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Macaroni Factory May Be Torn Down

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 2, 2009

YBOR CITY - Owners of the historical Ferlita Macaroni Factory on 22nd Street want permission from the Barrio Latino Commission to tear down the structure.

A hearing is scheduled for April 21 at 9 a.m. in city council chambers, 315 E. Kennedy Blvd.

County records show that limited liability company, 1609 22nd St. bought the property in 2008. Leslie V. Thompson, who paid $85,000 for the property in 1985, is company manager, records show.

Metal panels were placed on the factory's windows last year after code enforcement inspectors issued a warning to secure the building. Aerial photos later showed the roof is partially collapsed, and the owner has since removed the entire roof, said Dennis Fernandez, the city's historic preservation manager.

From the ground it is not noticeable, but Fernandez said, "What you have essentially is four walls without a roof."

Thompson could not be reached for comment.

The 86-year-old building operated as a macaroni factory behind the Columbia restaurant. It was one of many thriving Ybor businesses that decades ago included cigar factories, grocery stores, bakeries and ice houses.
Kathy Steele
It's Parade Day At Festival

PLANT CITY - Here is today's schedule at the Florida Strawberry Festival:

10 a.m.: Gates and midway open

10 a.m.-11 p.m.: Ride-A-Thon; a wristband purchased at the midway for $17 gives the wearer access most mechanical rides.

All day: Poultry and rabbit shows, CF Industries Ag Tent

1 p.m.: Grand Feature Parade starts in downtown Plant City

2 p.m.: Grand Feature Parade passes by the festival grounds

3:30 p.m.: Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius, GTE FCU Soundstage

6 p.m.: Lamb jumping contest, CF Industries Ag Tent

7 p.m.: Lamb show, CF Industries Ag Tent

7:30 p.m.: Randy Travis, GTE FCU Soundstage

The festival grounds are at 2202 W. Reynolds St. Festival admission tickets purchased at participating area Sweetbay Supermarkets are $8 for ages 13 and older and $4 for ages 6 to 12. Admission prices at the gate are $10 for adults and $5 for youths. Children 5 and younger are admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult.

A staff report

Hospital Wants To Add Beds

TAMPA - St. Joseph's Hospital is planning to build a one-story, 60-bed mental health facility near its site.

The Tampa City Council unanimously approved the property rezoning recently on first reading. A second reading is set for 9 a.m. April 2.

The development, planned for 4918 N. Habana Ave., will help the hospital address a need in the area and will offer mental health patients a facility specifically designed for their needs, said Lisa Patterson, a hospital spokeswoman.

The hospital, at 3001 W. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., currently has 42 beds for mental health patients.

The nearly 9-acre property planned for the development was the home of an assisted living facility that closed in the 1980s. The hospital has owned the property since 1992.

The cost of the project, which will be called the St. Joseph's Recovery Center, is estimated at $9 million. Hospital officials hope to start construction in July, Patterson said.

Jose Patino Girona

Fossil Show Digs Into History

ORIENT PARK - A world of saber-toothed cats, giant wolves, sharks and prehistoric Indians will come to life this weekend when FossilFest 2009 opens at the Florida State Fairgrounds.

Visitors can view fossils found in this part of Florida, as well as artifacts left behind by the state's first human inhabitants. The event is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Also featured will be educational activities designed to teach children and adults about Florida's prehistoric past. And vendors will sell and trade fossils found in Florida and around the world.

"Our goal is to teach Floridians about the prehistoric creatures and people that were here long before us," said Tampa Bay Fossil Club President Michael Searle. "You don't have to travel to faraway, exotic places to find these fossils."

Admission is $5 for adults. Children age 12 and younger are admitted free.

For information, go to www.tampabayfossilclub.com.

Yvette C. Hammett

Vaccinate Pets For Just A Buck

TAMPA - If you're looking to save some money on pet care, the Animal Coalition of Tampa can help.

Its nonprofit clinic is offering rabies vaccinations for $1 with any spay or neuter surgery this month. Pain medication, antibiotic injections and anesthesia are included.

Rabies is a fatal yet preventable disease that afflicts dogs and cats through contact with infected animals, and can be transmitted from pets to people. Rabies vaccinations are required for pets by law in Hillsborough County and are necessary to register a dog or cat for a license.

The animal coalition clinic is at 1719 W Lemon St., Tampa. For information, call (813) 250-3900 or visit www.actampa.org.

Lois Kindle

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