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A Huge Success: Flavors III The Hillsborough Legislative Delegation was proud to host "Flavors" for the third year and thanks the participants which make it such a great event. Back as sponsors for the third year were Tampa Electric and Verizon; for the second year, Batson-Cook Construction and Tampa Bay Builders Association; and joining the team for the first time, Bright House Network, Johnnie B. Byrd Sr.'s Alzheimers & Research Institute, Mosaic, and Strategic Solutions, Inc. Outdoor America Images (OAI) donated the fabulous banners which saluted the Hillsborough River, the late Hall of Famer Al Lopez, the Sulphur Springs water tower at night, the hotbed of bioscience (represented by USF doctors and researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center) that is Hillsborough County, and the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center at dusk.

Logoboards Salute All Participants Three logoboards were strategically placed around the Senate Portico to let everyone know who was on site supporting Hillsborough County and its Legislative Delegation. The folks representing these organizations are always enthusiastic, reflecting their pride in who they work for and in being able to showcase to the hundreds of guests who attend "Flavors of Hillsborough."

April 20 Was Also "Al Lopez Day" The Florida Senate and Florida House also honored the late Al Lopez with Resolutions and declared April 20 as Al Lopez Day. El Senor, a native of Ybor City, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as a manager in 1977 and was the longest-lived member of the Baseball Hall of Fame and the last living major leaguer to play in the 1920s when he passed away in October 2005. He was and remains Tampa's foremost baseball ambassador. Judy Cole, senior administrative specialist in the Delegation office, put together a display board honoring Mr. Lopez which included a newsclip of "Al Lopez Day" being celebrated in Tampa in 1937. About 12 dozen "Al Lopez Day" T-shirts were also given away on the Portico.

The Lopez Family Comes to Tallahassee The Legislature was honored when the late Al Lopez' family came to Tallahassee and was recognized in the Senate and House Galleries when the Resolutions were read. Those attending were Al Lopez III, Kathleen Lopez, Al Lopez IV, Al Lopez, Jr., Bryce, Brock, and Richard Mondor, Elizabeth Lopez Mondor, Elsa Lopez, Benajmin Lopez, Shelby Lopez, Bryant Mondor and Abigail Lopez. Burke Lopez and his wife were the only family unable to attend.

24 "Goodie Bags" Given to Lucky Winners The Columbia Restaurant, The Florida Aquarium, Keel and Curley Winery (bottles of wine not available at time of photo) Lowry Park Zoo, The Museum of Science and Industry, Ruskin Redneck Gormay Foods & Gifts, Valrico Bros. Coffee Company, and Vigo Importing Company donated fabulous "goodies" from Hillsborough County which 24 lucky folks won by drawing the "red chip" at the Delegation's table at the event.

"Goodie Bags" On Display Janet Roder, district assistant to Rep. Ed Homan, shows the display board of those who donated Hillsborough products for the "goodie bags." Two of the filled bags are waiting to be taken home by the lucky people who drew the right color chip from the box in center.

The Van Needs to Be Packed: Time to Roll Staff in the Delegation office collects empty boxes almost year 'round in preparation of "Flavors of Hillsborough." Shown below is a portion of the boxes that had to be packed into the rental van, driven to Tallahassee, then unloaded and set up for display on the Senate Portico and is typical of all those who host tables at the event. The Delegation Office, on the 24th Floor of County Center, proudly displays the "Banners of Flavors" in its lobby area.

Mildred How You've Changed! The Florida Poultry Federation has been a mainstay of "Flavors" since its inception with Executive Director Chuck Smith (inducted into the Agriculture Hall of Fame this year) and his wife, Mildred, always reminding us to "Think Eggs." Photographers seemed to have missed both the Smiths this year, but Mike Comins, CEO of the FL Association of Community Colleges, was an event guest who was recruited to help cook made-to-order omelets provided by the Federation. Thanks, Mildred! And thanks, Mike--always a team player and a chef in his own right as well!

Volunteers Love Cooking the Omelets! Charlie Anderson and Monica Medlicott, , legislative assistant and session secretary to Senate President Tom Lee, and Cody Smith, intern to Rep. Kevin Ambler, show their team spirit and jump in to help cook omelets for the FPF and the guests at "Flavors."

We MUST Mention Jeffrey Huggins, Too! Jeffrey is the Director of Government Relations and Legislative Advocacy for USF (one of the biggest "Bull Boosters" you'd ever want to meet!) who also loves working at the omelet table after the USF display is set up. He's in the background here and "Mildred" a/k/a Mike Comins (FACC and formerly with Hillsborough Community College) is in the foreground.

Another Agriculture Hall of Famer Rep. Rich Glorioso and Rep. Trey Traviesa were proud to be seen with Roy Davis, owner of Tampa Bay Wholesale Growers, and well-known advocate of farmers and farming who was also inducted into Florida's Agriculture Hall of Fame this year.

Herbs, Herbs, Herbs! Roy Davis, center, drove a thousand or more herb plants to Tallahassee along with Vince Tort representing the Florida Nurserymen, Growers, and Landscapers Association, to give away at the event. Amanda Fritz, a student at Florida State University, but from Seffner and a friend of the Davis family, was recruited to help give the plants away at the event. Mr. Davis reported folks had many questions (including asking if he would bring oregano next year!) and was pleased by the great turnout at the event.

Blueberries! The Hillsborough County Farm Bureau served fresh blueberry parfaits at the event. In 2004, Hillsborough County blueberry sales were an estimated $2M on 115 acres out of total agricultural sales of $665M. On the left, you can see the hand of Amanda Collins, Judi Whitson, executive director of the Farm Bureau, and Samantha Williamson, preparing the parfaits as Amanda's dad, Bruce Collins, added the finishing touches with spritzes of whipped cream.

The Face of the Hillsborough Farm Bureau Judi Whitson, the executive director of the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau, smiles for the camera with Rep. Trey Traviesa, House District 56. There are 2,969 farms in Hillsborough, ranking second among Florida counties and 20th in the nation. There are 21 farm homesteads in Florida's Century Pioneer Family Farm Program.

Dairy On-Site with Milk, Milk, Milk Even as Hillsborough County now has but three remaining dairy farms, Dairy Farmers Incorporated donated items to give away and to remind us to "Drink Milk" at the event. Bottles of cold milk in a variety of flavors (and fat content) were also given away.

Dale McClelland Finds an Opporutnity Dale McClelland of M&B Products had an opportunity to discuss his containerized products with School Board members Dr. Jack Lamb and Doretha Edgecomb and School Superintendent MaryEllen Elia. Many of his products come in soft pouches, keeping tons of hard-side beverage containers out of landfills.

Giving Away the Goodies Leona Starr, a representative of M&B Products, came to help showcase M&B and enjoyed the crowd as she gave away products from the Hillsborough company. Her husband, Roger, accompanied her on the trip to the State Capitol and is immediately to her right.

A Segue from Farmland to Ybor Just across the aisle from the many representatives of agriculture was the Ybor City Chamber of Commerce, decked out in red polo shirts this year, making themselves all the more visible. The YCCC hosted "Ybor Day" in Tallahassee for almost two decades and now is a mainstay of "Flavors." Shown here are Rep. Ron Reagan, House District 67, and Rep. Bill Galvano, House District 68, enjoying the friendliness and food along with YCCC member Enrique Woodroffe, a prominent Tampa architect.

Slipping in "The Night Before" The Ybor Chamber has traditionally hosted a reception at the Governor's Club, now on the evening before the Flavors event. This year, it was joined by the Tampa Bay Hispanic Chamber and the Greater Tampa Chamber in co-hosting the event. Shown at the event are Vince Pardo, manager of the Ybor City Development Corp. (and an ebullient, indefatigable supporter of Ybor City) and Sen. Les Miller, District 18, a similar supporter of his constituency which includes the good folks in Ybor City.

"SPICY" is Just Right Back on the Portico are several of the folks who hosted the Ybor table. They are Beth Drummond, Laura Perrone, Stephanie Agliano, Wes Miller (bending over), Vince Pardo, and Anna Ramos. If you haven't visited Ybor City, there realy IS something the matter with you!

Cigars from Ybor, Too Enjoying locally made cigars given away at the Ybor Chamber table (they had lots of great food and great information as well) are Rich Reidy, Commission Assistant to BOCC Commissioner Ken Hagan, Jose Valiente, 2006 Chair of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce Board and founding partner of ValienteHernandez, P.A., and Tom Keating, president of the Ybor Chamber.

The Tampa Bay Hispanic Chamber Debuts Sue Grier hosted the table for the Tampa Bay Hispanic Chamber of Commerce as chamber members made its inauguaral trip for the event. The Chamber served up information about the organization (which is growing at an enormous pace, seeing about a 400% increase in membership over the last two years) and silky, sweet flan. Sue is shown here, talking with Commission Assistant Rich Reidy.

The Planning Commission and the MPO Staff from the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission as well as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (housed with the Planning Commission) had a great time letting folks know what their agencies do for Hillsborough County residents. They are David Hey (Planning), Alan Steinbeck (MPO), and Greg Colangelo (Planning). The 20-year executive director of the Planning Commission, Bob Hunter, was recently elected to serve as President of the American Planning Association, a national organization with a membership of some 40,000.

CC Event Productions Returns CC Event Productions always has a presence at "Flavors" as well. Shown here is its representative, Robin Williams, as Myron Hughes, Vice President of Economic Development for the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, visits the "CC" table. The Tampa Chamber coordinated its annual "Tampa Tailgate" to dovetail with "Flavors."

Port of Tampa: Regional Impact of $13 Billion John Thorington is another of those employees who exudes enthusiasm for his company, in this case the Tampa Port Authority, where he has worked for a quarter century (more or less!) and is its director of governmental affairs. When planning your trip to Hillsborough, be sure to make reservations for the Port's "SeaPort Adventure Tour," where you can "see the wonders of a working port from the waters of Tampa Bay." Reservations requested. 813-905-5131. You will be surprised by what you see and learn!

Florida Dept. of Transportation District 7: Hillsborough Gets $383M for FY 06-07 Two more employees who enjoy what they do are Marian Scorza, District Information Officer at FLDOT, Dist. 7, and John McShaffery, Public Information Officer. Marian has been the Delegation's "Go To" person for many years, and members and staff rely on her extensive expertise and experience in assisting their constituents. John is the guy who sends out all those "road closure" notices - and also sends out the ones that announce re-openings which facilitate our ability to get from place to place. Thanks, Marian and John!

Richard Wainio Tries a "Nathan's" Richard Wainio, executive director of the Tampa Port Authority and manager of the Tampa Port, stopped by the presentation of the Florida State Fair and Ford Amphitheatre. The fair served Nathan's hotdogs. Enjoying the activities (and working, too!) are Jill Lovell, Director of Premium Seats, Ford Amphitheatre, and Kathleen Fisher, Executive Assistant, Florida State Fair Authority, serving up the dog.

Remember the Boxes? Here, Rip Stalvey, Museum Director, Cracker Country (State Fair), Janice Riley, Contract Coordinator for the Authority, Jill Lovell, Director of Premium Seats for Ford Amphitheatre, and Ed Morrell, Executive Director of the Ford Amphitheatre, work to set up their cooperative display. The Fair Authority hosts a multitude of events in addition to the State Fair, including many equestrian events at the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center. Go online to see what's happening there and at Ford Amphitheatre- the events that are available are amazing; and, if anybody gets bored when living in or visiting Hillsborough, it's nobody's fault but their own!

48 Feet of Displays! Hillsborough County roared into "Flavors" with displays stretching some 48 feet down the southern side of the Portico. Here John Brill shows off information from the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation department. HIllsborough County boasts parks from oceanfront to deeply forested, playing fields including soccer, baseball, and football, and a conservation program without parallel in the State of Florida.

