New Tampa Neighborhood News, Volume 26, Issue 1, Jan. 1, 2018 by Neighborhood News

Volume 26 Issue 1 January 1, 2018

Inside:

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New Tampa Resident Luis Viera Has Stayed Busy Since Being Elected To The Tampa City Council

MAN OF ACTION

In December of 2016, New Tampa resident Luis Viera won a special run-off election for the Tampa City Council District 7 seat by only 65 votes. He spent 2017 proving he was the right man for the job. “I didn’t vote for him,” said Tampa Palms lawyer Tracy Falkowitz, a lifelong Republican who voted instead for Viera’s opponent (and fellow Hunter’s Green resident) Jim Davison). “But I’ve already told Luis I’ll be first in line to campaign for him next time.” Her reasons are simple, and explain how Viera helped shape a productive year for New Tampa (while also fighting for changes in other parts of District 7, like Forest Hills, Terrace Park and the University of South Florida area). In 2017, he mobilized hundreds of New Tampa residents in an effort to ensure the city budgeted money for Fiscal 2018 for the expansion of the New Tampa Recreation Center (NTRC). He also spearheaded the effort to build a sensory-friendly park in Tampa Palms — in part because he has a brother who is autistic — and was a strong proponent

TOP STORIES OF 2017

Thanks to Town Hall meetings organized by New Tampa resident and Tampa City Council member Luis Viera, City of Tampa officials are paying more attention to the people of New Tampa.

‘Viera’

Continued from pg. 1 for a new fire station (Tampa Fire Rescue Station No. 23) that will be built on County Line Rd. Viera founded the New Tampa Council, and filled its Board with leaders from as many different local communities as he could. He also started the North Tampa Veterans Council and has attended countless Home Owners Association (HOA) meetings. Viera held town halls. Instead of telling New Tampa residents they needed to go downtown to argue and fight for what they thought they deserved — as so many city and county officials have told them before — he brought government officials from South Tampa here. It was at one of Viera’s first town halls, in June at the NTRC, that Falkowitz first met the guy she didn’t vote for. She was there to tell Mayor Bob Buckhorn’s Chief of Staff Dennis Rogero that it was ludicrous that the city wouldn’t expand the rec center, which had a waiting list of thousands hoping to get into the NTRC’s popular gymnastics and dance programs. Falkowitz was angry and vocal. Afterwards, Viera spoke with her and they ended up forging a partnership that extended to the New Tampa Council and included the efforts of Tampa Palms’ Maggie Wilson and Warren Dixon, Cory Lake Isles’ Bob Parker, West Meadows’ Brad Van Rooyen, K-Bar Ranch’s Craig Margelowsky and David Burman of Cory Lake Isles, as well as others. During the decisive and harrowing all-night City Council budget meeting in September, New Tampa had nearly 50 residents in attendance, many speaking in support of the NTRC expansion after years of failed attempts. The budget passed — and the NTRC expansion, sensory park and Fire Station No. 23 will all begin to take shape in 2018. Everyone involved says that without Viera, it wouldn’t have happened. “I think that’s accurate,’’ says Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn. “Luis, through a variety of means, has made sure New Tampa’s voices are being heard, either with him 4

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advocating or facilitating those conversations between our staff and the people that live here. In both cases, it was a very, very effective means of communicating.” Ultimately, that was Viera’s primary goal — to bring New Tampa together as one community, instead of a collection of fragmented neighborhoods. A Tampa Palms resident from 2006-12 and a Hunter’s Green resident since then, Viera says he felt New Tampa lacked an effectiveness cohesiveness. Hoping to stitch those communities together to help advocate for the area with one voice, Viera tried to be omnipresent. “I tried showing up to as many New Tampa events as I could,’’ said Viera. “Ribbon cuttings, openings...I wanted people feeling like their elected official is accountable, and accessible.” His efforts, which he balanced with being a father to 10-year-old son Luis and working as a trial lawyer, have been lauded. “He invigorated a whole lot of residents,” says Wilson, a community consultant for Tampa Palms. “I’ve lived here since 1989, and never has anyone in government service been as boots-on-the-ground and as active and caring across a wide variety of issues as Luis.” Viera also has taken up the fight to connect Kinnan St. in K-Bar Ranch to Mansfield Blvd. in Meadow Pointe, which the city and counties have so far failed to do. He has met with Pasco County officials, and discussed the matter with Hillsborough County commissioners. Viera is quick to decline all the credit for his 2017 accomplishments, however, instead deferring to the community he is helping to spark. By connecting them to the right people, he knows he can continue to make a difference and produce results for New Tampa. “I think he’s had a superb year,’’ Buckhorn says. “Since the day he was elected, he hit the ground running and has not stopped…he was a forceful advocate for New Tampa, and the results speak for themselves. He made sure in our budget process that the expansion of the New Tampa Rec Center was in the mix, the sensory park was very near and dear to his heart, and until the very end, he was up there fighting make sure New Tampa voices were heard.”

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TOP STORIES OF 2017

NEWS EVENTS

Hurricane Irma, Fires, Neo-Nazis & The Loss Of Too Many People By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com Crazy weather, fires blazing their way through forests and over roads, neo Nazi controversy and contentious budget battles. Welcome to New Tampa! While those stories all sound like incidents happening around the country you might catch while watching CNN, they were, in fact, local news stories in New Tampa in 2017. (Spoiler alert: Most of the good news is in our cover story.) Hurricane Irma might have been the biggest story of the year, especially when you consider the number of people who fled or hunkered down in shelters in anticipation of the Category 5 storm that approached Florida in mid-September. Some storm models had the hurricane slicing right through Tampa Palms. Windows were boarded as plywood become a hot, then scarce, commodity. Water flew off the shelves at every area store, days before the storm actually blasted through the area Sept. 20-21. As it turned out, Irma was more bark than bite when she finally showed up in New Tampa. We’re thankful the biggest story of the year wasn’t bigger.

Fires!

On the other end of the weather scale, dry conditions and a lack of rain in May led to three brush fires that burned

his bedroom were Nazi and white supremacist propaganda and a framed photo of Timothy McVeigh, who was executed for killing 168 people in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Russell admitted to being a member of Atomwaffen, an active neo-Nazi hate group, and had enough explosives to make a bomb stored New Tampa and Wesley Chapel were mostly spared, but many parts of the in the apartment’s Tampa Bay area felt the brunt of Hurricane Irma’s wrath. garage. He was arrested on federal more than 200 acres in Flatwoods Park, and led to the temporary closure of I-75 explosives charges. due to smoky conditions that spread as far as Lakeland. Thankfully the fire was Taken Too Soon... New Tampa also experienced its contained before any damage could be share of sadness. done to nearby homes and businesses. In April, the body of local teen Another fire, this one intentionally set in February by an arsonist at the Hailey Acierno was found in Flatwoods Daarus Salaam Mosque on Morris Bridge Park, two miles from her Arbor Greene home, after a 10-day search that rallied Rd., failed to do its intended damage, thanks to alarm sprinklers, but still left help from all over the New Tampa area. Hailey may be gone, but her spirit members without a place to worship for a few weeks. Cypress Pointe Community continues to live on. Her parents, Chris Church opened its doors to its neighbors and Lisa, have created Hailey’s Voice of until the mosque was suitable for worship. At our press time, no one had been arrested for setting the fire.

New Tampa Neo-Nazis?

Yes, you read that right. In what had to be the craziest story of the year, self-proclaimed neo Nazi Devon Arthurs shot both of his roommates to death because, he claimed, they had disrespected his recent conversion to Islam. He then held three hostages at the Green Planet Smoke Shop on Amberly Dr. before surrendering to police, who he led back to the Hamptons in Tampa Palms apartment where his dead roommates were. A third roommate, Brandon Russell, was there when police arrived. In

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Hailey Acierno

Joel Miller Hope to help other families deal with mental illness, as they say their daughter did. In September, former Wharton football standout Joel Miller passed away unexpectedly, shocking many in the Wildcats community. A running back, Miller ran for more than 2,500 yards his last two seasons at Wharton, and as a senior won Hillsborough County’s Golden Helmet Award. And in November, Doug Wall, co-founder of the New Tampa Players (NTP) community theater group, passed away after battling pancreatic cancer. The Live Oak resident championed a cultural center in New Tampa for two decades, in the hopes it could provide a home for the NTP and a center for local artists, but never got to quite see it come to fruition.

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TOP STORIES OF 2017 ROADS

Bruce B. Downs, Kinnan-Mansfield Fired Up Debates

Things heated up on local roads in 2017, primarily the tempers of drivers who are finding the stretch of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. that slices through New Tampa more maddening than ever. While Segment A of the widening of the road is all but wrapped up, Segment D — from Pebble Creek Blvd. to County Line Rd. — continues to plague New Tampa travelers. Next year, our year-in-review might just be about the great success of the project, as it is expected to conclude in late 2018. That may be, however, of little solace to those getting stuck in traffic now in front of Wharton High, a hot spot of the current BBD construction. We don’t want to give you any spoilers, but for our Best Of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel” issue coming out next month, we asked for your opinion on the worst intersection in New Tampa, and 11 of the BBD intersections made our readers’ list. Yes, 11. However, none have provided as much angst as the intersection of BBD and Cross Creek Blvd., which in 2017 rose to new heights for snarling traffic. A recent study by the city led to new light patterns at the troublesome intersection in early December, but those results remain inconclusive. BBD had some company, though, when it came to controversial road debates in 2017.

