Eye on Business Riverview

Posted by Kate Quesada on January 8, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Pinch A Penny

Pinch A Penny Celebrates Two Years
Pinch A Penny Boyette/FishHawk, located at the intersection of Boyette Rd., Bell Shoals Rd. and FishHawk Blvd., is celebrating two years in business this month, taking care of residents’ swimming pool needs.
“We are proud to be a Florida state contract licensed Pinch A Penny, offering not only supplies and expertise at our retail store, but on-site repair and cleaning at your swimming pool, with skilled technicians,” says owners Kim Zerr.
Hours are Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. For more information, call 657-1054.

Hospital Uses Games
South Bay Hospital’s Outpatient Rehabilitation Department is now using the innovative Nintendo Wii system to help patients recover from surgery, stroke and Parkinson’s.
“Our therapists are excited to offer rehabilitation patients something fun and new in the clinic,” says Rehab Director Paul Melancon. “Wii gives patients of all ages the ability to engage in physical exercise. The non-traditional approach is fun and stimulating which can speed up recovery time dramatically.”
“The addition of the Wii is a fine complement to our existing program,” says Melancon. “The ability to bring a smile to the faces of our patients and provide them an enjoyable rehabilitation experience is very rewarding.”
For more information, contact Melancon at 634-0221.

New Skin Care at Spa
Victoria Mrksich has moved her skin care business to A Peaceful Harbor Day Spa and Salon located at 1312-A Apollo Beach Blvd.
Mrksich, who has been in the skin care industry for more than 12 years, feels that her knowledge of services and products separates her from others in the field.
“I possess a strong knowledge of my services and products, a gentle touch and a desire to help you meet all of your skin care goals. Your skin care concerns are my skin care concerns, I am here to help,” she says.
Services include microdermabrasion, chemical peels, a range of facials and waxing services. In addition, she is also offering the newest technology in the industry, the non-surgical facelift. Visit www.MyVSkin.com or call 645-3303 for more information.

Carpet One Floor & Home Teams up with Box Tops for Education
Dove Interiors Carpet One Floor & Home and Dove Interiors Too recently announced its participation in the Box Tops for Education program.
According to Dove Interiors owner Joan Miller, in just over 11 years, Box Tops for Education has earned over $200 million to help America’s schools.
“Now, Dove Interiors Carpet One Floor & Home and Dove Interiors Too is joining the effort to help keep America’s schools stocked with supplies,” says Miller. “Stop by Dove Interiors Carpet One Floor & Home and Dove Interiors Too with your official Box Tops for Education coupons, and I will distribute them to Ruskin Elementary, Wimauma Elementary, Apollo Beach Elementary, and Summerfield Elementary.”
An active community member, Miller has owned and operated her Dove Interiors Carpet One Floor & Home since 1990.
“This is a new program for Dove Interior Carpet One Floor & Home,” says Miller, “and I’m very excited to have a direct role in the education of the area’s children.”
Box Tops for Education allows community members to earn cash rewards for their schools by engaging in everyday activities like buying groceries, shopping online, and making credit card purchases. Clip box tops from participating brands and earn money for your school. Make sure your school is registered and ready to receive rewards.
Contact Dove at 645-8660 or 672-9100 for more information about dropping off box tops, and visit Box Tops for Education at www.boxtops4education.com.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries Supports Toys for Tots with Tips for Toys
Five Guys Burgers and Fries, a national award winning fast food franchise, held its first annual Toys for Tots night in December at the Riverview location in the Shoppes of South Bay, off Big Bend Rd. Ten percent of the proceeds at the restaurant from the evening business will be donated to the local Toys for Tots campaign. The restaurant staff opened up their hearts by donating all of their tips from one week in November to buy toys for this worthwhile cause.
Five Guys Burgers and Fries in Brandon is located in the Westfield mall and can be reached at 657-0700. To reach the Riverview location, call 677-0400.

Martial Arts School Opens
There is something new in Riverview, KLS Tae Kwon Do. KLS Tae Kwon Do, located at 13320 Lincoln Rd, is a family-operated school that offers many programs from after-school pick-up to classes for the whole family.
According to owner Lori Van Kleeck, the primary focus at KLS Tae Kwon Do is for each student to grow into the best person they can become, using martial arts as a means of achieving their goals.
“The staff has been training and instructing in the local area for over 11 years and has developed a special curriculum for all students ages 4 and up to build self confidence, self respect and self esteem,” says Van Kleeck. “The primary aim of KLS Tae Kwon Do is not only to develop self defense skills but to also achieve academic excellence and to develop character. Students are required to furnish copies of their report cards to be eligible for each promotion.”
For more information, call 374-8838 or visit www.kls-taekwondo.com.

Learning Center Announces New Program
Huntington Learning Center of Apollo Beach recently announced a new program to give students a “Fast Track to Success.”
“This program follows the same guidelines approved by the Hillsborough County School District for the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) program, but it’s available to everyone,” says Executive Director Arthur J. Pierce II. “This program will help our kids perform better in school and will increase their skills to a degree that parents and teachers will see the difference.”
The program, a 12-week course offered two days a week for one-and-a-half-hours, is for students Kindergarten-12 who needs help in either math or reading or preparing for the FCAT.
The center is located at 6144 U.S. Hwy. 41 N., and can be reached at 645-4162.

Little Harbor Announces Townhomes
Little Harbor is pleased to announce an exceptional opportunity – the chance to purchase a two or three bedroom townhome in this amenity-rich, Caribbean-style seaside community on the SouthShore of Tampa Bay. A limited number of townhomes are being offered at significant discounts to qualified buyers.
Priced from the low $300,000s, these residences are marina and canal-front, and constructed of reinforced concrete block. Each unit has many design and construction features including expansive terraces, a washer and dryer, and am oversized one car garages and carports. The total AC sq. footage ranges from 1,000 to more than 1,800 sq. feet, with total area ranging from 1,800 to more than 3,200 sq. feet.
Ready to welcome you now are full resort amenities, including a secluded beach, deepwater marinas, wet and dry boat storage accommodating boats up to 60 feet in length, a private social room, waterfront dining, a Tiki Bar, heated pools, a state-of-the-art fitness center, tennis courts, massage therapy, eco-tours, water sports rentals, professional services and more. Little Harbor features more than three miles of open shoreline and unimpeded access to Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, which sets the seaside village apart from most coastal communities. This one-of-a-kind community is located just 30 minutes from three major metropolitan areas: Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota.
Little Harbor is an island-style residential resort on Tampa Bay. This unique seaside village presents an enchanting combination of beach, bay, river and harbor-front residential homes and resort-style residences, along with a colorful mix of amenities that evoke images of a bygone Caribbean lifestyle. The project is being developed by EarthMark Companies, a real estate development company known for creating resort-style, amenity-rich communities, as well as for its environmental stewardship through mitigation banking.
To learn more about this extraordinary and limited special offer, to visit the Sales & Information Center located at U.S. Hwy. 41 and Shell Point Rd., call 888-645-9010, e-mail sales@littleharbor.com or visit www.LittleHarbor.com.

Insurance Team adds Agent
All Bay Insurance Group recently added Jessica Weston to its team, as the agency continues to grow. A Riverview resident, Weston, who has more than six years of insurance experience, has earned a bachelor’s degree and completed her MBA.
All Bay Insurance Group opened in 2006 and specializes in personal auto, property, watercraft and motorcycles, along with financial services for the SouthShore community. The agency team consists of Joel Meek (agency owner), Troy Abell (account executive) and Esther Charpentier (contact manger).
“Our growth is attributed to our desire to help protect our customers rather than simply selling insurance,” says Meek.
All Bay Insurance Group can be contacted at 677-1121.

New Restaurant Comes to Plaza Bella
Food lovers throughout the area have a treat coming this month when the doors open to a new restaurant in Plaza Bella. Owned by Riverview resident Maribeth Hernandez and Sergio Arce, Rock N Pineapple will offer diners the opportunity to cook their own food, which includes Kobe beef, Caribu pork and much more with an Island theme, on hot volcanic rock plates right in front of them.
“When we decided to open a restaurant, we did a lot of research and asked a lot of people in the area what they were looking for in an eating establishment,” says Hernandez, who moved to the area from New Jersey a year ago. “We took all that and the pieces have been coming together for the last year.”
The restaurant, which is expected to open early this month, features a full bar, outdoor patio with seating for 30 and inside dining area.
“We are really excited to be here and are looking forward to becoming part of the community,” says Hernandez.
Rock N Pineapple is located at 1022 Bloomingdale Ave. in the Green Boutique-anchored Plaza Bella, at the intersection of Bloomingdale Ave. and Bell Shoals Rd., and can be reached at 321-4900. A Website will soon be up and running at www.rocknpineapple.com.

Resident Opens New Law Office
The Law Office of Ingrid M. Hooglander, P.A. is opening a new law office in Lithia this month.
At the new office, Hooglander and her team of attorneys plan to serve clients in the areas of family law, employment law, criminal law, social security/disability, personal injury, bankruptcy and real estate.
Hooglander began her legal career as an assistant state attorney with the Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s Office where she worked her way from a county prosecutor to an “A” level felony prosecutor, handling all aspects of the prosecution of the cases. During her tenure at the State Attorney’s Office, she tried over 25 jury trials and hundreds of bench trials. She has also worked as a staff attorney for circuit criminal and circuit civil judges, preparing judicial orders on all litigation motions and as counsel for two privately owned companies handling various employment law, human resources and general business issues.
Hooglander is a member of the board of directors for Brandon Young Life and YP Brandon and is on the planning community for the Brandon Chamber of Commerce for the Leadership Brandon Class of 2009.
For information or to schedule a consultation at the office, located at 16637 FishHawk Blvd., Ste. 103, call 363-6045 or e-mail ingrid@imhooglander.com. For more information, visit www.imhooglander.com.

CPA Opens New Office
Certified Public Accountant John C. Bailey recently expanded his team and moved to a new office at 12307 Boyette Rd., in the Clarkson Allstate building.
New team member Sue McCain will assist Bailey with his growing business, offering her wide variety of administrative and tax preparation experience.
“Documents and files of a confidential nature can be left with Sue with confidence as she will make sure they are properly delivered to me and stored in an appropriate manner,” says Bailey.
In addition to providing individual and business income tax preparation and planning services, Bailey provides tax preparation and consulting services for payroll, sales and use, and all state taxes.
For more information, contact Bailey at 672-9449 or cbailey@johnbaileycpa.com.

Raquet Club Opens Restaurant
Apollo’s Bistro, a casual upscale bistro, recently opened next to the Apollo Beach Racquet and Fitness Club at 6520 Richies Way in Apollo Beach.
With menu items including shrimp or scallop scampi and clams with fresh tomatoes and herbs and rigatoni bolognese, the restaurant has something for everyone and recently started serving Sunday brunch.
In addition, Apollo’s Bistro can accommodate groups of up to 200 and catering is also available. For more information, call 641-2685. Restaurant hours are Monday – Friday, 11 a.m.- 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Filed under Business · Tagged with , Announces, apollo beach, bell shoals, Bella, Bella Food, care concerns, care goals, Caribbean, com, day spa, Executive Director Arthur J, franchise, gentle touch, Gulf of Mexico, information, Jessica Weston, Joel Meek, Kobe, Lincoln, Little Harbor, location, Lori Van Kleeck, Maribeth Hernandez, night, nintendo wii, outpatient rehabilitation, owner, paul melancon, physical exercise, Pierce II, plaza, program, rehabilitation department, rehabilitation experience, rehabilitation patients, Rock N Pineapple, Sarasota, Sergio Arce, skin care industry, South Bay, St. Petersburg, staff, state contract, Tampa Bay, Troy Abell, U.S., Van Kleeck, village, waxing services, Weston, zerr

Eye on Business Riverview December

Posted by Kate Quesada on December 16, 2008 · Leave a Comment

Ribbon Cutting

Playmania Adds New Programs
PlayMania, a family owned indoor children’s play and learning center, offering a series of parent-child programs devoted to the physical, emotional and social development of children including open play and classes children from birth to age six, recently added new programs including a dance class, toddler and preschool music and ornament making.
Visit www.playmaniatampa.com or call 649-8919 for more information.

Florist Celebrates New Location
Formerly Apollo Beach Flowers, Riverview Florist opened recently at 9405 U.S. Hwy. 301 S., at the intersection with Gibsonton Rd., in Riverview. Owned by Rick and Jan Crosby, who owned Apollo Beach Flowers for 15 years and Sun City Flowers before that, Riverview Florist is a full service floral store with products including balloon bouquets, silk flowers and fresh arrangements.
“We can do flowers for weddings, funerals, parties or gifts, says Jan, who takes great pride in the flowers, especially the roses. “We pride ourselves on our customer service and stand behind every one of our arrangements.”
The Crosbys have already started making themselves a part of the community through charity work and special deals for students at East Bay High School.
“We are really excited to be here and are looking forward to everyone finding out about us,” says Jan.
For more information, call the store at 677-9700 or visit www.riverviewsfinestflorist.com. For toll free calling nation-wide, call 1-800-525-4438.

Shop Local at CRT
Looking to buy something electronic for someone on your holiday list this year? Then instead of hitting one of the national chain stores, head over to CRT Computers at the intersection of Big Bend Rd. and Summerfield Blvd.
“We sell pretty much everything you will find at one of the big retailers, but with personal customer service and one on one attention,” says Daniel Zell who owns the store with fellow Riverview resident John Delage. “No one gets lost in the shuffle here.”
CRT, which recently celebrated its one year anniversary in this location, is a full retail store offering computer repair and retail, televisions, cameras, MP3 players and much more.
“We recently started stocking security cameras for homes and businesses,” says Zell, who explains that the interest in security cameras has grown in the tough economy.
For more information, call the store at 671-1108.

Legacy Holds Ribbon Cutting
Legacy Venture Group & BuyBizUSA owner Brian Stephens is hosting a ribbon cutting and evening networking event on Thursday December 11, beginning at 5:30 pm.
“Light refreshments, food, live music and fun for all will be available,” says Stephens. “The Beaux Art Gallery next door will be hosting a ‘Your Business & Art’ event in conjunction with the Ribbon Cutting.”
Legacy Venture Group Office is located in the Winthrop Shopping Center at 11256-B Winthrop Main St. in Riverview on the first floor of the Times Building (large white columns) on the far corner in the front, next to the Beaux Art Gallery.
For more information, call 571-7700.

Southbay Hosts Holiday Stroll
The Shoppes of Southbay will hold the first annual South Shore Holiday Stroll on Saturday, December 13. All proceeds will toward helping to stock local food pantries. The event will be held from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at the shopping center on the southeast corner of Big Bend Rd. and U.S. Hwy. 301 in Riverview.
This is a free event open to the public. Guests will begin their stroll at the eastern end of the center where every family will be given a card to be stamped or signed by each of the shops. Each shop will have a sampling or goody for the families. Santa will be at the end of the stroll and will be available for pictures. Once the card is filled out completely the family will be given a goody bag and their card will be entered into a raffle for one of five beautiful gift baskets.
Participating shops include: Smoothie King, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Little Ceasars, Risque, Goin’ Postal, Sweetbay, Great Clips, Sonlight, Playmania, Leslies, Dove Interiors, Planet Beach, New Identities, LeBelle’s, Southbay Auto Service, Game Time, Buffalo Wild Wings, Goodyear and Fifth Third Bank.
Special appearances will be made by Buccaneer Cheerleaders, Lightning Girls, East Bay High School Jazz Band and Krewe of the South Shore Marauders pirates. Girls Scouts will also be available to do all your holiday gift wrapping.
Participants are asked to bring a canned good to assist in this effort.
For more information, contact Jennifer Griest from Southbay Auto at 675-5181.

Self Storage Hosts Ribbon Cutting
Self Storage Centers of America, located at 9234 Causeway Blvd., is hosting a ribbon cutting with the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce on December 16 at 12 Noon.
The facility, which opened in October, has 546 climate-controlled units, 60 parking spots for RV’s and boats as well as 80 outside non-climate controlled units that range from 10×20 to 10×40.
“Our facility has drive up storage units, RV/boat parking, free truck and driver with move-in, boxes and packing supplies and state of the art security,” says General Manager Sheila Burnett. “We are considered a Class “A” Facility.”
Office hours of operation are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday – Saturday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Sunday. Gate Operation is 6 a.m.-9 p.m.
For more information, call 621-7867.

