SPORTS CONNECTION

Photos courtesy of the Riverview High School wrestling program and Austin Chung.

RIVERVIEW HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLER NICO ROMERO WINS STATE TITLE IN 3A DIVISION

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Riverview High School wrestler Nico Romero was very confident that he was destined for victory in the final round of the state tournament after coming up with a close win in the semifinal match while battling through a knee injury. The junior knew that he put in the necessary work in the ofseason to get him to this point. His intuition was correct, as he claimed the 3A state championship with relative ease in the final match, becoming only the second male wrestler in the school’s history to accomplish that. Current North Carolina wrestling standout Kizhan Clarke is the only other wrestler to reach that plateau. Romero also helped lead his team to eighth place in the state overall, which is the best finish in the school’s history.

“I was super happy about my semifinal match, super pumped up,” said Romero. “When I got to my finals match — when you get to that moment, you can’t have any doubt in your mind, so I guess before going into that I had already known that I was going to win. It wasn’t a cockiness thing, it was more Residential • Commercial confidence because I knew how hard I had Exterior Repaint Specialists worked and I expected to win.”

Riverview head wrestling coach Ryan Hall License #L20000250797 said that Romero is a unique wrestler in KITCHEN CABINET that he’s very open to critique, vocal when he wants to learn something, has an itch to compete and is athletic to boot. The standout wrestler, who has a background in mixed martial arts, said that he had REPAINTING SPECIALS DON’T DO IT YOURSELF! CALL TODAY TO SCHEDULE YOUR FREE ESTIMATE!!

some help along the way when it came to his training during the ofseason before. Romero picked up wrestling his freshman year at Riverview and wasn’t as experienced as some of his teammates. His two workout partners, Nikolas Hernandez and Jacob Edwards, helped push him to be where he needed to be. Romero gave big praise to Hernandez, who took second place in the state tournament in the weight class above.

“There were times when he was a lot better than I was and he pushed me so much to the point that I wanted to quit, but every time I wanted to quit, he would tell me to keep going and work harder,” said Romero. “He was a role model; he has these leadership skills that would bring you up when you were on the brink of quitting. I couldn’t have done it without him.” Romero not only dominates on the wrestling mat but in the classroom as well. He has made straight A’s throughout high school and has a chance at being valedictorian of his class next year. He’s also a part of the National Honor Society and the Science Honor Society. His parents have always taught him that his grades and school

come first. He doesn’t know whether or not he wants to pursue wrestling in college, but one thing is for sure, he can earn an academic scholarship if he decides to take that route instead. Either way, he has a bright future ahead of him. For right now, he has dreams of winning another state title next year. “Anybody who’s spent 15 Nico Romero not only dominates on the wrestling mat, but seconds talking to him can in the classroom as well. He has made straight A’s throughout see how bright he is,” said Hall. “He can do high school and has a chance at being valedictorian of his whatever he wants. If he wants to pursue class next year. wrestling at the next level, he can do that, if he wants to be a doctor, he can do that. He has so much growth potential because he started late at wrestling. He has so much still to learn, but he’s very good at what he does. It’s a cliche, but he can do whatever he wants in life.”

Nico Romero celebrates after winning the state title.

NONPROFIT RIVERVIEW SOFTBALL LEAGUE PROVIDES COMMUNITY SERVICE

By Nick Nahas

Photos courtesy of the Riverview Softball League.

Te Riverview Softball League (RSL) started in

January 2021 with 40 players participating.

The Riverview Softball League (RSL) started in January 2021 with a total of 40 players participating. Since then, the nonprofit league has expanded to 13 coed teams and includes 150 men and women that play every Sunday from 4-8 p.m. at Progress Village Park during the fall and spring seasons. Players range in age from 18-60 and come from cities such as Riverview, Apollo Beach, Sun City Center and Gibsonton.

The minority-owned nonprofit organization has teamed up with ECHO of Brandon to help needy families in the Tampa area. During this season, the RSL is sponsoring the Soles 4 Souls ECHO program, in which it will be collecting new and gently used shoes for men, women and children every Sunday until June 26.

