Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News, Volume 31, Issue 10, May 16, 2023

Putting My Ad Space Where My Mouth Is For The Community Café!

By GARY NAGER Editorial

I have a cousin I love dearly who was diagnosed with cerebral anoxia, which means her brain didn’t receive enough oxygen when she was born.

My cousin is now in her late 20s or maybe early 30s and has been able to work and live a reasonably normal life, even though she is definitely developmentally disabled.

But, if she and her family ever decide to make the pilgrimage from Long Island to this area, I know where I want my sweet cousin to work — at the Community Café that is being opened by former Saddlebrook Resort general manager Pat Ciaccio and a small group of dedicated folks who will create a safe, welcoming place where adults who are developmentally and emotionally disabled can not only work, but also have the opportunity for advancement.

In our last issue, we gave you the firstever look inside the construction site that will soon be transformed into the Community Café, which will have its “Shining Stars” serving coffee, ice cream and smoothies and selling retail items inside a 3,200-sq.-ft. former carpeting store. The Café also will feature a private event space that will feature art created by disabled artists through Arts4All Florida when it opens on or around June 15.

I was happy to attend the community meeting and media preview event for the Café at the Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel on Apr. 18 and I was so moved by what I heard that day that I told Pat I wanted to do more to help than just get the word out.

“You have no idea how much this is needed,” said one mom who was hugging her 20-something son, who was too old to participate in some other programs. “We’ve been turned down everywhere else we’ve turned.”

Another mom asked, “What are the requirements to work at the Café?,” to which Pat responded, “There are no requirements, other than filling out an application. We know we won’t be able to hire everyone who wants to work with us, but we will have at least 30-35 jobs available and all but our upper management will be developmentally disabled adults.”

You could feel not only the gratitude of the families who attended — most of whom said they first read about the Café and the news conference in the Neighborhood News — but also the dedication of those who have joined forces with Pat to make this 501(c)(3) nonprofit a reality.

I called Pat later that day and told him that I usually just charge nonprofit organizations a lower rate than other businesses to advertise in these pages. Instead, I offered to provide him with full-page ads at no charge in every issue for at least the rest of 2023 as my way of offsetting some of the costs he has been footing all by himself until the nonprofit is able to raise money of its own, whether through private donations or by applying for grants.

“We’ve never really been able to raise a lot of money for other worthy organizations in the past,” I told Pat on the phone. “But, I hope things will work out different this time. I just want to help.”

For more information about all the ways you can help, visit CommunityCafeFL.com, see the ad on page 2.

Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News

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(Left) Darlene E. Hill of The Leyda Group is a member of the team working to make the Community Café a reality. (Right) More than 30 people attended the Café’s news conference on Apr. 18.

JD Porter Provides Updates On Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. & More

By GARY NAGER

As your local community newspaper, one of the questions I get asked most often is “When will Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. (WRB) open from north of Chancey Rd. to S.R. 54 near Walmart (see map)?”

During a recent interview, Wiregrass Ranch developer JD Porter provided an answer to this question, as well as to many of the other questions people ask me most often — although not all of the answers are what I would call definitive (at least not yet).

For example, anyone who lives in the Estancia or Esplanade subdivisions in Wiregrass Ranch surely knows that WRB has been fully paved for months, but barricades situated north of Chancey Rd. and by Walmart’s Garden Center just south of 54 have prevented people from legally using it. But, Porter said, that problem should end soon.

“We’re finishing the landscaping and irrigation now,” Porter said. “I can’t guarantee an exact schedule, but it should be fully open by sometime in June.”

As for the Publix supermarket that is ready to begin building behind the Bank of America and Advance Auto Parts at the corner of WRB and 54, Porter said that dirt should begin moving within the next couple of weeks. And, he notes, as far as he know, there still is no plan to close the existing Publix store in the Hollybrook Plaza just east of the intersection of 54 and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.

What About Next To The Mall?

The other question about Wiregrass Ranch that I get asked most often is about the large plot of land that has been cleared on S.R. 56, just east of the Shops at Wiregrass. Porter confirmed that although that lot was originally intended to be the second phase of the mall, the mall itself changed twice in just the last couple of years and that Porter’s development arm — Locust Branch, LLC — had purchased back the lot from Queensland Investment Corp. But sadly, although the land has been cleared, Porter said that no new development on the site was imminent.

“We’re just getting it pad-ready,” he said. “That is a potential $100-million asset and we are working to bring higher-quality, better users to that site and to make it more of a true mixed-use location.” He added that

while he couldn’t yet make any announcements about what is to come to that location,

“We have had a lot of talks with interested parties about it.”

Orlando Health Hospital Update

Also getting ready to begin moving dirt in the next couple of weeks is the Orlando Health Hospital, which will become the third hospital in Wesley Chapel when it opens in 2025. Porter said that there also will be a medical office building affiliated with the hospital that he will be able to show plans for soon. The office building will be located “on the fringe” of the planned Town Center in Wiregrass Ranch.

The Latest On Raymond James

Although Porter still couldn’t say when it will actually begin building, he said that the longawaited Raymond James Financial — which plans to build 400,000-1 million sq. ft. of a large office campus to the east of the Fairfield Inn and the Audi of Wesley Chapel dealership — “has spent a couple of million dollars on site work already and could begin actual vertical construction by as soon as June or July.”

Cooper’s Hawk & Other Eateries

Perhaps the most eagerly awaited new building in Wiregrass Ranch is the construc-

The map above, by King Engineering Associates, Inc., and provided by JD Porter, has been updated by the Neighborhood News. It isn’t 100% up to date, but it does show most of what is under development and already has been built in Wiregrass Ranch.

tion of the new Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant (photo), which is now under construction to the east of the Culver’s on S.R. 56. Porter said he hopes Cooper’s Hawk will open by the end of this year, but we’ll have to wait and see how the construction goes.

He also noted that in the same general area as Cooper’s Hawk, there is another restaurant site available and that he continues to receive “a ton of letters of interest from equal-level restaurant users” for that spot. “Think about what’s near the Cooper’s Hawk in Tampa (on Boy Scout Blvd., near International Plaza),” Porter said. “It could be like any of those restaurants.”

In that case, it could be anything from Eddie V’s or Ocean Prime to Kona Grill and Del Frisco’s, but Porter wasn’t at liberty to say anything other than, “I think the community will be pleased once we’re able to announce something.”

Amberlin Apartments And...

A number of people also have asked about an age 55+ apartment community being built in our area. That community, which has recently begun vertical construction, is called Amberlin at Wiregrass Ranch.

Porter says, however, that there are other communities that also are planned in that large area with frontage on BBD.

And finally, Porter had no update at our press time about when the planned Town Center will begin building, but stay tuned for an update in the “not-too-distant” future.

Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus Takeover — The Rest Of The Story!

An Editorial by Gary Nager

On April 18, Pasco County’s Board of County Commissioners voted to buy out the contract of RADDSports, LLC, to manage the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus.

I called the county’s tourism office that same day — and made three additional attempts before I went to press with my May 2 New Tampa issue — in an effort to get official responses to a number of my questions about the takeover plan from tourism director Adam Thomas, who did not respond to my questions.

Instead, the only response I got, from Tambrey Laine, the manager of media relations for Pasco County Government, was the press release put out jointly by the county and RADDSports, and that, “The county is declining to comment further.”

Please note that almost everything presented below is a matter of public record. The only exception is what the owners of RADDSports told me Thomas said to them prior to the Sports Campus groundbreaking in 2017; however, Anthony Homer of RADDSports assures me that what he says Thomas said at that time is true. — GN

For those who don’t understand why Pasco County has agreed to buy out the contract to take over the management of the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus for what will end up being more than $6 million of taxpayer funds, you’re not alone.

Adam Thomas, the county’s director of tourism who renamed the tourism department “Experience Florida’s Sports Coast,” got the job basically the same day Pasco and the private firm RADDSports, LLC, broke ground on the Sports Campus together in 2017.

RADD’s Anthony Homer had told me back in 2020 that Thomas had told him and RADDSports president Richard Blalock prior to the groundbreaking ceremony that if it were up to him (meaning Thomas), there would be no private-public partnership between the two entities. And, it seems Thomas has been doing everything he could to end that agreement ever since.

For one thing, despite Thomas’ claims to the contrary last year, RADD has provided proof that it never did actually default on its agreement. And yet, Thomas still was able to convince the five county commissioners back in October 2022 to vote in favor of that default.

Thomas had the county hire the attorneys (with county money) who wrote up the default paperwork that the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) unanimously voted on in October — without the commissioners ever seeing any proof of the default and without even discussing it before they voted to approve it from the Board’s Consent Agenda.

The commissioners at that time accepted Thomas at his word that RADD was focusing on local events, not on increasing sports tourism in the county, which was the primary portion of RADD’s mandate in that agreement.

Prior to that October BCC vote, RADD even provided the commissioners with actual statistics from an independent study firm that proved that not only had no default taken place, but that RADD had actually outperformed all of the tourism benchmarks of its agreement.

These facts presented by RADD were confirmed by a separate $35,000 independent report — commissioned by Thomas — also using public funds.

