Local Schools Earn Top Grades Statewide
As Hillsborough County schools open their doors to a new school year the public schools located inside and around FishHawk Ranch also welcomed new and familiar students alike with the gift of great grades. Five of the public schools designated for FishHawk Ranch students have once again been recognized as top schools by the 2009-10 statewide grading evaluation.
FishHawk Creek Elementary School, Bevis Elementary School, Stowers Elementary School and Randall Middle School all received “A” grades in the recently released state grading evaluation. One of the community’s newest schools, Barrington Middle School, received a “B.” The rankings, based on test scores and state standards, reinforce the benefits of everything FishHawk Ranch offers children and families.
“Education is such a critical component to building healthy communities,” said Rick Harcrow, senior vice president of operations for Newland Communities. “We are honored to offer such superior, public education options to our residents.”
According to the Florida Department of Education, state grades are calculated by determining annual learning gains of each student toward achievement of Sunshine State Standards, meeting proficiency standards and reviewing the progress of the lowest quartile of students.
For more information on FishHawk Ranch, call 685-7500 or visit www.fishhawkranch.com.
Residents Invited To Welcome Home Fallen Hero
Brandon area residents are invited to come out to support a fallen hero.
Marine Lance Corporal Nathaniel J. A. Schultz was killed while serving in Afghanistan. Community support is requested in the Brandon/Riverview area Friday, August 27 at approximately 2 p.m. Residents are asked to bring their flags, stand along Bloomingdale Ave. and show support as the fallen hero escort makes its way to Serenity Meadows on Providence Rd. in Riverview.
The motorcade is expected to leave MacDill Air Force Base around 12 Noon and should be in the Brandon area around 2 p.m.
Visitation for Schultz will take place Friday evening at Serenity Meadows beginning at 5p.m. and the funeral service is Saturday 11 a.m. at Bell Shoals Baptist Church. The burial is to be at Sarasota National Cemetery.
Contact Serenity Meadows at 677-9494.
Improvements To Brandon Intersection Announced
Improvements at the intersection of Parsons Avenue/John Moore Road and Lumsden Road are now planned which will include a number of turn lanes and traffic signal modifications.
About two dozen local residents signed in and showed their interest in connection with the county’s proposed improvements at the intersection of Parsons Ave./John Moore Rd. and Lumsden Rd. in Brandon during a recent public meeting at Brandon’s Center Place, located at 619 Vonderburg Dr.
According to Hillsborough County officials, the $2.7 million project will include the addition of eastbound and westbound right-turn lanes on Lumsden Rd., as well as the addition of a southbound right-turn lane on Parsons Ave.
In addition, modifications will be made to the median and the existing traffic signal to reflect the changes.
The proposed improvements include adding a designated eastbound right-turn lane on Lumsden Rd. to provide approximately 160 feet of storage length and adding a designated westbound right-turn lane on Lumsden Rd. to provide approximately 285 feet of storage length.
As for Parsons Ave., the proposed improvements include the addition of a designated southbound right-turn lane on Parsons Ave. to provide approximately 150 feet of storage length, as well as a raised concrete median on Parson Ave.
Concerned about the proposed cement barrier on Parsons Ave., Valrico resident David Morrow asked the department to advise him on how motorists will be able to enter the businesses on the east side of the road.
“I am against this cement barrier on the north side of Parsons,” Morrow said and asked, “What can be done?”
The project design is scheduled to be completed by the end of this month.
The acquisition of the required right of way is scheduled to be completed with in the next year.
Construction is scheduled to start late 2011 and be completed by late 2012 and is funded in its entirety by Capital Improvement funds. Visit www.hillsboroughcounty.org.
Dining Dollars Card Now Has Two New Categories, 20 New Participants
More than 30 local restaurants including California Pizza Kitchen, Mellow Mushroom and Green Iguana are participating in the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce's Dining Dollars program offering discounts and special offers to residents. Stop by the Osprey Observer today to pick up your Dining Dollars card.
With 20 new participants, the Brandon Chamber is encouraging residents to get out there and eat, locally, of course.
Since its inception in 2009, the chamber’s Dining Dollars card has been offering residents a way to save while dining out. Some discounts include 20 percent off; 15 percent off; 10 percent off; buy one, get one; free dessert with an entrée; a free drink or some other type of discount.
