Traffic calming in Lake Forest

The Hillsborough County government will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, June 4, to discuss traffic problems along Lake Forest Drive from Bruce B. Downs Boulevard to its end; Morning Drive from Pine Glen Circle to its end; and Pine Glen Circle from Lake Forest Drive to Lake Forest Drive. They're considering speed humps as one solution. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at the University Area Community Center, 14013 N. 22 St. Call (813) 272-5275.

King kicker to Stanford

King High School senior kicker Daniel Zychlinski verbally committed to Stanford, Lions coach Earl Garcia said Thursday.

Zychlinski had made a trip to the Palo Alto campus last weekend, and had toyed with the idea of visiting Missouri this weekend. But Garcia said Zychlinski called Stanford coaches Wednesday night.

Zychlinski's recruitment has heated up in the past month; before, he had the most interest from Ivy League schools and Toledo. But with Stanford, Missouri, New Mexico and UNLV recently joining the sweepstakes, Zychlinski found himself with some more options.

-- JOE SMITH

Twins share award; bidding war for kicker

Wharton twins Katrina and Kathia Skinner, shown here during a race in 2006, are co-winners of the Ben Walker outstanding female cross-country runner award. Wharton's Kits Patel is the Casey most valuable male golfer. Great work!

King kicker Daniel Zychlinski may be on a visit to Toledo this weekend, but he may be going out west for an even bigger trip in two weeks. Lions coach Earl Garcia III said Friday that Zychlinski recently received offers from Stanford, New Mexico and UNLV. The senior, an IB scholar as well as an athlete had already received interest from a lot of Ivy League schools, and has been accepted to Harvard. Garcia III also said two of his other seniors, defensive lineman Joe Level and defensive back Jarrel Livingston each have received interest from Elon and Ball State this week.

-- JOE SMITH

King kicker Daniel Zychlinski may be on a visit to Toledo this weekend, but he may be going out west for an even bigger trip in two weeks. Lions coach Earl Garcia III said Friday that Zychlinski recently received offers from Stanford, New Mexico and UNLV. The senior, an IB scholar as well as an athlete had already received interest from a lot of Ivy League schools, and has been accepted to Harvard. Garcia III also said two of his other seniors, defensive lineman Joe Level and defensive back Jarrel Livingston each have received interest from Elon and Ball State this week.

-- JOE SMITH

Division I or Ivy League? What a dilemma....

As the pain seared through his body, Daniel Zychlinski’s only thought was, “My kicking leg is shattered and I will never kick again.”

A King High sophomore, Zychlinski was already making a name for himself in Hillsborough County punting circles until the night of September 24, 2005. On a field best described as a mud bog, Zychlinski attempted to tackle a Wharton returner when his right foot sank deep into the mud and all of his weight slid into his ankle.

Zychlinksi, and the stunned crowd, heard three sickening cracks. When he fell back he saw his kicking foot was grotesquely pointed backwards. He had shattered his fibula and tibula above the ankle.

Still in immense pain and blinded by the operating room lights later that evening, Zychlinksi vowed his kicking career wasn’t over.

“I couldn’t let all of the hard work just go in vain,” said Zychlinski, who recently moved to Palm River from Lake Forest. “I couldn’t let my dreams fade so easily. I was determined to do whatever it took to get back.”

Kids create a sense of place

When the national PTA asked students across the country, "What is your favorite place?" PTAs were flooded with responses. Kids sent in more than 500, 000 photographs of playgrounds and bedrooms, sketches of themselves sleeping and water-skiing, and recordings of their self-composed music.

The works of three students in New Tampa were selected to compete nationwide. "To have just one student is quite an honor, " national PTA president Anna Weselak said.

Today you can see the work of Donna Peppard, Sarah Griffin and Xuming "Simon" Zeng at links.tampabay.com.

Students were urged at the beginning of the school year to illustrate their favorite place through one of six categories: literature, musical composition, photography, visual arts, dance choreography and, for the first time, film and video production.