Riverview/Apollo Beach
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Riverview High Student Wins $50,000 As Lightning Community Hero
By Kate Quesada
Lightning player Ryan Callahan and Lightning owner Jeff Vinik present Riverview High School senior Karisya Moran-Adames with a $50,000 check as a Tampa Bay Lightning Community Hero.
Adames had the idea for her project after working with the Kiwanis Club and Feeding Tampa Bay at a Project Smile group at Gibsonton Elementary. Both Gibsonton and Mintz elementaries are Renaissance schools where more than 95 percent of the children qualify for free or reduced breakfast and lunch. Project Smile started as a Kiwanis service initiative six years ago when Mike Daigle and his wife, a retired school teacher, realized that the children who receive free and reduced meals at schools were going home for the weekend with no food that they could count on. “Hunger is a huge problem in our area,” said Daigle. “It is only by coming together that we can even start to put a dent in it.” The program at Gibsonton Elementary gives out pre-packaged food and bread to approximately 200 students, known as Smile Club members, a week thanks to help from Feeding Tampa Bay, the Kiwanis and grants. With the $25,000 from the Lightning, Adames plans to start the program at Mintz by helping 30 students this month, but hopes to grow
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This month a group of local elementary students will have one less worry thanks to Riverview High School senior Karisya Moran-Adames. Adames is starting Project Smile, a weekend backpack program, at Mintz Elementary School in Brandon which will provide food for qualifying students to take home and eat when they can not receive free meals from school. She is able to do this thanks to funds won when she was named a Community Hero of Tomorrow through the Tampa Bay Lightning Community Heroes program. As a Community Hero of Tomorrow, Adames was honored at one of the team’s December hockey games and received $50,000, $25,000 of which she will use to start the program at Mintz Elementary. The remainder will go to a scholarship for her education.
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March 2018 Volume 16, Issue 3 Ph: 657-2418 P O S I T I V E
C O M M U N I T Y
N E W S
New Simmons Loop Apartment Community Breaks Ground In Near New YMCA
By Kelly Wise Valdes
Many park. Conveniently Riverview resilocated across the dents have street from St. noticed a great Joseph’s hospital deal of activity and within easy happening at walking distance the corner of of the new Big Simmons Loop Bend Family and Big Bend Y.M.C.A. Rd. With “This will be a Rendering of “Simmons Loop” apartment complex more housing fun property,” said that has broken ground on the corner of Simmons Loop and Big Bend Rood. It is estimated to be demand in the Marling. “It’s a completed no later than Winter 2018. Southeastern great addition to Hillsborough County area, LandSouth the area.” developers are excited to reveal the new A leasing and management team is state-of-the-art apartment complex. currently being put in place. There will be John Marling, Chairman of Investors several floor plans available including one Realty, Ltd., Inc./Village Partners is excitbedroom and one bath, two bedrooms ed about the new development and how and two baths, and 3 bedrooms and 2 it will enhance the community. baths. The square footage ranges from “We are really excited now that we 734 sq. ft. to approximately 1377 sq. ft. are out of the ground with our 264 unit, The average rental rate will be approxifour-story elevator, interior corridor rental mately $1,350. There will also be approxiapartment community adjoining mately 20 garages available on site. the expanding regional hospital,” said Near the development is a 60,000 Marling. “We will be opening for our first sq. ft. parcel of land that is zoned for retail tenants later this year.” or mixed use. The development is conveniently located near Publix, banking instiLandSouth is partnering with develtutions, doctor’s offices and retail shopoper Simmons Loop Ventures, LLC a ping. venture between Lindell Investments, For more information, visit Investors Realty Ltd., Inc. and architect, James S. Carr & Associates, LLC, for this www.investorsrealty.com. gated, four building development. The proposed project is expected to be completed by Winter 2018. The apartment complex has been tentatively named ‘Simmons Loop.’ The buildings will feature elevators and interior air–conditioned corridors. The units will include high-end features such as granite counter–tops, kitchen islands, oversized tubs and washer/dryers in 23 every unit. In addition, this new community will offer residents access to resort–style NEWLAND RAISES MONEY FOR LOCAL amenities including an 8,000 sq. ft. clubSCHOOLS & RUNNING CLUB..............PG 4 house, 25 yd. swimming pool, BBQ picnic HOA HOT TOPICS. ..............................PG 7 areas, a concierge desk and multiple fitness centers. The clubhouse and fitness FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL ....................PG 9 center will be offering yoga, dance, kickHELPING PUERTO RICO....................PG 14 boxing and spinning classes. There will also be a weight room, a lounge area EYE ON BUSINESS ............................PG 25 with large flat screen televisions and a pet
Yia Yia's Greek Salad
Pimento Crunch Sandwich
Photo Courtesy of Water Smart Tots
Riverview’s Kari Bahour, founder of Water Smart Tots and the winner of the Be More Involved Mason Dixon Award for Volunteerism at the 13th annual WEDU Be More Awards. See article on page 3.
PDQ RIVERVIEW 10441 Big Bend Road