Most of the teams in the RSL are sponsored by local businesses, such as Play It Again Sports, Pistolese’s Pizzeria, Edward Jones, Four Stacks Brewing Company, D-Bat in Ruskin, Fitlife and Cigar City Brewing, to name a few. It also has diferent locally owned food trucks come each Sunday to provide food.

“We are a close-knit, tight family,” said RSL Vice President Kym Graves-Kalu. “We like to keep all of our operations, our dollars and services inside the South Hillsborough County area.” Graves-Kalu and RSL President CoreyManley have played coed softball a long time and felt that there was a need for the league in the community because there weren’t any in nearby areas. She said that all the revenue that the organization gets, such as sponsorships, donations and league fees, go back into the league for field maintenance, rentals and umpires. The league is recreational and family-friendly.

“Our league has brought neighbors and teammates together to where they are not just a softball team, but they are friends and they commune outside of softball and they do other activities together,” said Manley. “It’s really created a camaraderie between not just the teammates but the league as a whole. I feel that our league has done a really good job of bringing communities together.”

Graves-Kalu, Manley and the rest of the league have goals of expanding even further. They have recently formed a men’s league with six teams.

Registration and partnership inquiries can be found on the league website at https://riverviewsoftballleague.com or you can email the RSL at riverview.softball. league@gmail.com.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS CRAIG LATIMER READIES FOR 2022 ELECTION CYCLE

By Linda Chion

Times have changed for Craig Latimer as Hillsborough County supervisor of elections, a career he sought as a retired major with the Hillsborough County Sherif’s Ofce.

“If you told me five years ago you need to go and start finding plexiglass, hand sanitizer and wipes, we would all laugh,” Latimer said as the featured speaker at the Riverview Woman’s Club luncheon in April. “But we did. One of my warehouses looked like an aisle at Costco or Sam’s Club.”

It’s not news that elections are in the news, not only for the results they report but also for the processes in which the votes are cast and tallied. As those debates continue, Latimer focuses on the strength of the system locally and in trying times and the highpoints and lessons learned for steadying the course of business in tumultuous times.

The first test came with the March 17, 2020 presidential preference primary, held days after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis prohibited visitations to assisted living facilities due to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Ten polling sites were lost and hundreds of poll workers were unavailable.

“We did what great organizations do,

we started reaching out to our partners,” Latimer said, noting the influence of Tampa Bay business partners on primary and general election days later that year. The Rays, the Bucs, the Lightning, the USF Photo courtesy of Linda Chion. Craig Latimer at the Riverview Woman’s Club luncheon in April at the VFW Riverview Post 8108. Sports community “leveraged their social media, indicating they were giving their people the day of to work at the polls, or to vote, and that everybody else should do the same thing,” Latimer said. “We ended up turning away 2,900 poll workers.” “We had a great election, Florida was a shining star,” Latimer said about the 2020 presidential election. “One of the biggest reasons is we’re allowed to start counting vote-by-mail ballots 22 days before the elections.” Coming up is the Monday, July 25 deadline to register for the 2022 primary election. Early voting is from Monday, August 8 to Sunday, August 21, followed by Election Day on Tuesday, August 23. The deadline to register for the 2022 general election is Tuesday, October 11. Early voting is Monday, October 24 through Sunday, November 6. Election Day is Tuesday, November 8. For more information, visit www.votehillsborough.gov or call 813-744-5900.

HILLSBOROUGH’S FOREVER CONSERVATION AWARD

By Linda Chion

The sixth annual Theodore Roosevelt Hillsborough Forever Conservation Award has been presented to a decorated Vietnam veteran who started his Florida Forest Service career as a towerman in a Valrico tower on the front lines of prescribed burns.

Michael Perry received the award from the Hillsborough County commissioners at their April 20 meeting. The conservation award is given annually to an individual or group for “attributes of true conservation stewardship,” including “integrity in performance toward conservation goals” and “persistence and dedication” to the long-term conservation of natural resources.

Keep America Beautiful received the award last, the first time a group was honored. According to Commissioner Stacy White, Perry received the award for his integral role in developing Hillsborough’s prescribed fire program.

