Vol. 11, Issue 8, August 2018
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Your community. Your magazine.
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The Premier “Shop Local” Community Magazine Directly Mailed To 15,000 Homes In East Lake & Surrounding Areas This Independent Community News, Business & Dining Guide Is Directly Mailed Once Each Month To: Anchorage, Bay Arbor, Boot Ranch, Brookers Landing, Crescent Oaks, Cypress Cove, Cypress Lakes Estates, Cypress Run, Cypress Trails, Deer Hollow, Grey Oak, Eagle Cove, Eagle’s Cove at Lake Tarpon, Eagle Ridge, Eagle Trace, Eagle Watch, East Lake Oaks, East Lake Woodlands, Hunters Wood, Keystone Bluffs, Keystone Palms, Keystone Ranchettes, Lansbrook, Lansbrook Village, Meadow Ridge, Nature’s Watch, Oak Hill Acres, Pine Ridge, Regina Estates, Ridgemoor, Tarpon Woods, Wentworth, Whispering Lakes, Woodfield
Mease Countryside Hospital: Wrapping Babies in More Than Blankets “Amazing staff. Healthy newborn and wife. … Absolute best experience in a hospital.” “OB and NICU teams are both fantastic!” “Best hospital in the world. Wouldn't trust anyone else with my babies.” Those are just a few comments from satisfied parents who welcomed their newborns at Mease Countryside Hospital. While the hospital is known for its family-centered care and experienced team, Mease Countryside also is prepared for emergencies with a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit on campus. The NICU, which is the only Level III NICU in northern Pinellas and Pasco counties, offers an extra layer of support to parents when premature births or other issues arise. “We are dedicated to our patients’ needs before, during and
after pregnancy to make the transition into parenthood as smooth as possible,” said Robin Lapham, director of patient services at Mease Countryside. “We are always happy to hear from satisfied parents because our goal is to make them and their babies comfortable through our comprehensive care to meet their medical and emotional needs. We definitely want to wrap our babies in much more than blankets. We want the family to feel confident that our team of experts will work to provide the best possible birthing experience.” Located in Safety Harbor, Mease Countryside has been serving North Pinellas and Pasco counties since See “Mease Countryside” on page 26.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Korkis Insurance Services
Calendar & News Briefs............4 Pinnacle Travel: AFRICA!.....8-9 Trinity Family Physicians...12-13
Solar Professionals of Florida...16-17 SAT & ACT Improvement......20-21
See “Korkis Insurance” on page 22.
Tech Talk with Bob................29
ECRWSS
Services - East Lake, and also helps people and companies with all their tax and insurance needs. Baskal's staff is comprised of experienced and cordial professionals who are also
Faceless Samurai................24-25
Postal Customer
Baskal Korkis, owner, Korkis Insurance Services
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID TAMPA FL PERMIT 1185
stopped a day since. "Since I was very young I knew I wanted my money to work for me, so I could start receiving additional income. I saw my uncle invest in Real Estate when I was a teenager and thought it was a great opportunity to have people pay you to borrow your stuff," says Baskal. "My first property was a duplex in Clearwater, I was very excited to get it since it was a dream come true. It was a surreal experience, but it came with a lot of work." Baskal's perseverance and hard work has gotten him to where he is at today, a very successful business owner, investor and proud family man. He runs and operates all the operations at Korkis Insurance
Dated Material Please Rush!
With big dreams and a small budget, Baskal Korkis wanted to start investing at a very young age, but he didn't have enough for a down payment. But that did not stop him then, and nothing can stop him now from achieving his financial dreams, while assisting you with yours. "I wanted to start investing when I was 14 years old, but I did not have enough for a down payment. At 16 I managed to come up with enough money for a small house, but my father did not want to co-sign. So at around 18 years old my mother cosigned on my first place." Baskal is a very goal-driven individual, and admitted he started working at 8 years old, and hasn't
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Thank you for your support and feedback! August is traditionally the time for lazy days centered around swimming pools, ice cold drinks, backyard barbecues, baseball, trips to the beautiful Florida beaches and live music under the stars. A lot of parents are thinking about back-to-school sales while the kids are daydreaming about longer summers and Justin Bieber's engagement being fake news. For me, August is a month in which I spend most of my time indoors. As someone with severe allergies to… well… everything, I tend to get sicker during this time and I am also constantly eaten alive by mosquitoes. And it seems I am not the only one. Recently, I received an email from Hillsborough County News, reporting that Hillsborough County Mosquito Management Services had been monitoring mosquito activities, and determined that mosquito populations have reached levels that threaten the public health, and there has been many incidents of mosquitotransmitted diseases reported in the area. Similar findings and an excessive
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number of complaints about mosquitoes have been reported in other counties, including Pinellas and Pasco. If it wasn't for our friend Brandon, owner of Mosquito Hunters of Tampa Bay, I couldn't spend more than 5 minutes on my own backyard without being eaten alive by those annoying little creatures. If you are having a mosquito problem, or if you want to avoid having one, please call Brandon at 813-609-8440 today! I promise you will not regret it. I want to finish off by saying thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to every person that has reached out and provided some feedback on our brand new website; tbnewsandlifestyles.com. I've received several emails from our readers congratulating us, telling us how much they love our new look, and overall showing an incredible amount of support and understanding during this transition. I highly encourage everyone reading this editorial to email me directly at carla@nnlflorida.com, and
let me know what you think about the site and what kind of stories and content you'd like to see featured on there. Everything we do is for you, our readers… and through our print and online platforms we try really hard to support our community and its local businesses, as well as non-profit organizations and charities. So if there's anything specific you'd like to read about, or a special organization that's touching people's lives and could use some support, please let me know! We also want to feature YOU… yes, you! If you're a local artist, musician, performer, actor, or if you volunteer at any non-profit organization that you'd want to see feature in any of our 7 publications, we want to hear from you. So please feel free to reach out and let us share your story with the rest of the community. I wish all of your kids a happy Back-To-School time, and as always, thank you for your support and readership!