In fact, RADD did such a great job of establishing the Sports Campus as a tourist destination for people outside of Pasco that the study showed that it was

the #55 tourist draw in all of Florida last year, outperforming much more established attractions like the Miami Seaquarium (#56) & the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium in Sarasota (#57). The Sports Campus also won the Florida Sports Foundation’s Small Venue of the Year award (photo) for 2021 under RADD’s management.

Again, despite Thomas’ claims, it wasn’t only RADD’s local programs that were hugely successful — it hosted 112 events (there have been many weekends with more than one event) in 2021-22 and those events helped local hoteliers sell tens of thousands of room nights both years in Pasco — and bring more than 92,000 unique visitors to the county. All of this happened despite RADD first taking over the Sports Campus at the height of Covid.

In addition, Pasco received the agreedto $150,000 payment from RADD for 2021 and would have received its $150,000 payment for 2022 had the BCC not defaulted the company. Pasco also would have received 11% of RADD’s revenue this year, and already has received millions more in sales and bed tax funds from all of the visitors the Sports Campus has brought in from all over the country and even beyond.

Instead of continuing this mutually beneficial partnership, Thomas convinced the commissioners to spend the following:

• $250,000 in taxpayer money on legal fees to force RADD out;

• $3 million over the next five years (including $1 million this year and $500,000 each year for the next four) to buy out the agreement with RADD;

• $2.8 million to operate the Sports Campus — at a loss (for at least the first two years, according to the default notice approved by the county in October);

• $94,000 to purchase furnishings & other items from RADD; and

• $35,000 for the independent study previously mentioned.

So, is that $6,179,000 an amount of money a small, but growing, county would spend of its taxpayers’ funds to take over a supposedly defaulted contract?

“We thank the county for recognizing

rather than with the management of RADDSports — when the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County won the Florida Sports Foundation’s award as the state’s Best Small Market Venue for 2021.

the value that RADDSports has brought to the Sports Campus,” says Homer of the buyout agreement.

I don’t know why Thomas has had an issue with RADD from Day One, but I felt compelled to at least provide the actual facts of this situation, as I have not seen most of the information presented here reported by any other local news media.

At our press time (May 8), no other local media had reported any of the information presented in this editorial, nor did any other local media quote anyone from RADD.

Since my editorial was released online on Apr. 24 and hit mailboxes in New Tampa on May 2, Pasco’s director of parks, recreation & natural resources Keith Wiley and his staff have interviewed RADD’s employees, as it is the parks & rec department, not the tourism department, that will manage the facility and local programs when the county assumes control of the Sports Campus on June 2.

At our press time, I had not been told how many of RADD’s employees had been offered or accepted jobs with the county. — GN

It seems that our editor was the only reporter who thought it odd that Pasco Tourism director Adam Thomas (right) chose to pose for this picture with former county commissioner Mike Moore —

Learning Disabled Adults & Families Attend Community Café Preview

By GARY NAGER

At least 30 people — including adults with learning disabilites and their families — were on hand on April 18 when former Saddlebrook Resort general manager Pat Ciaccio and his team presented his 501(c)(3) nonprofit passion project — which he calls the Community Café.

The Café, which is scheduled to open on June 15, is located in the 3,200-sq.-ft. former Keeps Carpet Store building on S.R. 54, less than a half-mile west of Morris Bridge Rd. The community/media preview was held at the Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel.

“The Community Café will create welcoming spaces and provide workforce training opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” Ciaccio told those in attendance at the media preview. “I know there are other businesses that hire the developmentally disabled, including Publix, but we want to do even more to help them. We want to train them so they can not only have a job, but actually move up to management positions. Nearly our entire staff of 3035 employees (when it opens) will be people with these special needs who normally find it difficult to find a job.”

The Community Café will be home to a gourmet coffee bar and also will sell ice cream and smoothies and also will feature a retail shop selling T-shirts, coffee mugs and other branded merchandise. The Café also will feature an 1,100-sq.-ft. private event space that will feature artwork (that will be for sale, with all sales proceeds going to the artists) rotating quarterly by physically, intellectually and developmentally disabled professional artists affiliated with Arts4All Florida.

Appearing at the news conference was Sandra Sroka, the adult program coordinator of Arts4All, who said that she believes the public will be impressed by the quality of the rotating artwork that will be on display at the Café.

Ciaccio said there also will be entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights featuring performers with special needs. He added that the event space will be available for use by community organizations.

Best of all, each area of the Community Café will have its own “team leader” among the “Shining Stars,” which is what all of the employees will be called. Only Ciaccio himself and the Café’s top manage -

ment will not have special needs.

One of those special needs folks — who you would never know was even on the autism spectrum and who joined Ciaccio at the news conference — was Nova Mahoney, who admitted that without the help she has received in her life, she’d “never be able to speak in front of a large group of people.” Nova also said that what Ciaccio and those who are helping him get the Community Café kicked off are doing, “Is just so important for people like me that I knew, from when I first met Pat, that I wanted to be part of it.”

Ciaccio also told those in attendance that the Shining Stars will deliver a high-quality food and beverage experience with exceptional guest service in a tranquil, family-oriented, “Team Greater Than Me” environment.

He also said that his goal is to provide cohesive and inclusive workforce training that will offer true advancement opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. “We truly are looking to change the current narrative about special needs adults from awareness to education,” Pat said. “The narrative must be changed.”

Ciaccio isn’t alone in his passion to help those with special needs.

Among the others he introduced at the news conference were Nova’s mom Kat Mahoney of Katbrat Studios (which specializes in digital media and content creation), who has accepted the position of chief operating officer of the Community Café; John Lombardo of Lombardo Coaching & Consulting; and Darlene Hill of The Leyda Group (which specializes in leadership coaching and human

resources consulting). In fact, Kat says, “I’m so dedicated to the Community Cafe because it’s everything that drives me forward in both my personal and professional life” said Mahoney. “Every business decision, every IEP school meeting, every educational and mental health speaking engagement I’ve done over 20 years, has led me to the Community Cafe.”

As reported last issue, the Community Café also will be led and mentored by a five-person Board of Directors, including Dr. Alexis Dempsey-Doyle, Jodi Gordon, Wasim Kayal, Seth Ravenna and Dr. Mohamad Saleh.

Ciaccio and his leadership team thanked

the Hilton Garden Inn and its GM Charlie Whiteacre for graciously agreeing to host the news conference.

“I also would like to thank all my partners and community members who already have reached out to lend support,” Ciaccio said. “It takes a village but together, I know that we can change the narrative!”

For more information, visit CommunityCafeFL.com. Also, see the ad on page 2 of this issue and my page 3 editorial for more about how the Neighborhood News plans to help Ciaccio & Co. fulfill their shared vision for the Café.

(Above, l.-r.) Community Café COO Kat Mahoney; Pat Ciaccio & Nova Mahoney at the Apr. 18 Community Café news conference at the Hilton Garden Inn. (Right) Sandra Sroka, of Arts4All Florida, which will provide disabled artists’ artwork at the Café. (Photos provided by Kat Mahoney)

Blue Heron Breaks Ground On Expansion Of Skilled Nursing Department

By GARY NAGER

Sometime next summer, TLC Management is expected to unveil its 35 new skilled nursing suites as an addition to the company’s Blue Heron Senior Living Assisted Living & Memory Care on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.

“We’re excited,” said TLC CEO Ryan Ott (right) at the Apr. 26 groundbreaking ceremony for that expansion. “Like “We didn’t expect to be at this point, where we would need to expand our skilled nursing (facility) this quickly.”

Despite Blue Heron only being open for about a year and a half, Ott said, the company saw the need to expand its skilled nursing care.

“This is a great location, which is

becoming a health care hub (with BayCare, and AdventHealth hospitals already open and Orlando Health hospital on the way),” Ott added, “but the success of Blue Heron is because of the leadership team we have in place. We’re just trying to keep up with the demand.”

The additional skilled nursing beds also will allow Blue Heron to extend its therapy services to more patients and will allow the residence to expand the number of long-term patients it can accept.

“We currently have mostly shortterm rehab care to home patients,” he said. “But, we also have a number of assisted living residents who will eventually have need for long-term care and this

will allow us to transition more patients to transition to our facility and stay right here, where they want to be.”

Ott also introduced Blue Heron’s partners in making the expansion project a reality, including representatives of Hawkins Construction, Architectural Concepts and Heidt Design engineering. “This project was not an individual vision,” he said. “It was a lot of people coming together to make it happen.”

Ott also thanked North Tampa Bay Chamber president and CEO Hope Kennedy (left), who not only hosted the groundbreaking ceremony but also helped the Ott family find the land on which Blue Heron is built.

Blue Heron is one of 19 familyowned senior living campuses owned and managed by TLC Management, LLC, in the company’s home state of Indiana and in Florida. The 35 additional private skilled nursing suites, which are expected to open by the summer of 2024, will bring Blue Heron’s skilled nursing total up to 141, in addition to its 95 private assisted living suites, 22 of which are memory care apartments (in a separate wing) for those with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

For more info about Blue Heron Senior Living (5071 Eagleston Blvd.), see the ad on pg. 25, call (813) 454-0513 or visit SeniorLivingatBlueHeron.com.

Wesley Chapel Harley-Davidson Has Opened!

