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Whatever Happened About...
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Jul 24, 2008 - 1:32:25 PM

By Melody Jameson
melody@observernews.net

…The Big Draw
One of the events planned as part of Ruskin’s 100th birthday celebration, beginning next month, South County’s Big Draw organizers now are slotting sites and sponsors.

Inspired by the nationwide extravaganza of drawing, coloring and giving vent to artistic expression that Great Britain regularly stages in honor of English social critic John Ruskin –namesake of the South County community - this area’s Big Draw is to culminate in a community event on October 11.  

Schools, libraries, museums as well as the various business, social and fraternal organizations headquartered in the South County area are likely candidates to host and/or fund a drawing class, workshop or public activity, said Fred Jacobsen, president of the Ruskin Community Development Foundation, a community partner in the project.   Another community partner is the SouthShore Arts Council.

The South County version is expected to kick-off September 15, Jacobsen said, with a month-long series of sponsored drawing events commemorating Ruskin’s founding when its first post office was opened on August 7, 1908.  “All ages and experience levels are invited to discover drawing as a means of expressing, exploring and observing our world,” he added.

Volunteer sponsors and hosts can contact Steve Stancil at 813/259-6152 or via email at www.southshoreartscouncil.org/thebigdraw.

…Wimauma’s Westlake Reserve
Public hearing of the proposed rezoning to allow clustered residential development on acreage at the northwest edge of Wimauma has been rescheduled for  6 PM, Tuesday, September 2, in Tampa.
 
The project, on property abutting Westlake Drive north of S.R. 674 and dubbed The Reserve at Westlake, was the subject of a community meeting in  June.  At the time, several objections to the proposal were raised by local residents, based on anticipated traffic congestion, planned incursion on land set aside under the county’s Environmental Lands Acquisition Preservation Program (ELAPP), prospective danger to wildlife in the area and violation of parts of Wimauma’s award-winning community plan.

The 537-acre site, owned by Turfgrass America and currently used as a sod farm, would host 1,088 single family, villa style and multi-family dwellings, if the rezoning were granted as requested and initial plans were implemented.

...Code Enforcement
South County residents now can track code enforcement matters from their computers.

During fiscal year 2007, Hillsborough County Code Enforcement staff conducted more than 40,000 inspections and opened more than 14,000 cases related to violations of the county’s property maintenance code, according to Kemly J. Green, spokesperson for the county department. The numbers indicate a wide interest among citizens in seeing unsafe or unsightly properties in their neighborhoods dealt with, often because neglected sites can pose unwarranted risk to children, pets and others or adversely affect resale values in a sluggish real estate market.

Residents can log onto www.hillsboroughcounty.org/hcce, then click the “Online Services” link at the left side of the page,  and enter the case number, parcel number, address or owner’s name to get info on visits to the site, violations cited, and case status. Those without access to a computer may telephone the code enforcement department at 813/274-6600.

©2008 Melody Jameson



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