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Rec Center Is Hub Of Activity

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By JOHN CEBALLOS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 19, 2007

GIBSONTON - The children who populate the Gardenville Recreation Center each day are not the only ones using the facility - not by a long shot.

'We're sort of the hub of activity in Gibsonton,' said Dave Ramirez, senior recreation specialist at the Gardenville Recreation Center. 'We have community meetings here, and people just use our facility for everything.'

In addition to meeting rooms for community activities, the park, 6219 Symmes Road, features a computer lab, game room and other areas available to visitors of all ages.

The recreation center offers several evening programs aimed at adults, including a social dance class on Mondays.

Ramirez said the park also offers a Parents' Night Out once a month.

'I think we all realize that sometimes these parents need to spend a little bit of time without their kids around,' Ramirez said.

Still, it's the recreation center's work with the youngsters - who range in age from 3 to 15 - that gets the seven-person staff excited.

'We try to keep the kids as busy as we can, but we also try to keep kids that are around the same age doing the same activities together,' said Heather Cobb, who works with ages 8 and 9.

There are 216 youngsters registered for the center's after-school camp, which is 2:15 and 6 p.m. weekdays. The center features Boyz and Bratz clubs, for boys and girls, respectively, ages 6 to 9, in which they learn arts and crafts, computer skills and take field trips.

A group of 28 preteens from the park, including members of the Girls Club led by Gardenville's Carrie Sewell, participated Saturday in the South Shore portion of the International Coastal Cleanup.

GARDENVILLE RECREATION CENTER
WHERE: 6219 Symmes Road

PROGRAMS: After-school camp, Boyz and Bratz clubs, Girls Club, social dance, youth and adult karate and self-defense classes

COURTS/FIELDS: Basketball, softball, soccer

INFORMATION: (813) 672-1120

Reporter John Ceballos can be reached at (813) 865-1555 or jceballos@tampatrib.com

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