New Tampa Neighborhood News, Volume 24, Issue 5, Feb. 26, 2016 by Neighborhood News

Volume 24 Issue 5

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February 26, 2016

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New Tampa Recreation Center Expansion Plans Put On Hold...Again By John C. Cotey

Any and all plans to expand the New Tampa Recreation Center (NTRC) — whether by adding more room for a gymnastics program that already has a twoyear waiting list, adding a pool or perhaps building covered areas for parents to watch their kids play youth sports — are on hold. Again. For the second time in five years, the Tampa City Council has voted to provide funds for another project, keeping the NTRC as it is and adding to the ire of many New Tampa residents that the area is not getting a fair return on the large share of city taxes they pay. “We are tired of being treated as a cash cow for the city,’’ said Tampa Palms attorney Warren Dixon. The Tampa City Council voted Feb. 4 to spend the money instead to fix the 79-year-old Cuscaden Park pool, which will receive $3.1-million for its upgrade. In 2005, the city spent $2.5-million on the pool, which was then closed in 2009 because of structural damage that was causing leaks. It hasn’t re-opened since. District 7 Council member Lisa Montelione, who represents New Tampa and the surrounding area, was the lone vote against funding the pool. While she said she respects the historical and cultural importance of the pool, the money used was not only diverted from the NTRC, but also from another project

Also Inside This Issue: News, Business & Sports Updates Kinnan-Mansfield Debate Is Reopening, New Tampa Library Has A ‘Vision’ To Improve, Two More Locals Set To Jump Into District 7 Race, Wharton’s Terrific Track Trio Hoping For A Breakout Season & Lots Of Local Business Features!

Pages 3-44

Neighborhood Magazine Tampa Palms Resident John Barreto Pockets $20K On ‘Millionaire,’ HGCC To Renovate Tennis & Athletic Center, Local Eagle Scouts In The News & More Neighborhood Nibbles & Biz Bytes!

Pages 45-60

The planned expansion of the New Tampa Recreation Center in Tampa Palms has been put on hold for a second time because funds for the improvements were dedicated for another project by the Tampa City Council, over the objections of New Tampa’s City Council rep Lisa Montelione.

at the Greco Sports Complex off Fowler Ave. that also sits in her district. “I wasn’t surprised by the vote, based on the previous support for the repairs at Cuscaden Pool,’’ Montelione says. “What I can tell the people of New Tampa is they need to reach out to my fellow council members and let them know how they feel. I’m on the side of New Tampa, I just need others on the council to see how important this is.” Dixon said he has already written a letter of complaint, and others, like Maggie Wilson, have as well. “The prevailing feeling is that there is a disregard for the needs of the (New Tampa) area,’’ said Wilson, a well-known community consultant

for the Tampa Palms Community Development District. “‘Just send us your tax money.’ I’m not sure that’s my feeling, but when it comes to enhancements (for our community), it certainly is.” Wilson’s feelings are nothing new. Even as folks line up to run for Montelione’s District 7 seat (see page 6), they all seem to mention the need to help make the tax monies work for the area. The New Tampa Rec Center, which was built in 2008, boasts more than 19,000 sq. ft. of indoor space, mostly for bustling gymnastics and tumbling programs, also is home to a skateboarding park and multipurpose fields in the adjacent New Tampa Community Park.

The New Tampa Noon Rotary may not be the largest Rotary Club in our area, but the spirit of Rotary International’s motto of “Service Above Self” is alive and well among the club’s members, despite the small size (fewer than 20 members) of the noon club, which meets Wednesdays at noon at Café Olé on Cross Creek Blvd. Current club president and longtime member Valerie Casey says that over the first two years of the Noon Rotary’s “Cycling for our Vets, Military & First Responders,” nearly $15,000 has been raised to support the club’s selected charities and this year, the 4-, 18- or 39-mile ride will be held on Saturday, March 19, 8 a.m., and will again take off from the Chili’s Grill & Bar located at 17643 Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., just south of the BBD entrance to Flatwoods Park. The suggested donation to ride is just $30 per rider and the event will be limited to the first 100 riders. The deadline to pre-register is Sunday, March 13. Day-of registra-

tion begins at 7 a.m. and the rides will begin at 8 a.m. and will be staggered to allow longer distance riders go first. The event will go on, rain or shine. This year’s fund-raising ride will benefit the Navy Seal Foundation, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, Support the Troops and the Stay In Step Spinal Cord Injury Recovery Center, which was featured on page 1 of our last issue. For more info about these great organizations, Facebook. com/NewTampaNoonRotary, NavySealFoundation.org, HCFRFoundation.org, OurTroopsOnline.com or StayInStep.org. This year’s sponsors include Little Greek Restaurant; Firehouse Subs-Wesley Chapel; Gentle Care Dentistry, the office of Dr. Tom Frankfurth; Stifel FinancialMike Wallace; USAA Insurance; Children’s Dentistry, the office of Dr. Greg Stepanski; State Farm Insurance-Joyce Coleman; Café Olé and this publication.

In 2012, it was announced that the NTRC would be expanding the following year by adding an additional 14,000 sq. ft. to the facility with more gym space, locker and multi-purpose rooms, a workout center and a rock-climbing wall. But, the $1.5-million addition never came to fruition. “It was actually in the budget draft, and then when the final budget came out it was gone,’’ says Montelione. “I raised numerous questions to staff about where the money went, and no one could ever really answer the question.” Dixon says that the original developer of Tampa Palms had to set aside the land for nearby Freedom High and where the New Tampa Recreation Center is located, and with the CDD bonds all paid off, “we essentially have paid for that land.” “When you realize that we (as Tampa Palms residents) have already made a significant contribution to the rec center, you can understand why we get a little short tempered,’’ he added. So, will the rec center ever get the improvements promised in 2012, and then promised again for 2016? “It’s on the books,” Montelione says. “It does have a line item. It’s just a matter of making it the mayor’s priority to keep it funded and to keep them from reallocating the funds. “This is getting a little repetitive, year after year after year.”

3rd Rotary Bike Ride To Benefit Vets To Be Held Mar. 19!

For more info, visit Active.com (search “cycling for vets”), Facebook. com/Cycling for vets, call Barry Shuman at (516) 523-2678, email Valerie Casey at ValCasey3@aol.com or see pg. 40.

Look For Neighborhood News Online Every Day! An editorial by Gary Nager If you haven’t been checking our website — NTNeighborhoodNews. com — or our page at Facebook.com/NeighborhoodNews since you received our last New Tampa issue in your mailbox, you probably missed a lot of the exciting news that’s happened in our area. Over the last couple of weeks, our online scoop about the plans to open an Irish 31 Restaurant & Bar at the Shops at Wiregrass mall (see screenshot from our Facebook page, right, and the full story in this issue’s Neighborhood Nibbles & Business Bytes column on pg. 52) was viewed by (at our press time) nearly 22,000 people, a record for a single post of ours. We’re also proud to have recorded more than 11,000 online “hits” for our story about the new hotels and a new movie theater coming to the Wesley Chapel area (see page 18). Several other of our online posts recorded several thousand views apiece, including: 1) the debate between the Greater Wesley Chapel and Central Pasco Chambers of Commerce over what to name the Wesley Chapel Blvd. extension (4,664 hits since it was originally posted on Feb. 11; see story on pg. 14), 2) the latest on the possible Kinnan St./Mansfield Blvd. connection (4,425 hits since Feb. 14; see story on pg. 4), 3) our story about the four Wiregrass Ranch High girls soccer players who signed National Letters of Intent to play collegiate soccer (3,783 hits since Feb. 10),

New Tampa Neighborhood News Address: 29157 Chapel Park Dr., Suite B Wesley Chapel, FL 33543

Phone: (813) 910-2575 Advertising E-mail: Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Editorial E-mail: EditorialDept@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Publisher & Editor Gary Nager Advertising Sales & Office Manager Mary Dorey Billing Manager Jillian Reilly Assistant Editor / Photographer John C. Cotey Editorial Assistant & Staff Writer Celeste McLaughlin Correspondents Anu Varma Panchal • Andy Warrener Graphic Designers Georgia Carmichael Blake Beatty • Amanda Rankin Nothing that appears in New Tampa Neighborhood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, without permission. Opinions expressed by New Tampa Neighborhood News writers are their own and do not reflect the publisher’s opinion. The deadline for outside editorial submissions and advertisements for Volume 24, Issue 7, of New Tampa Neighborhood News is Monday, March 14, 2016. New Tampa Neighborhood News will consider previously non-published outside editorial submissions if they are double spaced, typed and less than 500 words. New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit and/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makes no guarantees regarding publication dates. New Tampa Neighborhood News will not return unsolicited editorial materials. New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit &/or reject any advertising. New Tampa Neighborhood News is not responsible for errors in advertising beyond the actual cost of the advertising space itself, nor for the validity of any claims made by its advertisers.

local dailies), you can still count on us to give you the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel perspective other news media simply can’t because they haven’t spent the last 22 years serving our communities the way yours truly has. And, best of all, with pros like assistant editor John Cotey and staff writer Celeste McLaughlin helping me, we know we’re going to deliver more online news you can really use than anyone else!

Correction From Last Issue

The Legacy at Highwoods Preserve is owned by Houston-based PinPoint Commercial. A different company was listed in our last issue. Also, one of the photos in that story was actually from one of The Legacy’s sister properties. We apologize for the errors. — JCC

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4) our story about a young Wesley Chapel girl who has raised more than $3,000 to buy bulletproof vests to protect Pasco Sheriff’s Office K-9 deputies (2,942 hits since Feb. 8), and 5) this issue’s cover story about how the Tampa City Council again voted not to fund improvements to the New Tampa Recreation Center in Tampa Palms (which had 2,141 online hits since Feb. 5). In other words, although we still don’t believe that as many of you are reading our online stuff as are actually sitting down to read this publication, our online/social media audience continues to grow because we love digital media almost as much as we do print journalism and, quite honestly, what other local news medium will take the time to focus on keeping New Tampa and Wesley Chapel residents informed about everything that’s going on, up, in and around your communities if we don’t? And, even those times when we don’t get to break a story first, when we do cover a story that’s already appeared online someplace else (or on local TV or in the

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Table of Contents Local News Updates....................4-21

Kinnan-Mansfield Debate To Open Back Up.............4 Two More Looking To Run For District 7 Seat..........6 New Tampa Library Looks For Input Into Plans.......8 New Tampa & Wesley Chapel News Briefs.........12 Wesley Chapel Blvd. A Point Of Contention........14 Clark Replaces Giannet As PHSC Provost.........16-17 Hotels, Movie Theater Coming To S.R. 56 Area .....18 New Tampa Community Calendar.......................20-21

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Local Business Updates.............24-37

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Local Sports Updates.................42-43 Wharton’s Aria Tate Leads Trio of Track Talents

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Tampa Palms ‘Whiz Kid’ Earns $20K.................45 Pebble Creek GC Gets Ready For St. Pat’s Day...46 Hunter’s Green TAC Getting A Makeover.........50 ‘Neighborhood Nibbles & Business Bytes’.........52 NEW TAMPA COLOR CLASSIFIEDS....56 Eagle Scouts Of Tampa Palms In The News.......58 @NTWCNews

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Here We Go Again — Politicians Again Debating Kinnan St./Mansfield Blvd. Link By John C. Cotey

The infamous and befuddling barricades (photo) blocking Mansfield Blvd. in the Wesley Chapel (Pasco County) community of Meadow Pointe from Kinnan St. in the K-Bar Ranch/Live Oak Preserve area of New Tampa continue to stand as the area’s most notorious roadblock. But, whereas the barricades themselves have had zero movement in years, that can no longer be said of talks to remove them. Pasco County District 2 commissioner Mike Moore and Hillsborough County District 7 City Council member Lisa Montelione (see story on pg. 6) sat down for a conversation last month and the two have agreed to re-open discussions to resolve the long-standing Kinnan-Mansfield impasse. “Lisa and I met and had a great conversation,’’ Moore said. “We agreed to sit down with both of our sides either the first or second week in March. Obviously, there’s a lot of work to get through, but we both agree we want to do what is best for the region and the citizens.” Montelione placed tackling the Kinnan/Mansfield dilemma — which, if resolved, would give New Tampa and Wesley Chapel drivers an alternative north/south route to Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (and the two-lane Morris Bridge Rd.) — on her list of things to do in 2016. She sent a letter, dated Jan. 21, to the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) in the hopes of sparking a new debate. Moore, however, already had agreed to meet with Montelione before the letter even arrived. He said his first priority has been seeing that the S.R. 56 extension was approved (as reported last issue), but once that was settled, he was going to set his sights on Kinnan/Mansfield. “There are a lot of people for (the Kinnan-Mansfield connection),’’ he said, “but a lot of people have concerns.” Moore said he was accompanied at the meeting by Pasco County administrator Michelle Baker, assistant county attorney David Goldstein and Ali Atefi, Pasco’s transportation engineer.

A Scary Situation...

In her letter to the Pasco BCC, Montelione laid out the human side of the City of Tampa’s case for removing the barricades. She wrote that in early November of 2015,

K-Bar Ranch resident Otto Schloeter was cooking lunch for his family when a pan caught fire and severely burned his arm. The 9-1-1 call from a cell phone in K-Bar ended up going to a tower in Wesley Chapel. The Pasco County 9-1-1 Dispatch Center transferred the call to Hillsborough County Fire Dispatch, which then alerted the wrong Hillsborough County station — nearly 20 miles away — in Thonotosassa, when there are two Tampa Fire Rescue stations (No. 21 & especially No. 22, which is only a mile or so from Morris Bridge Rd.) on Cross Creek Blvd. that are both only a few minutes away from K-Bar. Hillsborough County’s fire truck eventually made it to Schloeter’s, and called in a Tampa Fire Rescue ambulance. Due to the confusion, it took nearly two hours to get an actual ambulance to Chloeter and get him from his home in New Tampa to the emergency room at Tampa General Hospital. While Montelione suggests that more updated emergency responder technology be implemented near the border of New Tampa (which has both unincorporated Hillsborough and City of Tampa communities) and Wesley Chapel, she also says that the pathways that should be connecting counties and cities should be open and as easily accessible as possible. If Kinnan St. and Mansfield Blvd. had been connected, Montelione wrote, Pasco County Emergency Service Station 26 in Meadow Pointe would have been recognized as the closest station: “With the mutual aid agreement between our governments, I believe it is fair to say that the completion of this road could have prevented Mr. Schloeter from waiting 45 minutes for emergency responders.” A similar argument was put forward in 2012 by John Thrasher, the CEO of Excel Music (located in the Cory Lake Isles Professional Center on Cross Creek Blvd.).

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Thrasher organized and submitted a petition with 61 signatures representing roughly 40 businesses on both sides on the county line, to the City of Tampa attorney’s office urging for the completion of the Kinnan/Mansfield connection. “This is not only about commerce and convenience, but in an area of wildfires, sinkholes, floods and hurricanes, it is a matter of public safety to provide citizens with as many routes as possible in and out of an area,” Thrasher wrote. The issue of connecting Kinnan St. to Mansfield Blvd has been mired in dispute since the 2,000-ft.-long roadway was paved north to the county line in 2007 by the developer of Live Oak Preserve in New Tampa. In November of 2012, Goldstein

reached out to the City of Tampa attorney’s office about Kinnan/Mansfield and laid out of a list of Pasco’s requirements — which included a commitment from the city and/ or K-Bar developers to pay for trafficcalming improvements at the intersection of Mansfield Blvd. and Beardsley Dr. (which runs along the southern border of Meadow Pointe), as well as at Mansfield Blvd. and Wrencrest Dr. to the north, with a funding commitment by Pasco capped at no more than $500,000. Those requirements were rejected by Julia Mandell, senior assistant attorney for the City of Tampa, in February of 2013. Thrasher’s petition a month later also failed to bring about any action. One of Pasco’s requirements from 2012, however, could be part of any new 2016 negotiations. Pasco asked for four lanes of right of way, or land on which to construct the “Beardsley Extension,” which would link Beardsley Dr. east to Morris Bridge Rd. and take some of the traffic pressure off Mansfield Blvd. Montelione did not comment on the specifics of the Beardsley Dr. request from 2012, but is open to the extension if the two sides can agree to terms. She did say that it seems unlikely that a Kinnan/Mansfield agreement can be negotiated without the Beardsley Extension being a part of the deal. Moore says that after years of failed attempts, though, he has hopes for success in 2016. “I feel good about it,’’ he says.

