Tampa Freezes Over With Hockey Team's Help

Motorists tooling through Tampa may have noticed piles of something folks fled northern states to avoid.

Mounds of snow are accumulating at various intersections, including Willow Avenue and Platt Street, and Kennedy Boulevard and Dale Mabry Highway.

Actually, the piles are ice shavings from the rink at the St. Pete Times Forum placed in locations across town by the Tampa Bay Lightning to promote the team's season opener Saturday.

Since it's October in Florida, the stuff doesn't last, so the ice is replenished twice a day, a team spokesman said.

The snow will keep piling up until Saturday's regular-season home opener against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Is It Rural Or Sprawl? Pasco To Decide

DADE CITY - The fate of Berry Hill, a controversial development proposed for land west of Dade City, falls to Pasco County commissioners today after two lower county boards split on whether to recommend the project.

Opponents say the project defies the spirit of county rules aimed at protecting the rural region. Planners say the project is essentially a conservation subdivision, a land use intended to protect rural land from sprawl.

The meeting is set for 1:30 p.m. today at the historic Pasco County Courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave., Dade City.

Camp For Kids Gets Boost From Newman

DUNDEE - A camp for hearing-impaired children is the beneficiary of a $15,000 grant from a foundation made famous by the late actor Paul Newman.

Sertoma Camp Endeavor received word on the grant last week after Newman died Sept. 26, said Ray Rogers, a member of the camp's board of directors.

Newman's Own Foundation has donated profits from sales of salad dressings and other products to charity for years. The Sertoma camp has been helping children for 20 years, Rogers said.

New Owner For Pasco Water Company

NEW PORT RICHEY - That old black water may finally stop rolling into the homes of Aloha Utilities Inc.'s customers in southwest Pasco County.

The private water company, known largely for the unpalatable water that flows from its customers' taps, has struck a deal to sell itself to the Florida Governmental Utility Authority for $90.5 million.

The authority is a state-sanctioned consortium of Florida counties dedicated to transferring private utilities to public ownership.

Pasco County commissioners will hear about the deal at their 10 a.m. board meeting today in Dade City. If they approve the deal, the authority could take over management of Aloha by the end of the year, officials have said.