New Tampa Neighborhood News, Volume 27, Issue 1, Jan. 2, 2019 by Neighborhood News

Volume 27 Issue 1

Inside:

Google’s Funding To Expand WCNT-tv!!

January 2, 2019

See page 3!

Now Celebrating 25 Years As New Tampa & Wesley Chapel’s Primary News Source! The Direct-Mail News Magazines Serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Since 1993! For the complete list of the neighborhoods that receive this publication by direct mail in New Tampa (zip code 33647), see page 46!

Goodbye, 2018!

News:

Business:

News: Sports: The Top News Stories (BBD) In News,The Business & Learning Experience Finding INSIDE Surprise! Bruce B. Downs Former Wharton High Football Also Inside INSIDE New Tampa From 2018. Instant New Tampa Success. Blvd. Is Our Area’s Worst Road Players Declare for NFL DraftEducation Updates Pages10-11 3-17 This Issue:Page

Pages 24-25

Pages 34-37 Pages 3-32

Neighborhood Magazine: Neighborhood Magazine:

TheThe YearReaders In Food In New Tampa Have Spoken! Wesley Chapel! Here&Are Their Favorites! Pages 37-38 39-52

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Thanks To Funding From Google, WCNT-tv To Become NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net! An editorial by Gary Nager Back in March of this year, Google — the world’s largest tech company and the eighth largest company in the world — announced its plans to invest $300 million over a three-year period in news organizations, especially publishers who also were providing news programming online, including on Youtube, which Google had purchased in 2006. Called the Google News Initiative, or GNI, the search engine giant began accepting applications from around the world in July and from the very beginning, we received nothing but positive responses from the folks involved in determining who would receive funding from GNI. We were approved to receive Google’s financial support in November and were instructed that we couldn’t speak publicly about GNI (there were lots of rules about what we were and were not allowed to say, especially anything about the amount of money) until Google made its announcement on its official blog page, the same blog where WCNT-tv (Wesley Chapel & New Tampa Television) senior producer Gavin Olsen first saw the announcement. “Should we put in an application?,” Gavin asked me. “It sounds like Google is looking for exactly what we do — publishers who also provide online news on Youtube.” “Sounds good to me,” I said. “We have nothing to lose by trying. From Day One, my intent was always to one day expand WCNT-tv into a 24/7/365 online news channel by, for and about the residents and businesses of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel. This could give us the jump-start we need to make that happen.” So, Gavin began putting together an inventory of new equipment that we would need to continuously loop WCNT-tv videos and we created a proposed budget to expand in 2019 from an average of one video release every other week or so to three per week by the end of the year. We were stunned that not only did Google

New Tampa Neighborhood News Address: 29157 Chapel Park Dr., Suite B Wesley Chapel, FL 33543 Phone: (813) 910-2575 Advertising E-mail: Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Editorial E-mail: EditorialDept@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Publisher & Editor /Ad Sales Gary Nager Managing Editor / Photographer John C. Cotey Correspondents Celeste McLaughlin • Andy Warrener WCNT-tv Producer/Multimedia Specialist Gavin Olsen Graphic Designers Georgia Carmichael • Stephanie Vokes Flischel Advertising Sales & Office Assistant Janet Levins Billing Assistant Jannah McDonald

Nothing that appears in New Tampa Neighborhood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, without permission. Opinions expressed by New Tampa Neighborhood News writers are their own and do not reflect the publisher’s opinion. The deadline for outside editorial submissions and advertising space reservations for Volume 27, Issue 3, of New Tampa Neighborhood News is Monday, January 14, 2019. New Tampa Neighborhood News will consider previously nonpublished outside editorial submissions if they are double spaced, typed and less than 500 words. New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit and/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makes no guarantees regarding publication dates. New Tampa Neighborhood News will not return unsolicited editorial materials. New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit &/or reject any advertising. New Tampa Neighborhood News is not responsible for errors in advertising beyond the actual cost of the advertising space itself, nor for the validity of any claims made by its advertisers.

go along with our proposal, we actually were asked to resubmit the budget at a higher amount than what we had asked for originally. But, the most amazing thing about this, for me, was the list of the companies that Google selected to receive this GNI funding, which was part of the company’s announcement on Dec. 17: “Google News Initiative — We’re excited to announce the recipients of the GNI @YouTube innovation funding! These broadcasters, publishers, agencies and creators share a commitment to quality journalism & a drive to experiment with video storytelling.” “Hundreds of organizations submitted proposals through an open application process and today we’re sharing the 87 recipients. “Hailing from 23 countries around the world, they represent a diverse array of broadcasters, traditional and digital publishers, local media, agencies and creators, but all share a commitment to quality journalism and a spirit of innovation.” Among the 23 U.S. companies that were selected to receive this GNI funding were The Atlantic, Bloomberg, BuzzFeed News, CBS News, Fox News, The Hill, NBC News, The New York Times, Noticias Telemundo, PBS NewsHour/ WETA, Tribune Broadcasting, The Washington Post and some company that publishes 26 news magazines a year out of Wesley Chapel, FL, that also has a local Facebook- and Youtube-based TV show called WCNT-tv.

Crazy, right? But, it’s not as crazy as what Gavin and I and have come up with as to what we plan to do with Google’s funding. We will still have News Desks, Dining & Entertainment Reports and Business Features, plus some new, surprise segments with some new on-air talent. And yes, we are still looking to add more people who are interested in working on either side of the camera, from additional on-air talent to camera operators, editors, writers and sales professionals.

people view our WCNT-tv videos over the last two-and-a-half years — 750,000 total views and nearly 1.5 million minutes of viewing on Youtube and Facebook — we get even more eyeballs on our “Neighborhood News” Facebook posts, especially anytime we announce a new restaurant coming to the area (see page 37) or update the map of the S.R. 56 area. And, since becoming a local origination network has been my ultimate, long-term goal with WCNT-tv, sometime in early 2019, all of our videos, “Neighborhood News” Facebook posts and our news magazine’s website will all fall under one new umbrella — NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net, the “Online Network Serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel.” And, whether your business is currently a Neighborhood News advertiser or not, we will soon be rolling out new advertising packages that will include ads in one or both of our publications,

and on our website, as well as the opportunity to have a Featured Business segment professionally created for your business for one low price. In other words, 2019 should be a lot more than just my 25th anniversary as the owner/editor of the Neighborhood News. Won’t you join us? For advertising and career information, call (813) 910-2575.

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What’s In A Name? A Lot?

I really thought I was being clever when I came up with WCNT-tv as the name of our online programming back in June of 2016. In the “olden days” of TV, stations on the east coast of the U.S. and TV and radio networks began their call letters with a “W.” And, I used lower-case letters for “tv” because we’re technically not on TV, because (at least for now), we were only doing online videos. But, what I didn’t realize at that time was that what was missing from those call letters was the 25-year reputation this publication and I have built in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel. Everyone in our areas knows us as the Neighborhood News and even though we have had a lot of

Table of Contents Local News Updates.....................3-19

Pasco MPO Not Thrilled With Kinnan-Mansfield......4 Viera Looks To NTBC For Answers........................5 Fire Station 23 All Ready For January Opening.........6 Wesley Chapel’s Crystal Lagoon Finally Opens!.........8 New Tampa’s Top News Stories Of 2018...............10 New Tampa Residents Help In Panama City.............11 Diverging Diamond Starts Construction In Jan..........12 S.R. 54 Another Hotbed For New Development.........14 New Tampa Community Calendar..............................16

Local Business Updates..............20-25 Palms Pharmacy: New Location, Same Great Service....20 Samantha Taylor Fitness Offers Post-Holiday Help......22 The Learning Experience Grabs Attention...................24

Local School & Sports Updates... 28-34

New Tampa Impacts Wreaths Across America.........28 BG Tennis Takes Pressure Out Of Learning.............32 Wharton, Freedom Headed For Showdown............34

Neighborhood Magazine

New Tampa & Wesley Chapel’s Year In Food!........37 Snow Rolls Puts A New Twist On Ice Cream............40 Neighborhood Nibbles & Business Bytes.........42 New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Classifieds..........44 @NTWCNews

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Meadow Pointe resident Richard Traugt told Pasco’s MPO that connecting Kinnan St. to Mansfield Blvd. “would be insane.”

Pasco’s MPO Scuttles A Potential Kinnan-Mansfield Connection By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneightborhoodnews.com The long-simmering debate over whether or not Kinnan St. in New Tampa and Mansfield Blvd. in Wesley Chapel should have the 30-foot gap between the two roads paved over and connected may be on life support. At least that’s the way it felt on Dec. 13 at the Pasco Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) meeting in Dade City, where there was zero support for connecting the two roads. It looks like, frankly, it might literally be the end of the road for Kinnan. With a few dozen Meadow Pointe residents in the audience, the MPO was briefed on the Wesley Chapel Roadways Study — which had been presented to the public in a workshop back in May. The study, while coming to no conclusions, looked at multiple options for connecting Wesley Chapel and New Tampa at the Hillsborough-Pasco county line. The briefing, delivered by Meghan McKinney of the consulting firm AECOM, was followed by District 2 Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore delivering what may well be the eulogy for Kinnan-Mansfield. “Connecting Mansfield and Kinnan makes no sense for Pasco County residents,” Moore said. “It will only help the people in the developments in Hillsborough County just over the border. There are things (Hillsborough County) could have done in the past, like opening up Live Oak (Blvd.), but they got into a battle between Hillsborough and the City of Tampa. They could have opened that up, (but) didn’t do it. Now they want to put the burden on us? Shame on them.” Moore’s remarks were greeted with loud applause from the residents in attendance, eight of whom signed up to speak to the MPO, which is comprised of the five Pasco commissioners, city council members from Zephyrhills and New Port Richey, and the mayors of Port Richey and Dade City. Residents told the MPO that opening up Mansfield Blvd. to traffic from New Tampa, namely from new homes in K-Bar Ranch, would be a disaster. The 450-page report, using traffic projections for the year 2040, suggested the connection would add as many as 4,000 cars to Mansfield, a two-lane road — which many in attendance claimed cannot be widened, even though there has never been any proof of that claim presented by county staffers — running north to S.R. 56. “It would destroy the flavor of the community me and my neighbors bought into… and it would lower property values,” said Mi4

