Vol. 10, Issue 12, December 2017
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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
Fine Jewelry, No Pressure Shopping, and Fabulous Deals – You’ll Find it All at August Stephenson
By Marcy Sanford Looking for a special gift this holiday season? Let the gift experts at August Stephenson help you find the perfect present for your loved one. Located at 3670 Tampa Road in Oldsmar, August Stephenson carries a broad range of jewelry from many different popular designers, as well as some unique designers that you might not be able to find anywhere else in Tampa Bay. With a full selection of necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings and watches, they have something for every style and budget plus fun holiday events and giveaways that will make your holiday shopping a breeze. Shop Local This Holiday Season: The first event to kick off the holiday shopping extravaganza at August Stephenson will be amazing Black Friday Specials on all your
RCI Flooring Has Your Business, Home and Family’s Best Interest in Mind! By: Katie Cammardella
See “Jeweler” on page 28.
The Community Dining & Business Guide that your neighbors READ!
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: BHHS East Lake Donations....3 Pasco Camera Exchange.......4-5
ECRWSS
See “RCI” on page 20.
Postal Customer
expert help they provide in choosing the best floor for each customer. They ask the right questions and listen in
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID TAMPA FL PERMIT 1185
with the best flooring company in the area. Chris and Laura strive to make RCI Flooring exceptional in every way, from the extraordinary selection of quality products they offer to the
WINTERFEST at the Lutheran Church of the Ressurection......10-11 The Center for Bone & Joint Disease....................16-17 “Tech Talk” with Bob.......18-19 SAT & ACT Improvement....22-23 Nearshore Fishing...................26 Dated Material Please Rush!
Located just behind Carrabba’s Italian Grill on US 19 N in Palm Harbor, RCI Flooring has been serving homeowners and business owners in Palm Harbor and the surrounding area for over eleven years with superb customer service and quality product lines. Continuing to grow stronger every year - RCI Flooring has the range of quality products and the superior customer service that you want, plus the knowledge to help you find what you need when deciding on new flooring. Chris and his wife Laura opened RCI Flooring with the goal to serve customers who also are their neighbors and community members
favorite jewelry by designers like Imperial Pearls, Frederic Duclos, Charles Garnier and more. August Stephenson even offers custom made pieces for those who want something truly original and unique. They find gemstones from all over the world and craft them into incredibly beautiful works of art made just for you. After Black Friday, the deals and discounts will continue with Small Business Saturday. August Stephenson has been locally owned and family operated for more than 30 years always giving their customers the best prices available. Run by four siblings and their families who are proud to call this area home, at August Stephenson they pride themselves on their quality, service, selection and,
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Use the BHHS East Lake Office as your Donation Station time to take advantage of the miles of walkways through East Lake Woodlands to enjoy the outdoors. I am also thankful that I am a Broker Associate on an effective and knowledgeable real estate team at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services East Lake Woodlands Office. Our Florida Group has received the Unity Award in 2017 from Metropolitan Ministries for donations and Bob McCaffery, The McCaffery Team, Berkshire time spent collecting for this Hathaway Home Services-Florida Properties cause. Founded in 1972, Group, East Lake Woodlands office, shows his sup- the Metropolitan Ministries port for the ongoing food drive for Metropolitan provides food, shelter, Ministries, Tampa. resources, counselling, education and job training We have moved the clocks forward, services that alleviate suffering, instill just finished our Thanksgiving Feast self- sufficiency and promote dignity for and are adjusting to the idea that the low-income and homeless families in the December Holidays are soon area. The donation receptacles are in all approaching. It reminds us to have 22 of our offices all year long, and it is gratitude for many things in our lives. important to know that there are At this time of year, I know I can give Metropolitan Ministries locations in thanks that I won’t be facing Tampa and Pasco Counties that directly snowstorms, but instead will be aid the Tampa Bay communities. Visit enjoying the beautiful winter weather www.metromin.org to see the that we have in Florida. It is also the benefits they are providing and to
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receive information on how you may be of help. For our company the energy to promote gets even more enthusiastic during the holidays, and the efforts at Christmas time and include the company goal to “fill the Cabernet Sleigh”, a U-Haul driven by our Owners, to pick up donations, nicknamed after our signature BHHS colors of Cabernet and Cream. Metropolitan Ministries also partners with the Sunshine Kids Foundation, a national non-profit organization, benefitting children with cancer. Our Florida Properties Group has also been a longtime supporter of the Sunshine Kids and is involved in their charity raising events throughout the year. The McCaffery Team is thankful to be located within the gates of East Lake Woodlands. Ernie Del Barba, Bud Haynes, Ann Galatro, Joan Daly, Fonda Dillard, Claudia Preisig (Bilingual), Linda Gagliardi and myself, Bob McCaffery wish you a Happy Holidays. Please stop by our East Lake office to talk with us about your real estate needs and let us help you reach your goals of buying or selling a home, leasing information, or finding investment properties.