New participants of the card include Bob Evans, California Pizza Kitchen, Wizeguyz Pizzeria & Restaurant, American Pie Pizza Co., Beef ‘O’ Brady’s on Adamo Dr. and Kings Ave., Stingray’s Grill of Brandon, Sweet Tomatoes, Campbell’s Dairyland, Inc., Moe’s Southwest Grill- Winthrop, Chicken Kitchen – Brandon, Domino’s Pizza – Brandon, Ms. Cyndi’s Corner Café, Jaymer-Que Southern BBQ, Golden Corral – Brandon, The Rack Sushi Bar Billards Lounge – Brandon, Taiga/ Coach’s, GrillSmith – Brandon and Mango’s at Embassy Suites Tampa – Brandon.
The two new categories added this year were “Free Drink” and “Other.” “Both categories are new because of the unique offers our members wanted to give the community,” said Jamie Reid, the chamber’s member programs leader, engagement and programming.
Continuing their participation from 2009 are Barnacles, Buffalo Wild Wings, Giordano’s of Brandon, Green Iguana, Sinigual Mexican Cuisine, The Great American Grill at Hilton Garden Inn Tampa Southeast, Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers, Zaxby’s Valrico, Village Inn, Honeybaked Ham and Tres Amigos Cantina.
Restaurants offering 20 percent off your entire bill include Bob Evans, California Pizza Kitchen, The Great American Grill at Hilton Garden Inn Tampa Southeast, Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers, Wizeguyz and Zaxby’s. American Pie, Barnacles, Beef’s, Green Iguana, Planet Smoothie, Sinigual, Stingray’s and Sweet Tomatoes are offering 15 percent off the total bill. And Buffalo Wild Wings, Campbell’s Dairyland, Giordano’s and Moe’s are offering 10 percent off.
At Jaymer-Que and Village Inn, if you use your dining dollars card, you can get a free dessert with the purchase of an entrée. Chicken Kitchen, Domino’s, Honey Baked Ham, Ms. Cyndi’s and Tres Amigos are offering a variety of buy one, get one deals with the card.
New this year, the free drink offer can be redeemed at Golden Corral, The Rack and Taiga. In the “Other” category, GrillSmith is offering $5 off $25 or more and Mango’s is offering a free appetizer with the purchase of an entrée.
The Dining Dollars program is offered by The Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce, located at 330 Pauls Dr. in Brandon, and sponsored by the Osprey Observer. For more information, visit www.brandonchamber.com, call the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce at 689-1221 or e-mail jreid@brandonchamber.com.
Dine Tampa Bay 2010
From Sunday, Aug. 29 – Monday, Sept. 6, DINE Tampa Bay 2010 will offer amazing deals at many of the Tampa Bay area’s finest restaurants. Participating locations will showcase their fare by offering $25, $30, or $35 prix fixe three-course menus (appetizer, entrée and dessert) throughout the week.
The inaugural DINE Tampa Bay restaurant week, presented by Tampa Bay & Company and the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, lets diners choose from old favorites to the latest culinary hot spots, nationally known chain restaurants to local chef owned bistros, Asian or Spanish fare to Italian, fondue, tapas and sushi, and from the award-winning restaurants of downtown Tampa to the gourmet gems on the beaches. Participating restaurants include:
- 400 Beach Seafood & Tap House
- Avanzare
- Bella’s Italian Café
- Blue Water Grill
- Boizao Steakhouse
- BRIO Tuscan Grille
- Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
- Café Dufrain
- Café Ponte
- The Capital Grille
- CineBistro @ Hyde Park
- Columbia Café at Tampa Bay History Center
- The Columbia Restaurant – Sand Key
- The Columbia Restaurant – St. Pete
- The Columbia Restaurant – Ybor City
- Cooters Restaurant & Bar
- Dempsey’s Steak House at Saddlebrook Resort
- Donatello
- Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
- Fresco’s Waterfront Bistro
- Gallagher’s Steakhouse
- The Grape at International Plaza
- GrillSmith {6 locations}
- The Hangar Restaurant & Flight Lounge
- Hula Bay Club
- Il Terrazzo at Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel
- Jackson’s Bistro, Bar & Sushi
- Kona Grill
- Mangos Restaurant
- Marchand’s Bar & Grill at Renaissance Vinoy Resort
- The Melting Pot of Oldsmar
- The Melting Pot of St. Petersburg
- The Melting Pot of Tampa
- Mise En Place
- Mitchell’s Fish Market
- The NoHo Bistro
- Ocean Prime
- Oystercatchers
- The Palm
- Parkshore Grill
- Pelagia Trattoria
- Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Restaurant
- Ruth’s Chris Steak House
- Seasons 52
- Shor American Seafood Grill at Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort
- Shula’s Steak House
- SideBern’s
- Spain Restaurant
- StarLite Majesty Dining Yacht
- Tinatapa’s
- Urban Culinary Cuisine Café
- Viaggio at The Venue
- Yacht Starship
Each participating restaurant will provide a special Restaurant Week menu in addition to their standard menu, which will suggest three options for each course. Prices are per person and exclude beverages, tax and gratuities.