Kinnan-Mansfield

The potential connection of Hillsborough County’s Kinnan St. to Pasco County’s Mansfield Blvd. also inched closer to a fever pitch after a series of discussions between

THINGS TO WATCH IN 2018

• Pasco County should have the results of its Kinnan-Mansfield study, which will determine how the connections debate proceeds. Pasco is likely to push for other connection points to K-Bar instead. • Expect the East-West Connector road project linking New Tampa to Interstate 275, which was considered dead in 2008, to get a fresh look. • Weather permitting, the widening of Segments A-D of Bruce B. Downs Blvd. should finally be completed by the end of 2018. Yippee!

residents and Hillsborough and Pasco County representatives. Pasco County commissioned a study of the connection (along with two other possible connections) in April, a public meeting was held in May at Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC)’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch to solicit responses, and the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners pledged $250,000 in September to help make the connection happen. Will it? Not without a big fight. And, that battle will begin in earnest this year.

south on BBD to get to the interstate, the Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) for I-75 at S.R. 56 is closer after receiving some good news in 2017. A Florida Department of Transportation project that is expected to ease the flow of traffic at the S.R. 56

and I-75 intersection near Tampa Premium Outlets, was originally scheduled for a 2024 start in construction. Now, however, it looks like shovels will hit the dirt in 2018. Be patient, people. It’s all going to get better. *crosses fingers*

Morris Bridge Rd.

Flooding on Morris Bridge Rd. had some residents questioning that road’s future, which might even one day involve a widening north of Cross Creek Blvd.

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Local Nonprofit Group Trying To Keep Puerto Rico On Everyone’s Radar By GARY NAGER If you’re like most Floridians, you spent a lot of time glued to the Doppler Radar on your TV sets and smartphones to keep up with the paths of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria from late August through early October. And, following the devastation that Irma and Maria both wreaked upon the Caribbean, especially Maria’s march through the American territorial island of Puerto Rico, many of us felt compelled to do something to help, especially if we had friends or family hit by those storms. One family who lives in Land O’Lakes, off Wesley Chapel Blvd., was particularly close to the situation. In fact, Ivielisse (she goes by “Ivy” here) Hernandez was in Puerto Rico when Irma hit there, returned to be with her daughter Ashley Rivera just before Irma hit here and went back to her native home, to help with Irma relief, three days before Maria devastated the power grid and so many lives in Puerto Rico. In fact, the first time Ivy was able to get in touch with Ashley following Maria, all she could get through was an “SOS” message on Facebook. An ABC Action News TV crew was actually on hand when Ashley and Ivy were first able to speak with each other the next day — for ten minutes or less — and only because Ivy climbed a large hill in the decimated town of Canovanas in order to get enough cell phone “bars” to even make a phone call. “I have been through hurricanes before, but I never saw anything like Maria,” Ivy recalls. “Away from the big cities, people there may not have power or working traffic lights for two years or more.” In other words, Ivy says, it’s important for us, as fellow Americans, to keep Puerto Rico on our radar. “You can’t just think, ‘Well, I already donated some money or some food, so I did my part.’ The crisis in Puerto Rico is far from over.”

Taking Action

Ashley, a teacher at Denham Oaks Elementary in Land O’Lakes, decided to do something more to help. She started a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization called “El Coqui Que Vive Aqui,” which means “The Frog that Lives Here.” El coqui is a small frog that is indigenous to Puerto Rico that has never been able to live anywhere else but on the island. “So, we are the coquis — the native Puerto Ricans — who live here (in Florida),” Ashley says. The name might be hard to say, but what this small group of people — most of whom had never met before joining together — have accomplished in a very short period of time is truly amazing and inspiring. “We didn’t know what we could do,” Ashley says. “We wanted to be there to help, but we

couldn’t. We all just felt like we needed to do something. I started reaching out on Facebook saying, ‘We’re doing this’ and people just started offering to help.” Among those who have been helping, she says, are Life Church on Old Pasco Rd. and local businesses like Happy Cow Frozen (Above, l..-r.) Nehiel, Ivy and Ashley; (Right) Filling the “Buckets of Love;” (Below) El Coque Que Vive Aqui volunteers. Yogurt on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. Army Staff Sergeant and in Wesley Chapel (which held a fund raiser) and Calvary Scout Jason Maddy, others, like the Palms Pharmacy in Tampa Palms one of a group of U.S. vet(which donated gloves, masks, OTC medica- erans who has self-deployed tions and more. “They really opened up their to Puerto Rico. “Jason was hearts to help us,” Ashley says.) and Associated able to get our supplies Construction Products in Lutz, which donated into the mountains, many hundreds of buckets (see below). And, a com- of which had no roads after pany called Envolve Pharmacy Solutions has Maria,” Ivy says. donated its cargo airplanes (which would norAlthough many of the mally cost thousands for each flight) to fly over supplies are loaded in boxes, to Puerto Rico, filled with the supplies collected Associated Construction by El Coqui volunteers. To date, four Envolve Products donated the buckplanes have flown more than 20,000 pounds of ets and, rather than ship supplies over to the island, all of which have got- them over empty, El Coqui ten into the hands of those who need them. volunteers have filled them Ashley started by collecting the items Ivy with supplies and called said the people in Puerto Rico needed — includ- them “Buckets of Love,” ing non-perishable food, toiletries and buckets which anyone can pay to fill to catch rain water, since bottled water is in such for just $20. short supply. Ivy’s mother, Ashley and her sister “Some of the buckets Angie Rojas’ grandmother, owns Premier Medi- have food, some have tools cal Services in Carolina, P.R., where she has or- or personal hygiene items,” ganized dozens of volunteers — most of whom Ashley says. “Some people have no power or water themselves, but are still have given us money, but helping those even less fortunate — to make sure others have donated medithat the items that El Coqui volunteers collect cal supplies like adult diaactually get into the hands of the people in need. pers. They need everything “My mom was able to develop a network there.” of people she knows in many of the small towns in the mountainous areas away from the bigger Helping Here, Too As a teacher, Ashley notes that schools cities, where nothing was getting through,” Ivy says. “We’re making sure we’re getting the sup- across the Bay area have accepted thousands of children who have left Puerto Rico to live with plies to those in the most need first.” Ivy, who says that she had never seen any- aunts or uncles, “some of whom they had never thing like the island after Maria, says, “Imagine met before. There is just so much emotional no land lines, no TV, entire families waiting in counseling that is needed, for kids and for older, line for 12 hours for gas, no ice and no way to sick people who waited weeks for flights to get communicate. The one radio station on the is- here, too. They’re all traumatized.” Ivy adds, “We have gotten so many mesland that had a signal was collapsing as it was helping people connect for the first time. I never sages on the El Coqui Facebook page from thought I would hear that emergency signal on people who are literally crying, “Thank you so the radio used for a real emergency. We were in much for helping us. We thought everyone forgot about us here.” no way prepared for this.” Some local schools are even writing letAmong those helping El Coqui is U.S.

ters that El Coqui is shipping to the people of Puerto Rico to let them know someone cares. “Every bucket has a card and a letter in it,” says Ivy, who went back to Puerto Rico on Christmas Day to literally play Santa Claus for these people. “My Christmas (was) handing out toys to kids and families who have nothing. Even a $10 toy will be a big deal for these kids.” I met several of El Coqui’s volunteers, all of whom have a connection to Puerto Rico, but none of whom knew each other before they got involved. They all have the same beautiful energy for helping that Ashley and Ivy do. All they need now are more donations and more volunteers to help get the items to Puerto Rico. If you’d like to help, search “El Coquî Que Vive Aqui” on Facebook and please tell Ashley and Ivy that we sent you!

Happy New Year!

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First Families!

The first Crystal Lagoon in North America is spurring big sales in Epperson & excitement among the community’s first residents. By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com

ennifer Rose was in the market for a home, and narrowed her choices down to two communities. Her realtor, however, suggested they take one more drive, this time to Wesley Chapel, to a large stretch of land off Curley Rd. with nothing to see but trees, grass, dirt and tractors. Rose, a hair stylist at Salon Loft, was sold a vision that day, of a development with affordable homes that were cheaper than they ones she had previously looked at, that would be built from the ground up with gigabit internet, roads that would one day handle autonomous vehicles, a community that would be vibrant and active, and year-round parties and events. Oh, and this new community also promised to be home to a Crystal Lagoon — which boasts a specially- formulated system for keeping its water crystal clear and clean. The lagoon, the first of its kind in North America, will

be surrounded by white sandy beaches, have a swim up-bar, an adventure cove, cabanas and multiple party areas. “There was nothing there at the time,’’ Rose says. “Even the model home was only in framing. But, I could just see the outline of the lagoon.” The pictures of what that Crystal Lagoon will become sealed the deal. “I absolutely loved the whole concept,’’ said Rose, who bought a five-bedroom, 2,500-sq.-ft. home. “I saw all the pictures of what it was going to be. It was swimming in bottled water that piqued my interest.” Rose is one of the first handful of residents to move into Epperson, a new community being constructed by the Metro Development Group north of S.R. 54 off Curley Rd. Epperson is the first part of the “connected city,” a project created by a senate bill that called for a private-public partnership between Metro Development and Pasco County. The project will turn 7,800 acres of mostly undeveloped land in Wesley Chapel into a mini-city of its own within 50 years, with 37,000 homes, more than 60,000

Epperson resident Jennifer Rose (top) is excited to be one of the first residents of the community where the first Crystal Lagoon (above) in the U.S. is expected to open in February or March of 2018.

jobs and almost 100,000 projected new residents. “The connected city thing is hard to imagine,” says Diane Bissett, who became the first-ever resident in Epperson. “It will be neat to see it come together, and to say we were a part of that.”