chael Kaufman, who also was critical of the City of Tampa’s decision this summer to approve 700 more homes in K-Bar Ranch, which backs up against the southern end of Meadow Pointe. “They (Tampa) are creating a problem; it’s not up to us to fix it,” he added. Mansfield Blvd. runs past an elementary, middle and high school, Pasco-Hernando State College and entrances to a handful of Meadow Pointe II communities. The safety of students attending those schools was the concern echoed by most. “It would be insane,” said Richard Traugt. “I’m against it for safety purposes alone.” “There is grave concern among Pasco County residents that this would have a severe and negative impact on the quality of life and safety,” said Chris Dillinger. “It is easy to dismiss our fears as whiny and the over-reactive opinion of a small group of residents, but this notion is especially convenient for those would benefit from accessing the short cut through our neighborhood.” At this point, the debate over KinnanMansfield may no longer raging, but other options to make connections remain viable and even had the lukewarm approval of some of the residents in attendance. Connecting Meadow Pointe Blvd. to K-Bar Ranch Pkwy., as well as Wyndfields Blvd. to K-Bar Ranch Pkwy., or even both, appeared to be palatable choices. Tampa and Hillsborough County have argued to connect all three. “I’ve heard nothing positive about Mansfield Blvd. being opened, period,” said Pasco’s Dist. 5 commissioner Jack Mariano. “Connecting to Meadow Pointe Blvd. is the most sensible one. If Hillsborough is blocking that, we’ve got a problem. We need to have a strong discussion with them.” Mariano joined Moore, Dade City mayor Camille Hernandez and Zephyrhills City council member Lance Smith in siding with the residents in attendance. Pasco commissioners Ron Oakley (District 1) and Kathryn Starkey (District 3) left after the presentation and before public comment, without offering their opinions, and three other MPO members did not attend. McKinney said Pasco will conduct a public opinion poll in February, with basically yes or no votes on the various connections. A standalone option for making the Kinnan-Mansfield connection will not be on the survey, but it will be included as part of the multiple connections options. Those results will be passed on to the MPO, who will then make a recommendation to Pasco’s commissioners.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 1 • January 2, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Is Wesley Chapel ‘Swallowing Up’ New Tampa? nationwide. causes — if there And yes, are any — of the she adds, just a recent closings of short drive north Ruby Tuesday, Staof New Tampa, ples, Bed Bath & Wesley Chapel is By JOHN C. COTEY Beyond and a slew hot and booming john@ntneightborhoodnews.com of other smaller right now, with businesses and At a recent town hall meeting held in restaurants located two malls, new New Tampa by Tampa City Councilman in the 33647 zip hotels and masLuis Viera, concerns were raised twice by code. sive growth along local residents about a number of recent “My reaction S.R. 56 that business closings in the area south of the when Luis called includes more Pasco County line. was I can underthan a dozen Luis Viera (left) and Hope Allen While no one had a good reason for stand the residents’ restaurants and the rash of closings in New Tampa, there perspective and it the hugely popular was some finger pointing — right at Wesley may appear that (Wesley Chapel is swallow- Florida Hospital Center Ice, with more Chapel. ing up New Tampa), but that is not what is projects and thousands of new homes in an “We are being swallowed up by Wesley happening,” Allen says. overflowing pipeline ready to take advanChapel,” said one Arbor Greene resident, Allen, who also says she has more than tage of an abundance of available land. who went on to suggest a grassroots 125 member businesses from New Tampa “I don’t think it’s one thing over the boycott of Wesley Chapel in an effort to in the NTBC, doesn’t think there is any other,” Allen says, “it’s all of it.” provide a boost to local business. one problem contributing to New Tampa’s And, now that Bruce B. Downs Blvd. “What is going on?,” asked another. perceived issue with store closings. has been widened to four lanes throughout To find the answer, Viera is seeking She says the years of endless construc- New Tampa, and two recent referendums the assistance of the North Tampa Bay tion on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. may have passed, boosting Hillsborough County’s Chamber of Commerce (NTBC), which played a role, as well as the way the area sales tax to 8.5 percent (as opposed to the was called the Wesley Chapel Chamber of was designed. Some businesses are difficult 7 percent in Pasco and Wesley Chapel), Commerce until Jan. 1 of this year. to access, due to location and entry points. there may be more reasons to head north. Viera, who is in his first term repreShe also says e-commerce, particularly Viera suggested creating a commitsenting Tampa’s District 7, which includes sites like Amazon.com, have had an effect tee, with a mixture of NTBC members, New Tampa, recently reached out to on all businesses, and big box stores and a Hillsborough County Commissioner NTBC president Hope Allen, hoping her chains like Ruby Tuesday, Bed Bath & Be- and New Tampa residents, to delve organization can help identify some of the yond and Staples are having similar troubles into not only the concerns raised at the

Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera wants to meet with North Tampa Bay Chamber CEO Hope Allen to discuss the economy in both communities.

town hall, but several others. That committee, to be formed in early 2019, would offer some possible recommendations and solutions that Viera would take to the Tampa City Council and Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners. “I expressed to Hope my concern that there was no direct laser focus of emphasis right now on New Tampa,” Viera said. “Our businesses fall under the direction of the chamber, and we should utilize that.” Viera also says that he refuses to just shrug his shoulders and accept that it is a big box store issue affecting everyone. He agrees with Allen that it is probably just not just one problem, but a combination of things. What those things are need to be uncovered, he says, so potential solutions can be developed. While a new project with shops, restaurants, a cultural center and a dog park is planned to be built across the street from the entrance to the Hunter’s Green community off BBD — and perhaps revitalize New Tampa in the process — Viera doesn’t think waiting is prudent. “Clearly, there’s a problem and its not just the fault of retail,” Viera says. “Something bigger is happening. Is the problem high rents? Bad suburban design? What is it that goes above and beyond the fault of retail? I think it’s a real problem for New Tampa. We’re trying to be proactive.”

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 1 • January 2, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

New Fire Station Set To Open; Plus, A Smoother Ride For New Tampa Blvd. By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneightborhoodnews.com New Tampa’s new fire station is ready to go. According to Jason Penny, the public information officer for the Tampa Fire Rescue department, the newly constructed Fire Station No. 23 just south of County Line Rd. should be fully functional and staffed sometime in January, though no official date has been set for the new station’s ribbon cutting. “For all intent and purposes, it is done,” Penny said. “We’re just putting the finishes touches on it and waiting for the certificate of occupancy.” Everything assigned to Fire Station 23 has already been hard at work since July. The truck, fire engine, rescue car and crew are currently working at stations in Ybor City (No. 4), on Hillsborough Ave. (No. 12) and off N. 30th St. near Busch Gardens (No. 13). Station No. 23 will be New Tampa’s fourth fire station, but the first new station in our area since 2012. It is expected to ease the pressure on Stations No. 21 and No. 22, which are both located on Cross Creek Blvd. Fire Station No. 23 is located right down County Line Rd. from Grand Hampton, which has roughly 900 homes, as well as other still developing communities in the area.

Tampa Fire Rescue Station No. 23, located on County Line Rd., west of Bruce B. Downs Blvd., is ready to open, as a new crew is set to move in sometime in January.

Station 23 also will be home to a new District Fire Chief responsible for coordinating efforts between all of New Tampa’s stations — Nos. 21, 22, 23 and No. 20 in Tampa Palms.

Tampa Now Repaving Parts Of New Tampa Blvd

Work began right before Christmas on smoothing over some of the trouble spots on New Tampa Blvd.’s bike and pedestrian trail that runs through the West Meadows community. The pathway has faced criticism from local residents for years due to its cracked, bumpy and uneven surface

that makes bike riding and even walking potentially dangerous. District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera was alerted to the poor condition of the path by a Hunter’s Green resident who often biked the path, and Viera says he was shocked when he went to take a look. “I hadn’t been on it in a long time, to be honest, so I was a little struck by the disrepair,” Viera says. He adds that he called Jean Duncan at the City of Tampa Transportation and Stormwater Services Department to see if something could be done. Originally scheduled for the spring,

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 1 • January 2, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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The City of Tampa is repairing some of the rougher patches on the New Tampa Blvd. bike and pedestrian path.

the project was moved up and began on Dec. 13, and was expected to be completed this month. While it doesn’t appear to be the complete renovation of the path that some had hoped for, the worst parts on the path have now been paved over by asphalt.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 1 • January 2, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

The First Crystal Lagoons® Amenity In The U.S. Opens In Epperson! By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneightborhoodnews.com It’s open! Finally! After overcoming some permitting snafus, issues with pricing and two grand openings, the first Crystal Lagoons® Amenity in the U.S. has, officially, opened for business adjacent to Metro Development Group’s Epperson community in Wesley Chapel. Dozens of Epperson residents streamed into the facility on Dec. 9 for a preview event, with an official Christmas in Paradise event held the following week, serving as something of a second grand opening and a reward to residents for their patience. “We’re open for business, seven days a week” said Eric Wahlbeck, the managing director of Metro Lagoons and the former director of parks, recreation and public works for the Town of Bellair, FL. “We’re going to have a varying schedule based on the weather and the time of the year, but other than that, everything’s open and ready to go.” The 7.5-acre lagoon is the centerpiece of an Epperson community that, while currently having a few hundred homes built, will one day have 4,000. The coveted and much-anticipated amenity had originally held a grand opening on April 28, featuring food trucks, entertainment and an appearance by 23-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps.

However, before the amenity could be completely finished, Pasco County issued a stop-work order after it was discovered that 19 structures had been built at the lagoon without proper permits. That was followed by an issue with the pricing for residents, which Metro says has since been resolved. Right now, Metro says that no additional fees are being paid by those who live in Epperson. As for non-residents, they will not be allowed to access the lagoon unless they are guests of residents, at least for now, which may currently be something of a moot point, since it is not heated. Non-residents will be permitted to use the lagoon sometime in 2019, when passes will become available for purchase. The Crystal Lagoon does clearly deliver on the promise of crystal clear water, a beach-type setting and enough room for kayaking, paddleboarding and more. Wahlbeck says a bar and small restaurant will be open by early April, and until then, food trucks will continue to be available at various times for residents. The resident preview was a big hit, he added. “It was awesome,” Wahlbeck said. “Everybody’s waited so patiently and so long. It was just awesome seeing everybody going down the slide and on the Wibit (an inflatable water platform) and just hanging out and having a good time.” For information about the Epperson community and Metro Lagoons by Crystal Lagoons®, visit MetroPlaces.com.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 1 • January 2, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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New Tampa Says ‘Goodbye, 2018!’ — Remembering Some Of Our Top Stories By JOHN C. COTEY

One of the best things about working for a local publication are the stories. Stories that are sometimes about your friends and neighbors and your children’s schoolmates, or the road you drive to work or your favorite local restaurant. And, there are the stories about people you didn’t know, but do now, and maybe you’ll share a wave at Publix that you wouldn’t have otherwise. Some are happy stories, and some are sad. Too many sad stories, sometimes. But, almost all of them are memorable, in one way or another. Here are some of the most popular, according to Facebook and our website, and memorable stories we wrote this year, in no particular order: CHAMPS! Hey, everyone likes a winner, right, and in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel we definitely had our share in 2018. Like Nelson Agholor. It’s doubtful many people even knew the Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver attended Liberty Middle School until he made our cover, and to be honest, we didn’t know either until his Eagles won the Super Bowl. But sure enough, he was a flag football legend back in the day — and a pretty good hoopster, too — before going on to become a football star and a Super Bowl champ.

