New Tampa Neighborhood News, Volume 27. Issue 11, May 17, 2019 by Neighborhood News

Volume 27 Issue 11

Inside:

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May 17, 2019

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Tampa Palms teen Drew Falkowitz is the youngest graduate in USF history...

...while Nupur Lala reflects on her National Spelling Bee win 20 years ago.

First Look Inside:

STORIES BY JOHN C. COTEY

Lagoon Opens To All!

Epperson’s Crystal Lagoons® amenity is finally open to the public — for a price — and only for a limited time.

Page 8

E PRETENDED to be typing on a laptop for the television cameras. He stood in the middle of the University of South Florida’s Marshall Center, a bright ray of sunshine cutting through his green graduation robe as an array of cameras click-click-clickclicked. When he was asked to walk from one end to the other, he did, as more cameras followed him, photographing and filming his every move. “It’s kind of hard to look natural doing this,” Drew Falkowitz said, sheepishly smiling. On this day, though, it was the price of celebrity. In the center of campus, while his classmates studied while sipping from Starbucks cups, Drew was famous for a few hours — as he became the youngest graduate in the 63-year history of USF — and the story everyone wanted to tell. The 16-year-old Tampa Palms resident, who graduated on May 3 with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Cellular & Molecular Biology — and still doesn’t have his driver’s license — found the whole experience even stranger than he had anticipated. “I figured, eventually, there would be press that would be generated around this,” said Drew, adding, “I’m not a very public person. I like staying low and not being in the spotlight all the time and having my three years of college and no one’s even talked to me until now has definitely been a breath of fresh air.” See “Drew” on page 5.

HE WORD was “logorrhea.” Nupur Lala bought some time by asking for it to be used in a sentence. A hint of a smile crossed her bespectacled face. Inside, she was bursting. Meena Lala watched her 14-year-old daughter intently. There had been one scare during the Scripps National Spelling Bee, but that was a few rounds back, on the word “poimenics,” maybe the only time she had gotten nervous. But not now. Not on this word. “L-O-G…” Odalys Pritchard remembers the moment like it was yesterday. She was on the edge of her seat, watching her Benito Middle School eighth grader on ESPN trying to spell her way into history. “I remember seeing the smile and the confidence when they gave her the word,” Pritchard says. “I knew she knew it.” “…O-R-R…” Right before she was given the final word, Nupur caught a glimpse of the event organizers preparing the trophy for the winner. “It felt like a dream,” she says, and she wasted no time, quickly spelling the winning word. “…H-E-A!” See “Nupur” on page 4.

Check Our Sports Page

Local high schools find success as the 2018-19 school year winds down.

Page 30

25-Year Retrospective

To celebrate publisher Gary Nager's 25 years of Neighborhood News, we threw a party and took a look back at some of the most notable front pages from years past.

Pages 33-36

My Mom’s Shoulder Replacement Surgery; Plus, A Neighborhood News Online Update! An editorial by Gary Nager It’s been a super busy year already for yours truly — what, with getting married in March and hosting my “25 Years of Neighborhood News” Celebration in April (see pg. 33), plus multiple even-crazier-than-usual deadlines caused by those events. But, one person who attended my wedding (see photo) who wasn’t able to be on hand for the 25-year anniversary party is my mom, Marilyn Nager, who has had a much more difficult 2019 than I have, by far. A little less than a year ago, my mom injured her shoulder so severely that a series of X-rays and MRIs showed she had torn three of the four tendons in the rotator cuff of her right arm and her biceps muscle in that arm was torn away from the bone. After meeting with multiple surgeons in Sarasota (where she lives) and sending her films to my brother-in-law (and orthopaedic surgeon) Dr. Jeffrey Malumed in Pennsylvania, everyone agreed that her arm was “a mess” and that she needed surgery to fix it. No one had to tell my mom for her to know how bad off she was — she had been living with pain so excruciating for several months that she didn’t know if she would be able to attend mine and Jannah’s wedding. Rather than schedule the surgery a few weeks before the wedding, she ended up waiting until a few weeks after it (which was three days after my Neighborhood News anniversary event) for orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Christopher Dillingham to perform what is known as a “reverse shoulder replacement” surgery. I had never heard of reverse shoulder replacement before, but Wikipedia says it is “a type of shoulder replacement in which the normal ball-and-socket relationship of the glenohumeral joint is reversed, creating a more stable joint with a fixed fulcrum.” Well, only about a month after that

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 Libby Baldwin • Jarrett Guthrie • Celeste McLaughlin • Andy Warrener Lead Video Producer/Multimedia Specialist Gavin Olsen Photography, Videography & Video Editing Charmaine George • Richard Nasrallah • Matt Tsvetkov Graphic Designers Georgia Carmichael • Gavin Olsen Advertising Sales & Billing Assistants Janet Levins • Jannah Nager 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 13, of New Tampa Neighborhood News is Friday, May 24, 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.

