Dear Friends:
I want to stay in touch and help keep you informed about what is going on in our community. Periodically I will send you information about precautions the county is taking to combat the COVID virus, business incentives, park updates, government operations and general good news about our community that you want to know.
If you have good news or have an upcoming community event, send it to me and it could be included in a a future Community News.
Sincerely,
|
|
County to Resume Vaccinating Residents Age 65 and Older Beginning Jan. 13
Hillsborough County, Fla. (Jan. 11, 2020) - Hillsborough County, in partnership with the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County, will begin a second round of COVID-19 vaccinations this week for residents age 65 and older. Hillsborough has allocated 9,000 doses of the vaccine to be administered at three distribution sites from Wednesday, Jan. 13 through Friday, Jan. 15.
Appointments are mandatory to get the first of two vaccine injections.
Appointments will be scheduled online by CDR HealthPro™ portal and by phone on Tuesday, Jan. 12. Residents age 65 and older can only make their appointments during the designated timeframe specific to their age group.
- Residents age 85 and older can book an appointment between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.
- Residents age 75 to 84 can book an appointment between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
- Residents age 65 to 74 can book an appointment between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
- After 5 p.m., any resident age 65 and older can book any remaining slots while appointments remain available.
Each age group has a dedicated number of appointment slots available to help ensure equity in scheduling.
The online CDR HealthPro™ portal and the call center, which is available for residents without access to the Internet, will not allow for appointment scheduling outside each age group's designated appointment time window.
Residents are encouraged to book their vaccine appointments online at patientportalfl.com. Though appointment scheduling must be done only during the timeframe set aside for specific age groups, residents can save time by visiting the site today and creating an account in advance. This will make the process quicker and easier when it is time to schedule an appointment.
For persons without access to the Internet, appointments can be made by calling (850) 848-5287. The call center is available f
- Residents age 85 and older can book an appointment between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.
- Residents age 75 to 84 can book an appointment between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
- Residents age 65 to 74 can book an appointment between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
- After 5 p.m., any resident age 65 and older can book any remaining slots while appointments remain available.
or account creation today as well. The call center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and can provide guidance in English and Spanish. Please note that this call center is for account creation and scheduling appointments only. If you need medical guidance, you will be instructed to hang up and contact your health care provider.
Complete information HERE
|
|
|
Healthy 22nd Street brings boxes of hope to food deserts in East Tampa
Creating community gardens and teaching people how and why it’s important to grow their own food has been a top priority in urban food deserts around the country for the last five or six years. Add in the economic devastation caused by COVID-19, subsequent job losses and evictions, and a growing homeless population paired with a tax shortfall that is squeezing the life out of charitable organizations and government agencies, and what do you see?
A keen sense of urgency surrounding food insecurity and a few determined souls stepping up in neighborhoods like East Tampa to make room for improvements -- and to encourage more healthy living. The local Coalition of Community Gardens opened what they are calling the Healthy 22nd Street Initiative in East Tampa in December for neighborhood residents.
Co-Founder of the Coalition of Community Gardens, Kitty Wallace, explains how the organization sprouted into what it is today after several similar gardens began to show stability while others failed over the last three to four years.
Read more HERE
|
|
Driverless Shuttles on the Move in Tampa, St. Pete
Visitors to downtown Tampa and St. Petersburg have had the chance to catch a free ride on shuttles that have neither drivers nor steering wheels. It’s the first time autonomous technology has been readily available to the general public in Tampa Bay. Private partner Beep is behind both pilot programs, which aim to see how receptive people will be to the newest form of transit to hit local streets.
Hillsborough’s pilot, which runs downtown between the Marion Transit Center and the TECO Line Streetcar, has carried 370 people in its first three months of operation.
Read more HERE
|
|
|
|
‘Homegrown Hillsborough’ names top local crops, harvest times and recipes
What you eat is where you’re from when it comes to the dozens of local crops that make it from farm to table in south Hillsborough County and beyond. The Hillsborough County web site notes some of the more than 60 crops grown by local farmers and ranchers, including everything from the experimental Florida artichoke crop (under development at the University of Florida’s Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Balm) to the green neck, summer squash zucchini.
Hillsborough ranks 16th among the state’s 67 counties in raising beef cattle, thanks to some 77,000 acres in play in east and south county, amounting to more than $1 billion in economic impact, according to 2017 figures.
Of the 24 crops highlighted on the County’s “Homegrown Hillsborough” page, along with recipes, it’s no wonder strawberries made the cut, given the more than 10,000 acres planted annually, with a yield that typically amounts to some 25,000 to 30,000 pounds per acre.
Read more HERE
|
|
|
Paved 1.2-mile path at Ruskin Recreation Center an easy trek for families, dogs on leashes
Thinking about participating in this year’s Hiking Spree? The Ruskin Trail is a great first step – a way to see if the annual series of hikes is for you.
The paved, 1.2-mile trail at the Ruskin Park & Recreation Center, 901 Sixth St. S.E., is an undemanding trek for anyone: families with small children, people who use walkers or wheelchairs and dogs on leashes.
The lighted, all-purpose pathway is dubbed “easy” in hiking parlance. That means it’s simple to traverse and a splendid starting point for people who are interested in the Hiking Spree but don’t want to begin with a rugged, lengthy trail through thick woods.
Read more HERE
|
|
|
|
|
|
