Vol. 11, Issue 09, September 2020
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, Starkey Ranch, Stillwater, Stonegate, Suncoast Crossings, Suncoast Meadows, Swan Cove, Van Dyke Estates, Van Dyke Farms, Villa Rosa, Wyndham Lakes
Same Day Teeth®: The New Way to Bring Back Your Beautiful Natural Smile Written By: Dr. Michael A. Pikos
“Thanks to Dr. Pikos and Dr. Hedger I now have a beautiful smile,” recalls Gail Portervint. Gail suffered from periodontitis which caused tooth and bone loss. She came to Coastal Jaw Surgery looking for help with her failing teeth and to restore her self-confidence.
The doctors at Coastal Jaw Surgery have been caring for patients in the Greater Tampa Bay Area for over 37 years. Dr. Michael A. Pikos opened the Palm Harbor office with the goal to treat patients like family while ensuring their oral surgical needs are cared for. See “Coastal Jaw” on page 16
San Jose Mexican Restaurant: Bringing the Taste of Mexico to Lutz! By Morgan Fiss San Jose Mexican Restaurant brings an extensive list of fresh Mexican cuisine to the streets of Lutz. Located in the Suncoast Plaza, all food is made fresh daily and can be customized to order. From house lime margaritas to Mexican street tacos, everyone is sure to find something that they will
enjoy! San Jose Mexican Restaurant has been family owned and operated since 2010 and is one of many restaurant establishments around town. The staff works to bring the authentic flavor of San Jose, Mexico, right to you. A family-friendly atmosphere, tasty menu See “San Jose” on page 20
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: From the Editor..............................5
Wheelchairs 4 Kids.......................8-9
Tech Talk with Bob...................12-13
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A Labor Day Message & Special Thanks By the time some of you read this, Labor Day will have already come and gone. Regardless of the timing, I hope you all had a wonderful and safe weekend with your loved ones. For most people, “Labor Day” means two things; a day off and a chance to say goodbye to the summer. But do you know the meaning behind it? Labor Day is a day set aside to pay tribute to working men and women. It has been celebrated as a national holiday in the United States and Canada since 1894. Labor Day was a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the incredible contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. I know a lot of us are struggling these days, so many have lost their jobs, others have had to shut down their longstanding businesses. It hasn’t been easy, but we cannot give up! I have had one of the hardest years of my entire life. I have been challenged physically, mentally, emotionally, psychologically, and financially. As I am sure, a lot of you have as well. These past two months, I have focused my editorials on maintaining positivity through COVID19, on keeping the faith and staying strong throughout these unprecedented times. The words of encouragement I share with you are also a reminder to myself. I have been blessed to receive so many beautiful messages from some of our readers this past couple of weeks, and I wanted to say thank you very much from the bottom of my heart for all your kind words. I am touched that so many of you have taken the time to personally write to me to thank me for my latest articles. Knowing that I can touch someone’s life,
or that I said something that brightened someone’s day, makes a massive difference in my life. All the sadness, the frustrations, even the body aches, and pain seem to subside with your kind and positive words. I want to take a moment to send a special message to Carneal Overton. First of all, I am very sorry for the loss of your mother—my deepest condolences, Carneal. As someone who lost her father not long ago, my heart breaks for you. I still cry a lot and miss him dearly, but I take comfort knowing my father is in Heaven watching over my family and me, and hopefully one day we can be together again. I appreciated your message so much it brought me to tears. I will say a special prayer for your mother and you, Carneal; you’re both in my thoughts. Thank you for reaching out. Thank you for letting me know that my words of encouragement helped you keep the faith. Stay strong Carneal, and this too shall pass. As for everyone else who wrote to me, Lindsay W., Jackie J., Robert D., Mary E. B., and everyone else who takes comfort in my words, thank you, from the bottom of my heart. You are the reason I love what I do, and you are what our magazines are all about; a local community of supporting and encouraging individuals coming together for the common good, helping one another stay positive and motivated through the ups and downs. Stay strong, everyone, stay safe, keep wearing your masks, keep social distancing, but keep supporting your local businesses, keep on keeping on. We will pull through! Until next time,
Carla M. Dubis Tedeschi.
