Valrico
33
October 2021
Volume 18, Issue 10
Ph: 657-2418
SEE AD ON PAGE 22
CELEBRATING 19 YEARS OF PUBLISHING P OSITIVE COMMUNIT Y NEWS
BLOOMINGDALE OFFERS GREAT SUPPORT FOR STUDENT TALENTS
RAINING CATS AND DOGS SHELTER & SANCTUARY THANKFUL FOR NEW SPACE
By Michelle Caceres
The sun is shining at Rainthem ready for adoption.” ing Cats and Dogs Shelter Raining Cats and Dogs is al& Sanctuary, and with good ways looking for loving volreason. With the support of a unteers of all ages and abil$16K donation from Melissa ities. Don’t do poop? Don’t Canfield, Brandon’s Honorary have to. You tell the shelter Mayor and Hi-Tech Automowhat you’re comfortable tive’s owner, and donations of with and it can find a place time and materials from local for you to use your skills. businesses, some Whether it’s helping to clean very deserving up the cat room or spending animals will soon time with one of its permahave an expandnent residents to take a ed, air-conditioned dog on a walk, it can use With the support of a kennel. your help. Children under 16 $16K donation from Melissa Canfield, Brandon’s Laura Santo need to be accompanied by founded Raining Cats and Honorary Mayor, Raining Cats a parent or guardian, and it Dogs because of a deep love and Dogs Shelter & Sanctuary welcomes individuals with for animals and the great was able to expand its facility. special needs. need she saw in the community. It provides Specific, specialized skills needed include homes for abandoned dogs and cats through people experienced in pet grooming and its shelter and network of foster homes. photographers to help post pictures of aniCompletely nonprofit, the 503(c)(3) is also mals on social media for adoption. To donate entirely dependent on volunteers, like Karyn items, please check out its wish lists posted Scech of Yellowfin Realty. Scech not only do- on amazon.com and chewy.com. nates a portion of every real estate closing, but she also gives her time as a coordinator and community liaison, and she oversaw the kennel project. “The community rallying around us has been unbelievable,” Scech said. “Without the generosity of these businesses, what we do wouldn’t be possible.” To make the living space functional and comfortable for the animals, they needed to both revamp a garage area and set up a brand-new shed. Raining Cats and Dogs needs to thank Manny Polizzi with Home Service Heroes for wiring the new shed to accommodate a new outlet and AC, Chris Seufert of 360 Painting of Brandon for painting both the inside space and entire shelter outside with donated time and materials, Tuff Shed Mulberry for moving the donated shed free of charge from Hyde Park to Plant City, Brice Lynch with Lynch’s Enterprise Home Maintenance for installing and insulating the plywood inside the shed and Joe Scech of REA Remedial Solutions for donating the flooring for the shed. Scech is excited for the new space, but ECHO SEEKS VOLUNTEERS PG 3 she also invites the community to consider donating their time: “The care of animals COUNTY DISTRICTS ............................ PG 5 requires so much upkeep. From keeping the EYE ON BUSINESS ...................PGS 25-26 facility clean and functional to washing dog SPORTS ....................................................PG 36 and cat bowls to socializing animals to get
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“The administration and staff at Bloomingdale are exceptional for allowing my boys to nurture their talents and participate in more than one extracurricular activity,” she said. It’s not without its challenges. Bloomingdale Principal Dr. Marcos Rodriguez, who prides himself on allowing students to be inThanks to the accommodating staff at Bloomingdale High School, senior volved in multiple David Owen was able to participate in both football and marching band. growth opportuniPhoto courtesy of Fred Ocasio Photography ties, said teachers work together on When David Owen was in middle school, scheduling conflicts that arise when stuhe attended a Bloomingdale High School dents want to participate in more than one football game where he saw a football playactivity. er perform with the marching band. That “Staff members talk to each other to event inspired him to pursue his own intercome up with a schedule that works for ests. that individual student,” he said. David, now a senior at Bloomingdale, is During football season, David practices a kicker on its varsity football team and a after school every day from 4-6 p.m. and member of the marching band. At a recent then twice a week attends band practice home game, he was able to swap out his from 6-8 p.m. football helmet for a trumpet and perform Band Director Jon Sever said accommoduring halftime. With not enough time to dating students is something he has specialchange into his band uniform, he played his ized in for his more than 18 years as a teachinstrument while still in his football uniform. er. “I support students being well-rounded “I love playing football and playing the and encourage them to get involved in actrumpet in the band,” he said. “I really didn’t tivities that interest them,” he said. want to drop either, so I thought, why can’t For David, the benefits of both programs I just do both?” David started playing footare worthwhile. ball in the third grade, and while in middle “I really like the sense of brotherhood school, he gained a love of music and playthat we have on the football team and the ing trumpet. way we’re always looking out for each othHis mom, Jane Owen, said it would not er,” he said. “I feel the same way about my have been possible without the support of band family and lessons I learn there.” Bloomingdale’s administration and staff. All For more information about Bloomingthree of her children (Jon, David and Thomdale High School, visit www.hillsboroughas) have participated in sports and music schools.org/bloomingdale. programs.
By Amy Schechter
World Series Watch Party - Food & Drink Specials!!
3345 LITHIA PINECREST RD, VALRICO, FL 33596 | (813) 643-7777 The Tampa Baseball Museum at The Al Lopez House opened on September 25 to the public. For more information, visit tampabaseballmuseum.org or contact the museum by email at info@tampabaseballmuseum.org or call 813-247-1434. See full story on Page 36.
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