Day: September 9, 2016

USF Credit Union’s New Branch To Open In New Tampa

For the first time in its nearly 60-year history, the USF Federal Credit Union (FCU) is venturing off campus to open a new branch in New Tampa.

On August 29, USF president and New Tampa resident Judy Genshaft, USF FCU President and CEO Rick Skaggs, Tampa City Council chair (and USF grad) Mike Suarez and a number of other school dignitaries stuck ceremonial shovels into a pile of dirt during a ground-breaking ceremony at the northwest corner of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) and Imperial Oak Blvd., in the Trout Creek area near Winn-Dixie.

“It’s a fabulous location, and we know that the population is growing soooo fast in this area of our region and of our state,’’ Genshaft told the crowd. “(The branch) is modeled after the Marshall Center (branch) that has been fabulous and so well-received.”

The first-ever standalone off-campus branch of the USF Federal Credit Union, which boasts 52,000 members, which will be located in front of the plaza that houses Winn Dixie and LA Fitness and across Imperial Oak Blvd. from Burger King, is expected to open in mid-2017.

“It’s the first off-campus building of the credit union,’’ said Skaggs. “We’ve had other offices (off campus), but this is the first one that will be a standalone facility, so it’s a big day in our history.”

USF Building Bigger, Better

The new credit union will go up just a few hundred yards from its current location in the same plaza.

The impetus for acquiring the land to build the two-story, 12,300-sq.-ft. credit union, in fact, is due in part to the success of that New Tampa office, Skaggs said, as well as the knowledge that this area is home to many USF grads and employees.

“We have a lot of faculty and staff that live in this area as well, and going back from here to the university might as well be like going to St. Petersburg, so this is going to be a nice hub for us,’’ Skaggs said.

He noted that there have been numerous studies done on the membership base located in New Tampa, and those studies also reveal that many graduates settle in the area after attending USF and would like to remain members. Suarez, for example, said at the groundbreaking that he still has the same account he started 30 years ago when he was a USF student.

New USF FCU, New Offerings

The new facility will allow the credit union to expand the services offered at other off-campus locations, like in mortgage lending and wealth management. There will be a large community room available for meetings and functions, Skaggs said, equipped with a large TV for presentations and multi-media capabilities.

There also will be drive-through tellers and “universal service reps,” who according to Skaggs, are like bank tellers of the future. Since many patrons use electronic banking and don’t bother with the brick and mortar building for simple tasks like deposits and withdrawals anymore, universal service reps will be equipped to handle not only traditional teller duties, but also all of the other services offered by the credit union.

“The concept is like an Apple Store,’’ Skaggs said. “In the Marshall Center, the design we put in there has been very well-received. The open architecture feel, as well as all the electronic services, remote access, all of it, will be a totally different environment than a regular bank or credit union drive-through.”

USF FCU Highly Regarded

In July, the USF FCU, which was chartered in 1959 for the staff and faculty and began serving students in 1990, was named as the 2016 Credit Union of the Year by the League of Southeastern Credit Unions & Affiliates (LSCU) in the “$500 Million in Assets or Above” category.

Its merger with Darden Employees Federal Credit Union, the renovation of the Marshall Student Center Branch and the executive internship program, which allows students to work at the Marshall Center location and earn college credit, were cited in earning the award.

Skaggs said USF FCU has more than $500 million in assets, 135 employees and lends in excess of $100 million per year.

For more info, visit USFFCU.org or call 569-2000.

USF Credit Union

Costco Delays Opening To Feb. 2017

Clearwater store manager Hector Mencia tells the Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce that Costco’s opening near the Tampa Premium Outlets will be delayed until Feb. 2017, due to rainy weather.

Costco manager Hector Mencia had some good news for local business leaders at the Aug. 25 Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) Economic Development briefing held at Pebble Creek Golf Club.

Costco, for one, is still definitely coming to Wesley Chapel Blvd. adjacent to the Tampa Premium Outlets (TPO) off S.R. 56. And yes, it will offer its usual great prices and bountiful free samples. The largest retailer of fine wine in the world (a whopping $1.2 billion in yearly sales!) and second-largest auto retailer will continue to sell cheaper and better gas, millions of $1.50 hot dogs and drinks and the company’s highly-rated Kirkland line of products.