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Field To Fill Montelione’s District 7 City Council Seat Expanding Siudut Also Hopes To Serve

By John C. Cotey

The list of those seeking to replace Lisa Montelione on the Tampa City Council continues to grow as two more potential candidates (bringing the total to three people who have expressed their interest in running for the seat to Neighborhood News) have declared that they will run for the seat she is vacating to challenge Shawn Harrison for the Florida House District 63 seat. As we reported in last issue’s News Briefs, Tampa Palms resident and local attorney Luis Viera had stated that he is exploring a run for the District 7 seat. Joining Viera in expressing their intent to run for Montelione’s seat when it becomes available are Cory Lake Isles Community Development District (CDD) chairman Dr. Cyril Spiro, M.D., M.B.A.; and Tampa Palms resident and La Gaceta (Tampa’s largest Spanish language newspaper) assistant to the editor Gene Siudut. Since Montelione has filed to run for the state legislature, state law requires that she resign and vacate her council seat by June 10 of this year, according to Hillsborough Supervisor of Elections office spokesperson Gerri Kramer. Although all three of the people who have expressed their interest in the seat so far are New Tampa residents, District 7 is actually a large and diverse area which runs north from Waters Ave. to County Line Rd., and includes Forest Hills, Terrace Park, New Tampa and the University of South Florida area.

Spiro To Focus On Technology

Dr. Spiro, who has served on the Cory Lakes Isles CDD for nearly five years, is currently the Chief Medical Information Officer at HealthAxis, a Tampa healthcare information technology company that in 2013 bought M.D. Web Solutions — which Spiro founded in 2004. Dr. Spiro also founded a not-for-profit organization, the Sunshine Board Cooperation, which is designed to make government more effective and transparent and facilitates cooperation between representatives and their constituents through open online workshops, or forums. The Cory Lakes Isles CDD has been an active user of the workshops to facilitate action. Dr. Spiro also says that as a city coun-

The 42-year-old is president of the Ybor City Lions Club, a Board member of the Ybor City Development Corporation (YCDC) Executive Committee and chair of the Ybor City Retail Arts and Special Events Committee, which operated with a $1.2-million budget. “The focus of city government is downtown, and everyone has to fight for city dollars to get their fair share, so that’s a good stepping stone,’’ he says. Siudut has served as vice-chair of the Hillsborough County Human Relations Board (the county’s anti-discrimination board), and has done volunteer work for The Cuban Club Foundation, Cigars For Soldiers and the Ybor Mural Project. Siudut says he has a strong understanding of how city government works after watching it closely and interacting with the players for 17 years. He says that has helped sparked his own interest in serving. “I actually got the itch about five years ago,’’ he says, adding that he had initially planned to get into politics in 2019, at the end of Montelione’s current term. Her decision to leave the city council, however, expedited those plans. “This is a window of opportunity,’’ Siudut says. “After 17 years working in Ybor City, I understand that number 1, the squeaky wheel gets the grease and number 2, you have to keep asking. No one is going to ask, ‘You know, I really wonder if Tampa Palms needs anything.’”

Siudut (pronounced Sue-Dit) grew up in New Jersey before moving to Florida in 1999, where he landed a job at La Gaceta, which is renowned for being the only trilingual (English, Spanish, Italian) pub(L.-r.) Cory Lake Isles resident Dr. Cyril Spiro and Tampa Palms residents lication in the U.S. As an assistant Gene Siudut (an editor and columnist at La Gaceta) and Luis Viera all say they plan on running for the Tampa City Council District 7 seat ex- to the editor and pected to be vacated by current council member Lisa Montelione in June. columnist for La Gaceta, Siudut says cil member, he would emphasize technolhe has been active on the city’s political ogy, particularly online communications scene, as well in the community in and between government officials and their around Ybor City. constituents, to fight for what residents in “I’m familiar with everyone on the an area really want and need. “I very much believe in using technol- (current) city council,’’ he says. “I feel it’s a job I can do.” ogy for improving democracy,’’ Dr. Spiro The longtime Ybor City resident who says. “We have used (resident) survey systems in Cory Lakes Isles with great success. moved to Tampa Palms two years ago after marrying his wife Keri, Siudut says the job That’s very exciting to me. It’s something that I think can be carried across the coun- requires a “fighter who is willing to get try at all levels of government. It will make in the ring for the New Tampa area’s fair share of the city’s budget dollars.” He says government more effective at doing what he would fight for both New Tampa and the people want.” the USF area. Dr. Spiro, who received his M.D. “New Tampa needs to have a strong degree from the University of Maryland voice,’’ he says. “Whatever the issue, you Medical School in Baltimore, has also developed Lotterease, software that is used have to keep fighting for those dollars.” in charter schools to manage their lottery systems, like at Terrace Community Middle School (TCMS) and Lutz Preparatory School and others. He says he has worked with Montelione on previous issues, including helping with resident surveys in District 7. “We did some surveys in North Park, between Busch Blvd. and Fowler Ave.,’’ he says. “There, the primary concern is crime. 43 Y EARS E XPERIENCE When you go north to New Tampa, it’s transportation. For each of those areas, you have to be aware of what those needs are. Oftentimes, the city will address needs of groups that make the most noise. I’d like to help identify with data and more evidence what’s really in need of most repair.” Dr. Spiro has lived in New Tampa for WATCH BATTERIES WATCH REPAIR 13 years, with his wife of 18 years, Laura. STARTING AT $8 FINE JEWELRY & DIAMONDS The couple has two children, Arden, 12, and Alenna, 14. WE BUY GOLD & DIAMONDS WWW.LEIVASJEWELRY.COM

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Library Cooperative Holds ‘2020 Vision’ Meeting At New Tampa Library By John C. Cotey

What do you want from your public library? Cooking classes? Yoga classes? More DVDs or magazines? Less noise? These questions, and more, were asked on Feb. 16 at a Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative (HCPLC) 2020 Vision Open House at the New Tampa Regional Library (NTRL) on Cross Creek Blvd. The NTRL stop was the third in a series of 10 open houses HCPLC is holding across Hillsborough County as the cooperative forges it’s agenda for the next five years. “This is the public input period in the planning and design of our strategic plan,’’ said Andrew Breidenbaugh, the director of library services for Hillsborough County during the meeting. “We use this as kind of a guide to what our services are going to look like for the next five years.” HCPLC had a handful of displays for patrons to look at in NTRL’s community room during the open house, with employees of the cooperative stationed at each display to facilitate conversation and answer questions. The turnout was the best yet, Breidenbaugh says, as 73 people took part, compared to an average of roughly 40 at the HCPLC’s previous two stops at the Upper Tampa Bay and Jimmie B. Keel regional libraries. “That was great and nice to see,’’ said

The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative is holding ten “2020 Vision” Open House events at libraries around the county. The third event was held on Feb. 16 at the New Tampa Regional Library on Cross Creek Blvd., where 73 people expressed their “vision” for the local library.

Breidenbaugh, who says he started his career at the New Tampa location when it opened in 1997. “It’s nice to see such involvement from a community that doesn’t really have a center. Maybe the library can be that center.” Although inconclusive at this early stage in the 2020 Vision process, some of the responses at the NTRL open house indicated a desire for the library to partner with museums, schools and neighborhood associations, but not so much with sports teams and restaurants.

Some people wanted the library to start offering yoga, cooking classes and even self-defense classes. Others expressed interest in the library carrying newerrelease DVDs and books. In 2015, the HCPLC hosted 13,452 events and classes in its 29 libraries, ranging from astronomy to computer coding, with 272,463 people participating. “We take the public phase input on this very seriously,’’ Breidenbaugh said. “We were looking for feedback on what we are doing well, what it is we can im-

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prove and generally speaking what people want in their future library.” When the remaining seven open houses have been completed, the HCPLC will solicit questionnaires and surveys through its website and in print, sometime in late March. That will be followed by focus groups in late May or early June of this year. The HCLPC will analyze the raw data and put together a plan by Oct. 1, the start of the county’s new fiscal year. One thing that Breidenbaugh says will be interesting to watch is how the HLPLC balances the technological demands of the patrons who use the library for the internet, and those who prefer it remains a completely silent place for reading books and studying. Customers who have used the library for a long time seem to like the way it is, but the way information is presented today is far different — and far louder, according to Breidenbaugh — than it was 25 years ago. “There are different ideas of what the library should be,’’ Breidenbaugh said. “The picture is not clear to everyone.” By October, the HCPLC hopes the picture will come a little bit more in focus. The New Tampa Regional Library is located at 10001 Cross Creek Blvd. For more information about future open houses and how to take part in the 2020 Vision, visit 2020Vision. hcplc.org.

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New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Pedestrian Killed On Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

A pedestrian died after being hit by a van while crossing Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. near the University of South Florida on February 15. Guy Royster, 50, was walking west across BBD approximately 500 feet south of 138th Ave. at 6:15 a.m. when he failed to see the vehicle being driven by Mynor Osorio-Salguero traveling south in an outside lane. Royster walked in front of OsorioSalguero, 41, who was driving a 2004 Chevrolet van, and died at the scene. Osorio-Salguero provided a voluntary blood sample and alcohol is not suspected in the accident. He was, however, driving without a valid Florida drivers license.

Pasco Human Trafficking Sting Nets 20 Arrests

January was National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) ended the month by staging a two-day sting operation in Wesley Chapel that resulted in 20 arrests for prostitution and drug possession. The PCSO used the Econo Lodge on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel as a staging ground for its sting operation, operating out of a handful of rooms to make a series of arrests. The Econo Lodge gave permission for PCSO to use its location.

News Briefs

“The big issue for us was human trafficking, that’s what they were looking for,’’ said PCSO spokesman Eddie Daniels. “It’s an important, serious issue.” While the sting operation did not find any evidence of human or sex trafficking, it has been a point of emphasis for the Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco’s department. Florida is third in the nation annually in cases of human trafficking (behind California and Texas), and nearby Hillsborough County is second to Orange County (Orlando area) in the state. According to a recent Neighborhood News story about trafficking as well as the PSCO website, there are roughly 300,000 cases of child sex trafficking reported every year, and it is estimated between 500,000 and 2 million people are trafficked annually worldwide, with an estimated 15-18,000 being trafficked into the U.S. each year. The proliferation of social media and websites have helped lead to more trafficking, so the Sheriff’s Office used ads on a website to lure many of those arrested Jan. 29-31 to the Wesley Chapel motel. Among the 20 people arrested, two had Wesley Chapel addresses. The others were from as far away as Nova Scotia, Canada, and Ocala and Spring Hill, FL.

WRH Cross Country Program ‘Wins’ $700 From ‘Wobble’ Wiregrass Wobble Turkey Trot officials recently presented a $700 check to the

From left to right: WRH cross country coach Don Howard, FITniche general manager Brian Brink, Reis Ehman, Anna Moore, Kerry Reilly, Kazuo Doi, Mikhayla Free, Harry Free, Sam Anselmo, Hannah Cooper, Rachel Barber, Brenna Moran, Rotary Club of New Tampa (RCNT) president Lesley Zajac and RCNT secretary Craig DiCecco.

Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH) cross country teams, winners in the newly established team school competition at the yearly event. At the third annual Wiregrass Wobble Turkey Trot 5K, held on Thanksgiving Day at the Shops of Wiregrass mall, the Bulls runners logged the fastest average time of any high school in the boys category (19 minutes, 11 seconds) for the 3.1-mile race. WRH also won with the most number

of participants with 38 runners. For winning both categories, the cross country program, coached by Don Howard, won the $700. The check was presented to Coach Howard and his runners by Rotary Club of New Tampa (RCNT) president Lesley Zajac, RCNT secretary Craig DiCecco and FITniche (the running and fitness store in the mall) general manager Brian Brink, who all helped organize the yearly event. — JCC

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Two Chambers Of Commerce Dueling Over WC Blvd. Extension By John C. Cotey It’s just a 3.5-mile planned stretch of road running from S.R. 56 south to County Line Rd. through the Cypress Creek Center Development of Regional Impact (DRI), which has lots of progress on one side and undeveloped land on the other, but for the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) CEO and the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, (CPCC) the road — an only partially built extension of what is now called (on public street signs) Wesley Chapel (WC) Blvd. — stands for a lot more than just some new pavement. The WCCC and CEO Hope Allen believe the road — like the entire Wesley Chapel area — is a big part of central and eastern Pasco’s future. But, to CPCC Board member Sandy Graves, the road — which she feels should be called something other than WC Blvd. — should serve as a tribute to the area’s past. The two sides are now awaiting a Pasco Board of County Commissioners (BCC) decision that ultimately will decide if the road’s name should be changed or not. Graves, a longtime Land O’Lakes resident, is on the side arguing to have the stillunder-construction southern extension (southbound from S.R. 56) of what is already called Wesley Chapel Blvd. (Note-it also is the only roadway we’ve seen labeled “C.R. {or County Road} 54 South”), renamed “Circle O Ranch Parkway” to more accurately reflect the area through which the remaining three miles of the WC Blvd. extension will run. There already is a portion of that extension that is open to traffic, but it is only a half-mile long and currently mainly provides an alternative entrance to the existing Tampa Premium Outlets (TPO). To that end, Graves and other Land O’Lakes and Lutz residents asked the county to change the name of Wesley Chapel Blvd. and, on Jan. 19, the BCC voted to continue the item to a future date (that had not yet been set at our press time), to allow for consideration of alternative names to Circle O Ranch Pkwy. Allen says she didn’t know anything about the BCC meeting until she got a Google alert two days after the story was posted on the Tampa Tribune website TBO.com. She says she was surprised that she hadn’t heard about the meeting before it happened and that the name change could have been voted on that day. Even developer Bob Sierra said he also was surprised, although he told the Tampa Tribune he did find the time to rush to the meeting. Graves said there was nothing sneaky about the meeting – a public notice was posted in the printed editions of the Tribune and she claims the Land O’Lakes-Lutz plans had been in the news, although she did not elaborate as to what news media may have aired or written a story about the meeting. Besides, she claimed, it was more notice than her community got in 2004 when Wesley Chapel Blvd. sprouted along S.R. 54 “in the middle of the night,” according to Graves. Back then, Graves and people in the Land O’Lakes-Lutz community thought the road was going to be named Worthington Gardens Blvd., but it ended up as Wesley Chapel Blvd. “I don’t know how that happened,’’ Graves says. “We were all very shocked. The county needs to do the right thing this time.” This isn’t the first time Graves has tangled with a Wesley Chapel sign. In 2013, the Florida Department of Transportation put up a green “Wesley Chapel” placemaker (photo on this page) sign a few hundred feet west of where Wesley Chapel Blvd. begins that was clearly on land in Lutz’s 33559 U.S. Postal Service zip 14

The ongoing debate between the Greater Wesley Chapel and Central Pasco Chambers of Commerce has its first new battleground since the “Wesley Chapel” sign that previously marked an area located on property with a Lutz address (right) was taken down. The two chambers are now debating what the southbound extension of Wesley Chapel Blvd. (near the Tampa Premium Outlets, or TPO) should be named. code. Graves fought for eight months until the sign was eventually removed. Both sides will get their chance to make their arguments for and against the WC Blvd. name. At our press time, Pasco BCC chair/ Dist. 3 Comm. Kathryn Starkey was to have met with both sides. Meanwhile, Allen says that the dispute over the roadway, from her perspective, should be less about geographic borders and more about the thriving and ever-expanding number of businesses that are located on and near it. “Our Board of Directors believes that we are entitled to just as much conversation with the county as the other people who have petitioned this,” Allen says. “We have businesses that have a strong interest in (all of) Wesley Chapel Blvd. remaining as it is.” Allen says changing the name of the road could impact the businesses along that corridor by creating an intersection which would then need to include signs for S.R. 56, C.R. 54, S.R. 54, Wesley Chapel Blvd. and whatever new name is chosen for the southern extension. “It is our (the WCCC’s) position that there not be an unnecessary change,” Allen says. “If it is a wanted change that has gone through a process, we will support that. But, we want to make sure the businesses in this area have the chance to voice their opinions, too.” While TPO and businesses now under construction like Costco and Culver’s today have Lutz zip codes, Allen says those businesses were sold as “being in Wesley Chapel” and being on or near Wesley Chapel Blvd. helps them market themselves as such. In fact, she says, most of the marketing and advertising materials of nearby businesses use the name Wesley Chapel Blvd. “Wesley Chapel has a brand, and a name that is appealing to business,’’ Allen says. Graves says Land O’Lakes and Lutz have a brand as well. “It’s about identity, it’s about branding for us, too,’’ Graves says. “It’s about our history and our reality. This is about the county that did something for one area at the expense of another.” The disagreement over Wesley Chapel Blvd. may have re-sparked an even bigger debate over community boundaries. Graves also claims that Wesley Chapel’s boundaries appear to be malleable and based on incorrect census maps, and as a result con-

tinue to encroach on Land O’Lakes and Lutz. “It’s a bigger issue,’’ Graves says. “We have a right to have a brand, too. You can’t create a map for your own agenda and expect people to say, ‘Okay, I’ll give all that up’” As an example, much of the burgeoning development in the S.R. 56 corridor is credited as being located in Wesley Chapel even though all of the property located west of I-75 on both sides of S.R. 56 have Lutz addresses, meaning they have Lutz’s 33559 zip code.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 5 • February 26, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Pasco officials have said the BCC will address the boundaries prior to considering a name change for Wesley Chapel Blvd. Both chambers recently got to re-present their respective “vision plans” for the boundaries for Wesley Chapel and Lutz to members of the county staff, which will then make a recommendation to the BCC. The Board is expected to vote on the boundaries at a regularly scheduled meeting in April. We will keep you posted.