As an employee of D.L. Horton, one of six homebuilders in Epperson, Bissett had an inside track to the first home being built in what promises to be an original, almost-futuristic community. Bissett had been eyeing the new development for what felt like forever, primarily because of the promise of the 7.5-acre Crystal Lagoon. When she initially heard about the pro-

ject, she says, she was working for a different homebuilder in Watergrass, right across the street. Not only did she think she would never be able to buy a home there, she says it just didn’t seem real what Metro was proposing. “No way,’’ Bissett thought. However, changing jobs and getting first dibs on a house at Epperson, Bissett, the mother of a 2-year-old boy and 4- and 14-year-old daughters, jumped at the chance to be part of something fresh and new. And, as it turned out, a little frightening. For a month, Bissett and her family were the only residents on their street. “There was a whole lot of dirt and not much else when I moved in,’’ Bissett says. “It was very dark and scary. It was a little spooky in

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be like living in a resort vacathe beginning.” Bissett was the first tion place.” of what is now roughly 60 residents living in Epperson, where homes are Community Activities still going up and will one day numThe community already has ber 3,000. hosted trick-or-treating, and the Home sales have so far exstreets are now being filled in the ceeded expectations., driven by the evenings with children riding biexcitement over the first Metro Lacycles and hanging out in their goon by Crystal Lagoons, which is friends’ driveways. Bissett thinks currently being filled in anticipation a special camaraderie has develof a spring opening. oped amongst what is currently a “The Lagoon effect is real,’’ small, tight-knit group. said Greg Singleton, the president Rose agrees. She was the of Metro Development, recently at third person to move into Epan event announcing that water has person, and from there, the started filling in the lagoon. numbers have steadily risen. Todd Carrier bought the secOne by one, each home on ond home in Epperson, and wasn’t her street was filled with a new going to let bad timing deter him family. and her children, Chrisonce he read about the lagoon. topher, 11, and Kayla, 9, have Carrier had just bought a home made new friends with each in Spring Hill and had lived in it five “Sold” sign that goes up. months when he heard about a Crys“Oh my gosh, they love tal Lagoon coming to Wesley Chapel it,’’ says Rose, who previously sometime around April. rented a home in Wesley Chap“Honestly, it was a shot in the The Crystal Lagoon in Epperson is now filled with beautiful, blue water, similar to the rendering above. el. “In our old neighborhood, I dark,’’ Carrier says. “Since I just couldn’t get my kids to go outbought a house I didn’t think I’d get He grew up in a new community once be- everyone together, Bissett says being part of approved.” fore, when his parents moved into The Preserve something so innovative and buzzworthy is side. Now, I can’t keep them inside.” It won’t be long now before what will be intoxicating. Her son loves watching the conNot only did Carrier get approved, the at Lake Thomas in Land O’Lakes in 2000. 25-year-old AT&T sales rep found someone to “It was not as nice as this is going to be struction trucks drive by as new homes con- the center of the Epperson universe is ready for its first swimsuit-clad visitors, and the vision rent his Spring Hill home to within five weeks. though,” he says. tinue to sell at a rapid rate. “I heard about the lagoon and I wanted Bissett jokes that for years, many of her sold to the current residents comes into full In the end, of course, it was the lagoon to be part of that before (the prices) went sky- that spurred him to dive in headfirst. South Tampa friends often passed on coming view. Residents will lay in hammocks on Gaspahigh and got to the point where I couldn’t afWhen friends and coworkers ask him over on weekends because Wesley Chapel was rilla Island after filling up at the lagoon’s swimwhere he lives, he often just describes his new too far a drive. Now, “I’ve had a lot of friends up restaurant and bar, or rent kayaks to cruise ford it,” Carrier says. come out of the woodwork to ask me, ‘What the waters of Venture Bay, or maybe just relax An avid gamer, Carrier is excited about digs as “the place with the lagoon.” at The Grotto and cool off under the waterfall. “They don’t know Epperson,” he says, are you doing next summer?’” the gigabit internet speeds, which can down“The lagoon,’’ Rose says, “is going to be load high-definition movies in 30 seconds, and “but they know the lagoon.” As someone who says she doesn’t take a While the allure of the lagoon has brought lot of vacations, Bissett says Epperson, “will the place to be.” says the community events also are a bonus.

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JANUARY 2018 Saturday, January 6

Bay Chapel Food Pantry - Free food for needy families. Open every Saturday from 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m., behind Christian Brothers Automotive at 20300 Trout Creek Dr. (off BBD). For more info, visit BayChapel.com/foodpantry.

Sunday, January 7

Meditation Group - All faiths and all levels of meditation experience are welcome at this free meeting at Sanctuary Wellness Center, 8903 Regents Park Dr., Suite 120, 10 a.m-11 a.m. For more info, search “The Sanctuary Wellness Center in New Tampa” on Facebook or “New Tampa Intuitive Development Center” on Meetup.

Tuesday, January 2

Keep It Local - This seat-specific networking group emphasizes small, local businesses every Tues., 11:30 a.m., at GrillSmith at The Shops at Wiregrass. For info, call Marino Cecchi at (813) 513-9001.

Wednesday, January 3

‘Light Up The Night’ To Fight Human Trafficking In Wesley Chapel Jan. 20 The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, community businesses leaders and concerned citizens are coming together on Saturday, January 20, 2018, for the third annual “Light Up the Night” event to focus a spotlight on Human Trafficking, which is the exploitation of human beings for commercial sex, forced labor or involuntary servitude. Human Trafficking is the second largest criminal enterprise worldwide — ranking only behind illegal drugs — and netting billions of dollars annually, and it’s happening right here in the Tampa Bay area. Sponsored by the David Maus (of Maus Nissan) Foundation, Light Up the Night will feature a 5K Race/Walk at Pasco Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, followed by an event at The Shops at Wiregrass, upper level parking deck, featuring live music with Shalyah, Word of Life and Jennifer McGill, as well as educational materials, vendors, a kids zone and more. Sponsorships are available, and

proceeds will benefit six local nonprofits dedicated to the recovery of trafficked individuals. “Many people think we don’t have this crime in our community,” says Corporal Alan Wilkett of the Pasco Sheriff’s Office (PSO), who is the commander of the Pasco County Human Trafficking Task Force. “But we investigate complaints in every community. It knows no boundaries, it’s widespread, and no one is exempt.” He says Light Up The Night is held every year during the national Human Trafficking Awareness month to raise both awareness of the crime and funds to help those organizations that help victims to recover from their ordeals. “The greatest enemy of darkness is the light,” he says, “so we are bringing human trafficking into the light.” The Race begins at 4:30 p.m. and the live concert at 6:00 p.m. For more information or to register for the race, visit www.Light UpTheNightTampaBay.com.

English As A Second Language (ESL) - The ESL group meets Wednesdays at Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church (19911 BBD Blvd. in Pebble Creek), 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Classes are taught by native English speakers. The cost is $40 each semester for the workbook & class materials. For info, call Holly at (813) 360-2077. BNI Millionaire Makers - The BNI Millionaire Makers chapter meets Weds. at Heritage Isles Country Club (10630 Plantation Bay Dr.), at 7:15 am. The cost is $13 to attend, which includes a hot breakfast. Call Lisa Jordan at (813) 621-6015 for info. Business Networking International (BNI) - BNI meets every Wed., 7:30 a.m., at Mulligans inside Pebble Creek Golf Club (10550 Regents Park Dr.). Call Rob Montgomery at (813) 679-6446. Partners In Network (PIN) - Partners In Network is a group of professionals, one specializing in each area of business. Meets Weds. for lunch at (TPGCC, 5811 Tampa Palms Blvd.), 11:30 am. Call Georgianna Strickland (813-477-7306) or Ken Fernandez (813334-6000) or email georgianna@strategicmarketingarts.com. Rotary Club Of New Tampa Noon - The New Tampa Noon Rotary Club meets Wednesdays at noon at Mulligan’s Irish Pub (in the Pebble Creek Golf Club). Guests are always welcome. For more info, search “New Tampa Noon Rotary” on Facebook. The New Tampa Noon Rotary also is participating in a fund riser for the Trinity Cafe, which Saturday, January 20 will be held at Hamburger Mary’s in Ybor City on Wednesday, January 31. Look for Light Up The Night - See story, above, and the ad on the next page. details in our next issue.

Thursday, January 4 North Tampa Veterans meeting - All armed forces veterans are invited to weekly lighthearted Dutch-treat breakfast at Steak and Shake just off BBD Blvd. (17509 North Palms Village Place) every Thursday at 8:00 am. Get acquainted and your tell tales, new and old. Bring your spouse and your brag sheet.

Saturday, January 27

Dade City Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Kumquat Festival - See the ad on page 25 of this issue.

Friday, January 5

Rotary Club of New Tampa - The New Tampa Rotary Club meets every Friday for breakfast at 7 a.m. at TPGCC. For more info, including the speaker schedule, contact David Lanigan at (813) 760-6548 or dave@davidlanigan.com or visit NewTampa Rotary.org.

Thursday, January 18

Wild & Wonderful Outdoor Excursions Canoe Trip - Guided canoe trip for women looking to explore, experience and enjoy outdoor fun. Starts at Lettuce Lake Park on Fletcher Ave. and goes to Trout Creek Park. $40 plus parking. More info and register at Facebook.com/WildandWonderfulOutdoorExcursionsLLC/.

Saturday & Sunday, January 13-14

Tampa Bay Black Heritage Music Festival - See ad, page 17. Wild & Wonderful Outdoor Excursions Hiillsborough River Hike - Guided hike through Hillsborough River for women looking to explore, experience and enjoy outdoor fun. 9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. $15 plus parking. More info and register at Facebook.com/ WildandWonderfulOutdoorExcursionsLLC/. 16

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Palms Pharmacy In Tampa Palms Is Dedicated To Serving The Community! sure to find what you’re looking for at the Palms Pharmacy. If you like natural vitamins and supplements, the store now carries two additional all-natural lines — Ortho Molecular Products & Pure Encapsulations, as well as Nordic Naturals. Pure promises, “Zero compromises. Pure Results,” in supplements that have zero gluten, zero hydrogenated fat, zero artificial sweeteners and colors and zero magnesium stearate. Meanwhile, Ortho Molecular Products promise, “Quality beyond what’s expected,” and to take multiple steps other companies may not take to ensure the quality of the company’s formulations.