East Lake Area Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles Directly mailed once a month to nearly 15,000 households in zip code 34685, 34688 & 34677 220 Safford Ave. S. Tarpon Springs, FL 34689 Phone: (727) 943-2946; Fax: (727) 942-2432 Advertising E-mail: info@nnlflorida.com Editorial E-mail: editorial@nnlflorida.com © 2018 East Lake Area Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles is published by Ads 2 Publications, Inc. Publisher Tim Selby General Manager Jim O’Reilly Editor Carla Selby Advertising Sales Matt Selby Tim Selby Jim O’Reilly Mike Bird
Correspondents Marcy Sanford Deborah Bostock-Kelley
Art Director Tony Sica
Accounting Manager Doreen Selby
Nothing that appears in the East Lake Area Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, without permission. Opinions expressed by East Lake Area Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles writers are their own and do not reflect the publisher’s opinion. The management of East Lake Area Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles is always happy to accept outside editorial submissions to the paper. Please call for outside editorial submission and advertisement deadlines. East Lake Area Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles will consider previously non-published outside editorial submissions if they are double spaced, typed and less than 500 words. East Lake Area Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles reserves the right to edit and/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makes no guarantees regarding publication dates. East Lake Area Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles will not return unsolicited editorial materials. East Lake Area Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles reserves the right to edit and/or reject any advertising. East LakeArea Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles is not responsible for errors in advertising beyond the actual cost of the advertising space itself, not for the validity of any claims made by its advertisers. East Lake Area Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles is published by Ads 2 Publications, Inc.
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E AST L AKE A REA
Calendar & News Briefs AARP Foundation Tax-Aide Provides Free Tax-Filing Help to Those Who Need It Most You’ve got just what it takes to help your neighbors in need. Many older, low-income taxpayers miss out on credits and deductions they’ve earned because they can’t afford to pay for professional tax preparation. With the help of neighbors like you, AARP Foundation Tax-Aide offers free tax filing help to those who need it most. You can make a big difference in someone else’s life. We’ll show you how. We’re looking for compassionate and friendly individuals to join our team of local volunteers for the upcoming tax season. Our volunteers receive training and continued support in a welcoming environment. And as our current volunteers tell us, you’ll not only learn new skills but also get that great feeling from helping
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someone else. Join Our Team Today! Apply at aarpfoundation.org/taxaide or call 1-888-AARP-Now (1-888-227-7669) Saftey Harbor Garden Club Wednesday September 19, 9:30 am Sub-Irrigated planters for the Fall Vegetable Garden This class is perfect for small space gardening. Plant for success! Now is the time to prepare for the Fall Container Vegetable Garden. Topics will include: gardening basics for our planting zone, starting seeds and transplants, sub-irrigated planters and how to build them. The Safety Harbor Garden Club now meets in the Education Center at Moccasin Lake Nature Park - 2750 Park Trail Lane, Clearwater at 9:30 a.m. Bring a
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plant if you'd like to participate in the plant exchange. safetyharborgardenclub.weebly.com Wednesday October 17 9:30 Plants that Make Scents! You probably imagine Roses and Orange Blossoms when you think of good smelling plants in your yard. But Master Gardener Sandy Huff has discovered over 100 "spiffy sniffy" plants that will grow here in Central Florida. In fact, she's graded them
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according to what she thinks will work in her own yard. Come for ideas on how to give your garden 'the sweet smell of success." The Safety Harbor Garden Club now meets in the Education Center at Moccasin Lake Nature Park - 2750 Park Trail Lane, Clearwater at 9:30 a.m. Bring a plant if you'd like to participate in the plant exchange. safetyharborgardenclub.weebly.com
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Pinnacle Travel Destination Highlight: AFRICA!!!! Is a trip to Africa on your bucket list? Do you think that it is out of your reach? Well, Pinnacle Travel is here to tell you that it is a dream we can help make come true! We have many companies that we work with that can offer a variety of Africa tours for all price ranges and activity levels. You can have the option to travel independently or maybe you would prefer a small or large group. You can sleep in five star hotels or tents or a variety of both. Pinnacle Travel will help you decide which of our suppliers offer the trips/tours that can meet your wants and budgetary needs. Where should I travel to in Africa, what is there to see and do, and when is the best time to do it? What wildlife do I most want to encounter? What other sights should I see? These are just some of the questions to ask when planning a trip to Africa. Surprisingly, Africa is more than just safaris. The continent has beautiful beaches, coral reefs, magnificent mountains and waterfalls. There are amazing culinary cuisines to explore and markets full of one of a kind, handcrafted items. You can hike, go whitewater rafting, surf
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and go on a safari all in one trip! AFRICA -- Just the sound of the word conjures up images of untamed places teeming with wildlife and huge open plains. Encounters with the Big Five — lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo — are enough to get many visitors hooked. A great option is to take a tour with a local expert who knows all the best places to see many animals in their natural habitat. Or perhaps, take a river cruise where elephants are lazily bathing on the banks of the river as you sail by! Sit in a hot tub on your hotel patio while watching the giraffes roam the plains! Stay in a permanent tent in the middle of the African plains, listening to exotic wildlife all around you as you sleep! These are just a few of the amazing experiences you can have on your Africa trip. The continent of Africa is vast and has many countries to see. Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Tanzania are the most popular countries to visit. You probably do not have enough time to see them all on one trip, so here are some options and ideas for you so you can prioritize.
