Community Unity: Events To Keep You Busy in Brandon and Beyond

The new year is three weeks old and it’s time to look ahead to what’s happening and worthy of note in the Greater Brandon community.

The weekend kicks off with a wrestling tournament, a chamber dinner and stage productions suited for those who love Sherlock Holmes and are fans of Bobby Darin.

As always, we invite you to help us grow this list of community events by submitting your own "must-do's" in the comment box below.

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JANUARY 20
Riverview Chamber Dinner and Awards Presentation

• The Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce Annual Membership and Awards Dinner kicks off at 5:30 p.m. at the Showmen's Club in Riverview. Recommended attire is tropical. Admission is $35 and includes a Polynesian luau-style dinner buffet. Business of the Year finalists are Four Paws Veterinary, Hess Orthodontics and Mackey Productions. Finalists for Business Person of the Year are Michael Beiter, of Preservation First Financial Group; Erik Butler, of TakeOutButler; and Jim Smeaton, of the Smeaton Home-Selling Team. Honorary Mayor of Riverview Lisa Kennedy will be formally introduced. Also to be named: the Margy Watkins Volunteer of the Year and the chamber's Ambassador of the Year.

JANUARY 20-21
28th Annual Tony Ippolito Memorial Wrestling Tournament

• Thirty-two teams are set to compete in the annual tournament named in honor and memory of Brandon High Schools first-ever state champion wrestler. The Brandon Eagles are going for the team's 26th tournament crown. The action gets under way 4 p.m. Jan. 20 and resumes at 10 a.m. Jan. 21, with the finals scheduled to start at around 5 p.m. (Related coverage, .)

JANUARY 20
Tribute Concert to Bobby Darin

• Salerno Entertaiment is back at the , where most recently through group staged a tribute concert to Frank Sinatra. This time around the crooner of note is Bobby Darin, with a show Jan. 20, at 7 p.m., and a show and dinner on Jan. 21, at 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $25 for the show only and $40 for the dinner and show performance. Catering is by All Events Catering. For more, call Center Place at 813-685-8888.

JANUARY 20 and 21
Community Theater and Sherlock Holmes

• The Village Players returns to the stage with the January staging of "The Penultimate Problem of Sherlock Holmes," directed by Gail Pierce. Remaining show dates and times are Jan, 20-21, at 7 p.m. Cost is $12 at the door and $10 in advance from a cast member. A dinner theater performance is scheduled for Jan. 6, at a cost of $25 per person. For information, call: 813-300-1817.

JANUARY 21
Mission Lunch and Auction

• Silent auction, lunch and a live auction are scheduled for ALMA, the John Nugent Mission Event, held every other year at the to benefit a local mission. This year the event is Jan. 21 and will benefit the Brandon Outreach Clinic, a not-for-profit corporation that provides basic medical care to people who earn a living, but not enough to buy medical insurance or pay their medical bills. Auction items have been donated by church members and friends and include vacation opportunities, rounds of golf, gift certificates for fine dining in area restaurants and family entertainment and unique gift items. The silent auction begins at 11 a.m., with lunch served at noon, followed by the live auction. Open to the public. Tickets available at the door on the church's Web site. The church is at 121 Carver Ave.

JANUARY 21, 22 and 27
No-Cost Vessel Checks for Gasparilla Day

• Recreational boat owners planning to participate in the 2012 Gasparilla Pirate Invasion on Jan. 28 are invited to take advantage of "no-cost, non-punitive, 15-minute checks" to avoid "potential sizeable fines for outdated or missing safety equipment aboard their boats." This word from the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 79, which has been offering Coast Guard Auxiliary Vessel Safety Checks beginning Jan. 7 and continuing Saturdays and Sundays leading up to the invasion, as well as Friday, Jan. 27. Remaining checks are from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Jan. 21 and from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Jan. 22. On Jan. 27, the hours are from 9 a.m.-noon. Go to the Gandy Boat Ramp, at 5108 West Gandy Blvd., in South Tampa. For more information on the checks, visit this online site covering what's required to be on board.

JANUARY 24
Caregivers Symposisum

• The Bridges Retirement Community is partnering with the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association to present an educational seminar for caregivers on Jan. 24, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., with registration and refreshments at 9 a.m. The seminar will address practical strategies for caregivers and professionals and new treatments for the disease and related disorders. Scheduled to speak are Dr. William Haley, a nationally recognized scientist and professor at the University of South Florida, and Dr. Susan Steen, a board-certified psychiatrist and neurologist. Family members, professionals and caregivers are invited to attend. The seminar is free but reservations are required. Call Janet Noah at 813-413-8916.

JANUARY 25
Art Exhibit for Greater Brandon Artists - No Entry Fee!

• Artists are invited to enter up to three paintings for, "So You Think You Can Paint? The Greater Brandon Edition 2012." The event, scheduled for Jan. 25 at The Regent, is modeled after successful efforts at the Centre Gallery in Tampa and the Spoke Gallery in Chicago. Artists are invited to submit their work, of any subject, size or format, Jan. 20-22 at The Regent, 6437 Waston Road in Riverview (in the southwest corner of the Winthrop community). Judging will be based on concept and a panel will critique the submitted paintings based on skill and the artist's handling of the medium. A video of the judging will be presented dring the reception and awards presentation, Jan. 25, from 5-9 p.m. Five grand prizes and five special-category prizes will be awarded. A raffle drawing will be held to win a painting kit from AOE Supply, a sponsor of the event, with Vincent Kral. For more information, call the The Regent at 813-571-2494, or email: info@experiencetheregent.com.