By GARY NAGER

It has been about a year since I first met and interviewed Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) Shahida (pronounced “ShaDa”) Choudhry and pharmacy technician Naivis Valdez of the Palms Pharmacy in The Shoppes at The Pointe in Tampa Palms, and a lot of new things have happened in that short time. Although no one will ever accuse the Palms Pharmacy of being overcrowded with merchandise, Shahida and Naivis have added a number of new products and services — and all are still available at prices that beat the national pharmacy or grocery chains, if you could even find the same natural, health-conscious brands at those pharmacy “superstores.” And of course, even though some people do get to know their pharmacist, I can assure you that you will never receive better, more personalized service anywhere else. Yes, Palms Pharmacy has great products, but their specialty is still bringing back the “good old days” of the “corner drug store.”

A Pharmacy App For The Digital Age

Of course, in today’s fast-paced, digital world, Shahida and Naivis can offer technology to make your pharmacy experience even more convenient with a new, free app — an app that currently is only available at Palms Pharmacy in all of Tampa. The app is called “RxLocal” and it allows you to refill your prescriptions, receive reminders and even interact with

Expanding The Zum Line & More

Doctor of Pharmacy Shahida Choudhry and pharmacy technician Naivis Valdez greet all their patients with a smile at the Palms Pharmacy in The Shoppes at The Pointe in Tampa Palms.

the pharmacy. “It’s so convenient,” Shahida said as she got me signed up to use the app. “Everyone who has tried it has found it really easy to use.” Even so, one of the things I love the most about the Palms Pharmacy is that Shahida and Naivis are somehow able to beat the national drug chains on price and can even compete favorably with Walmart

and other discount stores on everything from prescriptions to over-the-counter (OTC) medications. In last year’s article about the store, I mentioned that I saved money on items like extra-strength Tylenol and Mucinex and those discounts haven’t gone away. Best of all, with new products and services being added all the time, you’re

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 1 • January 1, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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In our last story about the Palms Pharmacy, I mentioned that the store carried multiple products in the Zum line from Indigo Wild, which creates, “Natural products for body & home.” My fiance Jannah absolutely loves the Zum Bar all-natural soaps and the company keeps coming out with new scents. Palms Pharmacy also carries Zum Kiss lip products, Zum Body lotions, Zum Rub moisturizers with shea butter and Zum Mist aromatherapy & body mists. “Our customers have gone absolutely crazy asking for more of the Zum line and, of course, we listened,” says Shahida. “And we continue to add other all-natural products, like the American Provenance all-natural deodorants, because we keep getting customer requests for more.” Shahida and Naivis also like to support

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There’s a great variety of Zum products (above) and LovePop greeting cards at Palms Pharmacy. local companies, like “KurVee Girl,” or KVG bath “bombs,” which the KurVeeGirl.com website describe as, “a great way to scent and enrich your bath with amazing oils essential for hydrating your skin and leaving it soft.” Shahida says that KVG bath bombs and other all-natural skincare products are made nearby in Dade City, FL, and come in another unique variety of scents, including Wild Orchid, Ginger & Community Caring, Global Reach Lime, Fresh Cotton and many more. Shahida and Naivis also are proud to be Also new at Palms Pharmacy is the line rooted in the New Tampa community and of LovePop pop-up greeting cards. Each card is a work of origami and there are cards beyond. They have been donating thousands of dollars in OTC medications and for every occasion from birthdays to holimedical supplies to Puerto Rico, not just days to wedding announcements that will since Hurricane Maria (see story on pg. 12), surely become a keepsake for anyone who but since Hurricane Irma hit the island in receives one. September. “We also have donated a lot of school Discounted Lab Work, Too supplies to schools here in our community Shahida and Naivis also are proud that and our Team Palms Pharmacy T-shirts have the Palms Pharmacy has recently contracted been worn by people on mission trips all with two laboratories in order to provide over the world, from Thailand to Switdiscounted lab tests to their patients. zerland to Puerto Rico and even the USF “Some doctors already complain that Latin American Medical Student Association our prescription drug prices are too low,” mission trip to the Dominican Republic. Shahida says, “but now, with our contract “We’re here to help any way we can,” with Quest Diagnostics, we can offer disshe says. “So, come on in, have a cup of counted blood work that doesn’t have to be complimentary coffee or our ‘snack of the ordered by your doctor.” week’ and let us treat you like family, too.” A second lab, ZRT Laboratory, offers The Palms Pharmacy is located discounted saliva hormone testing. at 17008 Palm Pointe Dr. and is open “Doctors were sending me the results of hormone tests (for estrogen, testosterone, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday (closed on cortisol and more) and telling me which hormones to use to properly balance them,” Sunday). For more information, including about local delivery, call (813) Shahida says. “Now, we can do those tests 252-9063, visit ThePalmsPharmacy. here, send the results to the patient’s doctor com or see the ad on pg. 12. for less and even compound them here.”

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 1 • January 1, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Let The Husband-&-Wife Doctors At Small World Pediatrics Care For Your Kids By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

celeste@ntneighborhoodnews.com Together, José Jiménez, M.D., and Nancy Silva, M.D., are two local pediatricians who care for many young patients at Small World Pediatrics in Wesley Chapel. More than just partners in practice, they’re partners in life, too — as husband and wife, and Dad and Mom to two kids, ages 12 and three. They’re part of this community, as Meadow Pointe residents for 15 years, with their kids attending local schools. They think that’s part of what makes Small World Pediatrics special. “It’s much more personal here,” says Dr. Silva. “We have fun. Our patients know our staff, and know us. We run into people in the community and see our patients at Publix.” Dr. Jiménez earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida in Gainesville in 1992, after transferring from prestigious Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. He earned a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree from the University of South Florida (USF) College of Medicine in Tampa in 1996, and completed his pediatric residency at USF in 2000. Dr. Silva earned her M.D. degree from the State University of New York (SUNY) Health Science Center in Brooklyn in 1997, after earning a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in an Honors

Let Dr. José Jiménez & Dr. Nancy Silva of Small World Pediatrics in Wesley Chapel care for your children as though they were their kids, too. She had been practicing with a group B.S./M.D. program at City University of New York (CUNY) Brooklyn College in Brandon for 14 years, but — with in 1993. Like Dr. Jiménez, she also com- two small kids — wanted a job closer to home and with more flexibility than pleted her residency at USF in 2000. working full-time somewhere else. Small World Pediatrics is located She and her husband have been in the Windguard Professional Center working together ever since. across Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. “Most patients don’t realize it, but from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC). Dr. Jiménez first opened Small they’re really getting a ‘2-for-1 deal’ when they come here,” Dr. Silva says. World Pediatrics in 2003 in the North“We bounce ideas off each other. We can woods plaza on BBD in Wesley Chapel, give (each other) a second opinion.” near Target, and moved it to its current They also share a philosophy to location in 2010. Dr. Silva joined the practice in 2014, provide personal service. “Some people want to get in and get after the couple’s second child was born.

out and get their antibiotics and be on their way in five minutes,” says Dr. Silva. “But, for those people who want more of a parent/child connection, and don’t want to feel like a number, those are the patients who should come to us.” Dr. Silva says her best medical advice for your children is to get annual physicals. “Even if your kid is fine, please get an annual physical,” she says. “We recently had a seven-year-old patient we had only seen for sick visits since he was two, and we found he had undescended testicles. We discover so much in those physicals, from vision problems to scoliosis.” While it does take a little time, the annual check-up likely won’t cost you any money. “It’s very rare to see a co-pay on a well check these days,” says Dr. Jiménez. At Small World Pediatrics, caring for children and their parents is always the highest priority. “We try to do our absolute best for our patients,” explains Dr. Jiménez. “When there are tough decisions to make, we try to always do what’s right for the child, and we always take time for the parents.” For example, the office doesn’t have an answering service. “All after-hours calls are forwarded to my cell phone, where patients may leave a message,” says Dr. Jiménez. “I return all calls personally.” And, they don’t just send patients

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to the emergency room, either. The doctors will call ahead to notify the hospital that a patient is coming and make sure the medical records are transferred appropriately. They also invite their patients to call them if they’re not sure whether they should head to the emergency room – or which one to go to. “It may be that you should go to St. Joseph’s, where they have pediatric ER doctors and surgeons on call, or you might need to go to Florida Hospital, which is a lot closer,” Dr. Silva says. “Just call us and we’ll guide you.”

proud and honored that patients have stayed with me and many have been here since the beginning.” Dr. Jiménez and Dr. Silva are involved in the community they serve. Dr. Silva recently became a Boy Scout leader with their son’s troop. Previously, both doctors were Cub Scout leaders, and Dr. Silva was active with the Sand Pine Elementary PTA. They also are advocates for wearing seatbelts, which began with a very personal story, as Dr. Silva lost a patient due to an automobile accident in 2006. Dr. Jiménez and Dr. Silva began “The Battle of the Belts” in Pasco County in 2009, partnering with Pasco Safe Kids, a seatbelt awareness campaign involving all of the high schools in Pasco County each spring.