And, let’s not forget a little way up the road at Florida Hospital Center Ice, where the U.S. Olympic women’s hockey team trained in preparation for winning their own championship, an Olympic gold medal in South Korea. The nailbiting shootout win over arch-rival Canada was one of the most classic hockey finishes in Olympic history. Could they have done it without the warm weather and

friendly hospitality of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel filling their souls with a strength unlike any other? We’d like to think not. And, who has a friend that had a child play on a team that won a championship this year, like the Turner-Bartels boys hoops team winning that school’s first title, or the boys and girls track team winning a first district title for Benito? *Raises hand*

NEWS There were so many stories we did on kids winning chess championships and math and debate competitions and starting their own clubs that we lost count (and by the way, keep those stories coming!). But do you know what people really liked to read and comment on? Traffic! (Right?) But mostly roads. So, which road do we start with? We could start with Bruce B Downs, which we declared was Bruce B. Done, which was mostly true according to the county, until some paving issues arose, and those finishing touches that were supposed to be completed turned out to be more numerous than expected. However....it’s still a dramatic improvement and soon, very soon, the big trucks and orange-vested fellows will be gone, and BBD’s completion really is the highlight of many people’s transportation year. Now, about Kinnan-Mansfield... Oh, never mind. Even with 700 new homes okayed for neighboring K-Bar Ranch, Pasco County is standing firm in its opposition to connecting the two roads. It appears hopeless. That leaves the folks in K-Bar with one way in and out, and that makes for a pretty bleak commuting future for those who can’t afford to put a helicopter pad in their backyards.

COMMUNITY In with the new and out with old, they say. Local voters nearly booted Ken Hagan off the Hillsborough Board of Commissioners, but while he survived, long-time resident and political representative Victor Crist did not. Same goes for fellow New Tampa resident Shawn Harrison. But, fresh faces like county commissioner Mariella Smith (she defeated Crist) and State Representative Fentrice Driskell (she beat Harrison) should offer a fresh perspective and some new ideas. Hopefully, they will benefit New Tampa. District 7 City Council member Luis Viera is running for re-election in 2019, and he had another busy year. We don’t want to say the guy is everywhere and at every event, but we actually saw him bagging groceries at Winn-Dixie, mowing our neighbor’s lawn, handing out programs at a Wharton orchestra event, helping someone find the right flooring at Home Depot, playing trivia at the Fat Rabbit and holding a townhall with three people at a bus stop. And that was all in the same day!

We will say this — 2018 may have been as busy a year as there has been in terms of activism for bettering our area. If you have a complaint, there’s a place for you in New Tampa. There is a New Tampa Council, there is a group that meets to fight for pedestrian safety, there is a group that argued against the re-naming of the New Tampa Library, there were multiple town halls, there were meetings at the library and there were forums and workshops and studies and presentations. If you really want to know, there’s no excuse not to. It was a good year for New Tampa, as work continues on traffic issues, roads and sidewalks are being studied and the New Tampa Rec Center expansion and autism park steam towards

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completion — all items that continue to be pushed at the multitude of public events in New Tampa. EVENTS A beer tasting event in an event center at Catholic church? Sign us up! Seriously, the New Tampa Brew Fest was arguably the best event we attended all year, and not just because they had to kick us out at the end of the night. Twice. While there is plenty of room to improve, and we hope they stick around and give it a second shot because New Tampa needs more events like this. The Taste of New Tampa was, as usual, another wonderful event as well, and nothing beats doing it indoors at the largest skating facility south of New York. We want more, people. Get to work. SADNESS New Tampa has had its fair share of awful tragedy over the years, often making national news, and 2018 was no exception, as sadness gripped the area following the death of West Meadows resident Pedro Aguerreberry in June. Riding bikes with his 3- and 8-yearold sons, 42-year-old Pedro was struck and killed by mentally ill Mikese Morse (who has since been declared unfit to stand trial). It was a devastating loss for his family and friends. Pedro was universally loved by everyone who knew him. And, while we didn’t, we certainly wish we had.

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New Tampa Residents Send Help To Panama City In Michael’s Wake By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

While it’s now been nearly three months since Hurricane Michael ravaged Florida’s panhandle on October 10, many of its residents are still homeless and very much in need. New Tampa resident Susan Harrison’s hometown of Panama City was devastated by the storm and she wanted to do something to help. Harrison is the wife of former Florida House District 63 Representative Shawn Harrison, who lost his re-election bid in November. “Right now, 75 percent of the structures in Panama City have been destroyed,” Susan says. “It’s the weirdest thing to have to use my GPS to get around my hometown. I don’t recognize anything.” Right after the storm, Susan collected about 100 blankets and sleeping bags from friends and neighbors and delivered them directly to the schools that were being used as shelters. At that time, she says she and her sister looked at all the kids who are now homeless — she says 3,800 school kids are still living in tents in the panhandle — and said to each other, “We need to get these kids some Christmas.” Susan says she believed there were people back in New Tampa who would like to help, so she decided to reach out to them. When Susan shared her idea with her Bible study and posted it on Facebook, she says the idea took off. Her friends and fellow New Tampa residents Sharon Kaelin, Tracy Guice and Lori Bleckley all jumped in to help, and their efforts spread exponentially. “So many people have come together to donate things to make this happen,” says Susan. “Probably 60-70 people have donated and made it what it is.” “We had 100 bags filled to the brim,” she added, and delivered them to Panama City just before Christmas. They packed large shopping bags full of both essentials and things people would want. There are some for women, some for boys and some for girls, including babies, toddlers, kids and teenagers. “Each one had a blanket, socks, hat, gloves, toothbrush and toothpaste,” she

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found homes for many pets whose families could no longer care for them because they lost their homes. Once she had the animals settled in temporary homes while their owners tried to rebuild their lives, Lisa realized that the only way to get the pets home was to help the people. “Lisa has so many great connections and got people to come from all over to come and take the dogs and cats out,” Susan explains. “She has a big storage unit she usually uses for dog food, but now she’s using it to help get people back up and running, so the dogs and cats can go back home.” Susan says the devastation in Panama City is a truly longterm problem that will need attention in the months to come. She explains that even families Susan Harrison (left) rented a U-Haul (top right) and who have insurance on their delivered 100 gift bags to families in her hometown of Pan- homes may be stuck, as their ama City who are still reeling from Hurricane Michael. jobs have disappeared and they can’t afford the deductible to says, “and then the kids’ have toys such as rebuild their homes, which can soccer balls, baby dolls, footballs and cars, easily cost $10,000 or more. while the women’s bags have makeup, loAt least during the holidays, though, tion and soap.” Lori’s Bible study, called Community Bible Study, which is held at St. James United Methodist Church, donated a devotion book and wrote Bible verses and tied them to the outside of the bags for encouragement. Sharon came up with the idea to ask kids from the Young Life club at Wharton High to donate candy bars, so that people of all ages had a hand in contributing gifts to the kids of Panama City. About 100 candy bars were donated by high school students from Wharton for the effort.

many of those families were brought a little Christmas cheer, thanks to the generosity of people who live more than 300 miles away. “It’s an opportunity for people to realize that Christmas is really about giving, and that people are hurting,” explains Susan. “As hard as life as can be for us, there are people who are without basic needs, people who did everything right. Mother Nature is Mother Nature. She came through and she doesn’t discriminate.” After receiving bags for her family, a mom in Panama City sent Susan a text message that said: “Thank you so much for the gift bags. There’s definitely something for everyone in them. I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate what you’ve done for my family, so thank you again from the bottom of my heart.”

Making The Connection

To distribute the bags to those in need, Susan connected with an organization in Panama City that typically helps pets. When the storm hit, the organization’s founder, Lisa Jackson, quickly

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 1 • January 2, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

S.R. 56 Interchange To Begin Building In January

By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com

In what could be considered an early Christmas gift to local holiday shoppers, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) decided to hold off on beginning construction of the diverging diamond interchange (DDI) planned for the intersection of S.R. 56 and I-75 (see FDOT map above). Construction of the three-year, nearly $40-million project was originally supposed to kick off in November. “In my opinion, it was a good idea,” said Ryan Forrestel of American Consulting Engineers (ACE), the design project manager for the project. ACE holds the patent on the diverging diamond design. Although he adds that he wasn’t involved in the decision to delay the project, “it

was a good idea to avoid the holiday.” The delay may have saved shoppers this month, but in January, the project will begin in earnest and drivers can expect to begin experiencing slowdowns, Forrestel said. The DDI was originally slated to begin in 2024 before getting moved up, so the delay is minor by comparison. With its crossover pattern, switching traffic lanes and timed lights, the DDI is expected to ease congestion at the busy intersection, which is near the Tampa Premium Outlets and a dozen or so restaurants, while also serving as primary gateway for those heading to, or home from, Tampa. DDIs are growing in popularity nationwide, and last year one opened to great reviews in Sarasota, the first DDI in Florida. There are also plans to build one at the I-75 and MLK Blvd. interchange in Tampa.

