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Kindergarten Readiness, Art Program, Clay Shoot & More

Compiled by Jenny Bennett jbennett@ospreyobserver.com

Ready For Kindergarten Event At Valrico Elementary

Valrico Elementary School, located at 609 S. Miller Rd. in Valrico, will be holding its Ready for Kindergarten event on Thursday, February 24 at 5 p.m. Parents can complete enrollment documents online at http://hillsboroughschools.org/valrico (under ‘Resources,’ then ‘Registration’) and bring them to the event, or they can bring them on the evening of the event. Other required documents are two proofs of residency, shot record, physical and birth certificate. Incoming kindergarten students must be 4 years old by Thursday, September 1.

Art Program For Families With Down Syndrome Children And Teens

Center Place’s community partner, the Down Syndrome Association of Tampa Bay (DSATB) will be ofering its free 3-2-1 Art program for families with children and teens who have Down syndrome. The program will take place at Center Place twice a month on the first Monday of each month from 6-7 p.m. and on the third Sunday of each month from 3-4 p.m. The students will use art as a way of expression and communication. The class will also help its students develop social skills and learn how to interact with other students and teachers in a classroom setting.

If you would like to preregister your child for this program, please contact Center Place at 685-8888. Children and families must be prescreened for this program before they may register.

David Weekley Collects Tousands Of Meals During Annual Food Drive

Nearly 311,000 people nationwide received a hearty Thanksgiving meal thanks to the partnership of David Weekley Homes and 17 charities across the U.S. Throughout November, the company hosted its seventh annual, company-wide Thanksgiving Drive, collecting 93,000 pounds of food and more than $110,000 for nonprofit organizations around the country with help from homeowners, real estate agents, vendors, trade partners and team members. The Tampa team partnered with Feeding Tampa Bay, and the donations provided over 90,000 meals, including 5,100 pounds of frozen turkeys and hams, for those in need.

Veterans Art Program

The Veterans Art Program is open to veterans of foreign wars. There is no fee, no artistic skill needed, no surveys or record keeping and no reason not to join. It takes place every Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. until 12 Noon at Center Place, which is located at 619 Vonderburg Dr., Ste. B in Brandon. To register for the class, call 685-8888.

Weight Loss Challenge Winner Donates Winnings To Seeds Of Hope

Congratulations to Jacky Costello, Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Robert Atkinson, from one of the winners of the weight loss Brandon, monitors a culinary line schedule aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. challenge at Inspired Mobile Fitness. Costello, a FishHawk resident, local author and owner of Custom Cleanups, has

Crucible Travel Baseball is looking for a few players to fll open positions at the 9u, 10u and 12u levels.

Now is the time to give your child their opportunity to compete and grow as players and people in an educational environment that puts an emphasis on player health and development.

For more information or to schedule a tryout, please contact Tom Ferguson at 781392-4803 or tferguson1112@gmail.com.

Jacky Costello donates $500 to Seeds of Hope. joined with Rashah Davis, owner of Inspired Mobile Fitness, to present her winnings of $375 to support Seeds of Hope. Costello added an additional $125 to be able to donate $500 to feed hungry families. Congratulations, Costello!

Plant City Community Choral Rehearsals Starting

Plant City Community Chorale began rehearsals for its spring session on Monday, January 10, from 7-9:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, located at 303 N. Evers St. in Plant City. The Chorale rehearses every Monday night and is always looking for new singers to join the fun. For more information, visit its website at www.pccchorale.org, its Facebook page @plantcitycommunitychorale, or contact the secretary at pccchoralesecretary@ gmail.com.

Dover Bullets Baseball Hosts Clay

Shoot Fundraiser

A local baseball team, the Dover Bullets, is raising money to go to Cooperstown,

New York to compete in June. A clay shoot fundraiser is being held on Saturday,

February 12, from 9:30 a.m. at FishHawk

Sporting Clays, located at 13505 Hobson

Simmons Rd. in Lithia. Tickets for the event are $125 per person, and that includes ammunition and safety gear, as well as lunch and beverages. A team costs $400, and one gun and a golf cart will be included per foursome. Along with the clay shoot, there will be rafes, prizes and an auction to enjoy. For more information, contact Stephanie at 727-

Te Dover Bullets 12U baseball team.

