Osprey Observer » Hillsborough County

Gang Awareness Seminar Ensures Area Incidents Stay Isolated

Tamas Mondovics — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:27:32 +0000

Following a recent gang-related incident on the trails of FishHawk, where some local resident were assaulted by known gang members, Newsome High School, in conjunction with the Hillsborough County gang task force, opened its auditorium to hold its first-ever gang awareness seminar last month.
Opening the meeting, which mainly targeted local students in hopes of providing them with information, FishHawk resident and school Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) President Debbie Edwards welcomed all in attendance and thanked them for supporting area high school and middle school resource officers, all who are on the forefront in keeping an eye on local gang activity and are well-supplied to provide parents, teachers and students information pertaining to and dealing with gang-related issues at local schools and in the community.
“I think our schools’ resource officers are doing a great job keeping this problem, so common in many neighborhoods, under control,” Edwards said.
Commenting on the effectiveness of the seminar and preparation on the part of the deputies, Edwards added, “The presentation and the wealth of useful information for both parents as well as students was outstanding.”
While Newsome High School Resource Officer Mike Alonso shared some information about ways to identify a gang or a gang member, deputies from area schools – including FishHawk, Riverview and Plant City – one-by-one provided a PowerPoint presentation pertaining to what is a gang, why do young people join a gang, what can parents and local residents look for to identify gang members and gang-related activity.
“Make no mistake about it, gangs are real,” Alonso said. “This is an important issue. There are 170 active gangs in Hillsborough County, with 3,200 certified members, many of them supplied with an arsenal of fire arms,” Alonso said.
Of course, there was no shortage of good advice from the experienced officers, including a number of detectives present from the Hillsborough County Sherriff’s Office’s Gang Unit.
“Keep your children busy instead of letting them hang out at Park Square with nothing to do,” Alonso said, adding, “There is nothing wrong with hanging out but having nothing to do can easily result in criminal activity.”
Riverview High School Resource Officer and FishHawk resident Tommy Shannon advised parents when he said, “Make your home a place of refuge and not a battle zone,” adding, “I do not see much gang activity in FishHawk but do not be misled, it does reach all races and economic levels.”
Tomlin Middle School Resource Officer Victor Vasquez, who emphasized that gang activity is very common even in middle schools, talked extensively about the difference between tagging and graffiti and how residents can deal with the issue.
“Work with local law enforcement and take back your neighborhood and community,” Vasquez said.
All law enforcement personnel present during the seminar were unanimous about the fact that gang awareness meetings will continue to be a part of the effort to control area gangs and gang activity.
“Communities must come together,” said detective Mark Wilder, of the Hillsborough County Sherriff’s Office’s Gang Unit. “These meetings help each member of the community to pay attention to and report signs of gang activity and to be aware of gang related signs, behavior in our children and the steps everyone can take to control and, ultimately, eradicate gangs and gang-related criminal activity.”
For more information about gangs or to report gang activity, residents are encouraged to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office’s Tampa Bay Area Gang Hotline at (877) 426-4688 (Gang Out). Students are also encouraged to report gang activity to their school resource officer, which can be done anonymously.

Comments on Brandon Community Plan Welcome

Kathy Collins — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:36:27 +0000

The public is invited to attend an open house on Thursday, March 26 to view the proposed Brandon Community Plan. The meeting is open, and the public is invited to drop by anytime between 5:30 and 7 p.m. at the Brandon Regional Service Center at 311 Pauls Dr. in Brandon.
Since August of 2007, community volunteers and planners have been working to formulate a Community Plan for the future of Brandon. The plan incorporates Bloomingdale, and the issues addressed in the plan include environment, transportation, development, growth and the services needed to support future growth.
Those involved in the plan will be available on Thursday, March 26 to answer questions and explain the concepts behind the plan. The public is invited to give comments on the plan. According to William Lamboy of Hillsborough County, “We have a dynamic group working on this plan. We need the public to view the plan and give comment so that the plan can be finalized by the end of the summer.”
If you want your opinion to count when the Board of County Commissioners and Planning Commission decide issues related to future zoning requests and future development plans in Brandon, then make your feelings known at the Community open house on Thursday, March 26.
The public can view the entire plan at www.hccommunityplanning.com/brandoncommunity. If more information is needed on the plan, contact William Lamboy at 276-8337 or at lamboyw@hillsboroughcounty.org.

