Bloomingdale/FishHawk
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Two Local High Schools, Bloomingdale & Newsome Host Relay For Life Events
By Kate Quesada
Relay for Life events raising money for the American Cancer Society are taking place at Newsome and Bloomingdale high schools next month.
event. The Bloomingdale relay will use cartoons and fairy tales to ‘Make the Fairytale of a Cure Come True,’ and Newsome attendees will have a ‘Battle of the Bands’ while raising funds. One highlight of the event is the Luminaria Ceremony that typically starts at 9 p.m. and showcases luminaria bags lit in memory or in honor of loved ones. “It is a very moving ceremony where we turn the stadium lights off and hold a silent lap,” said Schneider. “The luminary bags can be purchased online or the day of the event for a donation.” Bloomingdale’s event will take place at the school’s track, located at 1700 E. Bloomingdale Ave. in Valrico, from 6 p.m. April 6 to 6 a.m. April 7. Newsome High School, located at 16550 FishHawk Blvd., is one of the few 18 hour Heritage Events and will start at 12 Noon on Saturday, April 14 and end at 6 a.m., Sunday April 15. Sign up to participate in either event at www.relayforlife.org. For more information, contact Schneider at 319-5920.
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Lithia Water Treatment Plant, County’s Largest, Wins Awards
By Kate Quesada
The Lithia Water Treatment Plant added another award to its accreditations recently when it was recognized by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (D.E.P.). The plant was one of 14 facilities state wide presented with the 2017 Plant Operations Excellence Award which is given annually to domestic wastewater and drinking water facilities that demonstrate The team at the Lithia Water Treatment Plant excellence in operation, mainterecently received the 2017 Plant Operations nance, innovative treatment, Excellence Award from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. waste education, pollution pre“The award exemplifies our excelvention, recycling or other achievements. lence of operations, dedication to water “It’s important to us that the dedicaquality and the passion of our leadership tion and commitment to excellence team,” said Lehigh. “Working together, we shown by these plant operators is celecontinually strive to produce the best brated,” said D.E.P. Assistant Director quality water available for our customers.” Kelley Boatwright. “Florida depends on The Florida D.E.P. was created to clean water, so we are excited to work protect, conserve and manage the state’s alongside these leading utilities and the environment and natural resources. The communities they serve.” department enforces federal and state The awards recognize facilities that environmental laws, protects Florida’s air demonstrate a special commitment to and water quality, cleans up pollution and excellence in management through dedimaintains a state-wide system of parks, cated professionalism and that have an and preserves. impeccable history of record keeping The Lithia Water Treatment Plant is compliance. located at 5402 Lithia Pinecrest Rd. “It is a humbling honor for our team to win the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s highest award for water operations,” said Hillsborough In This County Public Utilities Section Manager Issue Mark Lehigh. “It recognizes our continued commitment to our customers and the community.” SOLES SHAPING SOULS......................PG 3 The Lithia plant distributes an averHOA HOT TOPICS ...............................PG 7 age of 30.25 million gallons of water per day to more than 390,000 residents LOCAL DJ AT SUPER BOWL...............PG 10 throughout the south and central portions ECHO JOB FAIR.................................PG 15 of the county. The largest water treatment facility owned by Hillsborough County, the EYE ON BUSINESS ....................PGS 25‐26 plant has four water storage tanks on site, SPORTS CONNECTION...............PGS 32‐33 each holding five million gallons of treated water, about the same amount of water ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT................PG 41 as 1,000 swimming pools. SUMMER CAMP PULLOUT........PGS 45‐56 Since beginning its operations in 1988, the plant has undergone multiple READ MORE LOCAL NEWS ONLINE renovations to keep up with the water www.ospreyobserver.com demand and has won 14 awards, including the D.E.P. recognition, since 2015.
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Bloomingdale and Newsome high schools are inviting community members to join them in fighting cancer next month at their annual Relay For Life events. On Friday, April 6 at 6 p.m., students and community members will join teams at Bloomingdale High School to walk, camp overnight and participate in other activities to raise funds for the American Cancer Society (ACS), while the relay at Newsome High School, with similar events, will take place on Saturday, April 14. “Relay For Life is ACS’s largest fundraising movement,” said Samantha Schneider, ACS Community Development Manager. Thirty-five teams, with between five and 25 members, are signed up to participate in the Bloomingdale event and 50 teams in the Newsome event, with participants ranging from children to 75 year olds. The fundraising goal for the Bloomingdale event is $78,000, as participants raised $77,000 last year, and the goal for the Newsome relay is $195,000, the same amount raised at the event last year when participants surpassed their goal of $175,000. “Relay For Life provides an outlet for individuals touched by cancer to feel that they are not alone, whether the disease has affected them or a loved one,” said Schneider. “The fact that participants walk throughout the night makes us a unique event that resembles the fact that cancer never sleeps and neither do we at our 12, 15 or 18 hour events,” said Schneider. Each event has a theme which participants use for costumes, fundraising games and items, decorations for their camp sites and themed laps during the
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April 2018 Volume 17, Issue 4 Ph: 657-2418
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LITHIA
On Sunday, April 29, a Ten Year Celebration of Life Fundraiser & Memoir Reveal will take place at the FWC Tampa Woman’s Club to celebrate and honor Queena’s accomplishments and continuing journey of healing. See Full Story Page 4.
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