Congratulations to vice president Gary Bang (shown, top right, banging the gong that gets tolled every time a new HarleyDavidson motorcycle is sold) and president Preston Farrior (not pictured here) and their entire staff at the beautiful, new Wesley Chapel Harley-Davidson dealership, located at 25245 Wesley Chapel Blvd., in Lutz, almost directly across from Total Wine & More.

The spectacular new two-story dealership offers everything from a showroom floor packed with new and used Harleys (right), a huge service area, an equally large parts department, plus an outstanding “Motorclothes” area.

For those (like me) who have never owned a motorcycle, the new Harley dealership also offers learn-to-ride classes on-site, so you can earn your Florida motorcycle endorsement on your driver’s license and your Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) Basic Rider Course card.

The new dealership even has plenty of room out behind it where those classes are taught, plus a coming-soon trail system, room for expansion and more.

“We’ve been looking to build a dealership out here since 2008,” Bang told me on Apr. 17, the first day the dealership opened. “This is definitely a dream-come-true location for us.”

The retail shop has Harley tank tops, long- and short-sleeved t-shirts, collared shirts and, of course, bike jackets. There are even kids shirts and adorable onesies with tattoo sleeves for babies.

Bang and the crew hope everyone who rides or is interested will come out for the dealership’s official Grand Opening event on Saturday, May 20, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. The Grand Opening will feature food trucks, beer, live music and other entertainment, a huge vendor village and new Harley-Davidson motorcycle will be given away. For more information, call (813) 213-3145 or visit WesleyChapelHD.com. — GN

All photos by Charmaine George

Another Busy Month For North Tampa Bay Chamber Ribbon Cuttings

There have been no fewer than a half-dozen different North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon-cutting events in Wesley Chapel since the middle of April.

The events in questions include:

• Dietrich & Kelso Orthodontics (in the former location of Abdoney Orthodontics) on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., across from AdventHealth Wesley Chapel on Apr. 13;

• Totally Blu Pools off S.R. 54 near Morris Bridge Rd. on Apr. 20;

• Ann’s Spa & Nails Lounge off S.R. 56 (next to Chicken Salad Chick), also on Apr. 20;

• The five-year Anniversary Celebration for The Beach House at Wiregrass assisted living & memory care on S.R. 56 on Apr. 21;

• The groundbreaking of Blue Heron Senior Living’s skilled nursing facility expansion on Apr. 26 (see pg. 10);

• The one-year anniversary celebration for the Budget Blinds “inspiration center” at the KRATE container park on May 5 (see story on pgs. 24-25);

• The ribbon cutting event for Nuevo Salon & Spa on BBD, also on May 5.

Dietrich & Kelso — With its main office in Lakeland and six total doctors in what is now a five-office practice (and four orthodontists working out of its Wesley

Chapel office; photo below left), the new Dietrich Kelso Orthodontics is one of the largest orthodontic practices in our area. Led by Dr. Andrew Dietrich (in light blue short in the photo below) and Dr. Andrew Kelso (with scissors), the office promises outstanding doctors and a friendly staff in a state-of-the-art office that offers a variety of treatments — including Invisalign, clear braces, metal braces and laser gum contouring.

For more information about Dietrich & Kelso Orthodontics (2653 BBD Blvd.), call (813) 921-9211 or visit DKOSmiles.com.

Totally Blu Full Service Pools — Owners Sunil Mohammed and Rashmi Maharaj have owned their highly respected mobile pool service and repair company for years, but their storefront in the Publix plaza off S.R. 54 at Eiland Blvd./Morris Bridge Rd. is their first-ever brick-andmortar location.

The store has everything you need to enjoy your pool — from chemicals and equipment to toys — and they also are happy to send their mobile unit to your home to service, repair or even remodel your pool, and even offer commercial pool services, too. The same location also doubles as the storefront for the couple’s Totally Green Lawn Services.

For more info about Totally Blu Pools (32781 Eiland Blvd.), call (813) 788-7665, visit TotallyBluH2o.com or see the ad on pg. 9.

Ann’s Spa & Nails Lounge

Although some people in our area complain about the number of nail spas there are here, people who attended the salon’s ribbon-cutting event (middle photo, right) who already were customers of the new Ann’s Spa & Nails Lounge definitely seem to appreciate the luxury, value and outstanding manicure and pedicure services.

Owner Annie Lam (in light blue in photo) invited attendees to enjoy not only great deals on her spa’s outstanding services, but also some homemade Vietnamese egg rolls, fried rice and more.

Ann’s Spa & Nails Lounge is located at 25032 Wesley Chapel Blvd, Lutz. For more info, call (813) 949-6663 or visit annspanailswesleychapel.com.

Beach House at Wiregrass Ranch — This NTBC ribbon-cutting ceremony was just part of an outstanding five-year anniversary celebration for the assisted living and memory care residence.

The first such facility located in Wesley Chapel, executive director Bonnie Berkman (with scissors below right) invited the Beach House’s residents and guests to enjoy delicious free food and beverages and DJ music and got to check out the immaculate assisted living residence together.

To arrange a tour of your own or for more info about the Beach House at Wiregrass Ranch (30070 S.R. 56), call (813) 508-6677 or visit BeachHouseWiregrass.com.

Nuevo Salon & Spa — Owner and medical practitioner Agnes Ubani, MD, introduced NTBC members to her new spa (in the same plaza as Dietrich & Kelso

and The Hungry Greek; photo below left), which actually opened in March. The spa features a variety of state-of-the-art clinical equipment and cosmetic procedures — everything from facials and Botox to medical weight loss, body contouring and more — with licensed massage to be added in the future.

For more information or to book a consultation, call (813) 559-9790 or visit NuevoHealthMD.com. — GN

Attorney Derek Usman Is Ready To Fight For You & Your Business!

By NIDHI JANI Neighborhood News Corespondent

When you have a local and approachable attorney like Derek Usman available, calling upon a lawyer for legal help in employment and business matters gets a little less stressful.

Outside of his offices or the courtroom, you may see Derek out and about in the area. He is a proud member of the Rotary Club of New Tampa. He regularly attends Holy Trinity Presbyterian Church in South Tampa’s Hyde Park neighborhood. You might even find him picking up kombucha or cold pressed juice at Nutrition Smart.

“People need somebody they can trust,” Derek says. “A lot of people don’t have someone in their social circles who is capable, ethical and competent to help with legal matters. The average person may only need someone like me once in a lifetime, so it’s important to always be trustworthy.”

After nearly a decade of practicing law in Chicago, Derek has been serving the Tampa Bay area since 2015, when he moved to Wesley Chapel. His Usman Law Firm, P.A., has two offices. The main office is on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in New Tampa, just south of Wesley Chapel and his newer office is in downtown Tampa. Derek specializes in business law (contracts, labor, company ownership structure, etc.), employment law (workplace disputes) and litigation.

Derek’s education and experience make him especially well suited to the areas of business and employment law. He earned

his Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Business from Indiana UniversityPurdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) in 1997. He became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Illinois shortly thereafter. Then, in 2001, he earned his Juris Doctor degree (J.D.) degree from the Northern Illinois University College of Law. After law school, he joined the Comptroller’s Office at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and, while working there, was able to earn a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation degree, at no cost to himself, from Chicago-Kent College of Law at IIT in 2005.

His experience with accounting and taxes helps him spot financial issues in contracts and transactions. “I can check if assets are depreciated, inflated, or valued properly,” he says. “In public companies versus private companies, ownership can be valued in different ways and I can help clients figure out which option is most advantageous for them.”

Your Litigation Specialist

What does it mean to specialize in litigation? It means Derek is capable of serving as a trial lawyer.

“As a lawyer, going to court is common,” Derek explains. “You have to go to court every time you file a motion. But, it’s unusual for business disputes to go to

trial. It’s (usually more) economical to settle. But going to trial is something I am always prepared to do for my clients.”

For example, the Usman Law Firm recently emerged victorious in a three-day federal jury trial against Ulta Beauty, Inc., in which Derek was able to win $60,000 for his client in an employment law case. He also has represented Priatek, LLC, a startup company based in St. Petersburg, and two whistleblowers who filed a lawsuit against the Salvation Army.

Derek says many people would prefer to pick a large law firm versus a smaller practice like his for business legal matters.

“The so-called ‘white shoe firms’ — the well-established, large city firms — may feel less risky, especially if money is not an issue,” he says. “But, bigger firms also can mean double or triple the cost without necessarily getting a senior lawyer. You may get the new, less-experienced guy right out of law school.

He adds, “On the other hand, when you go against large companies that have in-house legal teams, they will have their experts for all types of cases. They definitely will have their own trial expert.” Either way, I have gone up against them.”

The Usman Law Firm, P.A.’s New Tampa location is at 20701 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, Suite 207, and the downtown Tampa location is at 505 E. Jackson St., Suite 305. For more information, please visit DUsmanLaw. com, call (813) 377-1197, or see the ad on page 28 of this issue.

Attorney Derek Usman (left) of the Usman Law Firm, PA., and his marketing assistant Corinne Ishler, attended the Hillsborough Bar Association’s Judicial Food Festival. (Photo provided by Derek Usman)

Patel Elementary — Creating ‘Pioneers’ For A Better & Brighter Future

By NIDHI JANI Neighborhood News Corespondent

In about ten days, on May 25, Dr. Kiran C. Patel Elementary — or, as it’s commonly called, Patel Elementary — will complete its inaugural academic year.