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‘The Big 5' As mentioned above, a trip to Africa is not complete without experiencing a wildlife safari. You will be going on a search for the illusive ‘Big Five’ game: the African lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and the Cape buffalo. They are nicknamed the ‘Big Five’ because they are the most difficult animals to catch. On safari, seeing wildlife is certainly a priority, but you will also be surrounded by
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beautiful scenery and stunning landscapes as well. You can experience these game drives in various places around Africa. In Kenya, the Maasai Mara National Reserve is a great place to see wildebeest and zebras arriving from the Great Migration! Another great option is to visit the Lake Manyara National Park, home to the world’s largest population of baboons. Ngorongora Crater in Tanzania, which is more than 2000 feet deep, is
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South Africa:
your best chance for seeing the rare black rhino. Pinnacle Travel will guide you to the top places to see the animals that are on your bucket list!
Victoria Falls: This powerful cascade is a spectacular sight. At one mile wide and 360 feet high, it is the largest waterfall in the world and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Located on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe in southern Africa, the
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Falls lie along the Zambezi River. Game-viewers, bird-watchers, thrillseekers and fishermen flock here to explore the Falls and the surrounding pristine wilderness protected by the Zambezi National Park. You can also choose to cruise the Zambezi River for four days and see wildlife as you relax on a luxury river boat! Exploring South Africa, Victoria Falls and Botswana all in one trip is possible with many of the travel suppliers we work with.
The city of Cape Town has beautiful beaches and mountains. You can take a cable car ride up Table Mountain for spectacular scenery or visit Boulder’s Beach to see endangered African penguins. You can visit the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point, the southern most tip of the African continent and see incredible panoramic vistas along the way. Or you can go for a game drive in the Kruger National Park area. If history is your thing, a visit Nelson Mandela’s and Desmond Tutu’s neighborhood homes might be a must see. In addition, for the wine lovers, South Africa has many vineyards for you to visit! So, as you can see, there are many
choices when it comes to planning a trip to Africa! Pinnacle Travel is here to help you make all these decisions. To help start your thinking process and ideas, we have invited a tour company, Collette to present their Africa tours to you. The presenter is one of their guides who has travelled all around Africa many times over and has many amazing stories to share. Come join us on the evening of September 13th at the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection on East Lake Rd. from 6p-8p for this presentation. Please RSVP because space is limited. We hope to see you there for what will be an informational and unforgettable evening! Call Pinnacle Travel at 727-330-2040 to RSVP TODAY!
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HERITAGE SPRINGS
SHORT SALE - 2/2/2 plus office/den 1858 htd sq. ft. Move right in! Lush landscaping, vaulted ceilings and large tile flooring throughout, fresh interior paint, granite counters, and much more! Extended lanai with tranquil view of the pond. This community offers many events & activities that your social calendar will always be full! $239,900
2/2/2 villa has soaring lace ceilings & designer laminate flooring in the living & dining rooms. Kitchen has wood cabinets w/granite counter, stainless steel appliances. Den with vaulted ceiling. Master w/two walk in closets. Screened lanai to enjoy the florida weather. Â $244,900
2108 htd sq ft 2/2/2 This home offers formal living & dining rooms w/vaulted ceiling. Kitchen has many cabinets, pantry closet, breakfast bar and a wonderful breakfast nook area. Family room w/tile flooring. Guest bedroom w/large walk in closet. Master bedroom w/two Walk in closets. Enclosed lanai with a serene view of the golf course and pond $289,900
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Trinity Family Physicians - Top 10 Highlights From Their First 10 Years By Marcy Sanford
Trinity Family Physicians opened its door at its current location in April of 2008, but husband and wife team Dr. Stephanie Eldridge and Dr. Amir Shirmohammad began seeing patients in Trinity the year before in September. “We started in a temporary location,” says Dr. Shirmo, as his patients like to call him, “and our new offices opened the day after our second daughter was born.” As Dr. Eldridge and Dr. Shirmo look forward to the next 10 years of serving people in the Trinity community, they took some time to look back on the top 10 highlights from their first 10 years. Being Able to Give Back to the Community Trinity Family Physicians has given hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations and time to local charities. From the time they chaired the Hike for Hospice event to help less fortunate people have access to hospice care to their work with the Pasco County Special Olympics, Dr. Eldridge and Dr. Shirmo love helping those in need and are humbled that they are in a position to do so.
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Learning through Life Experiences “As we’ve grown older, we’ve started to have many of the same life events as our patients. Having a parent who is ill or having a newborn baby makes you appreciate the point of view of your patients even more,” said Dr. Shirmo. “We’ve been through our own family hardships and it reminds us of what it is like to be on the other side as a family member of a patient.” Staying up-to-date on Technology “We like to combine oldfashioned medicine with the technology of today,” said Dr. Eldridge. “Advances in technology have allowed us to continue to improve our patient care and give patients more accessibility and different ways to communicate with us. We always strive to use technology in a way that improves care but does not replace personal interactions.” Getting to Know Patients Dr. Eldridge and Dr. Shirmo say one of the best parts of being a doctor is getting to know their patients and their families. They really take the time to listen and pride themselves on knowing about what is going on not just with their patients’ health but also in their lives.
