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,
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17-Year-Old Organizes Innovative Program For Teens In Foster Care
Nationally known speakers who obtained success after growing up in foster homes will be in Tampa Saturday to participate in an all-day virtual event called "Define Yourself," designed to inspire and provide resources to teens in foster care who will soon age out of the foster care system.
The event is being hosted with the support of the United Way Suncoast, the Tampa Bay Rays, the Tampa Bay Lightning, Girl Scouts of West Central Florida, Hyundai of New Port Richey and former State Rep. and Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandra Murman.
And it's all been organized by a 17-year-old high school junior who lives in Westchase.
Read more HERE
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Hillsborough County Offices and Most Facilities to Close for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Collection of garbage, recyclables, and yard waste will continue on a normal Monday schedule in the unincorporated Hillsborough County Solid Waste Service Area. The service area includes Tampa Palms, Hunter's Green, and New Tampa. All disposal facilities will be open.
CLOSED on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 18:
- The administrative offices of County government
- All COVID-19 public testing sites
- Hillsborough County's Customer Service Center at (813) 272-5900
- All libraries in the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative
- All County recreation centers
- The Pet Resource Center. A limited number of Animal Safety and Enforcement officers will be on call for emergencies only. The emergency telephone number is (813) 744-5660.
- Public Utilities customer service centers. Emergency calls regarding County water and wastewater service may be made to (813) 744-5600.
OPEN on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 18:
- All conservation parks will be open. Some recreational amenities within these areas remain closed in accordance with current County operational restrictions due to COVID-19. For a complete list, visit Current Closures & Reopenings at HCFLGov.net/StaySafe.
- Skate parks
- The Southeast County Landfill, Northwest and South County transfer stations, Resource Recovery Facility, community collection centers, and yard waste processing facilities.
Read more HERE
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Volunteers Needed
Sunday, January 24th
Calling all kayakers, canoers and walkers! Volunteer are needed to help cleanup the Hillsborough River and Tampa Riverwalk on Sunday, January 24th. To kick-off Green Week, the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee is joining forces with Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful for Super Clean-Up presented by Tampa Electric. Space is limited.
When: Sunday, January 24th
Where: MacDill Park on the Riverwalk
100 North Ashley Drive, Tampa, FL 33602
Or
Water Works Park
1701 North Highland Avenue,
Tampa, FL 33602
Check-in: 8:00 a.m.
Project: 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Read more HERE
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Hillsborough County Foresees Bright Future at Parks, Recreation Centers
Solar power saves money, reduces carbon emissions, ensures continuous service Sunshine brightens most days at Hillsborough County parks.
Nights, too. Solar power lights up athletic fields, dog parks, pathways, and gymnasiums at many Parks & Recreation facilities, while also generating electricity for security gates and lighting of covered basketball courts. Installing solar lights and other sun-powered devices is part of a longstanding County initiative, with parks being among the latest beneficiaries. Hillsborough County receives an average 246 days of intense sun yearly. Turning this resource into electricity saves money, reduces carbon emissions at power plants, and ensures critical infrastructure and services will keep running during a hurricane or other crisis.
Read more HERE
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DOT Plans for Automated Trucking
This week the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) released a strategy for integrating automated driving systems (ADS) into the commercial trucking and passenger vehicle sectors.
The 38-page Automated Vehicles Comprehensive Plan (AVCP), which will be published in the Federal Register for public review and comment, “lays out a vision for the safe integration of automated vehicles into America’s transportation system while ensuring that legitimate concerns about safety, security, and privacy are addressed,” said Secretary Elaine Chao.
Read more HERE
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21 historic Tampa Bay Area restaurants that can still satisfy your cravings
The ever-changing restaurant scene in the Tampa Bay Area is a testament to a long history of diversity of epicurean options for local diners and visitors. And while many creative spirits have taken a crack at finding the best recipes for success along with numerous regional and national chains, many longtime independent restaurants remain favorites among Florida residents. Some of these restaurants have been in business for 30, 40, 50 years or more -- a few even since the early 1900s.
Tag along as we take a culinary tour of a few of the most beloved local restaurants (we picked just 21 for now in 2021) in Tampa and the region that have been serving patrons for generations. Let's rediscover how some of these landmark entrepreneurs are doing in the face of challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and what's next for them in coming months and years.
Read more HERE
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Hillsborough County to Launch Digital Business Services Process
Hillsborough County Development Services is taking a significant step to offer customers a simplified, fully-digital permitting transaction process from application to inspection.
The early 2021 launch includes many of the County's Land Development processes, such as building permitting, tree removal, and contractor licensing. Services not available during the initial launch are scheduled to be added in later phases of the system rollout.
More information, including live webinars, will be available in the coming weeks. Sign up to receive the latest HillsGovHub information via email!
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