SECOND ECHO THRIFT STORE NOW OPEN ON BLOOMINGDALE AVE

By Jonathan Hurst

training, group training and spa/grooming services. The facilities have expanded as well, going from 1 acre and two play yards to 3 acres and eight play yards, as well as nature trails and a training facility, and more expansion is anticipated.

These services and facilities are just some of the ways that Canine Cabana ensures that when your dog stays with it, they are staying in luxury. All guests are well entertained, as they spend time with between 12-15 dogs of similar size and temperament after their orientation day.

“We train every new team member with industry leaders like The Dog Gurus’ Knowing Dogs 101 and 201. We love to have our team training and learning with webinars or conferences on continuing education, always learning what is new and better for the guests in our care. Our team is CPR and first aid certified. We have created a culture of inclusivity, safety and fun,” Duncan said.

What makes Canine Cabana stand out is their enrichment programs available for the dogs that have the pleasure of being a guest. These enrichment programs vary greatly, as your dog can engage in pool time, agility work, scent hunting or even art activities.

If you would like more information about the 15-year anniversary party or general information about Canine Cabana, please visit its Facebook page, Canine Cabana Florida, or its website at https://caninecabana.biz/.

Finding a good home for things you don’t use anymore is a solid move any time of year. Donate items to ECHO’s new thrift store and you will be giving to people in crisis in our community.

ECHO’s mission is to assist residents of Hillsborough County in crisis with emergency food and clothing, ofering life-stabilizing programs and resources.

ECHO has two resource centers, one in Brandon and one in Riverview. Its Brandon thrift store has provided clothing and housewares for the resource centers since 2021.

A second ECHO Thrift store is opening on Thursday, April 27 on Bloomingdale Avenue. The additional space will allow ECHO to process more donations, support more neighbors in need and create additional funding for ECHO’s many community initiatives.

ECHO Thrift’s manager, Annmarie Macaluso, loves the mission and community focus of ECHO.

“ECHO is community-based. We live here. We work here. We help here,” Macaluso said.

According to Macaluso, the new Bloomingdale store will primarily support the Riverview resource center. The support process will be the same as it has been for the Brandon resource center.

By Jane Owen

Resource centers send invoices of what they need, the thrift stores fill the items and then they are picked up and taken to the centers daily. Leftover items at the thrift stores are sold, and the profits support ECHO’s programming.

Macaluso explained that the new store provides more giveback to what ECHO is already doing but beyond that, it gives back to this area of the community.

“I look at our thrift store as its own give back to the community. We try to keep things here reasonable. People can come and shop and find nice things for their family. A lot of people are struggling who might not need assistance, but things are a little tight and we are more afordable,” Macaluso said.

ECHO’s Bloomingdale thrift store is located at 815 W. Bloomingdale Ave. It is open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Donation hours are 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on those days.

Donations of clothing and housewares are accepted. Baby seats, large toys and furniture (with the exception of small accent pieces) cannot be donated.

To learn more about ECHO, visit https:// echofl.org/. For specific thrift store information, select the “ECHO Thrift” tab on the website.

Getting A Child To Appreciate Math

For some students, math skills come easily, as do the aptitudes needed to be a successful math student: analyzing patterns, thinking logically and critically and solving problems. However, for others, math concepts are di f cult to grasp, and the more complex they become, the more students want to give up altogether.

If your child isn’t one of the fortunate students for which math ‘clicks’ e f ortlessly, it may not be possible for you to convince him or her to like math. However, you can encourage your child to appreciate math for the practical and useful life skill that it is. Here are a few tips on how to help your student appreciate math and its importance.

Point out math in everyday life. You don’t have to look too hard to find math in day-to-day life — from weather forecasting to telling time to using cell phones and computers. From the time your child is old enough to understand the basic concepts of math, highlight math being used everywhere you go.

Call attention to math in various careers. Certainly, it’s easier to see why professionals in accounting, engineering and science need math. However, the reality is that math is a skill required by many jobs. For business owners and entrepreneurs, math is an essential part of the company’s purchasing, budgeting, finances and other functions. Those working in real estate or sales likely have monthly sales targets to meet in order to earn carefully calculated bonuses. Landscapers or architects use math skills to create scaled drawings and to calculate

By Dr. Raymond J. Huntington

and order the right amounts of supplies. Use money. Your child might not enjoy worksheets of math problems, but there’s a good chance he or she is interested in money — or at least interested in earning money. Help your child open his or her first bank account and teach him or her how to maintain the savings register. Together, calculate how much interest he or she could earn each month based on the account’s interest rate. Put together a spreadsheet that gives your child a weekly savings goal to save up for that iPad.

Discuss your own relationship with math. Does your child see you using math? Be sure to explain how and where you use math in your daily life. If you maintain the family budget, have your child help you with this task so he or she gets a sense of how your family keeps track of your income, expenses, savings and more. Show your child how you use math in cooking and when comparison shopping.

Your child might never feel enthusiastic about math, but with some effort on your part, you can impart in him or her an appreciation for the importance of the subject. Look around and you will find a multitude of opportunities to show your child math in use — from complex math to everyday math.

Keep in mind that math is a subject that requires students to continually build skills. If your child struggles with basic concepts, more complex math will only prove frustrating. If your child is struggling, call Huntington. We can design a customized program to help your child overcome any problems with math and get back on the road to school success.

Helping Your Child Learn Math by Eileen and Raymond Huntington o f ers tips, strategies and activities to help your child learn math at home and on the go.

Not many things seem as sure as turning on a water faucet to get a steady stream of drinking water, unless you live or work in some parts of Southern Hillsborough County, where demand is challenging the supply and, at times, the flow can be reduced to a trickle.

The increase in demand for water is driven by growth in Southeastern Hillsborough County, which is seeing more residents move into new homes every day. To help meet that growing need, Tampa Bay Water is implementing a plan to increase the amount of water flowing to that part of the utility’s service area.

An agreement with Hillsborough County means Tampa Bay Water can move forward with plans to create an additional drinking water well in Southern Hillsborough County that could provide an additional 2.3 million gallons of water daily to the area.

“The water will be locally sourced and locally used,” said Warren Hogg, chief science ofcer for Tampa Bay Water. “Not only will it help meet the county’s needs, but it will also free up 2.3 million gallons of water per day from the regional system.”

The ability to draw the additional water from a Southern Hillsborough County

By Brad Stager

source is due to the installation of reclaimed water injection wells along the area’s coastline that prevent saltwater from contaminating inland water supplies. Ofcials said the reclaimed treated wastewater will not intrude into drinking water supplies. Water from the new well could be flowing through south county pipes by 2026, said Tampa Bay Water ofcials, who anticipate growing demand throughout its regional service area that includes Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties, as well as the cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg and New Port Richey.

Currently, the utility provides drinking water to 2.5 million people, a number that grows daily with new arrivals to the area. According to Tampa Bay Water, that means an additional 1020 million gallons of new water per day will be needed to serve customers for the 10-year period 2028-38.

Other Tampa Bay Water projects intended to ensure drinking water to the area include a new booster station in Brandon that will send more water to the treatment plant in Lithia by the end of the year and construction of a new regional pipeline to deliver more water to Southern Hillsborough County by 2028.

Hillsborough County Reminds Residents To Conserve Water And Review Their Watering Days And Hours

Hillsborough County has received very little rain this year — just 4.40 inches in the first four months. The average rainfall for the county for the first four months is 10.93 inches.

With the lack of rainfall, all water users in unincorporated Hillsborough County are subject to year-round lawn watering restrictions. Lawn watering drives peak customer water demand, and the restrictions help to balance the demand and prevent low water pressure.

Allowable watering days and hours for most water sources, uses and methods:

• Street addresses ending in 0, 1, 2 or 3: Mondays and/or Thursdays.

• Street addresses ending in 4, 5 or 6: Tuesdays and/or Fridays.

• Street addresses ending in 7, 8 or 9: Wednesdays and/or Saturdays.

