Mardi Gras Festival Made Kid Friendly
Relay For Life’s Team Home Advantage Pet Care is hosting the Mardi Gras Children’s Carnival on Sunday, February 22, at 1 p.m. at the Brandon Moose Lodge Hall located at 804 S. Miller Rd. It is open to kids of all ages with games, prizes, food and fun available. Tickets will be sold for $1 each or in packets of 15 for $12 or 25 for $20 or purchase packets of 15 for $10 in advance from any Home Advantage team member.
For more information, call Amber Roland at 361-6976 or e-mail ams217@hotmail.com.

Salon Hosting Locks of Love
If you are in need of a new hairstyle and would like to donate your hair to Locks of Love, please stop by En Vogue Salon, located at 11343 Big Bend Rd. in Riverview, on Sunday, February 22, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Prices for women’s haircuts will be $16, men’ haircuts will be $10 and kids’ cuts will be $5.
More information about Locks of Love can be found at www.locksoflove.org. For more information, call 672-3632.

Health Fair Extravaganza
A free Health Fair Extravaganza will be held on Saturday, February 21, from 1– 4 p.m. featuring all-natural, organic products and alternative methodologies at Riverside Golf and Boating Resort located at One Pier Dr. in Ruskin, sponsored by Bill and Louise Smith, owners of Apollo Beach Massage Therapy and All Healthy Choices, a Shaklee independent distributorship. Refreshments and chair massages are free, and there will be drawings for free gifts and health screenings.
For additional information, please call 641-8202 or e-mail lcsmail@earthlink.net.

Gallery Supports Local Schools
Beth Howard, owner of South Shore Gallery located at 447 Apollo Beach Blvd. in Apollo Beach, is spearheading a fundraising project in order to supplement the art departments at local schools, which are suffering from funding cuts, by offering 10 percent of one’s purchase to go to a SouthShore school of their choice.
For more information, call 645-0483.

Bike Nite Held in Gibsonton
The Showmen’s Association and Coconuts Bar announce Wednesday Bike Nite at 6915 Riverview Dr. in Gibsonton. There is parking for thousands, live bands, raffles, giveaways, drink specials, great food provided by Steak n Shake and The Club Grill, all from 7-11 p.m.
For more information, call 677-1109 or 677-3590.

Toastmasters Reach Goals
Four South Shore Toastmasters were recognized during a recent club meeting for achieving milestones in 2008. The awards earned were: Jeanette Doyle—Competent Toastmaster; Phyllis Hodges and Francine Webb—Competent Leader and Advanced Communicator; and Jan Diehl—Advanced Communicator. Toastmasters is an international organization for individuals seeking to improve their communication and leadership skills. South Shore Toastmasters meets at 9:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday monthly at Trinity Baptist Church, 702 W. Del Webb Blvd. in Sun City Center. For information, call 633-1523.

Roundtable Elects New Members
The board of directors of the SouthShore Roundtable has elected the following individuals as officers for 2009: Anne Madden – president; Dee Fridella – vice president; treasurer – James Johnson; and secretary – Don Schings. The SouthShore Roundtable Board of Directors is made of representatives of the four south county chambers of commerce, Apollo Beach, Ruskin, Riverview and Sun City Center, and their respective civic associations.
For more information, call 634-1396.

Chili Cook-Off to Benefit Parks
A benefit for the Friends of the County Parks will be held Saturday, February 21, featuring an outdoor flea market, starting at 8 a.m., and a chili cook-off, beginning at 12 Noon. Both events, hosted by the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and
Conservation Department, will be held at E.G. Simmons Park in Ruskin, located at 2401 19th Ave. NW in Ruskin.
Contact 671-7655 to reserve booth space or enter the chili cook-off.

NAWIC 4th Annual Ladies Night Out
Women in Construction (WIC) week will be celebrated Sunday-Saturday, March 1-7, by more than 100 chapters of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC). This year the event is on Monday, March 2, from 6:30–8:30 p.m. and is hosted by Centex Homes at its Magnolia Park site located at 9008 Sienna Moss Ln. in Riverview. The cost is $15 and includes appetizers, drinks and a chance to win a $50 door prize.
Free goodie bags will be given to the first 50 participants who register online at www.nawictampa.org. For more information, call 769-8775.

County Details Projects Available for Stimulus
Hillsborough County government has submitted a list of its stimulus projects that are “ready to go” and could be considered for local funding through a possible federal economic stimulus package. The list of proposed projects totals more than $436.5 million and includes transportation, water infrastructure and energy efficiency projects. Some of the top projects on the list include widening Boyette Rd. from Donneymoor to Bell Shoals Rd.; and widening U.S. Hwy. 301 from Balm Rd. to S.R. 674.
For more information, visit www.hillsboroughcounty.org/administrator/.

Seminar Show How Pets Affect Well-Being
Feline Folks is conducting a free, educational program, How Pets Benefit Your Well-Being, on Tuesday, February 24, from 2–4 p.m. at South Shore Regional Library located at 15816 Beth Shields Way in Ruskin.
For more information, e-mail Info@FelineFolks.org or call 944-7651.

South Shore Library Hosts the Arts
South Shore Library, located at 15816 Beth Shields Way in Ruskin, will host the Muses: Celtic Music With A Zing! (www.themusesmusic.com) on Tuesday, February 10, at 2 p.m. Also being held is the Florida Pro Musica–Baroque Chamber Music Concert (www.FloridaProMusica.com) on Sunday, February 15, at 3 p.m. Free tickets will be available one hour prior to both programs at the library.
For more information, call 634-1396.

Garden Club Holds Annual Sale
The annual Riverview Garden Club Plant and Rummage Sale will be Saturday, February 28, from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Riverview Civic Center, located at 11020 Park Dr. in Riverview. Items that the Garden Club members have put together include: plants and seedlings, many donated by area nurseries at bargain prices, along with baked goods, household items, clothes, books, jewelry, great treasures, raffles and yard art. All the proceeds from this sale go to various charities and organizations. The Riverview Garden Club holds monthly meetings the second Wednesday of each month at 10 a.m. at the Riverview Civic Center.
For more information, call 653-1459.

Auxiliary Hosts Dinner
Sponsored by the Marine Corps League Auxiliary Riverview Unit #1226 to be held at American Legion Post 148, located at 7240 U.S. Hwy. 301 in Riverview, a spaghetti dinner will be held on Saturday, February 7, at 4 p.m. for $6. It is open to the public and to-go orders are available. The league meets the first Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at the Riverview VFW #8108, located at 7504 Riverview Dr. in Riverview.
For more information, call 672-1778.