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Dr. Bonnie Clark Named New Provost At Porter Campus Of PHSC By Celeste McLaughlin

A 17-year veteran of Pasco Hernando State College (PHSC), Bonnie Clark, Ed.D., M.S., has been named vice president of distance education/provost, Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch. The campus, located adjacent to Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH) on Mansfield Blvd., a few miles north of New Tampa, opened just two years ago and is experiencing rapid growth. Before replacing the Porter Campus’ original Provost, Dr. Stanley Giannet, Ph.D. (see story on next page), last month, Dr. Clark was VP of Instruction and Provost of PHSC’s West campus, located in New Port Richey. Her many years at the school have included roles in both the student services side of PHSC’s operations (such as registration, advising and financial aid), as well as the academic side. Dr. Clark earned her Doctor of Education degree in College Leadership in 2013 from the University of South Florida in Tampa. She also holds a Master of Science degree in Counseling Psychology, which she received in 1992 from Gannon University in Erie, PA, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Mercyhurst College, also in Erie, which she earned in 1984. She says she enjoyed her undergraduate experience so much that she wanted to work for Mercyhurst College after she graduated. “I love this atmosphere,” she recalls thinking, as she began her lifelong career in higher education. “Every job I’ve done has prepared me

for the next one, and I’ve loved all my jobs,” Dr. Clark says. “But, my favorite role was opening the Spring Hill campus of PHSC. Like Dr. Giannet did here at the Porter campus, I got the phenomenal opportunity to hire staff and really create a culture. Because the entire staff was starting something new, we really had the feeling of being tight-knit and ‘all in this together,’” she recalls. Clark says because the Porter Campus is so new, she senses a similar culture here. “I’ve only been here a couple of week,” she said at our press time, “but everyone has been so welcoming, and the people I’m meeting with seem very dedicated, and I’m pleased with their work.” As far as working at the Porter campus is concerned, she says, “It’s larger than the one I came from, and we’re growing by leaps and bounds. So, the challenges here are things like being sure we have enough classroom space and Dr. Bonnie Clark is the new VP of Distance Education/ enough courses for our students.” Provost of the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch of Pasco Hernando State College, located off S.R. 56. She adds, “The student has to be the most important person Clark says PHSC has a high percenthere at PHSC,” explaining that without the age of 18-20 year olds, with many students students, there’s no need for the school to coming from Wesley Chapel, Lutz, Zephyexist. After the students, the faculty memrhills, Land O’Lakes, and North Tampa (inbers are the ones who see the students every cluding New Tampa). She says because the day and need to be supported, so Dr. Clark campus is so easy to get to from I-75 and must be sure that all faculty members have S.R. 54, it may draw students away from what they need to do their jobs. other campuses that aren’t as accessible.

She notes that about half the students at the campus are working toward an Associate of Arts degree, while others are working toward certificate programs such as nursing. PHSC’s Porter Campus offers both Registered Nurse (RN) and Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) programs. The campus also currently offers two bachelors degrees, a Bachelor of Applied Sciences (BAS) and Bachelor of Science (BS) in Nursing. PHSC meets the high demand for skilled nurses in the community by offering a fully online program where RNs can complete their BS degree. Dr. Clark says it was through meeting with community leaders that the school realized an online-only program would best suit the needs of the community. “I’m looking forward to meeting more people in the community,” she says, “and getting involved with the Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce and making connections.” She says that even though PHSC went from being a “community college” to a “state college” at about the time the Porter Campus opened, the school’s leadership has been careful to make sure that serving the local community remains a primary focus of activities at the Porter Campus. “Community is in our mission, even though it’s no longer in our name,” Dr. Clark says. The Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch of PHSC is located at 2727 Mansfield Blvd. For more information about all of the degree programs at the school, visit PHSC.edu.

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Saying ‘Good Bye’ (Sort Of) To Former PHSC Provost Dr. Stanley Giannet By Gary Nager

Although we chatted several times since we first met a little less than two years ago, the picture on this page of Dr. Stanley Giannet, Ph.D., the now-former Provost of the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch of Pasco Hernando State College (PHSC), is how I remember him best — with a microphone in his hand, captivating anyone from his 3,000 or so students at the Porter Campus to emceeing the 2014 Wesley Chapel Rotary Spelling Bee, as he actually was in this photo. Thankfully, “Dr. Stan” (as I like to call him) isn’t gone forever or really gone at all — he simply got another job with PHSC. In January, Dr. Giannet assumed the role of Vice President of Academic Affairs & Faculty Development/College Provost for all of PHSC. In that new, “global” role, he says, “I am now overseeing curriculum and every element relevant to the academic programs at PHSC. “All of our campus provosts now report to and interface with me.” The good-bye part has to do with the fact Dr. Stan is now based at PHSC’s West Campus in New Port Richey. “But, I’ll have districtwide responsibilities, so I’m still involved in the academic programs and running all of the activities for all five PHSC campuses.” Even so, he admits, “The Porter Campus and the Wesley Chapel community are very dear and important to

me. We’ve done phenomenal things together and I’m proud to say that I know Dr. (Bonnie) Clark (see previous page) — whom I’ve worked with before (at PHSC’s North Campus in Brooksville) — will make sure that the Porter Campus continues to thrive.” He notes that Dr. Clark’s ascension Former PHSC Porter to VP of Distance Campus Provost Education for all Dr. Stanley Giannet. PHSC online programs now gives the school, “A true online division. I really look forward to working with her in her new role. It’s a wonderful opportunity for all of PHSC to grow.” Although it’s hard to not give Dr. Giannet a lot of the credit for the success of the Porter Campus, the former Honorary Mayor of Wesley Chapel and “Business Leader of the Year” for the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce says that. “The team I’ve been fortunate to assemble is what has made {the campus} such a successful place. The team makes this beautiful campus — which is an architectural marvel — come to life. I will miss the team and, of course, the students.” He adds that he wants to express, “my

deepest gratitude to the Wesley Chapel community for the warm reception they’ve provided me and for the level of dynamism of this community.” The always-sharply-dressed and eloquent Dr. Giannet says that, the growth of the local business community will benefit not only the Wesley Chapel area itself but also the Porter Campus. “And, we know we will continue to grow and work hard to continue serving the needs of the business community in Wesley Chapel,” he says.

Hitting Some Highlights

Although he says he knew the Porter Campus — which graduated its first fouryear degree student last semester — would

be a success, Dr. Giannet was proud to have been part of the nearly doubling of the student population in two short years. “The Porter Campus had 3,000 students as of the last (Fall of 2015) semester,” he says. “We were happy to open with 1,800 students when we opened for the Spring 2014 semester.” Dr. Stan also says that PHSC’s Porter Campus still has two more phases of potential future expansion planned and room for that growth adjacent to the existing building. He notes that as he leaves the Wesley Chapel-based campus, “We have classes with very few gaps and very few spaces for more students, although the campus is not maxed out...at least not yet.”

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Five Hotels, Another Movie Theater & NTBH Expansion Coming To WC By John C. Cotey Where there is room to grow, there appears to be rooms growing, as the areas around the Tampa Premium Outlets, the Shops of Wiregrass mall, Florida’s soon-tobe-largest ice skating facility, a potential indoor sports facility and a host of other new retail projects is helping spur the growth of hotels and much-needed hotel rooms along S.R. 56 in the Wesley Chapel area. “We have five hotels moving through the permitting process,’’ Ed Caum, Pasco’s tourism manager said at our press time. Impact Properties is the latest looking to grab some of the expected hospitality dollars, with plans to build a six-story, 130room Hyatt Place-Wesley Chapel in the Cypress Creek Town Center Development of Regional Impact (DRI) on the west corner of S.R. 56 and Wesley Chapel Blvd., located at the east end of Sierra Center Rd. According to its website, Impact’s properties include the 255-room Westin Tampa Bay on the Courtney Campbell Causeway and the Castillo Real Resort in St. Augustine, FL, as well as the Cypress Ridge Professional Center on Cypress Ridge Blvd. in Wesley Chapel. The only hotel currently serving the S.R. 56 corridor is the Hampton Inn & Suites Tampa-Wesley Chapel off S.R. 56 (next to the under-construction Florida Hospital Center Ice {FHCI} facility), which has 94 guest rooms. Overall, the county’s hotel occupancy rate is around 70 percent, said Caum. “If we’re at 75 percent capacity, new development will happen,’’ he said. “That’s why we’re seeing the development.” Caum said the average daily rate of a hotel room in Pasco County in December was $82.79, an increase from last year’s average of $78.29. In 2015, Pasco County reached a new “Bed Tax” high, collecting $968,263 between October 1, 2014 and September 31, 2015. Here are the hotels on the way on and near S.R. 56: • Brightwork Real Estate is planning to build a 100-room hotel at the northwest corner of S.R. 54 and Wesley Chapel Blvd. in Land O’Lakes, across from the Tampa Premium Outlets. • A Holiday Inn Express & Suites will be built just east of I-75, west and south of the Florida Hospital Center Ice (FHCI) that is planned to open later this year. The

Holiday Inn will have 80 rooms. • A Hilton Garden Inn has been proposed for S.R. 56 and Silver Maple Pkwy. in the Wiregrass Ranch DRI, west of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. The Hilton will be six stories tall and will have 125 rooms. • A 92-room Fairfield Inn & Suites is expected to complement the potential indoor sports complex in the Wiregrass Ranch DRI, which we’ve reported about several times over the last year or so. Caum said the Urban Land Institute, a 501(c) (3) nonprofit research and education organization that focuses on land use and real estate development, issued a report two years ago saying that Pasco would experience an annual growth in hotel rooms of about 75 a year through 2020. “And, we are bearing that out,’’ Caum says. The reason for the growth is due in part, Caum says, to the county’s waiving of transportation fees for builders, saving them up to $100,000. “The incentive is definitely working,’’ he says.

Movie Theater To Be Part Of Wiregrass Mall Expansion

The Grove in Wesley Chapel has a movie theater, as does New Tampa. Now, in between those two established theaters, a new multiplex is expected to be part of the next phase of development at the Shops of Wiregrass mall. A 1,035-seat cinema is being planned by Cleveland-based developer Forest City Enterprises as part of a residential and commercial project to be located just east of the existing mall. Forest City is currently seeking permitting for the movie theater project, which does not yet have a name. The 39,000-sq.-ft. theater will be on the west side of the new development along S.R. 56, which will also include 249 upscale apartments, four restaurants ranging in size from 4,200 sq. ft. to 12,000 sq. ft, a specialty grocery store (one of four coming to our area we told you about in our last issue), as well as other yet-unnamed retail stores.

housing 48 additional beds by the end of this year, CEO Jameson Norton told members of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) at an Economic Development Council briefing on Jan. 28. Florida ranks 49th in the U.S. in per capita mental health services expenditures, Norton said. The $9-$10-million expansion (which will increase NTBH’s site from its current 53,000-sq.-ft. to 80,000) will bring the total number of beds at NTBH to 123, and is expected to bring approximately 50 new jobs to the area. Norton, who became CEO of NTBH in June of Jameson Norton, the CEO of North Tampa Behavioral Health, 2015, said his adults-only discusses the facility’s expansion plans at the Jan. 28 Wesley Chapel facility, which is the only one Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Council meeting. be earmarked for treatment of veterans. in eastern Pasco that accepts “There’s a lot of need in the veterans Baker Act patients (who are either emergency room or involuntarily admitted for community,’’ said Norton, himself a retired psychiatric evaluation) and the only one in U.S. Marine Captain. The groundbreaking for the new wing all of Pasco accepting Marchman Act patients (which allows for the involuntary or volun- will be March 1, with an expected completary assessment and stabilization of a person tion date of December 30 of this year, Norallegedly abusing substances like drugs or al- ton said. For more information about North cohol), is growing to meet that need and also is planning to expand its services for military Tampa Behavioral Health (29910 S.R. 56), visit NorthTampaBehavioralHealth. veterans. Many of the new rooms at NTBH will com or call (877) 297-2192.

North Tampa Beahvioral Health Also Expanding

With an increasing demand for psychiatric care in eastern Pasco County, Acadia Healthcare’s North Tampa Behavorial Health (NTBH) on S.R. 56, less than two miles east of the Shops of Wiregrass mall, is expanding and will add a two-story unit

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Thursday - March 3 - 7:30 AM

Christian Business Connections (CBC) - The Christian Business Connections (CBC) networking group meets every Thur. at 7:30 a.m. at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church (5338 Primrose Lake Cir., off Commerce Park Blvd. in Tampa Palms). For more info, email Shawn@TPACorp.com.

Knights of Columbus Fish Fry - Every Friday during Lent (now through March 18), the Knights of Columbus Fish Fry is open to the public at St. Mark the EvanThursday - March 3 - 7:00 PM gelist Church, 9724 Cross Creek Blvd. Dinner cost $7-$11 for adults and $5-$8 for Celebrate Recovery Bridgeway Church - Thursday nights at 7 p.m. at Bridgekids. For info, call 813-907-7746. way Church (30660 Wells Rd.). The purpose of Celebrate Recovery is to bring freedom from dysfunctional, compulsive, and addictive behaviors Saturday - February 27 - 7:30 AM through biblically-based principles that lead to God’s healing power. Dinner New Tampa Tri Club - The New Tampa Tri Club is open to runners, swimmers, cyclists & triathletes across the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area. The club hosts available and free childcare. More info: 907-1313. group bike rides/runs leaving from Flatwoods Wilderness Park (13330 Morris Friday - March 4 - 7:15 AM Bridge Rd.; not from the BBD entrance) every Tues., Thur. & Sat., 7:30 a.m. For New Tampa Rotary Club - The original New Tampa Rotary Club meets every more info, join the Facebook group or e-mail NewTampaTriClub@gmail.com. Friday for breakfast at 7 a.m. at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club (TPGCC, 5811 Tampa Palms Blvd.). For more information, contact Kim Payne at Sunday - February 28 - 10:00 AM 388-6299 or visit NewTampaRotary.org. Zen Meditation Group - looking for a new way to relax? Check out the FREE Zen Meditation Group that meets Sundays at 10 a.m. People of all faiths are Friday - March 4 - 9:30 AM - Noon NAMI: Mental Health Support Group - NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illwelcome. For info, visit www.mindfulnessangha.com or contact Parker ness) of Pasco has a new support group for adults in Pasco County living with at 813-382-2216 or mindfulnessmeditation@verizon.net. a mental illness and in recovery. The “Connections” group meets the 2nd & 4th Friday of each month from 2-3 p.m. at Atonement Lutheran Church (29617 S.R. 54). For info, visit NAMIPasco.com.