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Expanding their Practice Beyond their Office Walls Dr. Eldridge and Dr. Shirmo know that sometimes it can be difficult, maybe even impossible, for elderly patients to come into the office and so they have begun visiting patients at assisted living and rehab facilities as well as nursing homes. “It allows our patients to continue to be part of our practice and stay where they are most comfortable,” says Dr. Shirmo. Teaching the Next Generation of Doctors Both doctors say they enjoy sharing their passion for medicine with the medical students at Florida State and University of South Florida Medical Schools, where they hold faculty positions. They believe one of the most important things they can teach students in addition to the science and skills needed to be a good doctor is the importance of
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listening. “We tell them that it is not just about listening to the heart and lungs,” says Dr. Eldridge, “you have to really listen to what your patient has to say.” Meeting and Exceeding Goals “We broke every goal we had set for our practice in our first year,” said Dr. Shirmo. “At first we were not sure how but then we realized it was because we were giving old fashioned care and doing the right things for our patients. We have many specialists who refer their patients to us and we have patients who could go to any doctor they want to go to, but choose us. It is a huge compliment and very humbling.” Starting A Charity “We always thought there were so many great causes and so many people in the community doing good for others that we wanted to create an avenue for
people to nominate those who were doing good,” said Dr. Eldridge. And thus the Trinity Family Physicians Tampa Bay Making A Difference Award was born. With the award, the doctors have honored teenagers and adults in the community who are making a difference by providing activity bags to children in the hospital, helping unemployed people better market themselves and find new jobs and collecting and donating items to people in need. Being Chosen as the Team Doctor for Jesuit High School “It was wonderful, a big honor to be trusted as the team doctor for my alma mater,” said Dr. Shirmo. “To know you are on the sideline making a difference is very touching.” Having A Wonderful Staff “It was a hard decision to bring on a nurse practitioner
because we are very protective of our patients and wanted to make sure we found someone who cares as much as we do. We absolutely have that with Kyle, our Nurse Practitioner, who has been with us for almost 6 years. The patients love her and she has been an excellent addition to our practice. Angie, our office manager, has been with us for 7 years and thanks to her skills, along with her wonderful supporting staff and all of their attention to details they have saved lives just like us.” Celebrating 26 Years Together and 3 Amazing Daughters It’s hard to stop at a Top 10 when you’ve got so much to celebrate. High school sweethearts, the doctors’ affection for each other is apparent and spills over to their patients – making each and everyone feel like part of the family, fitting their motto perfectly to "Let Our Family Care for Yours." Trinity Family Physicians is currently accepting patients age 8 to 108. They are located at the corner of Trinity Blvd. and Duck Slough Blvd. at 1817 Cypress Brook Dr., Suite 101 in Trinity. Hours are Mon. – Fri., 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. For more information, call (727) 834-8377 or visit their Facebook page or website at trinityfamilyphysicians.com.
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TRINITY DENTAL CARE (727) 372-2001 Toll Free: 1-888-tooth AK Dr. S. Shayes - Dr. A. Eskandari #DN15492
#DN15013
NG PTI S E C AC IENT NOW W PAT NE
Online Appointment Scheduling Now Available on our Website!!
www.trinitydentalcare.com We perform the following procedures: - Preventive Dentistry - Crowns, Bridges - Dentures, Partials, Repairs - Tooth Colored Fillings - Gum Treatment - Nitrous Gas (Happy Gas)
- Root Canals - Teeth Whitening - Dentistry for Children and Adolescence - etc.
TWO Locations! • 1843 Health Care Drive, Building #1 Trinity, FL 34655 (at the corner of Mitchell Blv & Little Rd, behind Walgreens)
• 20729 Center Oak Drive, Tampa,FL 33647
Saturday Appointments Available NEW PATIENT SPECIAL Exam (D0140) and X-Ray (D0272 or D0220)
$39.99 EXP. 09/30/2018. WEEKDAYS ONLY. New patients only. Cannot be used with insurance. Coupon needs to be presented at time of service.
The patient and any other person responsible for payment has a right to refuse to pay, cancel payment or be reimbursed for payment for another service, examination or treatment which is performed as a result of and within 72 hours of responding to the advertisement for the free, discounted or reduced fee, service, examination or treatment.
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Save Money, Save the Planet, Go Solar Today! Act now and capitalize on the 30% Federal Tax Credit! By Matt Selby Florida is known as the “Sunshine State,” so why not take advantage of the fact you could power up your entire home with Solar Energy and highly reduce your carbon footprint, while improving your property value and cutting down those high energy costs? Solar is more affordable than ever before and people are starting to switch. The price of solar has fallen drastically over the last decade thanks to research into more efficient and cheaper ways to build solar panels. And since more people and big companies are investing in solar, (think Tesla, Amazon, Apple… just to name a few) the price comes down as the demand increases. An average family can save over $1,000 a year just by switching! And that’s not counting any extra energy their panels make that they can sell back to the power grid.
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A Stimulus Package that WILL NOT LAST For a short time, you can access and utilize federal tax credits that can save you up to 30 percent of solar installation costs. You can finance your very own solar system with a solar loan, line of credit, or cash. Solar Professionals of Florida also offers different financing options for your solar panels as well. These allow you to make an investment with $0 down and start making money right away! The downside to all of this is that it’s not going to last. The big utility companies dislike the money they’re losing to solar energy and companies like ours, and the government incentives will only last as long as their solar initiative. Traditional electric companies jack up your rates an average of 4% each year! Over time, you could end up paying double for the same amount of electric consumption by staying on their grid. By going solar, and offsetting the utility company’s
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electric cost, you lock in a discounted monthly payment until the system is paid off and then never have to pay another payment for the equipment again! That’s right, you will get to own your electric producing equipment instead of just paying the electric company for power they produce and charge you for your consumption. Here’s what you need to know: If you buy the system outright without utilizing the low financing option, your Solar Energy Package will offset your electric cost to net $0 annually and you will have no payments! On average, the financed payments are less than the homeowner is paying for traditional electric in month number 1, so most homeowners finance and keep more of their liquid cash in the bank. The system still net $0’s out the traditional electric bill just like if you bought the system upfront as well.
