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FOCUS MAGAZINE BRANDON NOVEMBER 2014 1

NOVEMBER 2014 thefocusmagazine.com2



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Realizing nonprofits need volunteers and high school students need volunteer hours in order to graduate, The Community Roundtable will present a meet and greet with prospective students on Wednesday, November 12 at Bloomingdale High School (1700 Bloomingdale Ave., Valrico) from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the cafeteria. Over 20 Brandon area charities will be represented.

Learn more about YMCA, Center Place, A Kid’s Place, Brandon Ballet, Tennis for Fun, Special Olympics, 1 Voice Foundation, Life’s Treasures Thrift Store, Bloomingdale Homeowners Association, Hillsborough County Veterans Museum, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, The Community Roundtable, Portamento Café of Hope, Hillsborough County Fair, Riverview Memorial VFW, Habitat for Humanity, All Children’s Hospital Guild, and Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation, and Conservation—among several others.

For more information, contact The Community Roundtable at 813-661-4350 or [email protected].

Charity Thrift SaleECHO of Brandon | 8 a.m.507 N. Parsons Ave., BrandonHelp ECHO refresh its stock and raise money by purchasing discounted overstock clothes and small household items.For more information, contact Joni Damico at 813-685-0935.

4th Annual Indoor/Outdoor Art FestivalCenter Place Fine Arts and Civic Association 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.619 Vonderburg Dr., BrandonSponsored by the Brandon League of Fine Arts, view stunning artwork and crafts created by local artists. All items will be onsale. Shop early for Christmas!For more information, call 813-685-0712.

8th Annual Chalk Walk and Art FestCenter Place Fine Arts and Civic Association | 1 to 3 p.m.619 Vonderburg Dr., BrandonJoin us for this special community event. Create your own masterpieces. Activities, demonstrations, performances, face painting, music and more. Each artist will receive a chalk box, a sidewalk section, and fun items from local businesses. The event will also feature art stations set up by the Greater Brandon Arts Council. Event is free but tickets are required. For more information, call 813-685-8888.

GFWC Brandon Junior Woman’s Club Girls’ Night Out Holiday Open HouseBrandon Junior Woman’s Club Clubhouse | 6 to 9 p.m.129 N. Mood Ave., BrandonThe holiday are around the corner and it’s time to shop. More than 10 vendors will be available at the open house featuring jewelry, handbags, art, and more. Hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, raffles, and prizes will also add to the evening. Admission is free.For more information, contact [email protected] or visit GFWCBrandonJuniors.org


NovemberfestNativity Catholic Church | 4 to 10 p.m.705 E. Brandon Blvd., BrandonSample food from dozens of vendors, ride rides, and see performances from music to dance at one of Hillsborough County’s largest festivals, celebrating 45 years in Brandon. Ride bands are $23 at the event and $19 if purchased online at novemberfest2014.eventbrite.com or Nativity Catholic School. Food tickets are sold 10 for $10 at the event. Admission is free. Novemberfest will also take place Friday, November 21 (4 p.m. to midnight), Saturday, November 22 (11 a.m. to midnight), Sunday, November 23 (noon to 10 p.m.), and Monday, November 24 (11 a.m. to 8 p.m.). For more information, call the church at 813-681-4608 or visit the church website at nativitycatholicchurch.org.

Turkey Trot Fun RunNativity Catholic Church | 7 a.m.705 E. Brandon Blvd., BrandonBack by popular demand, the 2014 Turkey Trot 5K Run/1 Mile Walk will be a color run! Sign up individually or as a team. Cost is $25 for participants age 13+ and $15 for ages 6-12. Cost increases to $35 and $20 on November 5 so be sure to register early. Early registration also ensures an official run T-shirt. For more information, call the church at 813-681-4608 or visit the church website at nativitycatholicchurch.org.

Santa’s WorkshopCenter Place Fine Arts and Civic Association | 11 a.m.619 Vonderburg Dr., BrandonVisit with Santa while enjoying a fun-filled day of cookie decorating and crafts including button wreaths, Christmas tree bookmarks, gingerbread photo frames, beaded candy canes, Christmas mouse, and more. Lunch is provided by Paul and Tammy Holmberg of Chick-fil-A. Tickets are $10 per child ages 5+ and MUST be purchased in advance. Also enjoy gift wrapping, coloring contest, letters to Santa, and other fun activities. For more information, contact Center Place at 813-685-8888.