Oh, and don’t forget Costco’s commitment to the local community, in addition to well-paying jobs (if you’re lucky enough to land one).

There was, however, one bad bit of news that Mencia, who manages the Costco in Clearwater, delivered: It won’t open near TPO until February of next year.

Though the ground has been broken and the initial work is well under way, Mencia said the planned November opening of the much-awaited Costco has been derailed by bad weather, setting builders back by at least two weeks. And, that was before last week’s tropical storm.

Because Costco doesn’t open stores in December and January, its peak months, the new store won’t open its doors until early February.

That is a big bummer for Costco fans, who currently have to drive to Brandon to stock up on paper towels and soft drinks.

But, those fans of Costco, which also is opening a store in the Citrus Park area at the corner of Sheldon Rd. and Linebaugh Ave., are likely still excited by the arrival of the membership-only, wholesale club giant, the second-largest retailer in the world after Wal-Mart.

While Costco will have plenty of competition, with fellow wholesalers Sam’s Club (on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel) and New Tampa’s BJ’s Wholesale Club (on Commerce Palms Blvd. in Tampa Palms) both within seven miles of the newest club, it is likely to find success, due to its religious-like following.

“We’ve been trying to get in here for quite a bit in this market,’’ Mencia said. “It’s a great location. It’s amazing what that area is turning into.”

Mencia shared with Chamber members the benefits of Costco, clearly drawing positive reactions from the crowd. He played a five-minute video filled with clips of Costco being mentioned by celebrities, including Rosie O’Donnell saying: “I go in with a list and a mission, and I come out with a trampoline and a case of corn nuts.”

Another clip showed massive crowds at various openings, including places like South Korea, Spain and Australia, and long lines for jobs at many locations.

If you’re wondering about your chances of landing a gig at Costco — where Mencia said the average pay is $21 an hour and cashiers start between $13 and $13.50 an hour — well, they aren’t great. According to one clip, an Indiana store received 22,000 applications for 200-275 jobs. You might have a better shot finding a Willie Wonka Golden Ticket.

Mencia, who has been with Costco for 27 years, said there is a low turnover at the wholesaler, and that the store will begin marketing six weeks prior to opening for those looking for memberships.

Those members will have a ton of choices, he says. Costco carries roughly 3,800 products, and rotates 1,500 or so to create a “treasure atmosphere” at least 14 times a year.

And last year, on a single day, three days before Thanksgiving, Costco sold more than 70 million dinner rolls, 1.6 million pumpkin pies, 471,000 apple pies and 252,000 pecan pies.

For more information about Costco, visit Costco.com.

Costco

Mural Spices Up Media Center At HG Elementary

The ribbon was cut by (left to right) Hillsborough Country Public Schools supervisor of library media services for K-5 John Milburn, Elliott, HGE PTA president Jamie Priest and principal Gaye Holt.

Hunter’s Green Elementary (HGE) media specialist Nancy Elliott celebrates the unveiling of a new mural in the school’s media center.

As students returned to school on August 10, they probably couldn’t help but notice that the media center at Hunter’s Green Elementary (HGE) had undergone a major transformation.

Previously, the walls were decorated with banners, representing books that had been enjoyed by students during the school’s 25-year history.

“They were nice, but they were kind of old and dated,” says PTA president Jamie Priest.

It was the vision of HGE principal Gaye Holt to transform the walls to come alive with pictures that would inspire students as they visit the media center.

“The media center is the hub of the school, and we want our kids in here,” said Holt during her remarks at the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the school’s newly painted mural on Thursday, Aug. 25.

“The media center has been transformed into a warm and inviting area for students as they choose a book, learn new things and explore their world through technology,” said HGE media specialist Nancy Elliott during her remarks.

From fiction and fantasy to science and math, the mural represents many different genres of books that can be explored in the media center.

“Nonfiction is a big part of reading,” Elliott explained later. “Math and science are a big part of our curriculum and I felt that they should be represented in our mural.”

