The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative is holding ten “2020 Vision” Open House events at libraries around the county. The third event was held on Feb. 16 at the New Tampa Regional Library on Cross Creek Blvd., where 73 people expressed their “vision” for the local library.
What do you want from your public library?
Cooking classes? Yoga classes? More DVDs or magazines? Less noise?
These questions, and more, were asked on Feb. 16 at a Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative (HCPLC) 2020 Vision Open House at the New Tampa Regional Library (NTRL) on Cross Creek Blvd.
The NTRL stop was the third in a series of 10 open houses HCPLC is holding across Hillsborough County as the cooperative forges it’s agenda for the next five years.
“This is the public input period in the planning and design of our strategic plan,’’ said Andrew Breidenbaugh, the director of library services for Hillsborough County during the meeting. “We use this as kind of a guide to what our services are going to look like for the next five years.”
HCPLC had a handful of displays for patrons to look at in NTRL’s community room during the open house, with employees of the cooperative stationed at each display to facilitate conversation and answer questions.
The turnout was the best yet, Breidenbaugh says, as 73 people took part, compared to an average of roughly 40 at the HCPLC’s previous two stops at the Upper Tampa Bay and Jimmie B. Keel regional libraries.
“That was great and nice to see,’’ said Breidenbaugh, who says he started his career at the New Tampa location when it opened in 1997. “It’s nice to see such involvement from a community that doesn’t really have a center. Maybe the library can be that center.”
Although inconclusive at this early stage in the 2020 Vision process, some of the responses at the NTRL open house indicated a desire for the library to partner with museums, schools and neighborhood associations, but not so much with sports teams and restaurants.
Some people wanted the library to start offering yoga, cooking classes and even self-defense classes. Others expressed interest in the library carrying newer-release DVDs and books.
In 2015, the HCPLC hosted 13,452 events and classes in its 29 libraries, ranging from astronomy to computer coding, with 272,463 people participating.
“We take the public phase input on this very seriously,’’ Breidenbaugh said. “We were looking for feedback on what we are doing well, what it is we can improve and generally speaking what people want in their future library.”
When the remaining seven open houses have been completed, the HCPLC will solicit questionnaires and surveys through its website and in print, sometime in late March.
That will be followed by focus groups in late May or early June of this year. The HCLPC will analyze the raw data and put together a plan by Oct. 1, the start of the county’s new fiscal year.
One thing that Breidenbaugh says will be interesting to watch is how the HLPLC balances the technological demands of the patrons who use the library for the internet, and those who prefer it remains a completely silent place for reading books and studying.
Customers who have used the library for a long time seem to like the way it is, but the way information is presented today is far different — and far louder, according to Breidenbaugh — than it was 25 years ago.
“There are different ideas of what the library should be,’’ Breidenbaugh said. “The picture is not clear to everyone.”
By October, the HCPLC hopes the picture will be clearer.
The New Tampa Regional Library is located at 10001 Cross Creek Blvd. For more information about future open houses and how to take part in the 2020 Vision, visit 2020Vision.hcplc.org.
At Infinite Edge Learning Center in Tampa Palms, Ozra Jabbari (above) helps connect local students with top-notch tutors as they prepare for the SAT, ACT and other tests.
At Infinite Edge Learning Center, located in the Tampa Palms Professional Center off Commerce Park Blvd., helping New Tampa students reach their highest potential is a family affair.
Sobi Jabbari owns the tutoring center, where his wife, Ozra, is the office manager, and son, Korosh, is one of the 15 staff members who work one-on-one with students. Sobi and Ozra also have a daughter, Farush, who is a freshman at nearby Freedom High, less than a mile from the office. The family has lived in Tampa Palms for more than 20 years.
Every member of the staff at Infinite Edge Learning Center works individually with students who are looking to get ahead — or need help catching up — in all subjects for grades kindergarten through 12, and even for college.
They also help students prepare for a variety of standardized tests, everything from the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) and ACT (American College Testing) to get into college, to the GRE (Graduate Record Examination)/GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test), tests students need to get into good post-graduate schools and programs.
“We don’t prescribe to a one-size-fits-all curriculum,” says Sobi. “Here, we design a program that fits each individual student’s needs. We continually assess each child and help them improve in order to reach a higher level.”
Before he opened Infinite Edge Learning Center in 2007, Sobi says he had 30 years of teaching experience at the high school and university levels. He earned a B.S. (Bachelor of Science) degree in Mathematics & Engineering Physics from the University of Illinois in Chicago in 1986 and an M.S. (Master of Science) degree in Experimental Physics, which he earned from the University of South Florida in 1987.
Students can get assistance in a variety of subjects at Infinite Edge Learning Center, including mathematics, language development and enrichment, general science, chemistry, reading, foreign languages, AP Calculus (AB and BC), AP Chemistry and AP Physics, along with International Baccalaureate (IB) and other college-level courses. The center also offers help with language improvement for students whose first language is something other than English. The staff also can help students who are serious athletes or musicians and can’t be in school full time, because of their busy travel schedules.
