Odessa/Lutz/Land O' Lakes- Vol 9, August edition Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles by Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles Magazine

Vol. 9, Issue 8, August 2018

Your community. Your magazine.

The Premier “Shop Local” Community Magazine Directly Mailed To 20,000 Homes In Odessa, Lutz & Land O’ Lakes Areas This Independent Community News, Business & Dining Guide Is Directly Mailed Once Each Month To: Ashley Lakes, Ballantrae, Belle Meade, Calusa Trace, Canterbury, Cheval, Citrus Greens, Concord Station, Devonwood, Dolce Vita on Lake Keystone, Echo Lake, Farmington Village, Fern Glenn, Grey Hawk at Lake Polo, Heritage Harbor, Ivy Lake Estates, Keystone Groves, Keystone Manors, Keystone Reserve, Keystone Shores, Lake Charles, Lake Church, Lake Parker Estates, Lakeside Grove Estates, Northlake Village, Northbridge at Lake Pretty, Northton Groves, Oakstead, Orange Blossom Creek, Reflections, Steeple Chase, Stillwater, Stonegate, Suncoast Crossings, Suncoast Meadows, Swan Cove, Van Dyke Estates, Van Dyke Farms, Villa Rosa, Wyndham Lakes

Nelson Dentistry offers state of the art dental care in your own back yard! is a firm believer in continuing education. He has attended the Pankey Institute, The Center for Advanced Dental Study, and the Orofacial Pain Clinic at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Nelson is triple board certified in dental sleep medicine and his practice was the first in Florida to receive an Accredited Facility designation from the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine. Because of his knowledge and experience, he has appeared on several local television stations to discuss new advances in dentistry.

By Lisa Stephens

Dr. Nelson describes his practice, Nelson Dentistry, as being “relationship based”. What that means is that his team gets to know every patient as an individual, not just a set of teeth. This philosophy has enabled the practice to stand the test of time as it has been serving the community for the past thirty years. Dr. Nelson is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, and achieved fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry and the Institute of Advanced Laser Dentistry. In order to bring the latest advances in dentistry to his patients, Dr. Nelson

See “Dr. Nelson” on page 26.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Will Social Security Run Dry Soon?......................12-13 TCBY: The Healthier Treat to Beat the Heat!.................16-17 Choose Solar Professionals of Florida.......................20-21 SAT/ACT Improvement...24-25

Postal Customer

ECRWSS

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 See “Trinity Family Physicians” on page 28.

Tech Talk with Bob................8

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID TAMPA FL PERMIT 1185

By Marcy Sanford

Thank you for your support......5

Dated Material Please Rush!

Trinity Family Physicians - Top 10 Highlights From Their First 10 Years

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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!

Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles Directly mailed once a month to over 20,000 households in zip codes 33556, 33558 & 34638

220 Safford Ave. S. Tarpon Springs, FL 34689 Phone: (813) 928-6124; Fax: (727) 942-2432 Advertising E-mail: info@nnlflorida.com Editorial E-mail: editorial@nnlflorida.com © 2018 Tampa BayNews & Lifestyles is published by ADS 2 Publications, Inc. Publisher Tim Selby General Manager Jim O’Reilly Editor Carla Selby Advertising Sales Manager Matt Selby

Correspondents Julie Kanehl Marcy Sanford Katie Thomas Art Director Tony Sica Accounting Manager Doreen Selby Billing Assistant Tina O’Reilly

Advertising Sales Jim O’Reilly Mike Bird Nothing that appears in Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, without permission. Opinions expressed by Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles writers are their own and do not reflect the publisher’s opinion. The management of Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles is always happy to accept outside editorial submissions to the paper. Please call for outside editorial submission and advertise-

ment deadlines. Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles will consider previously non-published outside editorial submissions if they are double spaced, typed and less than 500 words. Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles reserves the right to edit and/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makes no guarantees regarding publication dates. Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles will not return unsolicited editorial materials. Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles reserves the right to edit and/or reject any advertising. 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. Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles is published by ADS 2 Publications, Inc.

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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.