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Wheelchairs 4 Kids Jail and Bail Fundraiser Huge Success: $91,000 raised! Yes, Virginia you can run a safe and successful fundraiser during a pandemic! Wheelchairs 4 Kids had a record breaking year hosting their 9th Annual Jail and Bail sponsored by Siracusa Staffing and Leasing event at the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa. $91,000 was raised! On Friday, August 14th, Wheelchairs 4 Kids sponsored a charity event at Safety Harbor Resort and Spa in the middle of the Corona Virus pandemic! Temperatures were checked before entering the ball room and masks were required when not social distancing. Julie and Steve Weintraub
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once again participated as the Judges and local prominent citizens and business leaders were handcuffed and taken to a nearby jail cell. The felons contacted friends and associates asking them to send bail! Ray Ferrara, President of ProVise Management raised the most bail with $15,830 and Keith Kunzig (AKA Big Nasty) had the most donors with 61 donors! Other felons included David Siracusa, Commissioner Jack Mariano, Steve Farrell and Terald Hopkins. 2 children also attended and received therapy trikes which will provide physical therapy all while having fun. The trikes strengthen their
legs and cores. Executive Director of Wheelchairs 4 Kids was amazed at the event’s success given the current situation. “We had canceled this event in April due to the pandemic, but our donations were down 70% in the
last 5 months and we realized that we needed to figure out how to make it work while being safe. Thankfully, these community leaders stepped up and were willing to either come out in person or participate via ZOOM. I never dreamed it would be
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this successful. It doesn’t get us back to where we should be but it is a huge step. We can help a lot of kids with this money.” The organization is currently working on 38 requests for help and have an additional 12 on a waitlist. Applications are coming in daily as
parents have lost jobs and cannot afford the equipment their kids need. Wheelchairs 4 Kids is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children with physical disabilities by providing wheelchairs, home and vehicle modifications as well
as other equipment at no charge to the families Wheelchairs 4 Kids would like to thank Siracusa Staffing and Leasing, Steve and Julie Weintraub, Safety Harbor Resort and Spa, all of the volunteers and especially the felons. If you need help or
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would like to help, please visit the organization’s website at www.Wheelchairs4kids.org (www dot wheelchairs the number four kids dot org) or call 727-946-0963. Photos courtesy of J. David
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Bob the Computer Guy: STOP: Before Repairing Your PC! Imagine this. The computer you bought from that big box store seven months ago no longer works. No problem, it’s still under warranty. You call the manufacturer and get a return authorization from them. You pack and ship your computer to them. Today, two months later, you are finally getting it back from the manufacturer and cannot wait to get it up and running. You hit the switch and it boots right up. Seems to be running as fast as it did when you bought it. Wow! This booting speed reminds you of why you bought the computer in the first place. In almost no time your system is up and ready to go, however you notice that your desktop doesn’t quite look the same way you had it before you sent it for repair. Upon further investigation you realize that some of your newest programs are missing, you cannot access your printer, and most importantly, all your pictures, videos, music and other data is nowhere
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to be found. Your computer works great, but all of your personal stuff is gone. You call the manufacturer to ask about your missing pictures and documents and other data. Suddenly you find out that the only obligation the manufacturer had to you under the warranty was to repair or replace your computer to the way it was the day you brought it home from the store and took it out of the box. You learn the hard way that your missing programs, data, etc. are your problem. You were supposed to back all that stuff up before you sent your computer in for repair; but nobody tells you that. Many people find themselves in this predicament every day. Well I’m telling you now, so after reading this, you’ll know what to do. Computers are viewed by some people as being no different than any other electronic appliance; like an electronic coffee maker. Electronic coffee makers use a combination of hardware and software
software information including your personal and unique computer information. This unique information is created over time as you use your computer system by adding programs, printers, data, etc. All these changes alter the contents of your HDD. When you send your computer to the Bob Dalles, owner Bob the Computer Guy manufacturer for repair, your HDD may be physically to make them function. replaced by having a new However, the software that HDD installed into your runs your coffee maker is computer or logically not as sophisticated as the replaced by having all the software that runs your information on the HDD computer. People typically erased and then rewritten do not differentiate between with the information the the hardware and software HDD had on it when your aspects of a computer computer was new out of system. The truth is, where the box. the software in your coffee Think of it this way. If maker never changes, the you ever had the battery software in your computer in your car replaced, the is constantly changing. first thing you probably Especially your data files as learned when you got back you add and delete your into your car is that all your music, pictures and other radio preset stations have personal documents. been wiped out due to the All this information is battery being disconnected. stored on your computer’s The auto repair shop’s hard disk drive (HDD). Your responsibility is not to HDD stores all computer restore your radio presets
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but to replace your car’s battery with a working one. You’ll just have to reprogram those preset stations all over again. The same is true of your computer. Important information can be lost during your computer’s repair. Important personal data, like rare family photos, or that business proposal you’ve been working on all week, may be impossible to replace. It is always your responsibility to make sure you have what you need to restore the programs and data you have added to your computer since you bought it. But most people do not figure this out until it’s too late. So how do you minimize your data loss when you need your computer system
repaired? The first thing you do is make certain that all your personal data is backed up. This can be difficult if your computer will not turn on. Even if your computer will not turn on, it may still be possible that your data can be extracted from the HDD before you send your computer off for repair. If you are not familiar with how to get your data backed up, give us a call. We do stuff like this every day and can painlessly manage all of this for you. The next thing you will need are the installation disk and/or files for any software you added to the computer after you bought it. Make sure you have all your installation media and product keys so these items
can be reinstalled with as little trouble as possible. A list of your email and website user names and passwords are also going to need to be reentered the first time you try to access any of the secured websites you visit. If you are not sure if you have everything you need to recover all of the additions you made to your computer since you bought it, contact a professional computer technician to help you get all your ducks in a row. A small investment in prevention will save you a lot of money, and grief, when your time comes to get your computer repaired. We can perform most services remotely without you having to leave your home or office, and without
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us coming to your location. We have other “contactless” repair options too! Cyber criminals will exploit the easy victims and unprotected systems. Protecting yourself online is your responsibility. Don’t go it alone. We have the best solutions already in place and we’re here to help. If you are not sure your system is safe, please have it looked over by a Professionally Certified IT Specialist. Call us now at 727-534-4000. We’ve been helping folks restore their peace of mind, and sanity, with their technology for decades. Keeping You Safer In Your Digital World!
