Carrollwood-October, Vol 6, Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles by Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles Magazine

Vol. 6, Issue 10, October 2018

Your community. Your magazine. ™

The Premier “Shop Local” Community Magazine Directly Mailed To 15,000 Homes In Carrollwood, Lake Magdalene & Avila

Rapidly Expanding Bleakley Bavol & Denman Find New Home in North Tampa Ten years ago, attorney Robert Bleakley could hardly believe his good fortune when he acquired five acres of land at the top of Carrollwood in North Tampa, and built a 5,200-square foot high-end commercial office building that he believed would be home to The Bleakley Law

Firm for the remainder of his career. Located less than a mile from his home in Avila and less than a mile from his boys’ school, Bleakley believed he had made the final move of his career. However, space in Bleakley’s dream office got tighter when good fortune struck again. In 2011,

Bleakley’s former mentor and boss, Chuck Bavol, an AV rated first class litigator, merged his firm into Bleakley’s firm. The

firm name changed to “The Bleakley Bavol Law Firm”, and Bleakley began to wonder if the See “BB&D Expansion” on page 18

Divorce Without War Gives Hope to Those Faced with Dissolving Their Marriage By Deborah Bostock-Kelley According to the CDC, the provisional number of divorces and annulments in the United States was over 827,000 in the year 2016 alone. Divorce can be costly, painful and hard on both

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: From the Editor: Carla Selby............................5 Accurate Employer Solutions........................6-7 TECH TALK With Bob The Computer Guy.....10 Tips for Safe Trick or Treating....................14-15 Tiny Bites...................................................16-17 Keystone Prep High School......................22-23 Hair By P.D. at In N’ Out Hair Design............26

the couple making the final, permanent break and oftentimes, the children caught in the crossfire. With a background of 8 years as an assistant state attorney doing child support enforcement, Derek Lucas See “Divorce” on page 24

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CARROLLWOOD TAMPA BAY NEWS & LIFESTYLES VISIT US ONLINE AT: TBNEWSANDLIFESTYLES.COM

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Photography by Mike Bird (c) 2018 Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles. All Rights Reserved. Carrollwood Tampa Bay News and Lifestyles is published monthly and distributed by the U.S. Postal Service to over 16,000 Homes in Carrollwood. Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles is not responsible for errors in advertisements beyond the cost of advertising space. Nothing that appears in this publication may be reproduced in any way without consent of the publisher.

Whether you want to be terrified by zombies at haunted houses, (safely) collect as much candy as possible with your little ones, impress neighbors with the best Halloween decor or show off your best costume at a local party, you’re in for a treat! With events such as Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens, an original Halloween (1978) showing at the Tampa Theatre on Wednesday, October 31st and a showing of Hocus Pocus on Saturday, October 28th, and many fantastic Halloween parties and pub crawls, you will have to pick and choose which local event(s) you’d want to partake in. As for me, even though I am Catholic, I’ve celebrated Halloween in the past and will continue to do so. Although, for the longest time I believed it was frowned upon, and I would feel guilty when wearing costumes and celebrating with friends. Tired of feeling remorse and being confused about the meaning of Halloween, I decided to do some major research to find out what Catholics truly believe about Halloween. For those who don’t know, Halloween is short for All Hallow’s Eve. It’s the vigil of All Saints (All Hallows) Day. All Saints Day is a Holy Day of Obligation, and thus a major feast on the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar. Halloween (October 31st) is connected with All Saints Day (November 1st) and All Souls Day (November 2nd). These 3 days taken together are known as the “Days of