NTNN Exp. 1/31/2019

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Commercial Development Is Heating Up On S.R. 54, Too! By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com For the last few years, when people have talked about the growth in Wesley Chapel, they mainly have focused on the S.R. 56 corridor, from west of I-75 all the way east to the Wiregrass Ranch Development of Regional Impact (DRI). Now, however, it appears that the portion of S.R. 54 from near I-75, east to Morris Bridge Rd./Eiland Blvd., also is heating up, as a flood of new meetings, permits and construction are already beginning to transform the one-time sleepy road that cuts through the middle of the county from Zephyrhills to New Port Richey. In Wesley Chapel, the aforementioned segment of the S.R. 54 corridor has been sparsely populated with businesses and restaurants. But, with the widening of the road all the way to Zephyrhills, as well as a house-building boom taking place on the north side of 54 (in addition to the growth of the northern portion of Wiregrass Ranch), Wesley Chapel’s portion of S.R. 54 is taking its turn as a fast-growing area. “I think it will be the next area where you see some things happening,” said Hope Allen of the North Tampa Chamber of Commerce. “There are a lot of things coming to that corridor.” And, it’s not just businesses. On the north side of S.R. 54, Avalon Park West and WaterGrass (on Curley Rd.) are still building hundreds of homes and even smaller communities like Saddleridge Estates are still adding new homes. In between those soon-to-be larger developments, the massive high-tech Connected City project, which is starting in Epperson, features the first Crystal Lagoons® amenity in the U.S. (which is finally open; see pg. 8), and soon in Mirada, which also will be home to a lagoon. The nearly 8,000 acres of the Connected City are bordered by S.R. 52 to the north and Overpass Rd. to the south, and from I-75 to the west and Curley Rd. to the east. Combined, Epperson and Mirada will have nearly 6,000 new homes and 1,500 apartments. “First come the homes, then the commercial,” says Bill Nye, founder of Century 21 Bill Nye Realty, Inc. Nye has been in real estate in the area since 1974, long before there was anything on S.R. 54, and when Pasco’s C.R. 581 (now called Bruce B. Downs Blvd., or BBD) was nothing but a dirt road. Over the years, Nye has watched the Porter family ease along the development of Wiregrass Ranch, and has seen the Sierra family’s vision for the western portion of S.R. 56 come to fruition. He says that most of the property on S.R. 54 isn’t owned by a Porter or a Sierra. Instead, a hodgepodge of owners are now cashing in. Nye says the “For Sale” signs along S.R. 54 are snowflakes — “You don’t see any two signs that are from the same owner,” he says. A majority of the traffic emanating from all those new homes is likely to pass right through the intersection of BBD and S.R. 54, and local drivers will soon have 14

new places to stop for gas, coffee, lunch, dinner, groceries and more. And there is still a wealth of options coming along S.R. 56, from the Lutz area past the Shops at Wiregrass mall. “I think everyone is growing together,” says District 2 commissioner Mike Moore, who along with District 1 commissioner Ron Oakley, represents the Wesley Chapel area on the Pasco County Board of Commissioners. “One thing comes, and then more things come.” Here is an update on everything that is under construction, in permitting or proposed for the area along S.R. 54: 1. Nye Commons: This little strip center recently hosted a ribbon cutting for its six businesses, including the popular O.T.B. (“Only the Best”) Café, which has moved right up the road from its previous location across BBD from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

2. 3. This will be Wesley Chapel’s third Wawa, joining two locations on S.R. 56. After a seemingly endless stay in permitting, the new store is now going up quickly.

Wesley Chapel’s second Chick-filA gained final approval in July. Ground should be breaking any day now. 5. Dunkin’ Donuts is still under construction, and Dental Care at Quail Hollow is all but complete. There may be additional retail coming to what is called the Scherer Center. 6. The Publix at Hollybrook Plaza (on the corner of BBD and S.R. 54) is escaping the traffic and moving closer to the new Wal-Mart. Publix closed on the land for its new location in October. 7. Parks Ford of Wesley Chapel is in the middle of a major expansion that is expected to be completed by early spring 2019. 8. As part of the development of the northernmost portion of Wiregrass Ranch, a new strip center is going up that could be home to two new restaurants. They’re not named in the county filings, but the 5,610and 6,995-sq.-ft. spaces are both labeled for retail/restaurant. 9. Already under construction, the RaceTrac will give local travelers four

1 options for gas and snacks. Also under construction immediately to the west of RaceTrac is Bay Breeze Car Wash’s 10th location in Tampa Bay, and first in Wesley Chapel. 10. The Pasco C-Center: According to a conceptual plan filed with Pasco County, this center is proposing a fast food restaurant with a drive-through, a 14,698-sq.-ft. pharmacy with a 4,000-sqft. retail building divided for three businesses, and a 5,500-sq.-ft. retail building divided for four occupants. Of course, we’ll keep you posted.

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Curley Rd

7 8

SR-54 Map Key Recently Constructed Under Construction

Existing Businesses

Further East on SR54 Confirmed near the intersection of SR-54 & Meadow Pointe Blvd. Pending near Mowrey Rd. Across from All American Auto & Family Dollar.

Proposed Roadway

Consult Page 4 to identify numbered parcels.

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JANUARY 2019 Wednesday, January 2

Business Networking International (BNI) - BNI meets every Wednesday, 7:30 am, at Mulligans Irish Pub inside Pebble Creek Golf Club (10550 Regents Park Dr.). For more info, call Bill Sullivan (813) 994-1143.

Fresh Market at Wiregrass - The first Saturday of January, you can enjoy the popular Fresh Market at Wiregrass from 10 am-2 pm. Shop for fresh produce, handmade crafts, candles, sauces, fresh bread, and so much more. Located along Paseo Dr. The Fresh Market will resume the 1st & 3rd Saturday schedule in February)

New Year, Same Hustle: Free Community Boot Camp - Camp Gladiator is a lifechanging fitness movement dedicated to transforming lives through workouts led by Partners In Network (PIN) - PIN is a group of professional Men & Women, one inspirational trainers. Enjoy 60 minutes of amazing at your favorite place to shop. specializing in each area of business, who meet to network, share business referrals Participants will need: an exercise mat, 1-2 bottles of water, sweat towel, a smile and and attain business prosperity - meet every Wednesday for Lunch at Tampa Palms a great attitude. At Tampa Premium Outlets (2300 Grand Cypress Dr.), Lutz. Every Country Club at 11:30 am. For info, call Georgianna Strickland (813) 477-7306. Saturday at 8:30am. For info, email christineiloni@campgladiator.com. Rotary Club Of New Tampa Noon - The New Tampa Noon Rotary Club meets Tuesday, January 8 Wednesdays at Noon at Mulligan’s Irish Pub (in the Pebble Creek Golf Club). Keep It Local New Tampa/Wesley Chapel - Keep It Local meetings provide the Guests are always welcome. For more info, search “New Tampa Noon Rotary” opportunity to build strong business connections. This Free event takes place every on Facebook. Tuesday, 11:30 am-12:45 pm at Grillsmith, 2000 Piazza Avenue, Bldg. 4, Suite 100, Thursday, January 3 Wesley Chapel, FL 33543. For more info, call Marino at (813) 513-9001. North Tampa Veterans meeting - All armed forces veterans are invited to Saturday, January 19 weekly lighthearted Dutch-treat breakfast at Steak ‘n Shake just off BBD Blvd. (17509 North Palms Village Place) every Thursday, 7:30 am. Get acquainted and Light Up the Night 5k & 1 Mile Run/Walk - Join the Pasco Sheriff’s Office (in raising awareness to end Human Trafficking) for the Light Up the Night (LUTN) 5k and 1 your tell tales, new and old. Bring your spouse and your brag sheet. mile run/walk, Jan. 19th, 8 am-noon, at the Pasco-Hernando State College, Porter North Tampa Bay Chamber Coffee Social - Free networking in a relaxed network- Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd, Wesley Chapel. For more info, ing environment, held the first Thursday of the month, 8 a.m.-9 am. This month’s visit LightUpTheNightTampaBay.com. Coffee Social will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn, Suncoast Pkwy, 2155 Northpointe Pkwy, Lutz. For more info, call Grace Martin at (813) 994-8534. Blood Drive at The Shops at Wiregrass - One Blood’s Big Red Bus will be at The Shops at Wiregrass on Thursday, January 3, noon-6 pm. OneBlood is a not-forprofit community asset. For more Info, visit OneBlood.org.

Friday, January 4

Rotary Club of New Tampa - The New Tampa Rotary Club meets every Friday for breakfast at 7 am 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. North Tampa Bay Chamber WOW - NTBC WOW meets 1st Friday of the month, 7:30-9:00am at Beach House Assisted Living at Wiregrass, 30070 SR 56, Wesley Chapel - 2nd Fl Activity Room. Featured speaker: Jackie Walker - Fashionista, Author & Entertainer. Admission: $5. More info, call 813-994-8534.

Saturday, January 5

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

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CALL NOW TO SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT!

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Complimentary Implant consultation & Second Opinion

• Implant placement • Implant restoration • Extraction • Dentures, partials & repairs • Crowns & Bridges • Composite White fillings • Root Canal Therapy • Gum Treatment • Invisalign • Zoom • Veneers • Snore Prevention Devices • TMJ Aplliances

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January 31, 2019

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The Palms Pharmacy Didn’t Have To Move Very Far For Its New Location! read books and asked questions of many people who served as mentors to her, eventually opening Palms Pharmacy and hiring Naivis to work alongside her.

By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

At the Palms Pharmacy, located at The Shoppes at The Pointe in Tampa Palms, Shahida Choudhry, Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.), promises personalized service you won’t find in a typical chain drug store. As the third anniversary of the pharmacy’s opening approaches in April, Palms Pharmacy has recently moved next door to its former space in the same plaza. The new location is larger, allowing more room for pharmacists and technicians to work, a separate room for prescription compounding, and another separate room where durable medical equipment (such as walkers, crutches and nebulizers) is sold and fittings for compression garments are done. Dr. Choudhry wants customers to see and feel the difference from the moment they walk in the door, with a warm, welcoming space where coffee is offered and natural soaps lightly scent the air. “It even smells nice,” Dr. Choudhry laughs. “People who come in expect concierge service,” she explains, “which they get and we enjoy.” That means Dr. Choudhry and her staff get to know their customers. Not only do they learn their names to be able to greet them personally and start getting their prescriptions ready as they’re walking in the door, they also learn about their patients’ medications to be able to

Success Spurs Growth

Dr. Shahida Choudhry and her Palms Pharmacy have moved...but don’t worry, it’s only next door in the same Shoppes at The Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms, in a bigger store to accommodate the independent pharmacy’s ongoing growth. (Photos: Gavin Olsen) provide the best possible care for them. “We ask questions and we get to know them,” she says. “It’s a cool process.” Dr. Choudhry received her Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy, then went on to receive her Pharm.D. degree, both from Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY, in 2001. Before opening Palms Pharmacy, Dr. Choudhry was the pharmacist at the Publix in Tampa Palms

for 10 years. She loved her job and her customers, and enjoyed working with pharmacy technician Naivis Valdez. “It was comfortable and I learned so much,” she says. However, Dr. Choudhry also says she was looking for a better balance to her work life and home, where she had two small children, and thought she could help patients more if she had her own pharmacy. So, she says, she took classes and

