TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Center Place Plans Big Show For Its Christmas Tree Lighting

ADVERTISEMENT

By BARBARA ROUTEN, Tribune correspondent

Published: November 17, 2007

Updated: 11/15/2007 06:22 pm

BRANDON - Center Place Fine Arts and Civic Association, 619 Vonderburg Drive, invites the public to several events planned to open the holiday season, beginning with the annual lighting of the Christmas tree. This free event will take place at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5. The Brandon Academy Color Guard will start the evening.

Entertainment will be provided by students from Kim Hall's Studio of Dance in Brandon, Brandon Academy's Spotlights, Tampa Bay Family Theater, Brandon Youth Theatre and the Bloomingdale High School Ambassadors show choir. Santa and Mrs. Claus will pay a visit, and members of the Presidents' Roundtable will serve refreshments. A holiday blessing and lighting of the Christmas tree will bring the evening to a close.

Pat's Corner, the gift shop at Center Place, will hold a Holiday Open House at 4 p.m. Dec. 6. Refreshments will be provided, and there will be a storewide 25 percent discount. Unique items, including paintings and other works by area artists, will be for sale.

Children can have lunch with Santa at 11 a.m. Dec. 8 and chat with him individually after lunch. Parents are invited to take photos. Tickets for adults and children must be purchased in advance at Center Place. They are $5 for members, $6 for nonmembers.

Call Center Place at (813) 685-8888.

Riverview Students Head To Carnegie Hall
RIVERVIEW - Ten students from the Chamber Chorus of Riverview High School will perform the Christmas part of Handel's "Messiah" at 2 p.m. Nov. 25 at Carnegie Hall in New York City. They will be directed by John Rutter, a world-renowned British choral conductor and composer.

The high school singers heading to the Big Apple are Caleb Bone, Vicky Cirello, Anjelica Corbett, Jennifer Gunter, Angela Haider, Christopher Jones, Lorena Lopez, Emily Prause, Caitlin Willard and John Williams.

"It is pretty exciting to be able to take these kids to perform at Carnegie Hall!" said Riverview High Choral Director Liz Stewart.

Lodge Honors Military, Members, Students

BRANDON - Brandon Elks Lodge 2383 announced its October Student of the Month is Megan E. Haney of Brandon High School. She is first in a class of 409 seniors, with a 5.92 weighted grade-point average, and has held offices in the National Honor Society, Key Club and Mu Alpha Theta. She is a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society, Senior Council, orchestra and GAP Club. Haney has played tennis and soccer for Brandon High and soccer for the Brandon Area Youth Soccer League.

Haney is a National Key Scholar and AP Scholar and received a superior with distinction rating on piano solo and superior on string quintet in the district solo and ensemble assessments.

Among other distinctions, awards and scholarships, she has won the American Mathematic Competition and the Executive Women International Scholarship.

The Elk of the Month for October is Larry Oliver, who initiated the Tony Scotch Memorial Golf Tournament in honor of Tony Scotch, a member of the lodge who encouraged and assisted with raising money for the Harry-Anna Trust Fund. The fund supports the Florida Elks Youth Camp in Umatilla and Children's Therapy Services.

The Lady of Distinction for October is C.J. McKinney, past lady president and past vice president. She encourages, entertains, is one of Santa's helpers and drives busloads of campers to the Elks Youth Camp.

Beverly Messerschmidt, a member of the Brandon Ladies of the Elks, has been elected president of the Florida Ladies of the Elks. She chose unity and friendship as the themes for this year, with the motto "Together We're Better" - which, she said, "comes directly from the way things get done here in Brandon.

"Our district always shines at the state level because we work together to complete whatever project we've been given," she said. "Our lodge always stands out as one that accomplishes anything we do with enthusiasm and caring."

The lodge hopes to raise awareness about the growing number of homeless youth by donating to the Stand up for Kids program. According to the program's Web site, www.standupforkids.org, "if all of the homeless youth were in one city, it would be the seventh largest in the U.S."

To raise money to provide these children, teens and young adults with goods and services, the Elks members are collecting used mobile phones in a box in the lodge lobby at 800 Centennial Lodge Drive.

Snippets

Congratulations to Valrico residents who recently celebrated milestone wedding anniversaries: Arland and Marie Pavlicek, 59 years on Oct. 5; Jim and Mary Ann Murphy, 50 years on Oct. 19; and Jerry and Marian Wasson, 30 years on Oct. 1.

Send news and photos of community interest to Barbara Routen at The Tampa Tribune, 505 W. Robertson St., Brandon FL 33511, e-mail neighbors@tampabay.rr .com or call (813) 657-4531.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT