GENERAL MEETING - ELECTIONS!
MARCH 28, 2024 AT THE KEYSTONE CIVIC CENTER.
Picture of the Month - Life in Keystone
A Note From Your Editor
Happy Saint Patricks Day may you have much Luck!
Join a committee! We need help on Events and other committees. Community is about working together, stick together, build together, respect everyone's differences. Volunteer today! Email us at: Info@keystonecivic.org Don't forget to please share hot news and topics, pictures of the area, recipes, and interview availability. Email to:Info@keystonecivic.org
" True friends are never apart, maybe in distance but never by heart".
Please support our amazing Business Sponsors featured in this newsletter!
Next General Meeting
MARCH 28, 2024
Social/Sign In 6:30 PM
7:00 PM- 8:30 PM Meeting
THIS IS ELECTION NIGHT FOR YOUR 2024-2025 Board of Directors
All Member Residents must check in to vote. Only Resident members can vote.
If you would like to be a volunteer at our General Meetings set up please click button to email our meeting Chair!
LAND USE NEWS
KCA LAND USE UPDATE
by Trish Lawton, Chair
1. SU-LE 23-0498 - (Lutz Lake Fern Land Excavation)
Borrow Pit on Lutz Lake Fern Road - Was approved by the BOCC
2, BOCC MEETING March 7, 2024 RE : Proposed Comp Plan Amendments : County commissioners voted to transmit all but 2 amendments. The one most relevant to Keystone has to do with commercial location criteria. Ultimately, the Keystone residents present as well as Kami Corbett, a land use attorney who often represents developers both argued against the map. The map uses simple formulas such as intersections where connector roads meet arterial roads.
In rural areas of the county like Keystone, these do not measure whether an area could truly support commercial development. The map creator was willing to go on record during email exchanges that this was not the intent of the map he created. Thus, the planning department has been tasked to continue work on this amendment language. I will keep you up to date of further changes.
Current Variance requests:
None to report at this time.
Our RESOURCES page also has direct links to the BOCC website for submittals. Be sure to include the Case Number and address for projects that concern your immediate area.
KEYSTONE CURRENT MONTH (link included to Hillsborough County Zone Hearing Maps Look Up).
To support or oppose the applications submit your letters to: Hearings@Hillsboroughcounty.org
Learn About The Zoning Process and See Available Resources : Click Here
NEIGHBORHOOD RELATIONS
HOW TO REPORT NON-CONFORMING LAND USE ACTIVITY
IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD!
What constitutes a call to the County or Code Enforcement :
Illegal dumping or activity.
Illegal FILL of property in low wetland areas that do NOT have a Permit.
Anything "noticeable" that does not indicate a permit that conforms to the KOCP or County Plans.
For IMMEDIATE action, you can do this in one or two ways: Call Code Enforcement or Non Emergency Sheriff OR go to this link online and report CODE VIOLATIONS.
CODE ENFORCEMENT HOTLINE: 813-274-6600
NON EMERGENCY SHERIFF OFFICE: 813-247-8200
Rural Life In Keystone
Picture of the Month
MARCH COVER
An Odessa Rainbow photo taken by Dr. Norman, Odessa/Keystone resident. We are certainly blessed to live in our amazing rural Keystone/Odessa community.
COMMITTEE NEWS
SPECIAL EVENTS
KCA SPRING FLING 2024
April 6, 2024
11AM - 4PM
We would appreciate everyone who can volunteer to assist in the success for the Spring Fling 2024 Event!
We are still seeking vendors and volunteers!
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In preparation of the 2024 Spring Fling we need our local residents and members to help! If you're interested in being a part of this team please let us know by email to : Special Events Committee today. Trish Lawton has kindly volunteered to Chair this event with assistance from the committee volunteers.
Lets show our community strength and engagement by getting involved with this years main event!
As we receive confirmations, updates will be made to the Spring Fling Event Page on our website! Stay Tuned. Meanwhile, sign up to volunteer!
There is a Volunteer Sign Up button on the Spring Fling Web Page, please click here to choose what area you wish to sign up for.
Please reach out to kcaspecevents@gmail.com if you would like to sign up on this committee.
Visit our Spring Fling Web page for more information.
NOMINATION COMMITTEE
It is ELECTION TIME MARCH 28, 2024 to select your new KCA BOD!
from our President, Clara Lawhead
KCA Elections are this month. We want you to join us as a member on the Board of Directors for KCA. Your skills and experience are essential. Applications deadline was March 1st, the BOD has extended this to March 14, 2024. Please consider volunteering. We need connectors, your skills, your energy, and your love of our community to step up. Volunteering is the voice of the people put into action.
The KCA Nominating Committee has been formed that includes one (1) General Member as per Bylaws. Once the committee completes the review and slate of volunteers for the election it will be emailed to Membership for review.
Elections will be held at the March 28, 2024 General Membership Meeting. Thank you to our volunteer(s) for what they do each year without any benefits, but to give to our community!
Please contact our Committee Chair, Jan Nelson at Info@Keystonecivic.org if you have any questions.
COMPLETE THE PDF FILLABLE BOARD NOMINATION FORM AND SUBMIT RIGHT HERE!
ADOPT A ROAD PROGRAM
Support the Adopt A Road Project SIGN UP TODAY!
JOIN US NEXT MONTH!