2014 General ElectionGet out there and vote! In order to cast your ballots, voters must present a valid current photo and signature ID car. Acceptable identification includes a Florida driver’s license, Florida ID, U.S. Passport, or Student ID.

The Monster Who Ate My Peas: An Arts Power ProductionCenter Place Fine Arts and Civic Association | 10:15 a.m.619 Vonderburg Dr., BrandonThe general public is invited to attend a showing of Arts Power’s newest musical that tells the funny and poignant story of a young boy who doesn’t want to eat his peas. When a crafty monster appears underneath his kitchen table, the boy is ready to make a deal with the monster. Children ages 3-10 and adults will be entertained and engaged by this wonderfully written table about the value of willpower. Themes covered included family relationships, language and communication skills, and music. Tickets are $6 for members and $7 for non members. Advance ticket purchase is required. For more information, visit centerplacebrandon.org or call 813-685-8888.


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Brandon BalletA Glittering Jewel of the Brandon Community

Tucked away within a non-descript plaza, between a Winn-Dixie and a medical clinic, you will find a studio with the word “DANCE” lettered above the entrance. What lies within is a jewel and treasure the community of Brandon can be very proud to claim and call its own, the Brandon Ballet.

The Brandon Ballet is a non-profit regional ballet company that was established in 1993, nearly twenty years ago. The purpose of the Brandon Ballet is to develop and promote opportunities for aspiring dancers. From its humble beginnings the company has grown to include six professional dancers, six para-professional dancers, and many students of varying levels ages 9-17.

Under the direction of Artistic Director, Octavio Martin, the Brandon Ballet offers a superior training program which includes two major performances and two mixed repertory performances per year. Octavio Martin has been with the Brandon Ballet for the past

three seasons. A native of Habana, Cuba, Octavio began his dance training in 1994 at the world renowned Cuban National Ballet School under the direction of Alicia Alonso. In 2001 he was promoted to Principal Dancer (Primer Bailarin). In 2004 Octavio received the “Alejo Carpentier” medal, which is the highest honors for an artist in Cuba. Octavio danced with the National Ballet of Cuba for over twelve years, representing them in galas, festivals, and theatres throughout the world. In 2006 while performing in Mexico, Octavio made the decision to leave the National Ballet of Cuba and seek asylum in the United States, seeking artistic and personal freedom. Never an easy decision to make, Octavio learned that such freedom would not come without hard work, determination, and sacrifice. Octavio soon joined the Sarasota Ballet where he continued to perform as well as create various productions and performances until 2011.

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Since 2011, as Artistic Director for the Brandon Ballet, Octavio Martin has taken strides to bring the artistic direction, training, performances, and dancers to the level of professionalism one would find in the big city ballet companies such as the Boston Ballet and New York City Ballet. Octavio uses the same level of discipline, skill, and passion that was taught to him during his training with the Cuban National Ballet School. Under his direction, the Brandon Ballet dancers perform in over 14 different performances throughout the year allowing the dancers to broaden their dance experience. In the beginning Octavio recalled a time when he put on a performance to an audience of only 29 people. “I almost cried, Octavio recalled, to realize that so few people were in the audience.” Last month the Brandon Ballet put on a performance of Dracula and had over 400 people in attendance. What a difference a few seasons can make! “When I started with Brandon

Ballet, Octavio said, the dancers were performing the exact same performance of Nutcracker year after year. The audiences were growing tired of seeing the same production. I took the old Nutcracker and turned it into something completely new and different, giving the audience and dancers something original and fresh.”

Brandon Ballet manages to create amazing performances as a non-profit organization using limited funds. It takes many hands pitching in, and many hours to make even one performance possible. As Artistic Director, Octavio finds himself wearing a wide variety of hats from choreographer, dancer, teacher, director, lighting director, stage designer, and music director. He even finds himself helping out with props and wardrobe. “I have on occasion found myself sewing together a costume or two.” Octavio says. “I do whatever is necessary to make a performance happen.” What is the reward? “When at


the end of the show I see and feel the appreciation from the audience and hear the applause, it reminds me of when I was a Principal Dancer.”