Restaurants are encouraged to include Tampa Bay and/or Florida products on their Restaurant Week menu so that the event will leave a lasting impression with diners, including many who may be trying a restaurant for the first time!
For more information about DINE Tampa Bay in 2010, for sponsorship opportunities or to participate, visit www.DineTampaBay2010.com; or contact Lauren Bowles at 813-342-4085.
County Hosts Public Meeting Discussing Boyette Rd. Widening
Hillsborough County Engineering Division Public Works Project Manager William “Reg” Alford talks to local residents during a recent public meeting held in connection with the Boyette Rd. widening project at St. Stephens Catholic School in Riverview.
The good news is that the long-awaited third phase of the Boyette Rd. widening project is set to begin this month. The bad news, however, according to residents attending a recent public meeting are the expected increase in stop-and-go traffic and the proposed finished product, which did not get much support during the meeting held at St. Stephens Catholic School, located at 10424 St. Stephens Cir. in Riverview.
As expected, county officials, led by Hillsborough County Engineering Division Public Works Project Manager William “Reg” Alford faced a full house of local residents who wasted no time expressing their dislikes. They voiced opposition to the county’s free flowing “u-turn” solution, lack of noise reduction measures and inability to answer basic questions about the reasons for the delays that has also marked the project’s earlier phase.
The current construction project includes widening Boyette Rd. from a two-lane road to a four-lane divided road between McMullen and Bell Shoals roads. It will also include grass medians in various areas as well as sidewalks and bicycle lanes on both sides of the road.
Alford said that the three miles of construction, the costliest of the total project, is estimated to begin in mid-August 2010, with a completion date sometime in the winter of 2014, a far cry from an earlier project-length estimate of 18-24 months.
“This phase of the project is scheduled to last 1,280 days, costing a total of an estimated $22 million,” he said.
The contract for this phase of the project was awarded by the county to Prince Contracting earlier this year and is led by Construction Project Manager, Dana Mackey.
While the preliminary utility work has already begun, phase III is proving to be the most challenging portion of the project, thanks to the removal of the Bell Creek Bridge, located about a half a mile west of Bell Shoals Rd., which will be replaced with two new bridges.
Before demolishing the old bridge the county is planning to build a new two-lane bridge. Once the old bridge is complete, workers will start on the second two-lane bridge.
Access roads are also scheduled to be built to ease traffic during the construction, but, according to Alford, the troublesome Boyette/Bell Shoals roads and FishHawk Blvd. intersection will not see much relief until the end of the project.
The meeting also revealed that upon completion of the road work, Bell Creek subdivision residents, along with residents living in a number of adjacent communities alongside Boyette Rd., will no longer be able to turn left onto the future four-lane divided roadway.
To continue their westbound travels, motorists will be required to attempt a u-turn maneuver at the nearest intersection: seen as an inconvenience, this option reminds many of the Boyette Rd. project’s phase II blunder, which, after numerous complaints, was eventually corrected by the county.
Summing up the meeting, Riverview resident Kelly Legg, who uses Boyette Rd. as part of her daily commute, said, “I believe that while a lot of questions were answered by the county officials during the meeting, many more were created.”
Hillsborough County Spokesperson Steve Valdez shared a positive outlook of this phase of the project, when he said, “The public is now satisfied with the results of phase II, and we are confident that when the last phase is over, they will feel the same way.”
Unfortunately, satisfaction did not seem to be the identifying mark of the recent meeting, giving county officials much to reconsider, even as construction commences.
For more information about the Boyette Rd. construction project, please visit www.hillsboroughcounty.gov.
Exciting Changes At Winthrop Town Centre
The Riverview Chamber will be moving to the Winthrop Town Centre at the end of August. The Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce was established in 1966 and has been at its current location for three years. When asked about the move, Director Tanya Doran said it was all about, “Location, location, location.”