MOSAIC AND THE TAMPA BAY BUCS JOIN FORCES TO HELP THOSE IN NEED

By Libby Hopkins

Mosaic and the Tampa Bay Bucs are dedicated to helping the communities where they live, work and play. The two organizations recently joined forces to help those in need in their community by forming the Tackling Hunger Fueled by Mosaic program and holding a food drive in Riverview.

“Mosaic is dedicated to supporting the communities where we live and work, and this partnership is just one way we hope to make lasting positive impacts in the community to fight food insecurity,” said Karla Guzman of Mosaic. “According to Feeding Tampa Bay, one in four children are food insecure in Tampa Bay. This partnership represents our continued commitment to help those in need by removing barriers for children to thrive and succeed. By improving access to healthy and nutritious food, we are helping to fuel better learning, development and overall wellness components critical for future success.”

The Tackling Hunger Fueled by Mosaic program is a long-term partnership between The Mosaic Company and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to open food pantries annually in communities in need.

“To help fund this partnership, both Mosaic and the Bucs will donate $10 each, at total of $20, for every tackle made during the regular season,” said Guzman. “Our partner to help build and manage these pantries

is Feeding Tampa Bay. Not only are they a longtime partner of Mosaic, but they have the expertise to build, manage and sustain the pantries. The first pantry opened at Broward Mosaic and the Tampa Bay Bucs recently held a food Elementadrive in Riverview. ry School in Seminole Heights in October and serves approximately 300 families in the area.” In addition to the pantries, Mosaic and the Bucs will also support Feeding Tampa Bay through food drives both with their employees and their communities. Mosaic and The Bucs love giving back to their communities. “All of our employees who have helped so far in this partnership have expressed joy and pride in being able to give back to our communities,” Guzman said. “Hunger is a year-round issue, but the holidays are especially tough. Mosaic has an engaged workforce who not only supports this partnership but supports many organizations throughout the Tampa Bay area. This is our home. This is our community. This is where we raise our children. We all live here, so to be able to be in a position where we can each volunteer or donate, if we can help, we feel like we should.” If you would like to learn more about the Tackling Hunger program, you can visit Mosaic’s website at www.mosaicco.com.

APOLLO BEACH AIR CONDITIONING COMPANY MAX COOL AC OFFERS FULL INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE

By Lily Belcher

Max Cool Air Conditioning is a family-owned business run out of its new ofce in Apollo Beach, located of Paseo Al Mar Blvd. As a HVAC company, it ofers air conditioning/furnace installations, tune ups, maintenance programs, and safety inspections to customers in the Tampa Bay area including Lithia, Brandon and Valrico.

“Max Cool Air Conditioning is a family-owned business and are proud to be one of Tampa Bay’s top AC companies. Our goal has always been to provide the highest quality HVAC service, as well as exceptional customer service and support, to our customers—and we deliver just that,” according to their website.

The company was started by Kenneth Salch in the summer of 2019 and founded on family values, which they have extended to their employees and technicians. Its technicians are licensed, insured and dedicated to providing quality service to Max Cool AC’s customers.

Max Cool AC ensures that its employees have been drug tested and have gone through a pre-employment background check before visiting customers. All employees wear uniforms and use a company truck while making service calls for

the peace of mind of its customers. “We offer outstanding service from the beginning of your service call to its comple Max Cool Air Conditioning ofers installation and maintenance of a variety of air conditioning products. tion,” according to their website. “We are committed to the customer experience and aim to exceed the expectations of each customer we serve.” Max Cool AC serves hundreds of customers in Riverview, Brandon, Apollo Beach and other regions on the West Coast of Florida and service all models of air conditioning systems. While it is a Ruud Pro Partner, its knowledge and skills extend to other popular name brands, giving customers a wide range of products they can have Max Cool AC to install, repair and service. It also services air purification systems, which have grown more popular due to the coronavirus. It provides systems from the APCO-X Fresh-Aire UV Light to Warrior IAQ products that reduce odors contaminates within a home air conditioning system. For more information on pricing and service options, visit maxcoolac.com. To get a quote or ask questions, call 590-4768 or submit a written request through their website.

FORMER CHEMISTRY TEACHER SHARES NEW ASTRONOMY HOBBY

By Michelle Caceres

When COVID-19 lockdowns went into efect in 2020, many of us turned to Netflix and Hulu to while away the hours and stem the tide of boredom.