the Dead,” a trim of feasts also called Allhallowtide, Hallowtide, or Hallowmas (‘Hallow’ means to honor as holy.) Halloween is, therefore, the first day of Allhallowtide, the time of year when the living honors all the dead in Christ: all the saints in heaven, as well as all the holy souls detained in purgatory in their way to heaven. Catholics historically believed that on these “Days of the Dead,” the veil between heaven, hell, and purgatory is the thinnest. It is also a strong reminder for the faithful of the reality of heaven and hell, the saints and the damned, demons and angels, and the holy souls suffering in purgatory. As to contrary popular believe Halloween is actually a Catholic holiday and does not have its origins in paganism, Samhain, Celtic/Druidic festivals or Satanism. This common misconception is modern anti-Catholic propaganda and has no basis in historical facts. The true substance of Halloween belongs to the Catholic Church. It was the English, Irish, and French immigrants that came to America who brought their variety of local Catholic customs with them; Dressing up for Halloween comes from the French; Jack-o-Lanterns come from the Irish (originally carved turnips); and the English begged from door to door for “Soul Cakes,” promising to pray for the departed loved ones of those who gave them these treats, the roots of trick-or-treating.

All those traditions converged and evolved in the American melting pot. The contemporary version of Halloween that glorifies the demonic with emphasis on violence, horror, and sensuality is definitely not traditional and is pulling away from a friendly and faithful celebration of this essential religious holiday. It is true that Halloween has been extremely corrupted and hypercommercialized, just like Christmas and Easter, but, just as that should never stop us Catholics from fully celebrating the great feasts of the Church the Catholic way, or from enjoying Halloween as a celebration of the great feast of All Saints. Halloween can be what you make of it. Whether you are Catholic or not, this major celebration should be about following your own traditions. And, of course, about having fun with your loved ones in the safest possible way. Many churches all over Tampa Bay are holding family-friendly celebrations and pot-lucks this October. I personally attend Sacred Heart in downtown Tampa, and they are holding a Fall Festival on Sunday, October 21st at their North Campus location from 11:30am to 3:30pm. There will be a climbing wall, a petting zoo, a bounce house, and more. So plan ahead and check with your local church and enjoy some fall fun. Happy Halloween! Carla Selby.

Technology, Benefits, and Payroll – Perfect Trifecta at Accurate Employer Solutions By Deborah Bostock-Kelley A third-generation insurance agent, Scott Holcomb founded Accurate Employer Solutions in 2009 to provide comprehensive employee benefits and payroll solution to businesses with 4 or more employees. Not limited to using a single carrier, Scott researches the best options to make qualified recommendations to his clients. The client makes their selection and Scott presents the selection to the client’s employees upon enrollment. With a decade of experience in information technology and a degree from the University of South Florida in Information Systems Management, Scott used his unique combined skillset of technology and insurance knowledge to provide a free online human resources benefits platform, the HR Navigator 360 and tailor it to his clients’ needs. “We offer all employee benefits – medical, dental, vision, short-term, long-term disability, life insurance and other optional benefit programs such as telemedicine. We are independent agents so we can look at any insurance company. We explain all of the options to the employees and help them to enroll online. It’s the perfect marriage of insurance and technology,” Scott explained. “Another advantage to the customer is they are calling our office personnel if they have any questions about the software and we can help them, as well as, answer any HR questions relating to their benefits.” The HR Navigator 360 platform enables the client to rid itself of paper forms and do enrollment online. Employees can elect and view their benefits, or for a life event like a marriage or birth of a child, add the new member into the system. The Human Resources administrator and the employee receive convenient email notifications. Scott’s office is also notified so they can track and follow up on any changes or additions to be processed with the insurance companies. During open enrollment, the administrator no longer has to track down employees to receive their enrollment paperwork. The system notifies the employee that their deadline is coming due and reminds them via an email to complete their registration. Additionally, it doesn’t allow for missing information like inadvertently omitting a child’s social security number. The process won’t move forward unless all information is properly completed online. The system helps takes some of the pressure off of the Human Resources administrator. The HR Navigator 360 platform can also track Personal Time Off (PTO) for the client. The client relays to Scott their time off policy and Scott and his team customizes the

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information in the system. This allows the administrator and employees the ability to monitor PTO availability and allows the employees to submit requests for time off through the system, again eliminating the need for paperwork. The HR Navigator 360 platform is available to the employee year-round, 24 hours a day; accessible on a computer, tablet and mobile phone. Embedded within the system are tools that an administrator can utilize to provide answers to numerous questions through training videos, free HR forms like performance reviews and job descriptions, apps and tools, and an attorney written and reviewed compliance library, among others. Throughout the year, Accurate Employer Solutions services the account and acts as the employees’ advocates, working to not only answer questions about billing issues but to help resolve them with the insurance company directly. Scott has been able to provide a new insurance product to the businesses he services. “This product looks and feels like a regular insurance plan, but a qualified employer can get a credit back from the insurance companies, up to a maximum of 50% of the

