‘Smokin’ Oak’ pizza, taproom opens in Lithia
LITHIA — Smokin’ Oak Wood-Fired Pizza & Taproom has opened at 5607 Circa Fishhawk Blvd. in the Alafia Commons Publix shopping center. Operated by co-owners Lauren and Korey Hoger, the wood-fired, fast casual pizzeria has a mix of indoor and outdoor patio space.
The location will create jobs for 25 team members and feature a self-pour tap wall with 20 taps, two for wine, six for mixed alcoholic drinks, and 12 for beer, many of which are from the local Tampa area brewers.
Korey previously worked in real estate and owned his own marketing company, while Lauren built her career in supply chain.
“What drew us to Smokin’ Oak Pizza was how clean and smooth the whole system is,” Korey said. “There are no frozen ingredients, no oversized menu to manage; it’s simple and done right. We also loved that like us, the founders are from the Midwest.”
Pizzas are cooked in a high-temperature, oak wood-fired oven in under two minutes, while dough and sauces are made in-house daily. The open kitchen design allows guests to watch the process unfold, reinforcing the brand’s transparency and craftsmanship.
Sacred Heart Church to host bike blessing, ride to mark 3,000donated bikies
TAMPA – Bikes from the Heart, Sacred Heart Catholic Church’s outreach devoted to refurbishing and redistributing bicycles to those in need across Tampa Bay, will host a celebratory bike blessing and community ride in honor of their 3,000th donation on Saturday, Aug. 15, beginning at 9 a.m. on the front steps of the church.
The blessing will be hosted by Sacred Heart’s Franciscan friars, alongside pastors and ministers from neighboring ecumenical partners at the Portico, Hyde Park United Methodist Church, and St. John’s Episcopal Church. Kicking off the event, the friars and ministers will be joined by Tamp Mayor Jane Castor, before Maggie Rogers, the executive director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, will assist Bikes from the Heart co-founders Tim Eves and Tom Henry in presenting the 3,000th bike to its recipient.
Receiving the ministry’s milestone bicycle will be a client of the Tampa Hope Homeless Shelter.
Following the presentation of the 3,000th bike, the Rev. Mike Jones, pastor of Sacred Heart, will share a brief invocation to begin the blessing of all bikes and riders present. Following the blessing, volunteers from Bikes from the Heart, assisted by an escort from the Tampa Police Department, will lead a 3-mile ride from the church through downtown and into Seminole Heights, ending at the parish’s North Campus, 3515 N Florida Ave., formerly Sacred Heart Academy.
Select refurbished bikes will also be on sale at the North Campus that morning, with all proceeds benefiting future Bikes from the Heart refurbishments and donations.
Newcomers seeks women new to area
HILLSBOROUGH — Ladies, would you like to meet new people in the area and get involved with local activities? Then the Newcomers of Northwest Hillsborough County says it’s the club for you. The goal of our club is to provide opportunities for meeting new friends!
The club offers a mix of activities, from a ladies-only wine party and monthly bridge games and weekly canasta matches to a book club that meets on Fridays once a month.
Members meet for a casual lunch at Mother’s Restaurant at the new Northdale home in Tampa and Thursday morning for golf.
For more information or to become a member, contact Debbie Blackford at 951-283-3452 or email membership2.newcomers@yahoo.com.
Unclaimed bags donated to foster care
Tampa International Airport has turned unclaimed bags into hope for kids entering foster care with the donation of 238 unclaimed backpacks, suitcases and toiletry items to Hillsborough County Children’s Services and its Duffels of Dignity program. The donation marks the second consecutive year that Tampa International Airport has contributed to the program, which provides new or gently used bags and luggage to children entering foster care, living in emergency shelters or fleeing domestic violence. The program helps replace trash bags often used to carry personal belongings, offering children a more dignified and supportive start during difficult transitions. Since launching in October 2022, the Duffels of Dignity program has collected more than 2,000 bags for children in need through individual donations and partnerships with various local organizations.
Tee up with dinosaurs at MOSI ‘Cretaceous Course’
TAMPA – Something prehistoric is happening at the Museum of Science & Innovation. Dinosaurs now roam there with the debut of the newly transformed SciLinx Cretaceous Course, bringing a prehistoric twist to the museum’s outdoor mini golf experience.
Featuring five massive dinosaurs, the updated course invites players to putt through a landscape millions of years in the making.
The debut of the Cretaceous Course marks the first step in a larger dinosaur transformation taking place across the museum as MOSI prepares for the arrival of Sue The T. rex Experience in January 2027.
Centered around an exact replica of Sue, the largest, most complete, and best-preserved Tyrannosaurus rex ever discovered, this internationally recognized exhibition will bring the wonder of one of the world’s most famous dinosaurs to Tampa Bay.
These activations add to MOSI’s growing collection of prehistoric experiences already available throughout the museum.
• Uncover fossils and explore the science of paleontology in Dinovations Lab.
• Dig for dinosaur discoveries in Dinovations Dig.
• Come face-to-face with one of the world’s most famous predators in the Ultimate T. Rex Jr. Experience.
Dinovations activations are included with admission, while the Cretaceous Course and Ultimate T. Rex Jr. Experience are available as add-on experiences.