Tuesday, April 23, 2013
The residents have launched an email campaign, Facebook page and petition drive to halt the development.
More than 550 Valrico residents have now signed a petition to stop a big-box retail store from being constructed on a 43.5-acre pasture on Bloomingdale Avenue next to the Bloomingdale Regional Library. The property owner, Redstone Properties LLC, is now conducting a county-required traffic study that will allow it to begin development of the property, which is already zoned for a 158,800-square-foot big-box store, along with other commercial space and 260 apartments. According to county planner Matt Lewis, the developer has not confirmed what big-box store it wants to build but has mentioned the possibility of a Super Target or Sam's Club. However, residents say they've seen plans designating it as a Super Wal-Mart. Last week more than 100…
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
A meeting to discuss development east of the Bloomingdale Regional Library has been scheduled for tonight, April 9.
The Valrico FishHawk Chamber of Commerce is sending word that a meeting tonight, April 9, has been scheduled at the Bloomingdale Regional Library to discuss development of the land east of the library. The "concerned citizens meeting" is set to deal with "a potential Super-Walmart in the land dev[elopment] approval phase for the large vacant parcel adjoining the east side of the Bloomingdale Library," notes a chamber announcement. "The parcel dev[elopment] plan also includes 260+ multi-family units," the notice continues. "Projected traffic to increase by 10,000 plus daily; plus other issues of concern include storm[water management]." The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
The program will be presented at the Bloomingdale Regional Library Wednesday, Dec. 12 at 3 p.m. or from any remote location with Internet access.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- D'Ann White
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Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Confused about what to buy when it comes to tech toys? The Tampa-Hillsborough County Library System is offering some help. On Wednesday, Dec. 12 from 3 to 3:45 p.m., the library system will offer a live webinar discussing the hottest tech toys of the holiday season. Hosted by LearnSurge, the program will offer an unbiased look at the gaming systems, toys, computers, phones and more, and help buyers sort through the overload of information available online, in magazines and on TV. Residents can access the program at the Bloomingdale Regional Library, 1906 Bloomingdale Ave., Valrico, or any other library in the system. Or they can log on from any remote location with Internet access. Those interested can register for remote access on the …
Thursday, November 29, 2012
The Friends of the Bloomingdale Regional Library will host this year's book sale Dec. 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- D'Ann White
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Thursday, November 29, 2012
Book lovers seeking bargains to give as holiday gifts or to keep and read themselves will finds hundreds of titles at the annual Friends of the Bloomingdale Regional Library Book Sale Dec. 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The book sale will take place the McLean Community Room at the Bloomingdale Regional Library, 1906 Bloomingdale Ave., Valrico. For the past few months, the Friends have been setting aside choice selections donated to the Bookends bookstore located off the library's lobby for this year's sale. Offerings on Saturday will include Christmas books, coffee table books, cookbooks, large-print books, children's books, DVDs and CDs and barely read hardback best sellers. The Friends also will sell Bookends book totes for $10. Like the …
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
There are no lines at the library. Voters say they've been able to walk in and vote immediately.
In stark contrast to Saturday, the last day for early voting, when lines of voters stretched down Bloomingdale Avenue, turnout at the Bloomingdale Regional Library has been light today. George Neimann, campaigning in the parking lot for county commission candidate Mark Nash, said voters have been trickling into the library since 7 a.m. when polls opened. "I'm really surprised," said Neimann. "I thought it would be very heavy here with lines out the door. But one husband and wife came out and told me they were the only two people in there voting." Neimann, an independent, said he voted by mail on Saturday. He also delivered Vote By Mail ballots for two friends who are hospitalized. "They didn't want to miss out on voting and I didn't …
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Voters waited for more than an hour at the Bloomingdale Regional Library.
Arriving at the Bloomingdale Regional Library Saturday afternoon, Alberto Rivera didn't hesitate to join the line of early voters that extended down the library's driveway and onto the sidewalk adjacent to Bloomingdale Avenue. "I'm here to vote," said a determined Rivera. "Heck, you stand in longer lines at Disney World." At one point on Saturday, the line to vote ran west on Bloomingdale Avenue to Bloomingdale High School, where the high school parking lot accommodated the overflow of cars. An estimated 400 voters waited more than an hour for the privilege of exercising their democratic right. Candidates Gail Gottlieb, D-Brandon, running for state representative, and Bob Henriquez, D-Tampa, a candidate for property appraiser, took …
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Procrastinators might want to rush to the nearest Early Voting site today.
More than 138,200 voters have cast Early Voting ballots in Hillsborough County for the General Election. If you're not one of them, you can still rush to the nearest voting site today, the final day of early voting. Voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3. Fifteen sites throughout Hillsborough County have been accepting early votes since Oct. 27. Among the busier sites is the Bloomingdale Regional Library, 1906 Bloomingdale Ave., Valrico, where voters have faced lines meandering outside the library and down the sidewalk. As of Thursday, 8,549 voters had cast their ballots at the Bloomingdale library. If you want to avoid the crowds in Bloomingdale, elections officials suggest heading to the Riverview Branch Library, …
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Checking out library books is just a click away.
Now you can not only check out books physically from area libraries, but you can also access thousands of titles with the click of a button by downloading them onto your eReader and mobile devices. You need your library card number and PIN to access the databases of available titles, including adult and childrens books and reference materials as well. Anyone with a Hillsborough County library card may use it to download the content. Library cards are free for Hillsborough County residents. The library system began offering fee eBooks a couple years ago when library-goers started reqesting them. "As prices for eBook readers and devices that play digital music have gone down, the number of people owning them has gone up," said Jackie Zebos, …
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Training in January for volunteer advocates has been approved by the Guardian ad Litem program for Greater Brandon residents at the Bloomingdale Regional Library in Valrico. An Oct. 13 meeting was to stress the need for advance registration.
Recruiter Rene Vojnovic speaks often about the "critical" need for Hilsborough County residents to step up to the plate for the Florida Guardian ad Litem Program. Good news to report in Valrico, she said, is that Guardian ad Litem has approved training for volunteer advocates at the Bloomingdale Regional Library in January. An informational meeting for the program is scheduled for noon to 1 p.m. today, Oct. 13, at the library, at 1906 Bloomingdale Ave. As of Oct. 1, there were 2,874 children in Hillsborough County who had been removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect. "We need people from all walks of life who believe that every child deserves to be safe, to be treated with dignity and to be loved," notes a news release for …
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
The Central West Florida Chapter will meet Saturday, Aug. 11 at the Bloomingdale Regional Library.
- VOLUNTEERS IN THE NEWS
- D'Ann White
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Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Scouts, high school students and anyone else who would like to help are invited to attend the next meeting of Newborns in Need to help make teddy bears for needy babies. The Central West Florida Chapter will meet Saturday, Aug. 11, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Bloomingdale Regional Library, 1906 Bloomingdale Ave., Brandon. At that meeting, members of the nonprofit will create stuffed animals for impoverished or sick preemies and newborns. Based in North Carolina, Newborns in Need is a 20-year-old national charity organized to take care of needy babies. NIN volunteers provide care necessities to local agencies and hospitals serving premature, ill or impoverished newborns. Volunteers provide Newborn Immediate Need Kits filled with basic …
Eric Brosch
10:24 pm on Friday, May 10, 2013
Petition is over 1,000 signatures now! Take note, Al Higginbotham. You need to talk face-to-face to your constituents about this issue. more ›