MARCH 2016 Tuesday - March 1 - 7:30 AM

Friday - March 4 - 11:30 AM

Women-n-Charge - Join the vibrant ladies of Women-n-Charge on Friday, March 4th from 11:30am-1:15pm at Pebble Creek Country Club (10550 Regents Park Dr.). Includes lunch, a feature speaker, and time to network. We share our talents, build relationships, and share our resources with other women in business. The cost is $15 for members and $18 for all guests. Please register at www.women-n-charge.com. For more information, please contact Judy at 813-600-9848 or admin@women-n-charge.com. Our feature speaker for March is Tuesday - March 1 - 9:30 AM English As A Second Language (ESL) - The ESL group meets Tuesdays at Tam- Pat Rogers, an advocate for fighting hunger in Tampa Bay. pa Bay Presbyterian Church (19911 BBD Blvd.), 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Classes Saturday - March 5 - 6:30 PM are taught by a native English The cost is $40 each semester for the workbook & Somebody’s Daughter Gala - Healing Root Ministry hosts this event to raise class materials. For more info, call Heather at 753-8567. money for relief for victims of human trafficking. It will be held at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) on E. Fowler Ave. in Tampa. Tickets are $75 and Tuesday - March 1 - 6:30 PM include dinner, dancing and a keynote address delivered by Corporal Alan Wilkett GriefShare Support Group - This video-seminar support group is for anyone from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. For more information or to register, who is grieving the death of a loved one. The cost is $20 for a workbook & 13 visit HealingRootMinistry.com. sessions (but you may begin any week) to find healing & hope. The group meets Tues., 6:30 p.m., at Lake Magdalene Methodist Church (2902 W. Fletcher Ave., Monday - March 7 - 6:30 PM GFWC New Tampa Junior Woman’s Club - The GFWC New Tampa Junior Rm. 310). For more information, call 892-2191. Business Networking International (BNI) - A BNI group meets at 7:30 a.m. at Hunter’s Green Country Club (18101 Longwater Run Dr.) to help business owners generate more referrals, income and grow their businesses in the Wesley Chapel area. For info, call Bill Sullivan at 994-1143.

Wednesday - March 2 - 7:15 AM

BNI Millionaire Makers - The BNI Millionaire Makers chapter meets every Wednesday at Heritage Isles Country Club (10630 Plantation Bay Dr.) at 7:15 a.m. The $13 meeting fee includes a hot breakfast. Call Lisa Jordan at 621-6015 for info.

Wednesday - March 2 - 7:30 AM

Business Networking International (BNI) - BNI, a group of business pros dedicated to helping their member businesses grow through qualified referrals, meets every Wed. morning, 7:30 a.m., at the Cory Lake Isles Beach Club clubhouse (18630 Plantation Bay Dr., off Morris Bridge Rd.). Call Steve Hopper at 918-8609.

Wednesday - March 2 - 12:00 PM

New Tampa Noon Rotary Club - The New Tampa Noon Rotary Club meets every Wed. for lunch at noon at Café Olé (10020 Cross Creek Blvd., in the Cross Creek Center plaza, behind the Shell gas station). Guests are always welcome. 20

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Woman’s Club meets the second Monday of every month at the New Tampa YMCA at 16221 Compton Drive. For more information, email pr@gfwcnewtampajuniors.org or visit the website at gfwcnewtampajuniors.com.

Tuesday - March 8 - 6 PM

New Tampa Rotary - First Foundation Dinner will include presentation of numerous Paul Harris Fellows, One Special Community Paul Harris Fellow and guest speakers, DG Will Miller and District Foundation Chair Carl Treleaven. Happy Hour starts at 6 p.m. and dinner is at 7. It will be held at Hunter’s Green Country Club. Cost: $35.00 per person. Register on dacdb.com.

Friday - March 11 - 6:30 PM-8 PM

Meet Natalie Redding - Natalie Redding of Namaste Farms, The Redding Method of dyeing fiber, and the National Geographic program “Shear Maddness” invites you to a free Meet & Greet on March 11 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at Hyundai of Wesley Chapel. As a shepherdess, Natalie is well known and has credentials in animal husbandry sciences. As an artist,, she is respected as an innovator in dyeing protein fibers and spinning. Look for her on Facebook or Namastefarms. com. For more information, e-mail Elizabeth Graves, Ligra51@msn.com.

If your organization is sponsoring an event that is open to the general public — whether it’s free to attend or not — please submit your info (with photos in any digital format) at least 3-4 weeks in advance to:

EditorialDept@NTNeighborhoodNews.com. It will appear in these pages & be eligible to be mentioned on our social media for free.

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Local Medi-Weightloss Clinic Celebrates 10 Years Of Helping People Get Healthy By Celeste McLaughlin

On April 1, the Medi-Weightloss Clinics on S.R. 54 in Lutz (just two miles west of S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel), will celebrate 10 years of helping people in Wesley Chapel, Lutz, New Tampa and the surrounding areas lose unwanted weight. In those 10 years, the clinic has helped patients lose about 40,000 pounds. “I love the business and am very proud of what we do,” says Gerri Willett, who co-owns this location of MediWeightloss Clinics with her husband, Tom. “Losing weight is difficult, so we do everything we can to help our patients.” Willett explains, “When people come in, they are often nervous. We’ve had people in tears.” She adds that these new patients are often caught in a “negative circle. They’ve tried so many things, and they beat themselves up for not succeeding. Then, they’re depressed, so they eat more.” She also says that Medi-Weightloss helps them to get into a more positive circle: “They lose weight, they feel better, they’re motivated to continue to lose weight,” Willett says. “They change their attitude, and they lose more weight.” The hallways throughout the local Medi-Weightloss are lined with “all stars” who have done just that and are proud to display their results. One wall in particular allows all patients to show how many pounds they’ve lost, and how that translates to the number of years they’ve added to their lives.

“For every 10 pounds a patient loses, that adds about one and a half years to their life.,” Willett says. “If a patient loses 100 pounds, they can expect to live 15 years longer.” She adds that the physicians at the Medi-Weightloss Clinics corporate office keep up on all of the latest research to back up these claims. One of the things that sets MediWeightloss Clinics apart is that it is a physician-supervised program. The staff includes two physicians who meet with patients, review every chart and customize each program to the unique needs of each individual who participates in the program. Howard Riker, D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine), is a retired U.S. Air Force family medicine physician who earned his D.O. degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Before coming to Medi-Weightloss in 2008, Dr. Riker was the Chief of Medical Staff at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa for six years. Ian Matheson, M.D., is a retired plastic surgeon who also works at the Lutz/ Wesley Chapel location. Dr. Matheson earned both his M.D. and C.M. (Master of Surgery) degrees from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. Dr. Matheson also is Board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Three Phases For Success

“We’re the only program on a national basis that offers three phases,”

Wesley Chapel resident John Dellanini has lost 78.8 pounds with the help of the Lutz/Wesley Chapel office of Medi-Weightloss Clinics on S.R. 54, located a few minutes from New Tampa. says Dr. Riker, explaining that the phases faster. The diet is supplemented with include an “acute weight loss phase,” a multi-vitamins, Omega-3 and calcium. brief “transition phase” and a “long-term Patients also receive weekly vitamin-based wellness phase.” injections to help with energy levels and The first phase is kicked off with a cravings. Appropriately portioned food physical exam, bloodwork, electrocardiois available for purchase, but is not a gram (EKG), and consultation with the required part of the program. doctor, who determines the appropriate Willett says key components of the diet for each individual that will be lowMedi-Weightloss system include support calorie, and designed to put your body through weekly appointments, accountinto “ketosis,” a state where it burns fat ability through journaling, eating healthy

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and having the right attitude. And, Dr. Riker adds, education is key. “We teach people to eat the right foods, in the right portions, at the right time, plus drink fluids and exercise.” The lessons begin at that first appointment, where patients receive tools to help them be successful, including a food scale. “We ask our patients to weigh everything they eat,” Willett says. “This helps them become educated so that, by the end of the program, they’ll see a plate of food and know how many calories it has.” Patients also receive a food journal that is checked at each weekly appointment. “Sometimes, you think you do things that you actually aren’t,” Willet says. “For example, how much water do you really drink? A food journal helps you see what is actually happening.” Patients also are given a binder with information about healthy eating, including what to order at many popular restaurants. “You can eat healthy anywhere, even McDonald’s, if you’re making the right choices,” Willett says. After the first visit, weekly appointments last 15-20 minutes. Patients are weighed on an advanced scale that determines how much of the weight they lost was fat and how much was water. They receive support, counseling, education and a vitamin injection. Patients remain in this “acute weight loss phase” until they reach their goal weight. Phase two is a brief time of transition, where doctors continue to monitor progress weekly, while introducing carbohydrates back into the diet and reducing some supplements.

New mom Nicolena Creese says she gained 80 pounds during her pregnancy, but has lost 50 in 16 weeks on the Medi Weightloss plan while developing better eating habits.

Dr. Riker says that phase three, the long-term maintenance phase, “is what sets us apart from our competitors. It’s also the most critical.” He explains that other programs let you go when you’ve reached your goal weight, even though statistics show that 80-85 percent of people who get to their goal weight on any program will gain the weight back within a year. “But, we cut that (statistic) in half,” he says. “On other programs, most people stay on maintenance for a couple of months. Generally, at that point, they start to deviate.” But, with Medi-Weightloss, patients

continue coming to the clinic monthly for at least six months, so the staff notices if they begin to slip back into old, bad habits. And, the clinic’s doctors can make quick changes to help the patient. “We can put them on our in-house supplement, called Stay Slim, to help control their appetite,” says Dr. Riker. “The patients who receive this help usually do well, because they see how easy it is to get back on track,” he adds. “If they weren’t (still) in our program, we would’ve lost them. But, once you’re a Medi patient, you’re always a Medi patient.” Willett concurs. “Even after patients

have completed all three phases of our program, we encourage them to pop back in whenever it’s needed,” she says. “Don’t feel guilty! Life happens, and it’s not perfect.” She adds, “We want you to be successful. That’s why we’re successful.” Nicolena Creese is one such patient who has experienced success with MediWeightloss. The new mom says she never really struggled with her weight before having kids, but had gained 80 pounds with her last pregnancy. She decided to try Medi-Weightloss, beginning last September, but felt like the program would probably end in yet another disappointment. Instead, Creese says, “It worked! It’s really simple, because they teach you how to eat the right way and made it easy. I use their recipes and buy all my own food at the grocery store. I’ve learned over time what to eat and am integrating good eating habits into my life.” She says she has lost 50 pounds in 16 weeks. With 82 locations throughout 24 states, Medi-Weightloss Clinics is headquartered in Tampa. The close proximity of the headquarters gives the Lutz office staff great access to the many resources available at the company’s headquarters, including training and experts, such as a bariatric physician and corporate dietitian. Visit the Lutz/Wesley Chapel Medi-Weightloss Clinic at 24420 S.R. 54. It is open five days a week: Mon. & Wed., 7 a.m.–4 p.m.; 9 a.m.–6 p.m. on Tues.; 9 a.m.–7 p.m. on Thur.; and 10 a.m.–1 p.m. on Fri. For more information, see the ad on pg. 51, call 909-1700 or visit www.MediWeightlossClinics.com/Locations/Lutz.

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Olympus Pools Wants To Help You Build The Pool Of Your Dreams By Andy Warrener

There are so many things to consider when installing a new swimming pool. From the size to the shape and from the color to the texture, it’s important to have someone who will both listen to and embrace your ideas about the pool of your dreams, as well as have the knowledge and experience to deliver it. Owners James and Alexis Staten have installed pools in neighborhoods all around the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area, including Estancia, Grand Hampton, K-Bar Ranch, Live Oak Preserve, Meadow Pointe and Seven Oaks to name just a few. And, while the company takes on projects all over the Tampa Bay area, the Statens says that more than half of their business is done right here in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area. James and Alexis, as well as Olympus Pools’ construction manager, scheduler, general manager and field representatives have more than 200 combined years of experience. “All of our heads together mean a lot of experience and knowledge on your side when you build a pool with us,” James says. That experience makes for first-rate customer service and an attention to detail that sets Olympus Pools apart from its competitors. “I called at least a half dozen

companies to bid on our pool project and James was the first to respond and the first to personally meet with me,” customer Dave Hoversten says. “Not only did he know every aspect of pool building, he also was extremely professional and very open to my ideas and also was very helpful in making crucial recommendations that ultimately added to the success of the project.” Transferring the customer’s vision

into a living, breathing swimming pool can be like a dream come true, James says. Every pool owner wants to have that, “Ahhh” feeling when they step out onto their patio and Olympus Pools specializes in delivering just that. The company’s designs are both practical and visionary. The process begins with an introductory appointment where typically James will come to the customer’s house

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 5 • February 26, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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to discuss their options. It gives James the opportunity to see the available space and how best to fill it within the customer’s budget. “We have a very small and unique space in our backyard to say the least,” customer Eric Wingard says. “We had several pool builders draw a design and price a pool for us, but nothing seemed to fit. But, Olympus was able to take our space constraints and create a fantastic pool design that is now the envy of my neighborhood.” The next step is for the customer to begin selecting from the plethora of design options. James notes that many Olympus customers will end up coming into the company’s design center showroom off MLK Jr. Blvd., a few blocks west of Raymond James Stadium, where customers get to look at their pool design on a 60-inch LED screen. From there, all of the little details are filled in. Following the original design proposal, customers select all of the finishing touches for their pool. “The customer gets to see and touch every product before they buy it,” James says. Whether it’s something as broad as the color of the tile around the pool or as intricate as what type of faucet to use in the outdoor kitchen, Olympus Pools brings each customer’s vision into reality before construction begins.

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“We do our best to make sure projects get done quicker,” Staten said. “We’ll notice a pool down the street that’s half way finished (when we’re just starting) and we’ll often finish before that one gets done.” Olympus accomplishes this with aggressive scheduling and by owning a lot of its own equipment, equipment many pool companies have to subcontract out, which will drive up the cost for the customer. “We’re able to offset some of our costs because we own our own dump truck, our own Bobcat,” James says. “We’re able to do a lot of those things in-house.” Another way Olympus Pools keeps costs down for its customers is that the “They had put our ideas together in a 3D presentation that visually showed us how the pool, spa and deck would look in our backyard,” customer Antonio Chavez says. “We appreciated how James collaborated with us as a true professional to finalize the details, materials and total cost of the project.” There’s an aspect of pride when a company takes a customized approach to pool installation in a community where they are deeply invested. The Statens, who live in New Tampa and send their children to Turner Elementary and the Bartels K-8 School in Live Oak Preserve, enjoy the variety of projects they get to undertake. “With Olympus Pools, there’s no

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menu of pools to choose from,” James says. “We’ve done over a thousand pools and you won’t find two of them that are the same. It’s exciting for us that every project is at least a little bit different.” He adds, “If it’s not something we’d accept at our house, it’s not something we’d accept putting in at a customer’s house.”

Staying On Time... And On Budget

Timely completion of the project is a vital and sometimes overlooked aspect of pool construction. Olympus Pools won’t sacrifice quality for speed, but everyone at the company works hard to make sure each project stays on schedule.