Octavio has not only brought his own skill and talent to the Brandon Ballet, but he has also made it possible to bring world renowned guest artists to Brandon Ballet to teach and mentor the dancers such as Alberto Velazquez from the Joffrey Ballet.

The next full performance the Brandon Ballet has scheduled is the Nutcracker (Octavio Martin’s version) which is sure to delight and amaze the audience. Only four performances are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, December 13th and 14th, so be sure to get your tickets. Many other dance events are scheduled throughout the year such as the Barnes and Nobel Book Fair for Brandon Ballet held on November 9th and the Sugar Plum Fairy Tea at The Regent on November 16th, just to mention a few. For a complete listing of events and performances visit the Brandon Ballet website at www.brandonballet.org.

The value of having the Brandon Ballet in the community of Brandon goes beyond anything

that can be measured – it is truly priceless. What can we as a community do to help support such an artistic treasure so that it can continue and also grow? One such way is by attending the performances and letting others know about the Brandon Ballet. Other ways to help support Brandon Ballet is to become a Sponsor or to take part in the various fundraisers held throughout the year.

What pride and joy the community of Brandon can feel by doing all they can to support the arts that can be found right in our own backyard. The Brandon Ballet- a hidden gem ready to take its next giant leap into greatness.

For more information on the Brandon Ballet and upcoming events and performances you may visit www.brandonballet.org / www.facebook.com/brandon.ballet.

You may also contact them directly at [email protected] or 813-684-4282.

To purchase tickets for the Nutcracker please visit:

web.tututix.com/client/brandonballet/Octavio MartinArtistic Director


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TACKLING HOMELESSNESS, ONE FAMILY AT A TIME.

BY: DARCIE JARRETT | PHOTOS COURTESY OF FAMILY PROMISE

While most of us are blessed to be able to lay our head on a fluffy pillow tonight, there

are some who cannot do the same. Over 2,200 people in Hillsborough County are homeless and of that amount, 18% are families.

Family Promise of Greater Brandon is working hard to change the statistic. They provide temporary housing and case management for area homeless people to learn skills to increase their income and obtain permanent housing.

Since they opened their doors in our area in May, families – soon to be 5 – have graduated from their program and are experiencing happier times with a roof over their heads and a steady paycheck in the bank.

“We provide a hand up, not a hand out,” explained Kathy Brogli, Executive Director of the program. “We hold them accountable. They have to participate

in case management, they are held accountable for their actions and their process. They have to own it.”

Family Promise partners with 12 area churches which offer up space and volunteers to provide the temporary housing for the program’s families.

From 6:00 am – 6:00 pm, the enrollees find their home base at the day center – located at 201 E Morgan St. There they are able to shower, do laundry, heat up food in the kitchen, and utilize computers to search for jobs. Around 6:30, they are taken to one of the participating congregations for dinner and down time before “turning in” for the night in a safe and comfortable environment.

Each congregation rotates – hosting the family for one week.

Besides Brogli, Family Promise only has two other paid employees – a part-time case manager and a part-time

driver. The rest is operated solely by volunteers.

As a result of keeping overhead low, they are able to operate at a third of the cost of a normal shelter.

“We fill a niche that is empty right now,” said Brogli. “Usually when a family goes to a shelter they have to divide

up. The mother and children go to the women’s shelter and men and boys 13 and over go to the men’s shelter. It’s traumatic being divided up.”

When a family graduates the program helps them find permanent housing – which they are able to fully outfit, as well as permanent jobs, and case management up to a year afterward.

To be as effective as possible, they need your help. On Thursday, November 6, they will be holding a fundraiser at the Barn at Winthrop in Riverview. “Tee Off in Tuscany” will be a miniature golf tournament – presented by Portable Golf Solutions – and will include door prizes and silent auction items. For registration information, you can visit https://teeoffintuscany2014.eventbrite.com or email Kathy at [email protected].

Family Promise partners with 12 area churches

which offer up space and volunteers to provide the

temporary housing for the program’s

families.

