Ms. Cyndi’s Corner Café Coming soon

Using the property next door to her husband’s BBQ place, Jaymer-Que, Cyndi Holcombe will offer two new services.

Ms. Cyndi’s Corner Café will be serving sandwiches, soups, salads, desserts, coffee, etc. The sandwich and deli meats will be smoked at Jaymer-Que. Holcombe said this will give them a unique product to start off with.

“We will also be highlighting our soon-to-be-famous Smoked Chicken Salad. So far I am the only one that knows the recipe, and I have to say it is pretty good!” she exclaimed. “No one around here has anything like it!”

She said they are still working on the menu, but plan on having a great café type menu and dessert menu (cakes, cheesecakes, pies, etc.) with coffee and soft serve ice cream.

“We will be open later than Jaymer-Que with a limited menu mainly for the dessert and coffee crowd,” she said.

The other thing the space will be used for is “Jaymer-Que Pit-Side Pick-Up”. Holcombe said their customers will now be able to call in their order and utilize the drive-thru between the two buildings to pick-up their food.

“No more having to get out of the car with the kids to come in and get dinner to take home, we’ll bring it right to the car!” she said. The phone number for Pit-Side Pick-Up is 689-PITS.

The couple is hoping to have both of these open in August.

Credit Union now open in Valrico

The Railroad and Industrial Federal Credit Union, Valrico location, recently opened a small branch in the River Hills Country Club. In July, a ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration was held for the location. This is a satellite office for the Valrico location located at 4373 Lynx Paw Trail in Valrico.

The satellite office is open Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. and by appointment from 3 – 5 pm. The Credit Union of River Hills in the River Hills Plaza is open on Saturday to accommodate members’ weekend requests.

“We are excited to have an office within the country club. This will allow our existing members and new members the ability to access their accounts quickly and efficiently. It will be great to work closely with the residents of River Hills for all their financial needs,” said Teresa Perez, branch manager of Railroad & Industrial Federal Credit Union.

Railroad & Industrial Federal Credit Union has been an integral part of the central Florida financial arena since 1935. It serves over 19,000 members and is a not-for-profit, member-owned credit union offering a full range of financial products and solutions. Headquartered in Tampa with eight locations, membership is available to employees of all local railroads, many local companies and many local home owner associations. Call  (800) 769-1424  or visit www.rifcu.org for more information.

Law Firm nominated for Small Business of the Year Award

The law firm of Bivins & Hemenway, P.A. Valrico/Brandon, a Primerus member firm, has been nominated for the 2008 Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award.

Commenting on this nomination, the Brandon Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Development Council said, “We are fortunate to have businesses of your caliber in the Brandon area and it is with pride that the Chamber continues to present opportunities to spotlight your accomplishments. You are the reason the Brandon business community continues to grow and prosper.”

The law firm of Bivins & Hemenway, P.A. is a real estate and business law firm serving clients throughout West Central Florida from offices located in the commercial heart of the fast-growing community of Brandon. The firm enjoys an outstanding reputation for professional integrity and client satisfaction. The lawyers of Bivins & Hemenway, P.A. also are dedicated to meaningful community involvement in various civic, charitable and business associations within their communities.

Primerus is a network of top-quality, independent law firms that are vetted and accredited for membership based on their commitment to rigorous standards based on the following six principles: integrity, excellence of work product, reasonable fee structure, professional education, civility and community service.

“We are proud to have Bivins & Hemenway, P.A. in our organization,” said John C. Buchanan, president of Primerus. “This firm has not only passed our rigorous screening process, but has distinguished itself as a firm delivering legal services of the highest standards. Clients can be assured that in Bivins & Hemenway, P.A. they will find a trustworthy, experienced lawyer who upholds the highest standards of our profession.”

For more information about Primerus, call  800-968-2211  or visit www.Primerus.com.

Bivins & Hemenway, P.A. is located at 1060 Bloomingdale Ave. in Valrico. For more information, call 643-4900 or e-mail bbivins@bhpalaw.com.

MTV Nails & Spa Now Open

MTV Nail salon, located at 2058 Badlands Dr. in Brandon, near Borders and Buffalo Wild Wings, is now open with services like UV gel, manicures, Pink & White, pedicures, acrylic nails and waxing. Gift certificates are available. All of their equipment is sanitized. For more information, call 571-9999.

Major retail plan proposed

A 10-acre parcel of land on the northwest corner of Causeway Blvd. and Falkenburg Rd. is being considered for development. Developers are hoping to get approval for zoning changes from Urban Mixed Use. The developer’s request will be heard by the Hillsborough County zoning hearing master on August 4 and by the Hillsborough County Commission on September 23. The land is owned by Bissett-McGrath Independence Partnership. The developer, RBI Development Group, is hoping the changes will allow them to build an 80,000 sq. ft. building of retail space and one or two out-parcels.