• Common areas with or without addresses, locations with no address and locations with mixed addresses: Wednesdays and/or Saturdays.

• No watering is allowed on Sundays.

Watering may occur in only one of the two designated watering periods per day, between midnight and 8 a.m., or between 6 p.m. and 12 Midnight, on the allowable watering days.

Customers using reclaimed water may water on any day of the week, either before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m.

The use of drinking or reclaimed water for watering lawns must not be wasteful and unnecessary. Irrigation systems should be operated in a prudent manner to ensure that water does not collect or run-of from the system does not occur. Irrigation should only be used as a supplement to rainfall.

Visit hcflgov.net/waterrestrictions or call 813663-3295 to confirm your allowable watering days and hours and find additional rules concerning hand watering, watering of new sod and landscaping, car washing, pressure washing and using reclaimed water for irrigation.

Enforcement of Watering Days

Hillsborough County Code Enforcement ofcers are carrying out routine patrols. Violations of the ordinance can result in a warning and even a fine of up to $500. Violations can be reported by calling Hillsborough County’s water violations reporting hotline at 813-224-8993.

Irrigation Evaluations to Help Conserve Water

There are additional actions that residents can take to reduce water consumption.

The UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County Ofce ofers free on-site and telephone irrigation evaluations for Hillsborough County residents and community and condominium associations that are high water users irrigating with metered water. This service provides education about the water conservation benefits of following Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ principles.

Extension staf can review rain or moisture sensors, irrigation system components and controller settings for proper setup and functionality. They can also perform a ‘wet walk’ of the property to identify irrigation inefciencies, such as broken heads and misdirected sprays. To schedule irrigation evaluations, contact Paula Staples at 813-7445519, ext. 54142, or staplesp@hcflgov.net.

The Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center, located at 440 N. Falkenberg Rd. in Tampa, is the only open-admission facility in the county. This means that they will accept any cat or dog regardless of breed, size and medical condition. No animal is ever turned away.

Scott Trebatoski is the director of the Resource Center. About eight years ago, the name was changed to the current name. Trebatoski explained, “We want all pet owners to know that we are the first-place pets. We are here to help, and if we cannot, we will refer the owner to somewhere that can.”

Prior to the pandemic, under Trebatoski’s direction, the Pet Resource Center developed a pet retention program. Trebatoski explained, “We work with individual pet owners for the purpose of making sure the owner can retain the pet. If the owner feels they need to give up the pet due to reasons such as financial issues, we will work to get the pet stable and keep them in the shelter, or, if we need to, send the pet to a foster home. The owner can then get the pet back once their issues are resolved.”

In addition to this program, if a pet

HILLSBOROUGH SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT PRESENTS AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS AND MINI GRANTS

By Kathy L. Collins

By Kathy L. Collins

owner is in need of food for the pet, it has a food pantry for pets. Trebatoski said, “If, for example, someone is getting Meals on Wheels, we do not want them giving half of their food to their pet.” You can also get a pet gate, crate or bowls if you need them. The center gets a lot of donations for those in need. Trebatoski said, “This community is very animal friendly.”

The Pet Resource Center will work with pet owners in order to protect the community. As such, if a pet needs a rabies shot, they will get it. If there are behavior issues, it can help with that too.

According to Trebatoski, it is working to implement a program where pets can get a microchip for free. If a pet gets lost, animal control can return the pet. Trebatoski said, “Underserved communities would be served by such a program because they often face transportation issues.”

The bottom line is that pets are very important to those who have them, and it is economically efcient to help pet owners keep their pets rather than shelter them. For more information, please visit www. Hillsboroughcounty.org or call 301-PETS (7387).

On April 12, the Hillsborough Soil and Water Conservation District held a festive luncheon where it awarded several supporter awards, scholarships and mini grants. Funding for the scholarships and mini grants came from its annual Great Plant Auction held at the Hillsborough County Fair.