With close to 400 members, the chamber’s next big event is its annual Multi-Chamber Business After Hours, scheduled for Tuesday, August 10, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at South Bay Hospital, located at 4051 Upper Creek Dr., Ste. 103, in Sun City Center.
Participating chambers include Apollo Beach, Greater Riverview, Ruskin SouthShore and Sun City chambers of commerce.
For more information on the Riverview Chamber, please call 234-5944 or visit www.riverviewchamber.com.
Winthrop Liquors, touting itself as the “first of its kind,” and “a new experience in spirits,” is currently open in the plaza, offering cigars, beer, liquor and wine.
Owner Tom Manchesi said the store will host a grand opening on Friday, August 27. The event is scheduled from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. and will have live music, food and drink. Both The Riverview Chamber of Commerce and The Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce will do an official ribbon cutting at 5 p.m.
Manchesi and plaza developer John Sullivan are asking for a $5 donation, of which 100 percent will go to local charities. Donations and reservations can be made in advance with The Brandon Community Foundation by calling 689-6889 or the Brandon Outreach Clinic at 654-1388.
Located at 11127 Winthrop Market St., next to Green Iguana Bar & Grill, the store can be reached at 382-9463 or info@winthropliquors.com. More information is also available online at www.winthropliquors.com.
Lady Chameleon, which used to be situated within a kiosk at Westfield Brandon, recently opened a storefront offering Miche bags, Sierra’s Flexible Fun Footwear and Me Beads.
The store, with the slogan, “Embracing the Ever-Changing You,” will be located at 6030 Winthrop Town Center Ave. in Riverview, next to Starbucks.
Owner of Miche Bags of Greater Tampa, Lynn Wise, said she chose this location because, “the area is lovely and well-trafficked.”
The store will be open for shopaholics Monday–Saturday from 11 a.m.–7 p.m. For more information, please call 421-3220 or visit www.ladychameleonllc.com.
Sketch and Sip, a unique instructional painting class, has found a new venue for hosting classes within the Winthrop Town Centre, which is slated to expand, as developers have only built 10 percent of what is planned.
Located behind the Times Building at 11248 Winthrop Main St., Ste. B in Riverview, the studio has already hosted its first class. August is also Sketch and Sip’s second anniversary. In its two years, it is estimated that close to 100 paintings have been created for a class, with some paintings being used for more than one class.
The new studio is 650 sq. feet, able to accommodate between 20-25 people. For larger parties, such as birthday parties or bridal showers, Sisco says she is able to rent the Winthrop Barn Theater. Sketch and Sip’s new location will have one class per day, Monday–Friday at 7 p.m. and two on Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. To create a canvas painting, the cost is $40. For a wine glass, the price is $18.
Owner Patty Sisco plans on hiring one-two more artists to help teach classes at the studio and will also have guest artists, such as an 87-year-old woman who will teach a gourd class. “For my repeat customers, I wanted to give them something different to do,” Sisco said.
For information on when guest artists will be coming to Sketch and Sip, residents are encouraged to sign up for the company’s newsletter.
Sisco will still continue to offer what she now calls “satellite classes” at Pottery Patch in Valrico, DaSilva’s Coffee House & Roastery in Lithia and Café Kiln in Tampa.
For more information, please call 263-4576, visit www.sketchandsip.com or find it on Facebook by searching “Sketch and Sip.”
The Joint PT, a privately owned physical therapy practice focused on the one-on-one treatment approach, with the motto “Flexibility. Mobility. Recovery,” recently opened in Winthrop Town Centre as well.
All patients are treated by physical therapist, Earlee Salas, versus assistants and/or machines, and the practice is unique in its working hours and the fact that all of the staff is bilingual.
Services that The Joint PT treats include orthopedic and sports injuries, muscle imbalances, post surgical rehab, arthritis, osteoporosis, neurological disorders, spinal care, geriatric care, automobile and work-related injuries and massage therapy.
“Our patients classify us as the boutique of physical therapy and we’re very proud to be in the area,” said Cyndie Salas, director of operations for The Joint PT.
The Joint PT is located at 11256 Winthrop Main St., Ste. A, in Riverview. For more information, please call 443-5749 or visit www.thejointpt.com.
District Sets New Watering Schedule
Beginning in July, Hillsborough County residents were once again allowed to water their lawns two days a week.
“It’s the first time in more than three years that twice-weekly watering will be allowed,” said Hillsborough County Water Resource Services Community Relations Coordinator, Michelle Van Dyke.
