Osprey Observer » Regional

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.

Newland Communities Renames Lake Hutto To Circa FishHawk

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

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

TB Water Suing For Cracked Walls

Tamas Mondovics — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 21:45:49 +0000

As if the ongoing water shortage was not enough to deal with, members of the Tampa Bay Water Board have another issue on their hands.
During a recent meeting, the board unanimously voted to sue the three companies: HDR Engineering, Barnard Construction and Construction Dynamics Group, which have been involved with the design and construction of the recently built 930-acre C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir, located in southeast Hillsborough County.
According to Tampa Bay Water, HDR designed the reservoir, Barnard was the lead construction contractor and Construction Dynamics oversaw building it. But investigations of the now crack-ridden walls of the multimillion-dollar reservoir have determined that the cracks were caused either during the design, construction or oversight of the project.
While Tampa Bay Water officials have not said how much money they will try to recover in the lawsuits, board member and Tampa City Councilman Charlie Miranda reportedly said that he wants to make sure taxpayers don’t get stuck with the repair bill.
“For me, it is paramount that the public interest be protected,” Miranda said.
Moving forward with litigation as well as filing the lawsuit by December 20, —before the statute of limitations runs out— also means that Tampa Bay Water will cancel contracts with HDR and the other firms.
When full, the reservoir can provide enough water to operate the Tampa Bay Regional Surface Water Treatment Plant at full capacity for more than six months.
The reservoir’s banks are coated with 16 inches of soil cement to prevent erosion from waves. It took 183 days to initially fill the reservoir. During construction, more than 150 pieces of heavy equipment were used and more than 150 people employed.
Thirteen million cubic yards of earth were moved in total for this project. That is equivalent to one dump truck every minute for two years straight.
While the first cracks were visible in the soil-cement covering of the 15-billion gallon capacity reservoir’s inner walls as of late 2006, they’ve become more widespread, causing officials to drain the water levels so cracks below the waterline could be investigated.
According to Tampa Bay Water, safety is paramount in the reservoir design, construction and operations. The facility is an earthen structure, with an embankment as wide as a football field at its base and that averages 50 feet in height. Armored with 16 inches of soil cement, including a stair-step design that rings the top, the reservoir is built to withstand hurricane force wind and rain.
Instrumentation built into the reservoir and various measurements taken provide feedback on soil moisture, stability and other safety factors.
For more information about the reservoir, please visit www.Tampabaywater.org.

Rotarians Unite To Help Medically Needy Nations

Carisa Biesecker — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 18:05:23 +0000

“We can better the lives of others and even save lives in countries that have lacked the proper medical facilities and supplies. What a reward, knowing that we can make such a difference,” stated Kathy Curry, sergeant of arms of the Brandon South Rotary Club which, along with the Brandon Rotary, recently packed a 60-foot Wal-Mart semi-trailer truck with medical supplies gathered from local rotary clubs in support of Project C.U.R.E. (Commission on Urgent Relief and Equipment).
Project C.U.R.E., an organization helping medically depleted countries, is said by local chairman Alan Feldman of Feldman’s Photography to be sending over a million dollars worth of donated medical supplies weekly to 105 countries throughout the world. Former president of Brandon Rotary, Feldman went on to say, “Seven thousand tons of medical supplies are thrown away everyday in the Unites States. It’s pretty sad, us throwing away things everyday that others could really use.”
Feldman felt led to support this organization, informing fellow Rotarians of the lack of necessary tools and equipment that we as Americans have access to during surgeries, but those overseas may not – things like scalpels, gauze, numbing agents, crutches or even a bed to recover in post surgery. From there, various rotary clubs of District 6890 teamed up to collect needed medical items from generous facilities such as Brandon Regional Hospital, Bill’s Prescription Center, Brandon Outreach, Emergency Care Help Organization and many more in order to support the cause.
Together, the rotary clubs were able to accumulate enough medical supplies to accommodate the 60-foot trailer of a semi-truck, which was donated for use by Wal-Mart upon its return back north, stopping in at Nashville, Tennessee to drop-off the supplies. In response, the rotaries received a thank you letter for their support from Project C.U.R.E. Its mission to be one of support to charities and the community, Rotary International has a total of 1.2 million members. Brandon Rotary, meets every Tuesday at 12 Noon at Center Place located at 619 Vonderburg Dr. in Brandon and Brandon South Rotary meets on Wednesdays at 12 Noon at Buckhorn Springs Golf & Country Club located at 2721 S. Miller Rd. in Valrico.
If you are interested in joining the clubs in their efforts to help Project C.U.R.E., which is now sending supplies to Haiti, please call Feldman at 685-4343. To learn more about either rotary club, please visit either Website at www.brandonrotary.org or www.brandonsouthrotary.org.Or visit www.projectcure.org.