Happy Patients...Happy Parents

Christina M’Gaha is a Wesley Chapel mom with four children and one more on the way. She has been taking her kids to Small World Pediatrics for 11 years, since her oldest was just six months old. “What I love is that it’s not just a doctor’s practice,” she says. “They treat you like you’re family.” She explains, “They remember your name. If they see you in the store, they call you by name. They ask about my husband even though he’s not usually there (at the appointments). They get to know the whole family.” Christina says Dr. Jiménez and Dr. Silva have both gone above and beyond for her family, such as the time she called Dr. Jiménez after hours and he met her at the office 15 minutes later, rather than

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Schools compete to effectively deliver the message to students. Small World Pediatrics is the sole sponsor of the event this year. The doctors also have worked to help pass seatbelt laws in both 2009 and 2014. All of their efforts in the community, to raise their family, and to take excellent care of their patients are things they do together. “We trade off with both kids and work, and I like it,” says Dr. Silva. “I like that someone always has my back, and in this case, it’s my husband.” Small World Pediatrics is located is at 2527 Windguard Circle, Suite 102, and is open Mon. – Fri., 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. For more information, visit SmallWorldPediatrics.com, see the ad on page 6 or call (813) 907-8001.

sending her to an urgent care facility. Another time, Christina says Dr. Silva made a house call when a plumbing issue closed the Small World Pediatrics office temporarily. “I used to think it was just me they treated like family,” says Christina. “Now I see that they really care about all their patients.” Dr. Jiménez says that’s the way he wants it to be. “I’m a small town guy, so I like seeing people I know at the supermarket,” he says. As a pediatrician in this community for 14 years now, that happens pretty often. As for his personal care, he says. “I’m

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 1 • January 1, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Florida E.N.T. & Allergy Can Help Get You Cope With Allergy Season Board-certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology. Allergic rhinitis is an allergy to dust, mold, pollen, mites or insect parts. Symptoms include coughing, watery and itchy eyes, runny nose and sneezing. Allergic rhinitis also puts you at a higher risk of developing sinusitis, or inflammation of the sinus cavity (see below). “Allergies can cause your sinuses and nasal passages to swell, preventing the sinus cavities from draining properly, which increases your chance of developing a sinus infection,” says Dr. Nofsinger. “Any stuffy nose or cough that lasts more than two weeks is probably more than a cold, and you should see a physician.”

By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN celeste@ntneighborhoodnews.com

Every year, millions of people flock to Florida for our mild winters. However, did you know that those warm and more humid temperatures mean that our allergy season sticks around a lot longer? Even though you’re not worrying about shoveling snow or driving on icy roads, asthma and allergies are a real concern for Tampa Bay-area residents. “People always associate allergies with spring when flowers are pollinating, but here in Florida, the fall and winter months can be even worse. The temperatures do still drop here and the winds pick up, pushing all of those allergens out into the air. This time of the year is especially brutal for my patients who suffer from allergic rhinitis,” says Yoon Nofsinger, M.D., a Board-certified Otolaryngologist with Florida E.N.T. & Allergy. Dr. Nofsinger is one of three physicians who work at the practice’s Wesley Chapel office, located just off of S.R. 56, near I-75, in the Cypress Ridge Professional Center. Dr. Nofsinger specializes in general otolaryngology (the medical term for medical and surgical management and treatment of diseases and disorders of the ear, nose, and throat), head and neck surgery, balloon sinus dilation and treating allergies. She received her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, where she also earned a Graduate Degree in Anthropology. She completed her undergraduate education at Duke University in Durham, N.C., and is Board-certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology.

How Can Florida E.N.T. & Allergy Help You? At Florida E.N.T. & Allergy’s Wesley Chapel office, Dr. Yoon Nofsinger (pictured above and on the next page) and her colleagues help people suffering from allergies and asthma — from pediatric patients to adults. Photos by Gavin Olsen. Dr. Nofsinger works with Peter F. Dr. Musy practices surgical and medical Agnello, M.D., and Pierre Y. Musy, M.D., management of a variety of ear, nose, and Ph.D., at Florida E.N.T. & Allergy’s Wesley throat problems. He has a particular interest Chapel office. in sino-nasal problems, and cares for both Dr. Agnello specializes in general otoadult and pediatric patients. He holds several laryngology and head and neck surgery. He degrees from the University of Florida in received his medical degree from the Boston Gainesville, including his medical degree and University School of Medicine, and his his Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics and Microundergraduate degree from Vanderbilt Uni- biology. He did residencies at the University versity in Nashville, TN. He did a residency of Virginia Medical Center in Charlotat the University of South Florida’s College tesville, then practiced ENT in Montana of Medicine and is Board-certified by the and in Washington, D.C., before joining American Board of Otolaryngology. Florida E.N.T. & Allergy. Dr. Musy also is

Asthma symptoms also can rear their head during these cooler months. The cold, dry air can trigger wheezing, cough, chest tightness and shortness of breath. Viral and bacterial infections that are more common this time of year also can bring an onset of asthma symptoms. “Asthma is caused by different factors in different people, so it is always important to see a specialist,” says Dr. Nofsinger. “We get our patients on a personalized treatment plan that takes into account their lifestyle and any medications they are already taking.” As for allergies, there are several treatments available at Florida E.N.T. & Allergy to help alleviate patient symptoms. Allergy

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shots are still the most common option; however, Dr. Nofsinger says sublingual immunotherapy, also known as SLIT, is even more convenient. During this therapy, an allergen solution is placed underneath the tongue — instead of through an injection — to boost the body’s tolerance to the substance and reduce symptoms. Patients administer the drops themselves at home instead of having to run back and forth to an allergy specialist’s office. “Patients first come see us and undergo testing to confirm their sensitivities,” says Dr. Nofsinger. “We then prepare an allergen extract and send them home with directions to place it under their tongue for a prescribed amount of time. Patients can continue on this therapy for up to five years, until they develop a lasting immunity.” SLIT has been readily available in Europe for years, and clinical trials have shown it to be safe and effective for the treatment of rhinitis, asthma and allergies, including to

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dust mites, grass, ragweed, pet dander and tree pollen. “Our patients not only find it effective, but it’s an extreme convenience,” says Dr. Nofsinger. “Instead of taking time off work to come to the office for allergy shots, they can treat their symptoms at home and get on with their daily lives, allergy-free.” Florida E.N.T. & Allergy also helps patients suffering from sinusitis. Acute cases can be treated with decongestants and antibiotics. However, if the condition has become chronic, surgery may be necessary. Florida E.N.T. & Allergy’s specialists offer many surgical options, including balloon sinuplasty, a minimally invasive procedure that is performed right in the office.

Your Ear, Nose, & Throat Experts

The specialists at Florida E.N.T. & Allergy have been helping pediatric and adult patients in the Tampa Bay area for more than 40 years. With 17 Board-certified physicians and 11 convenient locations, the practice’s experienced team specializes in all aspects of ear, nose and throat care from pediatric allergies to fitting hearing aids. Florida E.N.T. & Allergy has locations in Tampa, Brandon, Riverview, Plant City, Lutz, Westchase, North Tampa and South Tampa, plus two St. Petersburg locations. The Wesley Chapel office is located at 26853 Foggy Creek Rd., Building 21, Suite 101. It is open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m. For more information or to make an appointment, call (813) 879-8045, visit FloridaENTandAllergy.com, or see the ad on page 46 of this issue.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 1 • January 1, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Samantha Taylor Helps Women Get In The Best Shape Of Their Lives By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

celeste@ntneighborhoodnews.com A year ago, Judy McFarland (photos on next page) was in her early sixties, working out five days a week for at least an hour a day. The problem was that she wasn’t seeing the results she wanted. Two years ago, Kate Green (before & after photos on this page) — also in her early sixties — had never worked out. Earlier in her life, she had lost 50 pounds by dieting, then put the weight back on — twice. She had put 50 pounds on again and wanted to find a way to get that unwanted weight off and keep it off, for good this time. Now, both women say Samantha Taylor Fitness has changed their lives. Judy lost 31 pounds and 36 inches in just four-and-a-half months. Kate lost the 50 pounds she wanted to lose… and then kept losing. Kate says she has dropped from 170 pounds to 110. “Samantha completely turned my life around,” says Kate. “I was on the verge of being an ill-tempered old woman, but now I’m having a blast – horseback riding, zip lining, and off-roading in my new Jeep.” The Wesley Chapel location of Samantha Taylor Fitness is across the street from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC) in the Shoppes of Wesley Chapel plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd, above The Hungry Greek and OTB Café. Wesley Chapel is one of Samantha’s five fitness studios, including her first location in nearby Land O’Lakes, plus the

location she opened about a year ago in Carrollwood, a new location in Westchase, and a location in Palm Harbor that will open in February. In 2018, Samantha (right) says she plans to open a new Wesley Chapel location, behind Buffalo Wild Wings on S.R. 56, near I-75. The current Wesley Chapel studio will move to the new location. As the company continues to grow, Samantha says that translates into more women like Kate and Judy whose lives are being transformed. “We’re saying that 65 is the new 40,” Samantha says. “We’re teaching women a way to eat that they love. It’s not a diet, not a pill, not shots; just understanding how to eat, how to work out their muscles for tone, and develop a healthy lifestyle they can keep for life.” While many women in their 60s think they have to accept that their bodies will decline because they’re getting older, Samantha says that’s just not true. At all locations, Samantha offers both personal training and Fit Body Boot Camp programs. Programs include fitness training and nutritional counseling for women only, helping them to “age backwards,” as Samantha likes to say. “I feel like I’ve found this fountain of youth,” says Kate, “and I’m having so much

Kate Green is rightfully proud of the way that Samantha Taylor Fitness Studios has transformed her body, after dropping 60 lbs. and keeping it off. fun. I wake up in the morning with more energy than I know what to do with, I work out, then I come back energized for the rest of the day.” Judy agrees, “I feel like I’ve got the energy of a teenager and I just turned 62 a

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tion — or boot camp classes, both programs start with a completely free, no-obligation consultation called a “Body Transformation Analysis” to determine goals and plan a fitness program. Personal training can be done in one-on-one, semi-private, or small group sessions. In addition to personal training sessions, each client also meets with an assigned results coach monthly, to be sure they’re progressing. Clients who choose the boot camp option attend regular or beginner Fit Body Boot Camp sessions, which vary in cardiovascular intensity levels. Several classes are offered every day, and women choose three or more times each week to attend. “We are getting women in amazing shape,” says Samantha, who is a Certified Personal Trainer who began her career 25 years ago and launched her own business 18 years ago. During that time, she estimates that she has trained 6,000 local women. Samantha uses her experience as a personal trainer, seeing what works and what doesn’t with her many clients, and her years of intensely studying the human body to coach women in fitness and healthy eating. “Most of the people who come to us have done all the diets,” says Samantha. “The shakes, pills, protein diets and calorie deprivation diets. They’re shocked they can eat the way I show them, they love the food, and they lose weight.” Kate agrees. “Her eating plan is the best I’ve ever been on. I can have bacon and eggs and cheese – things I couldn’t have on other diets I was on,” she explains. “I’ve found her way of eating something I can maintain long term.” Judy also enjoys the food and doesn’t

mind the adjustments she’s made to her nutrition. “I don’t feel like I’m on a diet,” she says. “I feel like I’m just eating better – high protein, moderate fat and low carbs.” Samantha says many of her clients see more than just weight loss — they’re getting healthier as well. “They are preventing diseases such as heart disease and diabetes,” she says. “Some women no longer have to take cholesterol or blood pressure medication, and no longer suffer from muscle pains and aches.”