Proponents of prescribed fires as a land management program said they promote healthy ecosystems by clearing out competing vegetation. Moreover, White said, the fires cycle nutrients into the soil, provide food for wildlife and stimulate growth and seed protection of fire-dependent plants.

According to county ofcials, Perry

led an estimated 200 prescribed burns and helped contain 200 to 300 wildfires in the region, which White said made Perry “as equally comfortable fighting wildfires Photo courtesy of Hillsborough County. as he was lead-

Michael Perry (center) after receiving the county’s ing prescribed Teodore Roosevelt Hillsborough Forever Conservation burns.” White

Award at the Hillsborough County Board of County also said PerCommissioners’ meeting on April 20. ry served as “a passionate educator about these crucial and often misunderstood conservation eforts” and routinely met with residents both to promote and explain the benefits of prescribed burns and to lead wildlife fire training for volunteer firefighters. “The firefighters, land managers and other experts who conduct prescribed burns, also called controlled fires, are unsung heroes,” White said. “Mr. Perry is synonymous with this essential practice in Hillsborough County.” In return, Perry said it was “humbling to be up here today receiving this award,” and he thanked his family for their support and friends through the county’s Jan K. Platt Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program (ELAPP), which to date has protected more than 60,000 acres of rare and important habitat. Launched in 1987, the program was renamed in 2014 in honor of Platt, a former commissioner and lifelong advocate for environmental protection. For more information on the April 20 board meeting, visit www.HCFLGov.net.

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Staf Report

Music lovers, mark your calendars.

The Florida Orchestra (TFO) will launch its 2022-23 Hough Family Foundation Masterworks series in October with the powerful drama of Carl Orf’s Carmina Burana, conducted by internationally acclaimed Music Director Michael Francis in venues throughout Tampa Bay.

Big moments in TFO’s 55th season include a mini festival of Rachmaninof’s Second and Third Piano Concertos; a world-premiere violin concerto composed by Tampa native Michael Ippolito for TFO Concertmaster Jefrey Multer; great classics such as Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 (Pastoral), and Mahler’s Symphony No. 4; and a once-in-a-lifetime performance of Wagner’s The Ring Without Words.

“We can’t think of a more stirring and sensational way to start the season than the extraordinary spectacle that is the iconic Carmina Burana,” said Francis, who will enter his eighth season with TFO. “There’s nothing like the sheer joy of listening together in the concert hall, and this season we’ll bring some of the most spellbinding sonic experiences ever. We’ll give new life to beloved classics, debut inspiring new works and perform a variety of composers that reflect the diferent cultures and influences that make up our Tampa Bay community. At the heart of it all are the brilliant Florida Orchestra musicians, whom we will feature throughout the season, as well as world-class soloists.”

The Florida Orchestra will start of the new season with a new title sponsor, the Hough Family Foundation, for its premier classical Masterworks series. This continues the Hough family’s philanthropic legacy and solidifies a meaningful partnership that generously supports TFO’s core mission of bringing epic masterpieces that inspire, unite and educate at the highest levels of excellence under the leadership of Maestro Francis.

TFO’S premier Raymond James Pop Series showcases a variety of Broadway,

Te Florida Orchestra recently announced dates for the 2022-23 season.

movie and popular music. It opens with Hollywood Sings (Friday and Saturday, October 14 and 15) with movie music from Frozen, The Wizard of Oz, La La Land and more and pits the Wizarding World against The Empire in Harry Potter vs Star Wars (March 18 and 19, 2023) with music by John Williams, Patrick Doyle and more.

“Our Pop series brings fun, familiar music that’s also the heart and soul of our favorite movies and beyond. This music transports us to a special time and place in our lives like nothing else can. Listening to it live with the power of The Florida Orchestra makes all the diference,” said TFO President and CEO Mark Cantrell.

In Jeans ‘n Classics Presents Abbey Road (February 4, 2023), TFO will perform the famed Beatles album in its entirety, featuring “Come Together,” “Here Comes the Sun” and more. It will be conducted by TFO’s new assistant conductor, Chelsea Gallo.

