EYE ON BUSINESS ................PGS

COMING SOON MARCH 2-12

White Oak Cottage Introduces New General Manager

The White Oak Cottage is pleased to introduce Kevin Luke as its new general manager. Luke has lived and worked in the Tampa area for the majority of his 25-year career in the food and beverage industry. He is classically trained from Le Cordon Bleu and has worked in everything from bakeries to fine-dining steakhouses. The White Oak Cottage owners Melanie and Shaunessy are continuing to deliver on their promise of establishing a world class restaurant, mouthwatering culinary selections and a customer experience that is second to none. The White Oak cottage is located at 10530 County Rd. 39 in Lithia and can be contacted on 813-6500054. Additional information can be found on its website at www.thewhiteoakcottage. com.

Blu Indigo Spa & Wellness Under New Ownership And Ofering More Services

Blu Indigo Spa & Wellness is a sanctuary place bringing back your youth, vitality and self-love because its focus is on you. It does so by activating your body’s innate ability to self-heal through its simple and guided offerings. Services available include facials, waxing, microneedling, lash and brow tinting and body contouring, among others. Blu Indigo Spa & Wellness is located at 3339 Lithia Pinecrest Rd. in Valrico. To book your next appointment, visit its website at bluindigospa.com or call 813-651-3258.

Young Innovators Academy® Opens Second Location In FishHawk

Young Innovators Academy®, an early learning company on a mission to empower young learners to meet the challenges of an uncertain future, is pleased to announce the opening of its second location at 16641 Fishhawk Blvd. in Lithia. The center is now enrolling new students, providing child care, enrichment programs and early education for children from 6 weeks to 6 years of age. For more information, visit www.younginnovatorsacademy.com/locations/ fishhawk/ or call 844-9090800.

JunkLuggers Now Servicing East Hillsborough County

The JunkLuggers of Tampa East & Hillsborough South is an eco-friendly, locally owned and family-operated junk removal company. It takes the furniture and junk from your home or business and, through its network of donation partners, finds a second home for your gently used furniture, clothing and household goods. Additional information can be found by visiting www. junkluggers.com and following the prompts to find the location.

Amani MedSpa Moves To New Location

Amani MedSpa celebrated moving to its new location at 1102 Bloomingdale Ave. Valrico with a ribbon cutting hosted by the Valrico FishHawk Chamber of Commerce. Whether you are considering laser skin resurfacing, skin tightening, weight loss or simply want to erase the signs of time with Botox or dermal fillers, Amani MedSpa takes the time to ensure that your treatment is a rewarding one. You can book your appointment by calling 813-6856111 or visiting its website at www. amanimedspa.com.

Pigtails & Crewcuts: Haircuts For Kids Opens With A Ribbon-cutting

Pigtails & Crewcuts: Haircuts for Kids is now open and recently celebrated with a ribbon-cutting hosted by the Valrico FishHawk Chamber of Commerce. Located at 2174 Kevin Luke, the new general manager Bloomingdale Ave. in Valrico, kids at Te White Oak Cottage. can enjoy their haircut experience with themed chairs and toys. It ofers kids haircuts, braids, first-haircut packages, cute accessories and more. Walk-ins are welcome. For more information, visit its website at www.pigtailsandcrewcuts.com/valrico.

Quality Life Massage Terapy Has Relocated

Unfortunately, after 10 years, The Ancient Wisdom of Yoga closed its doors at the end of December 2022 and the wellness practitioners had to relocate. Leslie Forrester, owner of Quality Life Massage Therapy (FL Lic#MA64365/MM43426), has been operating for 11 years and has relocated to 11256 Boyette Rd. in the Shoppes of Boyette Plaza, which also has many other shops that ofer ways to look after yourself and relax, including a gym and bakery. For additional information on Quality Life Massage Therapy’s services, visit its website at www.qualitylifemassagetherapy.com.

Eye Doctors Relocate

Local eye doctors Stephanie Kirkland, OD; Ronald Pierce, OD; Laurie Cuva, OD; and Jessica Pierce, OD are no longer seeing patients at the Pearle Vision in Brandon. They have relocated to the Maxim Eyes Optical, located

Amani MedSpa moves to a new location. Pigtails & Crewcuts holds its ribbon cutting.

at 2615 E. SR 60 in Valrico, where they will continue to provide you with the same thorough, friendly and professional eye care that you know and trust. All exam records and scans will also be at this new location. They can be reached by calling 813-653-9661.