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company mainly relies on the most tried, tested and inexpensive form of marketing — word of mouth. Indeed, James says that referrals are usually the most effective and cost-efficient way to get the word out. “If we didn’t have referrals, we wouldn’t do a third of the work we do,” Staten said. “Our bread and butter still lies in referrals.” Olympus Pools, located at 4422 N. Lauber Way in Tampa, is running a promotion through March 1, where anyone building a new pool with Olympus can receive a pool heater for half-price. For more information, visit OlympusPoolsFl.com, see the ad on pg. 41 or call 983-7854.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 5 • February 26, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Children’s Dentistry & Dr. Greg Stepanski Keep New Tampa Kids Smiling! By John C. Cotey

The image is still seared in the minds of many who grew up a generation ago: The dentist, seemingly 10-feet tall in a white lab coat, white mask over his mouth, ominously standing over you, his hand clutching some archaic metal tool with sharp tips, spinning drills and rotating saws, cackling as he moves in to take care of your teeth. This scene, most noticeably from the “Little Shop of Horrors” but perpetuated as a stereotype over the years, is Dr. Greg Stepanski (center) and his friendly, professional staff at Children’s Dentistry on Cross Creek Blvd. will keep your kids smiling, too. laughable nowadays. Walk into Children’s Dentistry in “It’s fun here,’’ says Nicole Trailer, strong, those first few moments a child – and in some cases, a parent -- steps foot the Cory Lake Professional Center on one of Children’s Dentistry’s ambassaCross Creek Blvd., and you are greeted dors, and she should know. Long before in the office may be most important of by comfort, warmth and smiling faces. she joined Stepanski’s practice as market- all. Patients and children are greeted by Children are given choices, like a daily ing director in 2014, she was his patient over 100 years of combined experience. game at the front desk that usually infor more than a decade. Melanie Phillips, the office manager, has volves guessing, say, the weight of a In fact, Nicole says, it’s usually the pumpkin, and there are video games and parents who are nervous, when they re- been with Children’s Dentistry going toys and The Disney Channel awaitcall their own visits to the family dentist back 28 years, when Dr. Stepanski purchased an existing pediatric dentist office ing every child. The affable Dr. Greg decades ago. on E. Fowler Ave., “he got me as part of Stepanski, who earned his Doctor of “This wasn’t always the experithe deal,” she jokes. Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from the ence,’’ Nicole says. “Nervous parents Twenty five years later, including Ohio State University College of Denremember back in the day when it was the last 13 at the Cross Creek Blvd. tistry in Columbus, and also has a B.S. this terrifying experience. But today’s location, Melanie runs an office of dental degree in Biology from the University of kids, they don’t know anything about veterans. Shannon Carithers has been Notre Dame in South Bend, IN, puncthat.” with Children’s Dentistry 25 years, one tuates every visit with professional and Familiarity, in this case, breeds expert care wrapped around a boisterous excellent customer service. While dental more than Brenda Cromwell, and Erica Resendez has worked with Dr. Stepanski laugh and calming nature. care is about keeping teeth healthy and

for 17 years. Meanwhile, other Children’s Dentistry staffers, like Maria, and Becky, are relatively new but another generation of happy smiling faces you’ll meet at the office of “Dr. Greg.” “It’s like family here,’’ Melanie says. “Some of our patients have been coming to us since they were 2 and through the age of 21, and now we are actually seeing their kids. They really like the comfortable and happy environment we work to create.” Lenore Mumaw has been taking her three children to Dr. Stepanski since he was on Fowler Ave. She jokes that Dr. Stepanski and his staff know her middle son, Corey “quite well.” During his first basketball game in seventh grade, Corey’s front tooth was knocked out. Dr. Stepanski met the Mumaws in his office that night after the game, around 9 p.m., and managed to save the tooth. “He still checks on that tooth,” Lenore says. “It has gone through a lot.’’ Dr. Stepanski is easy going and funny, and during a tour of his office he quips about the signed Elliot Johnson Tampa Bay Rays baseball jersey on his wall (“I think he got traded the week after I got that.”), points out a signed Prince tennis racquet (whose strings have been wrecked by his kids hitting a football with it) signed by former women’s

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professional tour player (and Wesley Chapel resident) Jennifer Capriati and jokes that he and his staff may need to seek treatment at Disney Channel Anonymous. The office has a pristine salt water tank, always a hit with the kids, with water so clear it looks clean enough to drink (the secret, he says, is trading out the artificial corals on a regular basis). And if that’s not enough to entertain, there’s always the woolly mammoth baby tooth he keeps on display. Dr. Greg, as many of his young patients call him, explains every step of the process to the parents. He uses digital x-rays, which he switched to in 2002, because it offers lower doses of radiation. Children’s Dentistry has an in-house laboratory, “so when you order a custom appliance, you know it fill it because we make it here,” he says. And, he treats children as children, not small adults, a touch many parents appreciate. “I guess we just try to treat people and families how we would want to be treated,’’ Dr. Stepanski says. It‘s difficult to imagine Dr. Stepanski not treating children. It’s a calling he discovered when he started seeing children at the Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital during one his residencies at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH, and having grown up with a brother with Downs syndrome, Stepanski had a built-in touch with treat-

ing people with special needs or requirements. “It just clicked,’’ he said. While studying in Ohio, he met drama student Bob Miller, and the two became fast friends. Miller runs a business that specializes in characters for events and business. For Children’s Dentistry, Miller flies down from Ohio every February during Dental Health Month, and he visits local schools as Tommy the Toothbrush, a character who stresses good dental hygiene. Dr. Stepanski, an avid fisherman, runner and biker, remembers one time when he joined Tommy at a school in Ohio, and young kids got a little out of control and rushed the big blue toothbrush. “He looked at me and yelled ‘Run!’”, Stepanski says, his laugh filling the office. Tommy the Toothbrush is part of Stepanski’s outreach into the community. Recently, Tommy spoke to the kindergarten classes at Dr. Richard F. Pride Elementary, deftly keeping the children engaged while singing songs about brushing and flossing. Every student received a gift bag from Children’s Dentistry. Dr. Stepanski is a charter member and past president of the New Tampa Noon Rotary Club, which he was once president of, and is an active church member and fundraiser for Corpus Christi Catholic School in Temple Terrace, where his wife Sue has taught kindergarten for 15 years.

Tommy the Toothbrush helps spread Dr. Stepanski’s message about healthy dental habits at a variety of events throughout the year.

The couple’s three children – Maura, Mike and Brian – all graduated from Tampa Catholic High. Maura spent time in Afghanistan and is a Bronze Star recipient with the U.S. Army, and the helping the military is one of Stepanski’s favorite causes. Even the most scarred parent would have an almost-impossible time imagining Dr. Greg as that towering, ominous dentist from their childhood, standing over their child with metal tools and

spinning drills. “I couldn’t have handpicked a friendlier, more kid-friendly pediatric dentist office,” Lenore says. “No matter when we go in there everyone is in a great mood.” For appointments and more information about Children’s Dentistry (10317-B Cross Creek Blvd.), call 973-3100, see the ad on page 30 of this issue or visit DrGreg-ChildrensDentistry.com. Most major dental insurance plans are accepted.

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This Tax Season, Try Murtha & Murtha Certified Public Accountants! By Anu Varma Panchal

For most people, the date April 15 inspires anything from panic to dread at the thought of confusing forms to fill out and possible huge sums to dole out. But, for Tom Murtha, CPA, MBA this is the best time of the year. He gets to do what he loves: dig deep into complicated tax codes and laws to obtain the biggest possible refunds, catch up with old clients who have since become friends, and welcome new clients to the boutique family accounting firm he owns with his son, Patrick. Tom and Patrick are the partners and owners of full-service accounting firm, Murtha & Murtha Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), located minutes from New Tampa in the Seven Oaks Professional Park off S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel. Patrick and Tom Murtha of Murtha & Murtha Certified Public Accountants in nearby Wesley Thomas E. Murtha earned his B.S. Chapel can help you maximize your refund this year. degree in Management from Long Island nifer, who is the firm’s office manager University in Brookville, NY, in 1976, and eventually also bought into — Flischel, — at least until the impending birth of Murtha & Associates. When Tom passed his MBA (Master of Business Adminthe couple’s second baby, who will be the his Florida CPA test in 2000, he says it istration) degree in Accounting from little brother or sister to Patrick Thomas was with the fourth highest score in the St. John’s University in Queens, NY, in 1981. While he was working on his MBA, state. He’s also taught accounting courses Murtha, Jr., who is now one year old. The Murthas had an office in downat both Hillsborough Community College Tom also worked as assistant controller in town Tampa before opening their current the non-bank financial segment of a major in Tampa and the American Institute of Seven Oaks location in 2013, where they Banking in New York City. New York City bank. (and CPA Kyle Flischel) have been seeing A 2009 University of South Florida He moved to Tampa in 1987 (Patrick a steadily growing list of clients. was born a year later) and opened Accutax grad, Patrick, 27, grew up around his “We’ve grown considerably,” says father’s business, cementing the fatherServices, Inc., a non-CPA public accountTom. “We had a really good tax season son professional connection with degrees ing business. He sold this firm in 2010, last year, and we’re looking at another in both Accounting and Finance. Patrick but in the interim joined another CPA good one this year. I love tax season. I see lives in Wesley Chapel with his wife, Jenfirm in Englewood, FL, in 1999 that he

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returning clients and walk-in new ones.” Tom says Wesley Chapel is a prime location for an accounting firm partly because, as such a fast-growing community, the Murthas have a steady stream of clients who are newcomers to the state and unsure of how to file their taxes here. “We are proficient and expert on all states,” says Tom. “Any state they come from, we can handle.” He adds that many new Floridians may not be aware of what they can claim as deductions and what they still need to file in their old home state. Moving expenses, the sale of the old house, clothing and furniture donated before they move, whether they’ve rented their old property, whether they showed a loss on a former property deal – these are all details that could play a crucial role in a client’s tax liability. At Murtha & Murtha, these details emerge not just from looking through papers, but through a customized, personal approach that is the hallmark of the way the firm does business. This isn’t the kind of accounting firm where clients are encouraged to simply drop off a folder and wait for an email. At Murtha & Murtha, Tom or Patrick will sit down with each new client, interview them and really get to know and understand them and their unique financial situation. In fact, after Patrick recently noticed while walking into the office that a client had bought a new car, they were able to obtain a deduction based on the sales tax of that car, an idea that hadn’t even occurred to the client.

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This year, more and more people who had previously used online tax programs to do their own filing have begun turning to accountants because of the complexity of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as “Obamacare.” Penalties have increased each year of the ACA for those who remain uninsured, and people also have to fill out relatively new 1095 forms with which they may be unfamiliar. The way corporations and even very small businesses have to file taxes also has changed under ACA laws. “You can’t really do Turbo Tax anymore,” says Tom. “Every week, two or three new people will call us saying, ‘I’ve always done my taxes myself, but things are so complex now.’” Murtha & Murtha also offers what Tom calls “concierge” business services, which means that, for a fixed monthly fee, they can provide services such as monthly accounting, annual budgeting and market value estimations. They also serve as de facto financial advisors, particularly for the many high net worth clients they service. For example, the Murthas have helped a few companies set up retirement accounts and 401K plans to help save on their tax bills. They also have developed a strong network of elite bankers, financial planners and attorneys to whom they will refer clients if further investment or sales are deemed advisable. “We teach,” says Tom. “We try to educate the taxpayer. We don’t just do something that’s a mystery.” In addition to the accounting services, the Murthas also have a mergers

and acquisitions arm which handles the sales of a very select group of businesses. Tom says they are careful to only choose high-quality firms with good cash flows for these services. Although they serve many high-value clients, the Murthas are just as willing to sit down with a small business owner or homeowner to chat about taxes. They feel that their clientele has grown in part as a response to their personable manner. In fact, when they ask new clients why they are leaving their previous accountant, the majority of clients say it is because their former CPA did not return their calls. “We always ask, ‘Why are you leaving?’” says Tom. “And 99 percent of the time, they say ‘he or she doesn’t talk to me and I called two weeks ago.’ But, we are a relationship firm. You can always reach us — even when we’re in our cars on our cell phones. We never extend your return if you give us everything we need, and we answer phone calls every day.” And, now that tax season is almost upon us, Tom is looking forward to digging deep into those tax codes to help clients puzzle through new laws, as well as to help new Floridians settle financially into their new homes. As for Patrick, he’s excited to make the phone calls he most looks forward to: when he can tell a client they are going to pay less tax than they thought, or that they are getting a big refund check in the mail. For more info, call Murtha & Murtha (2236 Ashley Oaks Cir., Suite 101) at 991-1120, see the ad on pg. 17 or visit TampaTaxFirm.com.

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Infinite Edge Learning Center Is The Home Of The Perfect SAT Score! By Celeste McLaughlin

At Infinite Edge Learning Center, located in the Tampa Palms Professional Center off Commerce Park Blvd., helping New Tampa students reach their highest potential is a family affair. Sobi Jabbari owns the tutoring center, where his wife, Ozra, is the office manager, and son, Korosh, is one of the 15 staff members who work one-on-one with students. Sobi and Ozra also have a daughter, Farush, who is a freshman at nearby Freedom High, less than a mile from the office. The family has lived in Tampa Palms for more than 20 years. Every member of the staff at Infinite Edge Learning Center works individually with students who are looking to get ahead — or need help catching up — in all subjects for grades kindergarten At Infinite Edge Learning Center in Tampa Palms, Ozra Jabbari (above) helps connect local through 12, and even for college. students with top-notch tutors as they prepare for the SAT, ACT and other tests. They also help students prepare for a variety of standardized tests, everything order to reach a higher level.” ety of subjects at Infinite Edge Learning from the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) Before he opened Infinite Edge Center, including mathematics, language and ACT (American College Testing) to Learning Center in 2007, Sobi says he development and enrichment, general had 30 years of teaching experience at science, chemistry, reading, foreign langet into college, to the GRE (Graduate the high school and university levels. guages, AP Calculus (AB and BC), AP Record Examination)/GMAT (GraduHe earned a B.S. (Bachelor of Science) Chemistry and AP Physics, along with ate Management Admission Test), tests degree in Mathematics & Engineering International Baccalaureate (IB) and students need to get into good postPhysics from the University of Illinois in other college-level courses. The center graduate schools and programs. Chicago in 1986 and an M.S. (Master of also offers help with language improve“We don’t prescribe to a one-sizeScience) degree in Experimental Physics, ment for students whose first language is fits-all curriculum,” says Sobi. “Here, we which he earned from the University of something other than English. The staff design a program that fits each individual South Florida in 1987. also can help students who are serious student’s needs. We continually assess Students can get assistance in a vari- athletes or musicians and can’t be in each child and help them improve in

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school full time, because of their busy travel schedules. “Every student has the capability to do well, but you have to find the way to help each one reach their potential,” says Sobi. “It’s very individual. We don’t have the same formula for everyone. We learn the weaknesses of each student and then work to eradicate them.” He adds that the staff at Infinite Edge teaches students at all levels, from remedial to the highest achievers.

A Truly Expert Staff

Korosh Jabbari is the only tutor at the center who does not hold at least a bachelor’s degree. Although he is just now a freshman at USF himself, his education in math is well beyond that level. As a high school freshman, Korosh took AP calculus BC, considered an advanced class even for high school seniors, and has continued taking subsequently more challenging classes. He is currently in the USF Honors College seven-year B.S./M.D. medical program, where he will earn both a Bachelor’s and M.D. degree in seven years, all at USF. All of the other tutors at Infinite Edge are teachers in local schools and professors at the college level. “Since our tutors are working with kids,” says Ozra, “we make sure they are correctly certified for a teaching job.” She feels it’s important that the center’s tutors are currently working in

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the education system, so they are very much in tune with what students are learning in the classroom. “Many parents are professionals and have a lot of knowledge, but they don’t know how to teach,” Ozra explains, saying that’s why they bring their children to the center. “You have to be a teacher to know what’s going on in the education system today.”

New SAT Starts in March

Beginning this March, the SAT has a new format. While the old SAT offered a total of 2,400 points (800 each in math, reading and writing), the new SAT is only 1,600 points (as it was before the writing portion was given its own 800 points), still with 800 points available in the math portion but only 800 points available for reading and writing combined. “The new test is more difficult,” says Korosh. “It relies less on test-taking strategies, such as elimination. Students need to deeply understand concepts from classrooms and how they apply these concepts to real-life situations.” But, students who attend Infinite Edge Learning Center continue to be well prepared. Using a curriculum developed by Sobi, Infinite Edge students have already been practicing the new SAT format for months. Ozra says that Infinite Edge lives up to its billing as the self-proclaimed “Home of the Perfect SAT Score.” “Every time we have students take the SAT, we have at least one perfect score,” says Ozra. “We give students the

material to prepare, and they work hard.” She adds that the biggest problem she sees is that many parents wait too long to think about the SAT or ACT. “Your children should begin preparing for the SAT by ninth grade, at least.” If students haven’t begun preparing for the SAT before their junior year — which is when they need to take the test to apply for college — they’re often too busy with academics and extracurricular activities to spend a lot of time preparing, and they simply run out of time. “We recommend one-on-one, customized test preparation,” says Ozra, “but we also offer group preparation courses.” Infinite Edge Learning Center has also offered free, four-hour SAT prep classes on a Saturday morning at Freedom, which is available to any student at the school.

their rates are in line with others, some other centers required a long-term contract, and I didn’t want to get into that.” She says her son wanted to do well on both his ACT and SAT, so he started working with Infinite Edge the summer before his junior year. Although he did well on the first SAT test he took, he was driven to improve. “He would take an SAT or ACT, see his scores, and want to do better, so he’d go back to Infinite Edge,” Trish says, adding that Adam was able to raise his SAT score 180 points over a total of three tests. “They really helped him,” she says. “We’ve been incredibly pleased and highly recommend them.” Trish says the support her son

received at Infinite Edge helped him achieve the test scores he needed to get into the college of his choice. So far, he’s been accepted and received academic scholarships to Florida State University in Tallahassee, the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Stetson University in DeLand, and – most important to him – his first choice, the University of Florida in Gainesville. Infinite Edge Learning Center (17419 Bridge Hill Ct.) is open Mon.Fri., 2 p.m.–8 p.m., and 9 a.m.–5 p.m. on Sat. Weekday morning hours are available by appointment only for students who homeschool or do online courses. For more info, visit InfiniteEdgeLearningCenter.com, call 971-6500 or see the ad on pg. 41.