Cardel Homes introduces new evening Model Home Hours
To accommodate homebuyers’ schedules, Cardel is pleased to announce new model home hours, effective immediately. The new hours are Monday to Friday, 2–8 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. and Sunday, 12 Noon–6 p.m.
Despite the later hours and elegant decor, evening dress is not required.
Cardel Homes builds single family, multi-family, and resort homes in locations across North America. For more than 30 years, their dedication to quality, fairness, and community involvement has made Cardel a mainstay among serious builders in the cities where they operate. In addition to achieving a reputation for design innovation and homebuyer satisfaction, Cardel is known for their charity and community initiatives. Cardel has conceived of organized, and funded numerous events that bring neighbors together on behalf of worthy causes. Cardel offers models in Starling Water on FishHawk Blvd. and within the Garden District in FishHawk Ranch and in Covington Park, in Apollo Beach.
For more information, visit www.cardelhomes.com.

Planet Beach Celebrates Anniversary
Planet Beach Contempo Spa is celebrating one year in its location in Summerfield.
“Planet Beach Contempo Spa offers an escape from daily stress by offering affordable day spa services that are controlled by the client,” says representative Anne Toro.
New services at the spa include cosmetic teeth whitening by Whiter Image, a Hydration Station, similiar to a vitamin infused steam bath that also used radiant heat that allows pores to open up and skin to become deeply hydrated, a private label nutrition line that includes meal replacement shakes, as well as online indiviualized meal planning, UV therapy (previously known as tanning) and Mystic spray tan.
“We also offer Hydromassage: it uses whirlpool jets heated to 100 degrees that the customer can adjust the pressure and the speed. The water is fully encapsulated so the client does not get wet from the jets,” says Toro. “We also offer photo rejuvenation via our Rejuvasun bed. LED light is known to help with collagen production, which is what helps plump our skin. This in turns leads to the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.”
Planet Beach is located in the Shoppes of Southbay, at the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 301 and Big Bend Rd. and is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday 12 Noon-5 p.m.
To schedule an appointment, call 741-9280 and for more information, visit www.planetbeach.com.

Author Joins Dolphin Realty
Tommy Lovett, author of Doors Wired Shut, has joined Coldwell Banker, Dolphin Realty, in Apollo Beach.
“Tommy’s drive and desire to help people will bring great value to Dolphin Realty and fit well with our Customer First mentality and we are blessed to have him,” says broker Dianne Allers. “Tommy’s book is a true story about unfair housing practices toward handicapped and disabled American Veterans attempting to purchase a home.”
Lovett joined the United States Army in September of 1982 and was injured in the line of duty receiving an honorable discharge on May 15, 1984.
“Tommy quickly noticed discrimination in housing for Disabled veterans and has become a champion for Veteran housing,” says Allers. “He specializes in Veterans Administration specially adapted housing as well as VA loans and grants for veterans qualified for home purchase. Tommy brings to Coldwell Banker Dolphin Realty the passion to further the cause of veteran housing expertise.”
For more information, contact Lovett at 494-4867.

Ground Brocken at Riverview Hilton
Stacy Snow Feiler of Legacy Venture Group Business Brokers was one of the first visitors at the site of Riverview’s first hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn, Tampa South East, which is slated to open in January 2009.
“I saw first hand what the Great American Bar & Grill will look like, heard the echo of the 4,200 sq. ft. meeting space, climbed six flights of stairs to the presidential suite and tromped through construction workers to visit the fitness room, pool, fireplace lobby and two kitchens,” says Feiler.
For more information, visit www.hilton.com.

Free Financial Seminar
United Mortgage Affiliates is offering a free seminar covering financial issues including short sales, how to get 100 percent financing and home buying and selling this month.
The seminars will take place on Wednesday, December 10, and Wednesday, December 17, from 6-7 p.m. and both Saturday, December 13 and Saturday, December 20 from 10-11 a.m. at the Century 21 – Link Realty office at 1517 Oakfield Dr. in Brandon.
For more information, contact Michelle Teeter at 300-2522 or Joe Haynes at 781-9487.

Filed under Business · Tagged with , America, Anne Toro, apollo beach, Art Gallery, B Winthrop Main, balloon bouquets, Brandon Chamber, card, Causeway Blvd., charity work, com, computer repair, Covington Park, east bay high school, FishHawk Blvd., funerals, Garden District, General Manager Sheila Burnett, Gibsonton, home, Hydration Station, information, Jennifer Griest, mp3 players, new location, North America, Planet Beach, Saturday, security cameras, South Shore, Starling Water, Summerfield, Sun City, Tommy, Tommy Lovett, venture group, zell

Eye on Business

Posted by Kate Quesada on November 30, 2008 · Leave a Comment

Valrico State Bank FishHawk Blvd. recently hosted a Smart Women Finish Rich seminar. The seminar encourages financial freedom and is the first step towards managing one’s own finances. For more information, contact Anita Silverstein at Valrico State Bank in FishHawk at anita.silverstein@valricostate.com.

Jaymer-Que Celebrates Anniversary & Grand Opening of Ms. Cyndi’s Cafe On December 3, head over to Jaymer-Que Southern BBQ and Ms. Cyndi’s Corner Café for a third anniversary/grand opening celebration. Customers bringing in three non-perishable items for the Bell Shoals Baptist Church food pantry will receive one free pork sandwich from the restaurant which’s menu features a wide range of BBQ dishes and sides from ribs and chicken to beans and potatoes. Ms. Cyndi’s Corner Café, which recently opened, is Jaymer-Que’s sister restaurant offering homemade soups, sandwiches and more. For more information, call Jaymer-Que at 6JQ-4BBQ. Both restaurants are located in the Albertson’s Plaza on Lithia Pinecrest Rd., just north of the intersection with Bloomingdale Ave.

After Image Salon Celebrates Ribbon Cutting Located at 15258 FishHawk Blvd., Ste. 500, After Image Salon recently celebrated its membership in the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce with a ribbon cutting. The salon, owned by David and Donna Froncillo, offers a wide range of spa and salon services including hair, massage and facials with current specials for military and a $99 spa package. For more information, call 653-7727.

Local State Farm Agent Supports Safety Belts If you have driven by Newsome High School (NHS) recently, you may have noticed a severely wrecked car sitting on the corner. This is just one way that State Farm Agent Melissa Snively and NHS student government are trying to get the attention of students and faculty. This campaign is part of a countywide contest called “Battle of the Belts” to get high school drivers and their passengers to wear safety belts. “Battle of the Belts” is coordinated by the Hillsborough County Traffic Safety Team (CTST) and dedicated to all Hillsborough County teens who lost their lives in a car crash because they were not wearing a safety belt. “Car accidents are the number one cause of death for teenage drivers in the U.S.” says Snively, citing the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “If we can save lives by simply wearing our safety belts, it would just make sense to promote regular use among all drivers, especially teenagers.” Newsome High School was the 2007 winner of the “Battle of the Belts” competition for highest percentage of students wearing their safety belts. The school hopes to hold the title again for 2008. A safety belt survey will be conducted sometime after the November campaign at each high school in the county. The NHS Student Government has taken an active role during November to create awareness of the contest among students. They hope to convince their peers to always wear their safety belts. Supporters of this contest include The Katie Marchetti Memorial Foundation, St. Joseph Children’s Hospital of Tampa, Heads Up of Safety and State Farm Insurance. For more information about “Battle of the Belts” and any of the supporting organizations, please visit www.battleofthebelts.com or call 727-579-2000. To reach Snively, call 662-3622.

D.R. Horton, Inc. Announces New Single Family Community A new community of single-family homes in Plant City, built by highly-acclaimed national builder D.R. Horton, is welcoming families with open arms and the key to a comfortable, neighbor-friendly lifestyle with Whispering Woods. Whispering Woods features 143 single family homes, each backing up to conservation area and ponds for the ultimate in non-invasive living. The homes are based on seven new floor plans with four optional elevations per plan, including but not limited to stone accents and front porches. These one- and two-story homes are built to suit every level of buyer at every stage of their life-from those needing a minimal 1,749 sq. ft. of living space to those who wish to sprawl out in 2,879 sq. ft. of living space. Within that living space, residents will be enveloped in minimum 9-ft first floor ceilings, ceramic tile in all wet spaces and wall-to-wall plush carpeting in common areas, and beautiful maple-look cabinetry that exquisitely accents GE® appliances. And for storage needs, spacious closets are in every room, and a 2-car garage is included. Amenities include a pool, cabana, tot lot and a hiking trail that the whole family can enjoy together. Sales of Whispering Woods open to the public on Saturday, December 13 at 10 a.m. at D.R. Horton’s Magnolia Green Sales Office, located at 3207 Azalea Blossom Dr. For more information on Whispering Woods, or any other D.R. Horton communities, call the Magnolia Green Sales office at 717-7501 or visit http://tpa.drhorton.com.

Edward Jones to Host Holiday Open House Elijah Heath, a local financial advisor for the financial services firm Edward Jones, invites the public to attend a Holiday Open House at 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, December 18 at 16132 Churchview Dr., Suite 201, Lithia. “We are happy to be part of the Lithia community and would like to express our appreciation for the confidence and support we receive year-round,” Heath said. Edward Jones provides financial services for individual investors in the United States and, through its affiliates, in Canada and the United Kingdom. Edward Jones is headquartered in St. Louis. For information, call 657-2078 or www.edwardjones.com.

BNI Helps Business Owners The Valrico Money Source Chapter of Business Networking International (BNI) is hosting an open networking meeting on December 4. This informative meeting will demonstrate recession-proof marketing ideas and concepts for small business owners and will begin at 7:30 a.m. at the River Hills Country Club in Valrico. A meeting fee of $5 is charged to cover room and breakfast fee. Interested parties need only e-mail Teresa Rojek at trojek@rojekhomeservices.com to reserve a seat and for additional information or directions (reservations required). For more information, call Rojek at 833-0223 or visit www.bniwcf.com.

Pinch A Penny Celebrates Two Years Pinch A Penny Boyette/FishHawk, located at the intersection of Boyette Rd., Bell Shoals Rd., and FishHawk Blvd., is celebrating two years in business this month taking care of residents swimming pool needs. “We are proud to be a Florida state contract licensed Pinch A Penny, offering not only supplies and expertise at our retail store, but on-site repair and cleaning at your swimming pool with skilled technicians,” said owner Kim Zerr. Hours are Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sun. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. For more information, call 657-1054.

Business Hosts Retirement Seminar What are you doing now to secure your financial future? Plan Retirement is hosting a retirement seminal on Tuesday, January 13, to help residents learn the best ways to financial stability . The program will reveal proven techniques to help residents preserve capital, decrease risk exposure and reduce tax burden. There is not charge or obligation, just information that can help you choose appropriate financial options if you are retired or preparing for retirement. The event will take place at 7 p.m. at Delaney Creek Lodge, Brandon. For more information, call Marsha at 263-7611.

Resident Earns Professional Designation The slumping Real Estate market in Florida has homeowners searching for ways to help bring a profit in the sale of their homes. Home Staging® has become one such tool. By properly cleaning, de-cluttering and preparing a house for the market before it is listed homeowners have a better chance of selling their home in record time and for more money, in fact an 80 percent better chance according to nationally collected statistics found on Stagedhomes.com. Bloomingdale Teresa Rojek, accredited as an Accredited Staging Professional (ASP®) in 2006, is now serving the Tampa Bay area as an Accredited Staging Professional Master (ASPM®). Teresa is among 350 Master Stagers nationwide. The ASP and ASPM designation are the only Staging designations recognized by the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Rojek, owner of Rojek Home Services received hands-on instruction from the creator of Home Staging, Barb Schwarz. For more information about Home Staging in the Tampa Bay area, contact Rojek at 833-0223 or trojek@rojekhomeservices.com.

Snap Fitness Opens in Lithia With the holiday season underway, what better time to start an exercise regime? And the newly opened Snap Fitness on FishHawk Blvd. makes it easy to get in shape. The fitness center, featuring a variety of cardio and exercise equipment, can be accessed 24 hours a day so members can attend at their convenience. Staff are in the location during business hours. Rates start at about $1 a day and members do not need to sign a long term contract and can pay as they go. All members can visit any of the Snap Fitness locations around the country and access bonus online training, nutrition and wellness services. Branches are also expected to open soon in Valrico at the intersection of Brentwood Hills Blvd. and S. Mt. Carmel Rd. and Brandon at Providence Lakes Blvd. and Providence Rd. For more information, call 341-SNAP (7627) or visit www.snapfitness.com.

Cardel Homes Introduces Evening Hours Cardel Homes, the builder of single family, multi-family and resort homes in locations across North America, plans to accommodate homebuyers’ schedules by providing new model home hours. The new hours are as follows: Monday-Friday, 2-8 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday, 12 Noon-6 p.m. Having over 30 years in the construction business, Cardel attributes its success to dedication to quality, fairness and community involvement, being an active member of the Tampa Bay community. For more information, visit www.cardelhomes.com.

Filed under Business · Tagged with Anniversary, bell shoals baptist church, Belts, Brandon Chamber, brandon chamber of commerce, call, car accidents, church food pantry, county traffic, ctst, D.R. Horton, Donna, Dr. For, Edward Jones, Elijah Heath, Farm, FishHawk - Bloomingdale, Government, greater brandon chamber, High, Hillsborough County, Holiday, homemade soups, House, information, Melissa Snively, Ms. Cyndi, Newsome, November, number one cause of death, pinecrest rd, pork sandwich, Ribbon, safety, safety belts, sister restaurant, southern bbq, spa package, st joseph, State, student, U.S., wrecked car

Eye on Business Brandon

Posted by Kate Quesada on November 24, 2008 · Leave a Comment

Rolling Pin Gingerbread House Contest Grab your gumdrops, icing guns and gingerbread and get ready to compete in Rolling Pin Kitchen Emporium’s First Annual Gingerbread House Competition with proceeds benefiting Lost Angels Animal Rescue.
Residents of all ages are welcome to take part in this newly created event, entering gingerbread houses of their own creation on a throwaway base measuring 18 inches by 18 inches. With eight residents already registered, chef Dave West, who co-owns the business with wife Karen, is looking for many more to compete, with first place’s prize being a $200 Rolling Pin gift card, second place comprising of a $100 Rolling Pin gift card and third place consisting of a $50 Rolling Pin gift card. Contestants will also have the chance to vie for Peoples Choice Award, winning a premium gingerbread bakeware pan, gingerbread cookie mix and a gingerbread house kit. All residents are welcome to visit the store and cast their votes for what they consider to be the best gingerbread house.
Residents are welcome to enter multiple times, each at $10 a piece. With all proceeds being donated to Lost Angels Animal Rescue, a no-kill canine shelter in Tampa that West heard of through his store’s every-other-month meet and greet of dogs and their owners, West, who has two dogs himself, is hoping to raise over $250.
“Remember, sometimes the simplest houses end up being the best ones. No experience is needed, just great-looking, well-made houses,” concludes West.
All entries must be dropped off between 11 a.m.-12:45 p.m. on Saturday, December 13. Then, contestants must return to the store between 1:30-2 p.m. to be present to win and have their picture taken and published. The judging for the event will begin at 1 p.m. All entries will be on display until Saturday, December 20. For more information, call 653-2418 or visit www.rollingpinonline.com. To learn more about Lost Angels Animal Rescue, visit www.lostangelsanimalrescue.org.

Consultants Help Residents Invest
Are you looking for some assistance with your investments during these difficult economic times? Then turn to Harold Travlee and Sylvia Williams of Channelside Consultant Group.
“Channelside Consultant Group was founded to strategically empower the art of investment and financial freedom through real estate and financial investments,” says Travlee, the group’s owner and CEO. “Channelside Consultant Group’s mission is to build the most dynamic, profitable and reputable consulting firm in Tampa Bay by delivering outstanding service and value to clients and unique opportunities with superior return.”
With strategic alliances and partnerships in residential and commercial real estate investments, financing and management and business and personal loans, Channelside Consultant Group structures the deal from start to finish, securing all parties of the transaction.
“We have over 20 years in business development, real estate, finance and insurance and aim to be recognized as the number one choice of strategic investor relations through conducting business with integrity, teaching, and follow through,” says Travlee.
Channelside Consultant Group is located at 156 E. Bloomingdale Ave. and can be reached at 654-2403 and channelsideconsultantgroup@gmail.com. For more information, visit www.channelsideconsultants.com.

Store Opens For Special Occasions
Looking for that perfect dress for homecoming or another formal occasion? Bloomingdale resident Cheryl Bowen recently opened Perfection Prom and Party on Bloomingdale Ave. offering dresses, evening gowns and accessories for prom, Sweet Sixteen, Quinceanera, Bat Mitzvah, holiday parties, destination weddings and other formal events.
A dress registry insures that the dress you choose will be unique for your occasion. Perfection offers personalized service with friendly sales staff to assist you in a fresh, contemporary setting with later store hours to accommodate its busy customers’ schedules. Appointments and fashion show bookings are also available.
Bowen, the wife of a retired Air Force officer, has experienced over a dozen military relocations throughout the United States and Europe and understands the value of a well-stocked dress shop when the need for formal attire arises.
“In addition,” adds Bowen, “my teenage daughter Hannah’s friends are always happy to offer advice, keeping me in the loop and up on the latest trends.”
Perfection Prom is located at 10313 Bloomingdale Ave., across from SuperTarget in the Bloomingdale Towne Center, and can be reached at 621-1991. For more information, visit www.perfectionprom.com.