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 © 2017 East Lake Area Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles is published by Ads 2 Publications, Inc. Publisher Correspondents Tim Selby Julie Kanehl General Manager Katie Thomas Marcy Sanford Jim O’Reilly Art Director Editor Tony Sica Carla Selby Accounting Manager Advertising Sales Doreen Selby Matt Selby Tim Selby Jim O’Reilly Mike Bird 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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Pasco Camera Exchange, “Preserving Your Family Memories” product without the personal touch. As time passes, families grow and change and, too often, family history can become lost. When you look at an old photo you may not remember its significance. If your grandparents are no longer around to tell the story behind the photograph, the memory may be lost forever. As time passes, your old home movies, slides, photos, and videos change too. Movie film, slides, and photos fade, change color, and become brittle or fragile. Even videotape degrades over time and when video formats become obsolete; your family’s memories may be lost. The staff at Pasco Camera Exchange has over 30 years of experience in audiovisual production and we understand the importance of preserving your family’s precious memories for future generations. Located at 5405 Main Street in New Port Richey, Pasco Camera Exchange has been a trusted source for over 20 years in camera purchases (both new and used), camera repairs, photography supplies and classes. Pasco Camera’s customers are enjoying finally being able to view those boxed-up memories with ease
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Preserving the Past So many people have that big box of slides in the back of their closet – photos that are close to 100 years old or old family movie film – what you don’t realize is that you can easily lose them to decay if you don’t transfer them to a digital format. Environmental factors such as temperature, humidity and sunlight affect photographs significantly. Not long ago, there was no way for an individual to indefinitely safeguard those films, but with advances in digital technology, those precious moments of personal history can be preserved for generations to come.
and convenience. Unlike many corporate drugstore chains, all of Pasco Camera’s video transfers are done locally. Many people don’t know that when they go to the large chain drugstore to have a video transfer made, most of the time, their old photos, films or negatives are
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sent out-of-state and sometimes even out of the country, so they run a risk of losing those irreplaceable memories. You also don’t receive the one on one personal attention of a trained technician working on your memories to make them the best possible, not a mass produced
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Video Transfer Video transfer is the solution. Pasco Camera offers a variety of video formats options to meet your budget and quality needs. They use digital video technology and DVD media that will play on your DVD player. Also offered is HD Blu-Ray video and HD Digital video files that can be used on your computer, digital tablets, cell phones, smart TV’s, and
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even cloud storage. Pasco Camera is able to transfer your old photos, negatives, slides, Regular 8, Super 8, and 16mm film and most all formats of videotape. Video transfers can be simple or a full blown video productions with music, titles, and DVD navigation menus. Once transferred to digital
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form, you can enjoy your memories over and over again using your current equipment, with no fear of damaging the originals. You can even order extra copies economically to share so everyone in your family and your friends can share in the enjoyment.
DVD Ideas DVD’s make wonderful keepsakes capturing milestones for many different events including weddings, anniversaries, memorial services, family reunions, graduations, religious ceremonies, retirement and more. You can organize your family history/events in chronological order and re-tell your story with titles and music that create a powerful and emotional presentation. When making a DVD for a special occasion, whether it’s a memorial service honoring the life of a loved one who has passed away or an anniversary or graduation celebration, the end result usually doesn’t leave a dry eye in the room. J. Rogers, a happy customer shares, “When my sister and I viewed the DVD that Pasco Camera made for us we were so pleased! I was so surprised at the quality of the entire project. I think it’s a priceless gift and my mom loved it!” With a video transfer, sharing the past with family and friends has never been easier. Bring in your memories to Pasco Camera Exchange for a free estimate.
