Fall 2008 events in Brandon, Florida area

Rock, Rib and Ride Festival this weekend

Check out this link for more info on this event which takes place this weekend, October 16th - 19th, 2008 at the Florida State Fairgrounds. Net proceeds will benefit the Greater Brandon Community Foundation.

*Free student admission day is Oct. 17th. (Most students are also out of school that day.)

http://rockribandridefestival.com/


Hillsborough County Fair

The Hillsborough County Fair will run November 5-9th, 2008, just east of Brandon at the intersection of S.R. 60 and Sydney-Washer Road.

For more information visit www.hillsboroughcountyfair.com

What's in Regency Square

Regency Square is located just off of I-75 and Highway 60 (Brandon Blvd). Here is a list of establishments located in that area:

Entertainment:

1. AMC Theaters

Dining:

1. Carvel Ice Cream
2. Ho Ho Chinese Restaurant
3. Maxwell Street Grill
4. Miko’s Sweets & Goodies
5. Moe's Southwest Grill
6. Olive Garden
7. Park Deli & Cafe
8. Quiznos
9. Red Lobster
10. Robeks
11. Wings Gone Wild
12. Wise Guyz Pizza

Retail:

1. Beall's Outlet
2. Best Buy
3. Dollar Tree
4. Dots
5. Dress Barn
6. Family Christian Stores
7. HobbyTown USA
8. Jared
9. Justice
10. Kirkland’s Home
11. Lenscrafters
12. Marshalls
13. Mattress Firm
14. Michaels
15. PETCO
16. S&K Famous Brands
17. Sally Beauty Supply
18. Shoe Carnival
19. Spun Gold
20. Staples
21. The Avenue
22. T.J. Maxx
23. Urban Depot

Services/Other:

1. Alltel
2. Dental Health Group of Regency
3. Eastern Financial Federal Credit Union
4. Fantastic Sams
5. Jenny Craig
6. Lendmark Financial
7. Nail Country
8. Orthodontic Center of America
9. Pak Mail
10. Select Physical Therapy
11. Verizon Wireless

Youth Football Reminders - Fun and safety first

In the Brandon (and surrounding) areas we have a lot of youth football organizations. Many of our kids will be participating in these activities. So now that it’s that time again let’s take a moment to talk about some things we should keep in mind as the season gets underway.

1. Water. Make sure your players get plenty of it before, during and after extended periods outdoors, especially on hot days. Support your league’s concessions stand, but when funds are tight or no concessions are available, remember to pack a cooler and bring water and sports drinks from home.
2. Here in Florida, it is pretty common to hear of incidents of heat exhaustion and heat stroke around this time of year. And in tackle football, the players are so padded down to protect from injury that they get pretty hot underneath all of that equipment. Encourage your kids to take a break when necessary, and to let a coach know if they feel faint, dizzy or overheated.
3. Most teams assign one or two parents to bring snacks and drinks to each game. If you are in such a league, when it’s your turn for snack duty, try including a healthier snack. Avoid the sugary, sticky fruit snacks, try pretzels or Cheez-Its instead. Also keep in mind, many kids have allergies especially to peanut butter, so stick with the safer choices.
4. Parents and coaches, remember this is supposed to be FUN. I’ve noticed that some adults are way too competitive and take this way too seriously. This is not the Super Bowl and neither the kids nor the coaches are being paid. Some times I think the kids would have more fun if the parents would go home and just let them play. I remember hearing a word from the wise mouth of a babe. This was during the Little League World series. One of the young players who was being interviewed was asked how he thought his mom was handling the pressure of him playing in the big game, and the kid responded “Well, my mom gets all nervous because she doesn’t realize, this is just like a regular game!”. Now that’s keeping it in perspective!
5. And especially for the people on the sidelines, let the coaches do their jobs. It must be tough for a kid to try to listen to the coaches, parents and fans at the same time. People in the stands have to remember that the coaches have been with these kids for the weeks leading up to game time. Most coaches really enjoy coaching (else they probably wouldn’t be doing it) and have worked really hard on bringing out the best in the team as a whole. Any one who has anything more to contribute should try coaching or spending their time in the trenches with the kids and coaches, on the practice field.

It’s been said that one of the best ways to encourage positive self image and team work in kids is to get them involved in team sports. Let’s do what we can to keep all of our kids healthy, safe, happy and having fun while they are out there on the field. If we are successful at that, the positive self image and team work skills will be like icing on the cake.

**Disclaimer: The writer is not a doctor or health care professional. This is for informational purposes only and should not be viewed as definitive health care recommendations. Be sure to discuss any health concerns with your physician.

Youth Football and Cheerleading in Brandon and surrounding areas

• Brandon Broncos
• Brandon Bears
• Brandon Cowboys
• Brandon Lions
• Brandon Steelers
• Brandon Valrico Rams
• East Bay Bucs
• Fishhawk Wolfpack
• Pinecrest Pilots
• South Shore Jr. Longhorns
• Winston Park Warriors

** Know of any not listed here? Send us a comment so we can include it.

A little history

In the spirit of the 4th of July and a sense of community, I thought I would put together a list of interesting historical facts about Brandon and surrounding areas.

Did you know:

• The town Brandon was named after John Brandon, who donated much of the land in the area to the community.


• Stowers Funeral Home, located on Brandon Boulevard, used to be the home of James and Joanna Brandon (James was the son of John Brandon).


• New Hope Church was the first church and school in Brandon.


• John Brandon's second wife Victoria, opened the first post office in Brandon in her home, after John's death.


• McLane Middle School used to serve as the community's central school, (previously named Brandon Grade School, for students in grades 1 through 12).


• When the first Brandon census was taken in 1922, the population was 100.


• Brandon High School was the second high school established in Hillsborough County.


• Some of the now defunct retail stores in the area include Zayre, Service Merchandise, McCrory's and TG&Y.


• The Bloomingdale High School mascot "BULL" stands for "Bloomingdale's Unique Love of Learning".

To read more about the history of Brandon, visit Wikipedia.

Do you know of more interesting or little known facts about Brandon, Valrico, Seffner, Lithia, Riverview or other nearby communities? Please leave a comment so we can add it to this list!

Brandon gas prices - 7/2/2008

Some prices in the area as of 7/2/2008

Location	Price
7-eleven - Kings south of Lumsden	4.05
Chevron - Lumsden and Lithia Pinecrest	4.09
Mobil - Lumsden and Kings	4.05
Shell - Lumsden and Lithia Pinecrest	4.05

AMC Summer Movie Camp at Regency 20

What: $1 movies
When: June 25th thru August 6, 2008, Wednesdays at 10:00a.m.
Where: AMC Regency 20 Theater

Movie Schedule**

June 25:	Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
July 2:	The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep
July 9:	Alvin & The Chipmunks
July 16:	Shrek The Third
July 23:	Bee Movie
July 30:	Surf's Up
August 6:	TMNT

** Schedules and titles subject to change

For more info, visit AMC Summer Movie Camp.