The Light Favorites Morning Cofee Series, led by Principal Guest Conductor Stuart Malina, includes Poetry in Music (Thursday, October 27) with lyrical works by Debussy, William Grant Still and more; Best of Ballet (Thursday, December 15), which includes Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker; Arabian Fantasy (Saturday, November 17); Spring in Paris (April 12 and 13, 2023); and Divine Inspiration (March 15 and 16, 2023). The nine-concert series at the Mahafey Theater and the five-concert series at Ruth Eckerd Hall come with a dollop of humor and a Pre-concert Conversation, starting one hour before the performance.

For community concerts in the fall, the orchestra will perform the free Pops in the Park concert in Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg and is planning a wide variety of community partnerships for the 2022-23 season. A full schedule of TFO’s community concerts, such as Inside the Music, Sing Out Tampa Bay, full-orchestra Family Concerts and more, will be released over the summer.

To learn more, visit www.floridaorchestra.org.

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EXPLORE ‘CUBAN PATHWAYS’

AT HISTORY CENTER

Te newest traveling exhibit at the Tampa Bay History Center is Cuban Pathways, which explores 500 years of history. Te exhibit is available for viewing through February 2023.

The newest traveling exhibit at the Tampa Bay History Center, located at 801 Water St. in downtown Tampa, is titled ‘Cuban Pathways.’ The exhibit chronicles over 500 years of history from three paths: African, Chinese and Spanish. It is truly an amazing exhibit.

The oldest artifact is a Peter Martyr map from 1511 which identifies the island of Cuba. The exhibit also contains a chug boat, which is a little, handmade open vessel powered by a small diesel engine. The boat in the exhibit was used in 2021 by 12 Cubans to cross the Florida Straits.

This is the first traveling exhibit produced exclusively by the Tampa Bay History Center. Dr. Brad Massey, Saunders Foundation Curator of Public History for the Tampa Bay History Center, said, “This is a very ambitious exhibit as it tells 500 years of history in 2,000 square feet. It chronicles diverse groups of people who came to Cuba.” Massey added, “Cuba was the Caribbean hub of the modern Atlantic World and home to a diverse population.”

In the exhibit, you will see a receipt for an enslaved person and transfer papers for Matilda, a Creole being transferred as property. Another interesting item is a painting. The subject is not what is of interest; rather, it is the painter, Vincente Escobar, a free black painter that makes the painting interesting. According to Massey, 20 percent of the population was free black people.

There are artifacts related to the long ties Tampa has had with the island of Cuba, there are military artifacts and there is even a giant View-Master that shows Cuba when it was the number one foreign destination for 50 years until Fidel Castro took over in 1959.

You will see an interesting group of items telling the story of China’s connection to Cuba.

The collection occupies more than 2,000 square feet of gallery space and will be available for viewing through February 2023. Cuban Pathways will then travel the Southeastern United States.

For information about Tampa Bay History Center, visit www.tampabayhistorycenter. org or call 813-228-0097.

SUMMER CLASSICS MOVIE SERIES RETURNS TO TAMPA THEATRE

Tampa Theatre will present its popular Summer Classics Movie Series on Sundays at 3 p.m. beginning on June 5 and ending on August 28.

Jill Witecki with Tampa Theatre said, “Tampa film fans know that when it comes to beloved classics, there is no more authentic way to watch them than in a majestic movie palace.” Witecki added, “For more than 30 years, the community has flocked to Tampa Theatre on hot Sunday afternoons to enjoy Summer Classics as they were meant to be seen.”

First up, come enjoy a sing-along of the 1961 hit musical West Side Story. This will be shown on June 5.

Tampa Theatre will present the 1977 sci-fi thriller Star Wars: Episode IV-A New Hope on June 12.

Celebrate Father’s Day with a showing of In the Heat of the Night on June 19.

On June 26, come see the 1964 war thriller Fail Safe. This film was chosen by Tampa Theatre donor Ed Golly, who won the opportunity to ‘Pick a Classic’ at Tampa Theatre’s WineFest fundraiser in March.

On July 3, make plans to see Stand by Me.

Pulp Fiction is considered a ‘modern’

classic and regularly shows up on lists of the best films ever made. You can see Pulp Fiction on July 10. Another film that Come celebrate a century of extraordinary flm- was selected at the making by seeing some of your favorite classics March fundraiser, this on the big screen at Tampa Teatre during its one by Nick Buchanan,

Summer Classics Movie Series presented on is The Wizard of Oz.

