Break Out the Confetti and Party Hats for Camp Bow Wow Tampa South Shore’s Grand Opening and Adoption Event
Camp Bow Wow® Tampa South Shore Celebrates its Grand Opening and Dog Adoption Event on March 21st from 10 AM- 3 PM Stop By and Get Prizes for Your Pooch with all Proceeds Benefiting Local Rescue Groups and Camp Bow Wow Buddies. Read more
Public Hearing For Expansion of Valrico Rec Center
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. Read more
Local Real Estate Agent Ranks Tops On Recent Kenst Report
The real estate boom of 2005 and 2006, coupled with the chance of starting a financially-secure and promising new career, enticed many to join the ranks of eager agents. Of course, the subsequent downward spiral of the market has seen its casualties as well, which has included a number of seasoned realtors in the Tampa Bay area.
But, for a number of agents who hoped for more, this is no time to throw in the towel but to use their skills or, in most cases, their natural talents, and be the kind of agent a client would want or need, no matter what the market looks like.
According to a realtor-by-realtor sales totals report, compiled by Tarpon Springs publisher Fred Kenst, the downturn in the business did not affect everyone, including Trish Waller, a leading agent, who simply knows how to keep her business prosper ing.
Waller of Signature Reality Associates, has been commanding respect and standing out among her peers, and has now teamed up with brother-in-law Randy Waller to be recently listed at No.76, of the top 125 selling associates (there are 7,800 licensed real estate agents listed in the Greater Tampa Bay area).
“I live by our motto, “customer service is priority one” because, I know that our customers are truly the life of our business,” Waller said. “Our number one goal is to give the highest service levels in our operating area.”
The Philadelphia native and mother of two Jenna, 7, and Alexandra, 9, relocated to Brandon, FL in 1994 after earning her degree in Sociology from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA. She then earned a Certificate in Paralegal Studies from Penn State University at Lima.
While pleased with her choice of business as well as the subsequent success in the world of real estate in Florida, Waller mentioned that she is both fortunate and proud to be associated with Signature Realty Associates and the other sales staff, but said that family still comes first.
“I am busy, but I cannot forget that I am also a mom, and that I do have mom duties” she said, adding, “I believe that actually it is just one more thing that helps me appreciate my clients and help them make the best choices.”
The Waller team specializes in residential home sales, short sales, relocation services and rental properties in the FishHawk Ranch, Lithia, Valrico, and now the Riverview and Apollo Beach communities, and emphasized the importance of protecting the interest of her clients, which includes having the knowledge as well as being able to educate her customers.
The purchase of seven full color pages per month divided between three editions on the pages of the Osprey Observer Newspapers, the largest community newspaper in the area, adds to the value of the business.
These ads are direct-mailed to over 70,000 homes in FishHawk-Lithia, Valrico, Riverview and Apollo Beach. They ads are also drop-shipped to dozens of businesses that distribute it as well, not to mention the team’s Web presence, which is massive and is rated among the highest in the industry for traffic, receiving thousands of hits each month and far exceeding nearly every nationwide brokerages local office for web traffic.
“The ball is rolling and now people know us,” Trish said, adding, “I always call back within 24 hours or less or, I can be reached directly at 629-5130.
The Trish and Randy Waller team is currently seeking listings for qualified buyers in the Riverview and Apollo Beach area.To inquire about listing your home, call 629-5130 or visit the website at www.TrishWaller.com.
Durant Shows Strength During Six-Way Wrestling Tourney
The first day of the 2008-09 winter school break proved to be an important day in the wrestling arena as a number of local squads, which included Bloomingdale, Newsome, Plant, Durant, Lennard and Jefferson high schools, had the opportunity participate in a six-way tournament hosted by and held at Bloomingdale High School last month.
The Durant Cougars squad, with a long and well-known reputation of strength and talent, was ready to prove itself, looking forward to dueling its biggest district rival, the Bloomingdale Bulls. The Cougars’ goal of proving to be a tough competition was achieved during the tourney.
With Head Coach Dennis Kitko at the helm, the Cougars did get a chance to stand out from the rest, showcasing a great program, despite having entered the competition with an injury plagued squad and losing of a number of seniors at the close of the 2008-09 season.