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

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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

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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.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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Will Social Security Run Dry Soon? By Tom Bostock Imagine a pleasant summer day. You are having a barbeque with some of your neighbors. Between bites of hotdogs, hamburgers and grandma’s secret-recipe potato salad, the conversation is lively and animated. Your neighbors are a cross section of the population: baby boomers, millennials, retirees and kids just out of college. After commiserating about the Lightning not making the finals and the Rays losing streak, conversation turns to more serious subjects. Someone says that they heard that Social Security is going to be bankrupt within a decade. Another one says that Medicare is in trouble too. One of the younger ones suggests that it isn’t fair they are paying into a broken system that won’t even be there when they retire. That can’t be true. It’s just an unsubstantiated rumor … or is it? According to ssa.gov: “The Social Security trust funds are

financial accounts in the U.S. Treasury. There are two separate Social Security trust funds, the OldAge and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund pays retirement and survivors benefits, and the Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Fund pays disability benefits. Social Security taxes and other income are deposited in these accounts, and Social Security benefits are paid from them. The only purposes for which these trust funds can be used are to pay benefits and program administrative costs. The Social Security trust funds hold money not needed in the current year to pay benefits and administrative costs and, by law, invest it in special Treasury bonds that are guaranteed by the U.S. Government. A market rate of interest is paid to the trust funds on the bonds they hold, and when those bonds reach maturity or are needed to pay benefits, the Treasury redeems them.” They started out with almost a 3 trillion-dollar trust fund. So, what

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happened? For the first time in multiple decades, Social Security is dipping into its trust funds, and will most likely continue to do so for the next 16 years. The reason is that workers have been retiring at a relatively rapid pace, and we’re not getting enough replacement workers to allow the program to take in as much money as it needs to pay out. However, once those trust funds are depleted, Social Security will continue to have access to its primary income stream, which means that in a worst-case scenario, future benefits will have to be cut, not eliminated. How much of a reduction are we talking about? Based on the latest projections, come 2034, recipients might lose an outstanding 21% of their benefits if Congress doesn’t step in with a fix. And obviously, that’s a pretty harsh blow for those who depend on those benefits to provide the majority of their income. But if you’re years away

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from retirement, you can take steps to compensate for the potential benefits cut you might face, thereby ensuring that you don’t end up struggling financially. YOU NEED SAVINGS OF YOUR OWN In all honesty, seniors cannot live off their benefits alone. Even if benefits aren’t cut in the future, those payments will only replace about 40% of the typical worker’s pre-retirement income. Most seniors, however, need more like 80% of their former earnings to pay the bills in retirement. Therefore, if you’re still working, you should be taking savings matters into your own hands regardless of what happens to Social Security down the line. The sooner you start establishing your nest egg, the greater your chances of covering your expenses as a senior, regardless of what your benefits ultimately look like. If your employer offers a 401(k), that’s certainly a good place to start. At present, you can contribute up to

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$18,500 annually to a 401(k) if you’re under 50, or $24,500 if you’re 50 or older. This means that if you’re 50 years old and don’t have a dime at present, maxing out your 401(k) until age 67 will leave you with roughly $755,000 in retirement savings provided your investments generate an average annual 7% return during that time (which is more than doable with a stock-focused strategy). And that, combined with whatever Social Security ends up paying you, could

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make for a pretty decent retirement. Of course, not everyone has the ability to max out a 401(k), nor do all workers have access to one. But even if you’re only working with an IRA, whose current annual contribution limits are $5,500 for workers under 50 and $6,500 for those 50 and over, or a lower savings threshold due to personal circumstances, you can still amass a sizable sum if you save consistently for many years. In fact, contributing $400 a month over 17

years will leave you with $148,000, assuming that same 7% average annual return. Now, that’s not a ton of money, but it could be enough to help fill the gap where Social Security leaves off. In a recent impromptu interview in a local mall, several shoppers, a millennial, a businesswoman and a grandma offered their own views on Social Security: David S. is an intelligent, disillusioned millennial, a local college graduate with a degree in economics who lives at home with his parents and has two part-time jobs since he can’t find work in his field. He is saddled with massive college loan debt and didn’t mince words about Social Security. “It’s a joke! It’s whack! It’s broken! A bunch of greedy politicians who funded their own pet projects with other peoples’ money from an almost 3 trillion- dollar Social Security Trust Fund piggy bank that was supposed to be inviolate, with relative impunity. These are the same whiney politicians who complain that they can’t live on their measly $174kplus-perks salaries but won’t have to try to survive on social security like everybody else since they just vote themselves raises and ‘golden parachutes’! I won’t see the first dollar from social security!” Ms. Mary M. is a very successful business woman who had just stopped by the food court for a quick bite between appointments said, “You have to consider the logic of it,” she said, putting down her hamburger. “I understand that there used to be at least 4 people contributing to social security for each person receiving benefits from it. I recently read that that number is more like 2 people now and it wasn’t designed for the disabled originally either. People are healthier and live longer. Something has to give!” Mrs. Sylvia R. is a pleasant, matronly grandmother who was watching her granddaughters playing in the mall playground area. “What really ticks me off about social security is the politicians calling it an entitlement. My late husband paid into it for more than 40 years. He retired early at 62 and died only 3 years later from a massive heart attack. If he had invested our social security deductions in some safe stocks and bonds, I would be sitting

