Detours: a country in search of direction
On the eve of the election, a reporter and photographer set out for Washington, via America. We tell stories from seven towns, touching on seven issues from politics and real life.
Friday Night Rewind It doesn't matter which team you cheer for. We've got video previews of every high school football program in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando County.
Game show themes
These themes are probably going to make some of you have flashbacks to wasted mornings or afternoons spent sprawled in front of the TV.
TAMPA — The plan: Reward underprivileged children with bikes and computers for attending school, behaving and learning.
"Those of us who work get paid for performance," said Howard Harris, president of the Ada T. Payne Friends of the Urban Libraries. So why not use the model to encourage children to make good choices?
That's the idea of the volunteer group, which serves College Hill, West Tampa and Robert W. Saunders Sr. public libraries.
About 40 kids will soon win used computers and new bikes. The children participated in a program that emphasizes school attendance and behavior and requires them to check out four books a month from a library and write two book reports.
To fund future rewards, the group has booked a performance by the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe from Sarasota. They hope to raise $7,000 and bring four plays a year to Tampa.
"We have a problem in urban areas," Harris said. "What we want to do is, as much as we can, get the kids into the library to educate them. It's a whole lot cheaper to educate them than to house them as a prisoner."
The friends group also advocates for urban libraries. But Harris said the group can't compete with other libraries that raise thousands through book sales.
"In our setting it's difficult to find people who have the time and inclination to do something," Harris said.
Children eligible for the programs must live in the ZIP codes 22602, 22606, 22607 or 22610.
The group has paid for a teen dance program and guest speakers. They are buying model planes to be used in an area school to teach the history of aviation.
"We'd like to continue these programs," Harris said.
Elisabeth Dyer can be reached at edyer@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3321.
.If you go
'Moe' musical
The Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe from Sarasota will perform Five Guys Named Moe, featuring the music of Louis Jordan at 8 p.m. April 12, at the Centro Asturiano de Tampa, 1913 N Nebraska Ave., where tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door for $30. The musical tells the tale of a man down on his luck late at night when five guys named Moe pop out of his 1930s radio and cajole, wheedle and jazz him.
[Last modified: Apr 03, 2008 05:31 AM]
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