Priest added, “Every time I look at the mural, I feel like I see something new.”

“I love the variety of it,” agreed Elliott, pointing out a kid investigating, a dolphin that looks like it’s about to swim right off the wall, a space ship soaring through outer space and realistic-looking animals such as a giraffe, panda and elephant.

Elliott is just the second media specialist in the school’s history and has b
een in the position for 10 years. She helped to design the mural with local artists J.P. and Vanessa Parra of CAP Murals, who worked all summer on ladders and scaffolds to create it. It was finished the day before school started.

“It was the shortest summer,” said Holt, “but it was my favorite. I came up to the media center to visit three times a day because it amazed me.”

The process of painting the mural was commemorated in a media center display that shows the before, during and after of creating such a significant piece of art.

The mural was funded in part by the PTA, by the media center budget and by the school budget. The PTA contribution included a legacy gift from the class of 2015, and a large butterfly was painted in the mural as, “an extension of the memorial butterfly garden” planted outside in memory of Nick Wolf, a fifth grade HGE student who passed away shortly before he would have graduated from the school.

“Our school is taking big steps forward,” says Priest. “This is another step, and something I think the kids are going to remember, even after they leave this school.”

Hunter's Green Elementary library mural

The Dark Hurts A First For New Tampa Author

John Phillips has lived in Cross Creek for more than 10 years with his wife, Cristy, and their two dogs, Princess and Zack. After a career and quite a bit of international travel, he finally checked a long-standing item off his bucket list.

He’s now the published author of a novel, entitled The Dark Hurts.

“About 14 years ago, when I was doing a lot of international travel, the story developed in my mind,” says Phillips. “I wrote the first three chapters one night in Japan when I couldn’t sleep.”

It’s a fictional book, set in San Francisco. Phillips describes it as being about the many different emotions in life. He says it’s the story of what a disaster can do, not only to a city, but also to a particular family.

The Dark Hurts Offers Some Light

In the process of promoting his self-published book, he was contacted by Focus on Women magazine, a Baltimore-area publication. He says his book was chosen to be featured on the magazine’s website by a panel of its readers. The Dark Hurts will be featured in the magazine’s online bookstore, and proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to the Afghan Women’s Fund, a charity the magazine supports with its sales.

“I’m pleased they’re using my book as a tool to raise money for a good cause,” says Phillips. “I’m more than happy to have a part in helping these women who have been through horrific experiences – they’ve been raped, mutilated, kidnapped and taken away from their families. It’s my understanding that the Fund has returned several Afghan women to their families.”

Phillips is originally from Southern England and has a son and grandchildren in England. He says he moved to the U.S. in 1998 and is now a U.S. citizen.

Writing Now A Lifelong Goal

His life is now dedicated to being a full-time author. He has two more books in the works, including The Piano Man, which will use the Polk County Sheriff’s Office as a setting. Phillips has met with Polk Sheriff Grady Judd to learn about the agency, and Sheriff Judd even sent Phillips a picture of himself with The Dark Hurts.

“I’m delighted with the response to my book,” says Phillips. “It was released six weeks ago, and has several five-star reviews on Amazon.com in both the USA and the UK.”

He says the reviews help him to see that his book is having its desired effect on readers, including one that says, in part, “[Phillips] has a gift for writing emotion onto the story. He is descriptive and thorough, without stalling out the story. There are layers here that intertwine into an awesome tapestry, solid and masterful. It is a great read and I look forward to more.”

To learn more about the book, or to enter the author’s selfie contest to win prizes such as a travel voucher and an Amazon gift card, visit Facebook.com/authorjphillips.

author The Dark Hurts

Wharton Volleyball Kids Could Lead Way

Wharton volleyball star Kathryn Attar poses for a picture, with a freshman to her right, and two others to her left.

“My babies,’’ the senior says, only half-jokingly.

This year, the Wildcats’ outside hitter might just be feeling like the team mother, as she adds a larger leadership role to go with her prodigious talents at the net.

