Valrico
21
June 2021
Volume 18, Issue 6
Ph: 657-2418
SEE AD ON PAGE 32
CELEBRATING 19 YEARS OF PUBLISHING P OSITIVE COMMUNIT Y NEWS
MULRENNAN MIDDLE SCHOOL LITHIA SPRINGS REOPENS PRINCIPAL RETIRES WITH GYM SWIMMING AREA By Amy Schechter DEDICATION By Kate Quesada
To commemorate the retirement of Mulrennan Middle School Principal Tim Ducker, the school dedicated the gymnasium to him and organized a flash mob involving the school’s students and staff.
distinction.” But the celebrations for Ducker did not end there. The Mulrennan team wanted to plan something special that included the students and staff, so they organized a flash mob on the school’s track, set to the popular song “Don’t Stop Believing.” “I tried to create a one-of-a-kind send off for Mr. Ducker,” said White. “He is such a special person. We wanted to reciprocate the love he gives to students and staff.” Mulrennan teachers practiced a choreographed dance and involved TECO, which brought a bucket truck for Ducker to sit in so that he could see the whole performance. “Once everyone was in position, we had PE request admin out on the track because of an altercation,” said White. “It was fun to see the moment when he realized he had been tricked and there was no altercation.” Mulrennan Middle School is located at 4215 Durant Rd. in Valrico and can be reached at 651-2100.
Osprey Observer 2109 Lithia Pinecrest Rd. Valrico, FL 33596
sites are available for nonprofit 501(c) youth groups, which offer a more rugged camping experience. Lithia Springs Conservation Park is located along the Alafia River at 3932 Lithia Springs Rd. in Lithia. They are open in spring and summer from 8 a.m. -7 p.m. There is a $2 entry fee per vehicle to Lithia Springs Conservation Park is now open again for swimming. enter the park and The long wait is over. After more than a guests must pay an year, Lithia Springs Conservation Park has additional $2 per person 1 year of age and reopened the ever popular natural swim- older for wristbands to enter the swimming area. In the aftermath of COVID-19, ming area. For more information on the the park’s staff members are acutely aware park and camping fees, visit http://www. of the need for public safety. Therefore, the hillsboroughcounty.org/en/locations/lithreopening includes capacity limits, social ia-springs-park or call 744-5572. distancing and separate swimming slots. Park Manager Mike Simons is very excited for guests to experience the refreshing hideaway, saying, “We’re the only natural spring in Hillsborough County. We have 72-degree water that you don’t have to drive to the beach for. It’s in your backyard, and if you have never experienced it, it’s simply gorgeous.” He noted that people come from all over Hillsborough as well as Polk County to cool off and escape the summer sun. Swimming times are currently divided into two four-hour swimming time limits, with a maximum capacity of 200 swimmers per time slot. The first opening is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; the second slot is open from 2 to 6 p.m. The hour in between allows the staff to sanitize the area in preparation for more guests. In addition to the spring-fed swimming area, the park includes diverse plant communities, cypress swamps, hardwood hammocks, picnic tables, hiking trails and more than 40 campsites. All campsites have at least 30 amp RV hookups with numerous having 50 amp hookups. Most campsites NEIGHBORHOOD GRANTS ................ PG 4 are 40-80 feet in length and can accom- NEW PARK COMING ........................... PG 5 modate a variety of setups. It’s the perfect place for you and your family to explore EYE ON BUSINESS ...................PGS 25-26 Florida’s natural wonders. Plus, camping COMMUNITY ARTS.........................PGS 36
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For the last 15 years, as principal at Mulrennan Middle School in Valrico, Tim Ducker has given his all to the school’s tight-knit community. When he retired last month after 36 years of working in schools, students, families and staff came together to show how much he meant to them. Teacher Barbie White worked with other members of the Mulrennan family to plan a fitting celebration for Ducker. “When planning the retirement reception for Mr. Ducker, I decided that it would be fun to have a week’s worth of celebration,” said White. “During this planning, we started thinking we need to do something very special for him, and because he was a former coach, we thought naming the gymnasium after him would be perfect.” White and her team worked hard to make the gym dedication a reality by gaining petition signatures, letters of support from school administration and community members and approval from the school board. School board member Melissa Snively
attended the gym dedication ceremony. “It was my sincere pleasure to work with County Commissioner Stacy White, our school administrators and staff and the school board to name the Mulrennan Middle School gymnasium after Mr. Ducker,” said Snively. “He has dedicated so many years of his life and leadership to impacting our students positively, so it only made sense to honor him with this
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