pretty, now! He did have some insurance but don’t get me started on Social Security!” Wow! Apparently ‘them’s fightin words’. Three different generations with somewhat similarly disgruntled views. Politicians Seem to be Procrastinating If lawmakers do nothing until 2034, they’ll have to boost payroll taxes to a total of 16.27%, split in even 8.135% parts between employees and employers. Alternatively, all benefits would need to be cut by 23%. Neither of those solutions is particularly attractive or feasible for current and future retirees, but some combination of them will be inevitable if Washington refuses to act before then. Not even a Miracle can Save Social Security Without Action Some people are inherently suspicious about the statistics that the Social Security Trustees use in their annual report. Yet the trustees themselves incorporate confidenceinterval testing to support their projections, and as time goes by, experts are getting more confident in their predictions. Specifically, the report says that there’s 95% confidence that the trust funds will be depleted between 2030 and 2043. Those are the same dates as predicted last year, but the confidence interval has narrowed over the past several years. As years go by, you can expect even greater confidence in a narrowing range of likely dates for final trust fund depletion. Demand action As the day of reckoning grows nearer, it’ll be increasingly incumbent on us to put pressure on Washington to address the Social Security issue head-on and find a reasonable solution sooner rather than later. It’s time to down that last bit of hamburger, scarf down one last cold one and grab a cell phone. Call your local representatives and senators and demand an accounting. If somebody has had their fingers in the cookie jar isn’t it about time that we found out while we still have a cookie jar?” Just a thought.

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TCBY: The Healthier Treat to Beat the Heat! By Lisa Stephens The dog days of summer are surely upon us as we enter the month of August with continued high temperatures bringing sweltering heat. Hot summer days and nights become a little more tolerable with a cool treat. The TCBY commitment to customers is "to offer you nutritional value and variety" when it comes to their products. General Manager and co-owner Jenifer Silar-Mills stays true to that commitment and more at her TCBY location at the Mitchell Ranch Plaza in Trinity. It's a family affair for Silar-Mills as her parents, Patti and Jay Silar are co-owners as well. All take pride in the quality of products and service they deliver to folks in the Trinity area seeking a refreshing treat without the guilt associated with most desserts. In 2011, Jay and Patti discovered a self-serve TCBY yogurt store and liked what they tasted! Though retired, they saw this as a great business opportunity. After doing their research on the company, they sought out a good location to launch

their business and discovered the future potential at Mitchell Ranch Plaza. They opened shop in August 2011 and will celebrate seven years of success this month. In that same year, TCBY introduced their Super Fro-Yo. The standards required to meet this category of yogurt include four or more grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber, seven types of live or active cultures, low in fat and no more than 120 calories per serving. Super FroYo is also a great source of calcium and vitamin D. No guessing in involved when trying to select one of the more nutritional options as all the flavors offered meet the Super Fro-Yo standards.

Variety of Products = Something for Everyone! There truly is something at TCBY for everyone. Vegan,GMO, gluten and dairy free products are offered as well. A no sugar added and Greek yogurts are also among the selection of flavors. Flavors are often changed so if you've been there recently, go again because chances are, the choice

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TCBY Trinity is the perfect place to take the family for a cool summer treat, or just a routine “daddy/daughter” day! of flavors have changed since you were there last. Want more than one flavor? You're in luck! Each of the five selfserve yogurt machines features two compatible flavor options. If you want to combine both flavors of a particular

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machine, you can swirl the two flavors together for a double delight! For example, the traditional favorites, vanilla and chocolate , are always among the selection of one machine. Patrons can fill cups with one flavor or

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swirl them together. Seasonal flavors are also featured at different times of the year such as peach during the summer months and pumpkin during the fall and winter seasons. If Super Fro-Yo isn't healthy enough for you, Patti explains they always have what she calls "the healthy machine." It's the machine which features the no sugar added or nonfat selections. The no sugar added flavors sometimes offered include chocolate chip mint, cappuccino, blackberry, butter pecan and blueberry delight. The Greek yogurt is flavored with honey and vanilla. "Our products really are a healthy treat no matter what you pick," she said. Jay added that all the flavors are also kosher and Halal certified.