APRIL 27, 2024 meet 7:00 AM at Keystone Park
We hope to see you or your family members attend to have a fun community involved morning.
Students can receive community hours by volunteering!
We ask our community to PLEASE participate in this effort, as the more hands on deck the better our area looks! With increase of traffic on Gunn Highway a major thruway, comes more "trash" by disregarding people driving through our beautiful community.
It is our mission to keep it clean and we thank Jim Gothard for leading this charge.
Please Register Today online on our Events Page :
Adopt a Road Registration
Or email us at Info@keystonecivic.org to sign up!
COMMUNITY NEWS
February's Speaker: Steve King, Director of Meals on Wheels Tampa
Are You The Secret Sauce?
by T. Lawton
Steve King, the director of our local Meals on Wheels grimaced while recalling when his Mom, at age 88, found the time had come to give up her personal home. Even though she loved Steve, she struggled with leaving her own space and her independence. It is this life experience as well as the heart of thousands of volunteers since 1975 that has kept the mission of Meals on Wheels (MOW) on the road. MOW of Tampa continues to expand while they work to eliminate hunger, isolation and loss of independence for the homebound and seniors in our community.
MOWs accomplishes their mission by preparing and delivering hot, healthy meals 365 days a year to recipients. Steve understands it’s easy to just settle for a bowl of cereal but our homebound recipients need more than just empty calories. Volunteers fulfill the mission by nourishing the body and soul. The kitchen staff prepare tasty meals that are conceived by four chefs. All food is made fresh every day, the menu is wide and varied and the food looks good. Many recipients will divide the meal in half to eat throughout the day, it will be the one meal they depend on for the entire day. It is the connection to a handful of the 1100 friendly, caring volunteer drivers delivering the nourishing food that enriches the recipient’s spirit. 60% of the recipients live alone with no nearby family. For those who are isolated, a knock on the door by the MOW volunteer followed by a brief encounter may be the only human connection to the outside world. All the food is prepared in MOW’s kitchen, from chef-prepared recipes utilizing nutritional analysis. The kitchen staff prepare 2000 meals a day. Three menus can be served: heart healthy which accounts for 90% of recipients, diabetic-friendly and renal-friendly. Some meals must be medically tailored for example when a recipient needs food chopped or pureed.
Our community is generous but the homebound are an unseen group. Recipients are former coaches, teachers, business owners, stroke victims, the young and old. MOW of Tampa is distinct because it is privately funded. It serves all these people and strengthens the community without government assistance. In their 45 year history, no one has been denied due to funding. Potential recipients simply call, partake in a 25 minute phone interview, talk about why they are homebound and what they need. Recipients must make a contribution for meals. 20% of recipients pay the full $5.50/day, 60% pay on sliding scale and the rest pay nothing. If you are hungry and alone or have a family member who is hungry and alone, call (813) 238-8410 to apply.
Steve recalled reading an article a few years ago about a nationwide survey of people age 65 and older. One of the first questions was “What do you fear in growing old?” Surprisingly, it was not death, it was losing their independence. These are the folks MOW serve. If you are interested in becoming an individual volunteer, go to https://mowtampa.org/volunteer/individual/.
The Keystone Civic Association is contemplating creating our very own group of volunteers to take on a local route once a week. Volunteers pick up a hot bag and cooler from a local drop off site, deliver food and return the bag and cooler to the drop off site. If you would like to declare your interest in participating, contact Trish Lawton at trishlawton@me.com.
Volunteers on average spend approximately 60-90 minutes delivering food on their route to 8-12 homes. By participating as a group, the commitment would be less time consuming as we rotate through volunteers. Meals on Wheels is about the food which is essential but the volunteers are the secret sauce. If you have a driver’s license and automobile with proof of auto insurance and are age 18 plus you just may be the secret sauce.
Be involved with KCA
JOIN ONE OF OUR COMMITTEES!
Below is a list of our Committees. If you are interested to be more involved with KCA, we would love to have your support by joining one of our committees below.
Simply click the link to directly Email the Committee Chair to SIGN UP or for inquiries! It is our goal to make "communications" easy for our members.
Have any Questions? Please Email Us.
Next General Meeting is on March 28, 2024 Election Night!
Thank You to our Keystone Business Sponsors for their continued support!
Interested in supporting KCA by becoming a Business Sponsor?
Key Upcoming Dates
March 14, 2024 KCA Board Meeting
March 28,2024 BOD ELECTIONS - General Membership Meeting
April 6, 2024 KCA Spring Fling Event
April 11, 2024 KCA Board Meeting
April 25, 2024 General Membership Meeting
April 27, 2024 Adopt A Road Clean Up Keystone Park
June 29, 2024 Adopt A Road Clean Up Keystone Park
August 31, 2024 Adopt A Road clean Up Keystone Park
October 26, 2024 Adopt A Road Clean Up Keystone Park
Committee Meetings: TBD by Chairs via email / phone
To Sign Up or View all Dates go to our Events Calendar Page
Membership Updates
Please be sure to keep your information up to date i.e. email, phone and address. Please include your spouse name in your membership information so we may acknowledge your family member(s). Renew or become a member Link Here
Have questions on membership OR if you have any updates to your email as this is the MAIN source to contact you please contact us at Info@keystonecivic.org or via the website inquiry, someone will respond as soon as possible. We appreciate your patience.
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