Tuesday, August 23, 2011
County Commissioner Mark Sharpe likely to join Sandra Murman and Kevin Beckner, who also appear ready to support a plan to keep after-school care at Hillsborough recreation centers.
Commissioners are likely to vote tomorrow, Aug. 24, to maintain the county’s after-school program at 25-30 recreation centers. The program’s future was in doubt after a 4-3 vote last month to eliminate after-school care and cut staff at the vast majority of the county’s recreation centers. Voting to eliminate the program were commissioners Mark Sharpe, Sandra Murman, Al Higginbotham and Kevin Beckner. All four cited the county’s severe budget woes as the reason for their vote but said there are viable alternatives for after-school care. Commissioners Ken Hagan, Les Miller and Victor Crist voted against the measure. Supporters of the county’s after-school program took heart from the narrow margin of that 4-3 vote, knowing they need sway …
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Jan Platt, who served on the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners for 24 years, said after-school programming should remain intact unless there are assurances “in writing” that families have viable alternatives.
Former Hillsborough County Commissioner Jan Platt, who served on the board for 24 years, said after-school programming at country recreation centers should be retained if there are no viable options for families. The fate of the county’s after-school program — which serves more than 1,800 children countywide — will be decided by the Hillsborough County Commissioners this month. Commissioners voted 4-3 last month to eliminate the county’s after-school program and to stop staffing — and essentially close — 31 of 43 recreation centers countywide. County commissioners will revisit the vote at a budget workshop Aug. 24. Even if the county’s after-school program is cut there are enough alternatives to pick up the slack, according to Mark …
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Hillsborough County Commissioners Sandra Murman and Kevin Beckner are reviewing the numbers — and possibly their votes — that concerned closing recreation centers and cutting after-school care. County commissioners will revisit the issue at a budget works
Hillsborough County Commissioners appear headed to restore some form of after-school progamming at recreation centers after a preliminary budget vote last month that would cut the offering altogether. Commissioners voted 4-3 last month to eliminate the county’s after-school program and to stop staffing — and essentially close — 31 of 43 recreation centers countywide. County commissioners will revisit the vote at a budget workshop Aug. 24. Commissioners Ken Hagan, Les Miller and Victor Crist voted against the measure; voting for it were commissioners Mark Sharpe, Sandra Murman, Al Higginbotham and Kevin Beckner. A final vote on the county budget is set for September. An intense lobbying effort featuring emails, phone calls, petitions and a …
Friday, August 12, 2011
Rally organizers told attendees they needed to call and email Hillsborough County Commissioners and tell them “this is what the people want.” The rally was in protest of after-school programming cuts and recreation center closings.
Opponents of a plan to eliminate after-school programs at Brandon recreation centers and close most of those centers say they are confident they have enough votes on the Hillsborough County Commission to defeat the plan. “Don’t let them tell you it’s over. We can do it,” Terry O’Grady told a standing-room crowd at the Brandon Recreation Center on Thursday night, Aug. 11. Parents, children, seniors and parks workers packed the center for the boisterous rally, which drew more than 300 people. Undaunted by a 4-3 commission vote in July to cut after-school programs and mothball services at 31 of the county’s 42 recreation centers, rally organizers said they thought they could save the after-school programs and the majority of recreation …
Thursday, August 11, 2011
The Aug. 11 rally at the Brandon Recreation Center starts at 7 p.m., planned by organizers concerned about after-school programing cuts and recreation center closings.
Parents, teachers and children have been invited to rally in Brandon tonight, Aug. 11, to save after-school programs at Hillsborough County recreation centers. “It’s not over yet,” declares a poster announcing the rally at the Brandon Recreation Center at 502 East Sadie St., set to begin at 7 p.m. Organizers have invited all seven county commissioners to the outdoor rally. The meeting will move indoors in the case of inclement weather. Undaunted by a July 27 vote by the Hillsborough County Commission to eliminate after-school programming at county recreation centers, supporters nevertheless hold out hope for a program they say helps families, builds community and saves the county untold dollars in juvenile crime and policing. “The rally is…
Mortparent
9:23 pm on Tuesday, August 23, 2011
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