FAMILY PROMISE OF GREATER BRANDON HELPS FAMILIES REGAIN THEIR VALUE WITH LASTING INDEPENDENCE.


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BEST SMALL BUSINESSESB R A N D O N C H A M B E R C E L E B R A T E S

B Y K E L S E Y T R E S S L E R | P H O T O S B Y H U T H & B O O T H

The Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce announced the winners of the Small Business of the Year Awards

at a gala hosted at the Sheridan Tampa East Hotel on Oct. 23.

In the 1-5 employees category, Dynavis-tics, Inc. came out victorious. Atlas Profes-sional Services, Inc. swept up the award for the 6-15 employees category, and Livingstone Academy earned the win for businesses with 16 or more employees. From the nominated home-based businesses, Yard Guards on Doo-dy, LLC was named the winner.

The Chamber treated finalists to a dinner at the Sheridan complete with live, smooth jazz from professional musician Chuck Wei-rich. Finalists also experienced a champagne toast in their honor and were introduced to the crowd of attendees by Master of Ceremo-ny Joe Deluca, the vice president and pub-

lisher of the Tampa edition of the Times and tampabay.com.

The Chamber chose the 2014 finalists for their leadership, creativity, company integrity, growth and development and their com-mitment to the community and community services.

“Tonight we gather to celebrate that there’s nothing small at all about you,” Deluca said during the introduction.

Deluca also announced that 85 percent of the Brandon Chamber consists of small busi-nesses, and he honored the twelve nominees for their bravery and innovation.

The WinnersDynavistics, Inc., the winning compa-

ny in the 1-5 employees category, delivers enterprise-level software and unique software solutions to their client companies.

Before they made the leap to start a small

business, Dynavistics managing directors Pa-mela and Todd McDaniel began their careers as consultants. The start of their company wasn’t necessarily “well-planned out,” Todd McDaniel joked in the video interview aired at the ceremony, but nevertheless Dynavistics succeeded.

“We would never be here without our clients, we would never be here without our employees, and we would never be here with-out our vendors,” Pamela McDaniel said in her acceptance speech.

Dynavistics is located at 1721 S Kings Avenue.

Atlas Professional Services, Inc., the award winner in the 6-15 employees category, was founded in 2006. The company is a managed service provider offering comprehensive IT support for various professional clients. Some of their services include IT consulting, web

Finalists include (l-r) front: Bernadette Pello and Kristen Seltzer of Livingstone Academy, Donna Arsenault of Republic Voice and Data, Dynavistics Managing Director Pamela McDaniel, Julie’s Walk-in Closer owner Julianne Pomeroy, Sonia Goodwin of Suncoast Community Health Centers, Melissa Canfield of Hi-Tech Automotive and Lashunda Mangum of Immaculate Janitorial Services; and back: Atlas Professional Services CEO Greg Zolkos, Chris Pello of Livingstone Academy, Mark Moon of Moon Law Group, Todd McDaniel of Dynavistics, Robert Parfitt of The Waiting Game Publication, Suncoast Community Centers CEO Brad Herremans, Joe Canfield of Hi-Tech Automotive and Jerald “Junebug” Mangum of Immaculate Janitorial Services.


development and telecommunications and management services.

This award comes at the end of a success-ful award season for Atlas, which has claimed numerous other titles including Best Place to Work from the Tampa Bay Business Journal and 2014 USF Fast 56 Finalist for the fastest growing 56 USF Bull-owned companies.

Atlas’ clients include many long-standing and trusted companies in the Brandon area. CEO Greg Zolkos attributed the company’s success to two main keywords: “Consistency and service.”

“Next year [the plan] is to continue what we do best and provide service and continue to grow,” Zolkos said.

Atlas Professional Services is located at 9560 W. Linebaugh Ave. in Tampa.

Livingstone Academy, the winner in the 16 plus employees category, is a private school that provides a healthy and positive learning environment for children with learning dis-abilities including Autism, Asperger’s, speech and language disorders, ADHD and more.

Chris and Bernadette Pello founded the academy in 2003 with four employee and 26 students. Before then, Chris Pello had been a principal at a private school in Brandon, and he recognized a lack of opportunity for certain students.