Mandalay Mist Gets New Home
Mandalay Mist Bronzing Spa and Boutique recently moved to a new location at 1123 Professional Park Dr. in Brandon (behind the Publix on Causeway Blvd.) after four-and-a-half-years at its current location at One Divine Place.
According to owner Allison Macri, the new location has been well-received by clients. “Besides being in a more convenient part of town for many of our customers, the upfront parking allows quick access to the boutique and tanning,” says Macri.
Mandalay Mist has been exclusively offering and specializing in UV-free mist tanning since opening in April of 2004. With over 4,000 customers to date, its popularity spans the ages with clients ranging from 13 to 82 years old.
In addition to award winning mist tanning, Mandalay Mist also features a specialty boutique for jewelry, handbags, clothing, giftware, gifts for baby, and much more. New lines for this holiday season include By Boe jewelry, Zum soaps, Skeem candles, Makes Scents candles – made right here in the Brandon area – giftable ornaments, Poo-pourri, Madie Deluxe handbags, Lucy B. perfume, and Wonderful Wacky Women gift art. Mandalay Mist will continue to feature jewelry and art from local artists as well.
For updates and more information, call 662-MIST (6478) or visit www.MandalayMist.com.

Health Food Store Opens on Lumsden
Kuznova, a health food store, opened recently on Lumsden Rd. at its intersection with Mt. Carmel Rd. Owned by Valrico resident Valeri Kouzine, Kuznova stocks a wide variety of health and organic foods, vitamins and supplements from all over the world.
“We look for the best quality and variety and stock it for our customers,” says Kouzine, who is originally from Russia.
Stock ranges from organic cereal, snacks and teas to fresh cheese, milk and flax seed and vitamins.
The store is located at 1316 E. Lumsden Rd. and can be reached at 315-9858.

Unique Gifts And More At The Bead Boutique
From girls’ nights out to gifts for all occasions, The Bead Boutique on Lithia Pinecrest Rd. has something for everyone.
“The focus of The Bead Boutique is extraordinary creations made from semiprecious gemstones, pearls, imported glass and Swarovski crystal, interspersed with unique gold and sterling accessories to help complete the jewelry,” says owner Eva Areias. “Our friendly and helpful staff is always on hand to create a warm and inviting atmosphere where beaders of all expertise levels can express their creativity through design, take classes and enjoy each other’s company.”
The store also offers a variety of jewelry-making classes from beginner to advanced levels where bead lovers can find crystal, silver, gold, semi-precious, glass, chain, stringing materials, tools and all the supplies they need to create beautiful jewelry.
“With a large selection of beads and a spacious, comfortable work environment, we encourage customers to pull up a chair and learn this exciting, addictive craft where imagination is your only limitation,” says Areias.
Residents can host children’s birthday parties or girls’ nights out in the store’s private room and classes take place regularly with a schedule available at www.thebeadboutique.com.
Hours are Monday and Wednesday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., and Sunday from 12 Noon-5 p.m.
The Bead Boutique is located at 913 Lithia Pinecrest Rd., next to Tuesday Morning, and can be reached at 662-9900.

Grow Financial Receives a Superior
Grow Financial Federal Credit Union, one of the leading credit unions in the nation and the fifth largest in the state of Florida, recently received a superior 5-star rating from Bauer Financial, a primary agency for evaluating the strength of financial institutions.
The rating is the highest possible Bauer Financial awards and is based upon a complex formula which factors in relevant data including: capital, historical trends, loan delinquencies, differences in the book and market values of the investment portfolio, profitability, repossessed assets, reserves, charge-offs, regulatory compliance and asset quality. Complete results are available at www.bauerfinancial.com.
“In this time of uncertainty in the financial markets,” says Robert L. Fisher, president and CEO of Grow Financial, “this is extremely reassuring news for our membership and emphasizes the sound managerial philosophy which has guided our credit union. As an example, we never engaged in sub-prime mortgage lending, because we determined these types of products were not in the best interest of our members. We exist simply to give our members a safe place to save and borrow money at reasonable rates.”
“Our country is currently in a difficult economic environment,” adds Fisher, “but whether times are good or bad, Grow Financial will always work diligently to safeguard the deposits, mortgages and loans of our members.”
Headquartered in Tampa, Grow Financial Federal Credit Union was established in 1955 and now ranks as one of the leading credit unions in the nation, with 18 branches and $1.8 billion in assets. Originally founded to provide financial services for the military and civilian personnel of MacDill Air Force Base, Grow Financial has since expanded membership beyond its traditional affiliation to include the employees of 1,100 local businesses. Today, the credit union serves more than 183,000 members throughout its five-county market area in Tampa Bay.
For more information, visit www.growfinancial.org.

Filed under Business · Tagged with Allison Macri, Bead, bloomingdale, Brandon, Causeway Blvd., Cheryl Bowen, consultant group, Consultants Help, destination weddings, E. Bloomingdale, E. Lumsden, economic times, Eva Areias, evening gowns, financial investments, group structures, Harold Travlee, Kuznova, Lucy, outstanding service, personal loans, quinceanera, real estate finance, real estate investments, staff, strategic alliances, Sylvia Williams, United States

Eye On Business Riverview

Posted by Kate Quesada on November 10, 2008 · Leave a Comment

Apollo Beach Flooring Grand Opening
New Owners of Apollo Beach Flooring celebrate with ribbon cutting From flooring and cabinets to countertops, blinds, shutters or shades, Apollo Beach Flooring has everything you need to give your home a face lift. Newly owned by Richard Widmer and Dorothy Williams, Apollo Beach Flooring offers sale and installation of carpet, wood flooring, laminate flooring, cork, tile, (floors, walls, backsplash etc), VCT and vinyl and cabinets (custom and prefab), countertops (laminate, granite, solid surface) and custom blinds, shutters and shades. It also provides floor repairs, carpet stretching, cabinet repairs and floor care products. “We come to your home or business to measure and give you a free estimate. We offer a lifetime warranty on our installations,” says Widmer, who has 27 years experience in the industry. “We love this area. It is a beautiful quaint town. This area is growing and we felt we could make a contribution to the community with Rick’s expertise and knowledge.” Apollo Beach Flooring and More is located at 205 Apollo Beach Blvd, Ste. 105 and can be reached at 645-6118 or apolloflooring@verizon.net. Hours are Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Store Opens For Special Occasions Looking for that perfect dress for homecoming or another formal occasion? Bloomingdale resident Cheryl Bowen recently opened Perfection Prom and Party on Bloomingdale Ave. offering dresses, evening gowns and accessories for prom, sweet sixteen, quinceanera, and other formal events. A dress registry insures that the dress you choose will be unique for your occasion. Perfection offers personalized service with friendly sales staff to assist you in a fresh, contemporary setting with later store hours to accommodate its busy customers’ schedules. Appointments and fashion show bookings are also available. Bowen, the wife of a retired Air Force officer has experienced over a dozen military relocations throughout the United States and Europe and understands the value of a well-stocked dress shop when the need for formal attire arises. “In addition,” adds Bowen, “My teenage daughter Hannah’s friends are always happy to offer advice, keeping me in the loop and up on the latest trends.” Perfection Prom is located at 10313 Bloomingdale Ave., across from SuperTarget in the Bloomingdale Towne Center, and can be reached at 621-1991. For more information, visit www.perfectionprom.com.

Thai Restaurant Opens on Boyette In the Thai language, “chai yo” means “cheers” and at the new Chai Yo Thai Cuisine customers are treated to a celebration with every meal. “We strive to infuse a celebratory, yet refined, spirit into the food that we prepare, the service that we provide, and the atmosphere that we create for our guests,” says owner Topp Saenngarm. “We will offer a dining experience that highlights the simple elegance of Thai cuisine and the warmth of Thai culture, so that our guests will come to think of Chai Yo as the ideal place to relax with friends and family.” Located at 11695 Boyette Rd., Chai Yo’s menu includes a wide variety of Thai favorites from Pad Thai to Green and Red Curry and appetizers such as fresh rolls and satays. “We pride ourselves on three main principles: the quality of our foods and services, the teamwork of our employees and the respect we have for each other and our customers,” says Saenngarm, who started in the restaurant business at the age of 16 and went on to get a graduate degree in engineering from the University of South Florida. For more information, visit the Website at www.chaiyothaicuisine.com or call 671-6935.

TechPlayzone Plans Night Out Every third weekend TechPlayzone invites young people to participate in Parents’ Night Out from 6:30-11 p.m. Leaving parents with an evening off, young people are able to enjoy TechPlayzone’s computers, movie making, electronic kits and more. During the month of December, there will be two weekends of Parents’ Night Out so that parents may take advantage of additional time for holiday shopping, cooking and gift wrapping. During Parents’ Night Out, TechPlayzone staff orders pizza and provides drinks and popcorn. The cost is $30 per child per night plus $15 for each sibling. TechPlayzone is a science and technology center conveniently located near Riverview, Valrico, Lithia and Brandon communities. TechPlayzone is pleased to announce that it is a finalist for 2008 Brandon Chamber of Commerce Small Business Award. Parents can find out more about TechPlayzone’s Parents’ Night Out, Tech Camps, After School Programs and Birthday Parties by calling 684-7329 or visit techplayzone.com/techplay.

Lil’ Swimmer Aquatics Offers Swim Lessons Although summer has come to an end, it is never too late to teach your little one to swim. New business, Lil’ Swimmer Aquatics teaches children from about 8 months, or as soon as they can crawl, to 5 years survival swimming skills based on the proven PediaSwim methodology in the Apollo Beach, Ruskin, Riverview and Brandon areas. “One of the unique aspects of this business is that I can actually go to the family’s home pool to teach their children to swim,” says Owner and Apollo Beach resident Korey Nielson, a graduate of the PediaSwin Academy. “All of our lessons are one-on-one with the child so we can individualize the lesson and gear the lessons toward the child’s learning style.” For more information, call 777-3373 or visit www.lilswimmer.net.

Resident Offers Legal Services in Riverview Riverview resident Michael C. McGinn, P.A. recently moved his law office from downtown Tampa to the Riverview area offering residents help in the areas of family law, personal injury and auto accidents and criminal defense. “Unless I am with a client or in court I will always take your call and I am available 24/7. I have night and weekend appointments available and I offer services at affordable fees which is important in today’s economy,” says McGinn, who graduated from Florida State University and Stetson University College of Law (cum laude) and worked as a legislative assistant to former U.S. Senator Bob Graham and tried more than 60 jury trials to verdict for the Office of the State Attorney in Polk County. “I chose the location because it is close to home and it is a growing area that is currently underserved by the legal community,” says McGinn. For more information, call 374-0353 or visit www.yourtampadefense.com.

Dove Interiors Comes to Southbay After 17 years in business in Ruskin, Dove Interiors opened a second store in the Shoppes at Southbay, Dove Interiors, Too, recently offering Riverview residents a one-stop-shop for flooring with products including carpet, hardwood, tile, laminate, cork, blinds, shades, shutters, soft valances, drapery, bedding, area rugs and floor cleaning products. Owned and operated by the mother, daughter and son team of Joan Miller, Kimberly Scott and Rick Razick, Dove Interiors offers a “Beautiful Guarantee,” which helps eliminate some of the stress from ordering flooring by replacing the selection with another if for any reason our customer is unhappy. “We also have the absolute best, nicest, most polite and experienced installers that you will appreciate having in your home,” says Miller. “Our main crew leader has been with us for over 13 years. That’s almost unheard of in this industry. We are very proud of them.” Dove Interiors, Too is located at 10645 Big Bend Rd. in Riverview and can be reached at 672-9100 and Dove Interiors Carpet One is located at 2305 College Ave. in Ruskin and can be reached at 645-8660.

Resident Makes Travel Fun Riverview resident Dee Deel Klotz Khayyata knows the ins and outs of the travel industry. As the face of Superocity.com, Khayyata, along with her husband Faez, help travelers find the best prices on vacations and more. While the main product is travel, the Website also features a honeymoon registry, along with car, golf and flower Websites. Customers are also offered tickets to sporting events, concerts, theatres, Disney and Busch Gardens. They can also help with passports, foreign currency exchange, a variety of vacation packages, last minute deals and much more. The Khayyatas, who moved to Riverview from Dearborn, MI, in February 2008, are both referring travel agents and independent marketing reps for the company. Superocity.com is open 24/7, 365 days a year via the internet at www.superocity.com. For more information, call Khayyata at 964-6356.

Storage Facility Opens For residents of the SouthShore who love their boats, trailers, RVs and campers but need a cost effective place to park them, there is a new low cost solution, Buc-A-Day Storage in Ruskin. Located at 1415 3rd St. N.E., Buc-A-Day Storage specializes in the outdoor storage of vehicles and is situated on 18.5 acres. Owners Kent Rankin and Richard Crannell, Honorary Mayor of Apollo Beach, saw low cost, clean, safe, 24/7 access and high technology driven outdoor storage was a growing need for the SouthShore area. “Our motto, ‘Home of the 0.99 cent special, (under 30 feet in length)’ makes outdoor storage an affordable alternative to more expensive options and even appeals to the homes with boat trailers perpetually parked in their front yards,” says Crannell. “With most new housing developments having deed restrictions and the proximity to the best boating waters in Tampa Bay, it was a perfect fit.” The location is convenient to area boat ramps and I-75 and the storage facility recently installed additional security fencing, computer operated key pads for recording use by tenants and 24 hour recorded video surveillance and additional lighting through out the facility. For more information, e-mail richard.crannell@verizon.net or call 480-1916.

Firm Announces Successful Peer Review The Apollo Beach accounting firm of Alvarez Company, P.A. CPA Firm has successfully completed a rigorous review of its accounting and auditing practice. The reviewer concluded the firm complies with the stringent quality control standards set by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the national professional organization of CPA’s. José A. Alvarez CPA, managing director of Alvarez Company P.A. CPA Firm, has been a member of the AICPA for the over 34 years and explained the importance of the AICPA Peer Review. The firm focuses on privately-owned businesses, individuals, and not-for-profit organizations with an emphasis on advising business owners and is located at 605 Apollo Beach Blvd. For additional information on the firm, contact Alvarez by e-mail jalvarez@alvarezcpa.com or visit www.alvarezcpa.com. New Identities Celebrates Anniversary New Identities Salon is celebrating two years in business at its SouthShore location on November 14. Owner Kelly Higgs- Rockquemore started the company with a salon in Tampa in 1994, which is now a tour salon for Redkin, one of six in the country. Rockquemore now coaches the stylists in the salon every month, administers the educational fund, is in charge of budgeting, promotions, hiring and inventory control of all supplies and oversees several non-profit benefits. New Identities SouthShore is located at 10639 Big Bend Rd. and can be reached at 741-1177.

South Bay Recognizes World Stroke Day South Bay Hospital, located at 4016 Sun City Center Blvd. in Sun City, is celebrating World Stroke Day throughout the months of October and November by educating the community about stroke. Kim McKell, RN, MSN, stroke coordinator is spreading the word about what you can do to lower your risk of stroke, how to recognize the signs and symptoms of stroke and the importance of calling 911 if you or someone you know might be experiencing a stroke. For more information about stroke, contact McKell at 634-0249. If you would like to have McKell speak to your community group or organization, please contact Melissa Morgan at 634-0496.

Heath Fair at Prime Care Prime Care of Tampa Bay invites residents to attend a community health fair to promote healthy living on November 15 from 9 a.m.-12 Noon at its office at 13142 Elk Mountain Dr. in Riverview. During the event, residents will have the opportunity to meet the office’s doctors Cecil Sue-Wah-Sing MD and Jocelyn Bueno MD and can participate in health screenings, give-aways and more. Event sponsors include LinCare, WellCare, Tower Diagnostic, ACE Homecare, Reliance Consulting, Pediatric Healthcare Alliance and One Touch. For more information, call 672-8440.

Pedal for Prevention Through November Expresso Fitness and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recently announced their partnership for Pedal for Prevention, a virtual ride-a-thon to raise funds for diabetes research, advocacy and education taking place in select fitness facilities across the country. Riverview Snap Fitness Center, located at 11369 Big Bend Rd. in Riverview, is one facility taking part from November 2-16. Throughout this time, participants can hop on an Expresso Bike and earn miles (and pledges) at any time. This virtual ride-a-thon is truly the first of its kind that allows individuals to use their daily cardio workout to benefit others. For more information, visit www.diabetes.org/tour or www.expresso.net.

Medical Group Opens Riverview Office Brandon Family Medical Care, which is celebrating six years of business in the Brandon area, recently opened the doors to its Riverview location at 13007 Summerfield Square Dr. offering a full range of personalized medical services for your entire family. In addition to providing children ages 2 years and up with routine care (physicals, immunizations) and urgent care issues, the office provides women’s health care needs including annual exams/pap smears, cancer screening, evaluation of abnormal cycles, family planning, osteoporosis risk assessment, PMS/Menopausal concerns, and natural/alternative treatments for menopause and treatment for acne, skin cancer screening, wart removal, weight loss, smoking cessation, auto accidents, sexual dysfunction, depression and anxiety, chronic pain, unsightly moles, varicose veins and scar treatment. Owned by Lithia residents Michael Davis, MD, and John Fehling, MD, Valrico resident Randell Sehres, MD, and David Thiele, MD, all Brandon Family Medical Care physicians are Board Certified Family Practice Physicians and are members in good standing with the Florida Medical Association. Brandon Family Medical Care-South is located on the corner of Big Bend Rd. and U.S. Hwy. 301 S., across the parking lot from CiCi’s Pizza and can be reached at 684-5255.Hours of operation are Monday- Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

YMCA Hosts Corks and Forks Themed with the title Down Under and Australian decor, Corks and Forks will take place poolside at Campo YMCA’s newly unveiled Family Fun Pool, located at 3414 Culbreath Rd. in Valrico, on Saturday, November 22, from 7-10 p.m. Tickets cost $50 for YMCA members and $75 for non-members.

Wilhelm Holds Breakfast For 80 In October, Mary Ann Wilhelm hosted her third annual campaign breakfast for her campaign for Honorary Mayor of Ruskin. Over 80 tickets were sold for the event. The grand prize – a brand new fully installed Carrier Infinity home cooling system was won by Dick Berg, an employee of Lewers Funeral Home. The second prize, a two-day, one night stay at the Resort and Club at Little Harbor was won by local resident Brian Lantz. The wine gift basket provided by SouthShore Community Bank was won by local attorney Damon Glisson. Gift baskets from the Ruskin Redneck Training Company were won by Dr. Stephen Murray and local resident Trish Todd. A handmade fashion wrap donated by local realtor Roberta Rowe was won by Joe Horvath. Carol Spagnola of Cruzin Canine Cuts won a gourmet chocolate basket provided by Wilhelm and Lori Graves of Southeast Glass and Mirror won a gift certificate from the Saints and Sinners Restaurant and Lounge provided by Allen Tidwell of Affinity Insurance Group. Food was provided by Wilhelm Heating and AC, Inc., and prepared by Judy Hamp of Weichert Realtors, SouthShore. For further information, contact Anne Madden, marketing director of Wilhelm Heating and AC, Inc., at 641-1811.

Dog Park Celebrates Anniversary Give A Dog A Bone, located at 6114 N. U.S. Hwy. 41 in Apollo Beach, is holding an Ott’s dog park third year anniversary celebration on Saturday, November 15, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Bring your pups for a day of fun. There will be food for the owners and treats and food samples for the pups. Attendees are asked to donate $5 as they come in for the celebration. Give A Dog A Bone will also be hosting Christmas pet/family pictures on Saturday, November 8, and Saturday, November 22, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. On Saturday, November 15, the Presents for Pups drive kicks off. The shop will be collecting dog/cat food, treats, toys, beds (even gently used), towels, blankets, shampoo, cleaning supplies, office supplies, etc. All supplies collected will be dispersed to C.A.R.E. shelter in Ruskin, Humane Society of Tampa and local rescue groups before Christmas. All supplies can be dropped off at Give A Dog A Bone. If you have any questions, please call 641-3734. Feline Folks Initiates Program Feline Folks, a non-profit dedicated to humane feline management, is conducting a free educational program on Wednesday, November 12, at 7 p.m. at SouthShore Regional Library, off 19th Ave. NE. The topic is The Emotional Life of Cats and Pet Holiday Hazards. Paw pads and 2009 calendars will also be available for sale. For more information, email Info@FelineFolks.org or call 944-7651.

Civic Association Promotes Family Time A Bicycle Rodeo sponsored by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department will be held on Saturday, November 15, from 9 a.m.-12 Noon or until supplies run out. The event will be hosted by the Apollo Beach Civic Association, taking place at the SouthShore Methodist United Church in the Harbor Point Business Center located at 435 Apollo Beach Blvd. Deputy Fletcher invites all area children to come (with an adult or a parent) with their bicycles for a safety check, to ride “the challenge” and to be awarded for completing these tasks. Bicycle helmets and loaner bikes will be available. The association will also hold a 1958 Movie Night with refreshments and a non-denomination service at the Calvary Luthern Church, located at 5309 U.S. Hwy. 41, on Friday, November 14, starting at 6:30 p.m. The event is organized by Kathi Sheehan of SouthShore Methodist United Church. For more information, call 649-9462 or email apollobchcivicassoc@tampabay.rr.com.

Help Elmira’s Wildlife Sanctuary Elmira’s Wildlife Sanctuary 2009 calendar is at the printer and should be available for sale at $7 each or three for $20. This product is an excellent way to share the sanctuary’s mission with family and friends. On November 22, Saturday, there is a stable party at Sundance, and the sanctuary is having a yard sale and needs stuff to sell, people to buy stuff, people with muscles and/or a truck to move stuff around. The organization also has ongoing needs for volunteers to help with the animals, yard work and maintenance, shopping, small office tasks and most of all, people to cover the sanctuary. Please call Lois Croft at 385-4595 if you can help with any of the events mentioned.

Mayoral Candidate Announces Events Christa Jerome announces her Christa 4 Mayor schedule of events: Sunday, November 23, at 8 a.m. a Charity Toy Run will be held at X-Treme Power Sports of Tampa located at 1019 U.S. Hwy. 301 S. Registration begins at 7 a.m. with $20 per driver and $10 per rider. On Friday, December 12, at 12 Noon the Twelve Days of Christmas Golf Tournament will take place at Summerfield Crossings Golf Club. There will be contests for the Longest Drive and Hole-in-One as well as raffles and a dinner buffet. All proceeds benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Riverview. Email Christa4Mayor@yahoo.com or visit www.Christa4Mayor.com for more information.

Fall Plant Sale Arrives The Riverview Garden Club will be holding its annual Fall Plant Sale on Saturday, November 15, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. There will be many different varieties such as Florida natives, herbs and annuals, to name a few, at prices that will amaze your pocket books. The sale will be held at 9403 U.S. Hwy. 301 S. in Riverview. For more information, call President Marlene Kirst at 653-1459. Summerfield Happenings Located at 13011 Summerfield Blvd., Riverview, Summerfield’s Annual Holiday Market will kick off on Saturday, December 8, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Residents will find a wide variety of holiday gifts to choose from with 50-plus craft vendors, artists and home-based businesses onsite. Remember to bring the little ones to Tinsel Town at 12 Noon as Santa arrives. Attendees are encouraged to bring a new unwrapped toy to the Holiday Market as part of Summerfield’s Toys for Kids holiday project. New unwrapped toys can also be dropped off the day of the holiday craft show or anytime before December 15. All toys will be donated to a local charity for distribution just in time for Christmas. Registration opens November 1 for crafters, artisans and local small businesses wishing to participate in the Holiday Market this season. The cost is $25 per table and $10 for electrical. Wine Tasting Also taking place is Time for Wine – It’s A Taste of European Tradition on Tuesday, December 2, at 6:30 p.m. at Summerfield Community Center. Hosted by Charles Visalli from a Time for Wine, guests will sample a wide range of wines, learn their varieties and characteristics and discover how to match them with various foods. Cheese and crackers will be served. The cost is $7 per person. For more information or to RSVP, call Summerfield’s Program Administrator Chelsea Greene at 671-4568. Summerfield announces its upcoming Holiday Market and Time for Wine events for December.

Veterans Save on Gas If you are a U.S. veteran and have access to the VA system, the Disabled American Veterans Chapter No. 110 of Sun City Center now operates a new service van to the James A. Haley VA Hospital in Tampa. Any such veteran is eligible to use this free service. It operates on a regular week-day schedule. It is not a “handicap accessible” vehicle, nor is it a taxi service. Reservations for the van service must be made seven days prior to the appointment by calling 642-0302 and indicating your name, telephone number, date and day of week the ride is needed, as well as the van pick-up station number to be used. Volunteer drivers from Sun City Center and South Shore area are needed. If interested, please call 634-4489.

Barbershop Chorus Welcomes Members South Shore Sound, a women’s barbershop chorus affiliated with Sweet Adelines International, is offering a holiday performance opportunity for women on Sunday, December 14. Participants will attend rehearsals starting Monday, November 3, every Monday at 7 p.m. for six weeks at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church located at 1239 Del Webb Blvd. W. in Sun City Center. Rehearsals will be led by Meg Mahoney, director of the South Shore Sound Chorus. On Sunday, December 14, participants will apply what they have learned by singing in a Holiday Show with the South Shore Sound Chorus. The show will be held at the United Methodist Church in Sun City Center. For further information, go to www.southshoresound.org or call Terry at 786-9418.

St. Anne Women Meet The Saint Anne Council of Catholic Women held its annual “Salad Supper” in October at the parish center on U.S. Hwy. 41 in Ruskin. Guest speaker for the evening was Stephanie Bosse, program coordinator for the Catholic Relief Services Fair Trade Program in the Orlando Diocese. Her topic for the evening was “A Cup of Justice,” and she addressed, in particular, Fair Trade’s efforts to provide fair wages and profits for workers in Nicaraguan coffee cooperatives. The next meeting of the Saint Anne Women’s Council will be held on Tuesday, November 11, and will include a memorial service for deceased members. For more information, contact the parish office at 645-1714.

Veterans Receive Homage Destiny Church, located at 2322 11th Ave. SE in Ruskin, is hosting a “Salute to Veterans” on Sunday, November 9, at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. The annual event will pay homage to veterans of the Armed Forces and Merchant Marines with patriotic music and video presentations. The honored history, bravery and sacrifice of members of the Armed Forces throughout the history of the United States will be the focus of attention. Chuck Reif, Lt. Col. USMC (retired) will be the featured speaker. Jerry Lubrano, the lead pastor of Destiny Church is himself a 20-year veteran of the United States Air Force, retiring in 1989 from active duty, and will be presenting each veteran who attends the service with a commemorative coin to say thank you for honored service to our country. For more information, call 645-3337.

St. John Episcopal to Host Bazaar St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, located at 705 9th St. SE in Ruskin, is having its annual Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, November 15, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Coffee and doughnuts will be served early and a luncheon will take place at 12 Noon (donations accepted) with the infamous Singing Waiters. There will be Attic Treasures, creative crafts, Christmas items, baked breads, cookies, cakes and homemade canned goodies for sale as well as a raffle, jewelry, gift baskets and a Chinese auction. Also, St. John the Divine celebrated the church’s 46th anniversary in October with a Fall Dinner/Dance. The dinner was catered by Tasty Solutions and music by The Two of Us. For more information, call 645-1521.

Gibsonton Church Holds Men’s Fellowship First Baptist Church of Gibsonton, located at 9912 Indiana St. in Gibsonton, is to host a Men’s Fellowship Meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 18. There will be a potluck dinner, devotions and prayer requests. For more information, call 677-1301, Anthony at 654-8865 or visit http://1stbaptistgibsonton.org. Fall Festival at RUMC Riverview United Methodist Church, located at 8002 U.S. Hwy. 301 S. and the corner of Riverview Dr., will be having its Fall Festival on Saturday, November 15, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. The Festival will have lots of fun things to do for young and old including: games for children and adults, inflatable rides, pony rides, crafts, food, music, an old-fashion cake walk and much more. All proceeds from the festival will be used for various charitable and mission needs. Space is available for crafters and antique dealers. If you wish to reserve booth space, please contact Kimberly Blaisdell at 458-3584. For more information, visit www.riverviewflumc.org or contact Linda Bauer at 677-0868.

Shop at Beall’s to Help Calvary For the third year, Beall’s Outlet, located in Cypress Village Shopping Center near Home Depot, will be offering punches on its discount cards for non-perishable food items being collected at its location through Christmas. Just bring your items to the store to deposit in a box near the checkouts and receive your punch on your card. All food items will be donated to the Community Cupboard in Ruskin, a ministry of Calvary Lutheran Church in Apollo Beach. Punch cards can be used personally or donated for use by Calvary when it does supplemental shopping for its annual Angel Tree project which provides Christmas gifts for underprivileged children. If you or your organization has a desire to help, contact the Calvary church office at 645-1305.

Youth Group Sends Thanks to Supporters During the month of September, 23 youth from St. Anne Catholic Church High School Youth Group and four adult chaperones attended Rock the Universe at Universal Studios in Orlando. The weekend included two nights of Christian concerts and a day at Islands of Adventure. It was an inspirational event for all in attendance. The group would like to thank all who support the youth group, making events like this possible. In November, the youth group is attending the Homeless Retreat in St. Petersburg. The youth group meets Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8 p.m.; new members are welcome. The church is located at 106 11th Ave. NE in Ruskin. For more information, call 645-1714.

PlayMania to Honor Gymboree Memberships As reported this week, Gymborees in Hillsborough County abruptly closed after the franchise owner filed for bankruptcy. Whitney and Todd Brundage, owners of PlayMania, Inc. recognize that this is an unfortunate event at a time when many parents cannot afford to purchase another membership. PlayMania will be honoring Gymboree memberships with any purchase of equal or lesser value. PlayMania will also be honoring any deposit given on a Gymboree Birthday Party. Located in Riverview on the corner of Big Bend Rd. and U.S. Hwy. 301, PlayMania is an indoor play center for children up to age 6. Featuring open play, classes and birthday parties, PlayMania is becoming widely recognized in the Riverview area. For more information, please call 649-8919 or visit www.playmaniatampa.com.

Local Girl Scouts Honored Sixteen Girl Scouts in the Riverview area were awarded their Bronze and Silver Awards at a ceremony in September. Danielle Lenhardt from Troop 784 recorded 15 books on tape and created activities related to the stories for a local church preschool. Sarah Culter, Hannah Jackson, Kylie Rowan, Alexis Rowan and Macey Wilson of Troop 1011 earned their Bronze Award as a troop by organizing a “Queen for a Day” party for girls with cancer in a local hospital. Leilani Beal, Samantha Schutte, Elizabeth Metayer, Heather Nelli, Jullian Boyar, Taylor Thibodeaux, Brynne Piesco, Kathryn Wallace, Riley Wilson, and Maggie Watts from Troop 705 also worked as a troop to earn their Silver Award. These young ladies planned and led an encampment weekend for 150 Brownie and Junior Girl Scouts. For more information on how to join, volunteer, reconnect or donate to Girl Scouts of West Central Florida, visit www.gswcf.org or call 800-881-4475.

Cub Scouts Recruit New Members Cub Scout Pack 205, which meets weekly at Riverview Elementary School, is recruiting new members from grades one through five. The pack is affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America Gulf Ridge Council. Activities include monthly camping trips, outings and an annual miniature car race, along with community service opportunities. Meetings are held at 6:30 p.m., Tuesdays in the school cafeteria located at 10809 Hannaway Dr. For information, call Cubmaster Matthew Green at 633-0853 or e-mail mgreen609@netzero.com.

Music Showcase Idol Contest Music Showcase, located at 402 Oakfield Dr. in Brandon, will hold it’s annual Idol Contest on November 15 at 10 a.m. The contest is open to all ages and is separated into three age categories: 8-12, 13-18 and 19-adult. Each age category must have at last eight participants or the contestant will be moved into the closest age category. The contest is free and open to all singers. Pre-registration is requested but not required, and all contestants must come with an accompaniment track. No live bands or musicians will be accepted. Prizes are awarded on the day of the contest, which include a free recording session. All those interested in participating should contact Wendi Pruitt at 685-5998.

Rotary Club Welcomes Speaker Paul Sponseller, vice president and trust officer of Encore Trust, recently spoke to members of the Rotary Club of SouthShore which meets every Wednesday at 12 Noon at Cypress Creek Golf Club, located at 1011 Cypress Village Blvd. in Ruskin. For more information about Rotary International, see www.rotary.org. For information about the SouthShore Rotary please call the club President, David Madden, at 447-9015.

Post Announces Meeting The next meeting of the Riverview Detachment of the Marine Corps League will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 2, at the American Legion Post 148 located at 7240 U.S. Hwy. 301 in Riverview. The detachment is always seeking new members and the meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month. All former and active duty marines plus navy corpsmen who have served a tour with the Fleet Marine Force are eligible to join. For additional information, call Jack Skelding at 672-1778 or visit www.mclriverview.org.