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When financed, the system is $0 down and you don’t pay a dime until after installation. Not everyone qualifies unfortunately. A 660 minimum credit score is required. If you do not know your credit score we could do a soft check for you during our initial appointment. Why Choose Solar Professionals of Florida? Our team of professionals has over 3 decades of experience in the industry, and pride themselves of having accomplished two great things: 1. Our team provides an end-toend, seamless solution to homeowners, which includes; financing, planning, and everything else needed to get you off the ground and producing your own solar energy. 2. Solar Professionals of Florida utilizes only the highest-grade solar equipment and panels, proudly made
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$15,000 or more by going solar!
in the USA, coupled with best of breed, local installers to insure quality throughout each project. Our team of experts takes your project from initial solar evaluation, to design and permitting, to install and on to energy production. The panels go up and your energy costs go down! It’s that easy! A 30% Federal tax credit of the
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total cost of the system is awarded to the homeowner for going solar this year, but this incentive may not be around long! Other incentives are also available for qualifying circumstances that add attractiveness to an already winning concept. In addition to the tax credit, your home value can easily increase by
Going Solar also helps our planet! This green, alternative energy utilizes the power of the sun to power your home. That’s it! How awesome is that? You’ll help save thousands of trees and save thousands of gallons of fuel over the course of your system life. Speaking of system life. Your panels are covered by a 25-year manufacturers warranty! With so many pros to going solar, it’s amazing we all haven’t made the switch already.
Join the thousands of Florida homeowners who have made the switch to Solar! Call us today for your free solar energy assessment and when you switch to solar with us, we will pay you $500! Call 813-750-7770 or visit us online at myspf.org for more information. Proud partners of Solar Homes. Lic No: CV-c056667 EC No: EC-13006510
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SAT AND ACT IMPROVEMENT: FALL SEMESTER IS HERE! By Dr. Wayne Adams FALL EXAM DATES: SAT: October 6, November 3, December 1; ACT: September 8, October 27, December 8. Summer vacation went by too fast! Now that school has restarted (or is about to), everyone gets to refocus and get ready for the fall. For Seniors, it’s a combination of doing well academically, activities, and preparing the best college applications. From my last article, you know that more and more and more colleges are admitting up to half their classes or more with early admissions. Check out these dates and requirements on the college websites, or call the admissions office. If your SAT and/or ACT scores are not where you want, give me a call. For Juniors, it’s the middledistance lap in high school balancing academics and activities with doing well on the PSAT in October and building a resume for
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college applications. If you are aiming high, for a “top 25 school”, know that the best way to really “stand out” is to build a distinctive strength, to become outstanding in some field that you enjoy. There is a myth around that colleges are looking for “well rounded” students. Top colleges want “lopsided” students, those who have something outstanding (other than grades and SAT/ACT scores) and can change the world. They equate “well-rounded with mediocre! For Sophomores, it’s the next lap in a longer-distance run with academics, activities, and longer term planning for college applications. On occasion, schools will give an SAT or an ACT exam for “placement”, which means determining which academic level courses that student can take. If you are aiming high for colleges it is not too early to start preparing for the SAT and/or ACT exams. Last year, I had two students who
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were national merit finalists (top 1% on their exam scores in the country). Last article I wrote about some new approaches in my classes to help students score well in math. I can report that these have seen good results.
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So now we have a new approach to writing the SAT and ACT Essays. Think of it as “writing by the numbers”, which in this case means following a guide to analyze the assignment, quickly spot the key requirements and elements for the essay, “fill in the blank” for
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each paragraph needed – especially the first one which is the most important – and move through with the needed substantiation paragraphs followed by a great conclusion. Already, several of my students have tried this and raised their essay scores 20-30% from their prior exam essay scores. Plus they have a new way of thinking, structuring, and writing essays for their high school classes. Would love to talk with you further about your student. Just send me an e mail at wwa0811@mykolab.com or call me at 727-253-0639. Dr. Wayne Adams is one of the leading SAT and ACT tutors in the country. His students normally improve 200 – 350 points on the Writing, Reading, Writing and Essay, and Math, and 4 – 7 points on the ACT composite. They have been admitted to eight of the top ten universities in the country, eighteen of the top twenty-five, and many schools in Florida. These schools include Harvard, Yale,
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Princeton, Columbia, Stanford, U Chicago, Duke, U Penn, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Notre Dame, Emory, UC Berkley, UCLA, USC, UNC (Chapel Hill), University of Virginia, NYU, Northeastern (Boston), Boston College, Georgia Tech, Air Force and Merchant Marine Service Academies, Penn State, Purdue, Ohio State, LSU, Auburn, UF, U Miami, FSU, USF, UCF, Florida Atlantic, Florida Gulf Coast, FIU, New College of Florida, Stetson, and Julliard – Manhattan - New England - and Berkley Conservatories of Music. Many have received academic, athletic, or music scholarships. This year, he also tutored three juniors who scored at the national merit finalist/semi-finalist levels on the most recent PSAT. He is a former Dean of a Graduate School of Business and Full Professor, and began college teaching at the University of Maryland in 1968. He has degrees and advanced studies at Harvard, Yale, Vanderbilt, Columbia International, and Luther Rice.