“All of the private schools in the area basically specialized in high-academic, high-achieving students, and there was just a tremendous need that we saw for the strug-gling students, for the kids with learning disabilities,” Chris Pello said in an interview.

The school has since grown to 54 employ-ees, almost 300 students and three locations. The Seffner location also added ninth grade this year and will add a new grade every year

until it offers a complete high school. The academy busses students from Riverview to the Seffner location so that they can continue their specialized education there.

“The bus ride is one of [the students’] favorite things to do every day,” Bernadette Pello said.

Yard Guards on Doody, LLC, the winning home-based business, offers pet waste removal services for both commercial and residential clients. Yard Guards opened for business in 2003 in Hillsborough County and has since expanded into Pinellas, Dunedin and South-ern Pasco counties. Their clients range from homeowners with one or two dogs to kennels and parks.

There’s a very good market for it,” owner Cheresse Rehart said in an interview. “The hardest thing is it’s a very new industry, so a lot of people don’t know we exist.”

Internet advertising helps with that, Rehart said, as well as awards like this one. She says they rarely see people in their line of work, but occasionally a dog will trot out to thank them.

The Finalists Julie’s Walk-in Closet was a finalist within

the 1-5 employees category. Owners Julie and Brian Pomeroy opened the small business in 2009 as a boutique consignment shop offering new and pre-owned clothing and accessories from name brands.

Julie Pomeroy had been in Brandon nearly 30 years at that time, and she believed Brandon was ready for the kind of upscale consignment store that had become popular in places like South Tampa.

“Ladies tell me all the time, ‘Now I don’t have to go to Tampa, I can shop right here in Brandon,’” she said. “And they get the better labels that they want—they just don’t have to pay the price for them, so they’re happy.”

Julie’s Walk-in Closet is located at 720 W. Robertson Street.

Moon Law Group was also a finalist with-in the 1-5 employees category. Lead Counsel and Managing Attorney Mark Moon aimed to create a law firm that worked with clients and provided helpful and receptive representa-tion on a personal level.

Shortly after forming his business, Moon was deployed to Iraq for 12 months. He faced difficulty upon returning, but he rededicated himself to Moon Law Group and connected with the Chamber. The result was a successful

Small Business Award winner and Dynavstics, Inc. Managing Director Pamela McDaniel gathers with (l-r) Tony DelCastillo of the Tampa Bay Times, Dave Brown of Bank of Tampa Brandon Division and Ryan Cabrera of Precision Payments.

Atlas Professional Services, Inc. CEO Greg Zolkos (middle) receives his award for the Small Business Awards, 6-15 employees category. Celebrating with him are (l-r) Tony DelCastillo of the Tampa Bay Times, Dave Brown of Bank of Tampa Brandon Division and Ryan Cabrera of Precision Payments.


and flourishing company. Moon Law Group is located at 705 N.

Parsons Avenue and has two other locations, one in St. Petersburg and one in Pinellas Park.

Republic Voice and Data was nominated in the 5-16 employees category. Founded in 1988, this small business offers telecommu-nications and network-based client solutions and support. Its managed services include data and cloud computing, server management, disaster recovery and more.

Republic Voice and Data is located at 7790 Professional Place in Tampa.

HiTech Automative rounded out the 5-16 employees category. The auto repair shop of-fers general service repairs, car and truck care, inspections and emissions, undercar services and more.

Many of their customers are elderly drivers and military wives with deployed husbands, said owners Joe and Melissa Canfield, and they work to make all customers feel comfort-able and confident in their automotive care.

HiTech Automative was founded in 2006 and is located at 119 S. Montclair Ave.

Suncoast Community Health Centers was also nominated in the 16 plus employees cate-gory. The company is a nonprofit organization that offers affordable health care services to those in need.

Suncoast Community Health Centers serves residents in Southern and Eastern Hill-sborough County and some areas within Polk County, and they offer a sliding scale discount system based on income.

In his finalist video, CEO Bradley Herre-mans said Suncoast looks for employees and affiliates who have “servants’ hearts.”

Immaculate Janitorial Services, the final 16 plus employees nominee, provides commercial

cleaning, maintenance and repair services in the Brandon area.

