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 [...]]]>

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.

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 [...]]]>

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.