“We’re happy to be coming to a close on a successful first year,” says Patel Elementary principal Ashley Galfond. “We maintained our teachers and had very little turnover of students. We have a large waiting list of students and we’re excited to expand to 3rd grade for the next (202324) school year.”

Patel Elementary is a Hillsborough County K-5 charter elementary. It shares the Dr. Kiran C. Patel Campus for Innovative Learning — a 32 acre campus located near the intersection of I-75 and E. Fowler Ave. in Temple Terrace — with Terrace Community Middle School and Dr. Kiran C. Patel High School (Patel High), two charter secondary schools.

Patel Elementary started the 2022-23 with 270 students in kindergarten, first and second grade. Next year, this year’s second graders will become its first class of third graders. Adding one grade per year, the school will incrementally grow its staff and resources over the next three years and plans to finish expanding by the 2025-26 academic year, when the plan is to reach its capacity of 652 students from kindergarten through fifth grade.

“We’re a tuition-free, public charter school of choice, with teachers certified in early childhood and elementary education,” Galfond explains. “We’re sponsored by the Hillsborough School District and we are publicly funded based on our full-time equivalent (FTE) of enrolled students. We follow Florida’s statutes and guidelines like other schools, but we also have [additional structure with] a Board of Directors, which allows us to take more control and provide a more supportive learning environment.”

Galfond is well versed in the local educational system. She earned her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Elementary Education from the University of South Florida (USF) and a Master of Education (M.Ed) degree in educational leadership

from Florida Atlantic University before working as a teacher and administrator for 17 years in the Hillsborough County Public Schools system.

Galfond, who previously was the assistant principal at Chiles Elementary in Tampa Palms before coming to Patel Elementary, said that while she previously had positive experiences with charter school education herself, it was really founder Dr. Kiran Patel’s mission and vision for Patel Elementary that inspired her to accept her current position.

“All three of my children went to a charter school, so my first experience with charter schools was as a parent,” says Galfond. “But, it was really reading Dr. Patel’s mission and vision for the school that persuaded me to take on this role.”

Dr. Patel & His Vision

Dr. Patel, who was a successful cardiologist before becoming a highly accomplished businessman and philanthropist, is passionate that education should be accessible to all and that rigorous education in the formative years is crucial for lifelong success. But, education is not just limited to academics.

Patel Elementary stresses that education should address the needs of the whole child, balancing “social emotional learning” equally with “rich academic instruction.” A major component of this approach is project-based learning.

“We give our learners dedicated project time,” Galfond says. “We start with a question or a problem in society to get everyone invested. Then, our teachers craft projects in

(Above, left) Principal Ashley Galfond (left) and ESE curriculum coordinator Chelsea Bowen of Patel Elementary (a K-5 charter school located off I-75 in Temple Terrace) are joined by the winners of the school’s Black History Art Contest. (Above, right) In April, Patel Elementary students in each grade received “Kindness” and “Curious” awards. (All photos provided by Patel Elementary)

different subject areas.”

The school partners with local organizations to bring awareness to societal issues and encourage involvement in the community. In November and December, the children worked with Metropolitan Ministries, collecting food and holding fund-raising activities to support the homeless during the holiday season. The kindergartners held a Candy Cane drive, in which they attached personalized greetings to candy canes for their loved ones and raised more than $1,000.

Currently, Patel Elementary students are working with members of the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, to make toys for homeless pets, create and repurpose stuffed animals, run a pet supply drive, and more.

So, what’s next for Patel Elementary? Galfond says the school is applying to Cambridge Assessment International Education, the largest global community of schools, backed by the University of Cambridge (in England), to teach their Cambridge Primary international curriculum. This will help the elementary parallel Patel High, which already is a Cambridge school. In the future, Patel Elementary also plans to require parents to complete a minimum of 15 volunteer hours during the school year.

“Our job is to create a supportive environment,” shares Galfond. “Once children feel safe, learning and behavior are enhanced. We have to give our children a safe space to feel loved and valued in the classroom and community.”

Dr. Kiran C. Patel Elementary is located at 10739 Raulerson Ranch Rd. in Temple Terrace. To apply online for the 2023-24 school year, visit PatelElementary. org. There is no residential requirement to attend the school and children are selected by a random lottery system. For more information, call (813) 444-0660.

Patel Elementary kindergartners Prachet Bollineni (left) and Ellis Edwards show off their cup skyscrapers at the school’s Science Olympics. This engineering design challenge allows students to demonstrate how to work with a partner, collect data, and

First graders Elias Orozco-Lopez & Landon Anderson enjoy the Patel Elementary Literacy Centers.

Wiregrass Ranch Students Grab Awards At Statewide HOSA Event!

By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN Neighborhood News Corespondent

Congratulations to the Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH) students who won awards at the Health Occupations Students of America (aka HOSA-Future Health Professionals) State Leadership Conference held in Orlando Apr. 13-16.

These students have the opportunity to represent Florida at the HOSA International Leadership Conference in Dallas in late June.

WRH dominated the CPR & First Aid skills competitions, with Mahek Mody and Aizah Rahman taking first place, and Ava Sullivan and Angelika Domenech finishing second.

“They did a lot of practicing,” says HOSA sponsor Allison Wiley. “They were working every day to perfect their craft.”

In addition, Khushi Chitalia took second place in Veterinary Services and Jasmine Ahmed finished in second for Clinical Nursing. In Epidemiology, Tanmay Patil grabbed fourth place.

In the Public Service Announcement category, Calina Levy, Nuha Naveen and Chris O’Donell finished in second place.

Wiley says all of the students showed a lot of initiative when they chose to participate in this competition.

“They are very dedicated,” she says. “Most of them are taking AP classes and have a mindset of achieving their goals, and

this is something that builds their self-esteem and looks good in their portfolios.”

In at least one case, a team that didn’t finish in the State top five is using the competition as a platform for something more.

Junior Aleah Diaz says she and her teammates — Anda Tram-Lan, Tristan Pasquale, Maria Dsouza (photo, right) — took on a project they became passionate about.

It focused on public awareness surrounding endometriosis, a serious gynecologic disorder they learned affects one in 10 women and is often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. The group’s goal is to raise awareness of the problem so that more women get a proper diagnosis earlier.

The four of them already have attended a medical conference, shown a documentary at their school and are sharing information via their Instagram account @ endoawareness.

Diaz says that although the four of them are done with the competition for this year, she will continue the effort to share what they’ve learned.

“I want to keep advocating on this topic,” she says. “I was interested in the medical field but not sure what I wanted to do specifically. But now, I think I’ll do medical research or maybe go the OB/ GYN route.”

A team from John Long Middle School took home second place in the Middle School “HOSA Bowl” category, but the students’ names were not released.

Wesley Chapel Resident Jack Webster To Attend West Point!

By GARY NAGER

Speaking of congratulations, we salute Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH) graduating senior Jack Martin Webster (photo), who has been accepted into the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Jack who had applied to all three major U.S. military academies, also was accepted into the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado, but hadn’t yet heard back from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD.

In order to be accepted into West Point, Jack had to have great grades (he will graduate with a weighted GPA of “around 4.5” and got 1420 on his SATs), be involved in sports (he was on WRH’s soccer, track and cross country teams, although he was on the wrestling team this year, instead of soccer) and endure a long application process that required him to receive a nomination from at least one member of the U.S. Congress.

But, Jack went that requirement one better, as he actually was nominated by two members of our nation’s legislature — U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis and Sen. Rick Scott.

He also has been accepted into Florida State University in Tallahassee, the University of Central Florida in Orlando and the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa, but hadn’t yet heard back from the University of Florida in Gainesville before deciding to attend West Point.

“I visited the West Point campus (in upstate NY) last fall (photo) and loved it,” Jack says. “It’s beautiful and will allow me to pursue a goal of mine — to specialize in Psychology Operations (aka “PsyOps”) for the Army.” He adds that he also is interested in becoming an Army aviator/helicopter pilot.

“I never wanted to have a boring desk job,” Jack says. “I even thought about becoming a firefighter for a while.”

He certainly won’t be a desk jockey while on his current path. He will have to endure six weeks of basic training, four years at West Point, five years of active duty, three years of being in the Army Reserves and Cadet Officers-in-Training grad school.

He says his parents always pushed him to not slack off in school and Jack clearly took that to heart. His father, J. Matt Webster, Ph.D., is a USF Health professor who has been affiliated with the Johnnie B. Byrd Alzheimer’s Center & Research Institute, and his mother, Cela Delgado Webster, Esq., is the owner of Chapel Legal, a family law and estate planning firm.

Jack certainly is setting a great example for his younger sister Eliana, 16, and his brother Nathan, age 12, although he notes that he is not the smartest of the siblings.

“Eliana is definitely smarter than me,” he admits. “But it’s a friendly competition.”

So, congrats and Godspeed, Jack. The Neighborhood News salutes you!

Visit Pampered Peach Wesley Chapel For Your Waxing & Facial Needs

By NIDHI JANI Neighborhood News Corespondent

Between vacations, big occasions and Florida’s virtually year-round beach season, there’s always a reason that you need to look and feel your best. The Pampered Peach Wax Bar ion Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Wesley Chapel (across from AdventHealth Wesley Chapel) will take care of all your waxing and even your facial needs and give you a relaxing spa experience in the process.