Pasco Camera Exchange is located at 5405 Main Street in New Port Richey. Our employees are knowledgeable and ready to answer all of your questions; just call (727) 844-0904 or visit at www.PascoCamera.com. Mention this article and receive a free duplicate copy on your video transfer order.
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HERITAGE SPRINGS
4/2/3 2475 htd sq ft. This home is model perfect! Formal lv & dining rooms w/wood flooring & crown molding. Kitchen w/wood cabinets, granite counters overlooks family room w/wood floors. Master w/two walk in closets, master bath w/garden tub, walk in shower & linen closet. 3 other generous sized bedrooms, one being used as an office. The amazing extended covered lanai w/tile flooring & a spa to relax in! Absolutely move in condition!! $375,000
2/2/2 1563 htd sq ft. This villa has formal living and dining rooms w/vaulted ceiling. the kitchen overlooks the family room w/vaulted ceiling too. The master bedroom has plenty of room for all your pieces and two closets. The master bath has a walk in shower. The guest bedroom has ceiling fan and the guest bathroom has tub w/shower. The lanai has a park like setting to enjoy. $219,900
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Come and Enjoy WINTERFEST at the Lutheran Church of the Ressurection It looks like a regular church but on Dec. 30 it will become a winter wonderland complete with 20 tons of SNOW! Imagine sledding down a snow-covered hill for 60 feet OR picture yourself skiing across a path of snow OR building a snowman! You can do all this and more at WINTERFEST, sponsored by the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection (LCR) in Palm Harbor. This upcoming event provides many opportunities for both children and adults to experience a “bit of the North”: ice fishing, Florida “snow tires” (throwing snowballs through hanging tires), frozen turkey bowling, skiing, sledding. In addition, there will be crafts, raffles, “ugly sweater contest”, winter scene cake decorating contest, bounce house, snow king and queen, food vendor trucks, and the evening session includes an entirely additional experience: DJ music, dancing, wine/beer garden and much more. Sessions for this event are 12:30-4:30PM and 6:00 – 10:00PM. Admission per session is $8 per individual (1 session) or $15 for both sessions. A discounted
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family rate (3 or more persons) is $22 per session or $40 for both sessions. Proceeds from Winterfest will support the needs of the homeless population and the Youth Ministry so that a group of teens can travel to Houston for hurricane cleanup with 35,000 others from across the country. To volunteer, please contact winterfest@mylcr.org. Corporate sponsorships are also available at the silver ($100), bronze ($250), gold ($500) or platinum ($1,000) level: please contact winterfest@mylcr.org. Acknowledgement of all sponsorships will be included in the Winterfest Brochure. Gold and platinum sponsors will also be on the Winterfest tee shirts and large banners around the event. Crowds are common at LCR. Over 120 groups/organizations from the community gather on the campus over the course of a year and call it home. Numerous scout groups, several HOA’s, 12 step groups, business groups use it as an education center, private parties, polling place. As LCR’s Wednesday Night Out dinner program has gained momentum, over
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140 meals are served weekly. An easy and inexpensive way to pick up dinner on the way home (3:45-6:30) through their drive-thru and take out program the flow of cars seems to just keep going. Just call ahead and pick up dinner! (727-678-2898) Adding to the crowds, the congregation has been growing since 2015 and is picking up speed. While most established mainline congregations are sliding on a declining plateau, LCR is
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demonstrating how ministry and faith can be fun, energizing, intelligent and inspiring as well as maintaining a sense of centering, seeking spiritual maturity, and wrestling with the challenging issues in the world as well as in people’s personal lives. Laughter, comradery and a strong desire and sense of emotional, spiritual and psychological health is regularly a part of what goes on here and can be felt as groups gather whether for worship or the many church meetings that take place
