Volunteers plant 1,000 seedlings at Seminole Campus

Volunteers gathered Saturday at the Seminole Campus for the planting of 1,000 pine tree seedlings. At the end of the project, they gathered around for the planting of the 1000th seedling.

     A small army of volunteers turned out at the Seminole campus on Saturday to plant 1,000 pine trees on the north end of the campus.
     Students, faculty members, college staff and volunteers from the Seminole community took part in the planting, which started at 9 a.m. and lasted into the afternoon. Staff members mapped out the planting scheme, and then volunteers took over to poke holes in the ground, place the small seedling roots in the ground, and then soak them with about a quart of water each.
     The planting took place near the spot where other volunteers worked a few weeks ago to pull non-indigenous plants from the ground.
     Seminole Provost Jim Olliver, who worked Saturday as one of the volunteers, said the expansive site will one day be the home of a natural habitat park.
     “Of course, we’re doing all this as a beautification measure, but this will also help the natural habitat,” he said. “It will benefit migratory birds, and it will offer an opportunity for the campus to have a natural habitat park and environmental center. Work on that may start within a month, and it will include walking paths, ponds, andf a dock.”
     “We envision a place where all kinds of creatures and natural plants will be able to live and thrive.
     Jim Waechter, Director of Facilities Services, obtained the pine seedlings and oversaw the planting. He said the planting project is a single step in improving the 63-acre north end of the campus, which he said is called the campus’ Habitat Area.
     He said the college obtained a grant two years ago to remove non-native plants, and that effort left the area looking somewhat ravaged.
     “Today is the first step in a restoration project,” he said. “It will look very good 10 years from now, and those people who are around 50 years from now will be able to see the fruits of our labors.”

Clearwater’s mayor says area needs a regional rail system

     The Tampa Bay area needs some sort of rail transportation system if it is to serve residents and attract new business, Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard told a group of students and others Thursday at the Clearwater Campus of St. Petersburg College.
     Hibbard serves on the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority, a regional group that is working on plans for a regional rail transportation system.
     A regional rail service would employ a “spine-and-rib” design, feeding riders from more far-flung areas to the rail stations by buses. The finished rail service would ease pressure on the region’s highway system, could tie in to a proposed Tampa-to-Orlando high speed rail service, and would be a major asset in attracting new business to the region, Hibbard said.
     “We need it to attract jobs to this region – companies look for mass transit,” Hibbard said. “We are one of two top areas in the country that don’t have mass transit. Detroit is the other one.”
     High-speed rail service, much discussed over the years in Florida, got a shot in the arm recently when President Obama visited the state to announce his administration’s Stimulus package would fund a high-speed rail system between Tampa Bay and Orlando.
      Hibbard said that while the high-speed intercity system is important and desirable, it neither strengthens nor weakens the argument for a regional rail system. Such a system is needed, he said, whether it ties into a high-speed rail system or not.
     “I support mass transit because I want an alterative to the automobile,” he said.
     Hibbard said he had traveled to Japan to look at the rail systems of that country, and found them to be highly efficient. The trains in Japan, he said, “arrive within seconds of when they say they will arrive.”
     Hibbard acknowledged the high cost of a regional rail system – anywhere between $40 million and $65 million per mile. But he pointed out that highway construction costs are also high; the complex new interchange near the Tampa Airport, he said, cost about three-quarters of a billion dollars. Maintenance costs for rail systems are lower than maintenance costs for highways.
     About half of a new regional rail system could be paid for by the federal government, he said, and the local share might be funded by a one-cent increase in the sales tax. A significant portion of local sales taxes, he said, are paid through purchases made by tourists.
     An increase in the regional sales tax might cost local residents around $143 per household, but residents could realize significant savings that could offset the higher cost and more, he said.
     “What if you could do away with a second car?” Hibbard asked. “Everywhere rail has been initiated, ridership has exceeded what was anticipated.”
     Hibbard’s presentation was sponsored by Clearwater Matters, an ongoing forum that examines various issues of interest to Clearwater residents. Clearwater Matters was founded by faculty and administrators at the Clearwater campus.
     Audience members were encouraged to ask questions of Hibbard via their smart phones – questions were texted to him via Twitter or Facebook.

