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International Students Need Hosts

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By BARBARA ROUTEN

Tribune correspondent

Published: July 30, 2008

BRANDON - American Field Service, an international student exchange program that began in 1914 as a volunteer ambulance corps, is seeking families to host 11th-grade international exchange students for six to nine months during the upcoming school year.
AFS also needs families to temporarily host students for a few weeks until permanent homes are found. The students will arrive between Aug. 15 and 19.

"Host families come in all shapes and sizes," said Lee Ann Ramsdell, whose family hosted Austrian Sophie Voggenberger from January through July. Voggenberger attended Newsome High School.

Some host families have one parent, some two; some have many kids, some none. They do not have to speak a foreign language, nor do they need to provide money to the students. Each student needs their own bed, but not necessarily their own room.

"All they have to provide is a loving home," Ramsdell said. Although the host family goes through an interview and background check, AFS takes care of all paperwork, visas and insurance.

Ramsdell said that area high schools accept AFS students because the organization is well known.

In 1976, Ramsdell's family hosted an exchange student from Guatemala.

"I am still close with my foreign exchange sister from Guatemala, and her kids and mine are friends," Ramsdell said. "It was such a great experience that I always wanted to get involved as an adult."

That was postponed, however, until this year, after her husband, Gary, retired from the military and they settled in Lithia.

Two of the Ramsdells' five children live at home and have gotten close to all the students that have been in the Tampa area this past year, she said.

"Sophie has been such a perfect fit with our family, and my daughters really feel like they have another sister," she said.
AFS welcomes inquiries and applications from local students who are interested in studying overseas. The students must have good grades.

Ramsdell's daughter Jessica will leave Aug. 20 for Kumamoto, Japan, to attend school as an AFS exchange student. She is fascinated by the country, its culture and anime (a combination of computer graphics and animation that is popular in Japan). Daughter Jennifer wants to go to Russia or Korea when she is in 11th grade.

For information about AFS, call Ramsdell at (813) 412-2257.

Cats, Lost Boys And Pirates

VALRICO - The educational Tampa Bay Family Theater will begin rehearsals for three fall productions beginning in August at Church Alive, 1603 Bloomingdale Ave.

Every child who registers will have a part to play on stage, although individual roles will be assigned based on a child's experience and skill. The registration fee per student, regardless of age or show, is $165 through Friday; $175 afterwards.

Children in kindergarten through third grade will participate in "AristoCats, Kids," a musical based on the 1970 Disney film about cats. Rehearsals will be from 5 to 6 p.m. Thursdays beginning Aug. 21 through Nov. 13. The show will be presented at 7 p.m. Nov. 14.

Fourth- through sixth-graders will rehearse the play "Jolly Roger and the Pirate Queen" from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays from Aug. 21 through Oct. 30. Performances will take place at 2:30 and 7 p.m. Nov. 1.

The musical "Peter Pan" will be performed by seventh- through 12th-graders at 2:30 and 7 p.m. Nov. 15. Rehearsals will be from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Thursdays from Aug. 21 through Nov. 13.

For information, call the directors, Tyler or Amy Leavitt, at (813) 571-3392. To register, send a check to Tampa Bay Family Theater, 1407 Peachfield Drive, Valrico FL 33596. Include show title; the actor's name, gender, grade and date of birth; and the parent's name, phone, address and e-mail address.

Emergency Squad Needs Technical Assistance

SUN CITY CENTER - The Sun City Center Emergency Squad, an all-volunteer organization, depends on technology to such an extent that it needs an information technology department, said John Bowker in a recent edition of eNews.

The squad uses radios, GPS systems, phones with caller ID, Microsoft Windows XP Pro, Office, Outlook and Access. Some applications are written in Visual Basic. Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 and Microsoft Windows Server 2003 run the squad's servers.

"Volunteers are needed to monitor existing systems' performance, troubleshoot problems, enhance existing applications, develop new application systems and implement proprietary applications," Bowker said. People experienced in any of these areas are asked to help out for four to eight hours per week.

Because everyone on the squad is a part-time volunteer, "we'll need several people to cover our needs," said Thom Brown, assistant chief of special projects.

For information or to offer services, call Marty Gifford, assistant chief for personnel, at (813) 633-1411, or Brown at (813) 633-1411, (813) 394-2107 or e-mail thomb@scc-ems .com.

Sharpen Those Art Skills

SUN CITY CENTER - Free art classes are being offered to members of the Art Club of Sun City Center.