Our editor’s mother, Marilyn Nager (center), with her friend Emme and Eric Johnson of the Williams Automotive Group, who performed the ceremony in March where Gary and Jannah Nager were married on St. Pete Beach. surgery and staying only a few days at Doctors Hospital of Sarasota, all I can tell you is that Dr. Dillingham appears to be an outstanding surgeon who has basically performed a miracle with my mom’s shoulder. Although she was in a lot of pain for more than a week after the surgery, she definitely got a little better each day and ultimately recognized that she was in less pain post-surgery than she had been in the weeks leading up to it. And, because my mom has dealt with some other injuries in recent years, she recognized the need for her to be her own advocate when it comes to her health. She did months of physical therapy to prepare for the surgery, learned how to use her left arm to perform simple daily tasks — like write, text, eat and get dressed — and made all of her arrangements for her post-surgical care herself. The fact that she is now well on the road to recovery and feeling better than she has in months doesn’t really come as a surprise to me. I’m just extremely proud of the way she’s taken care of herself, even though both Jannah and I spent some time with her in Sarasota — but it turned out to be mostly to keep her company. So, congrats, Mom, and thanks to Dr. Dillingham, everyone at Doctors Hospital and her home health care folks, friends and neighbors who have helped her get to this point.

Have You Seen Our Latest Online Videos?

If you’re somehow still not watching our ongoing online video content, you're part of an ever-dwindling minority. Lead video producer Gavin Olsen and Gavin's awesome team of videographers and video editors, led by Charmaine George (see story on pg. 33), with Richard Nasrallah and Matt Tsvetkov, have been providing the residents and businesses of New Tampa with a wide variety of videos, all with beautiful footage and outstanding editing.

And, there’s no doubt that businesses are starting to take notice and getting on our video/online bandwagon. Our very first video subscribing business is Total Air Solutions (see ad on pg. 14), which was the first business to sign up with us (in April) for this new subscription program. From the first video we posted on April 7 with Total Air's sponsorship, the air conditioning company's logo has appeared on six videos in four weeks. Those six videos were about : 1) the Taste of New Tampa (3,135 views, FB reach of 5,659, with 172 engagements); 2) the groundbreaking for the expansion of the New Tampa Recreation Center (6,733 views, 11,204 FB reach & 262 engagements); 3) my interview with the owners of Smallcakes in Tampa Palms (11,998 views, 22,213 FB reach & an awesome 2,229 engagements);

4) Walmart's movie cars (4,600 views, 9,550 FB reach & 273 engagements); 5) the groundbreaking for Pasco's Performing Arts Center in Wesley Chapel (8,709 views, 12,223 FB reach & 950 engagements); 6) Our most recent News Desk, about new openings on S.R. 56 and the Crystal Lagoons® amenity opening to the public (6,058 views, 10,803 FB reach & 1,925 engagements). That means Total Air Solutions’ logo has been viewed more than 41,000 times, reached nearly 72,000 people, with more than 5,800 engagements — and that's before Total Air's Video Business Feature airs by the end of this month or in early June! Not bad, right? To find out how to get your business subscribed to sponsor our online and video content, call (813) 910-2575 or email me at ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com.

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Table of Contents

Local News Updates.....................3-17

Pebble Creek Buyer Backs Out, New One Sought.......6 Check Out The Crystal Lagoons® Amenity!..............8 Kinnan-Mansfield Solutions Still Unavailable..........10 Craft Brewery Expanding To Old Sports + Field?.....12 Biz Notes: Glory Days, Aldi & VW Updates....13 New Tampa Community Calendar...........................14

Local Business Updates..............18-25

Pelican Water Brings Pure Water To Your Home..........18 The Bowman Institute For Quality Skin Cancer Care....20 Doc’s Dog Portraits For Father’s Day!.......................24

New Tampa Center

19014 Bruce B Downs Blvd

Tampa, FL 33647

(813) 644-8944

Education & Sports News..........26-31 LEGO League Team Heads To Nationals....................26 New Tampa Picks Up Host Of PTSA Awards...........28 Check Out Our New Sports Page!.....................30 Pallares Awarded For Worldwide Tennis Efforts..........31