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A third-generation insurance agent, Scott Holcomb (left in both photos) founded Accurate Employer Solutions in 2009.

annual premium that is not spent on claims. For example, if an insurance company collects annual premiums of $100,000 and the business only incurs $50,000 of annual claims, the business can receive back a credit of $25,000, half the surplus,” he explained. “In addition to incredible employee benefits, Accurate Employer Solutions is an ADP Wholesale Partner which allows us to offer state-of-the-art payroll technology at rates that are lower than most of the competition. Accurate Employer Solutions provides white glove service by assigning a dedicated payroll specialist to each client.” Scott focuses on both small and large businesses and his clients vary from doctors and lawyers to breweries and construction companies- Accurate Employer Solutions is available for any type of business in need of their service. Scott’s long-term goal is to stay on top of ever-changing technology, grow his business and continue to help new clients with their payroll and benefits needs. We are always analyzing new technology to see if it could make our systems better. If so, we adopt and implement it in order to benefit our valued clients”. Learn more about the services and products available at Accurate Employer Solutions by visiting www.accurateemployersolutions.com. For Advertising Info 813-928-6124 I info@nnlflorida.com or visit tbnewsandlifestyles.com

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TECH TALK With Bob The Computer Guy Today’s Topic: Smart TVs

By Bob Dalles The television has gone through many changes from the middle of the last century to today. I used to work for an NBC television station, so I have seen lots of advances in this industry. Black & white TV transitions to color; monophonic sound transitions to stereo; standard definition TV transitions to high definition TV; and now our color, stereo, high definition TVs are transitioning into “smart TVs.” I am asked quite frequently about smart TVs. “What are they?” “What do they do? And, “should I buy one?” So, let’s cover some of the basics of smart TVs. There are multiple definitions for smart TVs. The most basic definition of a smart TV is a television that not only connects to your cable, satellite and/or TV antenna connection, but it can be hooked up to your internet connection as well. Smart TVs connect to the internet using a wired network cable or your wi-fi internet connection. The internet connection lets you access streaming content such as TV shows and other video provided by vendors like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon, to name a few. This gives you more options by providing programming from sources other than your antenna, satellite dish, or cable TV provider. Since smart TVs allow you to connect to additional television content providers, you can increase your access to literally thousands of movies, TV programs, music and more. This is great for the television enthusiast that desires greater access to

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television content. However, keep in mind, that even though some online program providers offer free access to their content, the more popular ones require you to pay a subscription fee. I currently pay about $15 a month for my Netflix account. That $15 gives me and my family unlimited access to all of Netflix’s offerings 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Another feature found on some smart TVs is voice recognition. This allows you to speak into your smart TV’s remote to change channels or perform TV program searches. An additional feature that is on some, but not all, smart TVs is they have an internet web browser built into them, so you can surf the internet on your smart TV. Some smart TVs even come with wireless keyboards to make your interaction with your smart TV more convenient. Should you buy a smart

TV? Well that’s up to you. Please be sure you do thorough research before you part with your money. Spend time in your neighborhood TV appliance store and play with one. Check the internet for reviews on specific TVs. Be an informed buyer. To enjoy smart TV content, you need several things. One, the smart TV itself or a smart TV device (covered in the next paragraph). Two, an internet connection. Three, an email

address (so you can register with your content providers). Four, a credit card (to pay for any subscription services you might desire). If you like your current TV but would like the features of a smart TV, there is another way you can access smart TV content without buying a smart TV. You can buy “streaming sticks” or “set-top boxes” from companies like Apple, Amazon, Google and Roku. These devices connect to your regular TV to make it a smart TV and usually come with their own remote. Just be sure your current television has the proper connection ports before you purchase one of these devices. Most will work with an HDMI port. Prices start below $100. Have a tech question? Email it to TechTalk-TBNL@ BobTheComputerGuy.NET. 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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We have multiple financing options ranging from 18 months no interest to minimum monthly payments of 1.25% of the purchase price. Contact us 813-PLUMBER (758-6237) or online at tampaplumber.net for your FREE Hybrid Water Heater Estimate