No Contracts/Great Results

One thing that sets Infinite Edge Learning Center apart from its competition is that there are no contracts. “You come as long as you need us,” explains Ozra, “and you always get personal attention.” That’s one reason why Adam Chronister, a West Meadows resident who attends Tampa Catholic, first came to Infinite Edge for his SAT and ACT preparation. “We shopped around before choosing Infinite Edge,” says Adam’s mom, Trish. “They are very affordable. While

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Do You Have Neurological Problems? Visit The Neuro Center On CC Blvd. By Anu Varma Panchal

For nearly three years now, New Tampa and Wesley Chapel residents have been able to find relief for their neurological problems without having to drive very far at all. The Neuro Center, where Drs. Mohamad Saleh and Hassan Bitar have a combined 35 years of experience and provide compassionate, state-of-theart care on Cross Creek Blvd. at Morris Bridge Rd., in the same building that also is home to Zaytoun Mediterranean Grill (see pg. 51) and The Clinicians Primary Care (see pg. 33). In the 3,500-sq.-ft. office, patients are treated for a variety of conditions, including headaches, migraines, neuropathic pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, peripheral neuropathy, back and neck pain, seizures, nerve disease, muscle disease and cognitive disorders (including Alzheimer’s, dementia and other memory problems). Patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease, vertigo, movement disorders, sleep disorders, learning and attention problems and neuromuscular disorders also can be treated at the Neuro Center. “The practice is growing for all age groups,” says Dr. Saleh. “From the elderly with neurological disorders to young kids with migraines, seizures and ADHD —and everybody in between.” Dr. Saleh was born in Damascus, Syria, and Dr. Bitar in Jordan, but both

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consider themselves “Tampa boys,” having lived in the area for decades. Both doctors not only attended the nearby University of South Florida in Tampa, they both have two children currently attending USF (in addition to two of Dr. Saleh’s children, who previously graduated from USF). “This is our home,” says Dr. Saleh. Dr. Saleh obtained his Medical Doctor degree from Damascus University in 1982 before moving to the U.S. in 1984. He obtained a Ph.D. in neuropharmacol-

ogy from East Tennessee State University in Johnson City in 1988, and began his residency in St Louis before transferring to the University of South Florida, from where he completed his (medical???) residency in neurology in 1992. Dr. Saleh says his areas of interest include spine care, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, migraines and Alzheimer’s disease. He is married with four sons — all USF grads — and enjoys chess and writing. He’s also on the stroke team at Southbay Hospital in Sun City Center. Dr. Bitar received his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree from the University of Jordan in Amman in 1989. He moved to the U.S. in 1992 to study internal medicine at Boston University and, in 1995, completed his residency and received his Board certification in internal medicine. He worked for a year at Waltham Hospital in Massachusetts before moving to Clearwater, where he practiced internal medicine and primary care medicine until 2003, when he began to study neurology at USF. In 2006, he completed his specialty in neurology and in 2010 and became Board-certified in neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He joined Dr. Saleh at the Brandon Neuro Center in 2006. His areas of special interest include stroke, dementia, multiple sclerosis and

neuro imaging. He also is on the stroke team at Southbay Hospital in Sun City Center, as well as at Brandon Regional Hospital. Dr. Bitar is married with two sons and two daughters, and he says he is an avid reader. Both doctors also lecture about neuroscience at area high schools and enrichment centers. Dr. Saleh started the Neuro Center in Hernando County in 1992, seeing patients from Brooksville and Spring Hill. In 2006, he opened a practice in Brandon. And, in 2015, he opened the additional New Tampa office. Today, he sees patients from all over the Tampa Bay area, including Brooksville, Sun City, Riverview, Carrollwood, Wesley Chapel and Lutz.

A State-Of-The-Art Facility

Patients at the Neuro Center have access to onsite testing such as electro encephalography (EEG) for seizures and anticoagulant function; EMG/NCV (electromyography/Nerve Conduction Velocity) for muscle and nerve testing to evaluate muscle and nerve diseases such as carpal tunnel syndrome, neuropathy, and myopathy; and Neurocognitive Testing, a computerized assessment to check memory, mental speed and other cognitive functions. The practice also offers trigger point injections for pain; Botox injections for migraines, spasms affiliated with both

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stroke and Parkinson’s disease; and nerve blocks for sciatica and lower back pain. In addition to the physicians, Neuro Center patients are served by a stable and experienced staff of four technicians, four nurses (one of whom, Maria Lambert, has been with Dr. Saleh for 25 years) and four office staffers who help obtain authorizations and handle billing. The office accepts all insurance plans, and Lambert also speaks Spanish. “We go out of our way to really help people, especially with this complicated health care system,” says Dr. Saleh. “We have a great relationship with all the (local) hospitals and primary care doctors. Appointments are very quick. Nobody waits on us.” A patient named Laila says she moved to Wesley Chapel from Pennsylvania in December 2014 and immediately started looking for a neurologist to help with her osteoarthritis. “They are very friendly, professional and on time,” Laila says. “Dr. Saleh really takes the time to listen. He’s the kind of person who would remember what you’d spoken about before. Some doctors just seem to read from the paper.” Some patients have been with Neuro Care for 20 years or more, and that’s partly because the doctors treat patients, not symptoms, but also because of the changing nature of the specialty. “Neurology has become like neuro primary care,” says Dr. Saleh. “As the community grows older, the need for neurological services is growing with it.” They may enjoy the intellectual

Dr. Hassan Bitar

puzzle-solving aspects of neuroscience, but the doctors agree that the true gratification comes from caring for people. “It is a privilege and a blessing to be a physician,” says Dr. Saleh. “People trust you, open their hearts to you and expect you to do the same and give them your full attention and expertise. We are here to ease their worry, hold their hand and take care of them. Regardless of what health care does to us [as physicians], at the end of the day, it is a passion and a joy of life to take care of people.” The New Tampa Neuro Center is located at 10970 Cross Creek Blvd. For more information, call 345-4135, visit CommunityNeuroCenter.com, call 345-4135 or see the ad on pg. 53.

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Strong Showing For Local Students At 36th Annual Hillsborough STEM Fair By John C. Cotey

The New Tampa area had a strong showing at the 36th Annual Hillsborough County Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Fair last week, including Best of Fair awards for Chiles Elementary third-grader Ria Apte and Tampa Palms Elementary fourth-grader Kamaleldin Kamaleldin, as more than a dozen area students were honored for their projects. The STEM Fair was held February 8-10 at the downtown Tampa Convention Center. According to Larry Plank, director of K-12 STEM Education for Hillsborough County Schools, the Hillsborough STEM Fair has grown to be the largest in Florida and one of the largest in the nation, with more than 1,900 entries from 2,500 students in grades K-12. Any student in Hillsborough County was allowed to submit a qualifying project in 13 major STEM subject areas. The top 27 winners advance to the State STEM Fair in Lakeland later this month. The two best projects from Hillsborough County will also go on to compete in the International STEM Fair in Phoenix, AZ, in March. A crowd of roughly 5,000 parents

and students attended the two awards ceremonies on Feb. 10, with more than 1,000 students being recognized through a wide variety of awards. Apte won for Best of Fair for her project called “The Truth About Roofs: Materials Matter.” Kamaleldin’s project was entitled “Which Mixture Produces More CO2 To Attract Mosquitoes: Seashells & Vinegar or Eggshells & Vinegar or Baking Soda & Vinegar?” Pictured here are Michelle McAveety and Helen Zhang of Clark Elementary, who won a “Superior” award for “How Much Acid Is In My Drink?” A complete list can be found in the online version of this story at NTNeighborhoodNews.com.

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Wharton’s Terrific Trio Eyeing A State Girls Track Championship By Andy Warrener

Following an offseason fueled by disappointment, Wharton junior hurdler Aria Tate is ready to shine. The budding star, already off to a great start in the track and field season, is looking ahead to a breakout season. She came close last year, almost capturing a state title in the 200 meters as a sophomore. But, in the time it practically takes Tate to blink her eyes, her shot at gold slipped away, as she finished second by .08 seconds. This year, Tate will focus on her specialty — the 100- and 300-meter hurdles, an event she routinely wins in Hillsborough County and one in which her father, Heanon, thinks she can be a star when she gets to college. Heanon, after all, would know. A pastor at Force of Life International in Tampa Palms, Heanon was a star running back at Gaffney High School in South Carolina before running the sprints and hurdles at South Carolina State. Heanon’s son, Auden, was a star wide receiver for Wharton, and is now at Florida State. He sees his daughter as having the same athletic potential. “I think she could excel at the next level in the 400m hurdles,” Heanon said. Tate will be one to watch this weekend (on February 27), at the third annual Wharton Wildcat Invitational. Field events begin at 8:20 a.m., and the

Wharton has one of the top track trios in Tampa Bay. From left to right, juniors Avonti Holt, Searra Woods and Aria Tate.

running finals start at 4:30 p.m. (or 45 minutes after the completion of prelims). Heanon, who has volunteered with the track team since his family moved here from South Carolina four years ago, is a first-year full-time assistant coach under Wharton track coach Anthony Triana. The former college star helps out with all of the sprinters and hurdlers — his specialty — but he will keep a close eye on Aria.

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Tate is fast becoming a top-flight hurdler. She was sixth at the state meet in the 100m hurdles last season as a sophomore, and just ran the 55-meter hurdles in 8.37 seconds at the Jimmy Carnes Invitational indoor meet in Gainesville in March. That was good enough for thirdplace in the 17-19 age group, behind Dunedin’s Olivia Welsh, who was third last year at the Class 2A State Championship, and Royal Palm Beach’s Faith Lee.

For Tate, who usually starts slow and relies on her strong finishes to win races, her 8.37 was an encouraging number for a shorter event, evidence she improved last offseason on her initial burst out of the blocks. Her best time in the 100 hurdles is 14.49, but that won’t be enough to win states. What will help, however, will be Triana’s plan to give her some more rest in between events. Highly versatile and able to run 5-6 different races, last year’s meet schedule during the postseason could be grueling. Last season, Tate focused on the 100 hurdles and the 100 dash. Those events are practically back-to-back at a track meet, with only a brief respite, thanks to the boys 110-meter hurdles in between. “I think my times would have been better if I would have had more time to rest (in between events),” Tate said. “You try to rest (in between the 100m hurdles and the 100m dash) but there’s just not that much time, you have to get back to the line for the race.” The 100 and 330 hurdles, however, are separated by enough events that Tate will be fresh for both. Tate’s excellence in the hurdles will make the Wharton girls track & field team even more dangerous this season. Along with fellow juniors Avonti Holt and Searra Woods, the trio have many of the sprinting events covered, and they also run on a 4x400 relay (seventh at

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state last year) together that should challenge the school record. Holt and Woods were both also on the 4x800m relay that took third at the state meet. “Those three have been leaders on this team for the last three years and they each excel in their own way,” Triana says. “If we didn’t have any one of the three of them, it’d be a different team.” The Wildcats opened their track season at the Wharton Quad Meet, running against Freedom, Wiregrass Ranch and Bloomingdale. Tate only competed in the 400-meter dash (which is expected to help her build endurance for the hurdles races in the bigger, more important meets) and finished a few seconds behind her teammate Woods. Wharton won 10 of the 16 events. “The biggest key with our team is the versatility of those three,” Triana said. “These three can go up and cover eight events between them.”

Boys Not Too Shabby, Either The Wharton boys may not have the star power the girls do, but they had a solid quad meet as well. Sophomore Noah Damjanovic won the 1600- and 3200-meter runs (in 4:51.33 and 10:19.97, respectively), sophomores Sahil Deschenes and Dennarius Murphy finished 1-2 in the 800, and junior Desmond Williams ran a 45.71 to win the 300m hurdles. The Freedom track and field program is re-building in 2016, with head coach Lyn Gross taking over both the boys and girls squads. Gross has been the

boys coach for the last five years and takes over the full team with assistant Miranda Calloway. Gross, a two-time state champion as a member of the 4x100 relay team for Suwannee High School, says he has between 50 and 60 athletes out for the start of track season. Returners Isiah Smith, Christian Simmons, Trent Burnett and Richard Lush will be looked to help try and keep pace with their New Tampa rivals at Wharton. Smith captured the 200 at the Wharton Quad Meet, winning in 23.21 seconds, and Xaiver Hardy (with a jump of 5 feet, 10 inches) and Demetrius Jones (5’-6”) finished 1-2 in the high jump for the top individual Patriot finishes, while the 4x100 and 4x400 relays teams also posted wins. The Patriot boys could see some reinforcements now that the basketball team’s season ended with a loss to Bartow in the regional semifinals on Feb. 16. Gross said that he will most likely get Freedom hoops star Nasir Core out for the track team, particularly in the jumps, to help bolster the lineup. On the girls side, Rachel Chapper will handle the jumps, and she specializes in the high jump. The junior was the only Patriot girl to win an event at the quad meet, jumping 4’-10” to win the high jump. Sophomore middle distance runner Dana Elkalazani, who was part of Freedom’s state-qualifying 4x400 relay last season, was second in the 1600 (in a time of 5:43.58) and third in the 800 (2:32.46) at the Wharton quad meet.

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e New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News 2016 Summer Camp Guide will appear in the following editions:

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How Smart Is This Tampa Palms Kid? ‘Very Smart...Final Answer!’ By John C. Cotey John Barreto not only made it onto “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” as part of the nationally syndicated game show’s “Whiz Kids Week,” he answered a handful of questions correctly and walked away with $20,000. His most impressive feat, however, may have been keeping that a secret for more than six months. “How did he do that?,’’ asks his mom, Jill. “How does a 12-year-old do that?” John, a Tampa Palms resident and 7th grader at Corpus Christi School in Temple Terrace, was finally able to let the secret out last week, when the two episodes he was on — which were filmed in Stamford, CT, on Aug. 7 — aired locally on WTOGTV Ch. 4 on Feb. 9-10. When John walked into school the morning after his first appearance aired, he was greeted with an announcement and an ovation from his fellow students. “Obviously I wanted (to win) a million dollars, but I didn’t have my mind set on any particular amount,’’ John says. “I just wanted to get on the show and have fun and have a good experience.” His questions involved geophagy, palindromes and Thorium, yet John managed to make his way through to $20,000 by answering eight questions — with one assist from his lifeline, his dad Ron — and smartly avoided gambling on his last question. Nattily dressed in red slacks, a blue blazer and a plaid bow tie, Barreto decided not to risk it all on his last, and trickiest, question: “There’s not a single United Nations’ member whose name begins with

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For a list of the questions and answers John Barreto faced on “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire,” see the online version of this story at NTNeighborhoodNews.com. ‘X’ or which other letter? His choices were J, Q, V and W. John thought the question might be referring to the names of actual ambassadors representing their countries at the U.N., so he decided to go to his final lifeline, the crowd, and 52 percent chose “Q.” That wasn’t enough to convince John to risk his fortune, so he stopped there. “I was kind of disappointed I had to stop,’’ John says. “But, when the audience was wrong (the answer was W), I was really excited about that. If it was Q, I would be kicking myself all the way back to Tampa.” His mother, Jill, had hatched the plan for someone in the family to appear on the show, which once enjoyed massive popularity on the ABC-TV network and was picked by TV Guide as No. 6 on its list of the greatest 60 game shows of all time. Jill says she was doing dishes and watching “Good Morning America” one morning and the host of “Millionaire,” Chris Harrison, was a guest. He mentioned that the show would be filming in Stamford, CT, in the summer. It just so happened that Jill was from Connecticut, and the family was going to be vacationing there while John was attending camp. “My mom was like, we’ll be in Connecticut this summer, let’s see if they can get your dad or your sister on because they know a bunch of stupid facts,’’ John says, chuckling.