Chamber Unveils Night in Havana The Apollo Beach Chamber of Commerce invites you to A Night in Havana on Saturday, November 8, at the Moose Lodge Ballroom, located at 1212 E. Shell Point Rd. in Ruskin, from 6-10 p.m. The cost is $25 per person and includes Cuban cuisine, casino gambling for prizes, entertainment, a salsa contest and a silent auction. For more information, contact Joanne Gadeck at 645-1366.

Business Women Recognized National Business Women’s Day at Sava Cafe in Apollo Beach was celebrated in September by the Apollo Beach Women’s Club. It was very rewarding to see so many professional women coming together to support each other and provide information about the organization to guests. If you were unable to attend, please join the group for its monthly meeting held the third Monday of each month at Freedom Plaza in Sun City at 5:30 p.m. Visit http://abwasouthshore.com for more information.

BSSDD Has Openings The Boyette Springs Special Dependent Taxing District (BSSDD) Board of Trustees announces a vacancy for position of trustee. All homeowners who are registered voters and currently live in Boyette Springs are eligible to serve on this very important board. The BSSDD is comprised of seven volunteer homeowners. This is a working board, without a management company, which focuses on the maintenance and upkeep of the critical common areas, entrances, landscaping, exterior wall and monuments of this community as well as the setting up of the holiday decorations and floral arrangements at the five entrances. The term of service runs to September 2012. Anyone interested in serving as trustee should send their name, address and phone number to: Boyette Springs SDD, Attn: President, PO Box 1621, Riverview, FL 33568-1621 or email boyettesdd@gmail.com or bod@bshoa.org. The meetings of the BSSDD Board of Trustees are held on the second Wednesday of each month at the Tampa Bay Academy, administration building, located at12012 Boyette Rd. at 7 p.m.

Filed under Business · Tagged with Allen Tidwell, Anne Madden, apollo beach, association, basket, Bicycle, boyette, Brandon, Breakfast, Brian Lantz, campaign, Candidate Announces, Carol Spagnola, Celebration, celebratory, Charity Toy, Christa, Christa Jerome, Church, com, Damon Glisson, daughter hannah, David Thiele, Deputy Fletcher, Dick Berg, Dr. Stephen Murray, dress shop, evening gowns, family, fashion show, Feline, Forks, formal attire, formal occasion, friendly sales, Hillsborough County, Humane, information, Joe Horvath, John Fehling, Judy Hamp, latest trends, Little Harbor, Mary Ann Wilhelm, Mayor, Methodist, Michael Davis, military relocations, N. U.S. Hwy, November, pet, place, prize, program, quinceanera, Randell Sehres, resident, Roberta Rowe, ruskin, S. Registration, Sanctuary, Sheehan, Southeast Glass, SouthShore, special occasions, supertarget, sweet sixteen, teenage daughter, thai cuisine, thai culture, thai language, thai restaurant, Trish Todd, United, Wilhelm Heating, Wilhelm Holds, YMCA

Eye on Business FishHawk

Posted by Kate Quesada on October 31, 2008 · Leave a Comment

Lamb Of God Childcare Center

Tenants Move In To FishHawk Crossings
FishHawk residents now have a new option for their dry cleaning needs. Martinizing Dry Cleaners opened last month in the new FishHawk Crossings Plaza next to the Walgreens at FishHawk Blvd. and FishHawk Crossings Blvd. The location has a drive- through window for easy drop-off and pick-up and offers a wide variety of dry cleaning and laundry services.
According to leasing agent for the plaza, Matt Fuller of Barclay Group, additional tenants coming to the plaza include a dentist, named FishHawk Dental owned by Dr. Kerry Smith DDS, a FishHawk resident, which should be open by mid-November and Snap Fitness, a 24-hour fitness center also scheduled to open this month.
Check out next month’s edition of the Osprey Observer for more information on these stores.
There are still two spaces left to lease in the plaza. For more information, contact Fuller at (727) 733-7385, ext. 324.

Store Opens For Special Occasions
Looking for that perfect dress for homecoming or another formal occasion? Bloomingdale resident Cheryl Bowen recently opened Perfection Prom and Party on Bloomingdale Ave., offering dresses, evening gowns and accessories for prom, Sweet Sixteen, Quinceanera, Bat Mitzvah, holiday parties, destination weddings and other formal events.
A dress registry insures that the dress you choose will be unique for your occasion. Perfection offers personalized service with friendly sales staff to assist you in a fresh, contemporary setting with later store hours to accommodate its busy customers’ schedules. Appointments and fashion show bookings are also available.
Bowen, the wife of a retired Air Force officer, has experienced over a dozen military relocations throughout the United States and Europe and understands the value of a well-stocked dress shop when the need for formal attire arises.
“In addition,” adds Bowen, “my teenage daughter Hannah [has] friends [who] are always happy to offer advice, keeping me in the loop and up on the latest trends.”
Perfection Prom is located at 10313 Bloomingdale Ave., across from SuperTarget in the Bloomingdale Towne Center and can be reached at 621-1991. For more information, visit www.perfectionprom.com.

Orlando’s Best Offers Pizza and More
“We want to be the type of restaurant where we know our customers’ names,” says Orlando Cruz, co-owner of the new Orlando’s Best Pizzeria in the Crossroads Ace Plaza at the intersection of Lithia Pinecrest Rd. and C.R. 39.
In addition to New York style pizza, Orlando’s Best offers pasta, wings, Philly cheesesteaks, burgers and meatball sandwiches, many of which are homemade at the restaurant.
According to Cruz, the restaurant’s specialty is the double decker pizza, which is made with the restaurant’s famous dough and secret recipe sauce.
“We are very proud of what we do and what we offer,” says Cruz, a Valrico resident who co-owns the restaurant with Jim Michetti. “This is the type of restaurant where families can come in, sit down and enjoy good food at a great price.”
The restaurant is open Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. For more information, call 737-1919.

Pet Store Opens in Sweetbay Plaza
Bungle in the Jungle, a pet store located in the Sweetbay shopping plaza at the intersection of FishHawk Blvd. and Lithia Pinecrest Rd., opened recently offering everything from tropical fish to pet supplies.
Owned by FishHawk resident Karin Allen, Bungle in the Jungle carries a great selection of pets including fish, birds, reptiles and small animals. Pet supplies include food, toys and bedding, breeding supplies and medical items.
“With an exciting jungle theme, we make shopping here an experience you won’t soon forget,” says Allen, who has more than seven years experience in the business.The store is located at 16731 FishHawk Blvd. and is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sunday-Monday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
For more information, call 643-9686 or visit www.bungleinthejunglefl.com.

FishHawk Fest Planned
The FishHawk/Lithia Area Business Council of the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce will host the second FishHawk Evening Fest on Thursday, December 4. The free event will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. at FishHawk Office Park on FishHawk Blvd. (behind Regions Bank).
The event will feature local businesses showcasing their products or services and ample networking opportunities. Some of the participating businesses include: Kids Community College, Premier Care Pediatrics, FishHawk Flooring, SouthShore Realty Group, Osprey Observer, Melissa Snively State Farm Insurance, Sidekicks Martial Arts, FishHawk Storage and many more. Non-perishable items will be collected for a holiday donation to the Emergency Care Help Organization (ECHO) located in Brandon. Individuals who bring an item to donate will receive a free ticket for the door prize drawings.
The FishHawk/Lithia Area Business Council, of the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce, is a group of business owners and representatives from the area of Lithia. The council was organized to assist in both promoting the businesses within this area and to further open dialogue with local businesses to identify area specific opportunities and challenges. The Evening Fest is a joint effort of the council and its members.
For more information about the FishHawk Evening Fest or the FishHawk/Lithia Area Business Council, please contact Allison Braden at 689-1221, ext. 36 or abraden@brandonchamber.com.

Lamb of God Opens Child Care Center
Members of the Lamb of God church recently celebrated the opening of a new child care center, Open Arms Early Childhood Center, with a ribbon cutting with the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce.
The center, located at 10540 Browning Rd. in Lithia, offers child care for children starting at 6 weeks old, preschool and prekindergarten programs and before and afterschool care for children in kindergarten through fifth grade.
Applications are now being accepted for enrollment.
For more information, call the church at 653-2354 or visit www.ThisIsLove.org.

New Technician at Animal Hospital
Dr. Ellen Matheson and the staff at Alafia Animal Hospital are pleased to welcome Daphne Farmer to the team as a technician and registered dental hygienist.
In addition to having a bachelor of applied science in Dental Hygiene from St. Petersburg College, Farmer, a Lithia resident with three dogs and two cats, has an associate of science degree in Veterinary Technology from St. Petersburg Junior College.
To compliment Farmer’s skill set and Matheson’s interest in dentistry, Alafia River Animal Hospital is adding digital dental radiography to its services. These dental x-rays will enable the group to best diagnose and treat dental disease.
Alafia River Animal Hospital is located at 7017 Lithia Pinecrest Rd. For more information, visit www.alafiariveranimalhospital.com or call 643-1002.

Mandalay Mist Gets New Home
Mandalay Mist Bronzing Spa and Boutique recently moved to a new location at 1123 Professional Park Dr. in Brandon (behind the Publix on Causeway Blvd.) after four-and-a-half years at its current location at One Divine Place.
According to owner Allison Macri, the new location has been well received by clients. “Besides being in a more convenient part of town for many of our customers, the upfront parking allows quick access to the boutique and tanning,” says Macri.
Mandalay Mist has been exclusively offering and specializing in UV-free mist tanning since opening in April of 2004. With over 4,000 customers to date, its popularity spans the ages with clients ranging from 13 to 82 years old.
In addition to award winning mist tanning, Mandalay Mist also features a specialty boutique for jewelry, handbags, clothing, giftware, gifts for baby, and much more. New lines for this holiday season include By Boe jewelry, Zum soaps, Skeem candles, Makes Scents candles (made right here in the Brandon area), giftable ornaments, Poo-pourri, Madie Deluxe handbags, Lucy B. perfume, and Wonderful Wacky Women gift art. Mandalay Mist will continue to feature jewelry and art from local artists as well.
For updates and more information, call 662-MIST (6478) or visit www.MandalayMist.com.

Tailgate with Edward Jones
Elijah Heath, an Edward Jones financial advisor in Lithia, is sponsoring a University of South Florida Tailgate from 5-7 p.m. on November 15 at Raymond James Stadium.
Edward Jones provides financial services for individual investors in the United States and, through its affiliates, in Canada and the United Kingdom. Every aspect of the firm’s business, from the types of investment options offered to the location of branch offices, is designed to cater to individual investors in the communities in which they live and work. The firm’s 10,000-plus financial advisors work directly with more than seven million clients to understand their personal goals – from college savings to retirement — and create long-term investment strategies that emphasize a well-balanced portfolio and a buy-and-hold strategy. Edward Jones embraces the importance of building long-term, face-to-face relationships with clients, helping them to understand and make sense of the investment options available today.
For more information, call Heath at 657-2078.

Pick Up Marketing Tips
Please join the American Business Women’s Association at 5:30 p.m. on November 4 at Giordano’s to hear Shannon Carlton, sales manager for the Osprey Observer, speak about “Marketing Magic.”
Business owners are invited to come and learn about target marketing, honing networking skills, inexpensive ways to increase market presence by using what you already have and effective advertising.
Carlton leads monthly Marketing Seminars for the Osprey Observer’s advertisers.
“Many clients come to her seminars with little or no marketing direction,” says American Business Women’s Association representative Debbie Bradley. “They can learn that they are their own marketing department and can increase their business without a lot of time, money or hiring of expensive specialists.”
For more information, call Bradley at 493-1086.

Company Helps Get Computer Solutions
Nearly all American families have at least one personal computer in the home and at work, being a vital part of everyday lives, but do you know what to do when something goes wrong? Now you can turn to Express PC Solutions, owned by FishHawk resident Liz Smith.
“While it may be true that your children are surprisingly proficient at running your computer, you may discover times when even they don’t know what’s wrong with it,” says Smith. “Unlike the major companies and corporations, you might not have an IT department at your beck and call when something goes wrong. That’s where we come in.”
Smith and her team have worked for major companies and corporations and are trained and certified to come to your rescue, no matter how small or large the issues may be. “We have even created an optional monthly maintenance plan that is affordable even for the newest start-up business owner,” says Smith. “We will schedule a regular monthly visit to your office to service your computer to help ensure that your system is up and running and not costing you valuable downtime.”
Express PC Solutions also builds computers and designs them according to customers’ personal needs and requirements.
For more information, visit www.ExpressPCSolutions.net, e-mail Smith at LizSmith@ExpressPCSolutions.net or call 846-5833.

TechPlayzone Plans Night Out
Every third weekend, TechPlayzone invites young people to participate in Parents’ Night Out from 6:30-11 p.m. Leaving parents with an evening off, young people are able to enjoy TechPlayzone’s computers, movie making, electronic kits and more.
During the month of December, there will be two weekends of Parents’ Night Out so that parents may take advantage of additional time for holiday shopping, cooking and gift wrapping.
During Parents’ Night Out, TechPlayzone staff orders pizza and provides drinks and popcorn. The cost is $30 per child per night, plus $15 for each sibling.
TechPlayzone is a science and technology center conveniently located near Riverview, Valrico, Lithia and Brandon communities. TechPlayzone is pleased to announce that it is a finalist for the 2008 Brandon Chamber of Commerce Small Business Award.
Parents can find out more about TechPlayzone’s Parents’ Night Out, Tech camps, afterschool programs and birthday parties by calling 684-7329 or visiting techplayzone.com/techplay.

Lil’ Swimmer Aquatics Offers Swim Lessons
Although summer has come to an end, it is never too late to teach your little one to swim.
New business, Lil’ Swimmer Aquatics teaches children from about eight months, or as soon as they can crawl, to 5 years survival swimming skills based on the proven PediaSwim methodology in the Apollo Beach, Ruskin, Riverview and Brandon areas.
“One of the unique aspects of this business is that I can actually go to the family’s home pool to teach their children to swim,” says Owner and Apollo Beach resident Korey Nielson, a graduate of the PediaSwin Academy. “All of our lessons are one-on-one with the child so we can individualize the lesson and gear the lessons toward the child’s learning style.”
Nielson is a member of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA), hold a bachelors of science degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Utah and is a Certified Personal Trainer. For more information, call 777-3373 or visit www.lilswimmer.net.

Infant Swim Offers Survival Lessons
Survival swim Master Instructor and Riverview resident Kari Bahour owns Infant Swimming Resource (ISR), a nationally recognized system of aquatic survival instruction for infants and young children. The program focuses on educating parents and children about aquatic survival and safety issues
For details on these lessons for children ages 6 months-4 years old, call 643-SWIM (7946), email k.bahour@infantswim.com or visit www.watchmeswim.com.

Scare the Crow at Plaza Bella
Scare the Crow will take place at Plaza Bella, located at 1078 Bloomingdale Ave. in Valrico, on Saturday, November 15, starting at 10 a.m. Scarecrows are provided by area businesses and organizations. People can bid on their favorite scarecrow by silent auction and the top bid gets to take home their scarecrow. Coordinators will also be asking people to vote on scarecrows in the following categories: Scariest, Most Trendy (fashionista), Best All-around and Most Talented. Organizing its Stuff the Turkey event for the month of November, Plaza Bella will be collecting food and cash donations for E.C.H.O. (Emergency Help Care Organization). For every five food items or $25 donated, donors will receive a chance for a Plaza Bella basket to be drawn at the end of November. At Scare the Crow, there will be samples, music and fun. There will also be a signed helmet by Bucs player Derrick Brooks for auction, benefiting the Diabetes Foundation.
To enter a scarecrow, contact Roz or Matt at the Green Boutique at 685-9494.

Chai Yo Thai Cuisine Now Open
In the Thai language, “chai yo” means “cheers,” and at the new Chai Yo Thai Cuisine customers are treated to a celebration with every meal.
“We strive to infuse a celebratory, yet refined, spirit into the food that we prepare, the service that we provide, and the atmosphere that we create for our guests,” says owner Topp Saenngarm. “We will offer a dining experience that highlights the simple elegance of Thai cuisine and the warmth of Thai culture, so that our guests will come to think of Chai Yo as the ideal place to relax with friends and family.”
Located at 11695 Boyette Rd., Chai Yo’s menu includes a wide variety of Thai favorites from Pad Thai to Green and Red Curry and appetizers such as fresh rolls and satays.
“We pride ourselves on three main principles: the quality of our foods and services, the teamwork of our employees, and the respect we have for each other and our customers,” says Saenngarm, who started in the restaurant business at the age of 16 and went on to get a graduate degree in engineering from the University of South Florida.
For more information, visit the Website at www.chaiyothaicuisine.com or call 671-6935.