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Don’t Eat That Homemade Cookie! Tips For Safe Trick or Treating By Carla Selby With Halloween approaching, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings, and guardians should be mindful of how to keep their little ones safe on the most ghoulish of nights. As a concerned aunt of an adorable 3-year-old nephew that will be trick or treating in the community where my husband and I recently moved in, I wanted to be aware of any special precautions I should take before taking him trick-ortreating. I promise this will not be a long and boring article, just a very short one to give you a few tips to make it a safe and fun evening for all. I did a lot of research online and these were the top 10 tips I found for safe trickor-treating: First and foremost, make sure your children don’t go trick-or-treating on an empty tummy, otherwise, they would be tempted to snack on treats before their goody bags gets sorted out. Give them a light meal or healthy snack before they head out. 1. Before you leave your house, check out if the area you live in has a sex offender database. This is an obvious one, but just don’t go knocking on a registered

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offender’s door for candy. If your child is allowed to go out alone or with friends, then make sure they know and understand what an offender is and that they must stay away from that house (even if they have the best decorations of all the houses and are giving out the “best” candy). 2. Use the Buddy System. It seems like common sense, but many kids are telling us they are walking around by themselves. If your child does not have a group, you need to go with them or find an adult supervisor to accompany them. Many kids say their parents claim they “have” to stay home to give out candy. That’s not a good excuse. Set a time you will walk around with your child, and then come home and give out candy. A win-win to keeping your child safe. While you’re out, remember that

the international signal for “no candy” is a porch light turned off. 3. If they are going by themselves or with an older sibling make sure your kids only go to people’s homes you know and trust. We know that a lot of children are allowed to go to every house in their neighborhood… but it’s also important to remember “stranger danger.” If you fear that your children will be tempted to knock on stranger houses, then make sure you’re with them. Of course, not every unknown neighbor out there is dangerous or a registered sex offender, but you should be safe rather than sorry. The best thing to do for your family is to know your neighbors before it comes time to trick or treat. 4. Make sure your kids know to

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never ever go into anyone’s house. There are some pretty frightening stories about kids knocking on the door and being told to come inside and get candy. Even if our children may not understand the danger of going into a house, you do. So before your child goes trick or treating, sit down and have a discussion about the rules. 5. Enforce a “Do not eat” rule until they come back home. This is particularly important if you have a little one with any allergies. Check your kids’ candy before they are allowed to eat it. A good rule is that no candy can be eaten before they get home and you can sit down and sort through it. Also, tell your little ones not to accept-and especially not to eat anything that isn’t commercially wrapped. Do not allow them to accept or eat any home-baked goods he or she may receive, even if those chocolate chip cookies smell great and look spookilicious. 6. Advise your children to avoid petting unfamiliar dogs or puppies. Even though puppies are extremely cute, they still have teeth and may be scared from all the commotion. As a rule, your children should never pet a dog without your permission, the owner’s permission and the dog’s permission. 7. If you’re not going to be

with your children, make sure you set up designated times for them to “check-in” with you. Make sure they each have a fully charged cell phone with the ringer volume turned all the way up for them to hear. Texts don’t suffice, make them call you. 8. Walk on the sidewalk if there is one. In neighborhoods with no sidewalk, always walk in the opposite direction of traffic so you can see the cars coming. Otherwise, you might drive the trick or treat trail. If they are walking, especially on the street and wearing dark costumes, a flashlight is a must. Adhesive reflectors attached to the costume are good too, but even more fun for the kids are glow stick necklaces. 9. Tell your kids not to talk to anyone driving by in a car. Remind them that adults should not be asking kids for help or directions; they should be asking other adults. If approached by an adult stranger, they should report this to a trusted grownup immediately. I’ve never been more excited about Halloween than I am now. I lived over 10 years in a small South Tampa condo and I never received a single knock on my door on Halloween nights from trick or treaters. This year will be our first year celebrating it on a very kid friendly, family-oriented neighborhood, and I may or may not dress up like a zombie myself and go all over the place with my little nephew. Thanks for reading, have a fun and safe Halloween!