Not that leadership is a new thing for Attar. The past three seasons, she has led the way for Wharton volleyball on the court, with 1,110 kills, including 358 last season. She has established herself as one of the top players in the state.

However, she has always been younger than other players on the team.

But, now that three starters — setter Tyler Sroufe, middle blocker Lindsey Schaible and libero Chanelle Hargreaves — from a team that went 43-12 the past two seasons are off playing Division I-A college volleyball, all that remains from that experienced and cohesive group is Attar.

She does have her babies, however: the freshmen trio of hitter Jeanette Henderson, middle blocker Jamie Koopman and setter Ella Hileman.

“It’s great for Jeanette or anyone in that position that every day, she gets to see and learn from the best in the game, in the state, at that position,’’ Barber says. “Kathryn is very much like an assistant coach this year. She’s always been the youngest on the team, so this is her year to really kind of be the leader not just physically, but also from a maturity level.”

Wharton Senior Providing Leadership

Barber says having Attar, who has verbally pledged to play college volleyball at Yale University, makes the Wildcats instantly competitive. But they they will need more. The team does return sophomore setter Gracie Viloria, who played a lot last season after Sroufe got hurt. Senior Allie Schneider, who transferred in last season, her first with Wharton, and junior Devyn Kettner, who was called up from junior varsity late last season, return.

What could push them even deeper into the playoff picture, though, will be the development of the youngsters.

“It goes in waves,’’ Barber says. “We were in this situation (losing a lot of starters to graduation) 3-4 years ago. Now we’re back to a new start. To me, that’s what keeps it fun in coaching. The challenge will be getting them far enough along to make a push at the end of the season and take advantage of having Kathryn.”

Because Wharton is changing from a 5-1 alignment (with one setter) to a 6-2 (with two setters), Hileman will play a key role. “She is going to be a really good setter,’’ Barber says.

Henderson, who plays the same position as Attar, is only 5-6 but has the kind of vertical leap that would make a lot of basketball players jealous. “She has great jumps,’’ Barber says. “She’s already has some good kills against some tough teams. I’ve been impressed.”

Koopman will try to step into Schaible’s role in the middle. Last year, Schaible had a team-best 180 blocks to go with 229 kills. Koopman, who is 5-foot-10, won’t be expected to put up those kind of numbers her first season, but Barber expects her to improve and become a force under the tutelage of Attar.

“Even though she doesn’t play the middle (blocker position), she knows everything,’’ Koopman says about learning under Attar. “She just knows what to do. It’s great, I love playing with her.”

Hileman agrees. “Kathryn can teach because she knows how everybody’s position is played,’’ she says. “I’m a setter, and she knows what I do. It’s good, because she’ll help all of us, not just one of us.”

Freshman Class To Help Wharton Volleyball For Years

While Barber says Hileman, Koopman and Henderson — all starters — will play the biggest role among his freshman, they won’t be the only ones making their mark in the next few years. He says he has a dozen first-year prepsters playing this year, some of whom he will reveal later this season when they get called up to varsity.

“Overall, our freshman group is outstanding, it’s the best we’ve had,’’’ says Barber, whose team is now 5-6, but after a stumble at the Academy of Holy Names tournament the Wildcats have won their last three matches, including a win over Wiregrass Ranch.

Attar thinks that talent will develop enough by the end of the season to make the Wildcats a team to be reckoned with come playoff time in October.

A player of her All-State talents can carry a volleyball team to a successful season, but the kind of help the freshmen can provide could mark the difference between good and great.

“I’ve seen noticeable improvement already, and there should be more noticeable improvement by the end of the year,’’ Attar says. “You wouldn’t look at us and think we haven’t played together before. We should be really good by the time Districts (begin).”

Wharton High 6th Annual Harvest Volleyball Tournament

WHEN: September 30-October 1.

WHERE: Wharton High gymnasium, 20150 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

TEAMS: Wharton, Brandon, Durant, Freedom, Sunlake, Gaither and two teams to be named.

OUTLOOK: This annual event is also a food drive, with fans urged to help fill a large box outside of the gym with canned or boxed food items which is used to help feed people at three local food banks.

volleyball Wharton