The Hillsborough Soil and Water Conservation District held a ceremony on April 12 at The Regent. At the luncheon, the Hillsborough Soil and Water Conservation District presented awards to several local agencies and organizations, two scholarships and 16 mini grants.

Betty Jo Tompkins, executive director, said, “The idea for the luncheon started in 2016. The luncheon and awards represent the very thing that the Hillsborough Soil and Water Conservation District stands for, and that is that conservation is everybody’s business. It is the responsibility of everyone to conserve and preserve nature.”

Several leaders of local agencies were recognized for their support. The Outstanding Supporter of the Year award was given to Hillsborough Property Appraiser Bob Henriquez and his staf. The Outstanding Project of the Year award went to the Hillsborough County Fair. The Outstanding Cooperative Partner award was awarded to Environmental Protection Commission executive director Janet Lur- ton and her staf

Two scholarships were awarded as well. The Michael Hepburn Memorial Scholarship was presented to Madison Leiner, and the Ro Gene Davis Scholarship was given to Morgan Chancey.

The mini grants are new for this year. The funding for the grants came as a result of the Hillsborough Soil and Water Conservation District’s Great Plant Auction held annually at the Hillsborough County Fair.

There were 16 mini grants in the amount of $250 awarded. Each mini grant project proposal required at least one adult and four students participating in the project. Tompkins said, “When we came up with the idea for the mini grants, we thought that we would give out 12, but there were so many great project proposals that we decided to give out 16.”

The grant recipients included Apollo Beach Elementary School, Brandon High School FFA Chapter, Cub Scout Pack 37, Boy Scout Troop 109, Dunbar Elementary Magnet School, Ryan Flugel’s Eagle Scout project, Girl Scout Troop 3518, Graham Elementary AGP Gardens, Hillsborough County 4-H, Lopez Agriculture Classes, Pizzo K-8 School Garden Club, Raise the Bar 4-H Club, SCUBAnauts International (Tampa Chapter), Springhead Elementary Fifth Grade Lunch Bunch/Tutoring Group, Temple Terrace Elementary School Green Team and Winthrop Arts.

For more information, please visit www. hillsboroughswcd.com.

Local Residents Return 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 it will be followed by the new season premiere of 100 Day Dream Home on Friday, May 26 at 9 p.m.

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. Hillsbor- ough 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 o f ces and various Florida agencies. Hillsborough County 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.

Bloomingdale Basketball Summer Camps

Bloomingdale High School Basketball will be hosting a summer basketball camp for boys and girls at all skill levels for campers entering grades four through nine. The camp dates are Tues- day to Friday, May 30 to June 2 and/or Monday to Thursday, June 5-8. There will be a morning session from 9 a.m.-12 Noon and an afternoon session from 1-4 p.m. Campers will be placed into groups by age, size and ability. Session numbers are limited to 40 players. For more information and to reserve a spot, email Joel Bower at joel.bower@hcps.net or call 813-299-5072.

It’s Fun To Volunteer At ECHO

Are you looking for volunteer opportunities in Brandon, Riverview and the sur- rounding areas? ECHO needs people who are excited to volunteer so that it can help as many families in the area as possible. It has something for everyone. If you have not volunteered with ECHO before, you must attend a short New Volunteer Orientation before your first time. For volunteer opportunities and to register, visit www.echofl. org/volunteer.

Sesame Street Kids’ Weekends Return To Busch Gardens

Tampa Bay

Families are invited to a celebration of friendship and fun as Sesame Street Kids ’ Weekend returns to Busch Gardens

Tampa Bay. Guests can join their favorite Sesame Street friends, including Elmo, Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby, Big Bird and more, for a fun-filled themed weekend.

In this event, families can enjoy a new Sesame Street theme with activities including story time, interactive dance parties, arts and crafts, scavenger hunts and much more. Plus, families can enjoy the all-new “Welcome to Our Street” show at the park’s Sunny Day Theater. The upcoming themed event is Everyday Heroes Weekend from Friday to Sunday, May 19-21.

For more information, to purchase tickets and to learn more about the annual pass program, visit https://buschgardenstampa.com.