Public Hearing For Expansion of Valrico Rec Center

Marie Gilmore — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:02:44 +0000

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE USE
March 5, 2009
Public Meeting Scheduled to Discuss the Proposed
Phase II of the Development of the Valrico Recreation Center
Hillsborough County will hold a public meeting to discuss Phase II of the Development of the Valrico Recreation Center.
The proposed project includes adding a football field, along with an irrigation system and lights. In addition, parking will be expanded. Phase II is budgeted at $250,000 through CIP (Capital Improvement Program) funds.
The park currently has a recreation building that houses the after-school and summer playground program, walking trail, basketball court, playground, parking and landscaping.
The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the details of the project and receive public input. County staff will be at the meeting to answer any questions residents may have.
Please attend, we welcome your input.
* Date: Tuesday, March 10
* Time: 6:30 p.m.
* Place: Valrico Recreation Center, 707 S. Miller Road, Valrico, FL 33594

All meeting facilities are ADA compliant. For additional assistance, please call us.

For more information, residents should call Steve Valdez, Public Works Department – Quality Assurance Section, at 813-272-5275 (TTY: 813-301-7172)

YMCA Names Miller Dowdy For Campo Award

Jennifer Silverstein — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 19:32:46 +0000

Longtime community advocate and developer Miller Dowdy, of Trinity Advisory Group, recently won the YMCA’s Ray Campo Leadership Award, named after Ray Campo, a developer who donated the land for it and two other YMCA facilities. Campo served on the YMCA’s board of directors and, upon his death, also donated more than $1 million toward the Valrico Y and Camp Cristina, a YMCA facility in Riverview.
Dowdy is a board member at the Campo Family YMCA and led the Family Fun Pool project.
Dowdy said that he feels completely humbled by receiving the award. “Just to know the history behind who the award is named after, Ray Campo, and all the major impacts he accomplished for this community makes this award a genuine honor,” he said.
The Campo family continues to make large impacts on the greater Brandon community with their continued time and monetary donations. Dowdy said, “I am particularly pleased that the recently finished YMCA Campo Family Fun Pool project was a joint project donation of the Campo Family and Hillsborough County.”
It took thousands of volunteer hours to accomplish the Family Fun Pool project over the past two years, and it was led by individuals such as Cindy Sofarelli, Lance Cohn, Tom Nicholson and John Sullivan as well as the leadership of the YMCA Campo Board of Directors.
Mags Oldman, Development Coordinator for the Campo YMCA, said, “We have been incredibly blessed and very proud to have Miller Dowdy as part of volunteer team for the past few years.”
“He sets a very high standard of leadership and advocacy for our organization, and has contributed countless hours of dedicated service to the YMCA. Miller’s affiliation with our organization has been nothing but a bonus to us, and to the thousands of children and families we serve,” she said. “His passion and commitment are truly a gift to us, matched only by his integrity and genuine thoughtfulness as an advocate for our mission, a volunteer leader and friend.”
Dowdy said, “It was also a pleasure to work with Mark Thornton of the Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation Department for his department’s involvement in this project. And, ultimately, the project could not have been completed without the support and guidance of Commissioner Al Higginbotham.”
Currently, the YMCA is in the process of its Annual Giving Campaign for the year, a giving effort of local businesses and the community’s citizens.
“Most people think of the Y as just another gym alternative, and they could not be more incorrect,” Dowdy said. “Your community YMCA supports many local community programs that stretch your charity giving dollars to the maximum. Many of these programs would not be possible for the community to have if it were not for the amount of volunteers it takes to properly run these programs. This is even truer today in these tough economic times.”
“It is these very programs that need your support more than ever. It takes more than just the regular membership dues to bring these programs to the community,” Dowdy said. “I would ask our community to care for others even less fortunate than them this year and give to your local YMCA or even better…come and be a volunteer!”
Dowdy is the managing partner for a group of commercial real estate professionals that have combined 55-plus years of experience and over $3 billion in closed real estate transactions. Dowdy has also won the YMCA Bullard Family Super Hero Award, the Brandon Chamber Chairman’s LIGHT Award and Hillsborough County Planning Commission Community Design Award of Merit for Institutional Projects (The Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce Building).
Dowdy is also involved in the Hillsborough County Planning Commission, the Hillsborough County Citizens Advisory Committee, the Brandon Community Master Plan Committee and the Lithia-Pinecrest Road Planning Committee.
For more information on the Campo YMCA, call 684-1371 or visit http://tampaymca.com. Campo Family YMCA is located at 3414 Culbreath Rd. in Valrico.

Eye on Business

Kate Quesada — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 02:26:36 +0000

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.