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through the week. The music program is expansive with 2 praise bands, large choir, men’s choir, frequent special musicians. After a significant repair project last year, the congregation will be repairing its Fellowship Hall next to evolve it into a Social Hall complete with catering kitchen. This continues the congregation’s strategy of orienting itself outward and positioning itself as a partner meeting community needs. Other visions the congregation has, including a separate building to be shared with the several hundred families that have scouts active on their campus. The community will also likely notice lighting, safety and security improvements that are planned. LCR seems somewhat unique in another way, its approach to being and doing ‘church’ includes a strong emphasis on using all the resources God has given in order to find meaning, direction, reconciliation, peace, effectiveness and efficiency in the practice of one’s faith. For example, science, psychology, sociology and many other disciplines are seen as partners in the pursuit of understanding God’s creation and purposes not competitors with alternative answers. Mainline theology
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sees no conflict between evolution and the Creation stories in the bible since they answer differing questions: science addresses the ‘how and what’ while theology addresses ‘who and why.’ Add to this taking a team approach where the entire ministry does not revolve around the pastor but rather the people collectively engage with the mission God has placed within and in front of them. This creates a permission-giving environment where people are encouraged to pursue their mission/ministry as it fits their giftedness and the community’s need. (See ad on page 20)
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Pain in the Neck? (Hip, Feet, Knees or Joints?) The Center for Bone & Joint Disease Can Help By: Marcy Sanford We all feel pain in our bones and joints at some point in our lives. Whether it is caused by a sports injury or other trauma or just a side effect of growing older, pain can keep you from living your life to its fullest and stop you from participating in the activities you love. But you don’t have to live with pain, the expert doctors and therapists at The Center for Bone & Joint Disease can help you. “I highly recommend The Center for Bone & Joint Disease,” writes patient Nancy P. “After what I have been through with my arm and wrist; the unbearable pain I have had, I was referred here. I am so pleased to finally get an answer to what was going on with my wrist and to find out it can be fixed. I highly recommend everyone to go here. I had an awesome orthopaedic surgeon and the staff and nurses are outstanding, kind, helpful and caring.” Not only are the doctors at The Center for Bone & Joint Disease board certified, expert surgeons in their area of specialty, but they are also able to help you determine if a different course of treatment would be the best
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Left to Right: Shaun Fahrenkrug, Pam Martin-Ott, Dr. Chris Linberg Hannah Hagadone, Krista (aka Marty) Bonometti solution to help treat your pain. “We say ‘from your nose to your toes, we treat anything that is broken or hurting,’” says Kristie Day, Marketing Coordinator for The Center. “We help people who have had auto accidents, accidents on the job, sports injuries, arthritis as well as those who have developed pain as they’ve grown older. We offer non-surgical solutions to
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pain management but can also tell you if surgery is the best option. When you call, we’ll ask you questions to help us put you with the provider to best suit your needs. Sometimes people will be in pain for years before calling us. You should not wait that long. If you’re in pain or uncomfortable, you should call us.”
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Experts For Every Bone and Joint in Your Body The Center for Bone & Joint Disease has been serving the Tampa Bay community for more than 45 years. With 7 orthopaedic surgeons, a physiatrist and a podiatrist they have experts for every body part. All physicians are Board Certified and some have received specialized fellowship training in areas such as hand, trauma, spinal injuries, and foot and ankle reconstruction. The Centers family of physicians include Craig Bennett, M.D., Jared Salinsky, D.O., George Kardashian, M.D., Juan Raposo, M.D., Jose Gomez, M.D., Christopher Reyher, M.D., Kirill Ilalov, M.D., Christopher Linberg, M.D., and Alexander Pappas, D.P.M. Convenient Locations The Center for Bone & Joint Disease has 4 office locations serving Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando and Citrus Counties. Their newest location at 16506 Pointe Village Drive in Lutz is conveniently located off of State Road 54, one block east of the Veterans Expressway inside the Nyman
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Christopher Linberg, M.D.
George Kardashian, M.D.
Juan Raposo, M.D.