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 1 • January 2, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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As the business has grown, so has the staff at Palms Pharmacy. Today, there are six employees, including a second full-time pharmacist, two pharmacy students and a pharmacy clerk. “Now that we’ve been here more than two and a half years, hopefully people realize we’re here to stay,” Dr. Choudhry says. “We do exactly the same as every other pharmacy,” she continues, “but we do it better.” She says this includes a wait time that is usually “next to nothing,” along with compounding medications and selling durable medical equipment not sold at typical big chain pharmacies. She and her staff also provide immunizations such as flu shots, vaccines for pneumonia and shingles, and travel vaccines. They also thrive on helping patients with especially complicated health or insurance issues. Dr. Choudhry says that when insurance companies decline to cover a patient’s medications, that’s when she picks up the phone. “I know the doctors and the medical assistants,” she says. “I work with them to get their patients what they

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need, usually within the day.” This is in huge contrast to other pharmacies, which may take 7-10 days to come up with a solution when an insurance company won’t cover a medication. In fact, Dr. Choudhry says many of her patients find Palms Pharmacy through their doctors. “Doctors are supportive of us because we take care of their patients,” she says. Clarence Williams is one patient who found Palms Pharmacy when his doctor recommended it. He drives to Tampa Palms from his home off County Line Rd., passing several big chain pharmacies along the way. He says the personalized attention he receives is worth it. “They know all the medications you’re taking,” he says, and will suggest alternatives “if there’s one that’s better for you or cheaper.” Clarence says Palms Pharmacy has great communication with his doctor, checking with the doctor before making any changes, and he appreciates the phone calls he gets when his medications come in or when he’s due for a refill. “The people working there are friendly and reliable and they just do a good job,” he says. “They go one step further than everyone else.” Dr. Choudhry says that’s the commitment Palms Pharmacy has to all of its patients. “We recently had a patient come in who is in his early 30s. We saw that he had been prescribed diabetic medi-

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(Above, left) The new Palms Pharmacy is larger, more attractive and has more inventory. (Right) Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera attended the new location’s Grand Opening in Nov.

cation,” says Dr. Choudhry, explaining it was a red flag for someone so young. Dr. Choudhry found that the patient hadn’t really paid a lot of attention or given it much thought when his doctor suggested the medication because he is pre-diabetic. She says she challenged him to make some lifestyle changes, such as exercise and diet, to avoid having fullblown diabetes. “I scared him,” she says, “but sometimes people need that, especially if they’re pre-diabetic in their early 30s.” Dr. Choudhry says that at another pharmacy, they would just hand you your medication and you would leave. “We don’t want to do that,” she says. Dr. Choudhry has also taken classes to specialize in hormone balancing for women and men. She reviews lab work

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provided by a patient’s doctor, prescribes the appropriate hormones and gets approval from the doctor for them. She says it’s gratifying to have the doctors’ trust and help patients in this way.

Unique Gifts, Too!

Palms Pharmacy also sells natural vitamins and supplements, from companies such as Pure, Nordic, Metagenics and Mason. The store also sells LovePop popup greeting cards and all-natural products in the Zum line, such as Zum Bar all-natural soaps, Zum Kiss lip products, Zum Body lotions, Zum Rub moisturizers with shea butter and Zum Mist aromatherapy & body mists. Palms Pharmacy patients also can use a free app, called “RxLocal” to refill their prescriptions, receive reminders and

interact with the pharmacy staff. Dr. Choudhry says opening her own pharmacy has been extremely rewarding. “I love it,” she says. “From the clinical side, I have a say in patients’ health care. Physicians listen to me and they ask me what I recommend. This is why I went to school, to affect my patients’ health care.” In addition to helping patients, Palms Pharmacy works in the community, from supporting the Parent Teacher Associations at Chiles and Tampa Palms elementary schools to providing over-thecounter and prescription medications for medical students from nearby University of South Florida who travel around the world on medical mission trips. “We’re growing every day and it’s a blessing,” Dr. Choudhry says. “I wake up every morning and I’m excited to get to work every day.” Palms Pharmacy is located at 17008 Palm Pointe Dr. and is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. For more information, call (813) 2529063, visit ThePalmsPharmacy.com or see their ad on page 10 of this issue.

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Samantha Taylor Fitess Helps Women Build More Than Just Better Bodies By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

Samantha Taylor Fitness has helped thousands of women change their lives by helping them not only lose weight, but keep it off. In July, owner Samantha Taylor’s Wesley Chapel personal training studio moved from its former location on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (across from Florida Hospital/Advent Health Wesley Chapel) to its own building off of S.R. 56, near I-75, in the Cypress Ridge Professional Center (off Cypress Ridge Blvd.). The new location is bigger, with a larger personal training room. It features upgraded specialty rubber floors, and Samantha says clients prefer the private, first-floor entrance. Also this year, Samantha Taylor Fitness opened a location in Palm Harbor. Samantha now has five Tampa Bay-area locations, including nearby Land O’Lakes, plus Carrollwood and Westchase. Each woman who walks through the doors of any of her fitness studios is someone whose life Samantha hopes to change. Samantha says women who come to her are often the heaviest they’ve ever been. They’re frustrated, and have a lack of energy and medical problems caused by being overweight. They tell her they have tried all kinds of diets and nothing has worked for them. But, she says, the new year is a perfect time to do something different to lose

Kate Green has lost 60 pounds in two years, thanks to Samantha Taylor Fitness and has kept it off, giving her more energy to do things like ziplining, she says.

weight and finally keep it off. This is especially true if every year you think you are going to make changes, but then the next year rolls around and you find yourself in the same situation, or worse. “Everyone thinks they’re going to set goals and be focused and lose weight, but most people don’t,” Samantha says. “I want to encourage people to start this year different. We have a proven track record, so women can get results. When 2020 comes, they can look back and say, ‘Look what I did in 2019.’” Women who come to Samantha Taylor Fitness find 30-minute workouts and

education about how to eat to lose weight and keep it off. They also find a community of support, which is proven to help women stay on track — and have fun. Samantha herself is a Certified Personal Trainer who began her career 26 years ago and launched her own business 19 years ago. “We’re teaching women a way to eat that they love,” says Samantha. “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

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lifestyle they can keep for life.” She says that things like knowing how to cook and knowing how to eat in real-life situations — like at holiday parties or on vacation — is critical for long-term success, along with understanding why you gain weight, and then modifying your behavior so you don’t gain it back. Whether a client wants personal training — the most customized and private option — or boot camp classes, both programs start with a completely free, no-obligation consultation called a “Body Transformation Analysis” to determine your goals help the professionals at Samantha Taylor Fitness and plan a fitness program. Personal training can be done one-on-one, semi-private, or in 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. Now, those monthly sessions include images taken by the new 3D body scan machine, which takes measurements and analyzes body fat digitally. “Clients can see the changes visually with 3D images and printouts,” explains Samantha. “They can see how their body is changing and the progression of their

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measurements and their body’s shape.” Clients who choose the boot camp option attend regular or beginner sessions, which vary in cardiovascular intensity levels. Several classes are offered every day, and women choose three or more times each week to attend. “Our clients like that our workouts are only 30 minutes,” says Samantha. “They’re in and out and don’t have to be at the gym for hours.” One of those clients is Neighborhood News editor Gary Nager’s fiancée Jannah McDonald, who had lost more than 13 pounds after only a couple of months attending the boot camps. “I have more energy and feel great,” Jannah says, “and I like that there are different instructors who all get to know you and what you can and can not do. They give you lots of feedback and support, too.” Like Jannah, 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.”

Where Are They Now?

A year ago, we wrote about Samantha’s clients Judy McFarland and Kate Green, who are both in their sixties. At that time, Judy had lost 31 pounds and 36 inches in just a few months, exceeding her goal of losing 25 pounds. Judy has now lost a total of 34 pounds. Kate (photos

on previous page) not only lost the 50 pounds she wanted to lose, she dropped from 170 to 110 pounds, which remains her current weight. Both say their lives are completely different, and they are now in the best shape of their respective lives. Neither has any fear of putting the weight back on. Kate now spends most weekends zip-lining and completing obstacle courses at a local outdoor adventure park, and Judy just completed a half-marathon, running without stopping for 13 miles. “This has transformed my life,” says Judy. “Not only my body, but my whole way of life, and I couldn’t be happier.” She credits Samantha’s eating plan, high-quality workouts with excellent trainers, and the support she receives. “It’s a very friendly, loving environment,” says Judy. “They are there to keep you motivated and hold you accountable. They’re like a family.” Samantha says that sense of community is something that is intentionally fostered at her fitness studios, and is like nothing else women can find. There are monthly member socials, such as puttputt golf, zip lining and pot luck dinners. There are webinars to encourage healthy eating and trainer-led support groups. She emphasizes that anyone can do what Judy and Kate have done, even in their sixties. “As people get older, they think life is declining and they can’t do these things anymore,” says Samantha. “These women are defying that. Their quality of life is

affected in a positive way with the changes they’ve made.” Kate says before she found Samantha Taylor, she had been retired for a year and was overweight and out of shape. “I was miserable,” Kate says. “I didn’t want to do anything or go anywhere, which led to being sedentary and overeating. It was a godsend for me to find her and get into this program. This was the right program for me, and it works beautifully. I haven’t had this much fun in my entire life as I am right now.”

The Six-Week Challenge!

Beginning in late January, 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). To register, or for more information, go to 6weekBTC.com. Samantha also does a regular segment on “Tampa Bay’s Morning Blend,” which airs on WFTS-TV, the local ABC affiliate. She brings guests on the show, sometimes clients, and shares nutritious recipes, which she says are delicious. For recipes and to view segments of the show, including Judy and Kate’s stories in their own words from when they were Samantha’s guests on “Tampa Bay’s Morning Blend,” visit SamanthaTaylorFitness.com. The Wesley Chapel Samantha Taylor Fitness studio is located is at 2609

Five New Year’s Tips From Samantha Taylor:

Eat more fat and less sugar and carbs.

Eliminate fried food choices when you eat at restaurants. And, right when the server gets to the table, tell them, “No bread for this table.”

Be mindful about your food choices and think about how you will feel after you eat them. You must do this before you eat the food!

Slow down when you eat and actually chew your food, don’t scarf it down. This will help reduce the amount of calories you eat and help with digestion.