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Since it was Whiz Kids Week, Dad was obviously ineligible, and Julia, a 15-yearold sophomore at the Academy of Holy Names, declined. That left John, who began an arduous process with a 250-word poem on why he should be picked (“Info and facts seem to stick to my brain, my trivia skills are simply insane”). That led to a 30-second video, a 4-page application that involved taking pictures of all his awards and included his IQ (141 when he was last tested, in the second grade), and then an hour-long Skype interview with 42 more questions. An aspiring magician with an in-progress jump shot he practices while playing on a basketball team at the New Tampa YMCA, John was picked as a finalist, along with 10 other kids, meaning that even if he didn’t get on the show he’d still get $1,000 a day with a chance to return within two years. And, he got to extend his summer vacation, which was supposed to end in July, for two extra weeks for the show’s August shooting. “I told him that at the very worst, how many 12 year olds can say they made $1,000 in one day?,’’ Jill says. While some of the kids didn’t even make it on the show, and others flamed out on one question, John also made a run at some big bucks. “I think it was more nerve wracking leading up to it, rather than doing it,’’ John says. “I was worried, would I get on the show? Will I have a chance to win some money? Once I knew I was getting on the show, I wasn’t really scared anymore. I knew I couldn’t walk out of there with less

Tampa Palms resident John Barreto won $20,000 on the syndicated TV game show ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’ Whiz Kids Week.

money than I walked in with.” John hasn’t received his check yet, but he plans on pocketing a little of it for fun, maybe indulge himself with some new magic tricks, and the rest he’d like to invest.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 5 • February 26, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Pebble Creek GC To Host Another St. Patty’s Day Bash...& Your Wedding? Jim and Shanda Van Cleave are high school sweethearts who grew up in San Diego, went their own ways, and then reconnected through Facebook. The happy couple recently was married in a storybook wedding at the Pebble Creek Golf Club (PCGC), located off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in New Tampa. Everything went beautifully right up to the sparkler sendoff, and a lot took place well before the big event. Jim works for JetBlue and Shanda works for Publix. When they reconnected after 38 years, they rekindled their relationship and a couple of years after they reunited, Jim proposed. Deciding they would like to get married soon, they set the wedding date for two months later. Jim golfs at the Pebble Creek Golf Club, so he inquired about holding the wedding ceremony and reception there. Jim had seen Kathy Warren, the Event Sales Director at Pebble Creek, but had no idea how she would orchestrate the most memorable event of their lives. “There is nothing I enjoy more than connecting with a beautiful couple like Jim and Shanda and making their wedding and reception the best,” Kathy says. With more than 30 years in the restaurant, event and catering businesses, Kathy has been involved in hundreds of events and weddings. Kathy moved from Pittsburgh to Tampa in 1995. She worked in Bonita Springs for more than five years and became the

and retirement parties. The newly expanded banquet room holds up to 200 and has views of the golf course and courtyard on three sides. Kathy is available for tours and information at 973-3870, x232, or email her at kwarren@acegolf.com. Pebble Creek Golf Club is located at 10550 Regents Park Drive in New Tampa (at the Wal-Mart light). For more info, visit PebbleCreekClub.com.

PCGC To Again Host New Tampa’s Biggest St. Patty’s Day Bash!

If you’re looking for a great time all day on St. Patrick’s Day — Thursday, March 17 — check out the St. Patty’s Day Bash at the award-winning Mulligans Irish Pub at Tampa’s Pebble Creek Golf Club. Last year (see photo on next page) more than 1,000 Irish-at-heart Jim and Shanda Van Cleave’s storybook wedding was held at the recently renovated Pebble Creek locals showed up for Guinness, corned Golf Club on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in New Tampa. beef & cabbage, dancing, kids activities, dining room manager at high-end Vasari stop improving,” Kathy says. Naturally out- the Mulligans Cup Golf Tournament and other festivities. Country Club. From organizing New going and always smiling, Kathy’s talent is Mulligans offers an original woodYear’s Eve and other parties to catering calming anxious brides and avoiding and/ beamed Irish Pub with a copper-top bar, functions, decorating and menu planning, or handling the little mistakes that often a banquet room for 200 overlooking the Kathy says she learned the ropes. She ran happen in any large event. “It really helps golf course, a covered outdoor veranda the dining operations and events for at that I’ve also managed kitchens, created with tables for 100, and seating for anTemple Terrace Country Club for seven menus and all aspects of events. When you other 100 in a courtyard under 60-yearyears before joining the Tampa Palms Golf hire me to hold your wedding at Pebble old grandfather oaks. It all makes for & Country Club, where she was Banquet Creek, you get a good friend and a capable the prettiest and “greenest” setting you Captain and assistant sales director. She event planner.” will find for a fun, family-friendly St. became the event sales director at Pebble The Pebble Creek Golf Club is open Patrick’s day. Creek Golf Club two-and-a-half years ago. to the public for all kinds of event, includIn addition to all-day-flowing “It never gets old for me, and I never ing weddings, baby showers, quinceaneras,

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 5 • February 26, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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costumes, and Irish party favors will be given away. There is a $5 cover charge for those who arrive after 4 p.m., and kids under 12 will be admitted for free.

Mulligans Cup Info

Green Beer, $3.50 16 oz. Bud Lights in Green Aluminum Bottles and cold $5 Guinness Pints is a tasty Irish Buffet starting at 4 p.m. with corned beef & cabbage, Shepherd’s pie and bangers & mash offered for $14 ($8 for kids). “In the course of the day, we will go through more than 500 pounds of corned beef,” says Proprietor Matt Downey. “We will also offer a limited pub menu for lighter appetites. As part of a Golf Club, we are used to hosting large crowds, and our chef has perfected his corned beef & cabbage recipe over the years.” The food and fun begins at noon on Thursday and the entertainment will begin at 3 p.m., with Glen Colvin, who will play until 6 p.m. The band Audiostar hits the main stage outside from 7 p.m.-11 p.m. There also will be a bounce house for the kids from 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Prizes will be awarded for the best

On Sunday, March 13, Mulligans Irish Pub will host its annual Mulligans Cup golf tournament. The tournament is a twoperson team scramble format, with a shotgun start at noon. The $60 entry fee includes an Irish buffet, two free beers per golfer and lots of contests and prizes. Call 973-3870, x6 or stop by Mulligans to sign up. Speaking of Mulligans, New Tampa’s favorite Irish pub won plenty of honors in the 2015 New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News readers’ poll, including being our readers’ fourth Favorite Bar or Pub and sixth Favorite Burger in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel, and tenth overall Favorite Restaurant in New Tampa. Pebble Creek Golf Club also has received a Silver Award for Best Golf Course. Mulligans Irish Pub (10550 Regents Park Dr.) is open to the public seven days a week from 9 a.m.-10 p.m. (until 11 p.m. on weekends and until 1 or 2 a.m. on special holidays like St. Patrick’s Day). For more info, see the ad on pg. 48 of this issue or call 973-3870, x225. You also can visit MulligansTampa.com.

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Hunter’s Green Country Club’s Tennis & Athletic Center Is Getting A Makeover By John C. Cotey

In the first six weeks of 2016, none of the 300 or so clubs under the Club Corp. of America (CCA) umbrella has grown as fast or added as many new members as Hunter’s Green Country Club, says general manager Dave Taylor. That could just be the beginning of a great story. Taylor has revealed that HGCC’s Tennis & Athletic Center (TAC), tucked just inside the main gates of the Hunter’s Green community off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., and a few hundred yards southwest of the main clubhouse and Tom Fazio-designed golf course, is about to begin a “seven-figure renovation” that is going to do more than just put a fresh coat of paint on a facility that is starting to show its age a little bit. “Before we’ve even done the renovations and before even any of this got out, we’ve had momentum with the club,’’ Taylor said. “We lead the entire company in member growth for the first six weeks of the The Hunter’s Green Tennis & Athletic Center will offer much more than tennis after the “reinvention” of the facility brings much-needed upgrades to the pool, cafe and fitness facilities. year...it’s the first time Hunter’s Green has With the goal of having plenty to do for Hidden Creek, he spearheaded the rebuildever seen anything like that. So, that’s very new families who can spend their weekends ing and redesign of all 18 greens on the golf good for us.” at the club , the kiddie pool is being replaced course, and at East Lake Woodlands, he Taylor says the TAC facelift, which folby a splash pad, all new furniture will line the helped improve service. At Hunter’s Green, lows the substantial renovations at the main deck and one of the highlights of the renohe already has done similar work on the golf clubhouse’s restaurant and bar area, known vations — a 10-foot-high water slide with a course and the club house. as Fazio’s Grille, will add amenities on par “If you get the right employee partners, with some of the new housing developments 45-foot-long flume — will be added. Taylor says the pool renovations should and get them happy, that carries over to the (he used Estancia at Wiregrass Ranch as an be completed by Memorial Day, where it will members, they start using the club more and example) going up in New Tampa and Wesbe unveiled for the TAC’s annual Memorial the club is better off financially,’’ Taylor said. ley Chapel that offer lavish clubhouses and Day Bash, which he says draws the biggest “If you don’t have the first two legs of the pools geared towards the family experience. stool, the third won’t happen.” In addition to the 17 clay tennis courts, crowd each year to the pool. Next to the 25-meter junior Olympic The third leg, in this case, is the TAC. which aren’t included in the renovation heated pool (which is big enough that it plans, the TAC will soon boast things like a re-invented café with expanded hours and an hosts a multitude of junior and even high school swim meets), a small 6-hole miniature emphasis on a quality menu, a new weight golf course will be built, and next to that room, a new-look pool plus miniature golf will be an activity area with field turf for and a water slide. after-school campers and other on-site sports While you don’t have to live in Huntprograms. er’s Green to be a member of HGCC, the “Our membership is getting younger, area within a five-mile radius continues to see growth — in much of Wesley Chapel and and this is what they want,’’ Taylor says. “They want the splash pads and they want K-Bar Ranch in particular — thus making the water slides and they want the miniature the market on comfort and family-friendly golf. They want the ability to be able to have experiences competitive. a café restaurant that is open with pool serTaylor says the TAC’s Center Court vice so they can bring the kids and still hang Cafe will be completely rebuilt, with a more out themselves.” rustic scheme, bigger TVs, more events and A former professional golfer on the better food. An outside area will be remodeled and will include a new fire pit. The pool PGA’s Nationwide Tour, Taylor joined Hunter’s Green in 2014 after stints as direcwill lose the long green awning that covers tor of operations at East Lake Woodlands in half of the deck area. They will be replaced Tarpon Springs and general manager at The by four individual cabanas with electricity, Club at Hidden Creek in Navarre, FL. At fans and poolside food and beverage service.

The current café is expected to draw bigger crowds upon its completion sometime this summer. The exercise room will have all of its current equipment replaced by new more modern machines and weights. The spinning (indoor cycling) room, one of the TAC’s more popular destinations, will be re-done with all new cycles. The men’s and women’s locker rooms will get a fresh look as well, and the all-purpose room where exercise and yoga classes are held daily — the classes are included in the membership cost — also will be refinished. Aesthetically, Taylor says the TAC will be a more welcoming facility, with a newly designed entrance, a larger pro shop and an open design with plenty to offer the family, inside and out. “We’re providing a lifestyle,’’ says head tennis pro Allegra Campos. “It’s going to be a family-style, safe environment where everyone can get into the act.” Taylor says he is currently going through the permitting process for the work to be done, and that he expects it all to be completed by the end of this summer. “There’s a lot of excitement about it,’’ Taylor says. “(Some) people are still like, ‘Yeah yeah, we’ve heard it all before,’ but I tell them, ‘Look, it’s done, and it’s happening.’ We’re moving pretty quickly.” The HGCC Tennis & Athletic Center is located at 18050 Hunters Oak Ct. For more information, visit ClubCorp. com/Clubs/Hunter-s-Green-CountryClub/Amenities/Tennis or call 9734220. For membership information, call Ann Pereira at 973-1000, ext. 237.

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The Latest & Greatest News About Dining, Shopping, Retail & More In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel!

Tarek’s Café & Grill Opens 2nd Location...In Our Old Location!

Considering that I’m celebrating my twenty-second year of owning and editing this publication (as of the day before this issue’s cover date), I can’t help but be impressed by someone who has been doing something great in our area for even longer than I have been serving this community. Case in point — Tarek Elsayed, who has been the owner of Tarek’s Cafe & Grill near the intersection of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and Fletcher Ave., on the USF Tampa campus, for 24 years! By the time this issue reaches you, I

hope some of you may already have tried Tarek’s new place which — because he expanded into our former location in the Shoppes at Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms, actually has our old address — 15345 Amberly Dr.! Tarek promises to serve great American cuisine with a Mediterranean flair at his now-open Tampa Palms café & grill! Whether you’re craving a great hamburger or sandwich, or maybe want to try a tomato and mozzarella salad with a side of homemade couscous (photo) or authentic Middle Eastern pastries, Tarek has been keeping USF students, professors and staffers happy for nearly a quarter of a century and his Tampa Palms location is a lot bigger and nicer than his hugely popular takeout counter at USF. For more info, visit TareksCafe.com, call 252-3238 or see the ad on pg. 47.

Irish 31 To Open Next To Panera In Wiregrass Mall!

As nearly 22,000 of you already viewed on our Facebook page (see pg. 3 for proof, lol), former USF football star Jay Mize, who already has four successful Irish 31 restaurants (in Hyde Park Village, Westshore, Westchase & at the Amalie Arena), says he

hopes to open his fifth & sixth locations by the end of 2016. One of those new locales is on Clearwater Beach & the other is in The Shops st Wiregrass mall, in a shared building that just began site work next to Panera Bread. Mize says the Irish 31 at Wiregrass will be 2,800 SF & will feature the same great chef-inspired (I call it ‘Irish-plus-gourmet’) cuisine as the other Irish 31 locations. “It’s sort of a race to see which of our new stores opens first,” Mize says. “But we hope both will be open by the end of 2016.” Visit Irish31.com and stay tuned to NTNeighborhoodNews.com for updates.

GrillSmith (2000 Piazza Ave.), 11:30 a.m.1 p.m., and the Happy Hours are held the third Tuesday of every month at Pinchers Crab Shack (28330 Paseo Dr.), where $5 gets you free appetizers and free chances to win great prizes given away by other happy networkers. I’ve already made several great, new contacts at Pinchers, where I recently gave away about a dozen gift cards. For more info, visit RGANetwork. net and please tell them I sent you! — GN

RGA Promises Great Networking & Fun!

I hope you will start joining me and dozens of other happy business networkers at the next RGA Network weekly networking luncheon or monthly networking Happy Hour, both Congratulations to everyone at CentraCare Florida Hospital Urgent Care, which hosted a Wesley Chapel Chamber of Comof which are held at the Shops merce ribbon cutting at its location in front of the Wesley Chapat Wiregrass mall. The lunch events are held every Thursday at el Target on Feb. 9. For more info, visit CentraCare.org.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 5 • February 26, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Margaret Weiss

Margarethomesales@gmail.com 813-294-5825 SANCTUARY IN TAMPA PALMS A gated community next door to Tampa Palms Golf and Country Club and across the street from Tampa Palms A1 elementary school. The Sanctuary is a neighborhood of neighbors who care for one another and have parties at least monthly so you can get to know your neighbors if you like, a rarity in todays neighborhoods. exp 3/31/16

For only $165.00 per month, the Sanctuary Homeowners association paints your house once every 5 years, trims your trees twice a year, maintains sprinkler system, mail boxes, private gate and road. Includes the water owing through the sprinkler system, trims bushes, cuts fertilize, pesticide, and rakes lawn, mulches ower beds, levels sidewalks annually, pressure wash driveways and sidewalks at least annually.