The Pizza Pie reveals new menu items

The Pizza Pie, located within Albertson’s Shopping Plaza on Bloomingdale Ave. and Providence Rd., is revealing new menu items such as a sausage grinder, an individual 8-inch pizza and the usual specialties like specialty pizzas, Stromboli and calzones as well as chicken wings, chicken tenders and Philly cheese steak sandwiches.

“Come join us for lunch or dinner seven days a week,” said Mark D. Grotheer, owner of The Pizza Pie.

The Pizza Pie is located at 10839 Bloomingdale Ave. in Riverview. It is open Monday- Thursday, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. and Sunday, 12 Noon- 9 p.m. For more information or to order delivery, call 689-4664.

Foundation announces new executive director

The Greater Brandon Community Foundation announces Diana Niles as the new executive director.

“We spent a considerable amount of time trying to find the best fit for our organization. I am quite confident that Diana’s past experience in a not-for-profit setting, her skill set and her passion for our mission will allow her to be extremely successful in this role,” said Foundation Chair Mike Fencel.

“I truly believe in the mission of the Brandon Foundation, improving the quality of life and shaping the future of our community,” stated Niles. “Brandon is my neighborhood and community service is my passion. I am delighted to have the opportunity to work for an organization whose sole purpose is to make a difference in the Greater Brandon community.”

Niles formerly served at the YMCA for the past 15 years, spending the last several years with Campo YMCA where she focused on fundraising and coordinating with volunteers for the Annual Giving Campaign.

“Diana has handled various duties while she was employed at the YMCA that will be similar to her new role,” said Foundation President Anne Nymark. “We are thrilled to have Diana join our team. She will be very helpful in facilitating the development of policy and procedures, creating budgets and business plans, writing grants and recruiting of volunteers to support the Foundation mission.”

If you wish to congratulate Niles, you can call her at 661-8683. If you would like to learn more about the Greater Brandon Community Foundation, you can visit the Foundation’s Website at www.brandonfoundation.com

Events at Winthrop

The Winthrop/Bloomingdale Business Council will host a quarterly Evening Fest on Wednesday, July 30, at 5:30 p.m. at the Winthrop Marketplace at the corner of Providence Rd. and Bloomingdale Ave. Bring the family and your dog! The Evening Fest coincides with Happy Paws and Tails’ Yappy Hour between Mojitios Latin Café and Starbucks. If you are a vendor on Bloomingdale Ave., you can have a table at the fest at no charge. Contact Billie Smith at 661-2438 for booth space. For more information, please contact Allison Braden at 689-1221, ext. 36.

Fast Dryer Vent Cleaning

Eleven-year Riverview resident Kenneth Taylor opened his new dryer cleaning business in April of this year.

He charges $75 for the cleaning of the dryer vent up through the vent outlet.

His mobile dryer cleaning business hours are Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

“Clogged dryer vents extend drying time and cause an increase in your electric bills,” Taylor said. “Having your dryer vent cleaned annually will decrease your drying time and save you money.” For more information, call Taylor at 643-0045 or 295-3222.

Concert, Classes, Events & More

Sweetbay Offers Cooking Classes

Sweetbay is now offering the “Taste the Passion Cooking Class” every second Saturday of every month from 1-2 p.m. Call 643-5564 or see the store, located at 16751 FishHawk Blvd. in Lithia, for more details.

Concert Series Continued

Summer is far from over, so gather up your beach blankets, chairs, friends and neighbors every Friday night through August to catch FishHawk’s Annual Summer Concert Series with performances on: July 25 - ClaraSalsa will energize the senses with a combination of traditional and contemporary Salsa rhythms. August performers are to be announced in the coming weeks. The Summer Concert Series is free and open to the public being held at Park Square at FishHawk Ranch, located at 16144 Churchview Dr. in Lithia, every Friday night through August beginning at 7 p.m.

For additional information on scheduled performances, please visit www.fishhawkconnect.com or call 654-6360.

Companies Unite

TRW and Associates, Inc. of Tampa is pleased to announce that it recently signed a five year, multi-million dollar agreement with Gramercy Capital Corporation (NYSE: GKK) to provide the company with project management, consulting and facilities management on all building and construction projects all while helping it conserve energy and waste. The scope of work includes overseeing approximately 11 million sq. ft. for 900 banking facilities, including branch locations for Bank of America, Wachovia and Fifth Third banks. The joint venture is slated to begin in July and marks one of TRW’s largest contracts in company history. TRW has been mindful of the environment and dedicated to “green” service since its conception in 2003.