“Every student has the capability to do well, but you have to find the way to help each one reach their potential,” says Sobi. “It’s very individual. We don’t have the same formula for everyone. We learn the weaknesses of each student and then work to eradicate them.”
He adds that the staff at Infinite Edge teaches students at all levels, from remedial to the highest achievers.
A Truly Expert Staff
Korosh Jabbari is the only tutor at the center who does not hold at least a bachelor’s degree. Although he is just now a freshman at USF himself, his education in math is well beyond that level.
As a high school freshman, Korosh took AP calculus BC, considered an advanced class even for high school seniors, and has continued taking subsequently more challenging classes. He is currently in the USF Honors College seven-year B.S./M.D. medical program, where he will earn both a Bachelor’s and M.D. degree in seven years, all at USF.
All of the other tutors at Infinite Edge are teachers in local schools and professors at the college level.
“Since our tutors are working with kids,” says Ozra, “we make sure they are correctly certified for a teaching job.”
She feels it’s important that the center’s tutors are currently working in the education system, so they are very much in tune with what students are learning in the classroom.
“Many parents are professionals and have a lot of knowledge, but they don’t know how to teach,” Ozra explains, saying that’s why they bring their children to the center. “You have to be a teacher to know what’s going on in the education system today.”
New SAT Starts in March
Beginning this March, the SAT has a new format. While the old SAT offered a total of 2,400 points (800 each in math, reading and writing), the new SAT is only 1,600 points (as it was before the writing portion was given its own 800 points), still with 800 points available in the math portion but only 800 points available for reading and writing combined.
“The new test is more difficult,” says Korosh. “It relies less on test-taking strategies, such as elimination. Students need to deeply understand concepts from classrooms and how they apply these concepts to real-life situations.”
But, students who attend Infinite Edge Learning Center continue to be well prepared. Using a curriculum developed by Sobi, Infinite Edge students have already been practicing the new SAT format for months.
Ozra says that Infinite Edge lives up to its billing as the self-proclaimed “Home of the Perfect SAT Score.”
“Every time we have students take the SAT, we have at least one perfect score,” says Ozra. “We give students the material to prepare, and they work hard.”
She adds that the biggest problem she sees is that many parents wait too long to think about the SAT or ACT.
“Your children should begin preparing for the SAT by ninth grade, at least.”
If students haven’t begun preparing for the SAT before their junior year — which is when they need to take the test to apply for college — they’re often too busy with academics and extracurricular activities to spend a lot of time preparing, and they simply run out of time.
“We recommend one-on-one, customized test preparation,” says Ozra, “but we also offer group preparation courses.”
Infinite Edge Learning Center has also offered free, four-hour SAT prep classes on a Saturday morning at Freedom, which is available to any student at the school.
No Contracts/Great Results
One thing that sets Infinite Edge Learning Center apart from its competition is that there are no contracts.
“You come as long as you need us,” explains Ozra, “and you always get personal attention.”
That’s one reason why Adam Chronister, a West Meadows resident who attends Tampa Catholic, first came to Infinite Edge for his SAT and ACT preparation.
“We shopped around before choosing Infinite Edge,” says Adam’s mom, Trish. “They are very affordable. While their rates are in line with others, some other centers required a long-term contract, and I didn’t want to get into that.”
She says her son wanted to do well on both his ACT and SAT, so he started working with Infinite Edge the summer before his junior year. Although he did well on the first SAT test he took, he was driven to improve.
“He would take an SAT or ACT, see his scores, and want to do better, so he’d go back to Infinite Edge,” Trish says, adding that Adam was able to raise his SAT score 180 points over a total of three tests.
“They really helped him,” she says. “We’ve been incredibly pleased and highly recommend them.”
Trish says the support her son received at Infinite Edge helped him achieve the test scores he needed to get into the college of his choice. So far, he’s been accepted and received academic scholarships to Florida State University in Tallahassee, the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Stetson University in DeLand, and – most important to him – his first choice, the University of Florida in Gainesville.
Infinite Edge Learning Center (17419 Bridge Hill Ct.) is open Mon.-Fri., 2 p.m.–8 p.m., and 9 a.m.–5 p.m. on Sat. Weekday morning hours are available by appointment only for students who homeschool or do online courses. For more info, visit InfiniteEdgeLearningCenter.com, call 971-6500 or
Plans to expand the New Tampa Recreation Center (NTRC) — whether by adding more room for a gymnastics program that already has a two-year waiting list, adding a pool or perhaps building covered areas for parents to watch their kids play youth sports — are on hold.
Again.
For the second time in five years, the Tampa City Council has voted to provide funds for another project, keeping the NTRC as it is and adding to the ire of many New Tampa residents that the area is not getting a fair return on the large share of city taxes they pay.
“We are tired of being treated as a cash cow for the city,’’ said Tampa Palms attorney Warren Dixon.
The Tampa City Council voted Feb. 4 to spend the money instead to fix the 79-year-old Cuscaden Park pool, which will receive $3.1-million for its upgrade.
In 2005, the city spent $2.5-million on the pool, which was then closed in 2009 because of structural damage that was causing leaks. It hasn’t re-opened since.
