Bloomingdale/FishHawk
August 2019 Volume 18, Issue 8 Ph: 657-2418
22 C E L E B R A T I N G
Page 10
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Y E A R S
O F
P U B L I S H I N G
Tax Referendum Dollars Already At Work At Local Schools By Kate Quesada
Lithia Springs Elementary School in Valrico received a new air conditioning system.
increase in work orders. “The list is reviewed by the roofing department for synergy with their projects and with planning and construction before a final determination is made on which projects are going to be completed,” said Arja. So far, more than $5.6 million has been spent on school projects and in the first year, in addition to the new roofs and air conditioners, 50 playgrounds, tracks and athletic courts are expected to be replaced, 31 painting and carpeting projects should be completed and more than $1 million will be invested in school security. “Over the next 10 years, funds from the half-penny tax will overhaul or replace A/C systems at 203 schools,” said Arja. “Each summer, our district expects to complete approximately 20 major school air conditioning projects as the funds are generated by sales across the county.” In addition to the air conditioners, HCPS’s 10-year plan includes more than 1,700 projects including 63 aging roof replacements, $23 million in safety and security improvements, $25 million in classroom technology upgrades and the building of four new schools to relieve overcrowding. At least $500,000 will be invested in each school. “Since the moment school ended, our teams have been hard at work delivering on our halfpenny promise,” said Arja. “ For the latest updates on referendum projects and a list of schools on the five and 10-year plans, visit www.hillsboroughschools.org/citizenoversight.
P O S I T I V E
C O M M U N I T Y
N E W S
County Offers Up To $5,000 Mini-Grants To Local HOAs, Deadline Approaching
By Kate Quesada
Valrico area resboard discussion idents have the each year and suropportunity to vey our community improve their comthrough social media munities next year to gain feedback on thanks to money the process,” said from Hillsborough Estep. “It has always County. Applications been a pleasure to can now be submitwork with the memted for Hillsborough bers of the county. County’s 2020 There is not a doubt Neighborhood MiniValrico’s Buckhorn Grove community will in my mind that the Grants, which offer receive a new ADA compliant play center program wouldn’t be this month thanks to a mini-grant from groups and homewhat it is, if not for Hillsborough County. owners associations the passion of the (HOAs) the chance to apply for up to staff behind the grant and the services $5,000 to fund community projects. they provide.” According to Wanda Sloan with Before applying for a grant, group Hillsborough County’s Office of representatives must attend a training Neighborhood Relations, mini-grants can class either in person or online. The trainbe put towards a wide variety of projects ing reviews the application, grant criteria such as neighborhood celebrations, chiland projects that qualify for the minidren’s programs, community gardens, grants. A verification code received at the signs and landscaping, crime watch procompletion of the training must be includgrams, safety equipment, websites, ed on the application in order for the pronewsletters and leadership training. posal to be considered. A training class is “Neighborhood, civic, homeowner scheduled to take place on Tuesday, and crime watch associations in August 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the Hillsborough County that are registered Bloomingdale Regional Library. Grant with the Office of Neighborhood Relations recipients will be notified in late fall. are eligible to apply,” said Sloan. Applications must be received by 5 p.m. The Hillsborough County Board of on Friday, August 30. County Commissioners established the For more info, call at 272-5860 or visit mini-grant program in 1988, but this is the www.HCFLGov.net/Neighborhoods. first year that grants will be awarded up to $5,000, double the amount available previously. In This Issue Daniel Estep, president of Valrico’s Buckhorn Groves HOA, applied for a grant last year to install an ADA compliant NEW PRINCIPAL IN FISHHAWK ..........PG 3 play center. “Our community is now 15 plus years MORE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS ..........PG 6 old and we are seeing a wave of younger NEW FL LAWS CHANGED JULY 1........PG 9 and growing families moving in with young children,” said Estep. “But we have WOMEN’S RESOURCE HELP.............PG 14 no feature for the youngest residents.” BEHIND THE SCENES TOURS............PG 29 Buckhorn Groves, which is located adjacent to Mulrennen Middle School on LOCAL SCHOOL GRADES ..................PG 30 Pearson Rd., has been applying for miniSPORTS CONNECTION......................PG 32 grants intermittently since 2010 with the HOA board seeking resident input for ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT................PG 37 necessary projects. EYE ON BUSINESS .....................PGS 41‐42 “We maintain it as an annual topic in
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As of last month, Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) had collected more than $31 million from the Half-Penny Sales Tax Referendum passed by voters in November of 2018. According to school district officials, 102 projects are taking place over the summer throughout the county including a new air conditioning unit and other upgrades at Lithia Springs Elementary School in Valrico. “Currently we have 21 air conditioner overhauls or replacements and 13 new roofs being completed,” said Tanya Arja, Hillsborough County Public Schools Media Outreach. “We look at the age of the equipment, the last time there was a major upgrade to the system and the number of work orders sent in by a school,” she said. “Over the past three years, we have had more than 250 maintenance requests from Lithia Springs Elementary, which was operating with air conditioning equipment from 1992.” HCPS has put together five and 10year plans organizing and prioritizing the projects, but adjustments will be made to the list if there is a major breakdown or
Opening Day Announced
LITHIA
Now Offering FREE DELIVERY for purchases over $50
Photo courtesy of Tessa Fullerton
Eighty-Four members of the Newsome High School Marching Band and their chaperones spent the 4th of July holiday participating in the National Independence Day Parade in Washington D.C. The Marching Band drumline wrapped their drums in patriotic style for the occasion.
Serving Our Customers in 4 Locations: Lithia • Big Bend, Riverview • 301, Riverview • Sun City Center 737-9223 10415 C.R. 39 (Just 2 miles south of FishHawk at the corner of Lithia Pinecrest Rd and CR 39)