Leadership Brandon Alumni Night

On August 15, from 6:30-11:30 p.m. the Leadership Brandon Alumni Ninth Annual Casino Night will be held at the Palmetto Club located in FishHawk Ranch at 17004 Dorman Rd. in Lithia. Tickets are on sale for $30.

For more information, call Aubrey Primrose at 244-5525 or by email at aprimrose@sptimes.com or call Miranda Avecillas at 765-1021 or by email at Miranda.avecillas@wachovia.com.

Medical Staff Awards Scholarships

Dr. William Davison, chief of staff, Mike Fencel, CEO, and Dr. Nancy Landfish of Brandon Regional Hospital, located at 119 Oakfield Dr. in Brandon, awarded Medical Executive Staff scholarship recipients in July. The high school scholarship recipients each received $1,000 and include: Brenda Brandon Buford of East Bay High School, Christopher Plant of Durant High School, Meaghan Pickett of Newsome High School, Kyle Kepics of Spoto High School, Jandy Reina of Lennard High School, Lisa Shumac of Armwood High School, George Conner of Bloomingdale High School and employee dependent recipients Caitlin Cundy and Stephany Joseph.

For more information, call 571-5105.

Stroller Strides Moves Locations

The nation’s No. 1 mom and baby fitness class has made a few local changes this summer. Stroller Strides classes throughout Tampa have all moved to 8:30 a.m. to beat some of the heat. Summer hours will last until September 1. In addition, Brandon Stroller Strides classes have left the Westfield Brandon mall and now meet outdoors at the Brandon Parkway every Tuesday and Thursday. Moms meet at the parkway’s parking lot located near the intersection of Lumsden and Brandon Parkway. Lithia classes at FishHawk Ranch Community are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, meeting at Park Square. The hour-long classes emphasize cardiovascular activities and muscle-strengthening exercises using resistance bands and strollers, allowing moms to interact with their babies throughout their workout.

For more information, visit www.strollerstrides.com or call Ginger Couden at 394-7754.

Rotarians Hold Installation Banquet

Leading a parade of real-live penguins, Brandon accountant Vince Ferraro kicked off the 47th anniversary installation banquet of the Brandon Rotary Club in style in May at the Florida Aquarium. Although the underwater world was the theme, there was nothing fishy about the accolades outgoing Rotary District 6890 Gov. Doug Andrews had in store for outgoing President Alan Feldman as he handed over his gavel to 2008-09 Brandon Rotary Club President Jeff Reynolds. Andrews lauded Feldman for a number of accomplishments during the year including initiating Project Cure as an area Rotary project in which the local clubs collect medical equipment and supplies and send them to developing countries. He also credited Feldman with forming the Rotary Presidents’ Council, composed of seven area clubs, the Rotary Friendship Committee to provide counseling for fellow Rotarians, developing the club’s Website, which won honors at the district conference in May, establishing a relationship with the club’s sister Rotary Club in St. Kitt’s and for raising $70,000 this year to donate to local charities. Feldman, in turn, gave thanks to Rotarians who helped make his year as leader a success. He presented a special award to George Simmons who has been instrumental in helping bring about improvements to Rotary’s Camp Florida including donating kitchen equipment. A special president’s award went to Dan Dail, the president’s award to Ken Foster and the leadership award to Jack Pickens, credited with turning around Wild Game Night. Reynolds, CEO of The Reynolds Group at Morgan Stanley, has been a member of the club since 1995, noting that he was influenced by his childhood mentor and fellow Rotarian banker Dick Eatman. Joining him on the board are Chuck Colwill as vice president/president-elect; Ken Foster II as secretary; Ron Marsh as treasurer and Fred Schwabe as sergeant at arms. Directors are Joe Campoamor, Leslie Granich, Schwabe, Tom Odiorne, Kim Pontillo and Doug Hermansen.

For information about the Brandon Rotary Club, visit www.brandonrotary.org.

