MyOspreyTV.com Plans July Launch

By Marie Gilmore

Local business owners Marie Gilmore of the Osprey Observer and Don Ashley of AMajorTVStuido.com recently announced a partnership that will bring local news to a whole new level in the Brandon area.

Osprey Observer has been publishing strong local community news for more than five years and now publishes four editions per month including Bloomingdale/FishHawk, Riverview/Apollo Beach, Valrico and Brandon.

AMajorTV Studio owner and Valrico resident Don Ashley has watched the growth of the newspaper over the years and sees a great opportunity for partnership that will create a multimedia network of news coverage and community information that will complement the Osprey Observer.

The result of the partnership is MyOspreyTV.com, a contemporary website offering video insights and multimedia photos to showcase local businesses and community activities, along with things to do and places to go. This online, media-rich website is designed to spotlight and highlight all the great things about the Brandon area utilizing the latest in technology and local talent.

"We want MyOspreyTV.com to become the ‘go to’ place to find out what's going on in the local Brandon area," said Lithia resident Gilmore. "From favorite places to eat, great shopping, hometown products and services, fun attractions and great neighborhoods., this Website should have it all.”

"The Internet is interactive TV in its infancy," says Ashley, executive producer.  "MyOspreyTV.com, with its interactivity and FUNctionality combines all the components of many of the most popular websites." 

“While MyOspreyTV.com is produced with the same level of quality and integrity as the Osprey Observer, it will contain different content and information,” adds Gilmore. "I believe MyOspreyTV.com will quickly become the popular community networking Website."

MyOspreyTV.com will launch on July 1 with weekly updates published online every Monday morning at 9 a.m. In addition to promotion throughout the Osprey Observer, a local area business direct will point new residents to the site.

Happy Holidays From The Osprey Team

As the Osprey Observer Community Newspaper celebrates five years of growth in the community, we wanted to say thanks! Thank you to all of our loyal advertisers who support the newspaper, our local residents who diligently read the paper cover to cover each month and our new businesses who take the plunge and open in our community.

Five years ago, the Osprey Observer started as a small, one page photocopy covering news and new growth in FishHawk Ranch. Quickly we grew, expanded and covered a wider community area. Currently, we publish four, monthly community newspapers and are delivered into more than 65,000 mailboxes each month. In each edition, including Bloomingdale/FishHawk, Riverview/Apollo Beach, Valrico and our newest venture, Brandon, we strive to provide the best community coverage and keep you informed of news, transportation, education and good deeds in your community. If we are lacking or you have a story you would like to see covered, we are very approachable and don’t bite, so please send the story our way.

We hope to run into you out in our community one of these days and in the meantime, a sincere thank you from the entire staff at the Osprey Observer....of which only a small portion of our team is represented above!

Keep reading and have a safe and happy holiday!

Sincerely,

Marie Gilmore

Osprey Observer™ Celebrates Second Anniversary With New Valrico Edition

Phewww...did you feel that? It was another whirlwind year gone by! It is hard to believe with this 40-page Bloomingdale/ FishHawk edition and a 20-page Riverview edition heading to press in a few days, that two years have gone by.

When we started the Osprey Observer™ in December of 2001, we were hoping to become a strong, community-based newspaper covering news that actually mattered in the communities we live in. After hearing testimonies from so many of our readers, advertisers and loyal fans, I can be proud to call the Osprey Observer my paper and proud to share it with more than 25,000 homes every month. With the upcoming Spring introduction of the Valrico edition covering Buckhorn, Brentwood Hills, Copper Ridge and surrounding subdivisions, we will fully cover the Lithia Pinecrest corridor. First, a giant thank you to our advertisers whose support pays for the direct-mailing of the paper, printing and all of our staff.

I have been fortunate to gather a top notch team whose representation of the Osprey Observer™ is unsurpassed. Advertising Manager Bonnie Tekampe has lived in River Hills for 12 years and knows the area businesses inside out. Office Manager Michelle Colesanti has whipped the billing department into shape and will be the one you meet should you stop by or call with any comments or suggestions. Business Editor and Riverview Advertising Manager Sharon Still is Chairman Elect of Leadership Brandon Alumni and keeps us informed of new and upcoming businesses and business trends along the South County corridor.

Norma Martinex heads up our graphics department using her artistic abilities to create effective ads for our clients.

In addition, we have a team of journalists, photographers and writers who are constantly making a presence in the community. If you should happen to meet Nicole Lowary, Leslie White, Beverly Pool, Chuck Dowling or Terri or John Bakas, give them any suggestions you may have.

In the meantime, thank you for your continued support and stop into the Osprey Observer™ office anytime, the coffee pot is on and we would love to meet you.
Our Bloomingdale/FishHawk and Riverview teams are going strong, but if you have an interest and live in Valrico, we are eagerly seeking a part-time news editor and a part-time advertising representative for the Valrico edition. I look forward to hearing from you. To reach me, call 657-2418 or email editor@ospreyobserver.com. Also, visit www.ospreyobserver.com for archived issues, current contests and more!!

Osprey Staff Cleans Up FishHawk Blvd.
By Marie Gilmore

Adopting one mile of roadway seemed like an easy way to make a difference in Hillsborough County. So, when Osprey Observer staff filled out the application and submitted it for one mile of road along FishHawk Blvd. starting at Bell Shoals, we thought it would be easy. Keep an eye out for large debris or fallen signs and report them. Do a clean up a few times per year and have 10 people to volunteer to clean up. No problem. Yet, finding a Saturday morning when all 10 people are available was a task and it took three hours of labor to clean up both sides of the mile of roadway.