There's more to TCBY than meets the eye If you still want the nutritional value of yogurt for your ice cold treat but crave the added crunch of an ice cream cone, TCBY offers that option, too! Their hand dipped yogurt case features a variety of flavors that can be nestled into a waffle cone or bowl for your added enjoyment! The variety does not end at flavor selection. With more than fifty Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles

toppings to choose from, the fun is just beginning! Sprinkles, chunks of cookie dough, candies, chocolate chips, fresh fruits and more adorn the toppings bar. Squeezable toppings such as marshmallow, Hershey's syrup, raspberry, coffee and salted caramel are flavor options. If hot fudge or caramel are your preference, they've got you covered there as well as both are always on hand and available. After making your yogurt flavor selection, don't forget to check out the options available in freezer display! Frozen yogurt pies are also available! These make great desserts for your family or those special occasions when you’re having company or want to take a special dessert to an occasion you’ve been invited to. Also available are Yogwiches which feature flavored frozen yogurt sandwiched between two outer layers of Oreo cookie. Assorted flavors of frozen yogurt cupcakes are also on display. The freezer selection also caters to those who want to take home the refreshing dessert. Fro-yo pints are ready to grab and go!

A great place to be on both sides of the counter TCBY regulars, Dede Dickinson

and Rae McMann are walking testimonies of quality of products and customer service they receive at TCBY. These ladies work at the nearby Medical Center of Trinity. "We have to be careful about what we have for lunch every day so we can have room for this. It's our ritual," chuckled Dede. Rae added, "We just love it. One of my favorites is cake batter with hot fudge!" For the owners, creating a great atmosphere for customer’s means creating happy employees as well. Among those behind the counter are Jeff Oles and Grant Jackson. Both expressed their pleasure of working for the Silar family. Patti explained for those seeking a first job, it's important to them to provide a safe, supervised and fun opportunity. "This is a family store and we treat our employees and customer like family," she explained. Evidently, employee satisfaction equates to customer satisfaction as

well. Many of the customers seen daily are familiar faces. Stop in soon for your nutritious summer cool down treat! Located at 3140 Little Road, Trinity, 34655. Store hours are noon to 10p.m. Sunday through Saturday. Call 727-375-1177 for more information.

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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.

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 in the USA, coupled with best of

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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 total cost of the system is awarded to the homeowner for going solar this

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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 $15,000 or more by going solar!

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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cause of death by disease among children is cancer.

drugs have been developed for use in children with cancer since 1980, as compared to hundreds created for adults.

children per day are expected to be diagnosed with cancer.

of childhood cancer survivors will experience signiﬁcant health issues by age 45 as a result of being treated with drugs designed speciﬁcally for adults.

of the billions of dollars spent annually on cancer research and treatments is directed towards childhood cancer.

T H AT ’ S W H Y YO U R S U P P O R T I S S O C R I T I C A L The National Pediatric Cancer Foundation is a nonproﬁt organization dedicated to funding research to eliminate childhood cancer. Over the past 25 years, with your help, we’ve donated millions of dollars to research and our ground-breaking clinical trials are saving many children’s lives. • We’ve been given the highest ratings a nonproﬁt can receive, including a 4-star charity rating by Charity Navigator; a Gold Level rating by GuideStar and accreditation from the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. • 88% of every dollar supports our mission.