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“Coastal Jaw”
- continued from page 1 As the practice grew, he expanded to five locations in Palm Harbor, Spring Hill, New Port Richey, Trinity, and Tampa. Our dynamic, surgical based multispecialty team consists of Dr. Michael A, Pikos, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Dr. Kenneth L. Anderson III, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Dr. Jason B. Blundell, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Dr. Lindsey Pikos Rosati, Periodontist, Dr. Anthony M. Pikos, Periodontist, and Dr. Philip J. Hedger, Prosthodontist,
From left to right Dr. Kenneth L. Anderson III, Dr. Jason B. Blundell, Dr. Michael A. Pikos, Dr. Lindsey Pikos Rosati, Dr. Anthony M. Pikos, and Dr. Philip J. Hedger
who are committed to the practice’s mission to provide exceptional dental care under one roof while creating a safe, welcoming environment to make all
patients feel like family. The practice specializes in dental implants with an emphasis on the Same Day Teeth® procedure created by Dr. Michael A. Pikos.
Same Day Teeth® is an innovative surgical procedure that bypasses the traditional dental implant’s time-consuming process and allows for the
placement of implants and new teeth to occur on the very same day. Same Day Teeth® protocol begins with a 3D cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan, which will provide us with 3D images of your bone, nerve pathways, soft tissues, and teeth, which allows us to determine the optimal placement of your implants using the best digital assessment software and related stateof-the-art technology to ensure that your treatment is truly customized. Most service providers, especially corporate-based, treat everyone the same way with the one-size-fits-all mentality. You are as unique as your fingerprint and as a result, we draw from a variety of digital-based, precision solutions to give you a customized beautiful natural smile and restore your ability to eat and chew foods that you love. Our unique approach not only includes a comprehensive treatment plan for each of our patients, but also a thorough explanation. “The best around not
only in Florida but I am convinced the best in the nation”, states Nicholas Louis. Nicholas received traditional dental implants for his Same Day Teeth® procedure. Dental implants are artificial tooth roots surgically placed in your jaw to support replacement teeth. These replacement teeth are designed to look and feel like your natural teeth, restore the aesthetic appearance of your smile, provide optimal functionality, and reduce your risk of developing other oral health issues. Coastal Jaw Surgery offers several dental implant options to ensure your smile is natural and custom to you. Same Day Teeth® offers patients a beautiful, natural smile completed on the same day with the use of dental implants, zygomatic implants, or subperiosteal implants. Patients who are missing all of the teeth in their upper jaw or whose teeth have broken down due to advanced periodontal disease may be good candidates for zygomatic dental implants.
These implants are longer and anchored in the upper jawbone near the zygoma bone. Patients who are experiencing significant bone loss in the lower jaw may be good candidates for subperiosteal implants. This type of implant must be custom-made to fit the contours of a patient’s bone. Whether it is traditional dental implants, zygomatic implants, or subperiosteal implants, we have a solution to your missing teeth or loose dentures. If you have been told you can’t have dental implants due to bone loss, Coastal Jaw Surgery is the answer for you. Our doctors have the opportunity to help you with missing teeth
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or ill-fitted dentures now with Same Day Teeth®’s solutions to traditional dental implants. We encourage second opinions. We want to make sure that the best treatment possible is presented to you so the end result gives you back your smile and selfconfidence. Our Coastal Jaw Surgery team of oral and maxillofacial surgeons, periodontists, and prosthodontist have 65 combined years of experience within the realm of implant dentistry, oral surgery, periodontics, and prosthodontics. There is no better place to go for your comprehensive implant care. If you are missing teeth or wear dentures that aren’t fitting right - call Coastal Jaw Surgery to make a Same Day Teeth® appointment today. Transform your smile. Change your life with Same Day Teeth® at Coastal Jaw Surgery! Call 800-NEW-LOOK or visit www.CoastalJaw.com to book your appointment today!