At the start, perhaps based on experience, Kitko was confident of a measure of success and said, “We are finally getting healthy, and we are getting better. With some time off over the winter break, we should be ready for districts.”
The Bulls defeated the Cougars 37-23, but it was the closest point range during the six-way duel. Bloomingdale also defeated Newsome, 68-12, Plant, 70-4, Lennard, 72-6, and Jefferson, 72-6, and won the competition.
Cougars’ junior and state hopeful Alex Hamm (112) was ready for the tourney, starting his matches with a win by pinning his opponent in 2:37.
“I have started the season kind of slow, but I am doing much better and aiming for the state tournament.
Keeping busy, Hamm went 4-0 with four pins, while his team took third during the Winter Springs Rotary Duals.
The Durant Cougar wrestling program is filled with young talented athletes and has no reason to worry about the lack of success, as the current 2009-10 season continues to challenge the squad to improve and to turn in a season befitting the program’s reputation.
For more information about the Durant High School wrestling program, please visit www.highschoolsports.net.
Center Places Seeks Wild Dames
The men may have rotary night, but the ladies have Wild Dame Night. This evening for adult ladies only will be held on Saturday, February 21, at Center Place Fine Arts & Civic Association located at 619 Vonderburg Dr. Ste. B, adjacent to the Brandon Library. This year’s event is not only a night of social time, dinner and entertainment, but also a fundraiser, with the proceeds going towards children’s programming. With sponsors CMB Creations, Platinum Bank, TECO, Dynamic Printing, the Center for Radiation Oncology, Wachovia Bank, Durkin & Mason, C.P.A.’s, P.A., Valrico State Bank, Chick-fil-A at Lake Brandon Village, Stages Productions and Music Showcase, monetary funding for Center Place is expected to be generous despite the downturn in the economy.
Dawn Galia, art director, participated in her first Wild Dame Night last year. “It is really a lot of fun…the event is very popular, and we do sell out,” said Galia. The fun begins at 6 p.m. with social time and wine. A sit-down dinner will be catered by Affairs to Remember, along with decadent desserts. These include chocolate-covered strawberries, chocolate-dipped fruit, chocolate-covered pretzels, key lime tarts, pecan tarts, mousse parfaits, rum bourbon balls, cheesecake, and many others. Stages Productions will host Sleeping Beauty – Pajama Party whereat ladies can wear their pajamas. Said Galia, “Sleeping Beauty is actually one of our children’s shows for this season, but it will be changed from a children’s version to an adult version with funny anecdotes added.”
In addition to the above activities, a 50/50 raffle and 20 door prizes will be given out by the end of the night. Last year, the raffle was approximately $800, and the event raised $11,088 after expenses for the children’s programming. Also, the funding will go towards the Saturday, April 25, Art Gala held at the Pepin Hospitality Center. After all, this event is one of the major fundraisers.
Tickets are $50 per person. There are 180 spots, along with sponsored tickets, which sell for $800 for a table of eight. Galia emphasized how quick the event sells out, so she urges those interested to purchase tickets as soon as possible. “If you have never attended a Wild Dame Night, I would highly recommend it. It is a great event and the proceeds benefit Center Place’s children’s programming. It is a fun ladies night out,” commented Galia. Please call Center Place at 685-8888 for ticket sales. Contact Galia at cpbrandon@verizon.net or at cpfinearts@verizon.net. Visit www.centerplacebrandon.com for additional information and upcoming events.
Library Attack Victim’s Recovery Inspired By Community
Every good story seems to start with a hero seeded in trying circumstances due to some foe’s doing, but good always perseveres. Every now and again, life mimics these stories as is the case with the victim of the Bloomingdale Library attack. Read more
Sharks Host First Season Six-Way
“If you have to wrestle Brandon you might as well get it out of the way,” said Riverview wrestling Coach William Sargable following a meet against the Eagles.
That being said, the young Riverview team was ready to host its firs 2008-09 season six-way tournament in November, producing some impressive results.
Just before the weigh-in, Riverview Head Coach William Sargable commented on the fact that the program continues to work on building the numbers but spoke highly of the effort turned in by each athlete, and the numbers spoke for themselves.