DEADLINE: JANUARY 27
Gasparilla Music Festival Event Poster Contest

• The inaugural Gasparilla Music Festival is scheduled for March 10-11, featuring live bands in the Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park in downtown Tampa. A diverse array of muscial styles will be featured, including indie rock, world music, jazz, Americana, bluegrass, blues, folk, gospel, reggae and more. Artits are invited to submit by Jan. 27 their work for an event poster advertising the music festival. The selected designer will receive $200 and the chosen design will appear on posters and might be incorporated into other marketing items, such as an event Web site and flyers. The artist will be credit. The selected design also might be sold in al ive or silent auction to benefit the Gasparilla Music Festival, a non-profit organization, with a percentage going back to the artist. For more information, visit the Greater Brandon Arts Council Web site.

JANUARY 28
Womens Health Exposition

• The and South Bay Hospital return with another Healthy Women, Healthy Communities Women’s Expo, this time at the Crowne Plaza Tampa East. (A first such expo was held earlier this year at HCC at The Regent in Riverview.) The expo is scheduled for Jan. 28, from 8 a.m.-2 p.m., with lunch served at noon. Visit with vendors and physician practices and attend lectures on a variety of topics, including the latest treatments for menopause, heavy bleeding, heartburn and GERD. Also, tips for dealing with stress and depression and for battling fatique and other like conditions. The cost for the event, including lunch, is $10.
• Related Coverage:

JANUARY 28
Barbara Bailey Hutchison Community Concert

•  Grammy Award winner Barbara Bailey Hutchison is scheduled to return in concert at the Center Place Fine Arts & Civic Association on Jan. 28. Doors open at 7 p.m., with the concert getting under way at 7:30 p.m. Heralded as a singer, songwriter and storyteller, Hutchison's concert is family friendly. Tickets cost $20 and are available at Center Place, which shares space with the Brandon Regional Library in the Sandy Rodriguez Center, at 619 Vonderburg Drive. Call: 813-685-8888.

CONTEST DEADLINE: JANUARY 31
Women of Faith Writing Contest

• Open through Jan. 31, this contest is for writers of unpublished books, fiction or nonfiction, from all genres and on all subjects, including memoirs. The grand prize is a publishing contract with Thomas Nelson. First prize is a contract with WestBow Press. Each manuscript must be at least 10,000 words. Visit WestBow Press online for contest rules and additional prizes. 

THROUGH FEBRUARY 11
Photographic Exhibit: “Bud Lee’s America”

• The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts (FMOPA) has been awarded the Creative Contribution Enriching the Community Award, as presented at the Eighth Annual Brush Strokes Awards in October, which each year recognizes excellence in the arts. The museum through Feb. 11 is presenting “Bud Lee’s America,” an exhibition based on the work of Lee, a Plant City resident, who, as noted in the Osprey Observer was named U.S. Military Photographer of the Year in 1966. According to the Osprey, “In 1967, his photograph of a wounded boy caught in the crossfire of a New Jersey riot made the cover of Life magazine.” Also, “his work has appeared in magazines such as Life, Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar, Town & Country, Rolling Stone, Vogue, The New York Times Sunday magazine and more.” The museum is in Tampa, at 200 North Tampa St., Suite 130. Cost is free to members and $6 for non-members and $4 for students and military. The museum is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, from noon to 5 p.m. The museum is closed on Monday.

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SATURDAY MORNINGS
Chair Yoga Classes

• Chair yoga classes are being offered Saturday mornings in the clubhouse at The Bridges Retirement Community. Open to the public, these classes are free of charge and taught by Gary Lenza, a certified yoga instructor, who noted in a news release that the classes are "great for seniors because they can experience the benefits of yoga without getting on the floor." With regular practice, he added, "yoga improves balance, strength and energy." The Mayo Clinic notes that yoga's potential benefits include stress reduction, increased fitness, management of chronic health conditions and weight loss. For information, call Janet Noah at 813-413-8900.

FIRST THURSDAY OF THE MONTH
Network at the YMCA

• The Greater Brandon area is not shy of networking groups, with the addition as well of a new group in 2012. The inaugural session of a networking group at the Campo Family YMCA in Valrico was held this month. The group meets the first Thursday of every month, at the Campo Y at 3414 Culbreath Road. Call Kavita Marballi at 813-684-1371, ext. 212, or email: kmarvalli@tampaymca.org.

ONGING
Family Support Classes

• Free classes on a variety of topics are offered at the at 12777 Kingsway Rd. For information, call: 813-740-4634.

ONGOING
Classes in the Arts

• Free classes in the arts for children and adults are offered at the Center Place Fine Arts & Civic Association, which shares space with the Brandon Regional Library in the Sandy Rodriguez Center at 619 Vonderburg Dr. For information, visit Center Place online, pick up a schedule at the center or call: 813-685-8888.