The Pampered Peach Wax Bar is a homegrown Tampa Bay addition to the waxing industry. Jessica Kustron, the founder and CEO (chief executive officer) of The Pampered Peach, was born and raised in Tampa. After owning and running her own day-spa in Tampa for more than ten years, she saw an opportunity to create a wax-only salon to offer a more intimate approach to waxing customers.

Since launching The Pampered Peach in 2017, the business has expanded greatly with seven locations in operation or in the planning stages across four states. Today there are four locations in the Tampa Bay area (Wesley Chapel, Brandon, Temple Terrace and South Tampa), with more on the way, including planned locations in St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Ybor City.

You probably won’t see co-owners Jonathan Smith, Michael Grande, and Anthony Cintron much around The Pampered Peach of Wesley Chapel, but that’s how they prefer it, as they let their talented team of “waxologists” shine while they do the behind-the-scenes management and growth of the business.

“We’re all from this area and our market research indicated that Wesley Chapel, with its massive growth over the past five years, could really use a business like this,” Jonathan says. He and his girlfriend Amanda Gonzalez, who is the manager at the Wesley Chapel location, both live in Wesley Chapel, while Michael is in Land O’ Lakes and Anthony lives in Palm Harbor.

It’s clear that this trio of owners knows the industry well, from the lingo, to the products, to even first-hand

knowledge of the services so that they can improve the experience for all their clients.

“We offer three different types of wax — hard wax, soft wax, and sugaring — which is really unique in the waxing industry,” Jonathan says, “Picking the right wax will depend upon the area and hair type being removed, and sugaring offers a purely organic option.”

He adds, “We use and sell crueltyfree, botanical-based Farmhouse Fresh products, which have won multiple awards internationally and has many magazine and celebrity endorsements.”

The services available at the salon are truly head to toe. Amanda says the most popular waxing areas are the traditional Brazilian (bikini), eyebrows, and underarms, but other areas like half or full waxing of the arms, legs, and back also are available. For the face, you can have every pesky hair near your lips, sideburns, ears, nose (and more) removed, and even get a full face waxing package.

While the Pampered Peach website touts that the spas offer a five-minute Brazilian — and you can definitely get it if in

a rush — if you have the time, the owners recommend consulting with the waxologists to get the best possible experience.

“Our waxologists — Amanda, Nikki, Ashley, and Katie — are all very well trained, with about 15 years of experience combined,” says Michael. “When you get services with us, especially the first few times, the waxologist will perform a consultation with you, asking about your skin type (dry versus oily), allergies, pores, acne and more. Based on your answers, they may add steam or other services if needed. They get to know you well.”

“Waxing gets easier over time,” Jonathan adds. “As the hair gets thinner, the hair removal becomes less painful and more predictable A Brazilian may take about 30 minutes the first time, but after that, the time goes down to 15 minutes or less.”

And, Amanda says that men shouldn’t feel shy. She says that while the salon mainly sees female customers, there has been an increase in male clients for services like back and chest waxing as well as arms, legs, Brazilian with a stem (aka, a “Manzilian”), and full body.

Facials & Specialty Services

Pampered Peach Wesley Chapel is proud to have expanded into also offering facials. As one of the initial locations to add facials, the salon offers four types — brightening, soothing, acne, and anti-aging — and all of them can be mini (30 minutes) or full (60 minutes). The Wesley Chapel location also has increased from three service rooms to four, with the newest one being dedicated to facials, with a spa-like environment and relaxing music.

Brow lamination and brow henna, which involve using a tint or henna coloring to fill in missing areas of the eyebrows, is another specialty of the salon. This quick and painless process leaves eyebrows looking fuller and usually lasts 3-4 weeks.

Worried about ingrown hairs? The salon offers a treatment for that as well.

“Ingrown hairs often come down to a lack of exfoliation and not enough post-care support,” says Michael, emphasizing the importance of speaking with the waxologists to get the best experience for your skin and hair type.

Even the best wax service can’t stop hair from eventually growing back, so

(Above, L.-r.): Waxologists Ashley Villela, Katie Kantor, Amanda Gonzalez (manager), and Nikki Brown of The Pampered Peach’s Wesley Chapel location on Bruce B. Downs Blvd., next to Dickey’s Barebecue Pit, invite you to enjoy outstanding services in a true spa environment.

(Right) The Pampered Peach has added a display of some new “merch” for sale.

The Pampered Peach offers memberships monthly, annual and as package membership deals that are perfect for routine follow-ups. For periodic a la carte services, you also can get a VIP card for discounts on merchandise and future services.

If you’re not sure where to start, visit the Pampered Peach’s website to get offers on Brazilians and other bikini and brow waxes for new customers as well as a Mother’s Day discount available through the end of May. Pampered Peach Wesley Chapel additionally offers 20% off facials and $25 Brazilians for first time guests. And, if you mention the Neighborhood News, you can get your second Brazilian for $25 too.

And, stay tuned — The Pampered Peach Wesley Chapel is planning to launch a new website with a streamlined online booking process, as well as to add 16 more hours across the week, including opening on Mondays, by later this year.

The Pampered Peach Wax Bar of Wesley Chapel is located at 2653 BBD Blvd., Suite 102. The salon is open Tues.-Fri., 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sat.; and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sun. For more information, see the ad on pg. 29, call 727-FL-PEACH (3573224), visit PamperYourPeach.com/ wesley-chapel-fl or find the spa on Facebook and Instagram.

Nikki provides a relaxing facial while Ashley gets the wax ready for a client’s procedure.

Budget Blinds Owners Celebrate Five Years Of Having You Covered!

By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN Neighborhood News Corespondent

When Tara Leblanc bought her home in Lexington Oaks, the blinds were old and outdated. She knew she wanted an upgrade, so she called “a bunch of different companies” to come to her home and give her an estimate.

After four consultations, she says it was an easy decision.

“We went with Budget Blinds,” says Tara. “They were absolutely amazing.”

She says she’s “not good with decorating” and notes that her Budget Blinds design consultant made many helpful suggestions. There was great communication throughout the process, and when the installers came out, they were friendly, didn’t make a mess and cleaned up after themselves. Tara was thrilled.

The local franchise of Budget Blinds is owned by Wesley Chapel residents Adriane and Mike Wonderlin, who are marking five years of owning the business since they purchased it in June 2018. Their territory stretches all the way north to San Antonio and south to Palmetto and includes showrooms on W. Fletcher Ave. (near I-275, two exits south of Wesley Chapel’s S.R. 56 exit) and in Riverview, covering nearly 90 zip codes.

Budget Blinds also has an “inspiration center” at the KRATE container park at The Grove in Wesley Chapel. As people wander through the rows of converted containers to sample food and check out tiny shops, they also can pop into Budget Blinds to see how they might transform their homes with a huge variety of available blinds, shades, shutters and drapes.

A quick visit to Budget Blinds at KRATE will allow you to see the many possibilities, with videos of the products in motion on the TVs, consultants available to answer questions about how something functions or how it would look, and education about the different types of window treatments.

The KRATE location has been open since May of 2022, and the Wonderlins had the opportunity to celebrate their innovative shop with a one-year anniversary North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon cutting event on May 5 (photo on next page).

As the local franchise continues to grow, the Wonderlins also are building a 7,500-square-foot warehouse and design center in Ruskin. When that opens later this year, the existing Riverview showroom will move to that new location.

But, for most people, a trip to a showroom isn’t even necessary.

The Wonderlins employ a team of nearly 40 people, including design associates who come to your home with what Adriane describes as “a ton of samples” to help determine the best look and functionality for window coverings in your home.

There is a variety of styles from which to choose. Blinds come in vinyl, wood,

fabric, faux wood and aluminum. Shutters are made from real wood or composite material that will not fade or warp.

If you prefer shades, you can choose from roller, pleated, Roman, cellular, woven wood, bamboo, sheer, solar or graphic, plus a variety of panels, valances and drapes.

The trends they continue to see, Adriane says, include motorization and lots of customers adding draperies.

“The functionality of the shutter is great and the look is classic,” she says. “But now, we’re adding a soft piece of fabric, too. In the 1980s and ‘90s, draperies were everywhere, but in the 2000s, no one did drapes because it looked like ‘your mother’s house.’ But now, it’s back.”

The Appeal Of Motorization

She says that window covering motorization continues to improve, with motors that are nearly completely silent and a trend that continues to make these “smart home” features more affordable.

Adriane says that for high places you can’t reach, motorization is ideal. It’s also great for businesses to set their timers to automatically open as the business opens, or at home to automate window shades to help kids or teenagers wake up for school in the morning.

With these options, you can use a smartphone, remote, wall switch or even voice command to open or close your window coverings.

One thing you won’t find at Budget Blinds are outdated blinds that are raised and lowered with cords. A new law was passed to eliminate dangling cords that are known to be harmful to children, because they can get tangled in them.

“In Canada, you can’t sell your house with cords in the window,” explains Mike. “We don’t know if that’s going to follow here in the U.S. But, our sales team continues to educate customers about the laws in the U.S. and why it’s important to replace those window treatments.”

In fact, that’s one reason Tara was impressed with the Budget Blinds consultant who visited her home.