Council Meeting Focuses On Gang Awareness

Tamas Mondovics — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 01:40:15 +0000

“There are more than 30,000 documented gangs in the U.S., with more than a million certified gang members,” said detective Mark Wilder, of the Hillsborough County Sherriff’s Office (HSCO) Gang Unit, during the recently held Bloomingdale area community council meeting. What do these numbers mean for Hillsborough County? Wilder explained that as of the second week of November 2008, the county has 156 documented gangs on record with 3,200 certified members, an almost 50 percent increase in recent years. Gangs and gang awareness are not new to most communities, but with numbers like this, the topic merits attention, hence the reason for the great turnout at the HCSO Bloomingdale substation’s November meeting which is normally held on the third Thursday of each month. Residents, along with local deputies as well as local county officials, discuss important issues pertaining to the community including crime trend, traffic problems or, in this case, gang awareness. According to Wilder, gangs are not illegal in the state of Florida, but gang activity is. Wilder explained that while the state ranked second in the nation only to California, beating out cities like Chicago, New York and New Jersey just to name a few, Hillsborough County is leading the state in taking action to control the problem. “As of October 1 in Hillsborough County, all certified gang members who have been convicted of a crime will be registered and handled similar to the way sex offenders are,” Wilder said. This means that parents and community members will have the opportunity to know about convicted gang members within their neighborhoods. “While registration has already begun, the process of posting the information for the public is currently being worked on,” Wilder said. For now, bedsides the efforts of local law enforcement, members of each community are being encouraged to take the necessary steps in controlling or, hopefully, eradicating gangs or gang-related activity. “But, by all means, do not take matters into your own hands,” HCSO Deputy Pete Maurer said. “That’s when we come in,” he commented. For more information about gangs or to report gang activity, residents are encouraged to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Tampa Bay Area Gang Hotline at 877-Gang-Out (426-4688).

Stowers Honored With School Naming

Marie Gilmore — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 01:24:52 +0000

By Michelle Caceres
Hillsborough County School Board named the Lithia elementary school located adjacent to FishHawk Ranch after Richard “Dick” Stowers, 79, a local civic leader and businessman that revolutionized the funeral business in the Brandon area. Born in Hillsborough County, Stowers grew up in the Palm River area when Brandon was just a sleepy bedroom community. Ironically, Stowers fondly recalls his younger days of courting young ladies on the property where the elementary school now resides. He and his friends would swim in the lake and park their cars on its banks. “That area was a real lover’s lane,” he says. As an 8-year-old boy, Stowers attended the funeral of a young neighborhood girl, an experience that irrevocably altered the direction of his life. “I knew from that moment on that I wanted to be a funeral director,” he reflects. His big break came in 1960, when a friend loaned him the money to purchase the James Brandon Homestead located on S.R. 60. After remodeling the historic home, he opened Stowers Funeral Home in 1961. “Going into business for myself has given me a lot of opportunities to help other people and that’s a lot of fun,” said Stowers. Throughout his life, he has donated his time and money to many organizations, including the Brandon Kiwanis Club, Brandon Elks Club and Boys and Girls Club of Brandon. He was an active member of the Brandon Chamber of Commerce. Stowers and wife Raymetta have five daughters and one son. Raymetta said the naming is the perfect birthday gift (he’ll turn 80 on the 4th of July) for a man who never asks for anything. Friends signed petitions and wrote compelling letters to the school board in favor of using Stowers’ name. “It was wonderful to see so many people come out to support Dick and all he’s done for Brandon,” she says. Other schools receiving names in November include the middle school sharing the same campus, named in honor of the late Glenn Barrington, a long-time educator and school board member. Strawberry Crest High, located near Plant City and its adjacent elementary school, David E. Bailey Jr. Elementary, honoring a former educator and Plant City historian, were also named. Stowers says he hopes the children at his school will learn from his example to go after their dreams. “I hope each child at the school will have a vision to do something great,” he said. For more information about the schools named in November visit www.sdhc.k12.fl.us.