Most materials will be provided. Sun City Center and Kings Point residents, who are community association members, may join the club when registering.

Carol Wehrle will teach basic drawing, including straight-line drawing, from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday and Aug. 8.

Virginia Laudano will teach meditation drawing to help artists improve their eye-hand coordination from 1 to 3 p.m. Monday. She also will teach creative and innovative drawing techniques from 1 to 3 p.m. Mondays from Aug. 25 through Sept. 29.

Don Nathan will conduct an outdoor ink and watercolor drawing class from 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Sept. 30; there will be no class Aug. 19.

Cynthia Wortmann will offer a pastel drawing class from 9:30 a.m. to noon Mondays, beginning in late August; date to be announced.

Joan Shalleck will lead a sketchbook-diary class for enhanced memory writing, using sketches, stories and poems in late August.

Call Laudano, (813) 633-6042, for information about classes; call Nancy Cooper, (813) 633-0084 to join the club.

Marine Corps League Invites New Members

RIVERVIEW - The Riverview Detachment of the Marine Corps League, whose motto is "Marines taking care of Marines," will meet at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the American Legion Post 148, 7240 U.S. 301. S.

Activities of the detachment include an annual picnic - recently held at the home of Fred and Retse Regenhard; and a car wash from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the last Saturday of each month at the post. An annual poker run, in which motorcyclists ride to predetermined stops to draw playing cards, will take place Sept. 27. Best hand wins.

Activities raise money for programs to help veterans. For details about the poker run or to become a sponsor, go to the group's Web site, www.mclriverview.org, or call John Bain, past commandant, at (813) 967-3150.

"The detachment is always seeking new members - former and active-duty Marines and Navy corpsmen who have served a tour with the Fleet Marine Force," said commandant Jack Skelding. "The meetings are held the first Tuesday of each month."

For information, call Skelding, (813) 672-1778.

The Village Players Present 'Noises Off'

VALRICO - The Village Players will present the comedy "Noises Off" at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and Aug. 8, 9, 15 and 16 at the James McCabe Theater, 506 Fifth St..

An inept theatrical group tries to put on a racy show called "Nothing On," but the cast's personal and backstage bumbling and bungling threaten to ruin it.

That is the plot of the play, not a commentary about the Village Players, who are a talented and experienced troupe who have been entertaining the greater Valrico community since the late 1970s.

Brendan Jacoby directs a cast that includes Cindy Miller-Ray as Dotty Otley/Mrs. Clackett; Greg Summerall as Lloyd Fellowes; Rick Faurote as Selsdon Mowbray/The Burglar; Kimberlee Sivret as Poppy Taylor; Mollie Anderson as Belinda Blair/Flavia Brent; Oliver Sprague as Tim Allgood; Thom Miller as Frederick Dallas/Philip Brent; Vince Natale as Garry Lejeune/Roger Tramplemain; and Jessica Siegler as Brooke Ashton/Vicki. A two-story set will rotate on stage.

Tickets, $12 per person, will be available at the door, which will open 30 minutes before showtime. Proceeds will benefit the restoration of the James McCabe Theater.

For information, call the Village Players office, (813) 689-0044.

Kiwanians Want To Stuff The Bus

SUN CITY CENTER - The Kiwanis clubs of Sun City Center and Brandon are collecting school supplies for area schools through Thursday.

Drop-off bins are at local businesses, including the Sun City Center Chamber of Commerce, 1651 Sun City Center Plaza, Sun City Center; the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce, 330 Pauls Drive, Suite 100, Brandon; Kmart, 1602 S.R. 60 W., Brandon; Music Showcase, 402 Oakfield Drive, Brandon; and participating Beef O'Brady's restaurants.

The "Stuff the Bus" campaign seeks notebook paper, pens, pencils, crayons, spiral notebooks, glue, scissors, protractors, pocket folders and backpacks for students; copy paper, reward stickers, dry-erase markers and color pens for classrooms; and monetary donations.

"Parents usually need to spend approximately $100 per child on back-to-school supplies," said Seel Lundy, president of the Kiwanis Club of Sun City Center. "Teachers report that some students don't show up the first few days of school because they don't have the supplies expected of them."

Once the bus is stuffed, the clubs will divide the items equally among Brandon- and South Shore-area schools. The schools will determine how to distributethe supplies.

For information about Kiwanis International, whose motto is "Serving the Children of the World, go to www .kiwanis.org.

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

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