Library Celebrates Anniversary with Big Event

Jennifer Silverstein — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:52:32 +0000

SouthShore Regional Library is celebrating its second anniversary on Saturday, November 15, with a variety of programs available for all ages throughout the day. The Friends of the Library are organizing this event. According to the SouthShore Friends of the Library Website, the Friends organization does for the library what the PTA does for schools and the booster clubs do for sports programs. “Basically, library employees cannot raise or handle money, so lucky libraries like this have a ‘Friends of the Library’ group that does fundraisers and raises money for programs beyond the basic ones offered at every library,” said Friends Board Member in charge of programs, Diane Waronka. “It really is another example of Sun City Center retirees that find a cause they like and really offer wonderful time and resources.” Jim Duffy was the founder and original president of the SouthShore Friends group. He held meetings a year or more before the library opened and got corporate and individual sponsorships. Duffy asked Waronka to represent Apollo Beach since it’s a regional library. The board of Friends now meets quarterly. Last year, Waronka ran a Harry Potter trivia contest on the first anniversary and “for the opening ceremony, I organized a ‘Why I like to Read’ essay contest with local schools and had a big awards ceremony,” she said. This year, the festivities will begin at the library at 10:15 a.m. with the Fritzy Brothers One Man Circus. “This really funny program truly appeals to kids of all ages,” Waronka said. “The entire family will laugh at juggling, unicycling, clowning and comedy.” At 11:30 a.m., children will learn the art of cartooning as a form of personal expression. All readers and doll collectors ages 7-14 will do games or crafts based on Samantha, Kitt and other girls from the new series of American Girl at 2 p.m. Youngsters are invited to bring one doll of their own, if they wish. At 3:30 p.m., in the Game Zone, local teens will teach seniors how to play Wii bowling and tennis and then assist in games and tournaments. Also in the Game Zone, Rock Band and Guitar Hero will be available to play. For more information on the SouthShore Library’s second anniversary or the SouthShore Friends of the Library, visit www.southshorefriends.com.

E.R. Continues To Improve Its Service

Tamas Mondovics — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:57:38 +0000

For most people going to the ER is a two fold problem. One is the medical emergency itself, the other is actually being there. Many who visit their local hospital emergency room likely think about the lengthy visit they will have to endure while wondering what kind of care they are actually going to receive, all before they even walk through the ER doors.
“That mental image is what we are here to change,” said Brandon Regional Hospital’s new director of emergency services Randy Spivey.
Spivey, who took over the department in June of 2007 and who has over two decades of hospital emergency room experience under his belt proudly mentioned that the Brandon ER is his fifth emergency department he has run since 1990.
But Spivey understands that local residents and patients are not interested in numbers or an impressive resume. “They want results and good care provided as quickly as possible,” he said.
This director has his work cut out for him. According to ER statistics, BRH sees close to 200 patients per day which amounts to almost 70,000 a year. More than a dozen of the ER staff is on duty at any given time.
For this reason Spivey agreed and explained that his main challenge is the sheer volume of patients. While pleased with the recent progress at his department which has been renamed from “emergency room” to “emergency center,” with the purpose of removing the negative idea of a “waiting room” and replacing it with a “reception” area, he said that his job has only started and he is determined in providing the highest level of care to all, as fast as possible.
“We are on the right track but, I am not satisfied with where we are just yet,” Spivey said. “It is a work in progress.”
According to Spivey the recipe for a well run emergency center has three main ingredients that comes under the department’s mission of providing the highest patient care possible accomplished only through speed and communication.
“It is good people in the right place, good cooperation between hospital departments and working closely with the ambulance services,” Spivey said.
Repeatedly emphasizing the fact that without his staff, which he said was doing a fantastic job, improvements could not be made. Spivey said, “We have some absolutely great people working here, and I am pleased with their hard work.”
Interestingly, and possibly the reason for this director’s success, is that he is not concerned about other hospitals and reports or statistics from similar facilities.
“I focus on what needs to be done here while making sure that the Brandon community is cared for and that our patients receive the best, the fastest and the highest level of treatment possible,” he said.
Spivey is also a member of Atlanta’s Disaster Medical Assistance team. He was born in Hartsville Tennessee and moved to Brandon in June of last year with his wife Lisa Flueallen, an RN who currently works at Tampa General Hospital’s pediatric emergency room.
For more information about BRH emergency services, please visit www.myBRH.com.