Work out three times a week with an effective program where you can have consistency and accountability.

Ridge Brook Dr., Wesley Chapel. For more information, see the ad on pg. 21 or call (813) 377-3739.

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The Learning Experience Offers Award-Winning Experience For Your Child By JOHN C. COTEY

When Jhana Pardue fell in love with the curriculum at The Learning Experience, and the way they treated her son, and pretty much everything about the facility, she decided to buy her own. She didn’t expect, less than two years later, to have one of the top locations across the country, to have more than two dozen employees, a waiting list and to have had all of the growth she has had. “It has been amazing,” say Jhana, unable to contain an ear-to-ear smile from behind her desk at the The Learning Experience of New Tampa, which is located across County Line Rd. from the SuperTarget, behind L.A. Fitness. Last year, 90 percent of the school’s first two VPK classes of 39 total students were reading — thanks to the Fun With Phonics program and great teachers, she says — by the time they graduated to kindergarten. This year, there are four VPK classes of 67 students, and Jhana says at least 90 percent will again graduate with the ability to read. “I want to say 100 percent, but I don’t want to jinx it,” she says. And remarkably, the building feels and smells as clean as it did when it opened in July of 2017, an underrated but big factor for many parents. “I would definitely say they are very well organized and very clean,” says Rashida Powe, whose 19-month old daughter was

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the second child enrolled at the New Tampa location. “Being clean is an important factor when you are dropping your child off for a long period of time. By far, of all the places I looked at, they were the cleanest.” That is just part of the reason for the educational preschool’s early success, and those at the corporate headquarters in Deerfield Beach, FL, have noticed. In April, Jhana’s New Tampa location was selected for the company’s 2017-18 Rising Star Award, which is awarded to only one of the company’s 250 franchises

nationwide. The award is for new academies — there were 50 eligible locations — that have been in existence for 18 months or less and had significant growth in enrollment, staff and revenue. While picking up that award at the national convention in Boca Raton, Jhana also received a Center of Excellence designation, which is given to schools that receive a score of 95 or better on their inspections in the spring and fall. The New Tampa location was one of only 15 to receive the award last year. “And, we’ve already confirmed that we

earned it again,” Jhana says. “We actually scored higher than last time.” When Jhana picks up that award next year at the national convention in Austin, she also has been told she’ll be receiving yet another award. “It’s a surprise,” she says. “We don’t know what it is, just that we’re getting it. I’m nervous, but excited.” There will be no resting on those laurels, however, Jhana says. If anything, the quick and rewarding success just means she, director Amy Rath and the rest of the staff must maintain their current high level. Today, she has 28 employees, 24 of them full-time, and they all are working together to make New Tampa’s The Learning Experience the top choice for area parents. “I wasn’t thinking about awards, I really just wanted to make an impact and help families with their children,” says Jhana. “I wanted a well-rounded, inclusive school where all of my children can be successful and can all be individuals. Sometimes, I feel a lot of schools put a box there, and the kids have to fit in that box. It’s important to me to let them be who they are. I wanted to build that kind of culture.”

School History & Programming The Learning Experience was founded by Michael and Linda Weissman in 1980 with a single location in Boca Raton, and was built on teaching through cognitive, physical and social principles; or as Jhana says, “Learn, Play and Grow.”

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making sure we’re doing it and taking pride in how we do it.” That includes things like adding a teacher to a classroom to improve the learning experience. While the state mandates an 11-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio, Jhana — who has an Early Childhood Education Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree, to go with her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Accounting & Business Administration from the University of Central Florida in Orlando There are both indoor and shaded outdoor play areas at The Learning Experience of New — has put herself in classrooms and added Tampa, located off County Line Rd. teachers if she felt they were needed. “Now we have three teachers in a modWhen it comes to learning, all of Children also take part in activities that el built for two,” she says, proudly. “We give the Learning Experience schools use the promote a healthy and active lifestyle. The proprietary Learning Experience Academic Learning Experience offers eight enrichment our staff the tools they need to do their jobs, and the parents see that we really mean it.” Program (L.E.A.P.) that Jhana says was writ- programs for children, like Yippee 4 Yoga, Powe says even after a long day at ten by educators with years of experience. It Suddenly Science, Dancing Feet, Talent school, sometimes her daughter is still not guarantees that children will graduate with Sprouts and Super Soccer. ready to leave at 6 p.m. “exceptional core academic skills.” Mascots like Flexi Flamingo (P.E.), Li“Their curriculum is awesome,” she onstein (Science) and Bubbles the Elephant The curriculum was written around what the school’s founders believe are the six — the leader of the mascots — help lead the says. “They have so much detail with the kids — they are doing something every 15 children through their day. stages of development – Infant (6 weeks to “We learn through play,” Jhana says. minutes. My daughter was walking at 10 1 year old), Toddler (1-2 years old), Tawdler months, her motion, her development, is “The children think they are playing, (2-2-½ years old), Prepper (2-½ to 3 years advanced. She is 19 months now and her vobut they are actually learning. We do old), Preschooler (3-5 years old), and Kincabulary is advanced. She knows sentences, dergartner (5 years old, but not offered at all this through small group activities, more locations, including Jhana’s). 1-on-1 interaction and more individualized teaching.” L.E.A.P. includes sign language for Jhana says the program is followed infants and toddlers, a phonics program and strictly, but with a few personal touches she even foreign language programs. Mandarin thinks makes the New Tampa school so is taught for one year, as well as Spanish. successful. “It’s definitely one of the things that “It’s all about finding the right staff sets us apart,’’ Jhana says. members,” Jhana says. “There are a lot of L.E.A.P. workbooks include a journal, schools, a lot of competitors, that also have an interactive book and Fun With Phonics, a really good curriculum. But, it’s about the which is specifically designed to teach reading to 3- and 4-year-olds. execution. We don’t cut corners; it’s really

at least 10 colors, can count to 10, and even some sign language. I’ve just been really impressed. It’s definitely worth my money.” All lead teachers are required to have their Child Development Associate (CDA) certificate, which is equivalent to an early childhood education A.A degree, Jhana says. Assistant teachers have to complete 45 hours of Florida Department of Children & Families (DCF) Child Care Training. There are cameras in every room and, in the office used by Amy and Jhana, there is a 32-inch television to monitor 16 security cameras. “There’s also an app that lets you know everything, from when your child had their diaper changed, to when they went outside and what they ate for lunch,” Powe says. “Friday, I knew she worked on math, drew pictures and had music class. It’s pretty cool.” To learn more about The Learning Experience of New Tampa, located at 20780 Trout Creek Dr., visit TheLearningExperience.com/our-centers/fl/ tampa/new-tampa, call (813) 575-8268 or see the ad on page 39.

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Local ‘Wreaths Across America’ Groups Lay 30,000+ Wreaths At Florida Nat’l. Cemetery By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

Before Christmas every year, volunteers across the country visit national cemeteries where U.S. military veterans are buried to honor them by placing a Christmas wreath on their graves, in an effort called Wreaths Across America. One of the largest Wreaths Across America programs in the country takes place just a short drive north of Wesley Chapel at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell (which is located in Sumter County, northeast of Brooksville). This year, the event was on Sat., Dec. 15. Despite heavy rain earlier in the morning, thousands of volunteers attended. In past years, more than 10,000 volunteers helped place the wreaths on the graves and participate in a ceremony that honors and remembers U.S. military service men and women. The number of volunteers was slightly lower this year due to the weather. Florida National Cemetery is the final resting place of more than 100,000 U.S. military veterans and 30,000 spouses. Wesley Chapel resident and Vietnam veteran Randy Lewer has been leading the charge to honor the men and women buried at Florida National Cemetery since 2006. Back then, he and a couple of his buddies from the U.S. Military Vets Motorcycle Club held a small, brief ceremony, where just a few people gathered in the rain. Now, Randy continues to spend his time, energy and resources every year to be

“Since we started in 2006, we have always grown from the prior year,” Randy says. He says he wasn’t sure they would be able to top last year’s number, but this year’s sponsorships have now surpassed 2017’s. Many local organizations and community groups, such as the Boy and Cub Scouts, Civil Air Patrol, and even companies, ask friends, family and neighbors to sponsor the wreaths for $15 each.

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sure that as many people as possible have the opportunity to live out the mission statement of Wreaths Across America, which is, “Remember our fallen U.S. veterans, honor those who serve, and teach your children the value of freedom.” This year, volunteers laid 30,000 wreaths throughout Florida National Cemetery, an increase over the 27,000 they laid last year. Since Lewer hasn’t ever received enough wreaths to place one on each and every grave in the cemetery, ceremonial wreaths are presented during the ceremony to honor all members of the military. Seven

ceremonial wreaths honor the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force, POW (Prisoners of War)/MIA (Missing In Action) and Merchant Marines. Also this year, an additional ceremonial wreath will be placed by “Gold Star” families, which are families who have lost a loved one during their military service. While the wreath will honor all veterans, it is a special tribute recognizing those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Collecting the funds to purchase 30,000 wreaths is a year-round undertaking for Randy. As of our press time, about 28,000 wreaths have been sponsored.

Pebble Creek resident Lori Yenter and her two daughters, ages 9 and 11, are members of American Heritage Girls Troop FL029 at St. James United Methodist Church in Tampa Palms, which sold more than 200 wreath sponsorships to support Wreaths Across America. Lori is a U.S. Air Force veteran who served eight years and her husband, Paul, is a veteran of both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army. He retired after more than 30 years of service to the U.S. military. They attended the ceremony for the second year in a row with their two daughters, ages 9 and 11. “We participate because it’s important to me for my daughters to understand what people have sacrificed for our freedom,” Lori says. “It’s also a way to give back. During the Christmas season, there’s a lot of consumerism, but this is about remembering and honoring.” Randy says groups like Lori’s are essential to the massive effort that it takes to purchase that many wreaths for the graves.

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Wesley Chapel resident Randy Lewer (left) has led volunteers in placing wreaths at the graves of thousands of U.S. military veterans buried at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell since 2006.

