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

Apollo Beach Society Wine Bar Celebrates First Anniversary

Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce joined with Apollo Beach Society Wine Bar to celebrate its one-year anniversary with a ribbon-cutting. Apollo Beach Society Wine Bar is a warm and friendly neighborhood destination located at 238 Harbor Village Ln. in Apollo Beach. It has over 200 wines available by the glass to choose from and a fun menu ofering cheese boards, dips, flatbreads as well as delectable desserts, all in an elegant and fun chic vibe. A semiprivate room is also available for small groups looking for a space to get together. To learn more about Apollo Beach Society Wine Bar, visit its website at www.apollobeachwinebar. com or call 813-331-3907.

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.

Iron Rock Insurance Holds Customer Appreciation Day

Iron Rock Insurance recently held a customer appreciation day at its ofce, located at 400 Frandorson Cir., Ste. 103 in Apollo Beach. Along with lots of fun-filled activities a rafe was held to benefit Florida Sherifs Youth Ranch, for which, when rounded up by Iron Rock Insurance, $2,000 was raised.

Riverview Tap House Opens

Riverview Tap House is a new neighborhood stop for those looking for fun, food and drinks. Burgers, nachos and wings are all on the menu, and you have your choice of beer, wine or liquor from the bar. Big screens show the latest sporting action and live music, and cornhole tournaments and trivia nights make for fun nights out. Riverview Tap House is located at 10656 New East Bay Rd. in Gibsonton. To learn more about it, visit its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/riverviewtaphouse or call 813-374-3643.

Corbin’s Stamp & Coin Ofers Christmas Coins

Corbin’s Stamp & Coin has been Brandon’s source for rare coins and precious-metal bullion for 30 years. Each year, the store ofers silver Christmas coins that are timeless, unique gifts for both collectors and noncollectors. Corbin’s also buys and sells coins, both old and new; if you are a coin collector or an investor in physical gold and silver, it has what you want. If you have old coins and don’t know what they are, Corbin’s

can educate you about what you have and how much they are worth. Corbin’s Stamp & Coin is located at 209 N. Kings Ave. in Brandon. For Photo courtesy of Gerardo Luna Photographs. more information, call 813-651-3266. Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce celebrated

Apollo Beach Society Wine Bar’s frst anniversary. Vine Vegan Now Open Danielle Stevens, owner and chef of Vine Vegan, learned to cook from her family. As a daughter of a Latino and a Brit, who was born in Hawaii, raised in Europe and an American through and through, Danielle was sure to balance everything when creating the Vine Vegan menu. Her mission is to bring people together, capture the culture of community and use delicious vegan food to do it. Vine Vegan is located at 2080 Badlands Dr. in Brandon and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Fo r more informa tion o n openi n g hours and to view the menu, visit its website at www. vinevegan.com or follow it on Facebook and Instagram @vineveganfl.

$39.95 Gif Boxed or Ornaments CORBIN’S Stamp & Coin 209 N. Kings Ave., Brandon, FL 33510 813-651-3266 corbincoin@verizon.net Mon-Fri 9am - 4pm • Sat 9am - 1pm

Westfeld Brandon’s Sincerely, Santa Toy Drive

In partnership with Sincerely Santa Tampa, Westfield Brandon will host its Sincerely, Santa Toy Drive, an opportunity for the local community to participate in providing at-risk and underprivileged kids with items on their Christmas lists this holiday season.

Guests can make holiday wishes come true by sponsoring a letter to Santa written by a local child in need, purchasing the items listed and bringing the unwrapped gifts back to the Sincerely, Santa booth in the Dillard’s court. All gifts will be delivered to each child’s home in time for Christmas.

The event lasts through Sunday, December 18, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. in the booth at Westfield Brandon, located at 459 Brandon Town Center Dr. in Brandon. For more information, visit www.westfield.com/brandon/event-detail/sincerely,-santa-toy-drive.

