Riverview/Apollo Beach 45-54
7
April 2022
Volume 20, Issue 4
Ph: 657-2418
CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF PUBLISHING P OSITIVE COMMUNIT Y NEWS
SOUTHSHORE CHAMBER SENDS 1,000 RELIEF BAGS TO POLAND TO SUPPORT REFUGEES
By Libby Hopkins
Osprey Observer 2109 Lithia Pinecrest Rd. Valrico, FL 33596
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Established in items. “We had a July of 2011, the flyer created and SouthShore Chamtold our members ber of Commerce to drop off the rehas a long history quested supplies to of making a difour office during ference, and this our business hours,” month, members Davis said. “We did felt the need to a six-day collection help residents in and we limited it another county because we knew it as they face may be overwhelmThe SouthShore Chamber of extremely Commerce recently collected ing. We realize this difficult and items for refugees who fled the is such a small way life-threatenUkraine because of the coun- of helping, but it aling times. lows so many peotry’s attacks from Russia. The chamber’s vision is to preserve their ple to feel they were able to help, even if historic heritage while meeting the chang- just a little bit.” ing business needs of our community, and In six days, the chamber was able to recently, members held a collection for collect enough items to fill almost a 1,000 Ukrainian refugees who fled the Ukraine be- 2.5-gallon Ziploc bags with supplies. “Each cause of the country’s attacks from Russia. bag is being given to one family at the bor“I think we all felt so helpless seeing what der entering Poland,” Davis said. “We also they were going through,” said Melanie Da- collected $975 for the church, and that vis, the chamber’s executive director. “As was used for gas to help the person transwe watched the news and thought, ‘There’s porting the items.” got to be some way we can help them,’ our The chamber delivered the items and community and chamber members always cash to the church. “From there, they had want to help, and they started asking if someone with a semitruck that came there were any collections.” and put it on pallets, along with donaDavis searched online and found a tions from other local areas,” Davis said. Ukrainian church in St. Pete that was do- “They filled the entire semi and then it ing a humanitarian drive for very specific left St. Pete and headed to New York. In New York, it was all loaded on airplanes which flew directly to Poland.” The chamber was thrilled it could help the refugees in any way possible. If you would like to learn more about the SouthShore Chamber of Commerce, you can visit its website at www. southshorechamberofcommerce.org.
The Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation broke ground last month on a new sports complex to serve fast-growing Southern Hillsborough County. The Waterset Sports Complex, located at 6110 Waterset Blvd. in Apollo Beach, will feature four multisport athletic fields, all featuring synthetic turf. The fields will be able to accommodate a variety of different sports, including soccer, football and lacrosse. The park will be home to one of the largest contiguous synthetic turf fields in the country.
HCC ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS ALLOW STUDENTS TO EARN COLLEGE CREDIT IN HIGH SCHOOL By Michelle Caceres
High school classtechnology and veterinarian es don’t just prepare assisting. a student for college, Adults who have earned as they can be a way industry certifications can to earn college credalso apply those certifications it while still in high toward an HCC degree or cerschool. tificate. Are you a Microsoft In addition to the Certified Professional Develwell-known dual enoper? That equates to rollment program, an three hours of credit agreement between Hillstowards the Associate borough Community College in Science degree. (HCC) and the School Board Transfer agreements of Hillsborough County that with several public and allows high school students to private universities altake online or in-person classlow students to transes through HCC, articulation fer their credits earned agreements allow students to at HCC towards transfer in credits from high school. the attainment of HCC Career Pathways Coordia bachelor’s denator Elizabeth Shelby said the gree. program works in conjunction with Dr. Brian Mann, local employers to address their HCC associate needs and to prepare the workers vice president of of tomorrow with the right skills Associate in Scifor in-demand jobs. There are seven ence Programs, high schools in the South County Articulation agreements between said there are area that offer technical education the School Board of Hillsborough many benefits programs. “This program allows County and Hillsborough Commu- from taking adstudent to explore career pathways nity College helps students prepare vantage of these for college and careers. at the high school level and earn programs. college credit at the same time,” she said. “These agreements exist to assist stuLocal high schools and their career and dents entering employment or higher edutechnical education programs include: cation in obtaining industry certifications •East Bay: Accounting operations, TV and an associate’s degree more quickly and production technology, veterinarian assist- inexpensively while strategically building ing and web development. workforce skills,” he said. •Lennard: Early childhood education, apThe pathways programs, from high school plied engineering technology, aquaculture, to college to the workforce, help students hospitality & tourism management and TV gain the skills needed to prepare them for production technology. successful careers in in-demand industries. •Newsome: Criminal justice, TV producTo schedule an appointment with an acation technology, veterinarian assisting and demic advisor, visit https://www.hccfl.edu/ web development. academics/articulation-agreements. •Riverview: Accounting applications, culinary arts, TV production technology, veterinarian assisting and web development. •South County Career Center: Adminis- HOPE FOR LIFE .......................................PG 3 WATER CONSERVATION ................... PG 5 tration office specialist. •Spoto: Culinary arts, early childhood ed- EYE ON BUSINESS ...................PGS 25-26 ucation, finance and veterinarian assisting. SUMMER CAMPS......................PGS 41-48 •Sumner: Culinary arts, TV production
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