Volunteers Get Recognized

In June, WUSF Public Broadcasting hosted its 2008 Volunteer Appreciation Event to honor its volunteers’ commitment and service to the stations. More than 90 volunteers attended, including representatives from the Key Chorale, Sarasota’s Symphonic Chorus, AARP’s Brandon Chapter #4442, The Tampa Bay Symphony and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Lakeland. The event was held at Traditions Hall in the University of South Florida’s Alumni Center. The year’s recipient of the Sandy Hahn Volunteer of the Year Award went to Ken Van Alstyne. He began volunteering with the station in October 2006 and has given WUSF more than 100 hours of service, answering phones during radio membership campaigns and working on special projects. This year’s recipient of the Sandy Hahn Volunteer Group of the Year Award went to the Key Chorale, Sarasota’s Symphonic Chorus. “Special Recognition” awards were presented to the AARP of Brandon #4442 for giving more than 100 hours on monthly bulk mailings and annual tax receipt mailings, as well as to Bill Maillet, Sandra Martin, MJ Burke, Blanche Shelton and Mike O’Donnell. In addition, the station recognized volunteers with 100, 200, 600 and 1,200 hours of service to the station with Lifetime Hours Award pins and certificates. This year, WUSF had 187 volunteers who donated a total of 2,656 hours working in the Music Library, Development and Member Services departments. In addition, Radio Reading Service volunteers produced 3,432 hours of locally read programming for the visually impaired.

For more information about WUSF’s volunteer opportunities, please call 974-8700 or visit www.wusf.org.

Plaza Bella Hosts Event

Channel your inner Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello with VINO 100 Valrico and the merchants of Plaza Bella Shopping Center as they dive into a Saturday of fun and frolic during the “Beach Blanket Bingo” event at Plaza Bella. Big hair, hula hoops, doing the Twist and the cool kids on the beach are reminders of a time when life was simple. The Plaza Bella merchants hope to recreate that feeling with free activities such as Suzahoops, classic cars and a music showcase. Join The Green Boutique, Robeks, Joffrey’s Coffee & Ice Cream, Planet Beach Salon, Orange Home Accessories, Salon Essence, Sweeties Delights, Joel’s Pizza Palace, AA Mortgage and VINO 100 Valrico for a very special day of fun at Plaza Bella shopping center on the corner of Bloomingdale Ave. and Bell Shoals Rd. This free event will be held on Saturday, July 26 from 12 Noon to 5 p.m. In addition to a prize drawing for a gift basket from the retail shops, attendees will be treated to: a free wine tasting at VINO 100 Valrico, special gift drawings at The Green Boutique, healthy smoothies and salad samples from Robeks, spa specials from Salon Essence, free samples from Sweeties Delights, free hydro-massage and light therapy facial from Planet Beach and many exciting offers from other Plaza Bella merchants. Plaza Bella merchants are also supporting the Brandon Chamber of Commerce’s efforts for the “Stuff the Bus” program. Customers are requested to bring a school supply to help “Stuff the Bus.”

For more information, visit www.vino100brandon.com or call 654-8466 (VINO).

Join County in Recognition of Saladinos

Hillsborough County Commissioners will present one of their most beloved recognitions, the 2008 Favorite Sons & Daughters Award, to Tony and Bertha Saladino on Wednesday, July 16, at 10 a.m. at the County Center located at 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., 2nd floor, in Tampa. The Tampa couple is a household name for outstanding service to Hillsborough County youth, and Commissioners will recognize their accomplishments by presenting them with the 2008 Favorite Sons & Daughters Award, which recognizes special residents who have distinguished themselves and made the community proud. One of the Saladinos’ most recognized charitable efforts is the Saladino Baseball Tournament, which was established in 1981 as a memorial for Tony Saladino, Sr. The tournament promotes high school baseball in Hillsborough County. It started with 11 public schools and has grown into a 28-team event. More than three dozen players that have participated in this tournament have gone on to play in the major leagues, and countless others have played baseball in the minor leagues or college.

For more information, go to www.hillsboroughcounty.org.

All About Beauty

On Saturday, July 26, from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., All About Beauty’s first annual Cutting for the Cure will be held as a fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Haircuts for women will cost $30 while men pay $15. Hair from cuts longer than 10 in. or more will be donated to Locks of Love. There will also be raffle tickets, baked goods and hot dogs for sale. The event is to be held at 102 Mason St., Ste. 3, in Brandon.

For more information, call Laura Collins at 215-5655 or Octavia Stoppa at 661-7144.

Charm School at Center Place

By Lauren Ashley

With the media constantly hyping up sloppily dressed celebrities and rude rock stars, Linda Herndon Goldstein’s charm classes at Center Place are a breath of fresh air to families in the area.

“It really is helping with my day to day life,” said Katie Krueger, age 13, a former student of Linda’s. “When I’m meeting people I know what to say. I know how to carry myself.”

“I think it’s great for self-esteem,” said Keith Kruger, Katie’s father. “There’s a level of confidence when Katie interacts with other people we didn’t see before.”