Cockroach Bay Seeks Sanctuary Status

Kelly Legg — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:04:06 +0000

Although the name Cockroach Bay might not immediately seem like a place that you’d want to visit, it’s a haven for Florida sea life and serenity. Captain Gus Muench is passionate about persuading support in the community to protect this area by establishing an official “Cockroach Bay Sanctuary Authority.”
“I lived in the Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve for 38 years as a commercial fisherman, and when I look back, I realize that I was only interested in taking its rich and natural resources,” says Muench.
Muench petitioned the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission as well as the Hillsborough County Planning Commission and the Southwest Florida Water Management District to consider his proposal to establish an official sanctuary authority for Cockroach Bay.
His proposal includes instituting an official authority to govern and protect a proposed access corridor through Little Cockroach Bay from the Little Manatee River. The area outside the corridor and within the existing Manatee Protection Area would become a “Pole and Troll” zone.
The “Pole and Troll,” or no-motor zone, has stirred controversy among weekend boaters, but environmentalists consider it the principal way to protect sea grasses from propeller damage.
Muench thinks educating people about sea grass damage is a beginning, but not enough. “We need to establish an official authority that people respect,” said Muench. “And if the area is established as an official sanctuary, then that also allows us to look at grants and state funding.”
The Hillsborough County Planning Commission hosted a community planning workshop in Ruskin at the SouthShore Regional Library in late July to discuss the plan. “The community plan can include support strategies that emphasize the importance of the area and the desires of the community,” says Pedro Parra, principal planner with the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission.
“With more boaters moving into the area, we have to do something soon,” said Muench.
If you are interested in learning more about supporting the Cockroach Bay Sanctuary, please visit Muench’s Website at www.crabbyadventures.com or call 645-6578.

New Trails Planned in Lithia!

Tamas Mondovics — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:54:30 +0000

Lithia and its surrounding area residents will soon have one more place to enjoy the great outdoors that will include a wide variety of recreational opportunities.
That’s because the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board recently approved a land management plan for the Chito Branch Reserve in southeastern Hillsborough County located around the C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir in Lithia.
According to Senior Land Use Specialist Gina Sowders, the district purchased the 5,515-acre reserve in 2001 in cooperation with Tampa Bay Water for the primary purpose of building the 16-billion-gallon reservoir to collect and store drinking water. The reservoir is built on 1,100 acres. The remaining property consists of a variety of habitats, including wetlands, pine and scrubby flatwoods, scrub, freshwater marshes and improved pasture.
“It is a lot of fun to see an area developing into a place so useful to the public,” Sowders said.
While protecting the area’s natural resources, the district has determined that hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, primitive camping, wildlife observation, interpretive uses, nature study, outdoor nature photography, picnicking and trail running are recreational opportunities compatible with these objectives.
Public input and comments were solicited at a noticed public meeting last summer during the drafting of this plan. Approximately 26 people attended, nine of which completed a questionnaire form about their recreational interest for Chito Branch Reserve. The results of the questionnaire included 63 percent equestrian uses, 50 percent primitive camping, 38 percent biking, 25 percent nature study, 13 percent hiking and 13 percent photography.
However, Sowders said that the district must finish constructing the parking area, marking trails and completing the other infrastructure to accommodate recreation.
“This work is expected to be fully completed by next spring,” she said.
As part of the plan, the district will be responsible for managing the reserve’s natural resources and for accommodating recreational usage. Tampa Bay Water will continue to manage the operations of the reservoir.
Of course, anyone who would be interested in volunteering to help maintain the trails, which would include trail work, trash pick-up or trimming branches, may contact the Southwest Florida Water Management Board.
For more information, please visit Southwest Florida Water Management at www.swfwmd.state.fl.us or call 1-800-423-1476.

