Two Sections, 36 Pages of Community News
NEW! Brandon/Winthrop
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9/11 Heroes Run Page 19 August 2017
C E L E B R A T I N G
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Y E A R S
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Volume 12, Issue 8 Ph: 657-2418 P U B L I S H I N G
Hillsborough County Veterans Population Soars To Highest In Florida
By Tamas Mondovics
Osprey Observer 918 Lithia Pinecrest Rd. Brandon, FL 33511-6121
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That Hillsborough County is boasting a large population of military veterans is not breaking news. In fact, for a while the County has proudly claimed having the third largest veteran population in the state of Florida. That is until now. According to a recent report by the U.S. Military veterans and their families are remembered and honored for Department of their sacrifice at Hillsborough County’s Veterans Park and Museum. Veterans Affairs County vets are regarded by the community in high regard, but now Hillsborough their numbers are also at the top in Florida. County had the expanding the parking lot not to mention most veterans of any county in Florida: the 8,000 sq. ft. Veterans Resource 98,307, an increase of 5,135 over 2015. is currently under construction Center The report also emphasized that the on the grounds that will become the number doesn’t reflect the thousands of home for the County’s Consumer new active-duty servicemen and serviceand Veterans Services. women who also live here. By compariAs funds become available future son, Duval County had 91,296 veterans, plans also call for a 14,000 to 16,000 and Pinellas had 90,533. sq. ft., addition for educational use and It is safe to say that Hillsborough museum exhibits. County officials and residents have “The new services center is the done a great job caring for and supportresult of a unified effort by our local ing its vets and their families, even as Veterans, Veteran advocates, many are working tirelessly to make Hillsborough County government and sure each vet has what he or she the state of Florida,” said Assistant needs. Hillsborough County Administartor, A good example of this support is Dexter Barge. the visible accomplishment at the Earlier this year, Tampa’s James A. County’s Veterans Park and Rear Haley Veterans’s Hospital (JAHVH) Admiral LeRoy Collins, Jr. Veterans administration and staff also celebrated Museum, which has been the center of the groundbreaking for the VA’s new care. The park is now working on Continued on page 7
Photo by Tamas Mondovics
Sunflower Café restaurant owner, Tatsu Horikawa, takes a moment to pose for a photo with Dylan Shadle, 5 and his brother Chase, 8, of Brandon during lunch last month. The boys each enjoyed an order of California rolls, a favorite for many served in a cozy and family friendly atmosphere. The restaurant located at 3452 Lithia Pinecrest Rd. in Valrico offers meals for lunch and dinner and a fresh, delicious sushi menu.
P O S I T I V E
C O M M U N I T Y
N E W S
Joint Effort To Bring Library Resources To More Than 200,000 Students
By Tamas Mondovics
Thanks to a Excited partnership about the new between initiative HCPS Hillsborough Deputy County Public Superintendent Schools (HCPS) Van Ayres said and the the HAAL Pass Hillsborough means four County Public times the numLibrary ber of schoolCooperative Hillsborough County Officials celebrate the intro- age children will (HCPLC) more duction of HAAL Pass to students last month. now have than 200,000 stu- The new initiative gives students in grades K-12 Hillsborough in the public schools system, including charter dents including County library schools, to more than a million books, audiocharter school stubooks, DVDs, newspapers and magazines, 3 cards and music CDs, thousands of eBooks. dents have the expands access chance to tackle the 2017-2018 school to quality educational resources. year with a powerful tool in the palm of “This is about just one number,” their hands. Ayres said. “The student’s ID number, or School officials are boasting of what lunch number will provide access to they appropriately named HAAL Pass many more educational resources in the (Hillsborough All Access Libraries) which Hillsborough County Public Library systhey said opens a world of learning and tem. This is a super exciting time for us. additional resources to each student. We rely on great partners in this district, For high school students, these and HAAL Pass is just one example of resources mean access to test-prep what a great partnership we have with materials such as study guides for the the public library.” SAT and ACT college entrance exams. For information, visit hcplc.org/haalScience students can do research with pass. To learn more about Hillsborough National Geographic for Kids or Science County Public Schools' Library Media Online, and every student will be able to Services, go to the school district website choose to learn a new language or get at sdhc.k12.fl.us and type “go library” in tutoring assistance by using their new, the search box. easy-to-use access. Through the new initiative, students enrolled in grades K-12 in the public In This schools system, including charter Issue schools, don’t need to be library card holders – or even apply for a card – in NEW PRINCIPAL ................................PG 3 order to check out books, printed materials, DVDs, CDs, and audiobooks, or to HOMESCHOOL CONNECTION .......PGS 8‐9 use a wide variety of online resources SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION. ............PG 12 and learning tools from the public library system. Their seven-digit student ID numHOA HOT TOPICS .............................PG 17 ber is all they’ll need. EYE ON BUSINESS ........................... PG 21 By the numbers HAAL Pass will enable every K-12 Hillsborough County SPORTS CONNECTION...............PGS 32‐33 Public Schools (HCPS) student expandARTS & ENTERTAINMENT...............PG 34 ed public library access to more than a million books, 57,800 audiobooks, 91,360 READ MORE LOCAL NEWS ONLINE DVDs, 50,290 newspapers and magawww.ospreyobserver.com zines, 37,500 music CDs, and nearly 288,000 eBooks.