Sundays from June 5 through August 28. This delightful 1939 film will be shown on July 17. Next, you can see Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 mystery thriller, Rear Window, on July 24. Who doesn’t love the 1972 hit The Godfather? This is your chance to see Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan and Robert Duvall together on the big screen. Enjoy it on July 31. The Western comedy Blazing Saddles will be shown on August 7. After that, the musical drama All That Jazz will hit the big screen on August 14. Casablanca gets a special presentation with two showings. The first is on Saturday, August 20 at 7:30 p.m. and then again on August 21. Share a unique experience of seeing and hearing the scent films One Week and The Camerman on August 28. Both films will be accompanied live on the Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ. For ticket prices and to purchase tickets, please visit www.tampatheatre.org.

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ACE GOLF’S RIVERVIEW EXPANSION BEGAN 20 YEARS AGO

By Taylor Wells

Ace Golf in Riverview has been in business for nearly 20 years.

Twenty years ago, the Osprey Observer published a front-page story in our June 2002 FishHawk edition about Ace Golf’s owners, husband and wife Bill Place and Su Lee, expanding onto Boyette Road in Riverview. The story reported that the “plan would bring a driving range, batting cages, mini golf and even a picnic barn for parties to an 18-arce parcel” at the location, and Ace Golf Range in Riverview has grown much throughout the years.

And ever since the Brandon location closed, Ace Golf in Riverview has gotten busier. This increase in business has been a continuing trend, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the golf range was one of the few places where people could feel safe while outside having fun.

Along with still hosting parties in the barn, it’s become more active in lessons and camps, like junior golf camps every summer, and it ofers kids a Free Bucket or Mini Golf program throughout the summer. Daycare groups are known for visiting often in the summer and during the holidays. Plus, there are adult group classes for learning golf, a driving range, batting cages, mini golf and a pro shop.

Not only is there much fun to be had, but Ace Golf in Riverview also prides itself on being a very clean and well-maintained facility. As proof of that, it has won the Golf Range Association of America’s award for Top 50 Stand-Alone Facilities every year since opening, which Place credits partly to having things that are nicer than you’d usually find at other golf ranges, like rolling canopies and over 1 acre of Celebration Bermuda grass.

Recently, the owners received an ofer from a builder that could potentially lead to Ace Golf in Riverview closing, and rezoning eforts began.

“Some people started posting ‘Oh, they’re closed,’ or ‘They’re closing this month,’ and I had no idea where people got this information, but it was completely wrong. There will be more than adequate notice if that does come about,” said Place, who added that Ace Golf will continue operating normally as well as keep upgrading and improving things.

Rezoning has been delayed, and though it might continue later, the location isn’t closing for at least a year. In fact, it’s possible that Ace Golf will remain open for years to come, as the owners are still considering the ofer, and whether the rezoning will continue depends on many other factors.

Regardless, Place wants to celebrate

Ace Golf in Riverview’s 20th anniversary next year, as it opened in 2003, so the community can look forward to joining in. The specific time and type of celebration are to be decided later.

“What’s kind of a funny thing about the location, when we first went in there, we actually had a lot of resident opposition to us building the golf range there, and we finally did get the approval to build, and within six months some of the same residents that opposed had requested a crosswalk to be established—a signalized crosswalk to the neighborhood across the street—and they were successful in getting that put in. Now, flash-forward to where this builder has proposed putting in homes, we’re finding some people are actually expressing opposition to us leaving now,” said Place. “I’ve seen a big outpouring from a number of people in the community that they’ve really enjoyed having the recreation.”

There’s even a woman who told Place that she brings her father to Ace Golf because he has dementia and playing miniature golf is something they can enjoy together often. After many years since opening, Ace Golf in Riverview has become a place beloved by the community.

“It’s been a great 20 years so far, and we appreciate all the support that people have shown,” said Place.

Ace Golf in Riverview is located at 12910 Boyette Rd. Its hours are Sunday through Thursday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. (closes at 8 p.m. on Monday); Friday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.; and Saturday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m.

Visit https://ace-golf.com/ for more information.

