HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

By Libby Hopkins

literacies among preschool students ages 3-5 through playbased learning activities.

The iSpy Tampa Bay program provides the opportunity to engage children in science and nature play both in the classroom and at home. The program promotes natural curiosity, increases vocabulary and sparks imagination. “Each child gets a backpack full of STEM learning tools like magnifying glasses and binoculars,” Fraga said. “Kids also get a free family membership to the Glazer Children’s Museum, The Florida Aquarium and ZooTampa. Plus, teachers get special training to use STEM to help kids learn the key skills they need like math, reading and vocabulary.”

Only half of Tampa Bay’s students are entering kindergarten with the skills needed to succeed in school, according to state testing. “iSpy Tampa Bay is aiming to reverse that trend by bringing STEM learning into child care centers and preschools by using fun play to teach real science, math and reading skills,” Fraga said.

If you would like to learn more about the programs ofered by the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County or if you want to learn more about its iSpy Tampa Bay program, visit www.elchc.org.

Athletic Injury and Performance

Florida high school athletes are pushed to perform at high levels, year-round.

Whether that be in multiple sports or with single-sport specialization, it puts them at a high risk for overuse injuries. When you get pain while throwing, squatting, or with certain movements during the game, it can be hard to know if you should just push through it or if it’s something that may result in full-on injury if you keep going.

The Good News!

Many of these aches and pains, if caught early enough, can have simple fixes when properly assessed and treated.

But, you could put yourself at risk for more serious injury…

If you try to play through the pain. You could cause injury to the muscle, ligaments, or joint, or even change the entire biomechanics of your pitch/swing/etc. Treating an ache versus over-use damage to the body, then re-training movement biomechanics and building back up the strength and endurance to perform at the level you were before, can be the difference in days of rehab compared to months. Unfortunately, it only takes one throw/kick/etc. to cross that line from ache to full-on injury.

High school athletes training year-round need to have a relationship with a trusted medical professional familiar with these cases. At Motion ChiroTherpapy, we see athletes involved in everything from baseball to swimming to horseback riding. And it’s not just back pain...many of these athletes have their own individual goals in mind. Some want to get rid of pain they get while playing, others come wanting to pitch faster or stronger at higher counts.

Dr. Lutz and Dr. Price create individualized rehab plans to accomplish whatever their patient’s goals are, whether it’s rehabbing injury or training biomechanics for optimal performance. If your high schooler is training year-round, it’s not IF they will get injured, it’s WHEN. Trust the professionals and get treated like a pro at Motion ChiroTherapy.

By Jerry L. Mallams, P.G., Operations Bureau Chief

Q: What does the district do to prepare for hurricane season?

A: Year-round, the Southwest Florida Water Management District operates 84 water control structures in its 16-county area. These structures assist with flood protection, manage lake water levels and prevent saltwater from flowing up freshwater streams and creeks. To prepare for hurricane season, staf conduct annual hurricane readiness checks of all the district’s structures to ensure they are working properly.

Q: What is a critical structure?

A: Some of our flood control structures are considered critical structures, such as the structures associated with the Tampa Bypass Canal System. This system routes flood water from the Hillsborough River around the cities of Tampa and Temple Terrace, providing protection from river flooding. Used in 2017 during Hurricane Irma, the canal system was moving up to 3 billion gallons of flood water a day, sparing homes and businesses along the lower Hillsborough River from flooding

Q: What is the largest flood control system in the district?

A: The Tampa Bypass Canal System is the largest flood control system in the district. It is made up of nine flood control structures, a 6.5-mile earthen dam and 15.7 miles of canals, and it impounds flood waters from the Hillsborough River into the 16,000-acre Lower Hillsborough Flood Detention Area. As the detention area fills with water from the river and the surrounding 450-squaremile watershed, the flows then enter the

Tampa Bypass Canal and are safely diverted to McKay Bay, protecting the cities of Temple Terrace and Tampa from flooding. The Tampa Bypass Canal System was constructed in response to massive flooding caused by Hurricane Donna in 1960.

Q: How are the structures operated?

A: All the Tampa Bypass Canal structures, along with many other district structures, can be operated remotely or manually. All the district’s mission-critical water control structures, including the 17 flood control structures, are operated remotely by staf using a computer. This allows staf to operate structures 24 hours a day, seven days a week from any location. Approximately half of the district’s water control structures must be manually operated, with staf having to be physically present at the location to operate the structure.

Q: What actions does the district take during an active storm threat?

A: During an active storm threat, district ofcials activate its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to monitor tropical storms and hurricanes. Depending on the level of activation, the district will mobilize appropriate emergency personnel to report to the EOC for extended shifts. Staf will monitor and document water levels and operate water control structures on water bodies throughout the district’s 16-county area as needed. EOC ofcials will maintain direct communications and distribute information to the media, the public and district employees.