Judy’s Story

Judy (before & after photos on this page) says she went from working out eight or nine hours each week to just three 30-minute sessions at Samantha Taylor Studios. So, how is it that she lost 31 pounds by working out less? “The nutrition adjustment made a big difference,” she says, “plus the quality of training and the intensity of the workouts. After 30 minutes, my body is burning but feels so energized.” She credits the trainers at Samantha Taylor Fitness Studios, who she says are equipped and experienced to help people succeed. “Any of us can do what we set our mind to do, and what seems to be impossible is very possible,” says Judy, “especially with the kind of support and resources that Samantha’s organization provides.

The Six-Week Challenge

Beginning on Monday, January 29, Samantha will start her next six-week “Body Transformation Challenge,” where she gives away thousands of dollars in prizes,

including a Grand Prize of a cruise for two for the woman who loses the most weight (as a percentage of her total body weight). Participants in Samantha’s last 6-week challenge lost a combined total of 1,215 pounds and Samantha says she always hosts a big party to celebrate. To register, or for more information, go to 6weekBTC.com.

TOP STORIES OF 2017

These kids used to ride the bus to Benito, but “courtesy busing” for middle and high school students was eliminated in 2017. Courtesy busing ends for elementary students in 2018. Photo by Lisa Evison.

EDUCATION One Word For 2017: Change By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

celeste@ntneighborhoodnews.com

Through 12/15./17.

First, there were changes to the Hillsborough School District’s buses. Then, it was boundary changes. Then, bell schedule changes. Add to that a hurricane that closed schools for eight days and teachers who are unhappy with the school district not giving them the pay raises they were expecting, and it’s easy to see: In recent memory, there hasn’t been a year that was more tumultuous for New Tampa’s public schools than 2017. While all these changes were announced in 2017, most families will feel the pinch this coming August, when the 2018-19 school year begins. That’s when boundary changes that were approved by the Hillsborough County School Board on May 16 will be implemented. The plan makes room at Pride Elementary for growth in neighboring K-Bar Ranch, shifting hundreds of students who currently attend Pride, Heritage, Hunter’s Green and Clark elementary schools to other schools. More than 550 students who live in Arbor Greene and Cory Lake Isles who currently are assigned to Pride will be re-assigned Hunter’s Green. The district is making room at Hunter’s Green by moving some students (residents of Morgan Creek apartments) to Clark, and moving many students who are currently bused

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to both Clark and Hunter’s Green from the area surrounding the University of South Florida to schools in their own neighborhoods. However, because Pride will have some capacity available, many parents who want their children to stay at Pride will be able to do so, for at least a year or two. Kristin Tonelli is a principal’s coach for Hillsborough County Public Schools who works with all of the New Tampa schools, plus a couple of dozen others. She’s also a New Tampa resident and a former teacher and principal at Hunter’s Green. “This may be the first shift in boundaries for this generation of parents,” she says, “But, we’ve moved through boundary changes in the past, and we’ve found that students are very resilient and adjust well to new teachers and new schools. And, they take a lot of cues from their parents.” While many students will change schools — and local traffic patterns will change along with them — more students will find themselves getting to and from school without a bus. Middle and high school students who used to have “courtesy busing” — if they lived less than two miles from their school — had to find new ways to get to school this year, whether it’s walking, biking, or carpooling. The School Board is expected to eliminate courtesy busing for elementary students this fall, adding to the chal@NTWCNews

e r

lenges some parents already are facing. And all students who attend public school in New Tampa will be on a new schedule next year, as bell times change at every school. The major change is that high schoolers get to sleep in a bit more — which experts say is good for them — while elementary school students will start and end their school days earlier. While it does feel like things have calmed down from the craziness of all the announcements — and bell times that changed and changed again before they were finally adopted by the School Board (and then adjusted slightly one more time), parents can now plan for these changes for next school year. “To move boundaries and line up bell schedules are large shifts that impact numerous families,” says Tonelli. “Those are things that required a high level of communication and community involvement, and we’ve given a lot of leeway and time for families to think through those impacts.” She says she knows what it’s like, having had three children in New Tampa schools, with many years of one in high school, one in middle, and one in elementary. “Just remember you’re not in this alone,” Tonelli says. “Across the board, we have nearly all two-income families with both parents out of the home, so we have more options than ever before for care for both before and after school.”

Teachers, Too

While all of these issues impact students and parents, they also certainly impact teachers. And, as the year 2017 came to an end, teachers expressed their disappointment in not receiving the raises they were promised. They showed up in force at a School Board meeting held Nov. 14, then went to local malls, including the nearby Tampa Premium Outlets, to show the community how much work they do above and beyond their contracts. While the teachers’ union is not allowed (by State law) to go on strike, they did hold a week of what they called “work the contract” to demonstrate what it would be like if teachers only did the work for which they are contractually obligated. Lisa Mayhugh, a Clark Elementary kindergarten teacher with more than a decade of teaching experience, supported these efforts. “We work so hard and sacrifice our time, our money and even our families to do what’s best for our students,” Mayhugh says. “We need to keep the pressure on to get what we feel we’ve been promised.” At our press time, contract negotiations were still ongoing for the 2017-18 school year. According to Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association assistant director Paula Haggerty, the CTA has filed for impasse, which would bring in a third party to resolve the issues, but the CTA is hopeful to continue negotiations in the meantime.

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TOP STORIES OF 2017

SPORTS EVENTS Andreychuk Hall of Fame Induction Caps Memorable Year By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com It has been a while, maybe ever, that the areas served by our publications have had such a banner year for sports. In most years, a big event like the Federation Cup being held in Wesley Chapel might be the year’s top highlight. Or the opening of a state-ofthe-art ice facility able to lure Olympic teams to town. Or perhaps, the promise of a large indoor sports complex. Big stories, all. But for New Tampa, none can top Hunter’s Green resident and former Tampa Bay Lightning captain Dave Andreychuk finally making the NHL Hall of Fame. If he had a dime for every time someone in New Tampa bumped into him and told him how unfair it was that he wasn’t already in the Hall of Fame, Andreychuk could buy Hunter’s Green. The NHL’s all-time leader in power play goals finally got the call on June 26, and was officially inducted on November 13. Friend Andy Ritter, along with a handful of other Hunter’s Green residents, attended the ceremonies in Toronto, just a short drive from where Andreychuk grew up in Hamilton. Ritter said that no matter where they went in Toronto, Andreychuk was always the unassuming star. “He was just the local kid that made good,” Ritter said. Which sums up the way many in New Tampa feel about him. But, he wasn’t the only New Tampa sports standout who celebrated a huge success in 2017: * Ellie Pleune, then an 8th-grader at Benito Middle School, didn’t win just one race at Gasparilla in 2017. She won two. Pleune, 13, became the youngestever female winner in the 40-year

Saladino Award winner Drew Ehrhard (with trophy), is joined by (l.-r.) his mom Shannon, his dad Rodney, Tony Saladino and Drew’s brother Zack. history of the Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic 5K on Feb. 25, and then turned around the next day to also win the 8K race, the first time in the event’s history the same person captured both titles. * Wharton High shortstop Drew Ehrhard won the prestigious Saladino Award, which honors the top senior baseball player in Hillsborough County. Ehrhard joined past winners like Tino Martinez, Gary Sheffield, José Fernandez and Lance McCullers after hitting .422 with four homers and 24 RBI in 2017 to lead the Wildcats to an 18-9 record and the Regional championship. * New Tampa resident and lefthanded pitcher Brian Lee went 11-3 with a 1.00 ERA, and won four straight playoff games, including the State semifinal, for the Lions. King lost the next day, but Lee’s performance was one for the ages. “It’s as a good a performance I’ve seen in my 42 years,” King High veteran coach Jim Macaluso said, “and I’m not saying just in King High School … I’ve

Dave Andreychuk, the NHL’s all-time leader in power play goals who captained the Tampa Bay Lightning to its only Stanley Cup in 2004, gives his Hall of Fame induction speech on Nov. 13 at the Allen Lambert Galleria in Toronto. never seen anyone in the county, around the state, that threw the pressure games he threw, and won.” * On Sept. 28, Freedom finally beat Wharton in football, after seven straight seasons of lopsided losses. Dominick Vazquez capped a 99-yard drive in the final moments to give the Patriots the 12-7 win in front of the largest Freedom crowd in years. Coach Floyd Graham said it was one of the best feelings of his coaching career. But, it wasn’t enough to keep him on the sideline, as just two months later, Graham New Tampa’s Ellie Pleune was the Gasparilla Disresigned. tance Classic’s first-ever two-race winner. * The U.S. Federation Cup played its tennis semifinals at went on to beat Belarus 3-2 for their Saddlebrook, exciting the strong tennis first Fed Cup title in 17 years) communities at Arbor Green, Hunter’s *Florida Hospital Center Ice Green, Tampa Palms and others. Hunopened near I-75 in Wesley Chapel and dreds of New Tampa residents were hosted the Taste of New Tampa and the in attendance for the 3-2 win over the U.S. Women’s national hockey team in Czech Republic. (The U.S., by the way, its preparations for the Winter Olympics.

