OUR LENS | Exceptional work by the St. Petersburg Times staff
Police officer funeral, sunny rain, B.J. 'Spiderman' Upton
26
August
Mourners gather for the funeral of Tampa Police corporal Mike Roberts at St. Timothy Catholic Church on Tuesday morning. Police estimated about 4,000 people - including Gov. Charlie Crist - attended the service. Roberts was killed Wednesday night while on duty. [CHRIS ZUPPA, Times]
VIEW A PHOTO GALLERY FROM OFFICER ROBERTS' FUNERAL
CLICK ON THE ABOVE PHOTO TO TOGGLE BETWEEN TWO DIFFERENT VIEWS
In one photo, the sun sets beyond Clearwater Memorial Bridge as rain pours down on Clearwater Harbor last week. In the other photo, a colorful sunset lends a dramatic backdrop to the Clearwater Memorial Bridge on Monday evening. [JIM DAMASKE, Times]
Shelby Pole, 5, gets a lift from Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pro Bowl RB/RS Clifton Smith at Payless Shoe Source during the "Lace It Up For Kids" shoe giveaway on Wednesday. "It's important to come out with the kids and see a smile on their face," Smith said. Clifton remembers a similar experience with a pro athlete when he was a kid. "To give back is always good," he said. 500 local youth will recieve shoes through the program. About 80 kids from the Boys & Girls clubs of Tampa Bay, and the Sulphur Springs Boy Scouts were there on Wednesday. United Way of Tampa Bay identified kids with need for the program. [KATHLEEN FLYNN, Times]
New Port Richey resident Brian Kahrs, co-owner of Hi-Tech Construction Inc., tries to salvage a toilet bowl while demolishing a home on the corner of Delaware Avenue and Grand Boulevard in New Port Richey, on Thursday morning. Kahrs and his business partner Tony Morris are used to building homes rather than tearing them down, but in this economic climate Kahrs said he welcomes the business. It should take their team of four men one and a half weeks to complete the task, of which Morris said jokingly, "finally a job we can excel at...mangling something." [KAINAZ AMARIA, Times]
Evelyn Tosi of St. Petersburg performs a fire dance at Upham Beach. The weekly, Saturday evening event is free and sponsored by St. Petersburg Nights Restaurant. It also features dancers from Hip Expressions Belly Dance Studio, hookahs and music performed by the Sunset Hookah Lounge Band. Everything starts about a half hour before sunset. [CHRIS ZUPPA, Times]
"Kelsey you gotta see this!" says JenAnne Pedonti, 16, as she bursts into the backstage dressing room while cast members of the Summer Broadway Series Camp get ready for another performance of The Wizard of Oz on Saturday afternoon. Pedonti, who plays the Lion, was showing Kelsey Roessler, 16, who plays Dorothy, far right, a yellow "Good Luck Star" which Roessler's parents left for Pedonti moments before the show. On the star read words of encouragement: "Break a leg! You're a star!" In the middle laughing along is Annie Vranish, 14, who plays Glenda the good witch. The Summer Broadway Series Camp, organized and managed by DJ Productions, gives middle and high school students in the Tampa Bay area the opportunity to gain experience in the theatrical arts by participating in a five-week camp that culminates in four performances of a broadway musical. [KAINAZ AMARIA, Times]
Natalie Greer, left, kisses her daughter Jocelyn Maseda, 5, on the first day of school at Oakstead Elementary on Monday. Maseda and her twin sister Larken both started kindergarten. "They're the last two out of five," said Greer, who added that the experience is both sad and exciting. The girls joined other Oakstead students starting class at 9:40 a.m, an hour later than last year. [KERI WIGINTON, Times] VIEW PHOTO GALLERY FROM 1ST DAY OF SCHOOL
David Price hugs Leigh Dittman, 9, during batting practice at Tropicana Field before this past Friday's game between the Rays and Texas Rangers. Dittman, who has Brittle Bone disease, has raised over $200,000 for Shriners hospitals by auctioning off sports memorabilia. She was invited to the game by Price, as his guest. [JAMES BORCHUCK, Times]
B.J. Upton seems to nearly scale the outfield wall at Tropicana field while trying to snag a home run by the Texas Rangers' Taylor Teagarden this past Friday. [JAMES BORCHUCK, Times]
David Pietrizyk and his wife Sharon Pietrizyk, both of St. Petersburg, enjoy an afternoon this past Friday at Gandy Beach. "When you catch the tide right, it's nice," David said. "It's a quick getaway. It's our little get away." [CHRIS ZUPPA, Times]
Gilbert Joyce, 8, cools off under a spray of water as campers at the Loretta Ingraham Community Center were treated to a day of fun and games to celebrate the end of summer this past Friday. Students in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties go back to school Tuesday, August 25. [MELISSA LYTTLE, Times] VIEW PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE SUMMER CAMP
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