An Osprey Observer newspaper from 20 years ago featuring a story about Ace Golf expanding onto Boyette Road in Riverview.

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NELSON ELEMENTARY STUDENTS LEARN TO SAVE A LIFE WITH CPR

By Kate Quesada

Students at Nelson Elementary School used teddy bears donated by the Rough Riders when learning CPR at school last month.

A group of local elementary school students recently learned how to save a life with help from some flufy friends. Nelson Elementary School physical education teacher and Valrico resident Leslie Wheeler thought outside of the box when preparing her CPR unit last month.

Wheeler teaches compression-only CPR to her students but noticed she was missing a vital part for the instruction.

“Because we only have one set of mannequins to use, it is not enough for an entire class, and sometimes the students might not feel comfortable practicing on the mannequins,” she explained. “So, I reached out to the Rough Riders to see if they would be willing to help.”

The Rough Riders are a U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment.

“They are well known in the Tampa Bay community for distributing thousands of teddy bears to hospitals, centers for abused women and children, community health centers, special needs day care center and foster children,” she explained.

Wheeler, who has been a member of the Krewe of Celts for the past 10 years, has a connection with the Rough Riders as they also participate in the Gasparilla Pirate Festival as a Krewe.

The Rough Riders donated 20 large teddy bears to the program. “The use of teddy bears made the learning experience a little less scary,” she said. “When they learn about the circumstances of when you need to administer CPR, it is a very frightening moment to imagine. When the students were watching the video, I could see how engaged they were. They knew this was a serious lesson they were about to learn.”

This is the first year that Wheeler has taught CPR to first, second and third grade students, but she is looking forward to making it an annual event.

“Last year, I only taught it to my fourth and fifth graders,” she said. “This year, I introduced it to first through fifth grade. This is a permanent unit that will be taught yearly. The more the students practice, the easier it will be if they are ever in a situation where CPR will be needed.”

To learn more about the Rough Riders, visit www.tamparoughriders.org.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS LINK HIGH SCHOOL STUDIES TO CONSTRUCTION, HEALTH CARE EMPLOYMENT

By Linda Chion

As the Greater Tampa Bay area market explodes, with scores of folks making their home in Southeastern Hillsborough County, the need to ensure an able and steady workforce to fill high-demand jobs in health care and construction continues to swell as well.

Toward that end, Hillsborough County School District ofcials have announced plans to create two new high school programs and a technical college, all dedicated to their respective areas of workforce development.

Expected for a 2023-24 school year opening are a medical academy at D.W. Waters in Tampa and a construction academy at Bowers/Whitley in Tampa, both for students in grades 9-12. The phase three efort calls for post-graduation studies at the upcoming Brewster Medical Technical College in Tampa.

Courses of study at the upcoming medical academy, developed in partnership with medical organizations and businesses, are to include training and certification for home health aides, medical laboratory assisting, EKG aides/technicians and allied health assisting.

The 15 programs of study planned for the construction academy involve building construction, electricity, plumbing, augmented reality/visualization, electric vehicles, energy and environmental design, estimating,

excavating, framing/ drywall, masonry, modeling, professionalism in the workplace, solar power, water infrastructure/treatment and AC refrigeration and heating technology (HVAC). Photo courtesy of Hillsborough County Public Dramatic job growth in the con-Schools.

A still shot from the March 28 “In-Depth with struction and medical Davis Workforce Development Programs” episode fields is a sure bet in Hillsborough County and beyond. featuring Addison Davis, superintendent of Hillsborough County Public Schools, and Kim Bays, the school district’s chief of innovation. According to Superintendent Addison Davis, “Florida’s private sector employment has increased by 470,000, or 6.7 percent, over the past year” alone. The two industries that have gained the most jobs are construction and health care, Davis said in his March 28 In-Depth with Davis episode. Kim Bays, the school district’s chief of innovation, noted in the same segment that “without a doubt” the medical and construction industries will lead the pack in job opportunities. “We expect that by the year 2029, there will be 116,000 job opportunities in the medical industry and 51,000 job opportunities in the construction industry,” Bays said. “So, it’s incumbent on us to prepare students for those two industries.” School ofcials said to expect “a marketing blitz” over the summer months related to the new high school programs. For more, view “In-Depth with Davis Workforce Development Programs” on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjEogWfnfZ4.