Former coach, Athletic Director George McCrossin dies at 85

     George McCrossin, former Athletic Director and men’s basketball and golf coach for 35 years, died Saturday, Jan. 23, in Clearwater. McCrossin, 85, retired in 1987 after 35 years at the college. 

     McCrossin joined the St. Petersburg Junior College staff in 1952 as men’s basketball coach. During most of his coaching years, SPJC offered no athletic scholarships. In spite of that, McCrossin compiled a 539-369 record, making him the 14th winningest junior college coach ever at the time of his retirement. 

     As Athletic Director, he spearheaded the building of the college’s first gym in 1958, and helped with the formation of a statewide league in 1960.

     As a golf coach, his achievements were even more remarkable; he earned national championships in 1968 and 1969, runners-up in 1967 and 1970, and his program produced nine All-Americans. He was named National Junior College Coach of the Year in 1969. He retired in 1987 at the age of 67.

      At the Bay Area’s 1986 Sports Salute banquet, he was named Sports Personality of the Year. He was inducted into the Florida Community College Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Florida Community College Activities Association Hall of Fame in 1995.

      McCrossin played basketball and was team captain at the University of Pittsburgh in the late 1940s and early 1950s after serving as a Marine in the South Pacific during World War II.

      “He was a heck of a player,” Ed Long, who succeeded McCrossin as SPJC Athletic Director,  said in a 2006 interview. “He was an All-American at Pitt, got a pro tryout, and I understand he was the last player to be cut by the Boston Celtics.’’

      McCrossin said in 2006 that he remembered his players with fondness.

      “We just had a great group of kids,” he said. “For what they had, they got everything out of it. They were dedicated. And they enjoyed the challenge.”

      In a 2006 story in SPC Today, the college’s semi-annual alumni magazine, a number of those former players remembered their one-time coach:

      “When I played, Coach McCrossin was bringing a lot of African-American guys here, including me, and I remember he was a really even-keel guy. He showed a lot of fairness. He was a strategist as a coach. I didn’t consider myself a prize-winning player, but I learned a lot, and as a team we did really well. I applied what he taught me and it worked out very well.” — Terry Byrd, St. Petersburg, center, 1967-68 and 1968-69.

      “Back then, in order to get enough games, we played in the city A-league. When we played those games, Coach McCrossin would also play – point guard.” — Ed Evans, Clearwater, guard/forward, 1957-58 and 1958-59.

      “He would keep fit by going through the same routine as we did. He taught us to juggle – tennis balls, basically, then other things – to improve our hand-eye coordination: That’s a talent I still possess. And I juggle things in life.” — Lars Hafner, St. Petersburg, guard/forward, co-captain, 1979-80 and 1980-81.

      Graveside services were scheduled for  Jan. 29 at Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park, Clearwater.

SPC, other community colleges positioned to lead Florida’s economic recovery

     As most sectors of the state’s economy have throttled back, St. Petersburg College and many of Florida’s other community colleges have roared ahead, adding new programs and welcoming hundreds of additional students, many of whom had been turned away from other state institutions. 

     “Rather than shrink from the challenges that faced us, we decided to take an opposite approach and provide additional students with the programs and training they need to get good jobs and be part of the inevitable recovery,” said Tom Furlong, SPC’s Interim President. ” History tells us that community colleges are one of the best sources out there for education that leads directly to jobs. SPC and other similar schools are great values as well as shortcuts to success.” 

     In his State of the Union speech this week, President Barack Obama urged the Senate to pass legislation that will “revitalize our community colleges, which are a career pathway to the children of so many working families.” Read this section from President Obama’s 2010 State of the Union Address.

     Steep economic downturns create great opportunities for community college education, Furlong said. Resources may tighten, but community colleges offer high-quality education for comparatively little money, and graduates often walk right into jobs that offer pay and benefits that far exceed their previous employment. 

     “One reason for this is the close relationships that community colleges tend to have to business leaders in their home areas,” Furlong noted. “If an area needs nurses or bankers or technicians, the local community college usually can turn on a dime, respond to that need, and develop programs that can start serving students almost immediately.”