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agents that would sell “Korkis Insurance” "The me the policies wouldn't tell
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multilingual. "My staff speaks Spanish, French, Italian, German and Arabic," says Baskal, so they will be able to take care of you and answer all your questions in the language of your choice! "Passion, Professionalism, and Integrity at its best," says Honest-1 Auto Care owner, about his recent experience with Baskal. "Nothing means more than having someone you can rely on, and at the same time trust. Great communication with excellent customer service. I am a true believer and will let my friends and family know of my experience here. Thank you for doing what you do the way it should be done!" Do you ever feel frustrated with insurance companies and agents? You're not alone. Baskal feels and understands your pain, and he's here to help to the best of his ability. "I had many insurance policies with a large insurance agent that was established for 40 years," says Baskal.
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me about the different inspection reports I could get to save money. Thinking with over 10 policies with them I would get educated but I wasn't." On his own, Baskal learned about the many different ways to get better coverage for less. "I was paying about $5-6k on one property, and I brought it down to $2,800 a year and that was only one location." In December of 2013, Baskal opened his own Allstate Insurance Agency. His motto? "Treat others the (above and opposite page) Baskal Korkis’ driving force: family. Keeping a family first way you want to be treated." approach ensures all of his clients will experience Baskal wants all of his clients “The Golden Rule”: Treat others as you want to be treated. to be educated on their his own family, and focusing on about the products and services you choices and he wants to be able to providing every individual with the offer, and you also have high offer them the best possible service. best customer service possible, customer satisfaction. "We care about the people in our Baskal was able to become a If you're looking for an communities, and we do everything "Premier Allstate Agent," which experienced, trustworthy within our power to serve them to means you demonstrate the highest professional to assist you with your the best of our ability," he says. By level of professionalism, knowledge tax preparation, insurance concerns treating everyone like members of
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or get you into investing, look no further than Baskal Korkis. Nothing but 5 star reviews from happy and satisfied customers will put any doubt you may have at ease and will make your decision to contact
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Baskal, an easy choice. After all, how many people that you know, have been able to save up enough money to buy their first house at 18 years old? Servicing the entire State of Florida, Baskal deals with clients from the Panhandle down to the Florida Keys! So no matter where you're located, he's got your back and best interests in mind! Today, Baskal makes sure to carefully educate all of his staff, so as they grow with the company they get to learn different ways and practices to protect their clients and find them costeffective solutions to cover their every day risks. We all know how hard dealing with insurance agencies can be, but with Baskal and his team, you will be in great hands. "We have an insurance review with our client to verify their needs and then educate them on the different policies that can fill their
needs," says Baskal. According to him, one of the most common questions he often hears is "Am I properly/sufficiently covered?" Unfortunately, the answer is‌ no. "Most people haven't updated the type of insurance they have in over 30 years. They usually take what they have to someone else and ask them to copy the same coverage," says Baskal. "But things have changed a lot in the last 30 years, even in the last 10 years there's been a lot of policy changes you should be mindful of." Hearing some of his answers even had me questioning my own insurance policies, and I will make sure to pay him a visit in the near future to have him assist me with my own insurance needs. After all, I am one of those that have not properly reviewed their coverage in over 5 years. If you're anything like me and you're in serious need of insurance assistance with someone you can truly trust, if you're just looking for someone to help you with your taxes or you're serious about making your
money work for you, please contact Baskal Korkis today. A few years ago he also opened up a real-estate investment group and partnered up with other investors for higher return. If you want to see some of the projects they've been working on, find them on instagram @supsyr. Korkis Insurance Services East Lake is located at 3033 Ridgeline Blvd suite b1, Tarpon Springs, FL. For more information call (727) 493-0125 today.
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Foodies Will Rejoice at Faceless Samurai!! By Carla Selby “Hi Matt! Hi Carla! How are you guys doing?” says Duke Ratanakarn, owner and main Chef at Faceless Samurai, as he warmly welcomes my husband and I in, with the same big smile and charisma he greets every single person that walks through his doors. “It’s been what… 7 or 8 months since you guys got married? Congrats again!” Duke adds, as we take a seat at the bar, because we love catching up with him. I have no idea how Duke manages to remember every single detail we’ve ever shared with him, but he does. And that same attention to detail is reflected in every single piece of sushi he masterfully rolls, and his guests definitely notice. Jeremy D. says “Faceless Samurai has the best sushi around, and Duke will remember you forever after you first visit!” “I love the thai food there, and sushi chef Duke is incredible, he truly knows how to make my tummy happy!!! His sushi skills are top notch!” says regular, Paweena K.
