bar association has already acquired about $70,000 in donations.

Sweepstakes claims due today

Floridians who think they have a refund coming from the settlement against American Family Publishers have until today to submit a claim.

Under an agreement approved last December, $32-million was made available for partial refunds to people who thought they had a better chance of winning a sweepstakes if they bought magazine subscriptions. To be eligible, purchases must have been made from American Family Publishers between Jan. 20, 1992 and Dec. 9, 1999.

To obtain the necessary claim form, call (888) 469-5408 or visit www.afpsettlement.com.

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