Melonie Hall, Brandon Regional Hospital, Committed to Community

Marie Gilmore — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:00:05 +0000

By Derek Maul

Born: St Louis, Missouri, 1962
Raised: Freehold, New Jersey
Moved to Florida: 1978
Lake Brantley High School,
Seminole County: 1980
Florida State University: 1984
Moved to Brandon: 1988
Member: St. Andrew’s United
Methodist Church

Brandon Regional Hospital’s Melonie Hall is a self-confessed overachiever.
As director of marketing and public relations for Brandon’s biggest employer (1,600 on staff), Hall has more than enough work to keep her busy.
“I like being stretched,” she said. “I don’t like being bored.” Being stretched this year has involved co-chairing the 2008 Leadership Brandon class; board work with Camp Rotary Florida, Young Life, and the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce; extensive leadership roles at St. Andrews’ United Methodist Church and active membership with the Brandon ‘86 Rotary.
Then she sets the alarm for 4 a.m. every morning so she can work out at the YMCA at 5 a.m.
The energetic Hall has been with Brandon Regional Hospital (BRH) since October of 2007, when she left her position as The Tampa Tribune’s southeast advertising manager in order to take a new challenge in the heart of Brandon.
“I was impressed with leadership style of CEO Mike Fencel,” she said.
“I can do any job if I have a great boss, I wanted to work here in Brandon, and it felt like a calling. I’m getting to help people here.”
Helping means getting the word out. “I get to share the good news about what happens here every day,” Hall said. “Lives are being saved. They don’t see themselves as heroes but I’m truly in awe and I love to tell people those stories.”
“I think my role is educational. A key element in hospital marketing is to let people know and to help with prevention. We’ve seen an increase of people getting to hospital on time.”
BRH, she said, sees hundreds of patients every day. “We average 200 a day in the Emergency Department,” she said, “Sixty percent of those are admitted. We have 367 beds, but that will be 407 after the neuroscience floor opens in December.”
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Hall spent most of her growing up years in Freehold, New Jersey. In 1978, after a year as an exchange student in Finland, she moved to Florida and graduated from Lake Brantley High School in Seminole County (1980).
“I graduated from Florida State (1984) in hospitality administration,” she said, “and found out that I loved marketing. By then I’d spent several years in guest relations with Disney.” She was hired by Club Corporation of America to work in marketing.
After four years at their Knoxville Headquarters, she moved to the regional office in Tampa, eventually helping open the Hunter’s Green Country Club.
Later, after a couple of years at home with her daughter, Hall was hired by the Tampa Tribune.
“I’ve lived in Brandon since 1988,” she said. “I love this community; I love my church; I’m here; I’m committed. I think great things are on the horizon for all of us. I love the way we rally around each other as a community.”
It’s one of the reasons she is committed to Leadership Brandon. “It’s a concentrated effort to see how we can make Brandon a better place,” she said. “You see about 30 individuals come together to learn more about community, and improve leadership skills and to contribute.”
“Relationships, networking – the community instantly becomes a better place. They make you believe anything is possible. ”
Even over-achievers have to relax. Hall says she does that by reading, baking, spending time with her family and working out at the YMCA.
And, with seven of HCA’s (Hospital Corporation of America), 170 plus facilities located in the United Kingdom, Hall is hopeful there will be some travel in her future “I love to travel,” she said, “especially Europe.”