Linda began participating in pageants in her early teens. She explained that she experienced low self-esteem until a friend entered her into the Pepsi Cola pageant when she was 15. She decided to compete and won the title.

“I want my girls to know I went through the same things they did and I survived it all,” she said.

Linda is a fifth generation resident of the Brandon area and has been teaching charm and modeling for 20 years. She has been at Center Place for eight years and enjoys every moment of it. She has many sayings including, “if it’s going to be it’s up to me” and “the way you present yourself to the world is the way the world responds to you.”

Many girls like Katie have enrolled in Linda’s classes to be involved in lessons that teach self-confidence, facing fears, goals, attitude, grooming and manners, but these classes are not just for future models. Girls with dreams ranging from actress to veterinarian come to learn how to “believe, achieve and succeed.”

Katie has hopes of becoming a middle school science teacher and believes the charm classes are helping her reach her dreams.

“Especially if you don’t have much confidence, it helps you to realize that if you want to do something, you can go for it.”

“We’re all born with this little star deep inside of us,” said Linda. “Then we read something or we meet someone and it starts coming out.” Linda likes to use the image of a star because as she says, “a star is always radiating, even after a storm.”

Classes are available for all girls ages 8-16, $80 for members and $90 for non-members. The level one class will be held July 22, 24, 29, 31, August 5 and 7 from 6-8 pm. The level two class will be held September 16, 18, 23, 24, 30 and October 2 from 6-8 pm. The level one class must be completed before attending the level two class. For more information or to register, call Center Place at 685-8888.

If you are in search for a car within your means, then look no further than Brandon Automall.

With over 300 cars and trucks in its inventory, the 46,000 sq. ft. facility, has 21 high-tech service bays and spans 9.75 acres on S.R. 60. The auto dealer has built a reputation since its opening in January 2006 and is earning a reputation for its quality service. And with 20 sales associates and over 40 staff in all, here you get the red carpet treatment.

“We are very proud of our beautiful facility and our inventory,” stated Connie Elliott, customer relations manager, with 11 years of experience in the automobile industry. “We have courteous and professional sales associates and service staff.”

Auto seekers will find quality vehicles ranging from Toyotas, Infiniti, BMW to Mercedes. Ranging in affordable prices that start at $7,999, all the quality pre-owned vehicles are put through a vigourous safety inspection to ensure your investment will be safe and reliable for years to come. In fact, most come well-equipped with extended warranties and over 80 percent still carry their manufacturer’s warranty, being that the majority of automobiles range from ’06s to ‘08s.

For the more eco-friendly residents, Brandon Automall has hybrids to choose from as well, with no waiting lists. The entire inventory is online at www.brandonautomall.com. Here one can find Internet pricing, financing, a payment calculator and a referral program which pays $100 to customers for their referral of family and friends to the sales representative that helped them. Check-out the facility’s current special of free gas for one year which covers 10,000 miles per year at 20 miles per gallon and $4 per gallon.

The center also services all Fidelity Warranty customers and all who purchase at this location are ensured one year of free maintenance. All service technicians are ASE Certified.

“Customers really get a higher quality vehicle no matter what the price is at a high-line experience. Our facility is the nicest auto facility in Central Florida,” added Sales Manager Kevin Champ.

Brandon Automall is located at 1207 E. Brandon Blvd. in Brandon. Call the dealership directly at 657-4048.

 In the midst of reduced spending on education, Westfield Brandon will present more than $17,500 to schools in the greater Brandon area.

Cash 4 Class at Westfield Brandon, in its third year, is a program that encourages local families and friends to show their school spirit by shopping at the mall over a two-month period to earn “points” and, ultimately, cash for the school of their choice. Schools must be state-accredited schools teaching first – 12th grade students. Between August 1 and September 30, customers can turn in their receipts at the Westfield Concierge.

Each dollar spent equals one point. Shop on Mondays to receive double points at every store, and also receive double points with any Westfield gift card purchase, anytime. Double points are also offered for shopping any day of the week at any store in Westfield Brandon’s new wing.

Points are added to the school of the shopper’s choice. A tally board will keep a total of each school’s points. Rankings will be based on a point-per-student ratio to ensure an even playing field for all schools. The highest point-per-student ratio will determine the winning school.

The top three schools will win cash prizes of $10,000, $5,000 and $2,500, respectively. Fourth and fifth place schools will also win prizes.

Last year’s winners included first place Nativity Catholic School, second place Immanuel Lutheran School and third place Apollo Beach Elementary.

Immanuel Lutheran administrative assistant Lisa Talbott says it sent out email blasts and encouraged parents and church members to show their support by shopping at the mall.