Learn more about our research & donate today at NationalPCF.org 5550 W. EXECUTIVE DRIVE, STE. 300 | TAMPA, FL 33609 | 813.269.0955 | TAX ID: 59-3097333

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AUGUST 2018

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 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. So now we have a new

AUGUST 2018

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 each paragraph needed – especially the first one

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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, Princeton, Columbia,

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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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AUGUST 2018

“Dr. Nelson” Continued from page 1 Let Dr. Nelson Give You a Good Nights’ Sleep While some patients lose sleep over going to the dentist, Dr. Nelson can actually bring sleep back into your life with the latest technology in dental devices aimed at tackling the problem of sleep apnea and snoring. Did you know that a lack of sleep could lead to serious health issues? Continued lack of sleep over time has been associated with depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and more. The original and most common device used to treat sleep apnea is the CPAP, Continuous Positive Air Pressure, device. This machine pumps air into the patient’s nose or mouth as they sleep. Some patients find this device uncomfortable and therefore discontinue use. Dr. Nelson offers an alternative to the CPAP; several alternatives actually. Patients have a choice of several devices such as the Prosomnus Micr02™, Panthera D-DAD™ or the

Herbst device. These lightweight devices are a lot less bulky than the CPAP, don’t require a mask and are custom fitted for individual patients. They are designed to position the tongue and jaw in a way that keeps the airway open during sleep, allowing the patient a better restful sleep. They look similar to a mouth guard or retainer and are easily inserted and removed. They are also much more convenient to travel with than the traditional CPAP machine. And there is more great news about these incredible devices! Yes, they’re covered by medical insurance and the team at Nelson Dentistry will submit the claims to your insurance company or Medicare for you. Are You a Candidate? To help determine if you are at risk for sleep apnea, Dr. Nelson uses the STOP-BANG assessment to screen patients prior to their first visit. The top eight indicators that patients suffer from with sleep apnea are snoring, tiredness, observation pressure-body mass, age, neck size and gender. These indicators make up the acronym STOP-BANG. This

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assessment consists of eight simple questions. For example, do you snore loud enough to be heard through closed doors? Has anyone observed you stop breathing or gasping for air during your sleep? Are you being treated for high blood pressure? To take this assessment yourself, visit www.sleepbetterflorida.com. Upon completion, patients will be contacted within 24 hours to review answers. A Stress Free Dental Appointment Are you nervous about visiting the dentist to address your dental

AUGUST 2018

needs? Don’t stress about it! Dr. Nelson and his team are equipped to make you feel right at home during your dental appointment. Patients can enjoy music and movies while wearing personal headphones. Pillows and blankets are also available for patient comfort. If this isn’t enough to relax you, Dr. Nelson might recommend relaxation dentistry for nervous patients. A combination of oral medication and nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, will induce a deep relaxation for patients. Time will go by very quickly

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and the patient will remember very little of the procedure or treatment administered. Patients receiving relaxation dentistry methods are still able to respond to commands but because the effects may linger beyond

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the time it takes for dental treatment, they must be driven from the office by a friend or relative. Dr. Nelson and his team will work with patients individually to determine the best methods for relaxation.

Enhance Your Image with a Smile Makeover Through cosmetic dentistry, Dr. Nelson can transpose your grin into a spectacular smile! With veneers, which are made from thin shells of porcelain, patients enjoy customized

smiles in just two appointments! Veneers are stain free and look just like natural teeth. Dr. Nelson also offers DURAthins as an alternative to traditional veneers. These are adhered directly to the front of the tooth and do not require as much reduction of enamel. Dr. Nelson can help you determine the best choice for you. Nelson Dentistry also offers teeth whitening to make your smile sparkle, clear aligners, for patients who do not want to suffer the inconvenience of traditional metal braces and an incredible technique called Six Month Smiles. Six Month Smile braces are clear brackets and wires that are the color of your teeth. This technique uses low force to move only the teeth that show when you smile. This is a great product for adult patients who do not want to wear braces for two years! Call today to get started on getting better sleep or improving your smile! Nelson Dentistry is located at 1928 Highland Oaks Boulevard. Visit their website at www.drjaynelson.com or www.sleepbetterflorida.com. For appointments, call 813-949-0424.

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AUGUST 2018

“Trinity Family Physicians” Continued from page 1 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.

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.

Expanding their Practice Beyond their Office Walls Dr. Eldridge and Dr. Shirmo know that sometimes it can be difficult, maybe even impossible, for

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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.

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.”

Teaching the Next Generation of Doctors

Starting A Charity

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 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

AUGUST 2018

“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

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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.”

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) 8348377 or visit their Facebook page or website at www.trinityfamilyphysicians.com

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

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AUGUST 2018

TRINITY DENTAL CARE (727) 372-2001 Toll Free: 1-888-tooth AK Dr. S. Shayes - Dr. A. Eskandari #DN15492

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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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AUGUST 2018

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AUGUST 2018

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AUGUST 2018

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