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The South Shore News & Tribune

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Group Aims To Keep Sense Of Place

By LOIS KINDLE

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 31, 2008

RUSKIN - As the new president of the Ruskin Community Development Foundation, Fred Jacobsen wants to get the word out. If you live, work or simply enjoy being in Ruskin, you are automatically a member of the nonprofit organization.

"We're all about the community," Jacobsen said. "Our mission is to develop and improve Ruskin by re-creating and maintaining a sense of place as embodied by the old Coffee Cup restaurant. We want to ensure Ruskin doesn't become just another faceless, soulless strip mall."

Jacobsen acknowledged a general lack of awareness among residents about what the foundation is and what it does.

"That's why we recently developed 5,000 new fliers that talk about our vision, mission and activities," he said.

Founded in 1994 as 501(c) 3 organization, RCDF's mission was to facilitate and fund community improvement projects, said longtime board member Mariella Smith. When the original Ruskin Community Development Plan was finalized three years later, the foundation directed its efforts toward implementing it.

In 2003, Ruskin began a two-year community planning process that built upon the foundation of the original plan, Smith said. This final community plan, which won an award from the American Planning Association, was formally incorporated into a Comprehensive Plan Amendment by the County Commission in 2005.

The plan - which seeks to guide Ruskin's growth while preserving its unique character and history - calls for the revitalization of downtown; protection and enhancement of Ruskin's natural environment; and promotion of eco-tourism and the community's historic character and culture; improved coordination of governmental and social services and the development of funding sources for community projects.

Toward those ends, the foundation has a seat on the South Shore Roundtable, a group of area businessmen and civic leaders that brought the SouthShore Community Service Center - the first satellite government services center in Hillsborough County - and the SouthShore Regional Library to Ruskin.

The RCDF resurrected the Ruskin Tomato Festival, now known as the Ruskin Tomato & Heritage Festival, as an annual event to promote the agricultural heritage of the area. It also helped secure funds for the restoration of Marsh Creek, an ecologically significant waterway through downtown Ruskin.

Other efforts include building a boardwalk in Commongood Park within the Ruskin Inlet and participation in the SouthShore Areawide Systems Plan, a master plan addressing transportation issues and the natural, historical and cultural resources within Southern Hillsborough County.

Perhaps its most well-known accomplishment was the establishment of the Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center in partnership with Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation. Camp Bayou is a 160-acre nature preserve in the middle of the Little Manatee River system, which drains into Cockroach Bay Aquatic Preserve and empties into Tampa Bay. As both an environmental education center and eco-tourism destination, Camp Bayou provides visitors with the opportunity to learn about the native plants, wildlife and history of the area, while participating in a number of outdoor activities.

As Ruskin prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary later this year, the RCDF is busy recruiting ideas and people to make it both meaningful and memorable. To take part, call Jacobsen at (813) 298-6028.

RCDF is a 100-percent, volunteer-driven organization. It receives its funding from the Tomato & Heritage Festival, private donations, grants and bequests and directs those funds to community projects.

For information on RCDF, visit www.ruskinfoundation .org. Details of the Ruskin Community Plan are available at www.hccommunityplan ning.com/hccbpp_Ruskin/.

THE RCDF BOARD

Fred Jacobsen, president

Bruce Marsh, vice president

Miguel Fuentes, secretary

Sandy Council, treasurer

Ron Wolfe

Mariella Smith

Allen Witt

Mac Miller

Dolly Cummings

Open seat

Wade Clark, past president