After an abrupt end to its park ranger program in November, the Pasco County Parks and Recreation Department hopes to revive the volunteer patrols. Would-be rangers can attend a meeting on Tuesday, March 4, Frederick J. "Rick" Buckman, the county parks and recreation director, said today. ...more

February 12, 2008

Breaking tradition and the confines of shopping center parking lots, next month's Taste of New Tampa will be held in the expanse of the community's largest public park. ...more

February 9, 2008

Breaking tradition and the confines of shopping center parking lots, next month's Taste of New Tampa will be held in the expanse of the community's largest public park. The 15th annual event will be from 1 to 4 p.m. March 30 at the 40-acre New Tampa Community Park, next to the Freedom High/Liberty Middle schools campus on Commerce Park Drive. In November, the New Tampa Community Council was invited to hold the food fest at Tampa Palms Professional Center, across the street from the park. ...more

February 7, 2008

Nice study, but the timing is wrong. ...more

January 16, 2008

Nice study, but the timing is wrong. That was the message delivered Tuesday afternoon by members of the Hernando County School Board to a roomful of concerned citizens during a workshop in which members opted to ignore a recent recommendation to raise education impact fees. ...more

January 16, 2008

LAKE PLACID — John Komasa likes to scuba dive, ride a bike, read and just get out and take walks. Although an accountant by trade, he seems like a natural for a recreation director, and that's what he became a year and a half ago when he headed Lake Placid's parks and recreation department. "I'm not in as good as shape as I used to be, and I took this job to get from behind the desk," he said. ...more

January 14, 2008

AVON PARK — The sounds of sneakers squeaking and basketballs being dribbled emanated from the Avon Park Recreation Department on Saturday. More than 170 youngsters, ages 3-13, were on hand for the second week of games in the Avon Park Recreation Youth Basketball League. The league, which is in its first year, is being run by Michelle Cuencas, who is the interim supervisor for the Avon Park Recreation Department. ...more

December 17, 2007

Fido and his four-legged friends were unleashed Thursday on the city's first-ever dog park located within Meadows Park, off Larch Lane. ...more

December 13, 2007

AVON PARK — City Manager C.B. Shirey applied to be the Avon Park Executive Airport's manager Tuesday, a move that could force him to resign as the city manager if he were hired. The city council could hire him as early as Jan. 2 when they have their next meeting. If he is hired, Shirey might continue acting as the city manager until a replacement is found. Shirey announced his intentions Monday. Some council members became aware of Shirey's plans only the morning before the meeting. They would have hired Shirey that day, but Shirey did not complete the application until Tuesday. ...more

December 12, 2007

SEBRING –– On March 1, public access should be restored, on a limited basis, to popular Lake Denton. The special seven-member Lake Denton Citizens Advisory Committee voted unanimously Wednesday night to send that recommendation to the Highlands County commissioners. Commissioners appointed the committee in mid-September after voting 3-2 to close public access to this lake –– widely considered one of the best scuba diving lakes in the state –– for up to a year. Problems cited by commissioners in closing the county boat ramp, the only public access to this exceptionally clear, 65-acre lake, included: Potentially dangerous overcrowding by scuba divers, swimmers and boaters; illegal parking that sometimes clogged or blocked road access to lakefront homes; and occasional crude, lewd, rude and rowdy behavior by some lake users. ...more

December 7, 2007