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If you live around the East Lake area, a simple google search on “The best sushi restaurant near me,” will prompt you to Faceless Samurai as the first result, and you’ll notice the impressive amount of 5 star reviews from happy, satisfied clients. “Beautiful, very traditional Japanese looking place. Sushi was awesome. They had great lunch specials on bento boxes! Our waitress was really nice as well and service was fast. This is my new favorite sushi spot for sure!” says Jacqueline V. Local food guide Allain B. says, “Best Sushi I have ever had, hands down. Great prices and the sushi is always beautifully presented, flavorful and FRESH!” Of course, all the magnificent food has a lot to do with the wonderful reviews, but for me and my husband, the delicious food comes second to the superior customer service and treatment we get every time we stop by. Duke’s friendliness, politeness, attentiveness and overall service speaks louder than all the spicy tuna sashimi in the world. And I am not the only
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one who feels that way… Shannon S. says, “This is my favorite sushi place by far! The atmosphere is cozy and quiet. The sushi is always delicious and fresh. There is a wide variety of other dishes if sushi isn’t your thing. The owner Duke and the staff are always very hospitable and kinds, and are a big reason as to why we keep coming back again… and again… and again!” Duke, my husband Matt and I go way back… back to the days Matt and I first started dating, and as a couple of self proclaimed foodies we were trying every single high-rated sushi restaurant in the area. After our first dinner date there I completely fell in love… with Faceless Samurai! And if you pay Duke a visit, and allow him to surprise your tastebuds with some of his incredible creations, you too will fall in love with this amazingly delicious neighborhood gem. Now that you know Duke will be one of the main reasons’ you’ll keep going back, let’s talk about the food! We started our dinner with the
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“Samurai Sampler,” because we like to try a little bit of everything… and if that sounds like you, I recommend this as your main starter as well. It offers a few pieces of fried tofu, gyozas, fried calamari, spring rolls and a savory curry puff, all for a very affordable price, I must say. Last time we stopped by, we had a variety of special sushi rolls and the drunken noodles, which were amazing. So this time around I wanted to try something new… and I am so glad I did! In the same spirit of “tasting a bit of everything,” I went with the Bento Dinner Box because of all the options I could choose from.
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This traditional bento box comes with a miso soup and a ginger salad and your 4 choices of the following: 3 pieces sushi of the day, 4 pieces sashimi of the day, 3 pieces chicken teriyaki, 3 pieces chicken or pork katsu, 2 pieces of shrimp tempura, 4 pieces of vegetable tempura, 6 pieces of tuna or salmon maki, tuna or salmon salad. Choosing was hard but I went
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with; the 3 pieces of sushi of the day, which included fresh tuna, fresh salmon and snapper. 3 pieces of chicken katsu, which I had never had before and I couldn't get over how exquisite this was. I will make sure to order it every single time I go from now on. I also included 2 pieces of shrimp tempura, because it’s one of my all-time favorite things to eat, and then last but not least, 6 pieces of tuna maki, because I knew my husband was going to steal them from me since he’s a big fan of tuna. The bento dinner box was a hit and there was plenty enough food to share, even though
you probably wouldn't want to! My husband ordered the volcano roll, which we had never tried before at Faceless Samurai, and it definitely did not disappoint. Nothing that Duke makes ever does. This traditional roll had spicy baked seafood on top of a california roll and it was finished off with tempura flakes. It was delicious and the perfect amount of spicy! When we were down to our last piece of tuna maki, Duke surprised us with a special roll, which he’s still coming up with a name for… but if you ask him to make you the same roll he made for "Matt and Carla when they came over," he will remember, I can promise you that! Not only he is an amazing chef, he has the best memory of anyone I know! This special roll included some of my favorite sushi ingredients; shrimp tempura, cucumber, cream cheese and it was topped with fresh tuna and fresh salmon. Yum! I am so happy this will be added to their menu. You will not want to miss this! “I will be adding a lot of new special rolls to our sushi menu really soon,” says Duke. “I always notice and pay attention to what people like, what ingredients they love, what
combinations they find the tastiest, and I create new rolls based on that. I am excited to be adding some new rolls to our already extensive sushi menu." I personally cannot wait to try all these new rolls! If there are half as good as the one he let us try today, I am sure they will all become big hits! Even though we were already full, there’s mysteriously always room for dessert. So we finished this incredible meal with some Mochi Ice Cream. Which if you’ve never had, I encourage you to try it. Sochi is a confection made from Japanese dough (mochigome) with an ice cream filling. This dessert is surprisingly tasty and believe it or not… gluten free! Faceless Samurai also offers a nice wine and local beer selection, as well as Japanese sake and imported beers. If you're looking for delicious Japanese food at affordable prices, and an unforgettable experience with a friendly Chef who will treat you like family, visit Faceless Samurai today! Faceless Samurai is located at 3428 Tampa Rd, Palm harbor, FL 34684. Call them directly at (727) 772-5622 or log on to facelesssamurai.com for more information.
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“Our physician team of “Mease Countryside” obstetricians/gynecologists,
Continued from page 1 1985. The 311-bed hospital currently has 12 labor and delivery beds and 22 Mother/Baby beds which are all in private suites. More than 2,000 babies were delivered at Mease Countryside in 2017. The extraordinary team that provides a vast amount of medical expertise and experience and is committed to providing quality, compassionate care. Mease Countryside has a knowledgeable team of board-certified obstetricians, neonatologists, labor and delivery nurses, certified nurse midwives and Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialists who are physicians that manage mostly high-risk health concerns of the mother and baby. An OB hospitalist is on campus 24 hours a day on weekdays and weekends to assist with any emergencies. For babies who are born early, who have problems during delivery, or who develop problems while still in the hospital, the 10-bed Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit offers a high-level of specialty newborn care.