Alexander Pappas, DPM
Building. Drs Linberg, Raposo, Kardashian and Pappas have clinic hours available In Lutz to better serve you. Dr. Christopher Linberg is the newest doctor to join the growing practice. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Dr. Linberg is a board certified orthopaedic surgeon who is dedicated to working with patients to help develop a treatment plan individualized for their goals. Dr. Linberg treats a wide variety of orthopaedic conditions but has a special interest in minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery, sports injuries and joint replacement. Dr. George Kardashian was educated at New York School of
Medicine and completed his hand fellowship at the University of Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital. Dr. Kardashian’s unique specialty focuses on hand and elbow disorders and surgery of the hand. Dr. Juan Raposo, a graduate of the University of Miami and the University of Florida, is dual fellowship trained in spine and trauma. Dr. Raposo sees patients with all types of orthopaedic injuries with a special emphasis in spine and orthopaedic trauma, including complex pelvic acetabular trauma. Dr. Alexander Pappas graduated from Tulane University and Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine. He is a fellowship trained foot and ankle surgeon. Dr. Pappas is trained in the
medical and surgical treatment of foot and ankle arthritis, fractures of the foot and ankle, foot and ankle tendon ruptures, ankle sprains, painful flat foot, painful high arched foot, heel pain, bunions, hammer toes, diabetic foot care, ingrown nails, Achilles tendon pain, ankle arthroscopy, orthotics, tarsal tunnel release and diabetic limb salvage.
studies, joint injections and spine stimulators for chronic pain. The Center also offers physical and occupational therapy by licensed therapists, MRI and x-ray services. If you’ve been hurt in an accident or have started having pains that makes it difficult to manage your day, give The Center for Bone & Joint Disease a call. The Center for Bone & Joint Disease accepts most insurance. The Center For Bone & Joint Disease is located at 16506 Pointe Village Drive in Lutz. They are open Mon. – Fri. For more information visit www.centerforboneandjoint.com. To schedule an appointment call (727) 605-3808.
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Physical Therapy and Specialty Services The Center for Bone & Joint Disease offers many specialty services including radio frequency ablations, epidural steroid injections, PRP (platelet rich plasma) injections, stem cell therapy, EMG’s, nerve conduction
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Tech Talk with Bob: “When to Buy a New Computer” By Bob Dalles Greetings! I am receiving emails from readers asking if they need to fix their existing computer or scrap it and buy a new one. This is a difficult question to answer without actually inspecting the computer myself. My goal in this column is to give you things to consider before buying a new system. Some people believe that they need to upgrade their existing system or buy a new system every time Apple or Microsoft releases a new operating system (OS). The OS is the basic software on a computer that allows other programs/apps to function. If you use a word processing program to write letters, the word processor (WP) needs an OS to help the WP save files, print files, etc. Think of the OS as the stage (platform) where the other programs/apps perform. I could make much more money if I advised my clients to upgrade their OS every time a new one is released. However, I do not advise my clients to
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jump into a new computer or upgrade their OS unless they need it. My goal is to advise my clients to do what’s best for their current situation. Yes, I want to make money but I want my clients to know that they will get an honest recommendation from me and only advise them to upgrade if they actually need a newer OS. After all, wouldn’t you be happier keeping
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hundreds of dollars in your pocket instead of spending it on something you really don’t need? So, how do you know if you need a newer OS? If your computer is running Windows 7 should you upgrade to Windows 10? I always say, “do not upgrade unless you have a program/app or piece of hardware (printer, scanner, etc.) that requires
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the newer OS.” If your computer functions properly there is no need to upgrade just because a newer OS has been released. One trap users fall into with a newer OS, (by either upgrading their current computer or buying a new system) is that some of their existing hardware or software is not compatible with the newer OS. This is a big issue for those users who are running Windows XP and jump to Windows 10. They sometimes learn that their printer or a program no longer works with the newer OS. Now they have to spend even more money on a new printer and new program. Yikes! Most hardware/software manufacturers design their products to eventually become functionally obsolete. That is why I always advise my clients to schedule a “pre-purchase consultation” with me so we can determine what an upgrade is really going to cost them. It is money well spent because if we determine that you need to upgrade, you will be more knowledgeable when you walk into a
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store or shop online. Every client who has done that is happy because they bought what they needed and was not “upsold” to something they didn’t need. Clients who schedule prepurchase consultations typically find that they usually save more money on their new computer purchase than what they paid for the consultation. I’m not saying that sales people in these stores are looking to take advantage of you, it’s that they don’t know your whole story (since they don’t come to your home or office) to truly determine what best suits you. Some clients have even paid me to accompany them to the store as liaison between them and the sales person. We’ll also browse the internet with you if you prefer to buy online. Some of the emails I receive ask me to recommend a make and model for an upgrade. I will not do that because it is not my intention to endorse or denounce any particular brand publicly in this column. Plus without an onsite pre-purchase consultation it would not be appropriate for me to make a recommendation. However, if we do have a pre-purchase consultation we
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will discuss brands and model numbers that are suitable for your specific needs. Let’s quickly touch on hardware. The main issue with laptop/notebook computers is the battery not holding a charge anymore and/or getting extremely hot when connected to the power supply. In this is case the battery can be removed to lower the heat produced by the laptop. However, this only works if you plan to keep the computer in one place. If you need mobility then replacing the battery is cheaper than buying a new computer. As long as there are no software issues, most hardware issues can be resolved for less money than a new purchase. 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, Happy Holidays!
