Temp Bridge & Northbound Lanes Open On Bruce B. Downs

By Matt Wiley

Drivers on and above Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. have been experiencing some new traffic patterns. In the past few weeks, both the temporary northbound I-75 bridge over BBD and the recently finished northbound lanes on BBD north of the interstate have opened to traffic.

The temporary bridge, which will be in place for about two years during the reconstruction of the interstate bridges that carry traffic over BBD, opened to northbound drivers on May 7. Southbound I-75 traffic is now moving over the old northbound bridge, as construction will soon be starting on the now-vacant southbound bridge.

Heading north on BBD has never felt so good. For tires, at least.

Recently finished northbound lanes of BBD have opened north of I-75 in New Tampa, all the way to the entrance of Hunter’s Green, and local businesses and residents of the Hunter’s Green community are beginning to feel the impact.

Keith Oakley, the owner of Oakley’s Grille on BBD next to Dairy Queen, says that business is beginning to pick back up.

“It’s better,” he says. “Not to the extent it will be in the future, when it’s all done, but we’re definitely more visible now (than we were). And, we’re a lot more accessible.”

For the past several months, the BBD widening project has diverted both directions of traffic to the southbound lanes, making businesses on the east side of BBD much less visible and more difficult to access during the road construction.

“Before, it was like people had tunnel vision with all of the construction,” Oakley explains. “You had to watch where you were going. You couldn’t really look around to see what businesses were there.”

The local business market isn’t the only thing expected to bounce back after the completion of the BBD widening project.

“Once it’s reopened, the housing market should change considerably,” says New Tampa Realty owner Tom Bosso, whose office in the former Hunter’s Green Model & Visitor Center also has been made much more accessible since the northbound lanes reopened. He says the widening project has directly affected the local real estate market.

“I see it every day when I’m driving around clients,” he explains. “I can see it in their faces. They’re looking around at all of the construction thinking, ‘I have to drive through this every day?’ They’re preoccupied thinking about the construction.”

The $107-million, three-phase widening project will eventually turn BBD into an eight-lane highway from the Pasco County line all the way south to Bearss Ave. Phase 1 construction along BBD from Pebble Creek Dr. to Palm Springs Blvd. in Tampa Palms has been causing problems for New Tampa residents since January 2010.

Hillsborough County Public Works spokesman Steve Valdez says that the stretch from Pebble Creek Blvd. to I-75 should be completed by the end of the year. The stretch south of I-75 to Bearss Ave. should be completed by late spring 2013. Valdez says that the project’s third phase, which is set to widen BBD from Pebble Creek Dr. north to the Pasco County line, is still unfunded, so no schedule has yet been set for its completion.

Water Main Rupture Leaves New Tampa Residents Waterless

By Matt Wiley

Instead of the water from a ruptured transmission main that left New Tampa residents waterless the afternoon of May 4 and had one northbound lane of the road closed until May 8, traffic is flowing freely again on the northbound side of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. between Amberly Dr. and Tampa Palms Blvd.Continue reading

Camp IDS — Education & Fun For Your Kids All Summer Long!

Every year, hundreds of children return to Independent Day School’s “Camp IDS” summer camps because of the program’s extensive selection, highly trained teacher-counselors, safe and nurturing environment — and because everyone has a great time!

Whether you’re a parent looking for something for your adventurous middle school student to do this summer, or you’re searching for a safe and nurturing environment for your three-year-old, the Independent Day School-Corbett Campus (IDS-CC)’s Camp IDS, located at IDS-CC (less than 25 minutes from most of New Tampa on Orange Grove Dr. in the North Tampa/South Carrollwood area), has more than 70 different options from which to choose for kids ages 3-18.

Preparing your three- or four-year-old for pre-kindergarten? How about “Bookworms in the Garden” or “Fun with Numbers?” Have a budding scientist? There’s “Junior Astronomy,” “Junior Scientists” and “CSI IDS” camps. Is there a future Broadway star in your family? Check out “That’s Entertainment!” And, when it comes to sports, Camp IDS offers everything from basketball to matball.

Divided into seven weekly sessions from June 11-July 27, Camp IDS offers full- and half-day camps in a broad array of fields – academics, communications and technology, performing & visual arts, recreation, sports and travel. “Camp IDS has been providing something for everyone from pre-kindergarten through high school for many years,” says IDS-CC’s Marie Massara, who co-directs the camp with Assistant Head of School Nick Rodriguez and middle school teacher Stephen Shoe.

While many campers participate in traditional sports camps such as soccer, volleyball and archery, children looking for something new can choose from camps in disc golf, filmography, Chinese kids’ games or earth-friendly art, just to name a few.

Fine arts camps in musical theatre, drama, band, dance, photography and painting complement other creative endeavors in cooking, newspaper reporting, broadcasting and computers.

A Wilderness Extreme camp for 5th-8th graders, for example, includes hiking, mountain biking, snorkeling, canoeing and inline skating. And an Adventure Camp for grades 3-5 takes children to a variety of attractions around the Tampa Bay area.

“Campers can strengthen reading, writing or math skills in the morning and then dance on stage or shoot hoops in the afternoon,” Rodriguez says. “They can paint, perform in a Broadway musical, build and launch model rockets, learn archery, cook, bake and so much more. We offer something for everyone.”

Shoe adds, “What’s been great about Camp IDS is that the children can choose what they really want to do. The wide selection of camps exposes children to new things that they might not normally know much about, and offers them an opportunity to expand their interests in a positive and supportive environment.”

For example, middle school thrill seekers can join IDS middle school teacher Tom Bronson on the roller coaster connoisseur’s dream trip, Adrenaline Camp.

Last year, participants rode roller coasters in five parks in five days, and this year, Bronson hopes to top that record. He also is conducting a SCUBA camp, so middle schoolers can earn their NAUI certification and then head to the Florida Keys for diving.

“The majority of children who come to Camp IDS have been here before,” says Massara. “They keep coming back because they feel safe, welcome, and they have a great time.”

“Our highly trained teachers and experienced camp counselors love what they do,” adds Shoe. “And that fun and positive attitude permeates the entire camp.”

Founded in 1968, IDS-CC is a fully accredited, nonsectarian private school with more than 500 students from PreK3 through the 8th grade. At IDS-CC, all children experience the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme in a highly academic and nurturing environment focused on excellence and excitement in learning. IDS-CC has become recognized as an exemplary school with more than 6,500 visitors observing and learning from IDS-CC teachers.

For more information about IDS-CC (12015 Orange Grove Dr.) or its summer camps, visit IDSYes.com or call 961-3087 for a brochure or to take a personal tour.