Kemly Green Gets H.C. Housing and Community Code Enforcement Up and Ready Kemly Green, Program Coordinator/Community Relations for the county's Housing and Community Code Enforcement Department, helps set up the departmental display which includes a computer program running on its static display board. Kemly also contributed photographs for the Flavors III album - thanks, Kemly!

Affordable Housing Conference in Tallahassee April 19 Dexter Barge, director of the county's Housing and Community Code Enforcement Department and on the left, was spending his second day in Tallahassee, having attended the state Affordable Housing Conference the day before Flavors. Affordable housing is a big issue in Hillsborough these days where the median house now costs about $224,000. Also enjoying the moment were Mike Rowicki, Executive Planner, and Maggie Tagliarini, manager, with the department.

Rep. Bob Henriquez Stops By Rep. Bob Henriquez, House District 58, stopped by the Hillsborough County exhibit and posed with Stuart Campbell, Urban Planner, and Mike Rowicki with the Housing and Community Code Enforcement Department. This was Rep. Henriquez' last term in the Florida House.

Rep. Arthenia Joyner Wouldn't Miss This Event! And here she is with Mike Rowicki and Stuart Campbell, enjoying the celebration of All Things Hillsborough. This was her last year in the FL House, but she is running for Senate District 18 which is being vacated by Sen. Les Miller who is running for Congressional District 11. The current occupant of District 11 is Jim Davis who is now running for Governor....and is a former member of the Hillsborough County Legislative Delegation!

Hillsborough Recycles Bill Longstreth (along with his wife, Peg) trek to Tallahassee each year on behalf of the county's Solid Waste Department and, in particular, its recylcing program. As you can see, he has tons of "giveaways" to remind people of the importance of recycling and Hillsborough County's emphasis on same. Both Bill and Peg are always popular among the crowd - friendly and knowledgeable - and always willing to help other participants get set up despite the monumental amount of work they have in getting their exhibit ready to be seen.

HTV Snags Bob Martinez HTV 's Patrick Dowling and Chris Poulos were thrilled to be able to interview former Governor, Mayor of Tampa, U.S. Drug Czar and now well-known consultant Bob Martinez as part of their repertoire of folks who may appear on the county's Flavors III video.

The City of Tampa Proudly Presents! The City of Tampa has always been a huge supporter of "Flavors of Hillsborough," hosting about the same amount of space as Hillsborough County. Here are the Captains Benniefield from the City of Tampa Fire Department and Carol Yaros, lugging in and setting up display materials. We really want everyone to know that this event is loads of fun and exceptionally educational, but it doesn't happen by accident - it takes lots of work!

Vince Pardo Couldn't Wait! Vince Pardo, manager of the Ybor City Redevelopment Corp. and a member of the Ybor Chamber, was ubiquitous at this event and, although he's been around at least forever, you can see how much he enjoys seeing what his "homies" have to show the good folks in Tallahassee. Here he's looking at the partially set-up City of Tampa display even as a flurry of activity goes on behind him as Tampa folks ready for the event.

Tampa Fire Rescue Allison Livingston, a CERT (Community Emergency Relief Team) volunteer for the City of Tampa, shows that planning and hardwork pay off. Here she proudly stands in front of the City's Fire Rescue display.

Sue House Talks with a City of Tampa Rep Sue House, on the right, came to her first "Flavors" as part of the Tallahassee Tailgate sponsored by the Greater Tampa Chamber. She owns Powerhouse Consulting and is 2006 Chair of the Tampa Chamber's Workforce Development Committee. Here she looks at the City of Tampa's parks display with Mary Helen Duke, Greenways and Trails Coordinator for the City's Parks and Recreation Department. Did we mention that it is IMPOSSIBLE to be bored (unless you're just a slug!) if you live in or visit Hillsborough County?

State Attorney Mark Ober Brings On His Magic Mullet The State Attorney loves the "Flavors" event, spending hours catching and smoking mullet before "converting" it into his tasty and popular spread. Enjoying chatting with the State Attorney is Richard Minardi, Esq.