District 7 Council member Lisa Montelione, who represents New Tampa and the surrounding area, was the lone vote against funding the pool.
While she said she respects the historical and cultural importance of the pool, the money used was not only diverted from the NTRC, but also from another project at the Greco Sports Complex off Fowler Ave. that also sits in her district.
“I wasn’t surprised by the vote, based on the previous support for the repairs at Cuscaden Pool,’’ Montelione says. “What I can tell the people of New Tampa is they need to reach out to my fellow council members and let them know how they feel. I’m on the side of New Tampa, I just need others on the council to see how important this is.”
Dixon said he has already written a letter of complaint, and others, like Maggie Wilson, has voiced their displeasure..
“The prevailing feeling is that there is a disregard for the needs of the (New Tampa) area,’’ said Wilson, a well-known community consultant for the Tampa Palms Community Development District. “‘Just send us your tax money.’ I’m not sure that’s my feeling, but when it comes to enhancements (for our community), it certainly is.”
Wilson’s feelings are nothing new. Even as folks line up to run for Montelione’s District 7 seat, they all seem to mention the need to help make the tax monies work for the area.
The New Tampa Rec Center, which was built in 2008, boasts more than 19,000 sq. ft. of indoor space, mostly for bustling gymnastics and tumbling programs, also is home to a skateboarding park and multi-purpose fields in the adjacent New Tampa Community Park.
In 2012, it was announced that the NTRC would be expanding the following year by adding an additional 14,000 sq. ft. to the facility with more gym space, locker and multi-purpose rooms, a workout center and a rock-climbing wall. But, the $1.5-million addition never came to fruition.
“It was actually in the budget draft, and then when the final budget came out it was gone,’’ says Montelione. “I raised numerous questions to staff about where the money went, and no one could ever really answer the question.”
Dixon says that the original developer of Tampa Palms had to set aside the land for nearby Freedom High and where the New Tampa Recreation Center is located, and with the CDD bonds all paid off, “we essentially have paid for that land.”
“When you realize that we (as Tampa Palms residents) have already made a significant contribution to the rec center, you can understand why we get a little short tempered,’’ he added.
So, will the rec center ever get the improvements promised in 2012, and then promised again for 2016?
“It’s on the books,” Montelione says. “It does have a line item. It’s just a matter of making it the mayor’s priority to keep it funded and to keep them from reallocating the funds.
“This is getting a little repetitive, year after year after year.”
The District School Board of Pasco County is still accepting suggestions from the community for the name of the new elementary school under construction in Wesley Chapel. You have until Monday, Feb. 29 to get in your recommendation.
Elementary “W” is scheduled to open in August on Mansfield Boulevard, across from Dr. John Long Middle School.
The school board is offering community members, educators, and students a chance to provide suggestions for school names. Keep in mind, The Board prefers to name schools after the general location, features of the area, or historical information about the school’s location, and the suggested name must be descriptive and brief.
If you submit the name of an individual, the name should be of a person of prominence, recognized for his or her outstanding civic or educational contribution. The Board will only consider naming a school after an elected official or School Board employee if he or she has been deceased for two or more years or left public office or employment in the district two or more years ago.
You can email your suggestions with a brief explanation for each school name using the Subject “Elementary W” to lcobbe@pasco.k12.fl.us, You can also fax them to 813-794-2716, or mail them to:
Linda Cobbe
Communications & Government Relations Dept.
7227 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.
Land O’ Lakes, FL 34638
Jameson Norton, the CEO of North Tampa Behavioral Health, discusses the facility’s expansion plans at the Jan. 28 Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Council meeting.
With an increasing demand for psychiatric care in eastern Pasco County, Acadia Healthcare’s North Tampa Behavorial Health (NTBH) on S.R. 56, less than two miles east of the Shops of Wiregrass mall, is expanding and will add a two-story unit housing 48 additional beds by the end of this year, CEO Jameson Norton told members of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) at an Economic Development Council briefing on Jan. 28.
Florida ranks 49th in the U.S. in per capita mental health services expenditures, Norton said. The $9-10-million expansion (which will increase NTBH’s site from its current 53,000-sq.-ft. to 80,000) will bring the total number of beds at NTBH to 123, and is expected to bring approximately 50 new jobs to the area.
Norton, who became CEO of NTBH in June of 2015, said his adults-only facility, which is the only one in eastern Pasco that accepts Baker Act patients (who are either emergency room or involuntarily admitted for psychiatric evaluation) and the only one in all of Pasco accepting Marchman Act patients (which allows for the involuntary or voluntary assessment and stabilization of a person allegedly abusing substances like drugs or alcohol), is growing to meet that need and also is planning to expand its services for military veterans.
Many of the new rooms at NTBH will be earmarked for treatment of veterans.
“There’s a lot of need in the veterans community,’’ said Norton, himself a retired U.S. Marine Captain.
The groundbreaking for the new wing will be March 1, with an expected completion date of December 30 of this year, Norton said.
For more information about North Tampa Behavioral Health (29910 S.R. 56), visit NorthTampaBehavioralHealth.com or call (877) 297-2192.
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