Jerry Mallams is a licensed professional geologist in Florida and has worked for the Southwest Florida Water Management District for 26 years. Jerry manages the 84 district-owned food control and water conservation structures and canal rightsof-way within the 16-county area.

Beach

813-793-7791 • www.MotionChiroTherapy.com

HGTV 100 Day Dream Home, Basketball Camp & More...

Hillsborough Fleet Management

Takes Prestigious Awards

Hillsborough

County Fleet Management achieved a rare triple win at the 2023 NAFA Fleet Management Association’s annual contest recognizing the best fleets in the United States and Canada. Hillsborough County Fleet Management provides asset management and policy development services for a fleet of 3,400 vehicles. The vehicles serve 30 county departments, county constitutional ofces and various Florida agencies.

HillsboroughCounty won all three categories for which it was eligible: Best Public Fleet; Fleet Professional of the Year, fleet management director Robert Stine; and Fleet Technician of the Year, Alex Gonzalez.

Newsome High School Basketball Camps

Newsome High School will be ofering basketball camps this summer for both boys and girls. The girls camp will run from June 5-8 from 9 a.m.-12 Noon for girls entering grades four through nine. Boys entering grades four through six will have camp from Monday through Thursday, June 1215 from 11 a.m-2 p.m., and grades seven through nine will have camp from Monday through Thursday, June 19-22 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Registration paperwork can be collected from Newsome High School front ofce. Questions for girls camps can be emailed to scott.palmer@hcps.net and questions for boys camp can be directed to david. cassreino@hcpl.net.

Bolts to Hold Brew Fest at AMALIE Arena

The Tampa Bay Lightning will be hosting the sixth annual Bolts Brew Fest at AMALIE Arena on Friday, August 11 beginning at 8 p.m. The event will ofer craft beers from a variety of diferent local craft breweries, oversized games, ThunderBug and more. General admission tickets include entry at 8 p.m., ‘general admission plus’ tickets provide entry at 7 p.m., and VIP admission is at 6 p.m. Fans are encouraged to get their tickets early. For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit https://boltsbrewfest.com/.

Summer Camps For Children And Young Adults With Special Needs

Johnson’s All Care, located at 1005 W. Bloomingdale Ave. in Brandon, will be hosting a summer camp for children ages 5-13 years with special needs. Camp will run from Monday, June 5 through Tuesday, August 4 from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. There will be indoor and outdoor activities, including bowling, movies, music and crafts. The cost is $350 per week and includes outings and lunch. For additional information, contact Freda Johnson at jacchildcarecenter@gmail.com or call 813-360-6340.

Teens and young adults ages 16-22 years of age with special needs can attend summer camp at K2 Escape Academy, located 516 Corner Dr. in Brandon. Camp will run from June 5 through August 4 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; extended hours can be discussed. Activities will include themed celebrations, team sports, bowling and movies. For more information, contact Jasmine White at jwhite.k2escapeinc@ gmail.com or register online at www.k2escape.org.

Local Residents Returned To HGTV Shows

Local residents Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt recently returned to HGTV in a two-episode special of 100 Day Dream Home: Beachfront Hotel, ahead of the new 11-episode season premiere of 100 Day Dream Home

During the beachfront hotel special, Brian and Mika turn their construction and design expertise toward the full overhaul of a dated 12-room property on the Florida Gulf Coast. 100 Day Dream Home: Beachfront Hotel premiered on May 12 on HGTV, and was followed by the new season of the 100 Day Dream Home which premiered on May 26.

Notice Under Fictitious Name Law Pursuant to Section 865.09, Florida Statutes

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fctitious name of Durant Woods Homeowners Association located at 1037 E Brandon Blvd, in Hillsborough County, in the city of Brandon, Florida, 33511, intends to register said name with the Division of Corporations of the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida. Dated at Valrico, Florida this 1st day of June 2023.

A Better Surgical Option for You — Robotic Surgery

At Manatee Memorial Hospital, experienced physicians from the Surgery Center provide patients with the benefts of minimally invasive, advanced robotic surgery using the da

Vinci® Surgical System.

Benefts of robotic surgery may include:

•

Reduce pain and trauma to the body

Lessens blood loss

•

•

Lowers risk of infection

•

Shorten length of hospital stay

•

Promote quicker recovery with less scarring

Vinci® Surgical System allows surgeons to maneuver into small spaces within the body with 3D magnifcation, while providing a greater range of motion and precision with specialized instruments.

The da

Vinci® Surgical System. The hospital has recently achieved accreditation as a Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery, recognized for providing the highest quality of care and patient safety by Surgical Review Corporation (SRC).