     Florida’s community colleges served more than 845,000 students in 2009, up 9.6 percent from 2008. Enrollments for 2010 are expected to be even higher. As of this week, St. Petersburg College enrollment for the Spring 2010 term is up 14 percent.

     Community College Week’s annual Top 100 report, conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics, said Florida community colleges were among the top in the nation last year when it came to awarding associate degrees.

     Will N. Holcombe, Chancellor of The Florida College System, said Florida’s community colleges are determined to keep their doors open to students in spite of ever-tightening budgets.

     “Often times, entry into our system is the first opportunity for students to achieve higher education,” he said, “and I’m proud of the work our institutions have done to provide a quality education to a diverse student body during tough economic times.”

     One reason for the expanding role of community colleges is the steep enrollment increase among veterans. A new GI bill provides more than $62 billion in education benefits across the country, and vets with three years of active service can receive full tuition and fees, a monthly housing allowance, and $1,000 a year for books and supplies. The legislation has contributed to a 76 percent increase in veteran enrollment at Florida colleges.

     “Think back to the post-World War II days, when thousands of returning veterans enrolled in colleges across the country and then took the lead in rebuilding the American economy in a way that had never been seen before,” Furlong said. “We have a similar opportunity now, and it is very exciting to consider the role that SPC and other similar institutions can play in that.”

     St. Petersburg College began offering bachelor’s degrees in 2002, initially offering programs in nursing, education and technology management. Today, the college offers 22 bachelor’s programs and adds new ones every year. Among similar schools statewide, 16 new bachelor’s programs were created at seven colleges last year. Another 19 new programs at nine Florida colleges have been proposed for this year.

     “For more and more students of all ages, SPC and other community colleges are where higher education begins, and higher education means better jobs and enhanced income,” Furlong said. “We understand the role that we play in a stronger future economy, and we’re excited about the challenge we face.”

Furlong named interim president

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 CONTACT:

Bill Frederick
St. Petersburg College
727-341-3076
frederick.bill@spcollege.edu

 Tom Furlong named interim president of SPC 

                        ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Jan. 12, 2010) – Thomas E. Furlong, who retired from SPC in February 2009, became SPC’s Interim President on Jan. 1. Furlong, 62, was Senior Vice President, Baccalaureate Programs and University Partnerships, when he retired.

            “I am honored that the Board of Trustees has entrusted me with this great responsibility at this important moment in the history of St. Petersburg College,” Furlong said.

            “I am very excited to re-join the SPC team as we transition from our long-time president to our new permanent president,” he said. “I am truly delighted to have this opportunity to work with our outstanding students, faculty members and staff during the coming months.”
            Furlong came to SPC in August 2001 to develop the college’s new four-year program and to oversee the University Partnership Center. When he retired in February of 2009, the college had more than 4,000 baccalaureate students, 2,000 baccalaureate graduates and 27 majors.

            Before coming to St. Petersburg College, Furlong was Deputy Executive Director for Educational Services of the Florida Community College System. He was Vice President for Educational Services at Tallahassee Community College from 1987 to 1995, where he served twice as acting president.

            From 1984 to1987 he was executive director of the Florida Postsecondary Education Planning Commission — the PEPC Commission — and worked with the state’s community colleges and its universities. He directed PEPC’s research toward the first State Master Plan for Postsecondary Education and Supplements and was cited by the governor and the Cabinet for having “contributed significantly to the progress of higher education in Florida.”

A psychology major at Philadelphia’s La Salle University in the late 1960s, he holds a master’s in Counselor Education and a Ph.D. in Postsecondary Education Management from Florida State.

A Florida resident since 1969, Furlong is married and has five children.

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 ABOUT ST. PETERSBURG COLLEGE:

 St. Petersburg College was founded in 1927 as a two-year institution of higher learning.  Known then as St. Petersburg Junior College, it provided high-quality, fully-accredited programs with credits that were fully transferable to four-year institutions.  In 2001, the Florida Legislature passed legislation allowing the college to offer four-year degrees.  In response, the college dropped the word “junior” from its name and became St. Petersburg College.  Today, St. Petersburg College offers programs at learning sites in St. Petersburg, Seminole, Clearwater, Tarpon Springs and elsewhere.  It also offers courses and degree programs online.