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Tiny Bites, Huge Flavor By Carla Selby

Tiny Bites has managed to create a completely original dessert experience that provides customers with great value and incredible tasting treats that are as fresh as can be. A typical bakery item is normally made in the break of dawn, usually in the back of the business, put into a display case until gets sold, and if it doesn’t, after a period of time, it gets disposed of. Not these tiny bites though! Unlike in most bakeries, the work that goes into producing these beautiful tiny desserts is not hidden in the back kitchen. Customers order from the menu and get to watch their unique dessert being freshly prepared in front of them, and experience how all the ingredients combine to create their made-to-order, deliciously flavorful tiny bite. “Our desserts are all crafted madeto-order with care and attention to detail, so you will not find any cases of pre-made treats here,” says owner Marc Tauchnitz, who values freshness and dislikes the concept of waste. “We do have some that are ready to go for your convenience, but they were also made with the same love and quality ingredients as the ones you’d get straight from our kitchen.” Marc and his fiancé Neyda “Tita” Ramirez had a discussion for years about opening a bakery together. They both agree on the fact that freshness means quality and that variety is the spice of life. “We currently have 43 different combinations, with another 15-20 still to be developed,” Marc said. Customers can choose from a graham tart shell, a sweet tart shell, and a chocolate tart shell. They then have the difficult task of determining what goodness goes inside. The portion sizes are small so someone can experience the different flavors without over indulging or feeling guilty. “A customer can order three different desserts and have three different experiences and they don’t have to feel like they busted their diet and the next stop should be the gym.” Tiny Bites features small desserts like a rich cheesecake complimented with

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Tiny Bites owner Marc Tauchnitz

Blueberry, Lemon, Strawberry, Raspberry, Pineapple, Coconut, or Chocolate Ganache filling, Bites filled with Cookies N Cream, Crème Brulee, Choco Lovers, S’Mores, and Key Lime. Dulce de Leche, Sriracha Mango, Boston Cream, Guava, Maple Bacon, Nutella, Caramel Mochaccino, among others are waiting to tantalize your taste buds. And these gourmet goodies won’t break the bank either. No matter what combination the customer picks, the cost is $2 for a single, $5.00 for a 3-pack, $9.50 for a 6-pack, $18 for 12-pack, $26 for an 18-pack and $34 for 24-pack. “We also serve plenty of coffee and cakes along with our tiny bites, in case you need to get your caffeine fix as well,”

says Marc. “No matter what brings you to our doors, we’re very excited to welcome you so we can show you what we’ve got cooking!” Utilizing her artistic skills as a cake decorator and bakery owner in Venezuela, and his business acumen in bakery products distribution and sales and as a bakery owner, Tita and

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Marc combined their talents to open the doors of this incredible Carrollwood small business located in the Regency shopping plaza back on January 17th, 2018. “The support from the community has been amazing, and we couldn’t be happier to have chosen this location as the ‘home’ of our tiny bites and big dreams,” says Tita. “We are very thankful to every single customer who has stopped by, embraced our concept and given us some amazing reviews online.” As a matter of fact, Tiny Bites has 100% 5 star review ratings on google! I have been writing stories for about two years now, and I have never seen a small business with such incredible reviews. A perfect example of these great reviews comes from recent customer and local guide Rachel F. “Tiny Bites for the win! I bribed my kids to be good while shopping by promising a treat. We stumbled upon this little gem! The store was clean and brightly decorated. You get to customize your tiny. We chose 2 more bites, 2 birthday cake bites, a lemon meringue bite and a maple bacon bite. They were delicious and just the right amount. I believe they also do cakes as there was a screen showcasing all of the fun designs. My kids were thoroughly entertained. They also had a little kids table and some toys to keep my little ones entertained while we waited for our treats to be crafted. I highly recommend you try this new bakery!”