Individually there were some impressive performances with Ryan Hight (5 pins), Herman Hernandez (4 pins), Lemarkus Dennis (3 pins), Ryan Gascon (3 pins) and Rafael Rivera (3 pins) who finished with 5-0 for the day.
Steven Akel and Taylor Akins went 4 and 1 with 3 pins each. Jeffery Hagin, Eric Nava, Ryan Pulaski, Josh Dossantos and Jacob Scott went 3 and 2. Aaron Kee and Lance Gabbert both went 2 and 3.
Team results included RvHS 64 – Armwood 18, RvHS 72 – Blake 6, RvHS 76- Freedom 6 and RvHS 60- Middleton 20. The Bloomingdale defeated the Riverview 54-24.
The event was an opportunity for a number of wrestlers to show what they are made of for first time, but the Sargable was pleased.
“It was the debut matches for several guys… they wrestled well. The JV team went 5 and 0 on the day. Awesome Job,” he said.
For some of the veterans like Ryan Hight, who, according to Sargable, blew through his opponents like a hot knife in butter, it was just practice.
Hernandez— Hight’s wrestling buddy—this portion of the season is just the preparation for the championship.
“For me, the next three months are just to get ready for states,” Hernandez said.
Sargable summed up the day by saying that the Riverview wrestling program’s inexperience was exposed, however, it was still a productive day.
“We still have lots of work to do, starting with not giving up pins. Nonetheless, it has been a great start to the season.”
For more information about the Riverview high School wrestling program, please visit www.eteamz.com/riverviewwrestling.
Stowers Honored With School Naming
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.
FREE Disney Admission On Your Birthday in 2009
“Spend your happiest day of the year at the happiest place on Earth,” says Disney World’s Website, referring to its Free Admission on Your Birthday promotion. Beginning in 2009, you can spend your birthday at Disney for free. Disney is also offering specials for first time visitors, reunions, honeymoons, anniversaries and more.
Dave Herbst, print managing editor for Disney Destinations/Walt Disney World Resort said, “We realized that many guests come to Walt Disney World Resort to celebrate several years ago when we introduced Magical Gatherings and, more specifically, Grand Gatherings (www.disneyworld.com/grandgatherings).”
“That initiative was launched because we became aware that a significant amount of our visitation was made up of groups beyond the single household – whether it was extended family, neighbors, classmates … any circumstances that forge lifelong associations and friendships,” he said. “In the process of making vacation arrangements for these larger groups, our vacation planners frequently learned that personal milestones and celebration occasions were the impetus for the vacation – anniversaries, birthdays, graduations and such.”
Online registration has already begun for the free admission and will continue through December 31, 2009.
You must be 18 years old or older to register your birthday. If you’re under age 18, you need to have an adult in your household register your birthday for you. And you don’t have to register online as long as you have valid identification, including date of birth, allowing you to take advantage of this birthday offer at the Walt Disney World will-call windows. The reason for registering your birthday online is to save you time. You won’t have to wait while you fill out the forms at the will-call windows.
If you’re age 18 or older, proper ID would be a driver’s license, state-issued or government-issued photo ID or a government-issued passport. If you are under age 18 and don’t have any of the above mentioned ID, an original or certified copy of a birth certificate is required.
For Florida residents, Herbst said, “Considering their relative proximity to Walt Disney World Resort, many Floridians may make a ‘Disney day’ of their birthday in 2009.”
Herbst said, “As guests plan their days or full-scale vacations at Walt Disney World Resort, there are many ways that they can tailor the experience to make it something very individual.”
Some of the ways to do this include a pre-ordered Disney birthday cake that can arrive at your table, decorated and personalized just for you.
Unfortunately, the free admission cannot be used the weekend before or after your birthday. It’s only good for free admission on the ticket holder’s birthday.
This offer is good for anyone over age 3. Children under 3 are not required to have an admission ticket to enter the theme parks.
And this offer is valid for all guests, regardless of their place of residency.
The free birthday ticket may be upgraded to another ticket type on your birthday. However the celebrant is responsible for the incremental cost, and the new ticket may only be used by the celebrant. In addition, the one day/one park ticket is good for 12 months (an option for select guests) and may not be upgraded.
For more information or to register your birthday, visit www.disneyparks.com.
E.R. Continues To Improve Its Service
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.