Botanical garden to be planted at SPC’s Clearwater Campus

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 CONTACT:

Bill Frederick
St. Petersburg College
727-341-3076
frederick.bill@spcollege.edu

              CLEARWATER, Fla. (December 10, 2009) – St. Petersburg College’s Natural Science Department announced today it will plant a teaching botanical garden, consisting only of native Florida plants, on the Clearwater campus on Jan. 11.

            “Bio-diverse native gardens typically require less maintenance, water and herbicide treatment,” said Jason Green, the college’s Sustainability Coordinator.  “Because of that, in Florida we expect to see an increase in this responsible way of gardening as natural resources become scarcer.”

            The botanical garden will be used as a teaching tool for upper and lower level biology classes, according to John Williams, academic chair of the Natural Science Department.

            “The garden will allow students an excellent opportunity to leave the classroom and learn in a more natural environment,” Williams said.

            According to Williams, a number of partners will be involved in the development of the garden:

• Bruce Turley of Wilcox Nursery, who designed the garden, will deliver the plants the morning of Jan. 11.
• Tom Fowler, St Petersburg College’s Landscape Crew Leader, will install a drip irrigation system and construct a compacted mulch pathway for wheelchair access soon after the planting is completed.
• Plans are being made for a site specific sculpture suitable for the garden which will be designed and developed by members of SPC Fine Arts Department under the direction of Department Chair Paul Miehl.
• Jason Green will oversee the planting, which will be handled by volunteers from SPC’s “Club Green,” Emerging Green Builders, Honors College and other interested faculty, students and staff.

            The garden will be 60 feet wide by 25 feet deep.  Plantings will include spider lilies, yaupon holly, Florida golden aster, coontie, wild petunias, flatwoods plum, Bahama cassia, beautyberry and other native species.

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ABOUT ST. PETERSBURG COLLEGE:

 St. Petersburg College was founded in 1927 as a two-year institution of higher learning.  Known then as St. Petersburg Junior College, it provided high-quality, fully-accredited programs with credits that were fully transferable to four-year institutions.  In 2001, the Florida Legislature passed legislation allowing the college to offer four-year degrees.  In response, the college dropped the word “junior” from its name and became St. Petersburg College.  Today, St. Petersburg College offers programs at learning sites in St. Petersburg, Seminole, Clearwater, Tarpon Springs and elsewhere.  It also offers courses and degree programs online.

First in lecture series about entrepreneurship is Nov. 19 at St. Petersburg College EpiCenter

             ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Nov. 6, 2009) – Entrepreneur Kurt Long will discuss creating enterprises Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. in the first of a series on entrepreneurship sponsored jointly by St. Petersburg College’s College of Technology & Management and the Silverberg Entrepreneurial Incubator.

            The lecture is free and open to the public.

            Long has founded several businesses, including FairWarning, which represents 250 hospitals and about 900 clinics around the world. The company provides software which protects patient privacy in medical records.

            Four other lectures are planned between January and May as part of Entrepreneurship: Distinguished Speaker Series.

            For more information, call Judy Steeg at 727-791-2743, or visit  http://www.spcollege.edu/webcentral/btw/distinguishedspeakerseries.html .

Consular Corps College signs agreement with St. Petersburg College

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 CONTACT:

Bill Frederick
St. Petersburg College
727-341-3076
frederick.bill@spcollege.edu

 Consular Corps College, SPC sign agreement 

            ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Nov. 2, 2009) – St. Petersburg College signed an educational partnership agreement Monday with the Consular Corps College, the national organization of foreign consuls in the U.S.

            The partnership, approved by the boards of both SPC and CCC, was first announced in July. Under terms of the agreement, the CCC’s headquarters will be established at  SPC, which will provide the organization with significant infrastructural support.

            The Consular Corps College is a non-profit, non-political professional organization that serves the foreign consular community in the U.S. through initial and continuing education, information sharing, networking and other means aimed at enhancing a consul’s effectiveness.