Along the road, more than 42 black garbage bags filled with beer bottles, cans, shoes, liquor bottles, discarded CD’s, thousands of cigarette butts and other debris.

The Adopt-A-Road program is coordinated in Hillsborough County by Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful (KHCB), a non-profit organization that was established in 1992. The program is a great way to build a sense of community pride and get recognition for your group, business or organization. Those wanting to participate are required to adopt a minimum of one mile of county maintained roadway and clean it four times a year, for at least two years.

In April, KHCB works with Keep America Beautiful to inspire thousands of people to take pride in their communities by encouraging volunteerism, personal action and responsibility by sponsoring a special Great American Clean Up.

For more information, contact KHCB at 960-5121. Most Hillsborough County roads are available for adoption

Observer Moves To Larger Office
By Marie Gilmore

The Osprey Observer™ Community Newspaper office has moved to a new location. Although still located on Lithia Pinecrest, across from the Gold's Gym and Bravissimo Interiors, the Osprey Observer™ office has moved within the professional plaza to the stand alone dentist's office.

The 1,600 sq. ft. dentist's office opened as Dr. Steve and wife Caren Ippolito's practice. Dr. Ippolito served the Brandon area and was a community leader until his death more than 10 years ago.

Caren still owns the plaza and leased her husband's office to Dr. Alessio Conte and wife Anne for 12 years. Excellence in Dental recently moved to a new professional office plaza at Lumsden and Kings leaving the space empty.

The Osprey Observer™ has shared a 1,000 sq. ft. space with Academic Services Corp., a Continuing Education Seminar provider for Land Surveyors for almost three years. The partnership will continue in the new offices.

"The move gives us more room, private offices for editors, our graphics staff and a conference meeting area for our writers and editors," explains office manager Michelle Colesanti.

"Having our own building will give people a great landmark to find our offices and we encourage anyone to stop by," adds Colesanti. "We always have extra editions of the paper and a few minutes to meet a reader."

"In addition, we have become a popular tour for local boy scout troops," says Colesanti. "With a larger space, the troops and other groups that tour will have a better understanding of what we do and how we do it."

The former Osprey Observer™ space has already been leased to Definitive Designs, Inc., a marketing and public relations firm.

Osprey Observer™ office hours are from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. For more information, call 657-2418, or visit www.ospreyobserver.com.

Osprey Observer Announces Latest Edition

Following the fast-growing South Shore corridor, the Osprey Observer announced its latest edition, the Riverview/Apollo Beach edition. The new edition will debut February 2005 and will encompass the growth of the U.S. 301 corridor in Riverview and Apollo Beach. Communities added to the direct-mail distribution include Covington Park, Kings Lake, Symphony Isles, Andalucia and Mira Bay.

Continuing its reputation as a strong, community-based newspaper, the Osprey Observer Riverview/Apollo Beach will continue to cover transportation, growth, education and news in all of the communities that it covers.

Osprey Observer circulation is updated monthly by the U.S. Postal Service and takes into account the more than 200 new residents in the area each month.

The new edition joins Osprey Observer Bloomingdale/FishHawk and Osprey Observer Valrico. Each of the three newspapers offers a staggered delivery date keeping a newspaper in mailboxes the first, seventh and fifteenth of the month. More than 50,000 Osprey Observer newspapers are printed each month and more than 45,000 are delivered into mailboxes.

Osprey Observer, Inc. is a locally-owned corporation with three, direct-mail community newspapers. Published by area resident Marie Gilmore, the newspaper has continued its growth into its fourth year of publishing. Osprey Observer was a finalist for the Brandon Chamber Minority and Women-owned Business of the Year 2004 and has a recognized website, www.ospreyobserver.com where residents can read archives and research the community.

For more information, call 813-657-2418 or visit www.ospreyobserver.com.

Observer Starts Brandon Edition
By Marie Gilmore

The Osprey Observer Community Newspaper is “Under Construction” and expanding into the south Brandon area with its fourth edition. This month marks the first edition being delivered to mailboxes in Brandon communities including Bloomingdale West, Sterling Ranch, Providence Lakes and surrounding communities. More than 12,000 residents will receive the paper the third week of each month. The Osprey Observer has been publishing newspapers for five years and has three current editions: Bloomingdale/FishHawk, Riverview/Apollo Beach and Valrico. Brandon is its fourth edition per month with papers delivered to all upscale neighborhoods.

Covering local news, transportation, education, crime and special events, the Osprey Observer also strives to maintain a local angle on every page. News tips and ideas for features and stories are always welcome and new businesses are featured free each month in the Eye on Business section.

“We have had requests from Brandon residents to bring a strong community newspaper to their neighborhood,” says associate editor Kate Quesada. “And, this month, we are launching Brandon’s first edition of the Osprey Observer.” Community response to the newest edition has been overwhelming and this first edition is 20 pages, the largest launch of the Osprey papers.

Brandon residents can find archived articles from the three additional editions online at www.ospreyobserver.com in addition to on online trivia entry form, advertising information and links to local communities.

The Osprey Observer team consists of 20 local residents in editorial, advertising, graphics and office management personnel. Part-time positions for an administrative assistant and news reporter are available. Email resumes to editor@ospreyobserver.com.

For more information, call 657-2418 or stop by the Osprey Observer headquarters located at 900 Lithia Pinecrest Rd. Hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.