Owned and operated by Lashunda and Jerald Mangum, Immaculate Janitorial Ser-vices is responsible for the care of public and government buildings, educational facilities, retail locations and more. The company also offers home and apartment cleaning.

In their finalist video, the Mangums joked that they never expected their business to expand to so many employees.

“We thought we could do it ourselves for-ever,” Lashunda Mangum said. “We’ve grown so much.”

The Waiting Game Publication, LLC, was a finalist in the home-based category. This

company provides a free monthly publication that has the duel function of entertaining people who experience wait times and offering exposure to advertisers. The publication is distributed in places like doctors’ offices, local schools, take-out restaurants and others and includes games like Sudoku and crosswords.

ZP Media Group, LLC created the idea for The Waiting Game and formed the com-pany under which it’s published. They have since franchised the concept throughout eight states and into Canada.

ION Apparel and Advertising rounded out the home-based category for the Small Business Awards. This business offers pro-motional and advertising products including t-shirts, pens, hats, totes and others.

Sandy Cannington opened ION Apparel and Advertising in 2002 and says the person-alities of her and her business partner, Tracey McQuilken, set their company apart.

The title sponsor for the Chamber’s 2014 Small Business of the Year Award Gala was The Bank of Tampa. Other sponsors included the Tampa Bay Times, Sencommunications, Inc., Sheraton Tampa East Hotel, Carr Pediatric Dentistry, Simmons Engraving and Fancy That Specialty Linens.

This is the 33rd annual Small Business Awards, and a video played during dinner honoring previous award winners.

Congratulations to this years winners of the Small Business of the Year Awards.

Marjorie Raymond-Gunn and Cheresee Rehart of Yard Guards on Doody accept the award for the home-based businesses category. With them are (l-r) Tony DelCastillo of the Tampa Bay Times, Dave Brown of Bank of Tampa Brandon Division and Ryan Cabrera of Precision Payments.

Chris and Bernadette Pello (middle), founders of the Livingstone Academy, celebrate their win with (l-r) Tony DelCastillo of the Tampa Bay Times, Dave Brown of Bank of Tampa Brandon Division and Ryan Cabrera of Precision Payments.


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NOT YOUR ORDINARY STORAGE FACILITYBY SHERRI ROBINSON

Impressive and innovative are the words I would use to describe a locally owned storage business,

Budget Self Storage, whose moto is “Budget Self Stoage come and See The Difference”. Robin Emanuel is the Marketing Coordinator and Jody Burks is the Operation Manager with over 13 years experience in the storage business. The two ladies are right on their game running one of today’s most needed services.

People need storage for a variety of reasons such as family blending, moving, teachers, students, and seasonal snow birds that end up with way more stuff than house. Storage becomes the best alternative.

If you are a business and need a safe place to store documents, merchandise, promotional material and furniture in a business self storage unit is much cheaper than using valuable work space for storage. They also offer business discounts.

Parking is no problem with spaces for RV’s, boats, cars and recreational vehicles.

These are just a couple of reasons among many others to use a wonderful storage facility such as Budget Self Storage. They have advanced security features such as gated access, on site managers and digital surveillance recording. Their units are air conditioned self storage units to help

maintain optimal storage temperatures and has convenient exterior drive up garage units. With 30 plus sizes of units there is a size for everyone. Need to get into your unit at an odd time? No worries. Office hours are seven days a week with extended and/or 24 Hour access. Budget Self Storage guarantees their customers the same rental rates for a full year with no set up fees, security deposits or hidden costs. That’s a pretty sweet deal!

Now here’s the innovative part I mentioned earlier. Not only can customers get top notch customer service for their storage needs, but Budge Self Storage offers lots of other cool services. Even if you don’t need to store your things they offer moving and packing supplies such as packing tape, bubble wrap, tarps, boxes and etc. “We offer quality products at low prices.”

They offer Proshred which starts at just $5.00 and is secure shredding services of documents, x-ray film CD’s and other info that might be an identity theft risk. Electronic waste recycling

drop off is free. Both are open to the public.