The Bluegrass Parlor Band from Hillsborough The crowd at "Flavors" could scarcely believe the fabulous sounds coming from "The Bluegrass Parlor Band" which thoroughly set the tone for the entire event. These are all up-and-coming bluegrass musicians who have already achieved significant attention (and bookings!) in the professional world (take a look at its Website!). In the photo are Jarrod Walker (mandolin/vocals), Heather Franks (fiddle/vocals), Austin Wilder (guitar), Jeff Jones (guitar/vocals and the leader who mentors these young folks to fame), Jason Jones (bass), and Cory Walker (banjo/fiddle). They also have CDs available...check the Website!

A Pensive Heather Franks.... Charms the "Flavors" crowd with her fiddle and as a member of The Bluegrass Parlor Band.

H. Lee Moffitt Cancer & Research Center Joan Moehle on the right gets the Moffit Cancer and Research Center up and ready for display...our apology for not having the name of the wonderful person on the left who jumped in to help with the project--demonstrative of how all the Flavors participants are there to help each other out and truly showcase the dynamics of Hillsborough County.

Moffitt's Display is Good to Go! One of the twin Captain Benniefields from the City of Tampa Fire Department stopped by to peruse the Moffitt display as Joan Moehle of the Cancer Center stood at the ready to answer questions. The Cancer Center is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and is among an elite group of facilities recognized by the National Cancer Institute as a Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The Delegation Chair Takes the Tour Rep. Kevin Ambler, House District 47 and current chair of the Hillsborough County Legislative Delegation, toured throughout Flavors which expanded to the third side of the Senate Portico this year. Here he talks with John DeMuro, Coordinator of Advocacy, and Ron Giovanelli, chair of "Speak Out Moffitt" for the Center.

Lee Moffitt Himself Visits Flavors H. Lee Moffitt, former Speaker of the Florida House and founder and namesake of the Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute always makes it a point to visit "Flavors." Here he stops for a hug with Rep. Faye Culp, House District 57.

Kaitlin McClure Volunteers for Byrd Alzheimer's Kaitlin is a volunteer for the Byrd Alzheimer's Research Center and Institute and, after her grandmother was diagnosed, became a strong advocate for finding a cure for this disease. She served green tea which has had good results in recently published alzheimer's research. Byrd also gave away beads for which Tampa is, of course, also quite well known!

Sheriff Gee Joins the Flavors Contingency Hillsborough Sheriff David Gee and several of his staff spent considerable time in the State Capitol this year as his agency takes over child abuse investigations beginning July 1. The Legislature appropriated $15+M for that purpose. His agency also hosted a "Flavors" table this year with great displays, great food, tons of giveaways, and deputies showing the guests that they are real people and have a great time at public events, too.

Deputy Mike Hudson Serves Moros y Christianos The Sheriff's office also had crab cakes, cuban bread, lots of giveaways, and lots of information about law enforcement in Hillsborough County. Folks are standing in line for the black beans and rice as Richard Wainio, director of the Tampa Port, gets a kick out of something he sees on the table.

Ag Commissioner Charles Bronson Stops By The Delegation was pleased to have the Commissioner of Agriculture come and make the rounds at Flavors. Here he poses with Corporal Fred Porter and Sergeant Carlos Somellan from the Hillsborough Sheriff's Office.

Having a GREAT Time! Ellen Navarro, district assistant to Rep. Susan Goldstein (House District 97 in Sunrise) enjoyed the entire Flavors scene but here has a laugh with Hillsborough Deputiy Paul Alessandri, Sgt. Carlos Somellan, and, peeking over the back, Deputy Mike Hudson.

Most Photogenic! Connie Milito, governmental liaison for the Hillsborough County Public Schools, takes a break from her endless mission to enjoy Flavors along with Colonel Gary Terry from the HCSO.

Rep. Susan Goldstein of Sunrise Visits Since we pictured her district assistant in a previous photo, we thought you'd like to meet Rep. Susn Goldstein, House District 97, Sunrise, as well. She, too, enjoyed learning more about Hillsborough.