Space Walk Starts Inflatables Around the World
In an effort to give back to those less fortunate, Space Walk of Brandon owner Tanya Doran recently started a new program, Inflatables Around The World.
“We were looking for a way we could bless children around the world and had a wonderful idea,” says Doran. “Each year, Space Walk purchases many new products so that our customers get the newest and finest product available. As we purchase the new equipment, we retire several pieces that still have many years of useful life in them.”
Through the program, these inflatables can be donated to ministries all over the world and Doran is looking for groups that qualify for a donation.
Call 681-8722 or fill out the application at www.herecomesfun.com.

Filed under Business · Tagged with addition, Allison Macri, Animal, association, Boutique, Brandon, Brandon Chamber, Browning Rd, Causeway Blvd., Childhood, com, daughter hannah, Debbie Bradley, destination weddings, Dr. Ellen Matheson, dress shop, Edward Jones, Edward Jones Elijah Heath, evening gowns, ExpressPCSolutions, formal attire, formal occasion, friendly sales, hour fitness center, laundry services, leasing agent, Liz Smith, Mandalay, martinizing dry cleaners, matt fuller, military relocations, Mist, Observer, opening, osprey, owner, PC Solutions, professional park, quinceanera, raymond james stadium, Shannon, snap fitness, special occasions, St. Petersburg, Technician, United States, www

Eye on Business Valrico

Posted by Kate Quesada on October 16, 2008 · Leave a Comment

Sprouts Opens on Lithia Pinecrest
Sprouts Open on Lithia Pinecrest Good news for parents and children throughout the Valrico area. Sprouts, a play, music and art facility, opened recently on Lithia Pinecrest Rd., just south of the intersection of Lumsden Rd. Sprouts, which opened in the area five years ago, encountered many obstacles while attempting to move into its own freestanding building which kept the business closed for just over a year. “Sprouts is back and stronger than ever,” says Rene Vojnovic, owner and operator. “The new building is designed specifically for the children.” According to Vojnovic, the little white cottage has wall murals throughout, thanks to the work of local mural artist Ann Migowski and is designed for safe play. Classes are offered for children from 9 months to 5 years, with parent/child play-music with colorful, soft play equipment and mats for structured, fun, kid-friendly classes and art classes in a custom-made room with easels displaying the work of the world famous artists. In addition to the Mommy and Me play, music and art programs, Sprouts and Vojnovic obtained child care licensing, allowing Sprouts to offer a new Moms Morning Out each Monday. Children 3-5 years can spend the morning at Sprouts without a parent or caregiver and enjoy music, snacks and art. Sprouts’ classes are already underway. Visit www.sproutskids.com for information including schedule, fees and to register for a free trial play-music class or contact Vojnovic at 653-2233 or 393-9084. Creamery Comes to Valrico Soft serve ice cream fans keep your eyes open in the Lifestyle Family Fitness-anchored plaza at the intersection of Bloomingdale Ave. and Lithia Pinecrest Rd. According to representatives at Toppers Creamery, the soft serve ice cream franchise will be opening a location in the plaza in the next 90 days. Toppers offers high quality chocolate and vanilla soft serve with a variety of toppings to mix in. For more information, visit www.topperscreamery.com and check future issues of the Osprey Observer. Chamber Hosts Business Seminar The Brandon Chamber of Commerce is hosting a seminar this month to help members find balance in their lives during these tough economic times. “Life Balance” is presented by Black Diamond Associates and will be held on October 28, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Chamber’s TECO Energy Board Room. The cost, which includes lunch, is $18 for members, $12 for Elite members, no charge for Platinum Elite members and $30 for prospective members. The following topics will be addressed in this seminar: life balance truths, balance quadrants, formula for success and closing the balance gap. To register for this Biz Ed 101 Session, contact Amy at 689-1221 or via email at abelliveau@brandon chamber.com. Space is limited. Biz Ed 101 is a professional development program of the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce, sponsored by Sunshine State Federal Savings & Loan Association. Salon Welcomes New Stylists There are some new faces at the All Me Salon on Kingsway Rd. in Brandon. Talented hair professionals Master Stylist Martie Webb, Advanced Stylist Rachel Weaver, Melissa Haynes and Joe Caglianone, who has 30 years of experience, all recently joined the team at the upscale north Brandon salon. All Me Salon is located at 1263 Kingsway Rd. and can be reached at 651-1213. Hours are Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Valrico Resident Promoted at Scottrade Scottrade, a leading branch-supported online investment firm, has promoted Valrico resident Brian Courtney to manage its Tampa branch office, located downtown at 1408 N. Westshore Blvd., Ste. 104. As branch manager, Courtney is responsible for branch operations, managing personnel and providing customer service. Courtney began his career at Scottrade nearly two years ago as a stock broker at the St. Petersburg branch office. He has 10 years of experience in the financial services industry. “Scottrade is focused on customer interaction,” said Courtney. “Working directly with our customers is something that I value.” As a leading online investment firm, Scottrade offers a full line of investment products, online trading services and market research tools to help investors take control of their financial future. Scottrade provides customers the convenience of buying many stocks online at just $7 per trade and the support of the largest branch network among online investment firms, with over 350 nationwide branch offices. Named Highest in Investor Satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates, Scottrade is dedicated to exceptional customer service and unprecedented value. Scottrade is also one of the FORTUNE magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America. For more information, visit www.scottrade.com. New Market Offers Fresh Produce From handmade glass jewelry to homemade fudge, there is something for everyone at the new farmers; market, taking place on Wednesdays from 12 Noon-6 p.m. at the Lancaster’s Hydro Farm Produce stand. Vendors’ items, including organic herbs and plants, artwork, photography, pet portraits, shea butter imported from Africa and orchids will be for sale. In addition, visitors can purchase funnel cakes, popcorn, hotdogs, homemade fudge and Italian ices. The stand is located at 5329 Lithia Pinecrest Rd. Dog Groomer Comes to You Does your dog get stressed out at the thought of a trip to the groomer? Then let the groomer come to you! Valrico resident Joy Simms, owner of Pampered Paws Mobile Dog Grooming, serves Brandon area dogs with services including baths, haircuts, ear cleaning and nail trimming. “Each dog is cared for one at a time, so that your pet does not sit in a cage for six to eight hours until we get around to them,” says Simms, who started her business at the age of 21. “Being in a loud, strange environment for several hours is very stressful for dogs. Our service is far less stressful. The best benefit is that you don’t have to take two trips to the groomer nor have to deal with the hassle of loading and unloading your pet.” For more information, call 562-PAWS(7297). YMCAs Challenge Corporations This year, the Brandon area YMCAs will take participants on a wild adventure full of mental and physical challenges at the 2008 Corporate Challenge: Survivor! fundraising event. Held on Friday, November 7, from 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at YMCA Camp Cristina, a 65-acre outdoor adventure site in Riverview, the event will put teams of six–10 members from local organizations head to head in a day of healthy team-building competition. The Corporate Challenge Volunteer Planning Committee is comprised of Riverview and Brandon area community leaders, including Tanya Doran of Spacewalk of Brandon, Cathy Middleton, Russ Young of South Bay Hospital, David Van Dyke of Gevity, Tyler Niermann of Wachovia and Melissa Poague of Media General. Sponsorships are available, and team entry is $500, which includes all activities of the day, light breakfast, lunch, and a signature commemorative bandana. All proceeds benefit the YMCA’s Building Strong Kids Campaign, which helps make YMCA participation possible for children and families in the Brandon area regardless of their financial circumstances. For more information, call Bryan Beckham at 677-8400. Photographers Recognized Local photographers Edward Booth and Betty Huth, owners of Huth and Booth Portrait Gallery, recently received the Florida Service Award for service to the profession at the Florida Professional Photographers Annual Convention. “We both were honored to receive the Florida Service Award given for service to the profession,” says Booth. “Receiving this award in just three years is very unusual.” According to the duo, they have worked together for 18 years to create family portraits with the expectation that they will be handed down from generation to generation. “We pride ourselves in providing our clients with exceptional portraiture of families and children,” says Booth. “It’s a pleasure that we continue to strive for, that of seeking excellence in preserving precious memories.” Since moving to the area from California in July of 2005, Huth and Booth have been active members in the Riverview and Greater Brandon area communities volunteering their services to numerous charity organizations, clubs and civic centers. They are also members of the Brandon 86’ Rotary Club. The Huth and Booth Portrait Gallery is located at 11711 Nikki View Dr. in Brandon in Lake Brandon Professional Park. For more information, call 571-2100 or visit www.hbphoto.com. Hospital Welcomes New CNO “Susan Laber, RN, BSN, MHA, CHCQM, has been promoted to the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) of Brandon Regional Hospital,” says Mike Fencel, the hospital’s chief executive officer, “replacing Cheryl Goforth who was promoted to CNO at Trident Health Systems, in Charleston, South Carolina.” Prior to assuming this role, Laber was the interim CNO for several months, as well as assistant CNO at Brandon from 2006-2008. Since her promotion, Laber and her family have relocated from the Sarasota area to FishHawk Ranch. Laber’s vision for her nursing team can be boiled down to “do what is right for patients first and inspire others to do the same thing. The opportunity lies in providing an environment where patients are the number one priority; use data to make positive changes; challenge the status quo and create a positive culture where nurses want to work.” For more information, call the hospital at 571-5105. Bonefish Grill Awarded Top Honors Consumers have voted and the results are in: Bonefish Grill has been awarded the Platinum Award in the seafood category at this year’s Consumers’ Choice in Chains Awards. Platinum is the highest honor. The annual survey, conducted by Restaurants & Institutions magazine and now in its 28th year, is considered a key measure of success for restaurant chains across the nation. For the 2008 awards, more than 3,100 consumers were asked to rate 120 restaurant brands on eight customer satisfaction attributes: food quality, menu variety, value, service, atmosphere, cleanliness, reputation and convenience. “We are especially thrilled that this award is voted on by consumers,” says John Cooper, president of Bonefish Grill. “It means our customers appreciate the lengths we go to in delivering an exceptional dining experience. Congratulations and thanks go to our teams across the country.” Patricia Daily, Restaurants & Institutions’ publisher, says, “The R&I Consumers’ Choice in Chains Awards is a people’s choice award that conveys to the industry and beyond which restaurants have earned consistent business and guest loyalty and why.” Complete survey results are available through Restaurants & Institutions magazine (www.rimag.com). For more information and sample menus from the restaurant, visit www.bonefishgrill.com. Winn Dixie Helps Hurricane Victims Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. announced recently that customers can help their neighbors affected by the 2008 hurricane season by simply donating at any neighborhood Winn-Dixie. Winn-Dixie is implementing its “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” program in all of its 521 stores as a way to assist the American Red Cross, which has seen its Disaster Relief Fund depleted after an active year of disasters. The Red Cross provided food, shelter, counseling and other assistance to the communities affected by the storms that battered Florida and the Gulf Coast during the past month. Similar efforts across the country have forced the Red Cross to launch a national drive to raise $100 million to keep the Disaster Relief Fund afloat. Winn-Dixie customers will find “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” donation sheets available at all registers, where they can donate an amount between 0.50 and $500 directly to the American Red Cross. The cashier will scan the Neighbors Helping Neighbors donation sheet, which automatically adds the amount designated by the customer to the total bill. “Our neighbors face a long and difficult recovery process, and we want to do everything we can to help them,” says Terry Grooms Derreberry, Winn-Dixie manager of corporate giving. “Our hearts go out to those who were impacted by these storms.” The American Red Cross provides immediate response in more than 70,000 disasters each year through its Disaster Relief Fund. Disasters include fires, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and tornadoes. Contributions to the relief fund are used to provide food, shelter, counseling and other assistance to victims, as needed. The Winn-Dixie in the Bloomingdale Plaza at 179 Bloomingdale Ave. can be reached at 681-7337. For more information, please visit www.winn-dixie.com.

Filed under Business · Tagged with adventure, Africa, America, art classes, art facility, Betty Huth, bloomingdale, Brian Courtney, Bryan Beckham, California, Camp Cristina, Cathy Middleton, Challenge, Charleston, Cheryl Goforth, Chief Nursing, child care licensing, Customer, David Van Dyke, downtown, easels, edward booth, environment, florida professional photographers, groomer, homemade, Hospital, information, Joy Simms, Lake Brandon, lifestyle family fitness, lumsden rd, Melissa Poague, Mike Fencel, mural artist, N. Westshore, Nikki View, parents and children, Photographers, pinecrest rd, play music, professional park, Promoted, quality chocolate, Riverview - Ruskin - Apollo Beach, Russ Young, Sarasota, soft play equipment, soft serve ice cream, South Bay, South Carolina, Susan Laber, Tampa, Tanya Doran, vojnovic, world famous artists, YMCA

Eye on Business Riverview October

Posted by Kate Quesada on October 16, 2008 · Leave a Comment

$Rita\'s Ice Opens$ Rita’s Water Ice Opens In Riverview
Looking for a delicious, cool treat? Then head over to Rita’s Water Ice which opened recently in Riverview. With flavors of Italian ice, which are made with fresh fruit in the store ranging from green apple and raspberry lemonade to mango and lemon, old fashioned frozen custard and layered gelatin, the franchise, owned by Riverview residents Lucio and Marleny Rodriguez, has something for everyone.
Rita’s Water Ice Franchise Company, headquartered in Trevose, Pennsylvania, is the largest Italian ice concept in the nation and is currently operating in 17 states with more than 500 stores.
“Rita’s signature product is its Italian ice, often referred to as water ice, which is much smoother than a snow cone and combines ice with real fresh fruit; mixed onsite in batches and served within 36 hours,” says Rodriguez, who moved with Marleny from New Jersey two years ago. “Real fruit adds dramatically to the taste of the ice, which comes in over 30 different flavors.”
Rita’s also offers cream ice, Italian ice flavors that, according to Rodriguez, are as smooth and silky as ice cream, in different flavors.
Rita’s in Riverview is open Sunday through Thursday from 12 Noon-9 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 12 Noon-10 p.m. The store is located at Summerfield Square, 13149 U.S. Hwy. 301 S. in Riverview.
Please call the store at 741-0ICE (0423) for directions or to learn the available flavors of the day.

Fishing Fun At Little Harbor
The popular sport fishing television and radio show, Reel Animals Fishing, which is aired weekly on NBC and Florida Sun Sports, recently filmed an episode at The Resort & Club at Little Harbor in Ruskin.
Captains Billy Nobles and Mike Anderson ventured out into Tampa Bay from one of the Little Harbor marinas and spent the morning of Wednesday, September 3 fishing for redfish, snook and trout.
While the captains fished, the film crew toured the 124-acre Resort & Club at Little Harbor, a Caribbean-style waterfront island resort and residential seaside village, complete with lush tropical landscaping, island-style hospitality and the natural wonders of a waterfront resort. Little Harbor is a full-service AAA Travel Three-Diamond resort which offers its guests a secluded beach, two restaurants, lounge, Tiki bar, tennis, marinas and a bounty of amenities.
The show airs each week in the Tampa Bay area on NBC on Saturday at 6:30 a.m. and again on Sunday at 11 a.m. and on the Florida Sun Sports Network on Friday at 11 a.m. and Sunday at 5:30 p.m. The very popular fishing duo is also viewed regionally in 23 markets and will soon be expanding into the Canadian market. You can also listen in to captains Nobles and Anderson on ESPN radio WHBO 1470 AM on Sunday mornings or log onto www.reelanimalsfishingshow.com.
For information and reservations at the Resort & Club at Little Harbor, call 1-800-327-2773 or visit www.staylittleharbor.com.

New Manager at Self Storage Centers of America
Self Storage Centers of America recently announced the addition of Sheila Burnett as general manager for the new storage facility located at 9234 Causeway Blvd.
Burnett brings a strong real estate, accounting, sales and marketing background to the storage facility which opened in early October.
“We are excited about providing a full range of moving and storage services in a unique setting for local residents, and we are pleased that Burnett will be instrumental in the marketing and leasing for the store,” says Larry Jordan, partner of Self Storage Centers of America, Inc.
Self Storage Centers of America offers climate controlled and standard storage in a variety of sizes as well as boat, RV and vehicle storage. Additionally, a full range of boxes and quality packing supplies are available. This gated facility also features extended personalized access hours and a friendly professional staff.
For more information, call Self Storage Centers of America at 621-7867 or visit www.selfstoragecentersofamerica.com.

Storsafe Opens for Boats and RVs
Looking for somewhere to store your RV or boat? Then look no further than Storsafe, which opened recently in Gibsonton.
“Storsafe is a premier RV, boat and self storage facility,” says Marketing Manager Karin Mundt. “We found that there was a need in the area for covered, enclosed and open RV and boat storage since we have so many boaters in the area.”
According to Mundt, many residents living in communities with restrictions that do not allow storage of boats and RV use Storsafe.
Some of the features at Storsafe include 50 amp services, wash down areas, an air station and a RV dump station. The entire 20-acre facility is built to withstand hurricane strength winds and in addition to the RV and boat storage, the building offers climate controlled and non-climate controlled storage.
“We also provide the customers with moving boxes, locks and a free moving truck,” says Mundt. “We have 24/7 computerized access control for the customers and 24 hour video recorded surveillance, monthly specials, military discounts and senior citizen discount.”
Storsafe is located at 12704 S. U.S. Hwy. in Gibsonton and can be reached at 341-STOR(7867). For more information, visit www.storsafeselfstorage.com.