Pediatric Care Ofered 24/7 At HCA Florida Brandon Hospital

Florida Brandon Hospital is excited to announce that Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital specialty physicians are now providing pediatric hospitalist care to patients admitted to HCA Florida Brandon Hospital’s pediatric unit 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “We are pleased to have the Johns Hopkins All Children’s specialty physicians here to support our inpatient services for children and provide highly specialized care for our pediatric patients,” said Tripp Owings, chief executive ofcer at HCA Brandon Hospital. “Through this partnership, Brandon Hospital pediatric patients now have access to expert care at any time of day.”

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.

Southshore Charter Academy Named Purple Star School Of Distinction

Southshore Charter Academy is honored to announce its receipt as a Purple Star School of Distinction by the Florida Department of Education and approved by Governor Ron DeSantis. Only 114 schools out of the over 4,000 schools statewide received this recognition. Purple Star schools work closely with active and veteran military families to ensure students are supported during times of transition and extraordinary challenges. These support skills are translated into the school environment to create a family atmosphere and an educational setting based in resiliency and perseverance. Southshore Charter Academy is proud to promote support of its military community.

By Madeline Gardner

Suitcases are often an overlooked element in life, despite being tools used to store essentials during a few occasions of moving and travel. But for the 23,000 teens transitioning out from the U.S. foster care system annually, luggage is a luxury that many do not have access to. Moving forward into the uncertainty of adulthood with- Support for foster teens in need of out much support, these brand-new suitcases can also be kids typically resort to using shown by selecting the Knighten garbage bags as a means of Project as the charity of choice storing their possessions. when shopping on https://smile.

Intending to help teens amazon.com/. aging out from the nation’s foster care system now through Christmas, the Knighten Project will be working to provide these young adults with luggage for the next stage of their lives. Its Packing with Purpose Suitcase Donation Drive encourages members of the Tampa Bay community to donate either suitcases or materials to be stored within the brandnew luggage collected by Thursday, December 15.

“The foster teen population is an invisible population. You could be walking right by them in the mall, in the grocery store and you don’t have any idea that this person is homeless. You don’t have any idea that this person doesn’t have loving parents or family at home. You just see someone walking by you,” said Bernetta Knighten, founder of the Knighten Project. “And if I can help them in any way, we want to do that — to let them know we see them.” Before founding this nonprofit, Knighten sought a way to issue support for these teens after recognizing that many face homelessness, drug or alcohol abuse and unemployment upon their transition out of the foster care system. Rather than let these circumstances become an inevitable reality for them, the Knighten Project coordinates donations and fundraisers such as this one to instill faith that a fresh start for these young adults is indeed achievable. Those wishing to donate to this particular campaign can visit the Amazon Wish List and Walmart Donation Registry links (which are constantly updating) on the Packing with Purpose Donation Drive page on the Knighten Project website, where materials are listed and can be ordered and sent to the organization. Individuals donating can also choose to sponsor a suitcase by selecting one of the three options available for purchase. The Suitcase package is $40 and provides a brand-new suitcase to a teen in need; the Suitcase Plus package is $100 and includes sheets, a comforter and a hygiene kit in addition to a new suitcase; and the Suitcase Deluxe package is $250 and features a new suitcase fully packed with essentials.

For more info, visit https://theknightenproject.org/.

New!

Sunday Brunch 11am-3pm

200+ Wines by the Glass | 100+ Craf Beers JOIN US EVERY TUESDAY AT 7PM

Reg. Hours: M - T: 4PM - 10PM | F- Sa: 3PM - 11PM | Su: 11AM - 8PM 813-331-3907 | ApolloBeachWineBar.com

apollobeachwinebar@yahoo.com

Care partners of those with any type of memory loss, whether family, friends or professionals, need to be equipped with the knowledge to best support their loved one. Gain this knowledge at our NEW hybrid support groups being held via Zoom and in person at Tessera of Brandon. Hybrid Dementia and Alzheimer’s Support Groups

Fourth Tuesday of Every Month at 6:30 pm Meeting in person and via Zoom!!! Fourth Wednesday of Every Month at 2:00 pm Meeting in person and via Zoom!!!

Family owned and operated by local frst responder and educator.

Gif Your Home New Window Treatments for the Holidays!

Designer Look with Discount Prices!

We specialize in: Plantation Shutters Shades Motorization / Automation Blinds Honeycomb and more!