“People think, ‘My one wreath won’t make a difference,’ but the one-wreath-ata-time sponsorships account for at least 90 percent of what we bring in,” says Randy. He says he gets a couple of corporate donations that purchase a thousand wreaths at a time, but most wreaths are purchased by individuals or groups that typically solicit sponsorships one or a few at a time. Randy hopes that after people sponsor a wreath or two, they’ll come out to see the wreath-laying and the ceremony for themselves to help them really see what happens on this special day. “When I was in the service, I was in the color guard and participated in funerals,” explains Randy. “The saddest ones were when there was no one there except a

funeral director. That stuck with me.” He adds that members of “the greatest generation” from World War II may be no longer remembered because they have no surviving family members, or that their families are too far away to visit them. “So it’s kind of sad, but it’s also kind of cool that we can do this,” Randy says. “We can honor them so they are not forgotten.” Wreaths can be sponsored year-round. Wreaths purchased now would start the fund raising toward the event in 2019, which Randy says would be a huge help to kick off the efforts and ensure it is successful next year. For additional information about Wreaths Across America or to get involved next year, visit WreathsAcrossAmerica.org/FL0021.

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BG Tennis Focuses on Teaching Young Players With Low-Compression Balls By JOHN C. COTEY

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Occasionally, a younger tennis player will come along with the natural ability to accurately and correctly hit a regulation yellow tennis ball. Most often, however, that is not the case. Newer tennis players, especially those that are younger, struggle with the bounciness of the tennis ball, the weight of it, and lack the ability to control it. They resort to using any means necessary to strike the ball, which usually leads to hurried, out-of-sync and technically-flawed swings of desperation. Tennis professional Bobby Gillespie, who runs BG Tennis at The Ridge and Estancia communities in Wiregrass Ranch, as well as at Live Oak Preserve in New Tampa and at Lake Jovita in Dade City, says he has seen young, overmatched beginners just trying to survive against the yellow balls too often, which is why he emphatically extols the virtues of using low-compression balls, and shorter courts, to properly teach them the game. Most parents who get their children into tennis only know one kind of tennis ball, but Gillespie is quick to introduce them to red-, orange- and green-dot lowcompression balls, which he calls revolutionary teaching tools. The red-dot ball has 75 percent less ball speed than a regular yellow tennis ball, while the orange-dot ball is 50 per-

Let BG Tennis coach Bobby Gillespie teach your kids how to play tennis properly, using low-compression tennis balls that aren’t as bouncy as standard yellow tennis balls.

cent slower and the green-dot ball is 25 percent slower. The allows younger players to focus on technique, footwork and properly addressing each shot, not just hitting a ball back over a net. They can take full swings, as the ball is designed not to bounce as high or travel as far. Gillespie says that a beginner’s full swing at a yellow ball is

likely to send it into the nearest fence. “Whenever I have the opportunity, I try to sell the concept of these low-compression balls. It is something I am very passionate about,” says Gillespie, a former junior champion where he grew up in Shropshire, a county in England, and later a national university champion at Loughborough University in Loughborough,

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England, where he also earned a degree in sports management. While Gillespie says he didn’t need low-compression balls as a youngster himself because he was naturally gifted, very few beginners can claim that. “I’ve been here since 2005, and when I got here, no one was using them,” he says of the low-compression balls. “All the tennis coaches were using just the yellow balls, and you had to just deal with it. I was a bit confused why we were doing that.” Gillespie was the head tennis pro at Cheval Country Club and later at Lake Jovita Country Club before starting BG Tennis in 2008 and developing what he says is a proven teaching formula to develop the proper tennis strokes in beginners while also making it fun. Mixing a career of tennis knowledge with likability and a sense of humor, Gillespie teaches roughly 120 kids every week, as well as 80 or so adults. His progressive clinics are once a week, and affordable by tennis standards at just $65 a month – which is the price a one-hour lesson will cost you at most country clubs.

Get Them Started Early

Ideally, Gillespie says, kids in first through fifth grade are at the best ages to begin learning tennis. Joe Caswell, who is nine years old, and his brother, six-year-old Max, have been with BG Tennis since August. They competed against each other on a recent Tuesday night at The Ridge, as

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their younger brother Luke, who is five, helped pick up balls. “I feel like they have made a ton of progress since we’ve been here,” says their mother, Amanda, who lives in Meadow Pointe III and has tried other coaches in the area. “I’ve seen a huge difference in their play. I just think they are so much more consistent, and (coach) stays on them about the little things.” Amanda says she is a fan of the lowcompression balls. They allow her sons to move to the ball, position their feet, set up and deliver the proper stroke. In the past, it was easier to develop bad habits adapting their swings to the harder-tohandle yellow balls. More important, she says, is that the low-compression balls also stay on the court, which is marked off to a shorter length of 60 feet, and allow her boys an opportunity to rally and play out points. “It’s more of playing the actual game for them than before,” Amanda says. “They can hit it back and forth to each other and play points (instead of just chasing balls around).” That’s what Nikki Lang, who is eight, enjoys most. She teamed up with Gillespie during a mini-game at The Ridge, earning a high-five from her coach after they beat the Caswell boys and 11-year-old Sloane Guinn. “I like being able to hit the balls,” she says. “It is easier, and makes it fun to play tennis.” Gillespie holds local tournaments with the low-compression balls, and starts each point by feeding the ball to one of the players as opposed to having them serve to one another. Serving is a skill that Gillespie says is generally too advanced for younger players to learn right away and slows play down. He says that his last tournament in October drew 80 players, and he also produces local rankings for his players to use to measure their improvement. “The goal is to get them to a rallying situation as soon as possible, because as soon as they start rallying, then the game becomes far more dynamic for them,” Gillespie says. Gillespie, rated an Elite Professional with the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA), says he is choosy about who he hires to help him coach at BG Tennis. Neighborhood News

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He recently hired Bill Zeedyk, a former college player who was helping run the youth program at the Sports Club at Hunter’s Green Country Club, and Matt Holsopple, who also has coached at Hunter’s Green, Saddlebrook and at the high school level, and is highly regarded for his work with younger tennis players. “We have a formula for how to teach kids,” Gillespie says. “No one is doing their own thing. It’s a template, and it’s progressive and fun. If you are not learning and having fun, then you are not going to stay in the game.” Gillespie thinks that using lower compression balls with beginners also keeps them in the game longer. He thinks out of every 100 kids who start learning with a yellow ball, only five will survive and keep playing the game after awhile. But, take 100 kids and teach them with low-compression balls, however, and Gillespie guesses that 95 of them will successfully learn the game and stick with it. “Tennis is a game for life,” Gillespie says. “But you have to teach the kids the right way. My dream is to introduce as many people in the area to these balls. If we can get them on the court to start with, we can keep them.” BG Tennis has new groups starting all the time, and will often allow first-timers to try it out first before signing up. For more information, visit BGTennis.com, email BGTennis@ ymail.com, or text Gillespie at (813) 476-5787. @NTWCNews

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Freedom-Wharton II Looming! Ken Angel could see the signs last year. As an assistant coach for Freedom, he and head coach Cedric Smith watched a Patriots team that lacked confidence for most of the season. It wasn’t until the stretch run of the regular season that Freedom found its footing, winning four of its final six games, and the losses were by a combined five points. Smith resigned following the season and Angel has stepped in as head coach. And, Freedom has picked up right where it left off. Buoyed by five senior starters and a deep bench, the Pats were off to a 7-1 start heading into the Christmas break. Freedom’s only loss? To Wharton, naturally. The Wildcats entered the break with an 8-0 record, ranked No. 1 overall in Hillsborough & Pasco-Pinellas counties by the Tampa Bay Times and looking like a Florida Class 8A state title contender. The two teams meet again on Friday, January 11, at 8 p.m., at Freedom. “That game means a lot to the boys,” says Angel, whose squad has dropped the last five meetings in the series by an average of 15 points per game, including the 73-54 decision on less than a month ago. “Anytime we play Wharton, it’s been a big game.” This one will be bigger than most. Wharton leads Class 8A, District 8 with a 7-0 record; Freedon is right behind at 6-1. The next closest teams are tied at 4-3.

Freedom’s Bernard Reynolds drives to the hoop (left) in a 55-22 win over Wiregrass Ranch; Reynolds goes up for a shot in the same game. (Right) Wharton guard Jasper Floyd has helped the Wildcats get off to an 8-0 start. All photos on this page by Andy Warrener. While Wharton’s hot start is no surprise The contributions, however, are com— the ‘Cats boast silky guard Darin Green, jr. ing from many different player. Seniors Nick forward Carr Thiam, jr. point guard Gio Reyes, Butler, Kevin Rodriguez, Trevian Hinson, and two seniors (forward MacKinley Theirse Xavier Betancourt and Jalen Royster all and guard Jasper Floyd) — the Pats’ opening played exceptionally well in December. month has been better than anticipated. Hinson has been an unsung hero, leading the team in steals while his scoring After back-to-back 9-win seasons, Freeaverage inches closer to double figure with dom should eclipse that number before the every game, Rodriguez is averaging close season is even half over. All of the Patriots’ to a double-double in points and rebounds, wins but one have been by double figures. and Royster had his breakout game with 20 “We put a lot of time in the gym during points in a 55-22 win Dec. 12 over Wirethe summer, so I’m not that surprised,” Angel says. “We worked really hard. I’m happy for the grass Ranch. guys. They’re playing really tough basketball.” “We’re trying to get back where we were a few years ago,” Angels says. “We’ve Angel doesn’t like singling players out, still got room for improvement, but we are because he says it has been a family-approach getting there.” that has been yielding the early results.

