TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Literacy Council Seeking Tutors To Fulfill Needs

ADVERTISEMENT

By BARBARA ROUTEN, Tribune correspondent

Published: February 16, 2008

Updated: 02/14/2008 07:33 pm

TAMPA - The Hillsborough Literacy Council has a new slate of officers for 2008 who are committed to helping adults learn to read and write.

They are Richard Zingale, president; Jane English, vice president; Bill Hunter, secretary; and Bill Hill, treasurer.

"Working with the literacy council has helped me understand the broad reach our tutors have teaching individuals who need help learning to read, write and speak English," Zingale said.

After having volunteered as a basic literacy tutor for two years and as a board member for one, he will forge ahead with his commitment "to continue the council's mission of increasing literacy rates in our community."

There is a great need locally for more tutors, said Carol Bockenek, literacy coordinator for the council. She said the Riverview Library has nine tutors working with 10 students and 11 students awaiting tutors.

SouthShore Regional Library has three tutors working with three students and no one currently waiting. However, the Ruskin Library has three students and tutors working together and 15 students waiting for tutors.

"At this point we have the greatest need for ESOL English for Speakers of Other Languages tutors, but we do have students waiting in our basic program, too" in which adults learn to read and write, Bockenek said.

The council is a nonprofit offshoot of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System. In addition to its English language program, which teaches adults how to read and speak English, it offers an Adult Basic Literacy program that uses a phonics-based approach to teach functionally and marginally illiterate adults to read and write. Students learn word analysis skills, increase their vocabulary and work on reading comprehension, spelling and writing.

A training session for new basic literacy tutors will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 1 at the West Tampa Branch Library, 2312 W. Union St., Tampa. Prospective tutors must be 18 or older and have a high school diploma or the equivalent. All materials are included in the $30 cost for the tutor training.

For information, contact Nilda Miller at (813) 273-3650 or visit www.hillsborough literacy.org.

Art Club Workshop Scheduled For Feb. 25

SUN CITY CENTER - The Art Club of Sun City Center is sponsoring a pastel workshop taught by Wanda Carter from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 25 in the Art Room, 954 Cherry Hills Drive.

Carter, a member of the Portrait Society of America and the Southwest Florida Pastel Society, specializes in people and animal portraits.

The cost of the workshop is $45 for prepaid participants, $50 for walk-ins. Signup sheets are in the Art Room, or reservations may be made by calling Ilene Hemingway, (813) 633-6564.

Membership in the art club is required. Call Nancy Cooper, (813) 633-0084, for membership information.

Lobster Dinner Festival Returns

SUN CITY CENTER - The Kiwanis Club of Sun City Center invites the public to its fifth annual Lobster Dinner Fest at 5 p.m. Feb. 29 at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, 1239 W. Del Webb Blvd.

The cost is $20 and includes fresh lobster, sides and beverages. Tickets are available at the kiosk in the Atrium Building, 945 N. Course Lane, or at Re/Max Universal Realty, 3896 Sun City Center Blvd.

Brandon Kiwanis Membership Drive

BRANDON - The Greater Brandon Kiwanis Club invites anyone interested in learning more about the club to a breakfast meeting from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Thursday at Golden Corral, 815 Providence Road.

Several members will discuss their involvement in the club and its causes. Rita Peters, head of the sex crimes and child abuse division of the state attorney's office, will be the guest speaker.

A person's "first visit with us is a free breakfast," said membership chairwoman Gena Schaffer. Guests are asked to make reservations before attending the quarterly membership drives to ensure sufficient service.

For information, contact Schaffer at (813) 546-5043 or schaffergl@aol.com, or call Dusty Amatangelo, president, at (813) 294-0645.

Newcomers Club Plans A 'Pounding'

BRANDON - The Brandon Newcomers Club will meet for a "pounding" at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at Center Place Fine Arts and Civic Association, 619 Vonderburg Drive.

Attendees should bring a gift-wrapped pound of anything they want to donate for a drawing.

The guest speaker will be member Hazel Inez Thompson Petrick, an Army nurse who served in World War II.

About 70 members attended the January meeting, and two new faces, one from Riverview and the other from Apollo Beach, joined the club.

Interested members may join the Let's Eat Out group at 6:30 p.m. Friday at California Pizza Kitchen at Westfield Brandon or the Gals Night Out group at 6 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Olive Garden, 2602 W. Brandon Blvd.

Snippets

Throughout the month, the Art Club of Sun City Center will exhibit Virginia Laudano's miniature floral, sea and landscape paintings in the showcase in front of The Gallery next to the Art Room, 954 Cherry Hills Drive. For information, call Laudano, (813) 633-6042. ... Wayne Otto, a media team member of the Greater Brandon Arts Council and president and founder of Stagedoor Performing Arts, along with fellow cast members of "Faith Country," the next Stagedoor production, will perform bits and pieces of the show hourly from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 23 at the Brandon Fresh Market, 11349 Bloomingdale Ave., Riverview. Otto and other arts council board members will register new members - anyone involved in or interested in the arts - at a table at the market.

Send news and photos of community interest to Barbara Routen at The Tampa Tribune, 505 W. Robertson St., Brandon FL 33511, e-mail neighbors@tampa bay.rr.com or call (813) 657-4531.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT