Bloomindale/Fishhawk Edition

FishHawk Neighborhood Gathers For Rays Game

Saturday June 18th at 4pm, Game at 6:15pm Tampa Bay Devil Rays vs. St. Louis Cardinals. Join FishHawk neighbors for a Tail-gating Party w/ Limo Ride to Stadium. Start in front of Bob Barton's house in Merlin Glen.

Call John at (813) 841-1636 to RSVP.

Boy Scout Troop 61 Holds Annual Garage Sale

Boy Scout Troop 61 is having their annual Garage and Bake Sale on Saturday, June 11 at the Presbyterian Church of Bloomingdale, 710 Bloomingdale Ave. East. It will be from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. All proceeds from this event will pay for the troop's transportation to summer camp. Boy Scout Troop 61 meets on Monday evenings at 7:30 p.m. at the Presbyterian Church of Bloomingdale.

Valrico Soccer Club Recreational Program Registration

Valrico Soccer Club will be holding registration for the Fall 2005 season of their Recreational Soccer Program, the D-League. This program is open to players between the ages of 4 and 15. Teams practice one evening a week and games are held at the Valrico Soccer Fields on Saturdays. The Fall season will consist of 10 games, beginning on September 10 and ending on November 12. Fee is $75 per player and includes uniform (shirt, shorts and socks), registration with Florida Youth Soccer Association and referee fees. If more information is needed, you can visit the Valrico Soccer Club website (www.valricosoccer.com) or may e-mail questions to valricodleague@yahoo.com.

Registration dates and times are as follow: Saturday, June 11, 1 p.m.-4 p.m.; Monday, June 13, p. m.-8 p.m., Tuesday, June 14, 6: p.m.- 8 p.m., Saturday, June 25, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

AARP Meets

Greater Brandon Chapter 4442 AARP will start their summer Meet and Eat schedule on June 6 at Romano's Macaroni Grill, located at 132 Brandon Town Center Dr. This is Dutch treat. All visitors are welcome. For more information, call 689-2173.

PATRICIA B. ODIORNE SCHOLARSHIP AWARDED

The Center Place Board of Directors is pleased to announce Bloomingdale resident Sarah Miller as recipient of the Fourth Annual Patricia B. Odiorne Scholarship presented at the Center Place Patron Party held May 14. This scholarship was created in honor and memory of Pat Odiorne, a leader in the establishment of Center Place and its diversity of art and theater programs. Pat was a dedicated community leader who truly cared about the arts. In this spirit, the scholarship is awarded to a student who demonstrates involvement in the arts and community service along with scholastic abilities. Sarah, the daughter of Dennis & Emma Miller, is a senior at Bloomingdale High School and plans to attend Palm Beach Atlantic University in the fall.

"THE THREE LITTLE PIGS"

STAGES PRODUCTIONS will present "THE THREE LITTLE PIGS" , sponsored in part by the Gift Shop at Center Place, on Friday, June 3 at 11:45 a.m. & 7:00.p.m. "United we stand, divided we fall" is the advice that Papa Pig gives his three very unique piglets as they set off into the world. Children seldom follow the advice of their parents and by the time a certain well-known wolf invites himself to dinner, the piglets are divided and alone. STAGES Productions original version combines all the charm and comedy of the family classic with plenty of singing, dancing and even a rapping Big Bad Wolf. Through the use of creative dramatics the entire audience will help out the piglets while learning a valuable lesson about diversity and tolerance. The play is recommended for ages 3 and up.

Mystery Dinner Theater

Mystery Dinner Theater "The Last Will & TestaMint", presented by MurderS She Wrote, will be held on Saturday, August 6. The social will begin at 6 p.m. with dinner and show at 6:30 p.m. Prior to the show there will be a catered buffet dinner by Brass Bell Catering. Tickets are $25 per person for dinner and the show and must be purchased by August 3rd. Tickets go on sale on June 14. There is limited seating. Call 685-8888.

Cimino Classrooms and Cars Robbed

More than $8,500 in electronic equipment and teaching materials were stolen from four portable classroom units at Cimino Elementary School between 9 p.m. Tuesday May 17 and 5 a.m. Wednesday, May 18.

According to Bloomingdale community resource deputy, Pete Maurer, a driver's license left at the scene lead deputies to an underage male who eventually confessed to the crime. Maurer suspects that other people may have been involved.

The stolen items included a lap top computer, a television and three VCR-DVD machines. Cars parked on the campus were also broken into.

Anyone with any information on the case should contact Hillsborough County property detective Mike Sardone at 247-0455.

Riverview Edition

Boy Scout Troop 61 Holds Annual Garage Sale

Boy Scout Troop 61 is having their annual Garage and Bake Sale on Saturday, June 11 at the Presbyterian Church of Bloomingdale, 710 Bloomingdale Ave. East. It will be from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. All proceeds from this event will pay for the troop's transportation to summer camp. Boy Scout Troop 61 meets on Monday evenings at 7:30 p.m. at the Presbyterian Church of Bloomingdale.

First Baptist Riverview VBS

Come join the fun at Kingdom of the Son 2005 Vacation Bible School June 12, 2005 First Baptist Riverview invites all the children in the Riverview area to join us at at Kingdom of the Son! "We're ready to go on an exciting prayer safari at Kingdom of the Son VBS," said Randall Hosea of First Baptist. At Kingdom of the Son, children will learn to talk to God as they explore the Lord's Prayer. Kids will love discovering exotic animals, creating safari crafts, playing fun games and singing fresh, contemporary songs.

All the children of the community and their parents are invited. Kingdom of the Son begins June 12, and continues through June 17, at 8626 U.S. Hwy. 301 S., from 6-8:30 p.m. Call 677-6377 for more information.

Library Plans Summer Programs

School's out and the Florida sun is sizzling. Looking for something cool to do while the sun's high in the sky? Make a dash to your library for some summer fun with programs and special guests for kindergarten through fifth grade children in June on Tuesdays at 10 am at the Riverview Branch Library, 10509 Riverview Drive.

Florida Sports Under the Sun-Wednesday, June 8, 3:30 pm. From football to baseball, basketball to hockey, discover all the sports played in Florida through stories, games and creative dramatics.

Swamp Stories-Wednesday, June 15, 3:30 p.m. Frogs, alligators, birds and raccoons are just a few of the creatures you will meet in these stories from the swamp.

Reptile Discovery-Wednesday, June 22 , 3:30 p.m. Bruce Shwedick's program features live reptiles from North and South America, Africa and Asia. Learn about the reptiles' natural history, geography and conservation.

Bats! Bats! Bats!- Wednesday, June 29, 3:30 p.m. Cindy Marks of the Florida Bat Center in St. Petersburg will bring live bats and discuss their habitats and the different types around the world.

The summer guest programs are co-sponsored by the Riverview Chapter of the Friends of the Library of Tampa-Hillsborough County, Inc. and the St. Petersburg Times. For more information about these and other free programs offered at your library, please call 273-3652, ext. 2 or visit hcplc.org.

Robeks Celebrates Anniversary

Robeks, located in Regency Square, off S.R. 60 in Brandon, is celebrating one year of providing the community with fruit smoothies and healthy eats, with a fun filled weekend in June.

From 12 Noon-6 p.m. Saturday June 25 and Sunday June 26, fun activities and drawings will take place for prizes including a smoothie party, a catered office luncheon and a basket of Robeks goodies.

Saturday's Health and Fitness Day activities will include live steel drum music, free samples and events provided by Speed Source Athletics, Nutritionist Chris Zawisza, Wellness Works, Indulgence Day Spa, Lifestyle Fitness and Back to Eden Health Ministry.

Shriners "Punch" the Clown and representatives from Mad Science will be on hand Sunday for Fun Day and there will also be a coloring contest and temporary tattoos and book mark projects from Stampin' Up!

Robeks is located in Regency Square, on the north side of S.R. 60, a quarter mile east of I-75. For more information, call 684-8500.

Students Perform Grease

Students from Riverview, Newsome, Durant and Bloomingdale high schools have joined together to take a nostalgic, fun-filled trip down memory lane, as they revive Grease at the Riverview High School Auditorium on Thursday, Friday and Saturday June 16, 17 and 18 at 7:30 p.m.

The box office will open at 6:45 p.m. and tickets cost $8 at the door or $6 in advance. For more information, call Daron Hawkins at 671-5011, ext. 259. Riverview High School is located at 113311 Boyette Rd.

Kings Avenue Baptist Church VBS

Vacation Bible School at Kings Avenue Church, located at 2602 S. Kings Ave., will take place June 5-10. Children's Director, Valerie Nassar, along with her team of helpers, will lead children ages 3 through completed sixth grade on a road trip across our spectacular nation. The church will be totally transformed as a course across the USA is plotted and students learn to plot a course with God. The week will be full of exciting Bible stories, a Souvenir Shop of crafts, fun music in the Tune-up Station, and RV camp-related refreshments and recreation for all who come.

Valrico Edition

Grace Student Wins Scholarship

Grace Christian School's Nick Crookston was recently named a National Merit Scholarship winner. Nick was presented with the $2,500 scholarship at Grace Christian's graduation on May 19. Crookston, a four year student at Grace, graduated third in his class, has a GPA above 5.0 and scored nearly perfect on his College Boards. Crookston is planning to attend the University of Florida.

The National Merit Scholarship program had nearly 1.3 million applicants this year; only 8,000 will receive a National Merit Scholarship.

Crookston achieved the highest score at the Christian school’ s Brain Bowl competition in Orlando in February. Amidst his studies, Crookston also found time to be the editor of the school newspaper and the statistician for the varsity baseball team.

Valrico Democrat announces campaign

While embracing the support of friends and family, Jeremy Zelanes announced his intentions of running for State Representative. Zelanes has worked on various initiatives to insure the citizens in Florida have a voice in government. In 2004 he worked to insure Floridians access to the courts were never compromised by big insurance companies and that the Class Size Amendment that Floridians voted for was implemented. Most notably Jeremy Zelanes lobbied to open the rate making process and simplify policies on homeowners insurance.

Valrico Soccer Registration

Valrico Soccer Club will be holding registration for the fall 2005 season of their Recreational Soccer Program, the D-League. This program is open to players between the ages of 4 and 15. Teams practice one evening a week and games are held at the Valrico soccer fields on Saturdays. The fall season will consist of 10 games, beginning on September 10 and ending on November 12. Fees are $75 per player and includes uniform (shirt, shorts and socks), registration with Florida Youth Soccer Association and referee fees. If more information is needed, you can visit the Valrico Soccer Club web site (www.valricosoccer.com) or may e-mail questions to valricodleague@yahoo.com.

Registration dates and times are as follow: Saturday, June 11, 1 p.m.-4 p.m., Monday, June 13, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., Tuesday, June 14, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., Saturday, June 25, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Immanuel Lutheran Church Offers Vacation Bible School

Immanuel Lutheran Church Vacation Bible School enrollment is underway. Children are invited to go on a Safari Adventure and discover Jesus the King with a journey through five Bible stories during the week of June 20. VBS is available to children age 3 through those entering the sixth grade. Classes run from 9 a.m.- 12 Noon, Monday through Friday. There will be a Friday Family Night closing celebration from 6-8 p.m. including a light dinner (June 24). To register, stop by Immanuel Lutheran Church, located at 2913 John Moore Rd. or call the church office at 689-1787. Pre-registration is recommended as space is limited.

Victory Baptist Church Holds Bible School

Victory Baptist Church is having Vacation Bible School from Sunday June 26 until Friday July 1. The fun begins at 6:30 p.m. and ends at 8:30 p.m. and the theme is "Serengeti-where kids are wild about God." There will be exciting Bible lessons with live acting, upbeat songs, crazy games delicious snacks and creative crafts. A few wild animals may even stop by.

Kids from age 3 (potty trained) to sixth grade are invited to attend this free event.

Victory Baptist is located at 4243 E. Lumsden Rd., Valrico. For more information, call 689-1108 or log on to www.victorybaptistvalrico.com.

New Hope Church Offers Bible School

Brandon New Hope Church, 1607 Lithia Pinecrest Rd. in Brandon, is offering Vacation Bible School: "Building Character Like Jesus" June 20 through 24 (Monday through Friday). The sessions are open to students ages 4 through 10 and run from 9:30 a.m.- 12 Noon.

For more information, call 685-6560 or visit www.brandonnewhopechurch.org.

Congregation Beth Shalom holds Mitzvah Day

On Sunday May 1st, Congregation Beth Shalom of Brandon held its second annual Mitzvah Day chaired by temple members Dawn Carapella and Bonny Karr. Mitzvah is Hebrew for "commandment" and the term has come to express any act of human kindness. Families came together to volunteer at various sites around the community including Everyday Blessings, Mary Martha House, Horses for the Handicap, and Hawthorne Village. Congregation members also raked, planted and cleaned out in and around the temple located at 706 Bryan Road in Brandon. Even the temple's youngest members participated by making cards, picture frames, and sweet treats for the residents of Hawthorne Village. For more information on Mitzvah Day and Congregation Beth Shalom contact the temple office at 681-6547.

Basketball Camp Offered at Bloomingdale High School

The Bloomingdale Bulls Basketball Camp will be held June 20-23 from 1:30-5 p.m. at Bloomingdale High School, located at 1700 Bloomingdale Ave E. The camp is for boys ages 8-14. If you would like more information please contact the Head Boys Basketball Coach Josh Chapin at 744-8018 ext 434, or you can E-mail him at Joshua.Chpain@sdhck.k12.fl.us.