“I’m an ER nurse and I have small children,” she says. “So safety is really important to me.”

She says the consultant was knowledgeable and helpful, and that her understanding of the new law and how to keep her kids safe made Tara feel confident in choosing Budget Blinds.

For her family room, Tara chose a motorized roller shade and smart drapes, safe options that also are incredibly convenient for her. To open and close her window coverings, she just pushes a button on her phone.

Mike says that’s in line with what he and Adriane are seeing across their business. “About 70 percent of our orders have motorization now,” he says.

Tara says Budget Blinds offered

the best value of all the companies she evaluated, and her choice was easy once she heard about the company’s warranty, which includes a one-time replacement, no questions asked.

It’s been six months and she hasn’t had any problems, but she says that knowing the warranty is there if she needs it gives her peace of mind.

“I have two boys and two dogs, including a Great Dane,” Tara says, “so somebody’s about to destroy something, I’m sure.”

Budget Blinds was founded in 1992 in Orange County, CA, and today has more than 1,000 franchises in the U.S. and Canada. The Wonderlins’ North Tampa franchise, which they purchased in 2018, was awarded Budget Blinds’ national Franchise of the Year for 2020, which was the franchise’s third such honor since 2016.

To schedule a complimentary in-home consultation, call (813) 9685050. Visit the KRATE location on

Whether you’re looking for beautiful new drapes (above) or motorized shutters with drapes you can control with your smartphone (next page), the local Budget Blinds

franchise has you covered. (Photos provided by Adriane & Mike Wonderlin)

Mondays from 2 p.m.-8 p.m.; noon-8 p.m. on Tuesdays-Saturdays; and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. For more information, follow @BudgetBlindsofGreaterTampa on Facebook or Instagram or visit BudgetBlinds.com/ NorthTampa or see the ad on page 32. For the rest of the month of May, the more units you buy, the more you save — up to 35% off.

(Above) On May 5, the Wonderlin family celebrated the one-year anniversary of the opening of their “Inspiration Center” at the KRATEs with their Budget Blinds family and members of North Tampa Bay Chamber. (Photo by Charmaine George)

Excellence In Eye Care For Outstanding Eye Care & Convenience!

By NIDHI JANI Neighborhood News Corespondent

Remembering to get your family’s groceries regularly is easy. Remembering to get your eyes checked regularly — maybe not so much.

Thankfully, optometrist David F. Scamard, O.D.’s office, Excellence in Eye Care, LLC, is conveniently located inside the Costco Wholesale store on the south side of S.R. 56 in Lutz, next to the Tampa Premium Outlets.

Dr. Scamard explains that eye exams should never be an oversight (pun intended).

“Many people tell me that they can’t imagine not being able to see, but they forget to go for regular eye exams,” Dr. Scamard says. “Getting your eyes checked regularly is so important for eye health.”

Dr. Scamard has been a practicing optometrist in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area for more than 20 years. He earned his undergraduate degree at the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa and received his Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree from Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in Fort Lauderdale in 1999. He says that it was during his undergraduate years when he first got exposed to eye care, while working for an optometrist.

“At first, I didn’t know what area [of healthcare] to specialize in, but after working for an optometrist in college, I

realized that I enjoyed helping people to be able to see,” he says. “You can feel the instant gratification of patients when you give them new glasses or contacts and you hear them say ‘Wow!’”

Excellence in Eye Care offers comprehensive eye exams and contact lens exams (with dilation included) for patients who need prescriptions for glasses and contacts. Retinal imaging also is available as an alternative to dilation.

“For patients who don’t want or can’t handle dilation, retinal imaging is helpful because we need that view to check the health of their eyes,” says Dr. Scamard. “We offer retinal imaging at a low cost, and patients get to see the inside of their eyes — actually see what the doctor sees.”

He adds, “I recently had a patient with macular degeneration, in the early stages, and I was able to show it to him. [By the process of] autofluorescence, the images show the blood supply underneath the eye. This is not as apparent during a dilation or by the naked eye. Thankfully, we caught it early.”

If you need eye exams specifically for diabetes, glaucoma or to renew your driver’s license, or you need an exam for eye trauma or pink eye, or need a foreign body removed from your eyes, Excellence in Eye Care can help with that too.

After working in New Tampa and

Lutz for several years and successfully growing his patient base in those communities, Dr. Scamard moved his office into Costco as soon as the wholesale club opened on S.R. 56 more than six years ago. He says that partnering with Costco has been advantageous for many reasons.

“Costco has a great reputation,” he says. “Costco Optical has been historically rated #1 by Consumer Reports as an optical department and offers fair prices and good value for contacts and glasses. I had a lot of established patients who followed me here, but it’s also a growing area, so I get lots of new patients here as well.”

Excellence in Eye Care and Costco operate independently. You do not need a Costco membership to receive any services at Dr. Scamard’s office. But, if you are a Costco member, Costco Optical will accept prescriptions from Excellence in Eye Care for your glasses and contact lenses.

In 2022, Dr. J. Carson Woolwine joined Excellence in Eye Care as the office’s second optometrist. Also earning his O.D. degree from NSU (in 2016), Dr. Woolwine works 2-3 days a week with Dr. Scamard, which allows the office to be open for expanded hours six days a week.

Young Kids Need Eye Exams, Too

Children may receive eye screenings at the pediatrician’s office or at school. But, what parents may not know is that children should be seen by an optometrist regularly too, ideally with the first visit in the first 6-12 months of their lives.

In an interview with Optometric Management magazine published in 2002, former U.S. President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter shared

You can find the friendly staff of Excellence in Eye Care (l.-r.) optometric tech Savannah Leder, Dr. David Scamard, Dr. J. Carson Woolwine & optometric tech Hannah Mammen inside the Costco off S.R. 56 in Lutz. (All photos on these pages by Charmaine George)

some truly eye-opening stories (again, pun intended) about two of his eleven grandchildren who needed help with their eyes at a young age. Pres. Carter’s granddaughter Margaret suffered from amblyopia, or lazy eye, which was first suspected at around age 3, but was not properly diagnosed until later when she injured her eye with a butter knife and couldn’t see properly. Early treatment with eye therapy and eye patching corrected the problem.

But, a more serious case of amblyopia, occurred with Carter’s grandson Jamie, who, at 8-1/2 years old, had no obvious symptoms and had already passed several eye exams at school. When he ultimately did fail a school eye exam, an optometrist diagnosed him with advanced amblyopia. By that age, the doctor explained that it might be too late to

correct Jamie’s eyesight completely, but eye therapy and patching was leading to improvement in his overall vision.

Dr. Scamard, who has specialty experience in pediatrics, is very passionate about early childhood eye exams.

“A lot of parents think that the school is checking their child’s vision, but that’s just a screening,” he says. “Parents have come to me in tears, saying, ‘I’m a terrible parent, how did I not realize this earlier?’ Children’s eyes should be checked within the first year and on a regular basis after that. We offer free comprehensive eye exams for children ages 6-12 months through the InfantSee program, which has been supported by the American Optometric Assn. and by Johnson & Johnson Vision. We were one of the charter members of that program.”

Dr. Scamard says that there are many conditions that childhood eye exams can catch and that catching them early is key.

“With conditions like amblyopia and strabismus (crossed eyes), children don’t realize that they aren’t seeing well,” he says. “They think that type of vision is normal and they can adapt to it. Unfortunately, after age 9, the brain loses plasticity (or the ability of neural networks in the brain to change through growth and reorganization) and visual pathways may not form properly. There’s a better prognosis before age 9. Afterwards, therapies may not take.”

Back to school and sports physical eye exams usually keep Excellence in Eye Care busy in late summer, but appointments and walk-ins for patients of all ages are always welcome. One of the office’s four optometric technicians, Savannah, Evangelina, Fran,

and Hannah, will help you schedule your eye exam. Mention Neighborhood News to get a free pair of non-prescription sunglasses (while supplies last).

Excellence in Eye Care does not accept insurance, but will provide an itemized receipt to submit for reimbursement with vision insurance companies. Costco Optical does accept insurance for glasses, contact lenses and other eyewear products.

Excellence In Eye Care is located inside Costco at 2225 Grand Cypress Dr. in Lutz, on the south side of S.R. 56. The office is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; 1 p.m.–7 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday; and 10 a.m.–2 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, see the ad on pg. 3, call (813) 279-7038, or visit ExcellenceInEyeCare.net.

Farina Orthodontic Specialists Celebrates Five Years In Wesley Chapel!

By GARY NAGER

I have known Mark Farina, D.M.D., pretty much since even before he opened his first office in Tampa Palms a quarter of a century or so ago. At that time, his only office was on N. Habana Ave. in Tampa (Note-That office has now been moved to South Tampa).

Since then, not only has Dr. Farina opened his third Farina Orthodontic Specialists office on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (just north of the Shops at Wiregrass), he just celebrated his fifth anniversary in that uniquely cube-shaped building with a packed Open House and anniversary party on Apr. 26.

Not only is Dr. Farina an outstanding orthodontist and a most likable guy who did the braces for both of my sons (who consistently receive compliments on their dazzling smiles), he also has always stayed on the cutting edge of dental technology.

