Riverview/Apollo Beach
6
March 2023
Volume 21, Issue 3
Ph: 813-657-2418
See Ad on Page 25
CELEBRATING 21 YEARS OF PUBLISHING P OSITIVE COMMUNIT Y NEWS
RIVERVIEW PUBLIC LIBRARY SPURLINO YMCA WELCOMES DEDICATES A ROOM TO FORMER NEW ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR By Libby Hopkins PRESIDENT GRETCHEN DELSAVIO By Lily Belcher
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The Riverview “It is a gorgeous Public Library site with a beautiful dedicated a room building on which in their library to the Friends Group, Gretchen DelSavio, led by Gretchen, had former Friends of a great deal of input the Riverview Lias to basic style, brary president and furnishings, floors, community servant, bathroom tiles, art on February 16 to glass in the doors recognize her conand clerestories tributions to the and, of course, our community. gorgeous variation DelSavio served of the Alafia River as the president Bookstore manager Lisa Bohn presented a 3D swimming down the replica of the new Riverview Public Library to of the board for 11 lobby,” said Sullivan. Gretchen DelSavio at the room dedication. years before she In addition to and her husband serving as a Friend decided to return to of the Riverview Litheir home in Ohio. brary, she worked To honor her contriwith the HOPE orbutions, Room 137 ganization to help was dedicated to the disadvantaged memformer president. bers of the communiRoom 137 was choty and was active in sen for its proximity her church and Rivto the Friends of the erview Garden Club. A sign to honor Gretchen DelSavio was postLibrary Bookstore. Several communied outside the room dedicated to her. “Gretchen lived in ty members, including the Riverview community for many years members of the Greater Riverview Chamand for most of them was a Friend of the ber of Commerce and a representative of Riverview Library on Riverview Drive. She Vern Buchanan’s office, attended the cerbecame the president about 11 years ago emony. Community former Board Chair and did such a good job that no one was with the Chamber of Commerce Michael inclined to try to follow in her footprints,” Brussard spoke at the ceremony and desaid Judy Sullivan from the Greater River- clared February 16 ‘Gretchen DelSavio view Chamber of Commerce. Day.’ As president, DelSavio worked tirelessly “Both praised Gretchen for her perseverto help with the building of the new library ance in getting the library built,” said Pat to fit the community’s needs. Alongside Boyle, former secretary of the Friends of community leader Jim Johnson, she sup- the Library. “Gretchen also received a 3D ported the construction of the new Riv- replica of the new library.” erview Public Library on Balm Riverview The Riverview Public Library is locatDrive. She worked closely with the design ed at 9951 Balm Riverview Rd. For more team and even sponsored field trips to oth- information on the library, visit https:// er nearby libraries to look for ideas. hcplc.org/locations/riverview.
The Florida State Parks Foundation is celebrating 30 years of preserving the natural beauty and resources of Florida’s state parks. Get out and enjoy them. Visit a local park or enjoy a vacation at a park like Bahia Honda State Park. For more information, visit www.floridastateparksfoundation.org. Read the full article on page 11.
Zuley Castro recentenjoy the great outly became the new doors on the walking associate director of trail and shaded picthe Spurlino Family nic areas. The SpurliYMCA. With her new no Family Y is more position, she brings a than a place to work strong YMCA backout, it’s a place for ground. “I’ve lived in family fun. Florida since 2001 and Castro has high I’m a USF graduate,” hopes for the SpurliCastro said. “I joined no YMCA in 2023 the Tampa YMCA and is thrilled to be a staff in 2019 with part of the team. “I their before and aflove being a part of ter-school programs. I the Y,” Castro said. expressed my interest “I love that families Zuley Castro recently became the new in moving up within get the opportunithe Y community and associate director of the Spurlino Family ty to come to the Y YMCA. She is thrilled to be a part of the now I’m the associand do activities toteam at Spurlino. ate director at gether. It’s Spurlino.” awesome to Castro and see parents the team at the and their Spurlino YMCA children are gearing up working out for their sumtogether or mer camps. “I’m swimming super excited to t o g e t h e r. be a part of the The YMCA team at Spurliis just a realno, and our bigly cool place gest tackle right to be and now is summer camps,” Cashave good family fun.” tro said. “The team and I are If you’d like to learn working on making Spurlimore about the programs no’s summer camps the best offered at the Spurlino camps in the area. We want YMCA or if you’d like to the campers to have the best register your child for experience during their 10 one of its summer camps, weeks of camp at Spurlino you can visit its website YMCA. We also working to www.tampaymca.org/ fine-tune all of the current programs we locations/spurlino-family-ymca-big-bendoffer at Spurlino.” road. The Spurlino Family YMCA is located The Riverview and Gibsonton communi- at 9650 Old Big Bend Rd. in Gibsonton. ty have enjoyed a brand-new YMCA since January 2019. The Spurlino Family Y is the newest location in the Tampa Y association. The building is LEED Gold-certified PG 3 and won a design award from the Hills- FOURTH OF JULY PARADE borough County Planning Commission in MOTORING TAMPA BAY ................PG 5 fall 2019. TRIPLE CREEK.................................. PG 12 Families can join a reading club for lit- EYE ON BUSINES............................PG 25 tle ones, as well as youth sports and swim lessons for all ages. Adults and kids can SUMMER CAMP GUIDE ............... SEC 3
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