The REAL Mildred Steps Up to the Plate On the left is Mildred Smith whose husband, Chuck, is the Executive Director of the FL Poultry Federation. The FPF generously loaned two of their gas tabletop cookers to the Durant High School Culinary Team which also participated in Flavors. Looking on is Kristen Waskiewicz from the School District's Office of External Affairs, who worked to bring the DHS team to Tallahassee.

Durant Culinary Students Feed the Throngs Don't you wonder what Amada Conde, Faswa Ali, and Ana Camancho, members of the Durant High Culinary Team, are talking about? The team served sauteed shrimp with spicy pineapple salsa and bite-sized key lime pie. Yummy!

Sauteeing the Shrimp Robert Nonez shows his skills as he sautees the shrimp which was donated by Superior Seafoods of Tampa for the event.

Teacher Peggy Voss Is Proud of Her Young Chefs! Here is Andrew Billingsly taking on the shrimp as well. The member of the team we missed in photos was Altranise Childs, but she was there strutting her skills, too.

April 20 Also Lowry Park Zoo Day Lowry Park Zoo Day, America's #1 Family Zoo, ruled the roost along with "Hillsborough Day" and "Al Lopez Day." Here, Chanta Combs, admires the baby possum held by Brandon Quniton. Chanta was deputy director of policy to the Governor at the time of Flavors; she is now director of policy for the Crist Gubernatorial Campaign.

Rep. Glorioso Not Non-Plussed by the Snake Rep. Rich Glorioso, House District 62, enjoyed petting the Zoo's snake as Elizabeth Hennig, Zoo Executive Assistant and HR Coordinator, looks on. The Zoo has a new Safari Africa collection of exhibits on several acres of natural habitats. Visitors can feed giraffes, ride a camel, or take a tram ride through the African exhibits. You can also touch and feed a rhino and see an adorable collection of meerkats.

He's Really An Aquarium Guy Bert Combs, partner with the Radey, Thomas Law Firm in Tallahassee, looks a little askance at the Mississippi kite being held by Jeff Ewett of the Zoo (Brandon Quinton with the opossum in the background). For more information about visiting the zoo, go to www.lowryparkzoo.com and learn about Tamani, its resident baby elephant, WaZoo, Safari Nights, Winter Wonderland and all the other animals and rides available at the zoo, including a water park where kids can cool down in these hot summer months.

A-Ha! Now The Florida Aquarium Another dynamite place to visit is the Florida Aquarium, located in the Channelside District in downtown Tampa. On the left is Wendy Meers, Education Outreach/Animal Coordiantor and on the right is Debbi Berger,Vice Presdent of Education at the Aquarium. They had live invertebrates in the tank (horeshoe crab, lobster, hermit crab, snail) and biofacts on the Aquarium's tables.

Aquariumania The FL Aquarium is currently hosting "Aquariumania" which also includes touch-screen computer games that teach kids what fish are compatible in a tank, a video on the world of fish farms and a "feeding frenzy" where kids pay a quarter to feed thousands of fish. The Aquarium also schedules Wild Dolphin Eco-Tours of Tampa Bay and can come to your home with its colorful van and loads of educational entertainment for your kids' celebrations. Go to www.flaquarium.org for more info.

Biggest Buzz in Town: "Bodies" Ashley James from Guest Services and Amy Alvarez, MOSI Marketing Sales Representative, display brochures about the myriad of things to do at the Museum of Science and Industry. "Bodies" has entranced guests for several months and is being held over until September 4; recently added for 2-to-8-year olds is Sesame Street Presents: The Body, a tot-sized lesson on how the body works and how to keep it healthy at the Kids in Charge area of interactive displays.

It's A Hummer of an Exhibit! MOSI brought its Bodies Hummer for display in the Capitol Courtyard during the event....and undoubtedly drew a great deal of attention from other motorists on its trip to and from the State Capitol for Flavors of Hillsborough. Look for more information at www.mosi.org.