For FishHawk resident Les Gatechair, he used the time to foster a hobby that has become a passion. Gatechair, who was living in Pinellas County at the time and working as a high school chemistry teacher, said when schools stopped meeting in person, he became bored.

“I was sitting at home for weeks with nothing to do and trying to figure out how to make use of my time,” he said.

He and his wife had just sold their boat, so excursions on the water weren’t an option.

Being an avid scientist, he had always been curious about astronomy. He found an inexpensive telescope on Craigslist, watched a few introductory astronomy videos on Facebook and YouTube and reconnected with an old friend who had a passion for astronomy.

“My friend is extremely knowledgeable,” said Gatechair. “His barn is his dedicated astronomy space and features a retractable roof for stargazing.”

As much as Gatechair enjoyed viewing the stars through his telescope, what he really found rewarding was taking photographs of the images. Some of his favorite images are of nebulas, enormous clouds of dust and gas that occupy the space between stars.

“Much of what we see in the night’s sky is difcult to discern even with a telescope,” he said. “It’s only through photography or computer-enhanced imaging that you can bring FishHawk resident Les Gatechair used the pandemic to learn about astronomy and how to digitally enhance photographs of the night sky. out the shape and color of nebulas and other galaxies.” Long gone is the beginner’s telescope he purchased on Craigslist. His latest equipment is a cluster of three telescopes that afords him a better view of the heavens. He goes outside two or three times a week during cloudless nights. Some of the photos he’s taken and digitally enhanced are spectacular, but Gatechair admitted he is still a beginner. “In the astronomy world, my photos are a two on a scale of 100,” he said. “I’m still perfecting my skills.” Stargazing isn’t a solitary pastime. In addition to the online community, Gatechair is also a member of the St. Petersburg Astronomy Club. The group meets monthly for telescope-making workshops, science lectures, astronomy lectures and education outreach sessions. It also hosts a dark sky party at Withlacoochee River Park each new moon weekend. To learn more, visit www.stpeteastronomyclub.org.

USHERS ARE THE HEART AND SOUL OF STRAZ

By Kathy L. Collins

If you love going to see live Broadway shows, The Florida Orchestra and Opera Tampa, consider becoming an usher for the Straz Center.

Ushers go through an orientation class, which includes a tour. After the class, they work two training shows with a senior usher who has been designated as a mentor. The class is three hours long. Ushers must be able to stand for up to three hours if no seats are available to them. They will have to be able to carry plastic bins with programs that could weigh up to 15 pounds.

As an usher, you get to see amazing shows. Moreover, according to Deborah Ferree, senior manager of Guest Services, “We frequently have ticket deals so they can buy tickets for friends and family to see the shows. We have an annual dinner for the ushers that includes a cocktail hour and a wonderful meal and entertainment. We also have a BBQ every fall to welcome them back.”

The Straz Center has two types of users: Choice and Master. Ferree said, “We require the Choice ushers to sign up for two shows per month. The Master ushers sign up for any show that is on their chosen date or time. For example, Saturday matinee Master ushers are expected to sign up for Saturday matinee shows, if we have them. Of course, both Choice and Master ushers are more

than welcome to sign up for as many shows as they would like to work.” Shows are assigned on the 15th of each month. The Straz Center ofers the training program throughout the year. Ushers must pay for their uniform, but they are given complimentary parkVolunteering as an usher for the Straz Center comes with many perks, including the opportunity to see great Broadway shows, Te Florida Orchestra and more. ing. Jean Ippolito of Brandon has worked With six venues, you have a wide variety. as an usher for many You are also performing a valuable ser- years. Ippolito said, vice for a beloved local institution. “I volunteered and was trained as an usher in 2008. Anyone who has even a casual interest in the performing arts can contribute greatly by volunteering. There are numerous assignments from which to choose. The administrative staf always expresses appreciation to the volunteers. I thoroughly enjoy each production.” The Straz Center has been ofering the usher program since it opened. In fact, Ferree said, “We have 11 ushers that have been here since the doors opened.” Ferree added, “Our ushers are very important to the Straz Center. They are the heart and soul of the center. We would not be able to make the magic happen without them.” For more information, please contact Ferree at 229-7827.