press release
Riverview Press Releases
Meetings
SouthShore Library’s Announcements
The SouthShore Regional Library, 15816 Beth Shields Way, Ruskin, announces the following free events:
Puppet Show: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears, celebrating Black History Month, will be performed by the City of Tampa Creative Arts Theater throughout January. For times, call the library.
A creativity seminar, led by Anne Walker, a professional creativity consultant, will be held on Tuesdays, January 5, 12, 19 and 26, at 6:30 p.m. Participants are asked to bring a journal. Call to register.
Wii Gaming for Seniors will be held on Saturday, January 9, at 3:30 p.m. and Thursday, January 21, at 4 p.m.
Chess Master Battle Royal will take place on Thursday, January 14, at 5 p.m. Internationally-rated Chess Master Mark Ritter will be playing against 25 teen opponents at once.
The Teen Talent Show will be held on Saturday, January 16, from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Anyone age 12-18 may register to perform.
For more information or to register, call 273-3652 or visit www.hcplc.org.
Riverview Library Celebrates 30 Years
On Saturday, January 30, at 11:30 a.m., the Riverview Branch Library 30th Anniversary Celebration will be held at Riverview Branch Library, 10509 Riverview Dr., Riverview. The Friends of the Riverview Branch Library will present Burgert Brothers photographs to the branch and light refreshments will be served.
For more information, call 273-3652 or visit www.hcplc.org.
Experimental Workshop at Center Place
Center Place, 619 Vonderburg Dr., Ste. B, Brandon, presents the Experimental Watercolor Workshop, led by Sue Allen, on Saturday, January 9, from 9 a.m.-12 Noon. The cost is $20 for members or $25 for non-members.
For more information, call 685-8888.
Veterans Invite All to Remembrance Ceremony
The Hillsborough Veterans Council will be conducting its quarterly Field of Honor Remembrance Ceremony at 10 a.m. on Saturday, January 9, at the Veterans Memorial Park and Museum, 3602 U.S. Hwy. 301 N., Tampa, welcoming residents to remember all who have lost their lives during operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 787 and AMVETS Post 44 will co-host this event. The Riverview Detachment of the Marine Corps League will provide a color guard, firing detail and a bugler, while the Ye Mystic Air Krew will do a fly over in the missing man formation. During this ceremony, the names of each service member who has died in the past three months is read aloud and a flag is planted in the ground in their honor. The public is invited to assist in planting those flags. Currently there are more than 5,000 flags in this field.
Winners of Boat Parade Revealed
The Apollo Beach Chamber and the Tampa Bay Sailing Squadron announce the winners of this year’s 26th Annual Lighted Boat Parade:
Powerboat Under 30 Feet: First Place – Brian Wohlwend
Second Place – Wortner
Third Place – Mike and Jordan Seymour/Palzer
Powerboat Over 30 Feet: First Place – Tim and Val Dickson
Second Place – Scott Jones
Third Place – Tim and Pam Anderson
Sailboats: First Place – Sea Explorers Ship 185
Second Place – Vivian Challen
Third Place – Donald Schwartz
Best of Show: Otis and Terri Montiero
2009 Best Chili in Apollo Beach Award: Toni Armstrong, Dog Breath Chili
For more information, call 645-1366.
KHCB Cleans Up Wimauma
Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful volunteers joined hands with Home Depot and the Sun City Center “Team Depot” to clean up and spruce up Bethune Park in Wimauma in December. The project included painting, planting, mulching and cleaning the park and the surrounding community. Volunteers included residents from South County Career Center-JROTC, Robinson High School, The Florida Aquarium, Hillsborough Community College, Southwest Airlines and Boy Scout Pack 603.
For more information, please call 960-5121 or visit www.khcbonline.org.
Free Shots for Pets
Free rabies and distemper shots will be provided on Saturday, January 9, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Wimauma Civic Center, 5705 Hillsborough St., Wimauma. Pets must be 8 weeks or older to receive DA2PP/FVRCP vaccine and 3 months or older to receive the rabies vaccine. Cats must be in carrier; dogs must be on leash.
For more information, email Evelyn Lunsford at cfgscc@cftampbay.org.