As one example, Farina Orthodontic Specialists may have been the first dental office in our area to offer in-office gaming systems so young patients wouldn’t mind having to wait a few minutes for their appointments.

And, although both of my sons (just two of Dr. Farina’s more than 10,000 patients), who are now in their 30s, had no choice but to have metal braces, Dr. Farina also was one of the first in the New Tampa/ Wesley Chapel area to embrace Invisalign clear aligners, which have become an industry standard alternative to traditional metal braces. In fact, Dr. Farina is today one of

(Above left) The friendly staff of Farina Orthodontic Specialists. (Above right & below) If you become a patient of Dr. Farina’s, you could have access to the ScanBox digital imaging device and the remote ScanBox app. (All photos on these pages by Charmaine George)

the top Invisalign providers in the Tampa Bay area.

And, Introducing...

At the Open House event, which featured outstanding food and beverages and more than 100 people in attendance, Dr. Farina not only introduced his two new associates — Dr. Undine Davis and Dr. Pedro Franco — he also showed off his favorite new dental “toys,” Remote Dental Monitoring through the Smile Doctors Anywhere network of orthodontists and the full-mouth-scanning device known as the ScanBox (see below).

“We are really excited about the addition of our two doctors, Dr. Davis and Dr. Franco,” Dr. Farina says. “Dr. Davis comes to us from Stanford University and is a University of Florida graduate in orthodontics, and Dr. Franco comes from a family of dentists and graduated from the Georgia School of Orthodontics. We are happy to have three doctors here to take care of our patients’ needs.”

In addition, Remote Dental Monitoring provides patients with a portal system that minimizes visits to the office, resulting in less time missed from school and work.

“This cutting-edge AI (artificial intelligence) technology connects the doctors and clinical team to the patients to help answer questions and resolve issues more quickly,” Dr. Farina says. “Patients have access to the portal 24/7 and can also manage things like payments and appointment scheduling through it.”

The ScanBox allows patients to continue their monitoring on the go, from anywhere in the world, and helps remove the “nagging parents” responsibility so kids can be involved in their own orthodontic progression. The system will even let them know if there are spots that need better brushing or flossing.

“We’re very excited about Smile Doctors Anywhere dental monitoring for our patients!,” Dr. Farina says. “It connects them to our office virtually so they’re able to ask questions and send photos so they are always connected and can reach out to us. This also saves missed time for the parents from work and the kids from school. We are so thrilled to have this technology and to be one of the first to have it in the Tampa Bay area.”

Farina Orthodontic Specialists has three offices, including at 15303 Amberly Dr. in Tampa Palms and 2370 BBD Blvd., Suite 100, in Wesley Chapel. For more information, including how to get $750 off your traditional braces or Invisalign aligners, see the ad on pg. 13, call (813) 972-2929 or visit FarinaSmiles.com.

As I said in the story on the previous page about Farina Orthodontic Specialists, I have had the privilege of knowing Dr. Mark Farina for nearly 25 years.

On the other hand, I have known a few of the other gentlemen in the photo above even longer than I have known Dr. Farina. I asked my photographer, Charmaine George, to shoot this picture of the “original dentists of New Tampa” to illustrate not only how long I’ve been serving the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas, but also how many of these folks also have been serving our areas.

In the photo above, I have known Dr. Tom Frankfurth of Sage Dental, Dr. Lou Cerillo of Cerillo Family Dentistry and Dr. Greg Stepanski of Children’s Dentistry, as well as

local photographer and DJ Paul Gigante of Gigante Productions even longer than I have known Dr. Farina. The three dentists mentioned all have advertised in the Neighborhood News even longer than has Dr. Farina, and I remember when Gigante, Dr. Cerillo and Dr. Farina became the three founding members of the New Tampa Italian Club.

The only dentist in the photo that I haven’t known as long is oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Roberto (Rob) Taglione, who also has been practicing in this area for more than 20 years.

Yes, they came out to enjoy Dr. Farina’s party, but to me, it was so meaningful that all of these gentlemen came to support their friend and colleague, just as I did. — GN

(L.-r.) Dr. Pedro Franco and Dr. Undine Davis have joined Dr. Mark Farina at Farina Orthodontic Specialists.

Lissette & Dr. Mark Farina at the five-year anniversary party & Open House on Apr. 26.

Our editor has known almost everyone in this photo —(l.-r.) Dr. Tom Frankfurth, Dr. Rob Taglione, Dr. Mark Farina, Paul Gigante, Dr. Lou Cerillo & Dr. Greg Stepanski — for 25 years or more. (Photo by Charmaine George)

Wesley Chapel Theater Group Gives Out ‘Oscars’ At TrebleMakers!

When Jannah and I stopped in to TrebleMakers Dueling Piano Bar & Restaurant on April 13, we had no idea what an awesome evening of entertainment we were about to enjoy.

The nonprofit Wesley Chapel Theater Group (WCTG) hosted a “red carpet” fundraising event the group called “Box Office Hits,” which featured two hours worth of 22 songs from the talented ensemble cast of WCTG singers. The evening was a fund raiser for the troupe and included great songs, some audience participation and trivia, as the cast gave out their own versions of the “Oscars” in seven categories — from songs that appeared in dramatic films and comedies to

animated movie songs to actual musicals. Among our favorite performances were “Shallow” from “A Star is Born,” “Stuck in the Middle With You” from “Reservoir Dogs,” “I Will Always Love You,” from “The Bodyguard,” and “I’m a Believer” from “Shrek.”

But honestly, all of the performances were great and our friends at TrebleMakers definitely made it a true dinner theatre experience, with

a delicious prime rib dinner special and, of course, the usual great drinks and atmosphere. And, WCTG is doing an encore show at TrebleMakers on Thursday, June 8, due to the overwhelming response to the last show. The group also hopes to be able to officially announce this upcoming theater season that will consist of four big shows. For more info, visit WesleyChapelTheaterGroup.org.—GN

Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. Adds Even More Lunch Options!

By GARY NAGER

Photos by Charmaine George

Although Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. is a small chain of 24 locations in six states (the majority of which are located in Florida, including the original location in Delray Beach), local franchise owner Daniel Kurland takes great pride in his restaurant, the service he provides and the company’s growing menu.

Brooklyn Water Bagel has been open on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel, just west of I-75 (at the front of The Grove at Wesley Chapel’s property) since 2021 and since then, Daniel says, his breakfast business has been booming. After all, Daniel’s kettle-boiled-then-baked bagels (and other baked goods) are made with water that is “Brooklynized” on the premises to give them that authentic New York-bagel taste.

But, since all Brooklyn Water Bagel locations are open for both breakfast and lunch, the company has been working on expanding its lunch menu and Daniel recently invited the Neighborhood News to come sample the new options.

He says the best seller of the new menu selections has been the Little Italy bagel sandwich — made with salami, capicola and ham with provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, banana peppers and vinaigrette dressing. It’s like an Italian sub but on your choice of Brooklyn Water Bagel’s dozen+ bagel varieties.

My favorite new item, however, is the new bagel dog, a premium beef hot dog (or chicken sausage) that is wrapped in bagel

dough, topped with everything seeds and served with spicy mustard and sauerkraut (which honestly, is the only way to eat a hot dog, in one reporter’s opinion). The menu doesn’t call the hot dog “Kosher” or even “Kosher style,” but at Jewish delis in my native New York, we would have called it a “special,” or oversized hot dog and the flavor is definitely Kosher style.

Photographer Charmaine George also enjoyed the new spicy grilled chicken sandwich, which is topped with bacon, pepper jack cheese, pickle slices, lettuce, tomato and spicy mayo. It is served on a club roll or the bagel of your choice.

Charmaine and I also enjoyed the new club melt sandwich, which is served openfaced and combines warm ham, turkey and bacon with melted Swiss cheese, tomato, onion and butter on the bagel or bread of your choice.

All of these lunch sandwiches are served with an authentic deli-style sour pickle.

And, for you salad lovers, Brooklyn Water Bagel has now added a new chef’s salad, with ham, turkey, bacon, egg and shredded cheese with grape tomatoes served atop a bed of tasty greens.

Of course, there’s also still delicious corned beef, pastrami (either of which are available

as Reuben sandwiches), roasted turkey and chicken, tuna, egg or whitefish salad sandwiches on your choice of bread or as wraps. And yes, there is even a pretty authentic-tasting matzo ball soup, offered as a cup with one matzo ball, as well as in combination with a variety of different sandwiches.

New Breakfast Items, Too...

The new menu options available at Brooklyn Water

(Left) The new Little Italy sandwich is the most popular new lunch item at Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel, but our editor prefers the new bagel dog (above). There also is a new chef’s salad on the Brooklyn water Bagel lunch menu. (All photos on these pages by Charmaine George)

The new spicy grilled chicken sandwich isn’t overly spicy, but it is pretty tasty!

Bagel Co. aren’t only for lunch. First of all, the entire menu is available for breakfast or lunch.

However, for those looking for something more than the usual smoked salmon and cream cheese (it’s called The Williamsburg) and egg, bacon (or Taylor ham) and cheese sandwiches, there are now new corned beef “hash” sandwich with a hash brown, plus corned beef, egg and American cheese, and pastrami, egg and cheese sandwiches. There’s even The Greenpoint sandwich with egg whites, spinach, mushroom and Swiss on a scooped bagel.