Twisted Sugar Satisfes Sweet-tooth Cravings

Twisted Sugar is a bakery and specialty drink shop with locations all over the country. The newest location is in Riverview at 13159 S. U.S. Hwy. 301 and ofers a variety of goodies for those who enjoy something sweet. The cookies are baked fresh daily and feature a variety of unique combinations, including its namesake cookie topped with coconut frosting and a lime wedge, a peanut butter Nutella cookie and a banana cream pie cookie. Twisted Sugar also ofers bombshell drinks, beginning with a base soda of your choice followed by add-ins, such as cherries, peach puree, pineapple, etc. With so many combinations available to enjoy, the possibilities to delight your taste buds are endless. To learn more about Twisted Sugar, visit its website at www.twistedsugar.com.

Hillsborough County Buys Land To Expand Wildlife Corridor

Hillsborough County is buying a nearly 500-acre cattle ranch to help create a critical environmental corridor in fast-growing South County. The tract connects 9,000 acres of county preservation along the Little Manatee River with 3,000 acres protected by the state. Acquiring the property brings significant environmental benefits, including allowing the county and state preserves to function as a wildlife corridor. The property will also help mitigate the impact of floodwaters, and the pasture areas will be restored to a more natural state.

Center Place Sponsorship Opportunities

The arts are vital to providing a well-rounded education, and young people who study the arts consistently demonstrate higher levels of empathy, social tolerance and civic engagement. Low-income students highly engaged in the arts are twice as likely to graduate college as their peers with no arts education. Center Place Arts & Civic Association, located at 619 Vonderburg Dr., Ste. B in Brandon, is looking for sponsors to help cover the cost of classes throughout the year. For more details about sponsorship opportunities or classes available at Center Place, visit its website at www.centerplacebrandon.com or call 813-685-8888.

Te Kingston Trio Coming To Lakeland

Fans of legendary folk icons The Kingston Trio can rediscover their timeless music all over again. In celebration of 60-plus years of music, the folk group is performing their best-loved songs as part of their ‘Keep The Music Playing’ national tour and will be at the RP Funding Center on March 29, 2023. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at the RP Funding Center box office, located at 701 W. Lime St. in Lakeland or online at www.rpfundingcenter.com.

HIGH 5 INC. ADDS TACTICAL LASER TAG TO LIST OF OFFERED ACTIVITIES

By Lily Belcher

High 5 Inc. recently added Mission 5 Tactical Laser Tag to its list of programs available through the Brandon nonprofit organization.

High 5 partnered with the former owners of CQ Tactical Laser Tag to bring the set up to their program to add a new and exciting element of entertainment. The Mission 5 set up differs from other laser tag programs because it is entirely tactical and team based, compared to traditionally individual focused games.

“There are missions that each team is trying to accomplish, so the entire experience is goal based. The course is challenging and definitely a great workout at the same time,” said High Five CEO Chuck Burgess.

Mission 5 Laser Tag is perfect for birthday parties, weekend activities or outings with family and friends. To participate, individuals must be 10 years of age or older and at least 48 inches tall. An hour and a half session costs $25 for non-members and $20 for members. Birthday parties can be booked for $275 to $375, depending on specifications for the party.

The set up from CQ Tactical Laser Tag is based on teamwork, communication and strategy, making it a fun activity for corporate team building and family bonding. “The Mission 5 Laser Tag combines nicely with our mission of bringing people together in a fun way to enhance their lives,” said Burgess. “…Overall, we love watching people come in and challenge each other while having so much fun at the same time.” High 5 is a nonprofit organization that has served the Brandon community for 60 years.

The organization aims to make a positive impact on special needs education, after school experience, youth drowning prevention, sports and recreation and community impact.

The nonprofit is currently looking for volunteers to help support their recreational activities offered through their programs as well.

The organization is located on Beverly Boulevard off of Highway 60. The Mission 5 Laser Tag set up is located in the same building at 405 Beverly Boulevard.

For more information on how to join High 5 or to schedule a tour, contact 689-0908 or visit high5inc.org. For more information on pricing and booking for Mission 5, visit www.mission5lasertag.org.