Here’s a real holiday deal. Too many gifts and not enough hiding places? Think outside the box and rent a small unit. Right now Budget Self Storage has a holiday special, “Santa Clausets” renting a 5x5 for $19 from Nov. 15th through Christmas Eve. They have even set up a wrapping station. As an added bonus they will accept your Cyber orders and let you know when they arrives. The holidays just got a little sweeter.

Budget Self Storage loves to have fun and share that fun with you. They recently had a Grand Opening at their Brandon location at 607 E. Bloomingdale Ave. with 100 people attending and many of local businesses and guests.

To find out more about Budget Self Storage and their recent event go to their website at www.budgetselfstorageflorida.com or visit them at one of their 9 locations with one that is sure to be near you.


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MALLORY GUARISCOBY OLIVIA GOTTMAN

Mallory Guarisco’s love for swimming is not just in her blood but surrounds

her in her everyday life. Her mom, Suzanne Guarisco was a swimmer and swim coach when Mallory was younger. She had a babysitter and family friend, Brooke Bennet, who was a local Durant High School graduate and Olympic Gold swimming medalist to look up to as a role model. Mallory Guarisco is currently in tenth grade on the Bloomingdale swim team, and has been a member of the Brandon Aquatic swim team for the past six years. It’s not just a sport for her and her family, it’s a lifestyle.

To be a swimmer is to have the endurance to swim beyond the length of the pool, and Guarisco achieves this by working on the little things that people don’t normally see like her breathing and strokes. She also remains dedicated to the sport by working hard at every practice to improve her time. Her favorite aspect of swimming Guarisco says is the longer distance races and her favorite would have to be the 500 freestyle. These are the races when stamina over powers speed.

Mallory is a young lady with driven talent and knows her way to success. Her strength and charisma keep her going. Guarisco explained, “There are times when you need to be passionate about a sport. It can be draining sometimes and knowing your goals

pushes through those hard times. Also accepting criticism. Your coaches are going to tell you what’s wrong about your stroke and; you have to trust they know what they are doing.” It’s clear that swimming has helped her grow by taking criticism from others and learning from it, also to put trust in people that want to see you succeed.

Swim meets can be long and it gets tough but Guarisco gets through it with help. She said, “The support from my teammates keeps me going.” She believes she has made lifelong friends through swimming at both Bloomingdale and the Aquatic center.

She also explained that she doesn’t eat big meals before meets, “I usually eat a sandwich, fruit or granola bar. I work up an appetite by the end of the meet.” She enjoys going out to dinner afterward with her family and the team.

Mallory Guarisco recently has competed in the Western Conference where the girls Bloomingdale swim team placed second and individually she placed 4th in the 500 Freestyle. Her compassion for her teammates is admirable. Many lifelong friendships are created through sports and Mallory believes it’s the best way to stay truly positive towards her team mates.

Congratulations Mallory Guarisco on being the Athlete of the Month!

BLOOMINGDALE SWIM TEAM ATHLETE OF THE MONTH


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BLOOMINGDALE CHEERLEADERS BY OLIVIA GOTTMAN

The Bloomingdale cafeteria quickly converted to a cheer gym when twenty girls rolled out

their mats for practice. Many of these girls have been cheering for a majority of their lives. Captains Olivia Kelly, Sierra Blanchard, and Dani Pilcher have been cheering for more than nine years. It is safe to say for these girls, cheering is in their blood.

Every sport has to face adversity especially cheerleaders. One challenge is that they have to actually “cheer.” Pilcher said, “Many of my teammates including me are so focused on what is going on during the football game that we forget to cheer.” The cheerleaders as a team are very passionate about football; they want to see the team succeed. The sport is also very demanding, Coach Jaycee Zoet explained, “We have the longest season out of any sport, being that we cheer every Friday night in the fall then

have competition cheer throughout the winter. This can really take a toll on the girls.” Blanchard agreed with Coach Zoet, “As a cheerleader staying mentally and emotionally devoted is my greatest challenge.”

The greatest aspect of being a Bloomingdale cheerleader is withholding the team’s legacy of being four time champions during competition season in the winter. Also, Captain Olivia Kelly described, “Running off the mats after we performed, and knowing we did our best is the most awesome feeling.” The accomplishments of this team, is all based on the team work these girls have with one another and support they receive.” Coach Zoet explained, “We are lucky to have many supporters in our community.”