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“San Jose” story continued from
page 1
items, and a 4.8-star rating on Google, makes San Jose a favorite among local customers in the Lutz area. The restaurant is a family establishment and welcomes everyone to enjoy one of their freshly made meals that are cooked to from scratch right after you order. San Jose works extremely hard to create an inviting atmosphere where everyone is welcomed! Customer Jenn complimented the environment by saying “This is a great neighborhood restaurant for the entire family. I love the atmosphere. If you have not been there yet, you are missing out.” The Menu and Customer Favorites San Jose serves a variety of both lunch and dinner items with their extremely extensive menu. Starting with lunch combos, San Jose Mexican Restaurant offers a variety of burritos, enchiladas, salads, soups and tacos all under $10. Everything is customizable to fit any dietary restrictions. There are also options to substitute soft taco shells, add queso cheese, add grilled steak or grilled chicken for a small extra charge to make your meal exactly how you want it! They also offer 31 different $11.95 combos that are a mix of tacos, enchiladas, burritos or meat with a side. “By far the best Mexican restaurant we have tried, and we have been to several in the area. There is great tasting food, wonderful [and] friendly staff, an impeccably clean dining area and tastefully decorated. It was worth the drive from Zephyrhills,” said customer, Donna. The family owned restaurant is known for their top-notch tacos that bring the taste of San Jose to the Lutz area. Tacos represent one of the standard dishes of Mexican cuisine, so San Jose takes great pride in making them the best tacos that you have tasted! A customer favorite dish is the Mexican Taco Tour “which puts on a display a variety of tacos that [replicate] Mexican street tacos.” The Taco Tour includes 1 Taco Asada, 1 Taco Carnitas, 1 Taco Pastor, 1 Taco Pollo, and 1 Taco
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Chorizo with hot sauce, salsa Verde, green onions and jalapeños. They also offer seven other taco items as well as enchiladas, quesadillas, fajitas and burritos. Every cook works to use the closest tortillas, meat and ingredients to really replicate the taste of San Jose, Mexico. Stop in every Tuesday and Wednesday where there are specials on all tacos! If you are an adult looking for a drink after a long week at work, San Jose is the place to go! They are also known for their amazing house lime, skinny and organic margaritas. Happy hour is everyday from 2-7 pm, for the house lime margaritas. You can get two twelveounce margaritas for only $10, or a large thirty-two-ounce margarita for only $10 as well! “My husband and I are always satisfied with the service and great food [as well as] the nice drinks. It is like you are at home. The food is hot and fresh, and the wait was not long at all. The live music and atmosphere are really enjoyable as well and it was really fun all the way around,” said happy customer Kollena.
COVID-19 Safety Procedures and Protocols With the continuous spread of COVID-19, San Jose is taking extra precautions to ensure the safety of everyone who walks through the doors. “Our first rule has always been safety. We always want to provide a safe environment for not only our customers, but for our employees, so we are really trying our best to do that,” said the manager. The first measure put into place is social distancing. Seating is limited and every table is at least six feet apart from each other to ensure CDC guidelines are being met. They are also encouraging parties less that ten, and if there are more then ten people, they will be split up to two different tables. Face masks are also a requirement in order to sit down at the restaurant. Masks can be taken off when they get to their table but will not be allowed in without one on at the entrance. If a customer does not have a mask, San Jose will provide them one, free of
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charge. Employees are also required to wear a mask to ensure that all customers are safe. San Jose takes cleaning procedures seriously, so everything is always sanitized! Before a party arrives and after a party leaves, the tables and chairs are always sprayed down and sanitized
for the next family. Menus are also sprayed down after every use and there are stations with hand sanitizer at the entrance and around the restaurant. Employees come in early before the restaurant opens to clean and sanitize every aspect of the restaurant so customers can have peace
of mind knowing they are entering a clean and safe establishment. San Jose is open Sunday to Thursday from 11am to 9pm, and Friday to Saturday from 11am to 9:30pm. Come into today to taste the Mexican cuisine that the town of Lutz loves!
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San Jose Mexican Restaurant is located 16540 Pointe Village Drive, Lutz, 33558. For more information on events, menus and specials, call (813)- 920- 8833 or visit them online at www. sanjoselutz.com.
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