The school used the $5,000 prize to purchase an accelerated reader enterprise. “It gave us Internet access and helped us improve our AR program,” said Talbott.

Westfield Brandon marketing director Dawn Richter says that towards the end of the program the competition becomes extremely aggressive. “Last year schools actually brought people to the mall by the busload.” Approximately 10 schools were in an extremely close race.

“As popular as this program was last year, I expect it to be even more important this year,” said Richter. “The schools need the money.”

For more information about Class 4 Cash, visit www.westfield.com/brandon or contact Richter at 661-5100.

 Beads being strewn through the air, pirates swaying from the boughs of a pirate ship and waves of hands flittering about, the 50th Annual Brandon Fourth of July Parade was not just a success, but also brought awards to a number of participants.

Recently, the Presidents’ Roundtable ended the festive, annual event at Center Place in Brandon, awarding 12 parade participants. Winners included the Brandon Lions Club for Best Theme, the Summer Band, which includes the Bloomingdale and Brandon marching bands, for Best Musical Marching Unit, River of Life Christian Center for Best Musical Vocal Unit, the Krewe of Fort Brooke for Best Krewe, New World Celts for Best Amateur Performance, Stepps Towing Service for Best Amateur Float, Tampa Electric Company for Best Professional Float, Sweet Memories for Best Decorated Vehicle, Kevin Merschdorf Home Improvement for Most Unusual Vehicle, the Brandon Cowboy cheerleaders for Best Youth Cheerleaders, Boy Scout Troop 11 for Best Marching Unit and Lighthouse Ministries for Presidents’ Roundtable Best Overall Award.

Voted on by three judges with a tallied score of one to 10, participants were judged on specifications for the category in which they entered, which, for this year, was up to four categories. Comprised of 101 “units” and seven divisions, these 12 winners were awarded a honorary plaque for their efforts and participation in the parade.

The Presidents’ Roundtable, an organization that began the parade some 40 years ago, presented the awards. “It [the parade] turned out pretty well, though it was tough this year with our parade chairman retiring,” stated Peggs Stuart, parade chairman. Telling of how the Shriner’s are a division in themselves due to their size, Stuart reminisced the Presidents’ Roundtable’s hand in the parade, having started fledgling activities in 1958 such as a picnic one year and a greased pig contest the next, before becoming a full-fledged parade.

The organization itself has been incorporated since 1957, having 80-100 members at any one given time. Together these members make up an organization that is committed to the community in which they live in with the majority of members being presidents or representatives of local charities. It was molded this way so that these leaders “could get together and tell others about what they were doing, ask for help with those events and see that the groups weren’t conflicting with events on the same day,” said Stuart.

The organization helped to fund Center Place in Brandon, providing funding for its construction, and has helped to bring about the annual Honorary Mayor’s Race, giving more than $44,000 back to local charities in the area this year, which is what Stuart describes as the mission of the organization.

This year’s mayor’s race concluded with Chick-fil-A’s Tammy Holmberg being named Mayor and Dream Limousine’s Jake Piascik coming up an honorable second.

“And to also bring fun to the community,” she added. Giving scholarships to local students, planning the Public Affairs Dinner…the list goes on for this well-known club which meets at Center Place, located at 619 Vonderburg Dr., Ste. B, in Brandon, on the second Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. Membership is open to all, so please stop in if you are looking to join an organization that fully impacts your local community.

“It is a great organization. We need new members because we want to do more work and activities in the community,” Stuart concluded. Such things include bringing back the annual Easter Hunt and helping to initiate the annual Senior Christmas Party hosted by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

For more information, call 661-4350.

A central hub of activity-as it has been defined a number of times by the Hillsborough County Planning Commission and what has been a point of conversation amongst Brandon residents and business owners for sometime now-is gaining more and more interest, making its way up the ladder of priority.

In recent years, activity centers have been looked upon as an effective tool that local residents, politicians and members of the planning commission can use to shape the county’s comprehensive plan while focusing on the growth and development inside Hillsborough County’s urban service area.

According to Pedro Parra of the Hillsborough County Planning Commission the “activity center” or “central hub” in Brandon is a concept where people can live, work, shop, socialize and enjoy entertainment all in walking distance of one another.

“With all the growth in the Brandon community, this is an important project for the commission, but one that takes some time to plan,” said Parra.

While the precise location of the planned central hub of activity has not yet been mapped out, members of the Brandon Community Plan have come to the conclusion that such a location would be most beneficial in central Brandon instead of areas less developed.