Congratulations to the Bloomingdale Cheerleaders for being the Team of the Month.

BLOOMINGDALE HIGH SCHOOL


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TAQUERIA DOÑA MARIABRINGING THE FRESH FLAVORS OF AUTHENTIC BAJA STYLE MEXICAN TO BRANDONBY HEATHER DAVIS | PHOTOS BY JUPITER JONES

Nothing beats the taste of home, and when your mother happened to be revered for

her cooking you know nothing will ever compare. Taqueria Doña Maria is named after the owner, Joe Cardenas’ mother who’s name was Maria. Maria’s painted portrait adorns the walls of Taqueria Doña Maria, giving one the sense of her continued presence and blessing. Maria was an extraordinary woman, cook, and entrepreneur. She became well known for cooking and serving customers throughout the Bajas of California. From the California border towns of Tecate, Tijuana, and San Diego, Maria would set up shop and satisfy and delight hungry customers with her delicious and authentic Mexican food. Maria believed in order to create good food the ingredients always had to be fresh and the recipes authentic.

Owner, Joe Cardenas has traveled

the world eating the authentic cuisine of many different cultures. Joe along with his family felt that there was not anywhere local to get the food that his mother used to cook. Using his mother’s “black book” of recipes, Joe along with his sister and co-owner/daughter, Alicia Cardenas decided to open a restaurant and bring the fresh authentic flavors of Baha style Mexican food to Brandon.

Recently, Taqueria Doña Maria celebrated a one year anniversary and are experiencing like in the days of Maria a steady stream of satisfied customers enjoying and savoring the delicious fresh food. Taqueria Doña Maria is open Tuesday – Sunday, but closed on Monday. “Monday is market day.” Joe proudly explains. “We make sure to hand pick all the fresh ingredients for the week, just like my mom used to do.”

In preparation of opening and during the first opening months Joe’s sister

spent many countless days and weeks with Maria’s “black book” of recipes painstakingly making sure every item is prepared just so by the trained restaurant chefs. “So much preparation is put into everything we make” said Joe. “We make sure not to skip a single step to get it just right.” Even after months of training Joe’s sister still comes back to try the food and make sure it is consistent with Maria’s recipes. All this preparation shows in the quality and flavor of every menu item. From the flour tortillas and tortilla chips that are handmade fresh in small batches every day, to the traditional homemade guacamole and wonderfully delicious salsas – everything screams FRESH!

I truly can recommend every item on the menu I tried, but what stood out the most was the Azteca soup, which was a creamy seven vegetable soup topped with crispy tortilla strips, queso fresco, avocado, and sour cream. The roasted creamy taste of the vegetables blended together into a savory soup with no one vegetable overpowering the other. All the meats and fish are prepared fresh, not pre-cooked, and have been marinated in special sauces and spices before being roasted or grilled to perfection. The tamales are the perfect texture and flavor and go so well with the housemade verde salsa. For an appetizer make sure to try the Jalapeno Poppers created in

a uniquely delicious variation of grilled jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese, Monterey jack cheese, and wrapped in bacon – absolutely scrumptious. If you manage to save room for desert, you must try the churros which offer the perfect mouthwatering doughy, but crispy flakiness fried and tossed in cinnamon and sugar. The homemade tres leche is equally delicious. Gluten free and vegetarian items are also available upon request.

Taqueria Doña Maria serves brunch all day on the weekend with menu items which include huevos rancheros, breakfast burritos, omelets, house-made breakfast fries, and beans and rice.

Taqueria Doña Maria is a family owned and operated restaurant dedicated to Maria and celebrates their love of family, food and community. The Taqueria experience can be summed up in three words: Fast, Fresh, and Friendly.

TAQUERIA DOÑA MARIA865 Lithia Pinecrest Rd.,

Brandon, FL 813-655-9999, Dine In/Pickup,

TaqueiriaBrandon.com

Hours: Tues-Thurs 11:00am-9:00pm, Fri & Sat 11:00am-10:00pm, and Sun 11:00am-8:00pm

INFORMATION



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