ARS, American red snapper, will be the hot topic in the ofshore arena for the next month. Gag grouper will also open this month, and both target feed for excellent table fare.

Billy Nobles is a local captain in Apollo Beach area who targets these fish constantly. He has invested many, many years in perfecting his approach to catching these fish. Hit him up for a charter and you will not be disappointed. These are some of his techniques.

Gag grouper can be found up around rock structures and reefs. They react well with chumming in many of these areas, and large pinfish, threadfins and greenbacks are the bait choices this time of year. A 5/0 to 7/0 may be the hook size you want, and remember, circle hooks are required for reef fishing. You can use a 60# to 100# main line with 100# leader on a stout rod and a 6000 series reel. You’re going to need a setup with some backbone to it to move these fish up out of their hideaways.

ARS will hold up in deep water in upwards of 160 feet and 60 miles out. Do some homework and survey your depth finders or maps to locate some good ledges in that range. While on the locations, look to large towers of baitfish and chum heavily. Use big chunks of cut bait, threadfins, pinfish, greenbacks and any other type of baitfish you can get for both the chum and the

Tysa Dawn found this great hooked bait. Use a knockblackfn tuna with captain Billy er rug setup with weight Nobles. enough to get down and hook with a bigger gap than the diameter of the weight. Nobles is a regular out there in the deep waters of the gulf and recommends to always keep a flatline with a live bait out behind the boat. You never know what you may find in the Amy and Chris Nichols with open waters. He regularan American red grouper with ly catches ARS, yellowtail captain Billy Nobles. snapper, grouper (both red and gag), mangrove snapper and blackfin tuna. Occasionally, a sailfish or mahi-mahi will come join the party. If you make a trip on your own, please remember to make a float plan so people at home know where you are headed and have an approximate time of return. Taking two boats is always safer and a lot of fun. You can reach Nobles at 813-299-5563 or find him on Facebook at Billy Nobles. You will not be disappointed.

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THE TAMPA BAY SUMMER RV SHOW OFFERS EVERYTHING IN ONE LOCATION

By Sharon Still

From seasoned RVers to those who have never stepped foot in a recreational vehicle (RV), there is sure to be something for everyone at the Florida RV Trade Association’s upcoming Tampa Bay Summer RV Show. Scheduled for Thursday to Sunday, June 9-12 at the Florida State Fairgrounds, the event will showcase many diferent brands, models and floor plans of RVs as well as feature vendor booths ofering everything from RV windshield repair to decorative items and spill-proof dog bowls. There also will be a DJ, face painting and other activities for the kids.

More people than ever are enjoying the RV lifestyle. According to Go RVing’s recent RV Owner Demographic Profile, the most comprehensive study of RV ownership ever conducted, RV ownership has increased more than 62 percent in the last 20 years with a record 11.2 million households owning an RV. Additionally, a staggering 9.6 million households intend to buy an RV in the next five years.

At the Tampa Bay Summer RV Show, RV dealerships will be there displaying new motorhomes, travel trailers, fifth wheels and other types of RVs, all in one location. Guests can tour the RVs and salespeople will be on hand to answer any questions.

People new to RVing will be amazed at the conveniences and technological advances an RV can ofer these days. Standard features may include USB ports, Wi-Fi hotspots, tablet holders in Tere is plenty to see at the upcoming Tampa Bay the bunk beds and Summer RV Show. remote-control operation of various features. Many RVs are also designed for luxury, as they are constructed with handcrafted cabinetry, fireplaces, elaborate entertainment systems, wine chillers and more. When it comes to comfort, some RV floor plans ofer king, Sleep Number or memory foam beds; recliners; air ride driver and passenger seats; and much more. Admission is $5 per adult; children ages 16 and under are free. Military and first responders will receive $1 of the price of admission for all days of the show and seniors will receive a $1 discount on Thursday, June 9. Upon entering, attendees can sign up for door prizes; a $100 American Express gift card will be awarded to an attendee each day of the show. Show hours are June 9-11, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, June 12, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Leashed pets are welcome. The Florida State Fairground is located at 4800 U.S. Hwy. 301 N. For further details, visit www.frvta.org or call 813-7410488.