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“RCI” Continued from page 1 order to find the best flooring, and at times it ends up being something other than what the customer originally had in mind. In addition to working step by step with each customer to meet their individual needs, the RCI Flooring team works seamlessly together throughout the project - from the beginning stages of design to installation and clean-up! Local resident and RCI Flooring customer Cheryl says, “I can not express to everyone how pleased we are with this company. Everyone involved from the beginning to the end of our installation project are definitely working as a team and they aim to please. Just moving to Florida,and having problems with other companies, we can honestly say this family run business is a five star. Special thanks to Chris and Michael they are one of a kind!”
Flooring Choices for Everyone - From Business to Home Life! Chris helps customers find flooring options that fit their personal
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needs as a home or business owner, whether that means durable flooring for high volume traffic areas, pet resistant flooring, luxury flooring or the floor that perfectly fits your unique aesthetic style. Whether you are interested in purchasing hardwood, wood laminate, tile or carpet for your floors, RCI Flooring carries top-ofthe-line products from well-respected manufacturers in the industry at very competitive prices and most of the flooring is manufactured in the USA. Chris recently began carrying a new brand of family, pet and life wear and tear resistant flooring - Luxury
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Vinyl Plank (LVP) and Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT). Chris is excited about this new product because it is not only durable and functional for families - it is aesthetically pleasing as well. “The first in a long list of benefits of LVT / LVP (Tile or Plank) is that it’s beautiful. With a new process called 'photogravure', LVT/LVP is designed to look and feel like hardwood. This process is precise in reproducing grains and textures of wood, and provides smooth and hand scraped finish options, as well as some stone and tile looks,” says Chris. “Perhaps the most important benefit
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of LVT / LVP is that it is designed to resist scratching and does not warp, swell or disintegrate when wet. LVT / LVP is waterproof whereas wood and laminate are not. Furthermore, wood and laminate can warp just with the slightest presence of moisture (and once it’s warped it can’t be fixed). Additionally, in comparison, LVT / LVP cannot delaminate from cleaning or wear. In fact, LVT / LVP may be overqualified for residential use as it was made to handle commercial wear and tear. For busy homes with lots of traffic, children or pets, these product are ideal!” Another convenience of LVT/LVP is that is can be installed over existing flooring - making your floor rehab project that much easier. LVT / LVP is less noisy - it offer the best noise absorption of hard surface flooring. This new product also meets safety requirements for slip resistance, flammability and many other safety codes. LVT/LVP has no off-gassing because unlike composite wood, hardwood plywood, particleboard and medium density fiberboard there are no formaldehyde emissions, which makes it safer for you, pets and your family’s health!
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A Showroom to Inspire You With A Supreme Customer Service Team! RCI Flooring’s beautiful 3,000square-foot showroom features large sections of varying floor materials laid in a pattern that allows the customer to see, feel and walk on the flooring choices – much preferable to the small six-inch-square sample that many larger stores have.
