Osprey Observer » advertising

Newland Communities Renames Lake Hutto To Circa FishHawk

Marie Gilmore — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 13:16:16 +0000

By Michelle Caceres
It’s not a part of FishHawk Ranch, but the 700-acre site formerly known as Lake Hutto has been renamed Circa FishHawk to reflect its close proximity to the master-planned behemoth.
FishHawk and Circa developer Newland Communities and its advertising agency worked closely to settle on the new name.
“We felt that it was important to position this community as its own special place while still acknowledging the strong FishHawk Ranch brand that has come to define the ‘FishHawk’ area,” said Newland Communities Regional Marketing Director Pam Parisi.
Located south of FishHawk Blvd., between Boyette Rd. and FishHawk Ranch, the steady pace of construction in Circa is currently underway. Roadways to two new schools, Stowers Elementary and Barrington Middle, are being laid with the schools slated to open in August. Attendance boundary lines for the schools are in the process of being drawn and approved. A public meeting to discuss boundaries has been scheduled for Wednesday, January 14, at 6:30 p.m. in the multi-media room at Randall Middle School.
Parisi expects the community to attract families for the same reasons they’re attracted to FishHawk Ranch. The community will feature onsite schools, a convenient town center and a variety of amenities all connected by a trail system.
In addition to families, Circa is also expected to attract singles, pre-family couples, empty nesters and retirees with its variety of housing options, including many maintenance-free options that appeal to these buyer groups.
While the land plan is still being designed, product offerings will include apartments as well as a variety of single-family and multi-family options.
Circa is the continuation and evolution of the FishHawk area, bringing a vibrant Village Center and fresh, new lifestyle choices-both residential and commercial-to the area, said Parisi.
Newland officials say the community is still in the envisioning process, as they are attempting to nail down the land plan and product offerings. Builders are showing interest in the community but specific discussions with builders have not occurred.
“It’s still way too soon,” said Parisi.
For more information about Circa FishHawk, visit www.newlandcommunities.com.

Shop Local Day Declared By Mayor

Marie Gilmore — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 02:35:45 +0000

Each week, 10 local residents will be pleasantly surprised to receive gift certificates for local businesses, restaurants and retailers in their mailboxes. Each Monday, entries are drawn from newspaper and online submissions to the Shop Local campaign and it is easy to win! Shop Local, a new small business campaign developed by Osprey Observer staff and local retailers is an encouragement to residents to shop local and support the local small business community this holiday season. Local participating small businesses can be identified with flyers and window decals identifying them as local businesses. “This is a great campaign,” said Chick-fil-A Lake Brandon Village owner and Brandon Honorary Mayor Tammy Holmberg. “This is what living in a great community like Brandon is all about.” Holmberg joined 75 business owners and Osprey staff for a Brandon Chamber ribbon cutting to launch the new campaign. Holmberg made a special proclamation declaring: “Whereas, shopping locally keeps our community thriving and helps secure the longevity of our small businesses, I hereby proclaim, Thursday, October 30 as Shop Local Day and I urge all citizens to join me and shop locally in support of their fellow business owners.” Logging onto www.ospreyobserver.com and clicking on the Shop Local tab will give residents the Shop Local page where more than 40 local businesses have signed on to be a sponsor of the campaign. In addition, when residents enter to win the weekly drawing by entering online, they are also entering the name of the local small business where they shopped. “Each month, we will tally all entries,” said Osprey Observer Advertising Manager Shannon Carlton, “The local business with the most entries will become our Shop Local business of the month and will receive a plaque and a Shop Local profile of the month feature story in our newspaper.” Carlton can also be seen on the front page of the www.ospreyobserver.com website in a short video promoting the campaign. For more information on becoming a Shop Local participant, contact Carlton directly at shannon@ospreyobserver.com or call 924-4679.