Parra said that the county’s eyes are on an area south of S.R. 60, west of Parsons Avenue, east of I-75 and north of Lumsden Road. This location is actually home to a number of existing community staples such as the Westfield Brandon Mall and the Brandon Main Street Project with nontraditional homes, shops, parks and a number of shopping plazas.

“This project continues to be an important part of the future growth of the Brandon community,” Parra said.

The idea of steering clear from undeveloped areas for the central hub was emphasized by Hillsborough County Executive Planner Melissa Zornitta, who said that a downtown-like hub activity center gives developers an incentive to build where the county already has infrastructure.

“We want people to be able to shop, work and live within walking or bicycling distance. The idea is to cut down on driving while bringing people together, handle the growth in the community and benefit both residents as well as the businesses in the Brandon community,” Zornitta said.

Both Parra and Zornitta agreed that with all of this on the table, however, this central activity hub concept is just that. The first step toward creating such a place is what the commission is doing right now, including the targeting of areas, while members of the planning department mule over the findings and make their analysis.

For more information about the Brandon activity center, please visit www.planningcommision.org.

 The “I Am Hope Café” is finally a reality, and, now, the estimated 2,000 homeless in the Brandon area will have a permanent place to eat if they so choose. Thanks to the generosity of First Baptist Church of Mango, three unused classrooms were recently donated to the Greater Brandon Ecumenical Ministries, Inc. (GBEM), which exists to “Feed and assist the homeless and needy back to self sufficiency.” Brandon Accountant Vince Ferraro heads up the mission and says, “There is still a lot to be done, like tearing down walls, painting and just fixing up the place in general, but it shouldn’t take too long.” The church is located at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and C.R. 579 and Ferraro says, “It will be about 75 x 12 feet of space with two bathrooms and we are also contemplating adding a shower so people can clean up if they want to.” Ferraro goes on to say, “This feels great and it will feel even better when we get this thing going and feed on a permanent basis.” Ferraro feels it is a fantastic accomplishment the group has made and adds, “The committee has worked hard on this and sometimes you just have to learn to have patience.”

The idea for the cafe, started less than a year-and-a-half ago when a group of non-profit organizations, churches and synagogues got together to form “Project Hope” (Helping Other People Excel,) and now the group is incorporated as GBEM with Ferraro as president. The plan is to feed people six days a week and Ferraro says he hopes to open by the first part of this month. Right now, the group is undergoing training by Metropolitan Ministries (MM), a well-established homeless feeding and housing center in Tampa. and Vesta Dickerson with Mango Baptist says, “What we like about this ministry is that it is under Metropolitan Ministries, which has been in this so long and knows exactly what it is doing.” A Pastor’s wife, Dickerson goes on to say, “Our church was one hundred percent for this and voted unanimously to do it, and we feel it will be very helpful in our area…it’s a great ministry.” Dickerson is hopeful the café will open soon and says, “For quite a while, we have had homeless in the area, and they have even slept on our church grounds.” Ferraro thanks the community for its support and says there are still a few more things needed to open the café, like four eight-foot, rectangular tables, a freezer, ice maker, utensils, volunteers and, of course, monetary donations for the expenses to run the café. If you are interested in donating monetarily, you can make a check out to GBEM and send it to St. Andrews UMC, 3315 Bryan Rd,. Brandon, 33510, and if you are interested in more information about donating items or volunteering, you can contact Ferraro at 689-7153. To learn more about GBEM, visit its Website at www.iamhopecafe.org.

Brandon’s first and original rotary club, which is simply called The Rotary Club of Brandon, was recently able to witness the fruit of its past year’s labor, giving away $70,000 to seven organizations Read more