The district declared a water shortage in January of 2007. Seven counties were subject to additional phase III restrictions in 2008 and 2009, followed by the most aggressive, phase IV restrictions, in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties.
Van Dyke explained that easing the restrictions was in response to significant improvements in the levels of the aquifer, rivers and public water storage supplies, but cautioned of some additional changes involving irrigation timers and settings.
“If you live in unincorporated Hillsborough County, you must erase all irrigation timer settings and throw away any reminders with the old two-day-a-week schedule,” she said. “The new schedule is different and also departs from the general schedule listed on Swiftmud’s Website.”
Hillsborough County residents are once again allowed to water their lawns two days a week.
The restrictions apply to all residents of unincorporated Hillsborough County – not just Water Resource Services customers – and most water sources, which include private wells, and ponds or lakes that are used as alternate irrigation supplies. All watering must be done before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
According to Van Dyke, dividing the schedule over six days will also reduce the heavy demand on the county’s water treatment plants during peak times.
Residents may water plants and shrubs by hand, or use a drip irrigation system in landscaping beds at any time. There are also special rules for watering new sod and plantings.
While there are no restrictions on fountains, car washing and pressure washing, these customers are encouraged to use only what they need. Reclaimed water customers are exempt from the watering restrictions.
For complete information on the twice-weekly schedule, rules for watering new sod and plantings and other restrictions, visit www.hillsboroughcounty.org/water, call 275-7094 or call the Water Conservation Team at 272-5977, ext. 43991, during regular business hours.
Bloomingdale Community Station Moves To New Location
Bloomingdale Community Resource Deputy Curtis Warren sits behind his desk at the substation’s new office, now located at 3622 Erindale Dr. in Valrico.
After 12 years of serving the community at its original location on Bell Shoals Ave., the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office District IV Bloomingdale Community Substation has changed its residency and moved into a new office located at 3622 Erindale Dr.
The new 1,225-sq.-ft. office, open from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., located directly behind Car Wash on the Greens, just north of the Erindale Plaza, will occupy a spot tucked in between its new neighbors, the Keller Williams Reality Office and Edward Jones.
“This was a big change, as well as a sudden move for us, and we did not even know at our last meeting for sure when or where we would be going,” said Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Community Service Officer Sandra Capitano. “The office is very nice and much larger, but we will miss our ‘neighbors’ at the Bell Shoals Plaza.”
The changes, however big, are not new to the station. It has seen and experienced the growth within the Bloomingdale community firsthand during the past decade, recently retiring Community Resource Deputy (CRD) Peter Maurer and welcoming Curtis Warren, who took the position less than four months ago, as the new CRD.
Capitano and Warren both spoke highly of the amenities the new location offers, including an extra 300 sq. feet of office space, which besides Warren’s personal office, sports three additional private offices for detectives, such as Property Crime Detective James Howell.
A much more discreet spot for fingerprinting, a private room for questioning suspects, front and rear entrances, and a new kitchen and restroom complete the layout. “It’s a beautiful building at a great location,” Warren said.
The station will continue the handling of community complaints, responding to property crime, working with residents through the citizen’s patrol program, handling fraud reports and the hosting the station’s monthly community council meetings, normally held on the third Thursday of each month.
A grand opening celebration is now planned for the new office on Thursday, August 5 from 1-3 p.m., welcoming Sherriff David Gee, Senator Ronda Storms (R-10) and members of the Hillsborough County Commission. Call 635-8040 or www.hcso.tampa.fl.us.
Balm-Boyette Nature Preserve Closed Due To Wildfire
The Balm-Boyette Nature Preserve is closed until further notice due to a wildfire caused by a lightning strike, which occurred on July 28.
The lightning strike caused an extremely hot fire in approximately 100-120 acres of sand pines located on both sides of the main entrance. The fire is still hot and damage to the trees is a safety concern. Hillsborough County Parks Recreation and Conservation staff feels the damage to the trees could cause them to fall, and as a precaution, many will have to be taken down or removed once they do fall.
The major recreation component in this part of the Nature Preserve is 18 miles of off-road bicycle trails. The nearest off-road bicycle trail is Morris Bridge Park, 13330 Morris Bridge Road in Thonotosassa (near USF). The Alafia River State Park also offers off-road bicycle trails.
The Nature Preserve will reopen when conditions allow.
The Balm-Boyette Nature Preserve is located at 13998 Balm-Boyette Road in Lithia.
Contact the Conservation Services Office at 813-672-7876 for additional information.