so excited,” says happy customer and another 5 star reviewer, Alma D. To compliment their desserts, Tiny Bites also serves an assortment of beverages, including delicious coffees made to order in their eating area. “We serve plenty of coffee along with our tiny bites, so feel free to stop by to satisfy your caffeine fix and try a tiny bite or 3,” says Marc. Long term, Marc and Tita hope to franchise their concept, so people all over the country can enjoy their own bites of deliciousness called Tiny Bites. “Tiny Bites is our baby. To look at someone and see that they get satisfaction and happiness out of something we created is our favorite thing. When somebody walks up and It’s really satisfying to give them an experience that they enjoyed guilt-free… well, as guilt-free as you can be.” Come in on your birthday and create your own tiny bite for FREE! (ID required.) Tiny Bites is open Sunday through Thursday 11am-8pm Saturday and Sunday 11am – 9pm and is located at 14398 N. Dale Mabry Hwy Tampa, FL 33618. To learn more, call 813/968-6800 or visit Tiny Bites at tinybitesdesserts.com or Facebook Tiny Bites Desserts.

More than Tiny Bites

“In addition to our signature Tiny Bites we also have iced to order cupcakes, filled cookies, cake pops, brownies, eclairs, cannolis, macaroons, small pre-made cakes and custom order cakes,” says Tita. “There are very limited supplies of these premade items to ensure freshness and to avoid waste” I can personally tell you that their custom cakes are AMAZING. I happened to stop by one day that Tita was working on a “Lion King” themed custom birthday cake, and her decorating talent blew me away. Basing my opinion on the flavor of all the tasty tiny bites and desserts I tried, I am sure the cake tasted as good as it looked. So if you’re looking for a special cake to impress someone on his or her special day, look no further! They also create special arrangements for special occasions and for the holidays! “Tiny Bites is a small chic place with delicious tiny desserts and excellent customer service. Beautiful arrangements for the Holidays! We ordered cake pop arrangements with a mix of cookies and strawberries for Valentine’s Day, we’re

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“BB&D Expansion”-

continued from page 1

firm could remain contained in his office building. When AV rated litigators Rob Grace and Ron Denman joined the firm in 2012 and 2014 respectively, the writing was on the wall. “On the one hand, I was glad the firm was growing and adding high quality lawyers, on the other hand the firm’s growth was really disrupting the long term plans I made when we acquired our office in North Tampa”. Bleakley remarked, “The office building located at 15170 N. Florida Avenue was perfect for The Bleakley Law Firm and at least adequate for The Bleakley Bavol Law Firm, but Bleakley Bavol & Denman simply blew the walls off our building.” As previously reported in this paper, Bleakley’s vision for his firm was more than just providing a comfortable work environment for himself and the firm’s employees, but additionally to bring a first-rate AV rated full service law firm geographically closer to the businesses, families and individuals needing legal representation in Northern Hillsborough County, as well as Pasco and Hernando Counties. “The addition of key corporate, estate planning, and tax lawyers, combined with the growing strength of our commercial litigation group made our firm and its location an ideal fit for many business clients who just didn’t want to deal with downtown traffic and parking.” Beginning in 2012, Bleakley started looking around for an office space solution for his

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growing law firm. For some time, Bleakley had his eye on the unique building located directly next door to his present building. However, at nearly 28,000 square feet the building was too large, too expensive, and demanded too much renovation for his law firm. Bleakley and his partners looked at other locations including considering the possibility of moving back downtown. Attempted acquisitions of other properties fell through and for the past five years the firm has been split into two separate building locations while seeking a new home. However, in 2017 the law firm experienced record growth and very early in 2018 it became apparent the firm would greatly exceed its 2017 performance. Bleakley added, “Earlier this year it became obvious that I just had to step out of my comfort zone and sacrifice some personal goals and go all in for the future of our firm. We looked at all of our options including moving our firm back downtown or to another location in Tampa. But finally, the opportunity arose to purchase the building right next door and remain true to our vision of providing a full-service law firm to the businesses and individuals located north of Tampa. After many months of planning, we acquired the future home of our law firm that I truly believe was our destiny from the very beginning.” Bleakley Bavol & Denman recently added its 18th attorney and another has recently accepted an offer to begin next