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There are so many choices for flooring that it can be an overwhelming choice, but that is where RCI helps. “We are not salespeople, we are educators and we want to guide them to the right products.” RCI Flooring offers many American-made and European-made products with flooring choices for every budget. Affordable doesn’t have to mean poorly constructed and Chris only carries products that he knows he can stand behind. Chris wants what is best for his customers, and they appreciate the exceptional service and his honesty. “We’re not a big box store, but no one can offer the quality that we do. I don’t pretend to be the cheapest guy in town because we are about quality and competitiveness. That’s what defines us and separates us from the rest.” Happy customer Steve says, “We
were amazed with how great of an experience we had with the RCI team. The installers were very professional and extremely detail oriented. Even after spending 10+ hours on the job on a Saturday, they didn't try to cut corners, they made sure every transition was perfect, removed some creakiness the builder had yet to resolve after several attempts, and the floors were spotless when they left, we had zero cleanup afterwards which was a complete surprise as we've heard horror stories of installs from bigger companies leaving so much glue residue the floors needed to be professionally cleaned afterwards. Glad to see there are still companies that still have pride in workmanship, will definitely use again!” From selection to installation, customers are assured of quality. All of the installations done by RCI Flooring are guaranteed to meet or exceed customers’ expectations. RCI provides a job completion form that every customer signs before they pay. You are not just hiring a company to complete your flooring needs; you are hiring a family team that ensures your happiness each step of the way. Working one-on-one with clients is a
big part of the job and Chris is available to customers and visits the job sites. All floors come with a transferable lifetime guarantee. The company’s lifetime guarantee has no small print, just one page simply stating their promise to provide a quality product and service to customers.
For anyone interested in new floors, RCI offers free consultations with no obligation. You can expect to be impressed with top quality and craftsmanship all the way across the board when working with RCI Flooring. RCI Flooring is located in Palm Harbor at 33937 US Hwy 19 in the Sable Ridge Plaza at the corner of US 19 and Nebraska in Palm Harbor (behind Carrabba’s). The showroom is open Mon. – Sat., 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m. and closed on Sun. For more information, call 727- 786-7291. The website is currently being updated to be even more convenient to customers by allowing for online purchasing.
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SAT AND ACT IMPROVEMENT: SAT EXAM CHANGES By Dr. Wayne Adams When the SAT added a new exam date last August, it caused quite a stir in the testing community because now the SAT had the first exam of the fall, students could prepare outside of the school year, and suddenly the ACT was behind in the “fall testing race”. What many did not realize is that the SAT only shifted their normal SAT exam date in January up to August, and did not replace the January date. So the last SAT Exam of the fall is on December 2nd, and the first SAT Exam of the spring is on March 10th. The last two SAT Exams of the spring are scheduled for April 14th and June 9th. The remaining exam dates for the ACT are December 9th, Feb 10th, April 14th, and June 9th. With the major exception of the University of Florida, with a very “hard” application date in November, most other colleges and universities in Florida will consider applicants on a “rolling admission” date with more flexibility for when SAT and ACT Exam scores are received.
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Also, current Bright Futures’ rules allow seniors to take the SAT and/or the ACT through the late spring and to have the scores counted for possible scholarships. Currently, the 75% Bright Futures requirements are a minimum of 1170 on the SAT and 26 on the ACT, and the 100%
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Bright Futures requirements are a minimum of 1290 on the SAT and 29 on the ACT. And if your student takes one of the exams multiple times, when I last checked Bright Futures will “super score” to average the highest test scores in each test area and give the student the benefit of
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averaging up. Over the holidays, many students and parents like to have a little more relaxed tutoring schedule where students can also focus on the exam apart from the rigors of regular high school or dual enrollment assignments. We can start in December and prepare for the ACT Exam on February 10th, and then on the SAT Exam on March 10th, or have a combination class that saves 15 class hours from preparing for each exam individually because of the overlaps. If You Would Like To Talk More About Your Student … Please contact me at 727-253-0639 or send me an e mail at wwa0811@mykolab.com. 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, seventeen of the top twenty-five, and many schools in Florida. These schools
Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles
include Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Stanford, U Chicago, Duke, U Penn, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Notre Dame, Emory, UC Berkley, UCLA, USC, UNC (Chapel Hill), NYU, Northeastern (Boston), Boston College, Georgia Tech, Air Force and Merchant Marine Service Academies, Penn 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
Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles
received academic, athletic, or music scholarships. This year, he also tutored three juniors who scored at the national merit finalist/semifinalist 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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Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles
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Nearshore Fishing by Captain Matt Selby By the end of the month, the King and Spanish Mackerel, will start to leave our nearshore wrecks but not to worry, a new and tasty new fish will start to move into their favorite shallow water “Winter holes.” Want to take a guess which fish will be within the reach of many anglers in November -
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March? Grouper! The fish that put the Tampa Bay area, most specifically the waters off St. Pete and Clearwater, on the map when it comes to commercial fishing. Luckily for us, the commercial guys don’t usually bother the nearshore fishing holes many of us recreational fishermen target. Large numbers of Red and Gag Grouper pour into our nearshore
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waters with keeper size fish being caught in as shallow as 8 feet and in some cases even less! Very few people know the “secret spots” nearshore that hold quality fish and many of my fishing numbers have been passed down to me for generations. “People don’t realize how many fish they pass up when they decide to make a 40 mile trek or more offshore in search of Grouper. Many spots we found by mistake but we used that
DECEMBER 2017
information to find more spots that mimicked the habitat the grouper seemed to like.” -Tim Selby If you’ve never caught a Grouper, you owe it to yourself to feel the raw power of these incredible fish. We end up finding Cobia near the wrecks in the winter time as well, another hard fighting, tasty creature. When you’re ready, lets go fishing! Capt-Matt Selby captainselby1507@gmail.com
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Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles
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“Jeweler” Continued from page 1 most importantly, their value. Originally founded as a wholesaler, August Stephenson has kept that same mentality as they transitioned into a retail setting, keeping their prices low and affordable, while still maintaining exceptional quality jewelry. “We have a great reputation in the community,” said Christopher. One of the sons of August Stephenson founder, Christopher and his sister Michelle continue their parents tradition of treating clients like family and offering them the best prices available. “We don’t do television or radio advertising,” says Christopher, “much of our business comes from word of mouth.” Because they are able to keep their overhead low at August Stephenson, they are able to pass along those savings to you. Visit August Stephenson for Gifts and Savings all Season. The August Stephenson Family has special games, giveaways and events all season long. Visit the store, go to their website and sign up for their newsletter or visit
their Facebook page for more details and to find out how you can participate in the festivities. The 12 Days of Christmas – we all know no one wants a partridge in a pear tree and eleven lords leaping around your house would just be annoying. You probably don’t even need 5 golden rings – but one sure would be nice. During the first 12 days of December August Stephenson will be giving away a free gift every day. All you have to do is visit their showroom, their Facebook page, or
call to register to win. Zoom Ball – Every day from Black Friday to Christmas Eve you can play zoom ball at August Stephenson. Line up 6 red balls and you’ll win a $25,000 shopping spree or 5 red balls and you’ll win a $5,000 shopping spree. “Every person that comes in can play,” says Christopher. “We want to make shopping fun during the holidays for our clients.” Another fun tradition that the August Stephenson family is bringing back is their Annual Holiday Party December 2, 6 – 10 p.m. Visit the
store during regular business hours, go to their website and subscribe to their newsletter or check out their Facebook page to find out how you can get an invitation to this fun, festive event where you can enjoy nighttime shopping and holiday music while noshing on hors d’oeuvres and sipping cocktails. “Buying jewelry should be a personal experience,” says Christopher. “If you have a good relationship with your jeweler they’ll know your taste.” While August
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Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles
Stephenson can help you pick out a piece of jewelry you’ll love for a lifetime, even better, they can help your significant other pick out something you’ll love. And if you don’t want to leave anything to chance, you can put together a Wish List in store so they’ll know exactly what you want in your stocking. Ready to Pop the Question? Visit August Stephenson First. Christopher and his sister Michelle have had extensive training at the Gemological Institute of American as well as growing up around jewelry their whole lives. They can help guide you in your quest to find the perfect engagement ring and are sure to offer you the best price you’ll find in the Tampa area. August Stephenson is located at 3670 Tampa Road in Oldsmar. They are open Mon. - Fri. 10:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Sat. 10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. During the holidays they offer extended hours. For more information please call (813) 9250555 or visit www.AugustStephenson.com or their Facebook page.
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