            “This agreement is the first of its kind — there has never been a formal  relationship between an educational institution and the Consular Corps College,” said SPC President Carl M. Kuttler Jr. “It offers many opportunities for SPC and its students.” 

            The Consular Corps College was founded in 1969 to increase professional communication among foreign consular officers serving in the U.S. Any consular officer recognized by the U.S. State Department, as well as current and former protocol officers, may join the Consular Corps College.

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ABOUT ST. PETERSBURG COLLEGE:

 St. Petersburg College was founded in 1927 as a two-year institution of higher learning.  Known then as St. Petersburg Junior College, it provided high-quality, fully-accredited programs with credits that were fully transferable to four-year institutions.  In 2001, the Florida Legislature passed legislation allowing the college to offer four-year degrees.  In response, the college dropped the word “junior” from its name and became St. Petersburg College.  Today, St. Petersburg College offers programs at learning sites in St. Petersburg, Seminole, Clearwater, Tarpon Springs and elsewhere.  It also offers courses and degree programs online.

 

Quilt exhibits at Florida International Museum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Bill Frederick

727-341-3076

Frederick.bill@spcollege.edu

 

 Florida International Museum presents two quilt exhibits from Nov. 6 to Jan. 10 

            ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Nov. 2, 2009) – Florida International Museum at St. Petersburg College will present two quilt exhibits featuring more than 100 nationally recognized artists as well as a selection of the best quilts by Pinellas County artists.

            The exhibits, Rooted in Tradition: Art Quilts from the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum and Sew – It’s Art!, explore the art and traditions of contemporary quilt-making. They will run from Nov. 6 through Jan. 10 at the museum at 244 Second Ave. N, St. Petersburg. 

            Rooted in Tradition: Art Quilts features dozens of works from the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum (www.rmqm.org) in Golden, Colo., one of only a few quilt museums in the country. Quilts in the collection are as diverse as the makers.

      Art quilts usually aren’t practical for use. They are created to evoke a specific thought, idea or message. Typically, they include such unusual materials as canvas, paint, paper and found objects.

             “This collection offers the viewer a path from what was traditionally considered women’s work to cutting edge fine art,” said Christine Renc-Carter, FIM associate curator. “Quilting is an art form that appeals to a broad range of viewers, even those who may not be interested in conventional art.”

            Sew – It’s Art! allows patrons to view a selection of the best from Pinellas County’s quilt guilds and explore the influences of history and tradition as local quilters combine contemporary materials and subject matter with age-old techniques.

            This exhibition features six Pinellas County quilt guilds: Hidden Stitches of Florida (Clearwater), Largo Crackers Quilters (Largo), Procrastinating Quilters Guild (Clearwater), Suncoast Quilting Circle (St. Petersburg), Surface Design Guild of Tampa Bay (Largo) and Quilter’s Crossing (Palm Harbor).

            Members of these guilds share a common love for fabric, needle and thread. This diverse group is a part of a larger quilt community that is committed to giving, trading and sharing their talents.

            Rooted in Tradition: Art Quilts, and Sew – It’s Art! open at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 6.   Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., with last entry at 4 p.m. daily. The museum is closed Mondays and major holidays.

            Admission: Adults $8; seniors (62+) and military, $6; groups and students $5; age 6 and younger free.

            For more information, contact Kathy Oathout, Director of Operations, at 727-341-7904, or visit www.spcollege.edu/FIMuseum.

 EDITORS: Images are available on request. For information about various programs and presentations relating to the quilt exhibits, please see the attached schedule.

 

St. Pete TIMES story about Mindy Thackrah

Mindy Thackrah graduated from St. Petersburg College last spring at age 41. A high school dropout, she had worked as a welder until a motorcycle accident ended her career and almost ended her life. She had great success at SPC, winning the Apollo Award, the school’s highest honor for two-year students.

Mindy recently started classes at New College in Sarasota. Here is what the St. petersburg TIMES wrote about her:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/at-41-mindy-thackrah-is-new-student-at-the-new-college-of-florida/1046463