year. According to Bleakley, after the substantial renovations are completed next year, the building can accommodate growth up to 36 lawyers plus staff. In addition, the architectural plans will accommodate elevated conference room space and a full-service gym with shower facilities. The oversized atrium that likely scared off investors seeking to maximize rentable space actually attracted Bleakley and his partners. “The atrium can probably accommodate 30-40 tables and over 200 guests. This will allow us the opportunity to further Senior Partners of the firm - Robert our business and community Grace, Robert Bleakley & Ron Denman. development goals of located literally in the center of hosting legal education events, community events, our law firm.” By acquiring the two-story banquets, and the like, both as a means to serve our community office building located at 15316 and create exposure for our law N. Florida Avenue, Bleakley Bavol firm. We fully expect the atrium & Denman has announced it is to be a community event center here to stay in Carrollwood.

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This two-story garden style office building consisting of nearly 28,000 square feet located at 15316 N. Florida Avenue has been vacant for many years. On September 21, 2018, Robert Bleakley, Ron Denman, and Rob Grace, all partners at Bleakley Bavol & Denman (soon to be Bleakley Bavol Denman & Grace), acquired the building and have begun renovations to accommodate the law firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growing needs.

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KEYSTONE PREP HIGH SCHOOL - Unique Learning styles for unique students Tucked away on the winding section of Gunn Highway that rolls past several sprawling farms in Odessa, is an extraordinary school that serves students from all over the Tampa Bay area. Some have said it is one of the best kept secrets in Tampa, but to the nearly seventy (and growing) families who know of Keystone Prep High School, it is an amazing resource that pulls together students, many of whom have learning differences stemming from ADHD, dyslexia, high functioning autism, and other challenges, in an educational learning community second to none. Engaging teens to become self-motivated learners is the core of Keystoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strategy. A personalized learning environment, and a rigorous, engaging curriculum using

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instructional strategies to accommodate individual learning styles in a small learning community works. The schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission speaks to its unique place Keystone Prep High School holds among peer institutions throughout the region. That mission is: To offer a different approach to high school, where students with unique learning styles thrive academically, emotionally, and socially. The curriculum includes a fully array of educational offerings including dual enrollment opportunities, college preparatory classes, music, virtual classes, visual and fine arts, athletics, world studies, and numerous other subjects. The school is led by an energetic and passionate head of school, Ms. P.J. Petrillo, who came to Keystone Prep High School two years ago. You

can see her eyes sparkle and light up when she discusses

the school. There is no doubt when she starts talking about

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the teens who attend (she knows all of them individually), that her love of her students is what guides her work day in and day out! “To me, being a head of school is not about staying tucked away in a corner office. It’s about making sure each student reaches his or her potential and has the opportunity to grow and develop into a young adult with a bright future ahead” The faculty are expert in their subject matter, but, perhaps more importantly, they are carefully selected for their energy, dynamism, knowledge about how to engage students, and their understanding of working with students who may have learning challenges. The emphasis is on removing barriers, not lowering the bar, while

providing a flexible learning environment that can be individually tailored to ensure each student has an educational experience that best meets his or her needs. Josh Boyle, a student at Keystone Prep, says, “I don’t have a favorite teacher. They are all amazing! But what I like the best about Keystone, is that my teachers are not just there to teach me in class, but to mentor me and help me with lots of different things. They really care about me.” If you would like to learn more about the school, or arrange for a tour, the school is open all summer and has rolling admissions throughout the year. You can also reach the school by email at admissions@ keystoneprep.org.