If you read last month’s installment, then you’ve probably already seen me come in second place to a research scientist from the National Institutes of Health, mostly because I didn’t wager enough on the Final Jeopardy question.  But more about that in a minute.
Most of the contestants stay at the same hotel, which runs a shuttle on taping days.  It’s pretty obvious who the competition is as you loiter in the lobby… slightly geeky people carrying garment bags tend to stand out.  Jeopardy doesn’t tape every single day; rather, they tape five episodes on each working day, which covers an entire broadcast week.  If you do the math, it takes 11 contestants to fill a single recording day.  Unbeknownst to us newcomers, the previous day’s returning champion was among our group, but she was acting as though she was a newbie like the rest of us.  The group consisted of the usual suspects, including lawyers, housewives, students, a college professor and a few other professional types, all of whom were surreptitiously trying to size up the competition.  The chit-chat was friendly enough as we rode through the front gate at Sony Pictures Studios (which looks remarkably like the backlot area at Disney Hollywood Studios in Orlando, minus the rides and shops) and were escorted to the Green Room.
The show’s producers and contestant advisors are all very gregarious, outgoing people, and the morning was devoted to some paperwork, pep talks,and makeup.  Gotta look beautiful for our public, you know.  After what seemed like several hours in the Green Room, we got to walk out to the actual studio and play a practice round before the audience was in place.  The studio is a lot smaller than you may imagine, with a seating capacity of only about 150 people.  The contestant podiums are also closer to the big board than I thought, although it turns out that’s a good thing – the only place to read the question is on the monitor on the board itself, and if your eyesight isn’t very good, then you’d be at a considerable disadvantage.  There is also a bank of dim lights that runs up either side of the question board, and your signal buttons only work when the lights are turned on by one of the judges seated off-camera.  This keeps you from preemptively signaling on every question and cutting off Alex as he reads them.
Following our dry run, it was back to the Green Room while the audience took their seats and the first show’s contestants were selected.  I have no idea how they determined the order, but two of our group were chosen to challenge the returning champ, whose cover was blown as soon as we all walked in and the producers greeted her like an old friend.  For the contestants who are “on deck”, seats are provided in the audience, and you’ve never heard more whispering and muttering in your life.  Without exception, we all were using the game in progress as a kind of cram session, with some people even mimicking thumb movements.  The result of the first show (which is a total blur in my memory) was that the returning champ won again, and I was selected to man the third podium in the next game.
There are only about 10 minutes between shows on the set, during which time we went back to the Green Room to “powder our noses” in makeup and for the champ to change clothes.  You may have wondered why so many people wear sweater vests or go without a necktie on Jeopardy – it’s because those are easy ways to alter your outfit in a short amount of time.  Then, it was back to the stage to sign in and wait for the theme music.
You’re already aware of the question-and-answer part of the show, and I don’t remember very many of the questions anyway.  In fact, I really only remember the ones I got wrong.  What you may not know, though, is that there’s almost no way to keep track of your score while you play, which is why so many players (including me) don’t just keep their mouths shut instead of guessing.  The show is also taped in real broadcast time, meaning that the breaks in the action are the same length as the commercial breaks you see at home.  In between the rounds and prior to the meet-and-greet with Alex, this isn’t a big deal, but trying to assess how much to bet on the final question, based only on the category, is tough to do in just a few minutes.  And as for the usually awkward personal interview portion, I can only say that the producers ask you to provide about four nuggets of personal information, one of which gets highlighted on the card that is provided to Alex.  He, however, can choose whatever he wants to talk about, which is why I got to discuss my needlepoint in front of millions of people.
I was in a pretty fast second place going into the final round, and I had to face the dilemma that the challenger faces nearly every night – do I go for it and hope that the champ doesn’t know the answer, or do I assume that she’s pretty sharp and I’m unlikely to catch her?  There are perils with both courses of action.  If you swing for the fences and miss it, then you wind up in last.  I figured that either we’d both know it, or we both wouldn’t and I couldn’t catch her.  At this point, you become acutely aware of just how short three minutes is…while the home audience is watching ads for new cars and pharmaceuticals, you’ve got to assess how well you think you know the topic and guess what your opponents are going to do.  My hope was (believe it or not) that all of us would miss the question – I assumed that the leader would bet nearly all of her money to ensure that she would beat me if I managed to double my score by getting the answer right.  Had she done that, all I had to do was make sure that the third place contestant didn’t come from behind with a correct answer and edge us both out.  If this seems complicated, try doing it on the fly for real money sometime.  Anyway, my preliminary assumption was correct – we both knew the answer.  Had we both done the confident, reasonable thing, she would have beaten me by just enough.  In this case, though, we both did NOT do the confident, reasonable thing, since neither one of us thought we were going to get the answer right.  We both bet conservatively, trying to ward off coming in last place.  I’m only consoled by the fact that when the first and second place contestants both answer the question correctly, second place almost never overtakes first and so the outcome wasn’t a shock.  That helps me sleep at night, actually.
And so, I narrowly missed a very big payday by trying not to lose instead of trying to win.  There’s a lesson in there somewhere, I think. It was a lot harder to watch myself on Jeopardy than it was to actually play the game, though, because I already knew that the guy who looks just like me was going to miss his big opportunity.  Still, I got $2,000 for second place, bragging rights over everyone I know and a (hopefully) interesting story to tell.  If I had only guessed “The Exorcist” instead of “The Sting”  Rats.

The Mosaic Company and Newland Communities announced today that Mosaic has entered into an agreement to purchase a 7.4-acre tract of land from Newland and will build a new Read more