5 Things to Know Today, March 29

1. Is your yard water wise? If so, enter it into the Hillsborough County Water-Wise competition. The 13th Annual Community Water-Wise Awards recognize individuals and businesses who are committed to conserving water resources and protecting the environment by using Florida-Friendly Landscaping techniques, as well as irrigation systems or techniques that minimize water waste. Entries should be completed online at www.tampabaywaterwise.org by June 30.

Past winners demonstrated that it is possible to save water and maintain a beautiful landscape, even during the dry season, by incorporating Florida-Friendly Landscaping strategies.

For more information about the awards program or to submit an entry, visit www.tampabaywaterwise.org, or contact Virginia Overstreet or Lynn Barber, Hillsborough County Extension, at 813-744-5519.

2. Within the first week of accepting applications for Hillsborough County’s new small business reimbursement incentive program, three local businesses have already been pre-approved to receive reimbursements, allowing them to hire three new employees each.

The program is designed to promote job creation in Hillsborough County by offering a wage reimbursement to small businesses owners. 

The three local businesses are: Fry and Associates in Plant City, which has been pre-approved to receive $11,700 for three employees; Apollo Beach Air in Apollo Beach, which has been pre-approved to receive $10,400 for three employees; and Absolute Auto Repair in Dover, which has been pre-approved to receive $11,700 also for three employees. The funding will be provided to the businesses after they fulfill the requirements of the program, including employing the new staff for a minimum of three months.

The three small business owners are say the program is helping them hire employees they needed, but perhaps could not afford without assistance.

“We were going to wait and hire in the summer, but now we are able to hire now,” said Cathy Kudlinski of Absolute Auto Repair.

The incentive program, proposed by County Commissioner Sandra L. Murman, was approved by the Board of County Commissioners on March 16.

The reimbursement pays small businesses up to 50 percent of three months’ total salary of new jobs created, capped at $3,900 per new employee.  It is estimated that this program will encourage the creation of approximately 200 jobs, offering a total of $500,000 to local small business owners. 

To qualify, small business owners have to attend a minimum of four hours of business workshops and/or counseling sessions and meet specific requirements, such as having 10 employees or less; jobs created must be full time and last the required three-month employment period; businesses must have a Hillsborough County business tax receipt; new employees must be residents of Hillsborough County and businesses must be located in Hillsborough County; and businesses may be reimbursed for up to three created jobs. Additional requirements are listed on the program application.

Small business owners can download an application and more information from the Hillsborough County Small, Minority Business Development Section’s Web page at: www.hillsboroughcounty.org/econdev/.  The applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until the program funding runs out.

For additional information, contact the Hillsborough County Small, Minority Business Development Section at 813-914-4028.

3. Here's a chance to tots to show their stuff. The Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department will host the 28thAnnual Tiny Tot Olympics, Tuesday, March 29 at Lettuce Lake Park, 6920 Fletcher Ave., just east of the Hillsborough River. The event features approximately 200 3-5-year-olds currently enrolled in the PRC Tiny Tot program.

Participants will compete in events such as the basketball toss, bean bag toss, bucket relay, football throw, hula hoop relay, obstacle course, parachute games, sack race and soccer dribble. Scores are not kept and all participants receive ribbons. Everyone is a winner at these games.

Tiny Tots is a social/recreation program held during the school year for ages 3-5 that helps prepare the kids for preschool. This program is held at various locations in the Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department system.

For more information, contact Mary Clements Fowler at (813) 635-3519.

4. Artist Debra Bryant will offer a portrait and wildlife painting class open to all levels on Tuesdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Center Place, 619 Vonderburg Drive, Brandon. Students will learn the basic techniques of portrait painting in the Renaissance method of the Old Masters.  This ongoing class will cover graphing, drawing, creating a value monochrome under painting and full color application.  Individual students' style, tastes and rate of progress will be approached with flexibility.  The cost is $48 for members, $58 for nonmembers per month on months with three weeks and $60 for members, $70 for nonmembers on months with four weeks.

5. Need help with your taxes? The AARP will host free tax assistance on a first-come, first-served basis Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bloomingdale Regional Library, 1906 Bloomingdale Ave., Valrico. These sessions are cosponsored by Hillsborough County Family and Aging Services and presented by the American Association of Retired Persons in cooperation with the Prosperity Campaign of Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties.