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Ballet Goes On To Delight Of Founder

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 23, 2008

PLANT CITY - More than 70 performers from the Plant City Children's Theatre presented their annual performance of a holiday classic, "The Nutcracker," to a packed house Dec. 13.

It was the 15th year for the performance of the play by the theater founded by Jackie Everidge. This year's show was a little different because neck and back problems kept Everidge away from rehearsals of the production.

But the founder, affectionately known as "Miss Jackie," was there for the performance, said her daughter, Sharon Everidge, the theater's executive director.

"We all wanted to do our best to make Miss Jackie proud of us," said Marissa Aloyo, one of the performers. "We knew she was in the audience. And we knew she wanted to be with us during rehearsals but couldn't."

At the end of the show, Jackie Everidge came on stage and "the kids' eyes lit up," Sharon Everidge said. "They all rallied around her, all excited and pleased with what they had done."

Jackie Everidge was pleased with the performance, her daughter said.

George H. Newman
Sewer Project Takes Break

TAMPA - A $19 million city project to replace 12th Street sewer pipes will take a holiday break from Thursday through Jan. 4.

On streets where new pipes have been buried, work crews expect to smooth out the roads with a layer of asphalt. That work should be finished today, officials said. A final paving will be done when the project is complete.

The approximately four-mile route will stretch from Sulphur Springs to East Tampa and take about a year to complete. The pipes will replace defective 1980s pipes.

Work from the north began in September at Park Circle in Seminole Heights and headed to Hilton and Crenshaw streets before turning onto 13th Street. Beginning at 19th Street between Mohawk and Hillsborough avenues, the route moved south toward East Tampa and will end at 26th Street and 29th Avenue.

Expect road closures on 29th Street from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to 33rd Avenue until mid-March. Intermittent closures are anticipated on 29th from Ida Street to North Bay Street through December. On Jan. 5, 13th Street and Hanna Avenue will close for about one week.

Kathy Steele

Pi Beta Phi To Gather

TAMPA - Pi Beta Phi Alumnae will have their annual coffee Saturday to recognize new members and their mothers.

The event will be from 2 to 4 p.m. at the home of Lou Hatton, 4616 Sunset Blvd. The coffee also will recognize Pi Phis who have been members for more than 50 years.

For information, call committee member Joanne Baldy at (813) 286-0346.

Lenora Lake

School District Prepares For Cuts

LAND O' LAKES - Pasco County School District officials say they have figured out ways to cover the current $8.7 million budget shortfall and much of the $10 million to $15 million shortfall the district could face after the Legislature's special session in January.

Superintendent Heather Fiorentino told the school board at a Dec. 16 workshop that avoiding layoffs has been a priority.

"We have been able to do that," she said.

Two board members expressed concern, though, that the district isn't preparing for a worst-case scenario. The Legislature plans to meet in a special session Jan. 5 through 16 to deal with a statewide revenue shortage and school districts have been told to expect additional budget cuts of about 2 to 3 percent.

For Pasco, that translates to about $10 million to $15 million. Fiorentino and Olga Swinson, the district's chief finance officer, presented the school board cost-cutting recommendations that total about $8 million to help defray some of the cuts the Legislature might make in January.

Ronnie Blair

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