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Fat Rabbit, Wok Chi & Snowrolls On Our List Of Favorite New Eateries In 2017 By GARY NAGER As part of our “year in review” series of stories in this issue, assistant editor John Cotey and I decided that I should include something about all of the new restaurants that opened in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel in 2017. And of course, since I love to write about new places to eat, I decided to mention a few of my favorites that opened in our area over the past 12 months. In Wesley Chapel, my favorite new eatery is Noble Crust, which has its own full-length dining feature on pages 42-43 of this issue. But, Noble Crust was far from alone on the list of new places to eat north of the Pasco County line in our distribution area. In The Shops at Wiregrass alone, in addition to Noble Crust, Irish 31, Wok Chi and Menchie’s all opened and all of them were great additions to the dining scene at the Shops. After Noble Crust, Ford’s Garage is definitely my favorite newcomer, with a really good seared tuna appetizer, tender steaks and a great Chicken Henry entrée. None of the other new entries around the Tampa Premium Outlets mall make my list, as most are fast food, my favorite of which is Culver’s, followed by Pollo Tropical, Starbucks, Panda Express, Wendy’s and Taco Bell. Irish 31 also makes my list of new favorites, even though the menu has a few too many fried items for my taste. However, the Ploughman’s salad and Farmer’s Fried Chicken, as well as a pretty good ribeye steak keep it near the top of the newbies for me. I also really enjoy not only the build-ityourself stir-fry dishes at Wok Chi, but also the Chi-Licious pork spareribs, the egg rolls and dumplings and even the hot green tea. Meanwhile, here in New Tampa, we didn’t see as many new places to eat open, but The Fat Rabbit in the City Plaza at Tampa Palms shop-

ping center and Precinct Pizza on Cross Creek Blvd. are both pretty good, with Fat Rabbit being my favorite of the two for its excellent burgers and blackened wings. And, although it isn’t truly a restaurant, per se, the new Snowrolls (see photo on this page and the ad on pg. 38), the ice cream shop in the Pebble Creek Among our editor’s favorite dishes at his favorite new eateries in 2017 in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel not called Collection also is Noble Crust were (clockwise from top left) the el conejo chicken burritos at The Fat Rabbit, the rolled ice cream at See “New Restaurants” on page 50. Snowrolls, the succulent Chi-licious pork spare ribs at Wok Chi and Henry’s Chicken at Ford’s Garage.

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Noble Crust Has Taken Wesley Chapel By Storm! By GARY NAGER

W HEN I first heard that Noble Crust was planning to open in The Shops at

Wiregrass mall a couple of years ago, my fiancé Jannah and I immediately starting visiting the original Noble Crust on 4th St. in St. Petersburg to sample the menu. We both immediately became fans of Noble Crust’s unique Italian fare with a Southern accent. In fact, it definitely was my favorite new restaurant in either of our markets for this year (see pg. 39). And, although I still wish Noble Crust owner TJ Thielbar (a former managing partner at Bonefish Grill), Wesley Chapel managing partner Will Perez and Chef Rob Reinsmith would expand the menu at Noble Crust a little, what can you say about a mall restaurant that isn’t open for lunch during the week and isn’t open Mondays at all but is still packing in crowds of happy fans every day it is open? The food and drinks are excellent — and priced very fairly — the atmosphere is more like something you’d find in New York or Miami than in “The Chap” and the fact that Chef Rob regularly changes the menu and adds unique specials every month or so does keep me (and a lot of other people) coming back and hungry for more. My favorite starters at Noble Crust include the amazing kale Caesar salad topped with a uniquely soft-cooked egg. The Cae-

sar is special because I usually prefer something more traditional and I’m not the biggest kale fan, but between the gooey egg yolk and the definitely different Caesar dressing, well, let’s just say the salad works for me. I’m also partial to Noble Crust’s Ricotta Gnocchi, which are homemade potato pastas with pancetta, black pepper cream, parmesan and pecorino cheeses and scallions. The gnocchi were first introduced to Wesley Chapel at the 2017 Taste of New Tampa at Florida Hospital Center Ice a couple of months before the local Noble Crust opened in July. Some of our editor’s favorite dishes at Noble Crust include the kale Caesar (above left), the One of the special appetizers grouper with chimichurri sauce (above right), the chicken fried chicken parmigiana (bottom we loved was the cauliflower gratin, left, the ricotta gnocchi (bottom center) and the double-cut pork chop (below right) and the which is baked to perfection and rigatoni & tender short ribs ragu (bottom right). covered with cheese, crumbled bacon and bread crumbs, which parmigiana, served with bucatini (a thick, you covered, too. The brunch features but hollow spaghetti), the rigatoni & beef great breakfast items like fried chicken somehow tenderizes the cauliflower and and waffles, a southern “Benny” (poached gives it a crispy coating. You also can’t go short ribs, the double-cut pork chop, the tender, tasty beef, veal and pork meatballs eggs, country ham, fried green tomatoes wrong with any of Noble Crust’s unique also served with bucatini and the southern and brown butter Hollandaise sauce on a pizzas — from the basic Margherita to fried chicken with Tabasco-honey, black buttermilk biscuit), a definitely different the Noble Pig (topped with house-made pepper gravy, apple & fennel slaw and egg sandwich (with applewood bacon, sweet fennel sausage and large slices of your choice of mac n’ cheese or those scrambled egg and pimento cheese on a amazingly tasty pepperoni). I haven’t yet roasted garlic whipped potatoes. Other garlic butter brioche bun; add avocado tasted the pretzel-crusted calamari, but it side dishes include four-cheese grits, garfor just $1.50 more) or a goat cheese fritlooks delicious, too. licky greens, crispy fingerling potatoes and tata (with heirloom tomato, caramelized Although my favorite main dish is fried green tomatoes with lime yogurt. onions and Hollandaise sauce). There’s probably still the grouper special with also short rib “Benny” and meatball smash chimichurri sauce (on a bed of perfect Brunch & Sunday Gravy! sandwiches that I haven’t yet sampled. garlic whipped potatoes and succotash), For those who enjoy getting out of I also love the chicken fried chicken the house for a unique Sunday brunch (served beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday), Noble Crust has got

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Looking for something more traditionally Italian? Sampling Noble Crust’s unique “Sunday Gravy” dinner (left) and Margherita pizza should satisfy your craving. I also still haven’t yet tried Noble Crust’s Sunday Gravy, which includes house antipasto, garlic bread with pesto + ricotta, homemade pork gravy with spaghetti or grits in a family dinner setting. It costs just $19 per person and your first glass of wine is complimentary. Dessert is a true treat at Noble Crust. My favorite so far has been the thick, dense, creamy slab of peanut butter pie, although I also enjoyed the warm chocolate budino (with salted caramel, cookie crumbles and fresh whipped cream); the lemon buttermilk pie and bourbon pecan

pie also seem to be pretty popular. In other words, while Noble Crust may not be a traditional Italian restaurant, it is Wesley Chapel’s most unique new eatery and certainly is among my favorites in our distribution areas. Noble Crust (28330 Paseo Dr.) is open Tues.-Thur., 4 p.m.-11 p.m., 3 p.m.-midnight on Fri., 10 a.m.midnight on Sat. & 10 a.m.-10 p.m. on Sun. For reservations (not required, but suggested, visit Noble-Crust.com, call (813) 703-2682 or see the ad on pg. 40 of this issue.

How about homemade bucatini & meatballs (left) to start & a slab of peanut butter pie for dessert?

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The Latest & Greatest News In Dining, Shopping & Business In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel! Let Rain & Shine Cleaning Make Your Home Sparkle!

By GARY NAGER

It’s that time again, time for reflecting on the year that has passed and for looking towards an even brighter future in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel for 2018.

Jersey Mike’s Reopens

When an early morning fire back in April 2017 heavily damaged the Jersey Mike’s Sub Shop in the Oak Ramble Plaza at 14925 Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (just south of Tampa Palms), no one really knew how long the sub shop would have to be closed. Well, eight months later, Jersey Mike’s has finally reopened with a fresh, all-new look that certainly will make it even more appealing for those of us who crave true New Jersey/New York-style subs. My favorites are still Jersey Mike’s house-roasted roast beef and house-made tuna salad subs (I always add bacon to the latter). But, whether you like your subs all dressed up “Mike’s way” or you just want lettuce and tomato on your sub, the full-page Jersey Mike’s ad on pg. 41 of this issue has a great coupon deal for a free bag of chips and a fountain drink with the purchase of any regular or giant sub at

menu price. The ad also tells you the daily (Monday-Friday) specials — where a different sub each day costs jut $8.99 with a bag of chips and a 22-ounce drink. So, stop in, order online at Jersey-

Mikes.com or call (813) 910-1118 for more info and please tell our friends at the New Tampa Jersey Mike’s that you read about them in the New Tampa Neighborhood News.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 1 • January 1, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

OK, so now that the holidays are over, how’s your home looking? Whether you want an outstanding post-holiday clean-up, or cleaning before you move in or out of a new home, I really hope you’ll call my new friend Irene Joyner of Rain & Shine Residential Cleaning. Irene has been cleaning mine and Jannah’s apartment for about six months and quite honestly, I’ve never seen anyone quite like her and her team. “Everyone who works for me is either a member of my family or someone I’ve known and worked with for years,” Irene says. “We will always make sure your home looks the way you want it to.” Believe her. In addition to making our apartment sparkle and smell clean — not like cleaning chemicals but that fresh clean we can’t get enough of — Irene is always adding personal touches like cleaning the door on our screened-in patio and straightening out our pantry closet, even though we didn’t specifically ask for those things. Irene and her Rain & Shine Cleaning crew are true treasures who are absolutely trustworthy, thorough and can even offer additional services like carpet cleaning,

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pressure washing, window cleaning and floor care. I give them six stars out of five and my highest possible recommendation. For more information, call Irene at (813) 451-3042, visit RainandShineClean.com or see the ad on page 10 of this issue and please tell her that I sent you!