LOCAL STUDENTS PARTICIPATE AND WIN IN DROP SAVERS POSTER CONTEST

By Kathy L. Collins

Hillsborough County Public Utilities and the City of Tampa Water Department invited students in the School District of Hillsborough County to participate in the Drop Savers poster contest. Kelsey Smith, senior environment scientist for Hillsborough County’s Water Conservation program, said, “This is one of Florida Section of the American Water Works Association’s most important outreach programs. The poster contest allows participants to have fun and at the same time promote the importance of water conservation in their homes.”

Students in grades K-12 were encouraged to create a poster depicting a water conservation idea—in slogan form, drawing form or both—focusing on the importance of water conservation. Students had to work individually and could use crayons, paint, color pencils or markers. They were required to create an original piece of art for a panel of judges to review. Winning posters were judged based on the message, creativity and originality.

Judges chose a first, second and thirdplace local winner for each division. Firstplace winners advanced to the statewide level, led and judged by the Florida Section of the American Water Works Association.

Locally, this year’s first-place winners included Cooper Bess from Stowers Elementary School and Miki Lin from Brandon High School.

The winning students’ schools were awarded bottle-filling stations and reusable water bottles for the first-place winning students’ art classes. Bottle-filling stations save money because students do not Cooper Bess from Stowers Elementary School and Miki Lin from Brandon need to buy single-use bottles of water, and

High School won frst place in their they help the environdivisions in the 2022 Drop Savers poster ment by eliminating contest. Both schools will receive bot- plastic bottles from the tle-flling stations. water stream. Smith said, “For Hillsborough County, conserving water has many benefits for the customer, the utility and the environment, including saving money on water and sewer bills, reducing the costs of building new water and wastewater infrastructure and preserving the environment and resources to ensure that clean water will be available for current and future generations. The poster contest is a long-range education and awareness program with the hope for creating lifelong conservers and ambassadors for conservation. It challenges students to explore water conservation concepts and to creatively express their individual ideas of the importance of water conservation.” Smith added, “Water conservation starts with you. We work closely with Tampa Bay Water Wise (TBWW), the regional water conservation program ofered by Tampa Bay Water that ofers rebates for homeowners and business owners who purchase and install water-saving devices.” Visit https://tampabaywaterwise.org/en/ for more information.

AIRLIFE/BAYFLIGHT VISITS HCC PARAMEDIC STUDENTS

By Kate Quesada

A group of students at Hillsborough Community College’s (HCC) SouthShore campus were able to see up-close what happens in a medical emergency last month when the school worked in conjunction with Hillsborough County and brought an AirLife/BayFlight aircraft to the field adjacent to the school’s science building.

According to professor Lawrence Linder from the EMS Programs Faculty, the National EMS Education Standards were revised in 2021 and now require that schools work with state and local agencies to provide the students with the knowledge to work safely around a landing zone during an air medical operation.

“This includes the proper treatment of the patient and the interaction with the air medical personnel who will then transport the patient to the trauma center,” he explained. “What better way to learn than to land an aircraft and have the students explore the interworking of safety and advanced patient care?”

With the help of Hillsborough County

Fire Rescue, the flight team from AirLife/BayFlight landed their aircraft adjacent to the HCC SouthShore campus. In addition, the fire company demonstrated landing zone safety and the flight team exStudents at HCC’s SouthShore campus were visited plained their role in by an AirLife/BayFlight aircraft last month as part patient care. of the EMS program. “The demonstration concluded with a tour of the aircraft and a question/answer period,” said Linder. Also included in the event was a team of rescuers from Manatee County Search & Rescue, which brought their rescue unit and explained how they would coordinate with the flight team during a search and rescue operation. “It is our hope that the rescue teams will be a part of our ongoing commitment to providing our students with an excellent clinical and educational experience,” said Linder. Hillsborough Community College’s SouthShore campus is located at 551 24th St. NE in Ruskin and can be reached at 813-253-7000. For more information, visit www.hccfl.edu.