Restaurant Collects Toys for Tots
In December, S & S Tacos/Pizzas & Stuff, 10664 U.S. Hwy. 301 S., Riverview, kicked off its first ever Toys 4 Tunes drive in support of the Toys for Tots charity drive. With a packed house and live entertainment from acoustic duo Zebron & James, it overfilled the toy donation box with new unwrapped toys for children of the SouthShore area. S & S is looking forward to making this an annual event.
If you would like S & S to host a charity event, please call Mike at 677-8226, and for booking information on Zebron & James, please call Sandy at 672-1517.
ABWC Lends a Hand to Families in Need
The Apollo Beach Woman’s Club (ABWC) members purchased gifts of clothes, shoes and toys for two families, one with children at Apollo Beach Elementary School, and the other with children at Doby Elementary, also located in Apollo Beach. More than 65 packages were wrapped and delivered to the December ABWC meeting. In addition, some members contributed gifts of cash, which were used to purchase supermarket gift certificates for the two families. On Wednesday, March 3, at the Riverside Golf and Country Club, 2550 Pier Dr., Ruskin, a fundraiser will be held. The show will feature a trunk show by Accessories and More of Sarasota with clothing items available for purchase. The event will also include a silent auction, vendor tables and catering by Riverside Bar and Grille. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by calling Marianne Blanchard at 641-7448.
The club’s next meeting will be held Wednesday, January 13, at the Summerfield Crossing Golf Club, 13050 Summerfield Blvd., Riverview, beginning at 11:30 a.m., featuring retired newspaper columnist Judy Hill. Luncheon tickets are $16.
For membership information or for contact information, call 746-1072 or e-mail judypeck@tampabay.rr.com. For further information, please call Barbara Lamneck at 641-7469.
Knights’ Christmas Party a Success
In December, the Knights of Assembly 1850 and their families and friends visited James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa to share the good tidings of this Christmas season with our veterans. There were more than 40 wheelchair-bound men and women in attendance. These brave vets were given presents and pizza and a really good show. The number of items donated were 982, with a total cost value of $1,714.25.
For more information, e-mail VAVS Chairman Herbert Swoope at hswoope@msn.com.
Holidays Bring Joy to CARE’s Homeless Pets
This holiday season, donors of Critter Adoption and Rescue Effort, Inc. (CARE) bought $5-10 bulbs or ornaments to honor or memorialize their current or past pets or those of their loved ones. The proceeds of these sales went directly to supporting the pets awaiting adoption, and all the pets were provided toys and treats as a result of the fundraiser. People looking for a canine or feline addition to their families are encouraged to stop by the shelter, 1528 27th St. SE, Tuesday-Saturday between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. There are always 40-50 pets looking for new homes, and they all give out a big lick-and-purr “thank you” to all those individuals who made their holiday special.
Please call the shelter at 645-2273 for more information.
Religion
Conference to Build Leaders Announced
Simmons Loop Baptist Church, 6610 Simmons Loop, Riverview, will be hosting a Church Leadership Conference on Saturday, January 30, from 8:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m., themed, “Strengthen the Church’s Mission Through Leadership.” The purpose of the leadership conference is to introduce new church ministry leaders and strengthen existing leaders in leadership qualities, identify/confirm the call to ministry and ministry longevity/survival in today’s society. The conference will reiterate the importance of Christian education and the biblical tools necessary and available in achieving these goals.
Please contact the conference coordinator, Brother David Jasper at 672-9897 or church secretary Glennise at 677-9310 for more information. Residents can register at www.simmonsloopbaptistchurch.org.
Schools
Families Invited Out for Winter Fun
On Saturday, January 30, from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Symmes Elementary, 6280 Watson Ave., Riverview, will host its 2010 Winter Carnival. The event will have a magician, games, food, local vendors, face painting, Locks of Love and much more. Money raised at this year’s event will be used for various events supporting the school’s development and will directly benefit the students and teachers.
For more information, call 740-4182.
Sculpt Clay at Center Place
Center Place, 619 Vonderburg Dr., Ste. B, Brandon, is hosting Kid’s Clay for ages 5-13, led by instructor Anita Devine, on Tuesdays, January 12 and 26, from 5:15-6:15 p.m. The cost is $20 for members or $25 for non-members.
For more information, call 685-8888.