Triangle Resolutions, LLC Opens Doors
Triangle Resolutions, LLC and owner, Damon Dye LMHC, NCGC, hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony with the support of the Riverview Chamber of Commerce last month for the new business hoping to help residents seeking life balance.
Dye, a licensed mental health counselor and nationally certified gambling counselor, started Triangle Resolutions, LLC in July, 2007, and recently began serving the Riverview community from his office at 10014 Park Place Ave. off Gibsonton Dr., between U.S. Hwy. 301 and I-75.
Dye has a master’s in mental health counseling and is currently pursuing his doctorate in counseling psychology. He serves as a primary referral for the Florida Council on compulsive gambling, and is board certified in clinical hypnosis to treat clients dealing with trauma. Dye also has extensive experience counseling children from the ages of 3 to 17.
Triangle Resolutions, LLC is proud to open its doors to offer discreet services for a wide variety of life challenges. Hours include evenings and weekends to accommodate all schedules. Consulting services and workshops are also available.
For more information, call 714-6107 or visit www.triangleresolutions.com.

Pulte Nears Halfway Point in Ventura Bay
Pulte Homes is almost 50 percent sold-out at Ventura Bay, its gated community at Bloomingdale Ave. and Gornto Lakes Rd.
“To date, nearly half of the 206 homes have been sold in this 20-acre community that will have 29 residential buildings when completed,” says Scott Campbell, Tampa division president. The community’s amenities – including a pool and cabana – are complete.
Prices start at $156,900 in Ventura Bay, where Pulte Homes has two furnished model homes.
The Montenero model, with 1,715 sq. ft. of living space, has three bedrooms and 2.5 baths. It also includes a covered, screened lanai and an attached two-car garage. Pricing starts at $175,900.
The 1,580-sq.-ft. Milan model also has three bedrooms and 2.5 baths, as well as a covered, screened lanai and an attached one-car garage. It is priced from $156,900.
The Montenero features an 18-by-24-foot living-dining area with triple sliding glass doors opening to the lanai. Similarly, the Milan has a 17-by-19-foot living-dining area, also with triple sliding glass doors to the lanai.
Both designs feature three bedrooms and two baths on the second floor, and a powder bath on the first floor.
Sales are being conducted from the Ventura Bay sales center at 10286 Post Harvest Dr. Office hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Saturday and 12 Noon-6 p.m., Sunday. Call 627-9333 for more information.

South Bay Installs Mammography Unit
South Bay Hospital is pleased to announce the installation of a new digital mammography unit at the South Bay Hospital Outpatient Diagnostic and Rehab Center. Digital mammography produces a higher quality image than traditional mammography, during a shorter exam time for the patient.
The image produced by the digital mammography unit is a high resolution image that can be enhanced and manipulated. This means that the physician can zoom in on questionable areas and make adjustments to the image. This technology expands the ability to detect abnormalities and breast cancer in more women.
Digital mammography also allows for less time in the exam room and less time waiting on results. Since the image is instantly transferred to a computer, there is no longer the need to wait on film development. This means patients are able to get their results sooner.
“Waiting for mammography results can be very stressful,” says hospital CNO and breast cancer survivor Terrie Jefferson, RN. “Reducing that wait time for our patients while producing a higher quality image for diagnosis can help ease some of that anxiety.”
For more information about digital mammography, contact Melissa Morgan at 634-0496, or to schedule a digital mammography, call 642-8468.

Serenity Stream Empowers Women
In observance of Breast Cancer Awareness and Domestic Violence Awareness month, Serenity Stream Yoga & Wellness is beginning a Women’s Empowerment series that will continue on through 2009. Judy Shepherd, licensed clinical social worker, and Ellen MacKay, registered yoga teacher, will join together to promote health and well-being through an hour of education and group discussion and an hour of yoga.
The start-up workshop in October will focus on simplifying life, appropriately being named, “I Have Everything I’ve Ever Dreamed of but Why am I Still Not Happy?” In this workshop, participants explore why people become dissatisfied with their lives, despite the fact that they are achieving their goals and appear to be successful. This workshop helps participants develop strategies to really simplify and enjoy life. The yoga section of the workshop will involve becoming aware of and enjoying the subtleties of basic yoga postures, breath and meditation.
Monthly workshops will begin in January, featuring such topics as “Are You a Mess from Stress?”, “Relationship Check-Up,” and “Creating Joy in Your Life.” Each workshop will include an hour of related yoga postures including focus on balance, stress relief, partner yoga and strength building.
Serenity Stream Yoga & Wellness is located at 11954 Boyette Rd. in Riverview. The class will take place on October 25 from 3–5 p.m. and tuition is $35.
For more information about this workshop and other classes offered, visit www.serenitystream.com or call 368-6546.

Photographers Recognized
Local photographers Edward Booth and Betty Huth, owners of Huth and Booth Portrait Gallery, recently received the Florida Service Award for service to the profession at the Florida Professional Photographers Annual Convention.
“We both were honored to receive the Florida Service Award given for service to the profession,” says Booth. “Receiving this award in just three years is very unusual.”
According to the duo, they have worked together for 18 years to create family portraits with the expectation that they will be handed down from generation to generation.
“We pride ourselves in providing our clients with exceptional portraiture of families and children,” says Booth. “It’s a pleasure that we continue to strive for, that of seeking excellence in preserving precious memories.”
Since moving to the area from California in July of 2005, Huth and Booth have been active members in the Riverview and Greater Brandon area communities, volunteering their services to numerous charity organizations, clubs and civic centers. They are also members of the Brandon 86’ Rotary Club.
The Huth and Booth Portrait Gallery is located at 11711 Nikki View Dr. in Brandon in Lake Brandon Professional Park. For more information, call 571-2100 or visit www.hbphoto.com.

Local Hair Stylists Open New Salon
Local Hairstylists Maria Elena Martinez and Siriinthip “Tipp” Chanthamart recently opened En Vogue hair Salon in Summerfield Shoppes, located on Big Bend Rd. in Riverview across from the Summerfield Golf Course. With over 37 years of combined experience, Martinez and Chanthamart practice the newest technologies in hair, updating their clients look with the perfect color and cut. Specializing in color design and utilizing the latest techniques, they listen to their clients and can provide a full beauty makeover. Also on staff is PJ Hughes with 25 years of hair styling experience. If you desire a classic look, funky color or anything in between, En Vogue Salon will meet your needs. An exclusive Keune distributor (www.keune.com) affords for a variety of hair products to choose from. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with appointments available by calling 672-3632 or salonenvogue2@yahoo.co.m

Filed under Business · Tagged with acre resort, caribbean style, Damon Dye, Dr. Office, Ellen MacKay, film crew, florida sun, franchise company, Gibsonton, Gornto Lakes, Hospital, information, italian ice, Jefferson, Judy Shepherd, mammography, Manager Karin Mundt, Melissa Morgan, mike anderson, Montenero, need, popular sport, redfish, Resolutions, Riverview - Ruskin - Apollo Beach, ruskin, S. U.S. Hwy, Scott Campbell, Serenity Stream, signature product, snook, South Bay, sport fishing, Storage, Storsafe, sun sports, Tampa, trevose pennsylvania, Ventura Bay, water ice

October Eye On Business

Posted by Kate Quesada on September 26, 2008 · Leave a Comment

Things are getting HOT at the New Fireside Grille and Bar
Located in the heart of FishHawk Ranch’s Park Square Town Centre. Owners Scott and Heidi Shimberg have brought in Executive Chef, Rick Franco, formerly of the Long Boat Key Club, and exciting changes have arrived at the popular neighborhood establishment. Discover nightly specials and exciting menu items that are receiving rave reviews.
Enjoy the Fall weather while watching the dancing fountains of Park Square under the new outside covered terrace.
Belly up to the expanded bar for nightly drink specials, and complete beer, wines liquor selection.
Fireside Grill is located within Park Square at 16132 Churchview Dr. in Lithia. For more information or to make reservations, call 813-661-7755 or visit www.myfiresidegrille.com.

FishHawk Flooring Celebrates Anniversary
FishHawk resident and owner of FishHawk Flooring Jim Branciforte wants to thank his customers for a great first year in business. The flooring company, located in the FishHawk Office Park at 16637 FishHawk Blvd., Ste. 102, has been selling and installing fine woods, Shaw carpets, laminates and tiles to homeowners throughout the area for the last year.
“We realize this is a tough economy and want to thank everyone for spending their hard earned dollars with us,” says Branciforte. “We are proud to be the local flooring store.”
FishHawk Flooring is open Monday-Thursday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Friday 10 a.m.-7 pm. and Saturday 9 a.m.-3 p.m. For more information, call 600-1788. A Website is also currently under construction at www.fishhawk flooringdesignstudio.com.

Landscape Nursery Opens in Lithia
Long-time Brandon resident Darryl Flint recently opened DCF Landscape at 5329 Lithia Pinecrest Rd., just south of the intersection with FishHawk Blvd., on the property also occupied by Lancaster Farms.
Products available at DCF Landscape Nursery include plants, palms trees, mulch and sod and services include mulch, plant and sod delivery.
“I grew up in the sod business and saw the opportunity for a nursery in the area,” says Flint. “We are looking forward to growing our services even further in the future.”
For more information, call Flint at 684-9328. The nursery is open Monday-Saturday 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Creamery Comes to Valrico
Soft serve ice cream fans keep your eyes open in the Lifestyle Family Fitness-anchored plaza at the intersection of Bloomingdale Ave. and Lithia Pinecrest Rd. According to representatives at Toppers Creamery, the soft serve ice cream franchise will be opening a location in the plaza in the next 90 days.
Toppers offers high quality chocolate and vanilla soft serve with a variety of toppings to mix in.
For more information, visit www.topperscreamery.com and check future issues of the Osprey Observer.

Fifth Third Bank Launches $250,000 Sweepstakes
Fifth Third Bank is pleased to announce the launch of its Unlock Your Dreams sweepstakes, which will award nearly $900,000 in sweepstakes and scratch off prizes. To participate, customers and non-customers alike may visit any of Fifth Third Bank’s nearly 1,300 branch locations before October 31 to obtain a game piece. The game piece will reveal one of many instant offers including a $10 MasterCard Gift Card (no purchase necessary), 5,000 Bonus Rewards Points with a new Visa Signature Credit Card, $50 deposit into a new Goal Setter Savings account, $50 off Direct Loan closing costs (excludes Fifth Third Equity Flexline),5,300 Bonus Rewards Points with a new Fifth Third Equity Flexline and $50 off Mortgage Loan Application Fee.
Additionally, each game piece will have a “code” that the participant can use to register online at http://53unlockyourdreams.com for a chance to win the grand prize of $250,000 or one of 22 local $10,000 regional prizes distributed throughout the Bank’s 12-state footprint.
For more information, visit the FishHawk Fifth Third branch at 16509 FishHawk Blvd. or call 684-5060.

Strategist Speaks at the Palmetto Club
Mark your calendars for Thursday, October 16 at 6 p.m. when Cassandra Ingraham will sponsor a workshop with Jairek Robbins, a peak performance strategist and national speaker from the Anthony Robbins Company.
According to Ingraham, the workshop, titled Strategies from “Unleash The Power Within,” will provide residents with the same strategies, positive energy and physiology used by the world’s top achievers to attain outstanding success and life fulfillment.
“Those who desire to learn cutting edge tools that will help them overcome challenges and rapidly achieve their personal and professional goals should attend,” says Ingraham, who lists the benefits as improved performance, the power of focus, positive mindset, lower stress, better relationships and higher job and life satisfaction.
The event will take place in Palmetto Club at FishHawk Ranch, which is located at 17004 Dorman Rd. Space is limited so RSVP with name, address and telephone number to Cassandra 4jrobbins@ Cassandra Ingraham.com.

Business Invites Residents to Paint
Are you looking for a way to express your artistic side? Then you might want to check out the new Sketch and Sip classes from Patty Sisco, owner of Gallery Clocks.
The classes, designed for people without a lot of artistic experience, are a fun and unique way to get creative.
“Sketch and Sip is taking art lessons to a whole new level. You paint a picture through a step by step process while enjoying your favorite beverage. That evening, your painting will be ready for you to take home,” says Sisco, who has worked as an artist for eight years and teaches the classes.
For more info about the class, visit www.sketchandsip.com or call 263-4576.
South Bay Installs Mammography Unit
South Bay Hospital is pleased to announce the installation of a new Digital Mammography unit at the South Bay Hospital Outpatient Diagnostic and Rehab Center. Digital Mammography produces a higher quality image than traditional mammography, during a shorter exam time for the patient.
The image produced by the Digital Mammography unit is a high resolution image that can be enhanced and manipulated. This means that the physician can zoom in on questionable areas and make adjustments to the image. This technology expands our ability to detect abnormalities and breast cancer in more women.
Digital Mammography also allows for less time in the exam room and less time waiting on results. Since the image is instantly transferred to a computer, there is no longer the need to wait on film development. This means our patients are able to get their results sooner.
“Waiting for mammography results can be very stressful,” says hospital CNO and breast cancer survivor Terrie Jefferson, RN. “Reducing that wait time for our patients while producing a higher quality image for diagnosis can help ease some of that anxiety.”
For more information about Digital Mammography, contact Melissa Morgan at 634-0496, or to schedule a Digital Mammography, call 642-8468.

Shaughnessy Law Reveals Web Site
Shaughnessy Law, located in FishHawk Ranch, Tampa and Brandon, will hold an open house celebration at its FishHawk location on October 10 from 5–7 p.m. to celebrate its new Website, www.MaraShaughnessy.com.
Since opening in 2006, Shaughnessy Law has helped more than 400 families in the FishHawk area with their legal needs, including real estate law, title and escrow, estate planning, probate, contracts and family law.
“We are excited to offer our community a legal resource,” says Mara Shaughnessy, principal at Shaughnessy Law. “Our clients are now able to receive electronic updates on their case in real time. They will also be able manage their legal documents in their online case file and print them as needed. We are always trying to add more value to our client relationships. We want to be your attorney for life.”
As part of the celebration of its new site, Shaughnessy Law will donate 50 percent of October paid legal fees to the FishHawk Wolfpack when mentioned during your free consultation. To take advantage of this offer, or to RSVP for the open house, contact Shaughnessy Law at 16132 Churchview Dr. at FishHawk’s Park Square, by phone at 657-6700.

Cruise Planners Offers Deals
October is National Cruise Vacation month and Sherry Leybovich ECCS, CTA, owner of Cruise Planners, is celebrating with The World’s Largest Cruise Event, offering clients values and incentives on cruise travel to the world’s top destinations.
“The World’s Largest Cruise Event is a celebration where lucky agents like me get to give the gift of great savings on cruises, and our clients are the guests of honor,” says Leybovich. “Best of all, Cruise Planners is extending what is traditionally one special night into an entire week of offers and incentives, so the gifts will keep coming from October 4 to the 10.”
According to Leybovich, a prize-a-day giveaway has been incorporated into this year’s cruise event week where clients can enter a daily contest for fabulous prizes and ultimately be entered into the week end grand prize of a free cruise.
Cruise Planners will host a cruise night on October 6 from 7-9:30 p.m. at the Palmetto Club located at 17004 Dorman Rd. in FishHawk Ranch where clients can learn more about Cruise Planners and the new Oasis of the Seas, which will be the largest cruise ship in the world when she debuts in December 2009. Representatives from the U.S. Postal Service will be on hand to take applications for passports and to answer questions on the new regulations concerning passports. Lights refreshments will be provided by Bellafia Chocolate Boutique and Lah-Tea-Dah.
Founded in 1994, Cruise Planners is an American Express Travel Services Representative national cruise agency headquartered in Coral Springs, that operates a franchised network of more than 700 experienced travel professionals who independently book cruises and other associated travel. Leybovich has also earned many personal awards and is one of the top franchisees within Cruise Planners. She is currently one of the finalists for home based business of the year through the Brandon Chamber of Commerce.
For more information, call at Leybovich 657-0844, or visit www.cruisesforu.com.