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OCTOBER 2018 23

“Divorce”-

continued from page 1

discovered that mediation in family law was often a kinder and gentler option than litigation. Serving the North Tampa area for five years, Divorce Without War guides couples through the divorce process, mediating all issues related to divorce. It is Derek Lucas’s goal to make the process of divorce and the transition to a post-divorce relationship as easy as possible without seeking litigation. Helping couples achieve a peaceful, low-cost divorce, the confidential divorce mediation company promotes healthy relationships and positive emotional well-being for both spouses going through a difficult process. Derek mediates standard and intricate issues related to divorce including, but not limited to custody, co-parenting plans, marital property and debts, child support, alimony, visitation, time-sharing, post-divorce disputes, benefits and insurance. He offers a free consultation to answer any questions and to get a feel for whether mediation is the right option for the couple.

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Generally, most people are more in agreement than they want to admit. If they want to move forward, Derek offers four hours of mediation for $850. He also has drafting services that are based on the income and assets of the parties. “Florida is a no-fault

state, meaning one party in the couple needs to want the divorce for the divorce to be possible. That generally lets them know that they don’t have a choice and can make some choices of how to go through the process of divorce. All cases related to family law in Florida have to go through mediation,” Derek explained. “We try

to preempt people from filing. We work mostly pro se litigants – that is people who haven’t gotten representation from an attorney. Some have representation, but since mediation is required, the couple will come in for mediation before moving into litigation.” Mediation helps with divorce as it gives the

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couple the ability to make decisions without a timeclock of the court. “When you file with the court, a deadline starts – a timeclock starts- so if people are a little more hesitant at what they want to do, starting a mediation prior to them filing anything gives them the ability to take their time,” he said. “A lot of times one person wants the divorce more than the other. If they’re willing to work together and take the time to work together to go through the process a little slower, sometimes it helps the other party who isn’t onboard with the divorce to prepare and get ready for it. My goal is to try to provide that alternative to the traditional adversarial litigation that comes with family law cases.” Derek also uses mediation to help parents to co-parent and have a better relationship, being able to deal with the other parent better than when they were married. A unique service he offers deals with children over 18. The courts don’t review concerns about children over 18 as they are considered legal adults. Mediation provides a way to put into legal writing items like payment for college or other situations facing older children agreed-upon during the marriage. With mediation, the couple can add that type of information into the agreement and when it gets ratified by the court, it becomes a valid agreement that can be enforced through the court. Money and childrearing are key causes of divorce. The

empty nest syndrome often results in divorce. After the children being the center of the relationship for so long, the couple discovers they don’t really know their spouse and problems that were buried by the common goal of raising children come bubbling to the surface. But the news is not all bad. Sometimes mediation may even result in reconciliation. Oftentimes the worst offenders in a marriage are the lack of communication, an imbalance of power, and arguing about parenting and finances. Improving communication, speaking out rather than holding things in, results in a stronger bond, thus a stronger improved marriage. If the marriage does have to end, Derek wants the couple to be able to be at their child’s graduation or wedding together amicably. “What we try and do is focus on what is needed in their family as opposed to some kind of cookie-cutter system. We try to wrap our process around what’s going on with them so that they can hopefully be successful in reaching an agreement,” he said. “The main thing we try to do is to keep the family together. Even if the marriage has to end, the family doesn’t have to.” Divorce without War is located at 13920 North Dale Mabry Highway, Suite 2. For more information about mediation services or to schedule your free consultation, call 813.527.0343 or visit www.divorcewithoutwar.com.

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OCTOBER 2018 25

Hair By P.D. at In N’ Out Hair Design Donna has been a constant within the pages of our magazine over the past 6 years. Each month you’ll find her 1/8th-page ad advertising her specials, and once a year you may catch a feature article on her. 2018 has been a whirlwind for “Pittsburg Donna” as she’s fondly referred to throughout Carrollwood. According to Donna, this is her last move. She’s found a home at In N’ Out Hair Design, and she’s proud to announce that her clients will have a much easier time scheduling their appointments around their busy schedules. Donna loved where she worked before, but the hours weren’t flexible enough for some of her clients to see her before closing. Go to see her at 14803 Turner Rd, Tampa 33624 or give her a call at 813-464-1388.

26 OCTOBER 2018

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OCTOBER 2018 27