Save room for dessert, because not only does Brooklyn Water Bagel still have the most authentic (and decadent) black & white and chocolate chip cookies in our area, a variety of fresh-baked muffins (including a new orange cranberry option), and flaky rugelach pastries, it also now offers a scrumptious, open-faced S’mores bagel with Nutella spread and toasted marshmallows.

And yes, I still love Brooklyn Water Bagel Co.’s delicious coffee blends, especially the Brooklyn Infusion blend (with vanilla, caramel and Kahlua flavors) and the new Hanna Banana blend, which is available for the spring only. if you don’t see a flavor you want, you can add shots of U-Bet chocolate syrup, vanilla and a variety of other flavors. For you iced coffee lovers, check out the “Cubsta” iced coffee, available with coffeeflavored ice cubes.

You can even take out bulk bagels, large-size cream cheese spreads and tuna, egg, chicken and whitefish salad.

Brooklyn Water Bagel (27835 Wesley Chapel Blvd., Suite 101 (next to King of the Coop). It is open every day, 6 a.m.-3 p.m. For more info or to place an order, call (813) 775-2275, visit BrooklynWaterBagel.com or see the ad on pg. 36.

(Top) The new pastrami, egg and cheese sandwich. (Above) There’s no better way to top off a great meal than with a delicious S’mores bagel and a Cubsta iced coffee drink.

Update On Mac’s Custom Meats + Deli!

Although I told you about Mac’s Custom Meats + Deli — located in the Grand Oaks Plaza at 26316 Wesley Chapel Blvd. in Lutz — last issue, I didn’t tell you the full story.

First of all, while Mac’s is named for owner Dax McLochlin (photo, below), his actual first name is Daxton, not Daxter. I also didn’t show you anything inside the store, so below is a picture of Dax in front of the meat display, where he sells Angus steaks (like tender filet mignon), plus top-quality baby back ribs and other pork and chicken options. Mac’s also sells excellent pressed Cubans, grilled burgers and other flavorful deli meat, plus tuna and egg salad sandwiches.

“We’ll make your lunch and provide everything you need to grill your dinner,” Dax says. He even sells his own line of Mac’s sauces to enhance your grilling experience. For more info, call (317) 509-8798 GN

Pomodoro Pizza To Become

Mama B’s!

Those of you who are fans of Pomodoro Pizza at 27607 S.R. 56 (in front of Sam’s Club) will be happy to hear that not too much will change when Brenda Bening-Thompson (photo above) and her husband David, who have already owned it for several months, officially change the name of the popular local pizzeria to Mama B’s Pizza.

“We’ll be officially changing the name when our sign outside and new menus come in,” Brenda (Mama B herself) says. “Basically, we’re changing the look of the menu and reducing the number of pasta dishes on it, since some of them haven’t been selling so great.”

She adds, however, that most of Pomodoro’s pasta favorites — including fettuccine Alfredo, lasagna and chicken parmigiana — “won’t be going anywhere.”

For more information, call Pomodoro Pizza at (813) 328-8063 or visit PomodoroPizzaFL.com.

Provisions Coffee & Kitchen To Open New Location

Meanwhile, Provisions Coffee & Kitchen, which was the first tenant to open in the KRATE Container Park at The Grove at Wesley Chapel, has announced that it will open a second location in a new plaza that currently only is home to Abdoney Orthodontics (see photo, right).

The announcement on Provisions’

Facebook page said that additional announcements were coming soon. Unfortunately, we were unable to speak with owner Dana Morris — who also has a Provisions location on E. Bearss Ave., just west of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. — about the rumor we heard that the new Wesley Chapel Provisions will serve beer and wine (as the original location on BBD, where Bru Florida Growler Bar is now located, used to serve), as well as its usual coffee drinks.

We also weren’t able to find out if the new location will replace the location at the KRATEs or if it will be a third location for Morris and her coffee-and-more business. But of course, we’ll keep you posted.

For more information, call or visit either Provisions location — at 5862 Goldview Pkwy. in the KRATES (call 813-803-7787) or at 2816 E. Bearss Ave. (call 813-252-6512) or visit ProvisionsCoffeeFL.com.

Blush Champagne & Cocktail Bar Opens At The KRATEs

Literally the day we went to press with this issue, the Blush Champagne & Cocktail Bar (photo below) held a brief “soft opening” in anticipation of its full-time opening sometime before this issue reaches your mailbox.

The Blush Champagne & Cocktail Bar, the second establishment at the KRATE Container Park (the other is the nearly adjacent Blush Wine Room) owned by Felicia andNimesh Desai (not pictured), is an intimate, upscale champagne bar serving sparkling wine from both near and far, champagne cocktails and martinis,

and a dozen frozen cocktails, with plans to serve food starting this summer.

“Until then, you can grab food from the Blush Wine Room and drinks from either of our locations,” Felicia says. “And, just like at our original location, the Champagne & Cocktail Bar will have wines and cocktails you won’t find anywhere else. We’re really excited about the new concept.”

The Blush Wine Room is located at 5863 Goldview Pkwy., Unit 107, and the Blush Champagne & Cocktail Bar is at 5903 Goldview Pkwy., Unit 101. For more info about either location, call (813) 428-6247 or visit BlushWineRoom. com.

Azteca d’Oro Opening June 24!

As you can see in the ad on the previous page, Azteca d’Oro is set to host its Grand

Opening in the space (at 2000 Piazza Ave.) at the Shops at Wiregrass previously occupied by Cantina Laredo on Saturday, June 24, with a mariachi band, indoor and outdoor bar with cocktails and more.

Azteca d’Oro promises a truly authentic Mexican cuisine experience in an upscale, but still casual atmosphere. For more info, see the ad or visit AztecaDOro.com. — GN

Johnny C’s Has Opened On CC Blvd. @ Morris Bridge Rd.!

Although its “Friends & Family” events and Grand Opening both took place after we went to press with this issue, the new Johnny C’s Italian Eatery is open at 10970 Cross Creek Blvd., Suite (on Morris Bridge Rd.), in the former location of Precinct Pizza

Johnny C’s, named for the grandfather of former Saddlebrook Resort GM Pat Ciaccio, is a partnership between Ciaccio and former Saddlebrook owner Tom Dempsey and Seth Ravenna, who also worked at Saddlebrook. it features true New York-style pizza, plus a variety of Northern Italian comfort foods, from lasagna to eggplant parmigiana & more. For info, call (813) 278-8020 or visit JohnnyCsItalianEatery.com. — GN

New Tampa Nibbles — Updates On Mpanitas, Saffron, Kobé & Zio’s

Mpanitas Opens On CC Blvd.!

The second Tampa location of Mpanitas has opened in the oft-vacated spot in the Mobil gas station plaza at 10865 Cross Creek Blvd.

With delicious Venezuelan favorites like the excellent empanadas shown here (right), stuffed with your choice of shredded or ground beef, chicken, cheese, ham & cheese, potatoes & cheese and even fish, Mpanitas also serves arepas, mini-empanadas, mandocas, sweet tequeños and outstanding café con leché. For more information, follow “mpanitas” on Instagram or call (813) 315-8697.

In that same building on Cross , right next to Mpanitas, owners Sunita and Nimesh Chheda of Saffron Indian Cuisine say that although they do plan to retire sometime in the near future — after 20 years in New Tampa — they have extended their lease for at least another month or two, so definitely plan to visit them sometime in the near future, or you may just miss out. For more information, call (813) 600-3315 or visit SaffronIndianCuisineTampa.com.

It’s been almost a year-and-a-half since the Kobé Japanese Steakhouse closed on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in the Pebble Creek Collection and fans of the dinner-anda-show teppanyaki table eatery have been waiting for it to reopen in its new location a mile or so to the south ever since.

After stopping in again last week, I

can assure you that the inside of the new, 7,000-sq.-ft. Kobé looks nothing like any of the restaurants — Romano’s Macaroni Grill, Señor T’s and Vuelo Mexican Restaurant — that preceded it at 17641 BBD (next to Chili’s Grill & Bar). The new Kobé will still have a nice bar area for those who don’t need to sit at the hibachi tables and the place itself looks like it will be a beautiful upgrade from the old Kobé.

But, when will it finally open? Kim, who was conducting the staff interviews one of the recent days I visited, said “We are pushing really hard to be open by Mother’s Day (May 14).”

Unfortunately, the relocated Kobé had not opened when we went to press with this issue the week before Mom’s Day, but looked close enough that it might still have opened by May 14. In other words, by the time this issue reaches you, you probably should go check it out! For more information, visit KobeSteakhouse.com.

Meanwhile, back in the Pebble Creek Collection (at 19651 BBD Blvd.), another equally anticipated (at least by this and other native New Yawkas) restaurant — Zio’s New York Bagels — also is much closer to opening, as owner Jeff Cofini said that some of the bagel bakery and sandwich shop’s most important pieces of equipment were finally assembled and ready to be delivered.

“They finally finished building the (bagel) oven,” Cofini told me. “Now, it has to be shipped from New Jersey.” He said he had no further details, but hoped to be open shortly after this issue reaches your mailbox.

For more information, call (813) 388-9498 or email Jeff Cofini at ZiosNYBagels@gmail.com if you’re interested in a job. — GN

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