Serenity Stream Empowers Women
In observance of Breast Cancer Awareness and Domestic Violence Awareness month, Serenity Stream Yoga & Wellness is beginning a Women’s Empowerment series that will continue on through 2009. Judy Shepherd, licensed clinical social worker, and Ellen MacKay, registered yoga teacher, will join together to promote health and well-being through an hour of education and group discussion and an hour of yoga.
“Empowering women has always been a passion of mine and I am so thankful that I get to share my experiences through yoga to help these women grow and prosper,” says MacKay.
The start-up workshop in October will focus on simplifying life. Appropriately named, “I Have Everything I’ve Ever Dreamed of but Why Am I Still Not Happy?” In this workshop, participants explore why people become dissatisfied with their lives, despite the fact that they are achieving their goals and appear to be successful. This workshop helps participants develop strategies to really simplify and enjoy life. The yoga section of the workshop will involve becoming aware of and enjoying the subtleties of basic yoga postures, breath and meditation.
Monthly workshops will begin in January featuring such topics as, “Are You a Mess from Stress?”, “Relationship Check-Up” and “Creating Joy in Your Life.” Each workshop will include an hour of related yoga postures including focus on balance, stress relief, partner yoga and strength building.
Serenity Stream Yoga & Wellness is located at 11954 Boyette Rd. in Riverview. The class will take place on October 25 from 3–5 p.m. and tuition is $35.
For more information about this workshop and other classes offered, visit www.serenitystream.com or call 368-6546.

Auto Business Celebrates Anniversary
FishHawk resident Kevin Hart has been working on cars for satisfied customers in the Lithia area for two years and is looking forward to many more.
Hart, owner of Fixin’ Your Ride, a MARS International franchise, offers a wide variety of vehicle restoration services including paint touch up, scratch removal, bumper repair, spot blending, odor and stain removal, pin striping, head light restoration, carpet cleaning and paint protection film.
“Most other franchises only offer a select few services, but MARS offers everything under the sun for vehicle restoration,” says Hart, who has been self employed for eight years and came from a sales background. “I only provide the services I am good at.”
According to Hart, MARS International, based in Dallas, recently celebrated its 10 year anniversary and was started by a father and son team.
For more information, call Hart, who is available seven days a week, at 966-7800 or e-mail kevinhart@marsinternational.com.

Equestrian Retail Store Opens in Lithia
From anvils and horse shoes to tacks and racks, Equine Corral, a newly opened equestrian retail store, has everything for the horse enthusiast.
Located at 10419 C.R. 39 S. in Lithia, Equine Corral is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and can be reached at 737-4400.
“Please stop by to say hello and take a look around,” says owner Terry Hunt. “Bring your business cards, flyers and questions. I’m anxious to find out what your needs are, what brands you like and what disciplines you ride or teach. We already have an exciting assortment of stock in the store with boxes arriving daily.”
The farrier supply shop will now be known as Farrier Corral and will remain at the same location, 10427 C.R. 39 S. in Lithia, but the phone number has changed to 737-5400 and the Website is now www.farriercorral.com.
For more information, visit www.equinecorral.com.
Tennis Store Opens at BSAC
The Brandon Sports and Aquatic Center (BSAC) is now home to the Brandon area’s first tennis pro shop, The Tennis Shack of Florida, offering a wide variety of products for every tennis player’s needs, from apparel to custom stringing services.
According to owner Tim Plossl, the store will carry brands including apparel by Adidas and Fila and shoes by Adidas, Fila, Prince and Babolat.
For more information, call 315-9810 or visit www.mybsac.org.

Triangle Resolutions, LLC Opens Doors
Triangle Resolutions, LLC and owner, Damon Dye LMHC, NCGC, hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony with the support of the Riverview Chamber of Commerce last month for the new business hoping to help residents seeking life balance.
Damon Dye, a licensed mental health counselor and nationally certified gambling counselor, started Triangle Resolutions, LLC in July, 2007, and recently began serving the Riverview community from his office at 10014 Park Place Ave. off Gibsonton Dr., between U.S. Hwy. 301 and I-75.
Dye has a Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling and is currently pursuing his doctorate in Counseling Psychology. He serves as a primary referral for the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling, and is Board Certified in Clinical Hypnosis to treat clients dealing with trauma. Dye also has extensive experience counseling children from the ages of 3 to 17.
Triangle Resolutions, LLC is proud to open its doors to offer discreet services for a wide variety of life challenges. Hours include evenings and weekends to accommodate all schedules. Consulting services and workshops are also available.
For more information, call 714-6107 or visit www.triangleresolutions.com.

A Massage and Rehab Clinic Opens in Brandon
A new clinical, medical and rehab massage clinic, A Touch of Wellness, opened its doors recently at 915 Oakfield Drive Ste. A and celebrated with a Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, August 15.
“A Touch of Wellness, is a massage and rehab clinic with a softer feel which caters to the diversity that is part of what makes Brandon so great,” says Scott Robinson, L.M.T., owner. “We specialize in auto injuries, sports injuries, and any soft tissue injuries. We also offer nutrition consulting, nutritional supplements, and will be adding a Chiropractor to the practice within the next 45 days.”
The practice’s two massage therapists are trained in a variety of techniques from Neuromuscular Therapy, Trigger Point Therapy and Reiki to Hot Stones and Relaxation massage.
In addition to taking patients at their Brandon office, A Touch of Wellness makes outcalls for any patients are not ambulatory and offers corporate accounts.
For more information, please call Robinson or Sharon Aldrich, L.M.T., M.M.P. at 689-7799.

TherxFitness & Physical Therapy Offers Services
TherxFitness, located at 16637 FishHawk Blvd., Ste. 105 (behind KFC/Taco Bell, across from Newsome High School), now offers registered dietician services to the community. These services include dietary consultation of both healthy and medically complex clients as well as meal plans for weight loss, weight gain, diabetics and cardiac clients. They offer a large menu of dietary services to meet your needs.
TherxFitness now also offers small group personal training. Reserve their private studio for you and up to four friends or you can be grouped with others. Gain the benefits of having your own trainer for a fraction of the cost of private one-on-one sessions. Price determined by group size. Limited to five per group. For more info, call 655-8822.

Resident Opens Design Service
“My passion is to design beautiful, functional interior spaces that promote wellbeing, both physical and psychological, for every inhabitant of that space,” says FishHawk resident and Principal Designer and Owner of Focus Design Services, Kim Albritton. “To do so in a manner that will enable homeowners to use their homes regardless of the curves that life may throw at them, is my ultimate goal.”
Albritton, who operates the business from her home, uses a holistic approach to help her clients, who are mostly older residents and those with physical disabilities, design interior environments that promote independence and exude dignity and style. Through her work with the physically challenged, she came to the realization that people of all types can benefit from her service.
“My observation has been that the one thing we all have in common, regardless of aesthetic taste or income level, is the desire to remain in our homes as long as we wish, surrounded by loved ones,” says Albritton, who holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Interior Design and has earned a CAPS (Certified Aging in Place Specialist) designation from the National Association of Home Builders. “Well-designed interiors can empower us to do just that.” For more information, visit www.focusdesignservices.com or to schedule a consultation with Albritton, call 368-7420.

Filed under Business · Tagged with executive chef, fireside grill, fishhawk ranch, flooring company, neighborhood establishment, nightly drink specials, pinecrest rd

Eye On Business

Posted by Kate Quesada on September 19, 2008 · Leave a Comment

Huth & Booth Photographers Recognized
Local photographers Edward Booth and Betty Huth, owners of Huth and Booth Portrait Gallery, recently received the Florida Service Award for service to the profession at the Florida Professional Photographers Annual Convention.
“We both were honored to receive the Florida Service Award given for service to the profession,” says Booth. “Receiving this award in just three years is very unusual.”
According to the duo, they have worked together for 18 years to create family portraits with the expectation that they will be handed down from generation to generation.
“We pride ourselves in providing our clients with exceptional portraiture of families and children,” says Booth. “It’s a pleasure that we continue to strive for, that of seeking excellence in preserving precious memories.”
Since moving to the area from California in July of 2005, Huth and Booth have been active members in the Riverview and Greater Brandon area communities volunteering their services to numerous charity organizations, clubs and civic centers. They are also members of the Brandon ‘86 Rotary Club.
The Huth and Booth Portrait Gallery is located at 11711 Nikki View Dr. in Brandon in Lake Brandon Professional Park. For more information, call 571-2100 or visit www.hbphoto.com.

Tennis Store Opens at BSAC
The Brandon Sports and Aquatic Center (BSAC) is now home to the Brandon area’s first tennis pro shop, The Tennis Shack of Florida, offering a wide variety of products for every tennis player’s needs, from apparel to custom stringing services.
According to owner Tim Plossl, the store will carry brands including apparel by Adidas and Fila and shoes by Adidas, Fila, Prince and Babolat.
For more information, call 315-9810 or visit www.mybsac.org.

New Business Brings Fun to the Streets
Valrico residents James and Josette Delaney are bringing a taste of the tropics to the Brandon area.
The Delaney’s recently opened a franchise of Kona Ice, a traveling Hawaiian Ice van offering 20 flavors of shaved ice and ice cream.
In addition to traveling through local neighborhoods, Kona Ice can be scheduled for private parties or group events.
“Kona has its most fun when they are supporting the community,” says James. “Whether you are a school, a church, or an organization looking for fundraising ideas, Kona Ice is there to help. In a time crunch, don’t worry because under the right conditions we can serve over 200 people in less than an hour.”
For more information, call 484-6595 or visit www.kona-ice.com.

A Massage and Rehab Clinic Opens in Brandon
A new clinical, medical and rehab massage clinic, A Touch of Wellness, opened its doors recently at 915 Oakfield Dr. Ste. A. and celebrated with a Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, August 15.
“A Touch of Wellness, is a massage and rehab clinic with a softer feel which caters to the diversity that is part of what makes Brandon so great,” says Scott Robinson, L.M.T., owner. “We specialize in auto injuries, sports injuries, and any soft tissue injuries. We also offer nutrition consulting, nutritional supplements, and will be adding a chiropractor to the practice within the next 45 days.”
The practice’s two massage therapists are trained in a variety of techniques from Neuromuscular Therapy, Trigger Point Therapy and Reiki to Hot Stones and Relaxation massage.
In addition to taking patients at their Brandon office, A Touch of Wellness makes outcalls for any patients not ambulatory and offers corporate accounts.
For more information, please call Robinson or Sharon Aldrich, L.M.T., M.M.P. at 689-7799.

New Store is 4Reel
With fall on the horizon, the temperatures will be just right for outdoor activities like fishing and camping and a new store, 4Reel Fishing and Camping Supplies, which opened recently in the SteinMart-anchored Lithia Crossings Plaza makes shopping for those outings a breeze.
From camping lanterns and air mattresses and fishing tackle and hooks, 4Reel has a wide variety of supplies.
“Our store carries something for every person in the family,” says Cheryl Phelps who owns the store with her husband Mike. “We have fishing and camping supplies for the most experienced to the up and coming.”
Valrico residents who grew up fishing and camping on the Alafia River, the Phelps see the Bloomingdale area as a perfect place for the store.
“The area is so family oriented as well as out going and that combination spells camping and fishing,” says Cheryl.
4Reel Fishing And Camping Supplies is located at 3430 Lithia Pinecrest Rd. and can be reached at 651-5151. For more information, visit www.4reelfishingsupplies.com or stop by the store Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Aquali Opens In Valrico
With a wide range of services from master technicians, Aquali Salon and Spa opened recently on Erindale Dr. in Bloomingdale.
“All of our stylists are master technicians, many of whom have furthered their skills by becoming educators for product lines, including Alterna, Rusk, Sexyhair and Scruples,” says stylist Hannah McArty.
The full service salon and spa offers services including hair color, perms, relaxing techniques and hair extensions and spa services including acrylic nails, manicures, spa pedicures, facials and full body waxing.
“Aquali salon and spa is a green friendly environment,” says McArty. “Not only do we recycle, we offer coffee and fruit flavored water in glasses rather than non bio-degradable cups. We are trying hard by taking small steps to preserve our environment just as you are at home.”
Aquali Salon and Spa is located at 3652 Erindale Dr. and is open Tuesday-Thursday 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
For more information, call 653-3736.

Cruise Planners Offers Deals
October is National Cruise Vacation month and Sherry Leybovich ECCS, CTA, owner of Cruise Planners, is celebrating with The World’s Largest Cruise Event, offering clients values and incentives on cruise travel to the world’s top destinations.
“The World’s Largest Cruise Event is a celebration where lucky agents like me get to give the gift of great savings on cruises, and our clients are the guests of honor,” says Leybovich. “Best of all, Cruise Planners is extending what is traditionally one special night into an entire week of offers and incentives, so the gifts will keep coming from October 4 to the 10.”
According to Leybovich, a prize-a-day giveaway has been incorporated into this year’s cruise event week where clients can enter a daily contest for fabulous prizes and ultimately be entered into the week end grand prize of a free cruise.
Cruise Planners will host a cruise night on October 6 from 7-9:30 p.m. at the Palmetto Club located at 17004 Dorman Rd. in FishHawk Ranch where clients can learn more about Cruise Planners and the new Royal Carribean Oasis of the Seas, which will be the largest cruise ship in the world when she debuts in December 2009. Representatives from the US Postal Service will be on hand to take applications for passports and to answer questions on the new regulations concerning passports. Lights refreshments will be provided by Bellafia Chocolate Boutique and Lah-Tea-Dah.
Founded in 1994, Cruise Planners is an American Express Travel Services Representative national cruise agency headquartered in Coral Springs, that operates a franchised network of more than 700 experienced travel professionals who independently book cruises and other associated travel. Leybovich has also earned many personal awards and is one of the top franchisees within Cruise Planners. She is currently one of the finalists for home based business of the year through the Brandon Chamber of Commerce.
For more information, call at Leybovich 657-0844, or visit www.cruisesforu.com.

Hospital Welcomes New CNO
“Susan Laber, RN, BSN, MHA, CHCQM, has been promoted to the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) of Brandon Regional Hospital,” says Mike Fencel, the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, “replacing Cheryl Goforth who was promoted to CNO at Trident Health Systems, in Charleston, South Carolina.”
Prior to assuming this role, Laber was the Interim CNO for several months, as well as Assistant CNO at Brandon, from 2006-2008. Since her promotion, Laber and her family have relocated from the Sarasota area to FishHawk Ranch.
Laber’s vision for her nursing team can be boiled down to “do what is right for patients first and inspire others to do the same thing. The opportunity lies in providing an environment where patients are the number one priority; use data to make positive changes; challenge the status quo and create a positive culture where nurses want to work.”
For more information, call the hospital at 571-5105.

Bonefish Grill Awarded Top Honors
Consumers have voted and the results are in: Bonefish Grill has been awarded the Platinum Award in the seafood category at this year’s Consumers’ Choice in Chains Awards. Platinum is the highest honor. The annual survey, conducted by Restaurants & Institutions magazine and now in its 28th year, is considered a key measure of success for restaurant chains across the nation.
For the 2008 awards, more than 3,100 consumers were asked to rate 120 restaurant brands on eight customer satisfaction attributes: food quality, menu variety, value, service, atmosphere, cleanliness, reputation and convenience.
“We are especially thrilled that this award is voted on by consumers,” says John Cooper, President of Bonefish Grill. “It means our customers appreciate the lengths we go to in delivering an exceptional dining experience. Congratulations and thanks go to our teams across the country.”
Patricia Daily, Restaurants & Institutions’ publisher, says, “The R&I Consumers’ Choice in Chains awards is a people’s choice award that conveys to the industry and beyond which restaurants have earned consistent business and guest loyalty and why.”
Complete survey results are available through Restaurants & Institutions magazine (www.rimag.com).
For more information and sample menu from the restaurant, visit www.bonefishgrill.com.

Winn-Dixie Helps Hurricane Victims
Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. announced recently that customers can help their neighbors affected by the 2008 hurricane season by simply donating at any neighborhood Winn-Dixie.
Winn-Dixie is implementing its “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” program in all of its 521 stores as a way to assist the American Red Cross, which has seen its Disaster Relief Fund depleted after an active year of disasters.
The Red Cross provided food, shelter, counseling and other assistance to the communities affected by the storms that battered Florida and the Gulf Coast during the past month. Similar efforts across the country have forced the Red Cross to launch a national drive to raise $100 million to keep the Disaster Relief Fund afloat.
Winn-Dixie customers will find “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” donation sheets available at all registers, where they can donate an amount between $0.50 and $500 directly to the American Red Cross. The cashier will scan the Neighbors Helping Neighbors donation sheet, which automatically adds the amount designated by the customer to the total bill.
“Our neighbors face a long and difficult recovery process, and we want to do everything we can to help them,” says Terry Grooms Derreberry, Winn-Dixie manager of corporate giving. “Our hearts go out to those who were impacted by these storms.”
The American Red Cross provides immediate response in more than 70,000 disasters each year through its Disaster Relief Fund. Disasters include fires, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and tornadoes. Contributions to the relief fund are used to provide food, shelter, counseling and other assistance to victims as needed.
The Winn-Dixie in the Bloomingdale Plaza at 179 Bloomingdale Ave. can be reached at 681-7337. For more information, please visit www.winn-dixie.com.

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