SkyTrain Debuts in Tallahassee Karl Guenther, center, and his crew came to Tallahassee and assembled a working model of the SkyTrain, possible alternative transportation of the not-too-distant future in which the rails are overhead instead of below, causing fewer bumps, higher curve speeds, less energy consumption and better viewing opportunities as you travel from work to home and back. MOSI is looking to establish a demonstration project using the SkyTrain technology. Also in the photo are Cpl. Fred Porter of the HCSO and State Senator Victor Crist, Senate District 12.

The Representative from House District 60 Rep. Ed Homan is all smiles as he begins the journey through "Flavors" for the third year. The event has expanded but is still manageable within the timeframe of "the lunch hour" (well, maybe just a little longer but well worth the visit!).

Rep. Littlefield Smiles Beside the Governor's Policy Director Rep. Ken Littlefield, House District 61, always enjoys "Flavors" and is shown here with Janice Gilley, the Governor's Director of Policy, who was on her first visit to the event.

Rep. Galvano Greets Tim Cerio Rep. Bill Galvano, House District 68, welcomed Tim Cerio, general counsel to the FL Department of Health, to Flavors. Tim formerly lived in Tampa with his wife and children and practiced law with the GrayRobinson Law Firm, but was delighted when asked by the Governor to serve at DOH.

Rep. Ron Reagan Loves Ybor! Rep. Ron Reagan, House District 67, clearly enjoyed the camaraderie of the Flavors event--as well as the cafe con leche, empanadas, and other foods folks in Tampa enjoy as part of their daily living experience and guests look to find. We even have "best cuban sandwich" and "best flan" competitions!

From Broward to Pinellas Ellen Navarro, district assistant to Rep. Susan Goldstein (House District 97 in Broward County), Sandy Harris, executive director of the Broward County Delegation Office, and Donna McGaughey (a/k/a "Delegation Donna"), executive director of the Pinellas Delegation Office, all made the rounds at Flavors. Donna has long been a "Flavors" enthusiast and makes it a point to bring as many people 'round the event as she can.

Stalwarts of the Delegation Two folks that the Delegation can always count on to work, work, work at Delegation events are Janet Roder and Robin Ringiesen, district assistants to Reps. Homan and Littlefield respectively. Here they begin unpacking the 350 Flavors lime or raspberry T-shirts that were given away and had already helped stuff all the "goodie bags" visible behind Janet. Robin's husband, Ken, also came to Tallahassee this year and did more than a yeoman's work in hauling, putting up, taking down, and making sure every participant got help if needed. He was non-stop the day before Flavors as well as throughout the day until the Portico was cleared and cleaned - and then he and Robin had to drive back to Zephyrhills and return to their "regular" jobs the following day.

Drawing for One of the Goodie Bags We don't know who this lovely lady is, but she was willing to take her chance on drawing the right chip to win one of the 24 "goodie bags" which contained "All Hillsborough" items donated by local businesses and valued at more than $125 each!

HTV Prepares for the Flavors III Video Patrick Dowling, Senior TV Producer/Director, and Chris Poulas, Videographer, both with HTV, were on hand to make a pair of videos of "Flavors." We are all looking forward to seeing their product - the one made last year was shown many times on HTV and truly captured the essence of "Hillsborough County Day" in the State Capitol.

Beachballs, Beachballs Galore! The Delegation also gave away 250 "Flavors of Hillsborough" beachballs...and were grateful that Elizabeth Hennig from Lowry Park Zoo and Cody Smith, session intern with Rep. Ambler, were willing to help - it was a time-consuming task, even with electric air blowers. Lena McAneney, intern with Sen. Sebesta, also came out to help with the beachballs, and Becky Simmons from President Lee's district office also drove up to help out at the event.

Time to Sign On for 2007! The big day for Hillsborough in 2007 in Tallahassee will be April 11 - everyone should already have it on their calendars and the Delegation again thanks all those who participated as underwriters, sponsors and guests (with an apology to a few of our sponsors for whom we did not get useable photos!). We also thank those who photo-shared: Kemly Green, Chris Smith, and Deanna Franklin. And, it's not too early to put your oar in the water - just e-mail Candace Hundey at hundleyc@hillsboroughcounty.org.