Very Little Rest For The Chamber

Although there are usually fewer ribbon-cutting and other events put on by the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) in the month of December, other than not hosting a January Business Breakfast (usually the first Tuesday of each month), the WCCC gets back in the swing of things this month. The festivities start with a ribbon cutting with beverages, snacks and wine for Block Advisors Tax Preparation (located at 19054 BBD Blvd., in the Publixanchored New Tampa Center plaza) on Thursday, January 4, 4 p.m.-6 p.m. Then, on Friday, January 5, 7:45

Neighborhood News

a.m.-9 a.m., the Women of Wesley Chapel (aka “WOW”) will meet at their new location, Mercedes Benz of Wesley Chapel (2383 Willow Oak Dr.). By the way, you must be a female Chamber member to attend a WOW meeting. And, on Tuesday, January 16, 8 a.m., the Chamber’s free Monthly Coffee Social will again be held at Buttermilk Provisions (which recently added beer and wine and evening entertainment), located at 2653 BBD Blvd., Suite 117, Wesley Chapel. And finally, the Chamber’s Economic Development Briefing will be held on Thursday, January 25, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., at Hunter’s Green Country Club (18101 Longwater Run Dr.) and will feature Loren Rhodes of the Rhodes Group, which is developing the Hyatt Place Hotel & Convention Center on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel. The cost to attend is $15 for WCCC members, $20 for non-members. For membership and other info about the WCCC, and a complete events calendar, visit WesleyChapelChamber.com or call (813) 994-8534.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 1 • January 1, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

New Tampa & Wesley Chapel HOME IMPROVEMENT WESLEYCHAPELPRESSUREWASHING.COM Soft pressure exterior house cleaning, screen enclosures, pool decks, driveways, sidewalks, fences, roofs, paver sealing and deck staining. We clean everything. No job too big or small. Experience the difference when you hire a pressure cleaning professional. Licensed and insured. Owner operated. Call for a free estimate or visit our website. 813-433-6015. DAVID BRIDGES PRESSURE CLEANING Complete exterior cleaning of your home or business with a professional & 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 813-994-5124. 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: 813-7845999. MILLENNIUM HOME REPAIR.Professional Handyman. Cabinet Installation, dry wall repair, tile installation & repair, some plumbing, laminate flooring, light fixtures, interior painting, appliance installation, pressure washing, paneling, window repair, awning installation, carpentry, garbage disposal, fence repair, crown molding, window blinds, seal baths & showers, TV mounting & more. Call 813-400-1408 or email TYCOONUNION@YAHOO.COM. DALE’S HOME MAINTENANCE Pressure washing, screen repairs, garage cleaning and organizing, shelving, re-grout tile and caulking, and more. 813-727-2582.

Classifieds

ANTIQUES & MORE FOR SALE! SUSAN’S ANTIQUES, VINTAGE ART, BRICA-BRAC, GLASS & OTHER TREASURES! In Annett’A’s Attic, 2nd Flr, 14136 8th St, Dade City. For more info, see our display ad!

HELP WANTED *LOW STRESS SALES PART TIME* Dan’s Fan City sells ceiling fans in the hottest state in the U.S. and is hiring part-time sales associates (20-25 hours per week) in New Tampa and Carrollwood. We offer: low stress environment, flexible hours, competitive hourly base rate, biweekly commission plus bonus incentives, 401k. Good attitude is a must, experience is a plus, must be willing to work at least one day on weekends. We love Veterans! Apply in person: 19404 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. or 13192 N. Dale Mabry Hwy. CNAs/HHAs NEEDED: Established Senior Homecare Service is seeking CNA’s and Home Health Aids to work with our company. Contact (813) 9851200 for more information. HIRING PERSONAL TRAINER. Private Women’s Studio with Boot Camp & Personal Training in Wesley Chapel & Land O’ Lakes owned by Samantha Taylor. Please no phone calls or walk ins.To apply part time: www.lolfitbodybootcamp.com/hire-pt. PHYSICAL THERAPIST (PT). An established New Tampa outpatient clinic is hiring a part-time PT to provide custom, one-on-one care. Fax resume to (813) 994-3080.

LAWN & LANDSCAPING

POOL SERVICES TRANQUILITY POOL SERVICE. New Tampa owned & operated. Great Pricing with outstanding customer service! LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED. See why we are New Tampa and Wesley Chapel’s #1 Choice!! Call Chris today @ (813) 8575400 or visit TranquilityPoolService.com. New customers get ONE MONTH FREE! AllStarPoolsofTampaBay.com Highest quality salt and ozone generators, pumps, motors, filters. Marcite, quartz and pebble finishes. Pool cleanups and acid washes, paver and river rock sealing. Paver decks and driveways. Mention this ad for $69 pool service. Call or text 813-244-7077. Visit AllStarPoolsofTampaBay.com

CLEANING SERVICES B CLEANING SERVICES: Over 16 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 400 clients in New Tampa! For more info, Call 758-9710.

PIANO LESSONS PIANO LESSONS Children or adults, beginners or advanced. Master’s Degree in Music Composition, SUNY Stony Brook. Over 55 years of piano study. Contact Andre Garneau: studiog.newtampa@ gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS LIVE-IN CAREGIVER: Live-in caregiver. I offer integrity, professionalism & TLC. 14 years of experience with elderly and dementia patients. Excellent references, fun personality. (941) 735-7761.

COMPUTER/BUSINESS SERVICES PROFESSIONAL TECH SUPPORT in your home or small business. A+, Certified computer tech with 20 years exp. Maintenance & repairs, upgrades & tutoring. More affordable than large chains! Friendly, personalized svc. Technical jargon explained. Remote assistance available. References available. Call (813) 957-8342 for a free estimate. DO YOU HATE YOUR COMPUTER?!? WE CAN HELP YOU! Troubleshooting, installation, networking & virus removal. WE COME TO YOU! Residences & businesses, more than 25 years exp. Contact Jeffrey Blank at (813) 973-4507, visit WSICA.COM or email Wsica@wsica.com

SPACE AVAILABLE SERENITY SALON & SPA SUITES Wesley Chapel. Booth rental for Stylist available. Can be either full time or part time. Give us a call!: 813-3125247 or 813-997-6302.

Call (813) 910-2575 to order your

Classified Ad or Display Ad today!

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. HOMETEAM LAWNCARE LLC High-quality professional Services: Weekly or bi-weekly year-round full-service lawn care starting at $90/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.

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS WITH MORE THAN 400 CUSTOMERS

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 1 • January 1, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

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TOPASH PAINTING, L.L.C. FREE ESTIMATES

Doing business in Pasco and Hillsborough County area since 1978

21 Years Experience • Interior/Exterior HUNDREDS OF HAPPY CUSTOMERS

Call K.T. Topash

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SUNSHINE CLEANERS Top Quality...Great Prices

NTNN Exp. 1/31/2018

$5 Oﬀ Any Size Comforter $2.79 Press Only* $3.49 Drycleaning & Press*

813-343-4951

$1.59 Men’s Business Shirts * Some garments incur additional charge.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 1 • January 1, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

‘New Restaurants’

I’d also like to give a shout out to new owners of Continued from pg. 39 the Café Olé Restaurant on Cross Creek pretty incredible. Even though you can now get rolled ice cream Blvd., who have converted a small in other paces in our area, the portion of the existing restaurant quality of the ice cream and the (which has long been my favorite variety of flavors and toppings at in New Tampa) to a Venezuelan bakery and coffee shop with great Snowrolls is second to none. This first location of a new café con leché and a variety of aufranchise also has excellent crepes, thentic Latin desserts. amazing authentic Italian coffee and coffee drinks, as well as We Lost A Few, Too Unfortunately, New Tampa a new chocolate gyro that swirls milk chocolate and hazelnut fla- also saw a few restaurants close in vors with more to come. It isn’t 2017, including Vuelo Mexican You can’t go wrong with the new Chocoice cream, but it’s indescribably Grill, Takara Sushi & Sake, late Gyro at Snowrolls (above) in Pebble smooth chocolate and you can Paramount Lebanese Kitchen Creek or the Farmer’s Fried Chicken at Irish 31 in The Shops at Wiregrass. and Dairy Queen. even add toppings to it, too.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 1 • January 1, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

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Neighborhood News

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 1 • January 1, 2017 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Portfolio of Fine Homes 8543 Grand Alberato Rd.

10238 Grant Creek Dr.

20228 Natures Spirit Dr.

6314 MacLaurin Dr.

JUST LISTED

18131 Longwater Run Dr.

6539 Stonington Dr.

17709 Emerald Green Pl.

4815 Londonderry Dr.

4 Bed +Office +Sitting Rm | 4 Bath | 3,574 SF | 3 Car Garage Remodeled Kitchen, High End Stainless Steel Appliances, Granite Counters, New Interior & Exterior Paint, Wood Grain Porcelain Tile, Newer AC & Pool Heater | Over Sized Lot with Pond, Conservation Views, Heated Pool/Spa | Offered for $569,000

9527 Norchester Cir.

17727 Grey Eagle Rd.

10101 Whisper Pointe Dr.

16416 Burniston Dr.

4 Bed | 3 Bath | 2,500 SF | 2 Car Garage | New Roof, New AC, New Interior and Exterior Paint, Stainless Steel Appliance Package, Granite Throughout, Travertine and Wood Flooring, Plantation Shutters | Mature Landscaping, Stone Tile Lanai, Screened Pool Offered for $375,000

9138 Highland Ridge Way

23551 Vistamar Ct.

5105 Tollbridge Ct.

15826 Sanctuary Dr.

SALE PENDING

7807 Tuscany View Ct.

16102 Washburn Pl.

20057 Heritage Point Dr.

4910 Londonderry Dr.

SOLD IN 1 WEEK

SOLD IN 3 DAYS

SOLD IN 1 WEEK

SALE PENDING

COMING SOON

SALE PENDING

SOLD

Phone: (813) 931-6700 • KristyD@Realtor.com • RealEstateNewTampa.com 52

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 1 • January 1, 2017 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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