New Big Lots Store Has Big Bargains

Kelly Legg — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:50:16 +0000

Many SouthShore residents eagerly anticipated the opening of the new Big Lots store in October. Maybe it’s the thrill of the hunt or the satisfaction of finding that certain item at a discount rate. But whatever the reason, Big Lots holds firm to its advertising slogan – “Helping people connect with their inner bargain hunter.” The large discount retail chain, Big Lots, opened its newest store, measuring 24,000 sq. ft., in the Sun Point Shopping Center located at 3048 East College Ave. in Ruskin. The grand opening ceremony drew large crowds of retail shoppers looking for big savings, especially in these tight economic times and with the holidays quickly approaching. During the opening ceremonies, Big Lots showed its support for the local community by presenting a $2,500 check to Lennard High School. Big Lots is known for its partnership within its communities, coordinating many charitable events including its partnership with Toys for Tots. Store Manager Ira Cohen was enthusiastic about the response from the community. “This is a great turn out, and we are excited that the store is finally open for business” said Cohen. Cohen, an Apollo Beach resident and a father of five children, has worked for Big Lots for six years and had previously worked at two different stores in the Tampa area. The opening of this new store was his first grand opening, and he marks it as an achievement. “We have 45 employees and everyone has worked tirelessly to make this grand opening happen successfully for the community,” said Cohen. Grace Payton, a Sun City Center resident, was shopping that morning at the new Big Lots store looking at the holiday decorations. “I have always loved Big Lots, and I used to drive all the way to the Big Lots in Brandon,” said Payton. “Now, I am thrilled to have this store right down the street.” The new store shelves were neatly stocked with a broad range of brand-name products, including consumables, seasonal items, furniture, housewares, toys, electronics, home décor, tools and gifts to attract any bargain hunting consumer. Founded in 1967, Big Lots is now considered the nation’s largest closeout retailer and operates over 1,400 retail stores, serving 47 states and employs more than 38,000 associates. For more information about Big Lots, please visit www.BigLots.com or you can call the new store directly at 641-7349.

Interns Learn The Ropes While On Osprey Observer Summer Assignment

Marie Gilmore — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:54:50 +0000

Over the summer break, seven students, including college journalism majors, marketing and public relations majors and high school journalists, completed an Osprey Observer internship, a program open to all students interested in learning more about the field and jobs in journalism.
“We love to open our doors and teach students about the opportunities available to them in the field of journalism,” said Managing Editor Marie Gilmore. “And, each time we complete a program, we learn something new, too.”
Interns are asked to commit to 100 hours of in-office training on a flexible schedule. “Our interns leave our program with a letter of recommendation from us, 10 published articles and, hopefully, a new love and appreciation for the field,” mentioned Gilmore.
University of Florida journalism major and Riverview High School graduate Jennifer Smith enjoyed her time at the Osprey Observer and said, “From the internship, I learned that writing is truly my passion and that I would like to pursue a career in print journalism.”
The program, which runs spring break and summers throughout the year, requires a resume and a request, along with transportation and a love of writing. In addition, graphics interns are accepted and given the opportunity to design advertising and supplements for the Osprey Observer.
In addition to writing, photography and reporting, interns are invited to Brandon South Rotary meetings and to participate in community events.
For more information, call 657-2418 or email editor@ospreyobserver.com. Resumes and internships are being granted for summer, 2009.
2008 Summer Interns
Name: Jennifer Smith
School: Graduated Riverview High School, currently attends the University of Florida.
Major: Journalism

“The most memorable story I worked on was about the Pediatric Cancer Foundation’s Cure Kids Cancer Walk. It was an inspiring assignment because I got to work with a great organization and offer my support to a great cause.”

Name: Elizabeth Wilhelm
School: Marist College/University of South Florida
Major: Marketing
“I learned how to market myself as an individual and as a part of an organization and how to create contacts throughout a community. I also learned a lot of interesting things about my community.

Name: Nora Zaki
School: Newsome High School
Major: Journalism and MidEast Studies with a minor in Arabic
“I truly think interning at the Observer for nearly four weeks gave me a larger sense of independence. I learned how to listen intently to the person(s) I’d be interviewing to make sure I wrote down their responses accurately and wanted them to realize that I was truly interested in listening to them. I guess one can say, my perception of the community where I live has somewhat improved.”

Name: Lauren Ashley
School: Brigham Young University
Major: English
“I loved writing about the charm classes held at Center Place because of the interview I had with the teacher of the class. She was the perkiest and, yet, most sincere person I had ever met, and even though I was interviewing her about what she did, she took time to get to know me and really helped me to feel the importance of the classes she taught. I really wanted to be a better journalist and person!”

Name: Luz Ma
School: Savannah College of Art &
Design
Major: Graphic Design
“I was interested in using my time wisely over summer break, besides just working, and developing any skills with computers or design.”

Name: Kasie Anthony
School: University of Central Florida
Major: Marketing with a minor in Communications
“The internship helped me enhance those skills and apply them to real life situations. Just being in the office and experiencing how a business is run was a learning experience of itself.”

Name: Keria Martin
School: Bloomingdale High School
Major: n/a
“ During my internship, I learned the true meaning of the term “prioritize.” Between phone calls for quotes and deadlines for articles, it was really important to priortize the multiple assignments that were given. Sometimes that meant rescheduling an interview to make room for a more important story that had a much closer deadline. I think this will be a crucial skill in my career as a journalist. “