Lithia Pinecrest Road Widening Public Meeting Draws Crowds

Tamas Mondovics — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 01:17:29 +0000

Hundreds attended a recent public meeting concerning the proposed widening of approximately an 11 mile section of Lithia Pinecrest Rd. from its current two travel lane roadway to a six travel lane roadway, affecting the Brandon, Bloomingdale and Lithia communities from S.R. 60 in Brandon to C.R. 39. Local residents who showed up at the Palmetto Club at FishHawk Ranch to hear more extensively about the project had the opportunity to view maps, elevations, a video presentation of the proposed change, as well as talk to county officials on-hand to address questions and concerns. Hillsborough County, in cooperation with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), has been working on preparing a Project Development and Environment (PDE) Study to consider the proposed widening of Lithia Pinecrest Rd., which according to county officials and many local residents, at this point, is simply not sufficient to handle the traffic. “Portions of this roadway currently operate below the county’s adopted minimum acceptable level-of-service standard,” said Hillsborough County Engineering Division Public Works Center Project Manager William Alford. Alford explained that the meeting was strictly about gathering information and that the improvements are intended to accommodate both existing and future traffic volumes as well as enhance motorist safety and reduce emergency response times. But while area residents in general agree that something needs to be done, just as many were unsatisfied due to the lack of information offered by the county. For starters, county officials were faced with complaints that the video presentation of the project seemed to be short on facts. The hot topic that seemed to concern most included the lack of traffic lights planned for the Valrico portion of the project. “I don’t see how they can talk about safety. It is difficult to turn onto Lithia Pinecrest going north now. How is that going to be better trying to cross three lanes and then merge in to three lanes of traffic without a traffic light,” said Gene Will of Valrico, who has lived on Hummingbird Ln. for the past 40 years and is very concerned about being able to turn northbound onto Lithia Pinecrest once the six lane road project is completed. For many residents the small but problematic as well as infamous, Bell Shoals Road and Lithia Pinecrest intersection just a few yards south of Lumsden was the worry of the day-although not on the agenda for the meeting-the proposed road widening plan will include the turning Bell Shoals Road, into a cul-de-sac, cutting traffic flow from it to merge onto Lithia Pinecrest. That is a big problem for Sue Curd with Curd and Associates who feels that the change would choke or at least alter the volume that her business generates. “I will lose business,” she said. Jim Barfield, also a Valrico resident for the past four decades whose wife Jean became Honorary Mayor of Brandon in1996, was disturbed by the fact that the County took this long to decide on thinking about the roads. “The County has been passing out building permits to developers for years. Now they have a problem on their hands and rightly; nobody is happy,” Barfield said. Good, bad or ugly, the meeting seemed to have accomplished its purpose and as expected could and would not please everyone while provided an opportunity to hear or to be heard. One thing is sure. This project will be done and Lithia Pinecrest Road will be a six lane major artery for commuters even if its success remains to be seen. For ore information about the project or for project updates, public comments and concerns please visit www.lpcstudy.com.

Community Remembers Fallen Officer

Tamas Mondovics — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:56:02 +0000

“There is not a day that goes by that we don’t think about Ron,” said Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson J.D. Callaway, as he talked about his friend and longtime colleague on the force Ronald “Ron” Harrison, the veteran Hillsborough County sergeant who was killed by a gunman while sitting in his patrol car on his way home from work in Brandon last summer.
That Harrison is greatly missed by many and has never been forgotten was once again evident as the Brandon community came together and made the necessary preparations to hold the Second Annual Memorial Motorcycle Ride for Harrison in early November. The event benefitted MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), an organization that Harrison was deeply involved with while serving on the force.
The event was sponsored by a number of local businesses and organizations in the community such as Harley-Davidson/Buell of Brandon, the Blue Knights of Florida XXVII, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Beef ‘O’Brady’s of Seffner, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the University of South Florida Police Department and the Plant City Police Department.
Callaway said, as it was true last year, this occasion brought together between 200-300 riders and a great mix of people from the community.
“We are more than happy to help and be a part of supporting this annual event on behalf of Harrison, both with our donation as well as offering our store as a kick off point,” said Harley Davidson/Buell of Brandon Marketing Assistant Britni Buss.
MADD Hillsborough County Victims Advocate Becky Gage, also one of the riders — although only on the back of a bike — was thankful for all the sponsors, businesses and individual riders who took part in the event.
“It is a great honor to take part of such an occasion,” she said.
Gage also said that the event was quite timely as the late Harrison was recently named the Top DUI Law Enforcement Individual for 2007 during the National MADD conference held in Dallas, Texas.
MADD chapters around the state regularly hold fundraisers in support of its programs and services. Anyone interested in learning more about fundraisers such as the Annual Memorial Ride for Harrison, which supports MADD Hillsborough County, can call 273-6233.
Anyone wishing to financially support MADD at the grassroots level may mail donations directly to its local chapter. The office of MADD Hillsborough County is located at 1107 E. Jackson St. in Tampa.
For more information about MADD, please visit www.madd.org.chapter/1200.

Eye On Business Riverview

Kate Quesada — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:00:54 +0000

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.