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neonatologists and Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialists have nearly 1,000 years of collective experience to provide expectant mothers and their babies with the utmost care,” said Hugo Perez, MD, an OB/GYN who serves as the maternity unit department chair. “We’re ready to help support moms and their families as they welcome their new baby into the world.” The talented staff uses the latest available technology to treat expecting mothers with care. Among the technology on hand is the Fetal Link software that allows physicians to monitor patients even while the physicians aren’t physically on the unit. Physicians are able to keep a close eye on their patients regardless of the physician’s location, providing yet another layer of comfort for expecting moms and their families. The hospital also has a state-ofthe-art pain management program to help expectant moms through labor. The expectant mother has access to nitrous oxide and water immersion, pain relief methods that allow the patient to control when she uses it
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during labor. Before arriving at the hospital for the birth, Mease Countryside is offers opportunities for expectant parents to get to know what is offered at the hospital and tips on how to care for their little ones. Tours of the birth center are available so that expectant parents can see the private birthing suites and meet members of the labor and delivery team. There also are classes on child birth, breastfeeding and how to take care of your newborn. There’s even a boot camp
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for expectant dads that teaches how to survive the first few weeks, support the new mom and more. Parents can also have their car seat inspected for baby’s first ride home. Parents who have alternative birthing plans will find Mease Countryside a welcoming environment. Water immersion births can be performed in the hospital’s birthing pool. “I was so beyond impressed with my first experience (at Mease Countryside) as a doula,” said Taylor Bland, a doula and birth
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assistant at Trinity Calm Birth Services. “I would happily recommend and attend many more client births here. They followed the birth plan … and the nurses were incredibly kind and reassuring to the parents and it made for a fantastic, all-natural birth for first-time parents. … If natural birth and parenting is your goal, it is very obtainable here.” Mease Countryside services don’t
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just stop once the baby is born. Mease Countryside has been recognized as a Baby-Friendly Hospital by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), for its efforts to advocate for breastfeeding. The Baby-Friendly Hospital designation is a global effort to implement practices that protect, promote and support breastfeeding. The hospital also received the Care
Award from the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) and the International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA). The Maternity Center at Mease Countryside offers breastfeeding mothers the information, skills and support needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies. Breastfeeding moms can also participate in a support group to help with tips and suggestions. For expectant mothers determined to be at high risk, Mease Countryside also has a Maternal Fetal Medicine program. Working in conjunction with physicians who specialize in perinatology, the program gives mothers the opportunity to receive advanced care while remaining in their own community. As one of 15 hospitals that are part of BayCare, a health system with headquarters in Clearwater, Mease Countryside has been able to strengthen its commitment to advance children’s care through its partnership with St. Joseph's Children's Hospital. Called St. Joseph's Children's at Mease Countryside Hospital, the goal of the partnership is to offer the
community more access to innovative and high-tech care in a familycentered setting. Through the partnership, Mease Countryside offers pediatric emergency services and an enhanced 15-bed, private inpatient children's unit. A child life specialist works with children and their parents to bring a sense of normalcy to the experience of hospitalization. Although known for its expertise in labor and delivery and childcare, Mease Countryside Hospital has been recognized overall on the IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals list. Mease Countryside is the only hospital named to the 2018 list to have achieved that honor 10 times. “We are proud that Mease Countryside is recognized for its advanced care and medical excellence in serving our community,” said Lapham. “Our extraordinary team is here to help all patients throughout their health care journey.” For more information on Mease Countryside, visit BayCare.org/MCH. For additional information on prenatal and postnatal services, visit MeaseCountrysideMaternity.org.
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Tech Talk with Bob..THE CALL! Did you get “the call?” Did you get the call? If so, what did you do? Did your friends get the call? If so, what did they do? Maybe neither one of you got the call… yet. What will you or your friends do when you get the call? Well I am going to help you with this situation. This information can save you hundreds of dollars! Many criminals are working their way through the internet looking for people to scam. I personally have received “the call” several times myself. My dad received one last month. These scam artists will call you and identify themselves as representatives of a large company, like Microsoft, Apple, etc. The caller will tell you that a corruption was identified to be on your computer. They will then offer you a free scan of your computer to verify the corruption. Most people will be happy to agree to do this because it is FREE. For these criminals to run this free scan they must be in control of your computer. They ask you to log onto the internet with your computer, download a file and run it. The caller starts the scan. Now they have you.
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Once you download that file, you are in trouble. You will be able to observe the scan from your computer screen. The caller will chit chat with you about the scan and then move the conversation to more personal information like your name, address, phone number and email address. When the scan is finished the caller will confirm that you have the corruption and assure you they can fix it right now. Most people get worried when they hear there is a problem with their computer so they tell the caller to fix it. However, now the caller proceeds to ask for credit card information because
they were not hired by Microsoft, Apple, etc. They want your money. Many people will pay and think everything is fine. Other people will say no because they thought that this was a free offer to find and fix the corruption. If you refuse to pay, the caller may make threats like saying your computer is going to crash or you may not be able to connect to the internet. The file they ask you to download and run to scan your system may actually sabotage your computer. So if you refuse to pay, you may have introduced the caller’s corruption into your computer. $299.00 is the typical amount they ask you to pay, however the amount will vary. Here’s the catch: The scan to confirm the existence of the “so called corruption” was FREE, to fix the corruption will cost you. Here’s the BIGGER catch: you do not have the corruption they are trying to convince you you have. This whole call is a hoax. They want to scare you into thinking you have a corruption and offer you a way to diagnose it for FREE. And then get you to pay for
the fix. Many people become victims of this scam. It has been around for a long time because it makes these criminals a lot of money. Now that you are aware of this scam, you will not become one of their victims. So, what do you do when you get this type of call? Hang up. As long as you hang up before downloading and running the scan file the caller instructs you to download. If you have already downloaded the scan file then you will want to immediately turn off your computer and contact an IT professional to look over your system to make sure it is safe to use. Have a tech question? Email it to TechTalkTBNL@BobTheComputerGuy.NE T. Questions will be selected by the popularity of a topic and answered in this column. If you have a more urgent need or have a unique situation you may schedule an appointment with one of my Professionally Certified Technicians by calling 727-534-4000. Until next time, stay safe on the internet!
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