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Recapping The Year In Dining 2018 In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel! By GARY NAGER

When Charles Dickens wrote A Tale of Two Cities in 1859, there’s no way he could have had our distribution areas in mind. But, for Wesley Chapel’s alreadycrowded dining scene, it surely is fair to call 2018 “the best of times,” and equally fair to say that for New Tampa, “it was the worst of times” in terms of its restaurant scene. Among the new eateries that opened in already-dining-rich Wesley Chapel in 2018 were Bahama Breeze (photo), Mellow Mushroom, Chuy’s Tex-Mex, Batter & Dough, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Umu Japanese & Thai, Pomodoro Pizza, Chipotle, Jake’s Pizza, MOD Pizza, the Gallery Restaurant at the new Hyatt Place Hotel, the Garden Grille & Bar at the new Hilton Garden Inn, the Top Shelf Sports Lounge at Florida Hospital Center Ice, plus new locations for temporarily closed local favorites Amici Pizza and O.T.B. Café (see page 42) and a second Wesley Chapel Culver’s location on S.R. 56. There were others, but you get the idea. And, even though Woody’s Pizza & Wings closed in the Wesley Chapel Village Market, a new pizzeria called Fratelli’s Pizza & Café recently opened in Woody’s old spot and we’ve been told it’s a must-try. Meanwhile, over in New Tampa, the dining scene took an even uglier turn for the worst in 2018, with favorites like Las Palmas Cuban Café, Beef O’Brady’s, Café Olé, Ruby Tuesday (bottom photo)

and Casa Ramos all closing their doors. The only New Tampa newcomers to speak of being the Bayscape Bistro at Heritage Isles Country Club (owned and operated by former Wharton High culinary arts teacher Ed Bujarski) and two restaurants in the Palms Connection Plaza on E. Bearss Ave., just west of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. — Prost Kitchen & Bar and Don Julio Mexican Restaurant. The good news for New Tampa is that the widening of BBD, which for years has dealt a severe blow to many businesses from Bearss Ave. to the Pasco County line, is for all intents and purpose, Bruce B. Done (thank you for that one, John Cotey). And, although not many new eateries are expected to open in New Tampa in 2019, there are a few supposedly coming soon, including the Humingbird Jerk House in the former Dairy Queen location on BBD in North Palms Village, the Coffee Speaks & Tea Talks Café in Las Palmas’ former location (see page 43 for details) and hopefully, the return of Las Palmas itself in a new location rumored to be near its old location in Pebble Creek. But, there’s even more to look forward to in Wesley Chapel in 2019, from Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar to Lutz favorite Rice & Beans (in the former Cody’s Original Roadhouse locale), as well as the Sweetea Café on S.R. 56 and even the deli at the new Earth Fare, which will open in Feb. or Mar., as well as new locations for Chick-fil-A, Dunkin’ Donuts, Steak ’n Shake and Twistee Treat.

See ‘Dining 2018’ on page 38.

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‘Dining 2018’

Continued from pg. 37 So, here are some of our favorite dining experiences at new restaurants that opened in 2018 in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel: 1. Bahama Breeze — Although my opinion is that an “Island Grille” should have more fresh fish options, Bahama Breeze does have some tasty Jamaican jerk pasta (right) and a great bar. 2. Bayscape Bistro — A great place for excellent burgers (top far right), sandwiches, salads and specials. 3. Garden Grille at Hilton Garden Inn — Although it’s not open for lunch and I’ve only eaten there once since the hotel’s delicious Grand Opening event, you should check out the Garden Grille for dinner sometime for the ribeye steak and “sticky finger” ribs. 4. Prost Kitchen & Bar — German-style cuisine, including some great schnitzel with broccolini (bottom far right), make this hidden gem on Bearss Ave. a must-try. 5. MOD Pizza — It’s only about 11-inch pizzas and create-your-own salads at MOD Pizza, but the pizzas are great and take only a few minutes to make and serve. Fast casual indeed. 6. Top Shelf Sports Lounge — This is where Jannah and I watch Lightning games, not only because of all the TVs but also for the burgers, dry rub wings and the sautéed veggies (right).

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Snowrolls Isn’t Just Ice Cream — It’s A Super-Fun Experience, Too! By GARY NAGER

SOME OF YOU

might already know my friends Adrian Luna and Eli Cisneros from 900º Woodfired Pizza in the Shops at Wiregrass mall (where Adrian still works), but in August 2017, the two opened their first of what they hope are many Snowrolls franchises, in the Pebble Creek Collection on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. behind Kobe Japanese Steakhouse. Snowrolls is a brightly decorated little café-style space in the plaza, where Thaistyle rolled ice cream has been elevated to an art form. You start by picking a flavor that you can customize with a variety of toppings and mix-ins, or choose one of Snowrolls’ dozen or so preselected options, like “Kookie (with Oreo cookies, whipped cream and chocolate syrup), or my favorite to date, the banana split, with bananas and strawberries, whipped cream, chocolate syrup and rainbow sprinkles. Eli (pronounced “Eee-Lee”) or another member of his trained staff will pour your fresh cream, vegan cream or matcha (green teas) base onto the metal Snowrolls wheel. Your mix-ins, from corn flakes to cookie dough and from coconut to coffee, are added, mixed in on the ice-cold wheel, spread into a thin sheet and then strategically rolled into multiple pieces which are

carefully placed into a cup and topped with your favorite toppings, including chocolate, dulce de leche and strawberry syrup and pocky (crispy chocolate “straws”), graham crackers, brownies and even real marshmallows, which are “flamed” onto your creation. Because of that super-cold wheel, Snowrolls ice cream is much colder than most “regular” ice creams and your kids will love watching their dessert while it is being custom-made for them. Although I wish there were a few more flavors of ice cream (like peanut butter and even chocolate), you can rest assured that Snowrolls is always decadently delicious. Snowrolls also recently added Choco Gyro Crepes, which include shavings from the store’s unique milk and white chocolate gyro, which looks very much like Middle Eastern lamb gyros on a turning spit. But, these gyros serve as the base for your Choco Gyro, whether you choose the Fragola (with strawberry, Oreo crumbles, whipped cream and chocolate syrup, the Fudgemallow (with brownies and marshmallows), the Calanda (with peach, vanilla Snowrolls and dulce de leche syrup) or the Banamond, with bananas, Nutella and almonds). You also can create and awesome coffee drinks, so moms and your own Choco Gyro Crepe. dads can relax and enjoy their Snowrolls And, Snowrolls also has outstanding with their kids. Italian coffee (by the cup or by the bag) There’s also new Acai “bowls,” which are more like smoothies in a cup than they are like an actual “bowl,” but the Acai bowls also are customizable, so be sure to ask about them. And, with the coupon from the ad on page 38 of this issue, you can get $1 off any purchase, which also makes Snowrolls a pretty sweet deal. Snowrolls is located at 19651 BBD Blvd., Suite D1, and is open seven days a week as follows: Sun., noon-9 p.m.; Mon.-Thur., 11 a.m.- 9 p.m., and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. on Fri. and Sat. For more information, call (813) 527-6556, visit Snowrolls.com or check them out on Facebook or Instagram. And please, be sure to tell Eli and the staff that you read about them in the New Tampa Neighborhood News!

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Recapping The Year In Dining 2018 In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel! By GARY NAGER

See ‘Dining 2018’ on page 38.

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Nibbles & Business Bytes The Latest & Greatest News In Dining, Shopping & Business In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel! ida Insurance-Beau Barry & Nye Commercial Advisors. For more information about O.T.B. Café, call (813) 666-8800 or visit OTBDelightCafe.com.

Chipotle Opens On 56; Earth Fare To Open In Feb. Or Mar.!

O.T.B. Opens In Nye Commons!

For those who have been waiting patiently for O.T.B. (Only the Best) Café to re-open in its new location, your wait is finally over! O.T.B. previously was located in the same plaza as The Hungry Greek, across

of months ago, but we’re just glad O.T.B. is open now and serving full breakfast and lunch menus every day, 7 a.m.-4 p.m. I will say that my steak & eggs over easy (left) was truly outstanding and Dirson wants to make sure that everyone knows he now has real bacon (in addition to turkey bacon) and more breakfast and lunch choices than at his former location, in an even more pleasant setting than before. On Nov. 28, all six of the tenants at Nye Commons (including O.T.B.) held their Grand Opening & North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon-cutting ceremonies at the new plaza. The other businesses in the plaza include Board & Brush Wood Decor Projects (with beer and wine served), Color & Co. hair salon, Keystone Title, Great Flor-

Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, but that location has been closed for several months. Owner Dirson De Mesquita had hoped to have his new eatery, located a couple of miles further north (at 4839 BBD, in the new Nye Commons plaza), open a couple

It may never make my list of favorite restaurants, but I know that many of our readers agree with that kid in the viral video who said “Chipotle is my life!” Well, the second Chipotle in our distribution areas (the first is on BBD in Highwoods Preserve) has opened in the new development on the north side of S.R. 56 (west of Ford’s Garage) that also will include Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar, Blaze Pizza and others. Also under construction a little north of the Chipotle building in the same Cypress Creek North area, are Home Goods, Hobby Lobby, Five Below, Party City, Burlington and the Wesley Chapel area’s first green grocery store — Earth Fare. We got an inquiry from Earth Fare about advertising (apparently, our WCNT-tv segment and recent Neighborhood News Facebook post that featured a map of the area got the attention of the company) and a spokesperson told us the store should be open by

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February or March 2019. Can’t wait!

At Home Is Open!

If you’re looking for the biggest and best selection of home décor items (and so much more) in our area, you might want to check out the new, 108,000-sq.-ft. At Home store, located behind (south of) Costco on the south side of S.R. 56. At Home opened in November and is packed with great deals on everything from now-left-over holiday merchandise to a huge array of other decorative items and so much more. The place seems to have literally everything for your home. At Home is located at 2016 Grand Cypress Dr. (33559). For info, call (813) 345-3775 or visit AtHome.com.

Here & There, This & That

• Those who have been missing Las Palmas Cuban Café will be happy to know that owner/chef Ramses Garcia says he should soon be opening somewhere else in New Tampa. He won’t say where just yet, but we’ll keep you posted. • Speaking of Latin food, it appears that the new Wesley Chapel location of the popular Lutz eatery Rice & Beans is getting close to opening in the former location of Cody’s Original Roadhouse (and Remington’s Steak House before that) on S.R. 54, next to the Pinebrook

at the Grove plaza that is home to Joe Whiskey’s Sports Bar, Arroy Thai & Best NY Pizza. The Lutz location of Rice & Beans is a hidden gem serving Puerto Rican-style Latin fare, where there is still a crowd for lunch every day, even after 2 p.m., and will remain open after the Wesley Chapel location opens. A spokesperson says the new location should open in late January or early February of 2019. • Meanwhile, my friend Arlene Brooks is getting ready to open in Las Palmas’ old location in the Pebble Creek Collection. Arlene’s Coffee Speaks & Tea Talks café will not only have great coffee, tea and snacks, but also live entertainment, perhaps even the Strictly Business band, of which she is one of the lead vocalists. • I also want to congratulate my fellow New Tampa Noon Rotary Club member Scott Hileman and his partner Brian Erwine on the opening of the second Bay-area location of the Nekter Juice Bar. The new location is on W. Kennedy Blvd. in Tampa and the original Nekter is located in Valrico, with a third location on the way in the Trinity area of New Port Richey. Bring it to New Tampa, too, guys! • I was saddened to learn that the Wok Chi restaurant in the Shops at Wiregrass had closed on Dec. 10. I will miss the freshly made Chinese fare, especially the fresh, crisp veggies, Sichuan sauce and especially, general manager Robin Scovotti and her friendly, outstanding crew. I hope that whatever opens in the space will keep those great folks around. — GN

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