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Palm Vista Townhome

Like new construction! All hardwood and tile, largest end unit in gated community, conservation views, across the street from mail boxes and tness center, 2 car garage. 2,242 Sq Ft. Priced at $251,000.

You can now order ONLINE! Check out our website!

15832 Sanctuary Drive

A charming 4 bedroom 3.5 bath with a garden view 2 master suites 2 car garage in gated sanctuary. Priced to sell at only $329,000, 2,562 sq ft.

Country Oasis

4 acres in the country surrounded by another 6 acres of dense woodland for privacy 19 acres total. Only 1/2 mile from cross creek but quiet country living huge workshop. Handicapped adapted.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 5 • February 26, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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2 3/31/16.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 5 • February 26, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

New Tampa & Wesley Chapel HELP WANTED MEDICAL ASSISTANT Plastic surgery practice in Wesley Chapel is seeking a motivated, friendly medical assistant to work full time in both front office and back office capacities. Candidate must be professional, reliable and familiar with computer software. Prior experience in plastic surgery is not required. Please send your resume and a cover letter with your qualifications for the position to tampaps@gmail.com HIBERNIA NUSERY is seeking an inside sales assistant in Webster, FL. Looking for a person who wants to grow with our company. Need to have computer skills and customer service skills. Benefits after 90 days. Hour + Bonus. Send resume to mike@hibernianursery.com. EXPERIENCED DENTAL TEAM MEMBER NEEDED Unique opportunity for experienced, expanded-function dental assistant with great communication skills to join our awesome team. Private practice with no HMOs, PPOs, evenings or Saturdays. We emphasize excellence and individualized attention to patients and offer generous salary and benefits. If you want to love coming to work, e-mail your resume to nelsondentistry@gmail.com. AWARD WINNING REAL ESTATE TEAM with an overflow of serious prospects. Seeking professional full-time real estate agents who want to expand their horizons, make more money and have a fulfilling life. Great training available. Keller Williams Tampa Properties. Contact Annette Bohannon - 813-431-2840. PEST CONTROL TECHNICIAN NEEDED Must have clean driving record, no criminal record and be able to lift 50lbs. Call VIP Pest Control at 813-234-8888 for details. MEDICAL BILLER Spanish-speaking Medical Biller wanted for New Tampa Medical Equipment Company. Duties: Gathers billing information by reviewing patient records; checking for completeness. Bills insurance carrier by inputting billing info to database; initiating electronic transmissions. Resolves disputed claims by gathering, verifying & providing additional information; following up on claims. Resolves discrepancies by examining and evaluating data; selecting corrective steps. Skills/Qualifications: Data Entry Skills, Microsoft Office Proficiency, Time Management, Organization, Professionalism, Customer service and Attention to Detail. Send resume to Richard.Jones@solarusmedical.com. PIZZAMAKERS & LINE/PREP COOKS WANTED (exp’d. preferred) at New Tampa’s favorite authentic Chicago-style pizza place. Bring Resume during business hours to Full Circle Chicago Pizza at 19651 BBD Blvd. (in the Pebble Creek Collection).

Classifieds

HELP WANTED HANAQ PRANA YOGA STUDIO We are looking for motivated yogis to join the team and be part of our karma exchange work program, where a yogi can work at the studio for free classes! Looking for help with office duties, online marketing and promotion and studio maintenance. Please contact the studio: (813) 333-1026 or info@hanaqpranayoga.com. PHYSICAL THERAPIST (PT) An established New Tampa outpatient clinic is hiring a part-time PT to provide customized, one-on-one care. Fax resume to (813) 994-3080. ROUTE SALES, MEDICAL Fills customer orders by driving to customer accounts within Florida; unloading and shelving product, inventory verification, order retrieval. Increase sales volume by providing customer service and suggestive selling techniques. Fills order by verifying inventory; loading vehicle. Monthly overnight travel requirement 2 nights a month. Retrieves damaged/defective products from customer locations; keeps vehicle operating by following operating instructions; scheduling maintenance and repairs. Send resumes to: richard.jones@solarusmedical.com.

PET SERVICES CAT SITTING Tampa Cat Lady Professional CatSitting Service. Cats are happiest in their own home, surrounded by familiar sights, sounds, & smells. When you are away, we feed, cuddle, & play with your kitties & clean & dispose of litter. Insured, bonded, & Red-Cross certified in pet first aid/CPR. You can submit a service inquiry at TampaCatLady.com or call 813-994-9449. IN YOUR HOME CAT SITTING OR IN MY HOME DOG SITTING. Fifteen-year Pet Care Industry Veteran, Pet First Aid Instructor, Licensed, Insured, and Bonded. Justaskjulie.com/Petfirstaidandcpr.com/813-892-9543.

POOL SERVICES TRANQUILITY POOL SERVICE New Tampa owned & operated. Great Pricing with outstanding customer service! LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED. See why we are New Tampa’s #1 Choice!! Call Chris Today @ (813)857-5400 or visit TranquilityPoolService.com New customers get ONE MONTH FREE! ALL-STAR POOL SERVICE & REPAIR Expert repairs and installations of pumps, motors, filters, timers, salt and ozone generators. Pool refinishing from $2,400. Tile repair and acid washes, paver and river rock sealing, pressure washing and deck repair, paver and eurocote decks. Mention this ad and receive 1 FREE MONTH Pool Service. Call or text 813-244-7077 or visit AllStarPoolServicesofTampaBay.com. See our display ad.

ERRANDS & PERSONAL SVCS

EDUCATION / BABYSITTING BLACK-I-STORY Book Club of Wesley Chapel. If Interested contact Kawan @ 813/787-0447.

HOME IMPROVEMENT DALE’S HOME MAINTENANCE Pressure washing, screen repairs, garage cleaning and organizing, shelving, re-grout tile and caulking, and more. 813-727-2582. DAVID BRIDGES PRESSURE CLEANING Complete exterior cleaning of your home or business with a professional and personal touch. - Pool decks and screen enclosures - All fencing/ driveways and walkways/roofs - Gutter and downspouts. Find your happiness in a fresh, bright clean home. Your neighbors will love you for it! All work guaranteed. Licensed and insured. Call 813-215-1177. GREG’S PAPERHANGING For all of your wallpapering needs. Licensed and insured, clean, quick and reasonable. Call 973-2767 for a free estimate. RAYMOND PAINTING Exterior & Interior Services. Exterior: Painting, pressure washing, clean & seal pavers, stucco, roofing, leaks & wood rot repair. Interior: Painting, plastering, ceiling & wall repairs & tiles. Licensed & Bonded. References avail. Free estimates. Your Neighborhood Arbor Greene Resident! We work 7 days. Call 994-5124. WEST COAST FLOORING, INC. Carpet and Laminate Flooring. Quality repairs on all floors. Commercial Flooring Install. Licensed and Insured. Free Estimate, Call (813)-215-4817 TAMPA HARDWOOD INSTALLERS We take pride in installing your new hardwood or laminate flooring. We can install any hardwood flooring you have purchased, or we can bring an assortment of flooring samples that best fit your flooring needs. Free estimates! Call 813690-4789 or check us out on the web at www.TampaHardwoodInstallers.com. Licensed and Insured. DRY WALL SPECIALIST Not a handyman. Affordable Quality Work repairing water damage, ceilings and walls, retexturing, popcorn removal, room additions, cracks, holes, plaster and stucco repair. 26 Years Experience. Wesley Chapel resident. State Certified. Call Ron for free estimate: 813-784-5999.

COMPUTER/BUSINESS SERVICES PROFESSIONAL TECH SUPPORT — in your home or small business. A+, Certified computer tech with 20 years of exp. Maintenance & repairs, upgrades & tutoring. More affordable than the large chains! Friendly, personalized svc. Technical jargon explained in plain English. Remote assistance available. References available upon request. Call (813) 957-8342 for a free estimate.

GET A RIDE Don’t Have a Ride? Don’t Want to Leave Your Car? Shouldn’t Drive? We Drive You & Your Car Home! Night Clubs, Corporate Events, Sporting Events, Concerts, Appointments, Airport or stranded. Call Jay at (813) 966-1530.

LAWN & LANDSCAPING

JASMINE’S LANDSCAPING Complete lawn maintenance, Tree, palm and hedge trimming, Planting, mulching, stones, Sod replacement, Pressure washing, Gutter cleaning and more. Cited by your HOA for violations? Need to comply for: Pressure washing, Trimming, Mulching, Sod replacement, Sprinkler repair or Mailbox repair or replacements? Ask about our HOA SPECIAL & FREE ESTIMATE! For more info, call (813) 420-4465. AMERICAN PRIDE LAWN CARE SERVICE, LLC Our services include weekly lawn maintenance with mulching decks on all mowers, precision edging, string trimming, hedge, shrub, palm, and tree trimming. We also offer landscaping, pruning, and sod replacement. Free estimates. Licensed and Insured. We are an Owner/ Operator Company built on service and trust. References available. For more info, call (813) 458-4778. HOMETEAM LAWNCARE LLC High-Quality Professional Services: Weekly or Bi-Weekly Year-Round FullSvc LawnCare starting at $75/month: mow, edge, trim, blow, mulch-bed maintenance, hedge and low-tree trim. Additional Services: Sod, Mulch, & Rock Placement; Hedge Trimming, & Tree Trimming; Landscape Installation; Fall/Spring Clean-Up. Family Owned & Operated, Licensed & Insured, Background Checked, Call or Text (813) 817-9554.

CLEANING SERVICES B CLEANING SERVICES: Over fourteen years experience! Commercial & residential; Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly; New house & post construction clean-up; Window cleaning; Move-in or move-out cleanings; Pressure washing; FREE estimates; References available. Call today: 813-531-0154 or e-mail: bcleanings@hotmail.com D-ULTRA CLEANING SERVICE We have our own supplies and more than 300 clients in New Tampa! For more info, Call 758-9710. ANNA’S HOUSEKEEPING A BBB-Accredited Business Servicing Florida since 1991. $68 introductory special, Mon-Wed. Cleaning, Laundry, You Name It! Make your list, put us to work! We have private housekeeper rates with agency backup coverage! Licensed and all housekeepers are background checked. Call (813) 985-1150.

DO YOU HATE YOUR COMPUTER?!? WE CAN HELP YOU! Troubleshooting, installation, networking & virus removal. WE COME TO YOU! Servicing residences & businesses, w/ more than 25 years of exp. Contact Jeffrey Blank at (813) 973-4507, visit WSICA.COM or send an email to Wsica@wsica.com today!

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 5 • February 26, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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TOPASH PAINTING, L.L.C.

o u , t

formerly Paul Topash & Son Painting

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Thanks to all our customers for a prosperous 2015.

Helping you preserve your largest asset...YOUR HOME 21 Years Experience • Interior/Exterior HUNDREDS OF HAPPY CUSTOMERS No Subcontractors • Owner/Operated Licensed, Bonded & Insured • References Available

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 24, Issue 5 • February 26, 2016 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Two More Tampa Palms-Based Boy Scouts Earn Prestigious ‘Eagle’ Rank By Celeste McLaughlin

Two local Boy Scouts have recently attained the rank of Eagle, the highest rank offered by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Congratulations to Kunal Kaushal of Troop 142, which meets at St. James United Methodist Church, and Thomas Weiss of Troop 180, which meets at Family of Christ Church, both of which are located in Tampa Palms.

Kunal Kaushal

Kunal Kaushal is the 50th Scout from Troop 142 to attain the rank of Eagle, since the first Eagle rank was awarded by that troop in 2001. He is a 17-year-old senior in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at King High on N. 50th St. in Tampa. Kaushal has been a member of the troop since 2009, and has been involved with the Boy Scouts since he was six. Kaushal says that being a Scout has, “helped me develop perseverance and dedication.” To earn the rank of Eagle, a Scout must plan, develop and complete a project that benefits his community. Kaushal’s project was to provide photographic displays of Florida native wildlife and plant species at Nature’s Classroom, an environmental educational center in nearby Thonotosassa. Each year, about 15,000 Hillsborough County sixth grade students attend a three-day immersion program at Nature’s Classroom to learn about the Hillsborough River and its related habitats, flora, fauna and human use. Kaushal decided to take on this project because of his interest in biology and to challenge his project-management skills. “Managing this project and completing it to finish my Eagle Scout credentials have shown me how powerful these traits can be, and how motivated it made me to not quit.” His project included 151 images, provided by Nature’s Classroom, that had to be printed on waterproof paper with fade-resistant ink. The weatherproof frames required a layer of lamination to further protect them from the sometimes harsh and often humid Florida climate. Kaushal researched what would be required to print and weatherproof the images and raised about $900 doing car washes — with the help of his troop — to finance the project. He spent more

Kunal Kaushal (left) is the 50th Scout from Troop 142 to attain the rank of Eagle; Thomas Weiss (middle) became the 44th Eagle Scout from Troop 180; N’Jhari Jackson, another Eagle Scout from Troop 142, will speak in Washington DC Feb. 27-March 3. Scouts in a two-day project, using more than 115 hours on planning, budgeting, Badges and has set a personal goal to earn fundraising, creating and installing the wa- than 5,000 bricks to build the 25’ x 50’ all 136. He has been recognized extenterproof frames, which are now on display patio. “Now, people use it for picnics and sively (including in this publication in at Nature’s Classroom (13100 Verges Rd, outdoor activities,” explains Bart. March 2015) for his outstanding volun“Being a Boy Scout is being a part of Thonotosassa). teer service, with projects he has created something bigger,” says Thomas. “It has and implemented, such as collecting 1,200 Thomas Weiss a code of conduct, and if you follow that pair of socks for children’s group homes Thomas Weiss, a home-schooled code, it helps you through life. It’s taught in the Tampa Bay area, delivering more 14-year-old, was just 13 when he attained me leadership skills and helped me to than 4,000 Pajama Buddies and Pajama the rank of Eagle. At the time, Thomas grow as a person and a leader.” Grab Bags to hospitalized children, raising had earned 63 merit badges, including bemoney to donate an AED (automated ing the first Scout in his troop to earn the Local Eagle Scout Chosen To external defibrillator) to his school, and Speak To Congress Snow Sports merit badge. He is the 44th delivering blankets and other items to the N’Jhari Jackson, an Eagle Scout with Eagle Scout from Troop 180, which is James A. Haley Veterans Hospital. Boy Scout Troop 142, has been selected celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. “I am excited and nervous about my Weiss is the son of Troop 180’s Scout- as one of 10 Boy Scouts from across the trip to Washington, DC,” N’Jhari says. “I nation who will deliver the “BSA 2015 master, Bart Weiss, who says his son has know it will be something I’ll remember Report to the Nation” to U.S. Congresexemplified the traits of a leader in many for the rest of my life.” sional and governmental leaders Feb. ways, including his election by his peers He adds, however, “My nerves are on 27-March 3 in Washington, DC. as senior patrol leader twice. Thomas was edge in anticipation of giving speeches in N’Jhari is still just 13 years old, but awarded the Young Leader Award from has already earned an incredible 121 Merit front of a room full of adults.” the Southeast Region of the Order of the Arrow (an honor society for BSA), and he was selected as a staff member (trainer) for two local National Youth Leadership Training courses (the leadership development program of the Boy Scouts). To earn his Eagle rank, Thomas com(2273) pleted more than 90 hours of community at ZOCDOC.com MEDCLINICFL.com service, spent more than 100 nights camping, and hiked more than 100 miles. Walk-Ins Welcome • Family Medicine • Urgent Care • Women's SELF PAY SPECIAL For his Eagle project, he asked Health • Weight Loss • Arthritis, Back Pain, Neuropathy around the community to find a project that needed to be done. He found there Exclusions apply. Exp: 3/31/16 was a need for a patio at Compton Park, one of the parks managed by the Tampa • Clinic is run by the doctor NOT a Palms Owners Association, and bricks Corporation available to be repurposed for that project. • Verified patient reviews on zocdoc.com Thomas, with the help of his troop, held a car wash to earn funds for the DR. KORIVI COMPLETE PRIMARY/URGENT CARE BOARD CERTIFIED FAMILY project. He spent several days prepping 2304 E. FLETCHER AVE., TAMPA, FL 33612 MEDICINE the site, then led a team of fellow Boy

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