The Backpack Lady Makes Special Delivery

The Backpack Lady Project delivered 10 backpacks to Skycrest Elementary School in Clearwater on Tuesday. The school serves a large population of low-income students, the principal says.

Rob Ditro was nervous before walking into Skycrest Elementary School with 10 new backpacks on Tuesday.  Even though he's told his story dozens of times, he's always afraid he won't be able to get through it without getting emotional. He picked up a pink Hello Kitty backpack loaded with school supplies, unzipped it, showed off some of the contents and started telling his story. Ditro, of Dunedin, is in his second year of The Backpack Lady Project, a non-profit he began as a way to preserve his late mother's legacy. He found after her passing that his mother anonymously delivered two backpacks every year to a Dunedin school for more than a decade. The Project solicits community donations every year around back-to-school shopping time and …

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Free Supplies at Back-to-School Pool Party

Float over to Highlander Pool on Aug. 17 and score some free school supplies, eye exams, children's books, and more.

Celebrate back to school at Highlander Pool on Aug. 17, and get some free school supplies while you're at it. Trying to squeeze the last drops of fun out of the final days of summer before school starts on Aug. 20? Dunedin Historical Museum, the City of Dunedin, Dunedin Patch and Super Target are here to help by throwing a back-to-school pool party, of course.  Here's what's in store: For Fun: For Free:

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Florida's Sales Tax Holiday: What You Need to Know

Attention shoppers, Florida's 2012 Sales Tax Holiday is going on right now. Here's what you need to know before you head out the door.

Florida's Sales Tax Holiday: 5 Things to Know

Attention shoppers, Florida's 2012 Sales Tax Holiday begins Friday, Aug. 3. Here's what you need to know before you head out the door.

1) Sales Tax Holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 3 and runs through 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 5. 2) The Rules: No sales tax shall be collected on the sale of clothing, wallets or bags, including handbags, backpacks, fanny packs, and diaper bags, but excluding briefcases, suitcases and other garment bags, having a sales price of $75 or less per item, or on sales of certain school supplies having a sales price of $15 or less per item. 3) What is "Clothing?" Any article of wearing apparel, including all footwear (except skis, swim fins, roller blades, and skates) intended to be worn on or about the human body. However, “clothing” does not include watches, watchbands, jewelry, umbrellas, handkerchiefs or sporting equipment. 4) What are "School …

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Greg Giordano

11:47 am on Friday, August 3, 2012

This is a great opportunity to save some tax dollars so that tight budgets can be stretched a little farther.   more ›

Tax-Free Weekend Right Around the Corner

Shop for back-to-school this weekend and you won’t have to pay sales taxes.

Could your wallet use a little back-to-school spending break? The state of Florida is going to give it to you! This year’s tax-free weekend is coming up Aug. 3-5. During this time period, you can buy clothing and school supply items without having to pay sales taxes. According to the Florida Department of Revenue website, the tax breaks apply to most clothing items that sell for less than $75 and standard school supply items that cost under $15. “The exemption will apply no matter how many items are sold on the same invoice to a customer,” the website says. The break does not apply to books or any clothing or supply items purchased at a theme park, entertainment complex, public lodging business or airport. For a complete list of items that…

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Raequel Gadsden

11:39 am on Wednesday, August 1, 2012

This is great! Thanks.   more ›