Camp Bayou Celebrates 10 Years and Announces Photo Winners
The Camp Bayou Holiday Open House and 10th Anniversary Celebration was held in December which included a tour of the native people’s camp, a trail ride on a seven-passenger cart, a fossil dig, a Letterboxing treasure hunt and the Member Appreciation Lunch, which welcomed new and renewing members. During the Member Lunch, the winners for the photo contest were also announced. All photos were required to have been taken at Camp Bayou sometime in the past 10 years. First place went to Nanette O’Hara for her close-up photo of a dragonfly. Second and third place went to Dotty Guerrera. Bruce Fallender won Honorable Mention. Also announced was the new Speaker’s Bureau, coordinated by Diane Alvarez, which offers over a dozen interesting topics from a variety of speakers for a nominal speaker’s fee. Open from Thursday- Saturday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., with free admission, Camp Bayou is located at 4202 24th St. SE in Ruskin.
For more information, visit www.campbayou.org.
County Updates
Service-Disabled Veterans Now Have Preference for County Contracts
Hillsborough County commissioners recently voted on giving service-disabled veterans who own small businesses in Hillsborough County preference for county contracts. Championed by Hillsborough County Commission Chair Ken Hagan, this program will take effect in January 2010. Commissioners voted on this initiative during a regular board meeting that took place in December. Existing preferences for county contracts include minority, disadvantaged, women-owned and small businesses. To be eligible, military veterans must be at least 10 percent disabled, according to the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department, and must own a small business based in Hillsborough County. The small business must also have been in existence for at least one year, have gross receipts not exceeding $2 million (averaged over three years) and no more than 25 employees.
For more information, call 914-4028 or visit www.hillsboroughcounty.org/econdev.
Hillsborough County Mobility Fee Policy Meetings
Hillsborough County is holding a series of open facilitated meetings to discuss the county’s proposed Mobility Fee policy for transportation concurrency for new development and to develop a recommendation for the County Commission. Meetings are scheduled on Fridays, January 29, at 9:30 a.m., February 19, at 1:30 p.m. and March 26, at 1:30 p.m. in the County Center, 26th Floor Conference Room A & B, 601 Kennedy Blvd. E., downtown Tampa. The meeting is open to the public and an opportunity to comment will be provided.
For more information or to provide comments or ask questions, call 276-8428.
County Receives $4.8 Million in Housing Funds
Hillsborough County’s Affordable Housing Department recently reported that it had met and exceeded the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) deadline to disburse and commit HOME Investment Partnership Program funds that it had received. Additionally, this year the department has received approximately $4.8 million in additional federal and state government funding for homeless prevention programs, first-time homebuyer programs, affordable housing building projects and property rehabilitation efforts.
The complete quarterly report and Strategic Plan are available at www.hillsboroughcounty.org/affordablehousingoffice/ by clicking on “Publications.”
Energy Management and Sustainability Forum Announced
Hillsborough County Commissioner Rose Ferlita has announced plans for a regional Energy Management and Sustainability Forum to be held Friday, January 29, in Tampa. The forum, E3: Energy, Environment and Economics, will be held at the St. Pete Times Forum. The E3 forum will provide regional fleet managers and facility managers an environment for sharing best practices and practical ways to save energy. There will also be discussions about carbon credits that communities and businesses can earn based on current green activities. These credits can be sold through an exchange to industries needing improvements in greenhouse gas reduction. The fee for registration is $25 and covers parking, morning snack and lunch.
Go to www.hillsboroughcounty.org for registration.
1Caption: Hillsborough County Commissioner Rose Ferlita has announced plans for a regional Energy Management and Sustainability Forum to be held Friday, January 29, in Tampa.
County Receives Strong Credit Rating for new ELAPP Debt
Three international credit rating agencies, Standard & Poor’s, Fitch Ratings and Moody’s Investors Service have issued credit ratings of AAA, AA+ and Aa1, respectively, for the county’s proposed new ELAPP bonds that will be used for acquisition and preservation of environmentally sensitive lands in Hillsborough County. In addition Standard & Poor’s affirmed the county’s AAA general credit rating and Fitch Ratings affirmed the existing “A” rating for the county’s solid waste and resource revenue bonds.
For more information, visit www.hillsboroughcounty.org.