Neighborhood Magazine

Gary’s 25 Years Of Neighborhood News Covers!...33 Hummingbird Jerk House For Jamaican Cuisine!.......39 Neighborhood Nibbles & Business Bytes...........42 New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Classifieds...........44 @NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 11 • May 17, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Nupur: Out Of The Spotlight, But Still Remembered FROM PAGE 1

When Nupur nailed the final word at the 76th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee on June 3, 1999, she jumped as high as she could two times, stopped to tuck her shoulder-length hair behind each ear, and jumped again, her yellow placard designating her as Speller No. 165 flailing about with her arms. She grabbed the big trophy, raised it up to the sky and smiled the widest of smiles. “It didn’t feel real,” says Nupur, now age 34. “I remember jumping up and down, and wondering ‘Is there going to be ground beneath me when I land?’” *** Twenty years later, she remembers every detail, from the hero’s greeting she received at Tampa International Airport to receiving a key to the city to a slew of television cameras eager to record her every move. There were banners declaring “Busch Gardens Spells Champ NU-P-U-R” and local daily newspaper headlines calling her “The goddess of spelling.” The Neighborhood News (see pg. 36) called her “Super Nupur.” New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner invited her to New York and gave her tickets to see “Phantom” on Broadway. Even Hooters put up a sign congratulating Nupur. Her parents, Meena and Nupur’s father Parag, had her write the restaurant a thank-you letter. “In hindsight, thinking back, it was extraordinary,” she says. “I’ll never forget the way that Tampa treated me.” However, when she felt the most famous, she says, is when her mother was driving her home to Hunter’s Green one day, and the guard at the gate asked if that was the Spelling Bee champ in the back seat. Meena said yes, and he asked if she could hop out and say hi. This was a time before cell phones, so he didn’t want a picture. He just wanted to congratulate her and share his admiration for her accomplishment. “That might have been the moment I felt really famous,” Nupur says. *** It was just the beginning, though. In 2002, the documentary “Spellbound” was released, to critical acclaim. It followed Nupur and seven other Regional champions through the 1999 Scripps Spelling Bee competition. It earned $6-million and was nominated for an Oscar, giving Nupur a second round of fame. She never thought she would always be the Spelling Bee champ from 4

Sciences in Little Rock, she is now doing her residency in Neurology at the Rhode Island Hospital in Providence. She hopes to do a fellowship in neuro-oncology, specifically Glioblastoma multiforme, the brain cancer that killed U.S. Senator John McCain. *** Millions of students from all 50 states battle each year to make it to The Scripps National Spelling Bee, scheduled this year for Sunday-Friday, May 26-31, in Washington, D.C. L-O-G-O-R-R-H-E-A! (Associated Press photo) Nupur remembers the grind. She did her first spelland 144 of them were eliminated on ing bee in Kaye Whitehurst’s seventh the first day. Nupur says her toughest competition in 1999 came grade English class, merely to earn But, not Nupur. She had made it from her fellow Benito students, all of whom were extra credit. She hadn’t even heard of to the televised portion on Day 2, and recognized in Benito's school newspaper. the Scripps Spelling Bee, but once she when she did, she says a strange calm discovered she was good at it, winning came over her. Benito Middle School in Tampa. it became a goal. “I’d say it’s the one accomplish“I met my goal,” she remembers Few remember that she actually ment in my life people are still interthinking. “It was still the most surreal ested in,” she says. “It has stayed with made it to our nation’s capital for the moment of my life.” first time as a seventh grader, when me more than anything I’ve done.” Nupur’s parents moved to the she was eliminated in the third round There were times, she says, that U.S. from a small town in central on the first day in 1998. fact chafed Nupur. To be defined by India in 1984, where Parag worked She was happy and proud, but something you did at age 14, when as an engineering professor at Syrashe remembers while she was almost you barely knew then who you even cuse University in upstate New York, were, and then to have so much more universally praised for her efforts, a where Nupur was born. They moved classmate taunted her by reminding expected of you as a result, was frusto Tampa in 1997. her that she didn’t win. trating at times. Nupur’s win marked a historic “I still remember that feeling. “I’ve had different feelings at shift in the Spelling Bee. Since her different points in my life about all of One moment you can be on top, and win, 19 spellers of Indian descent it,” Nupur says. “Definitely early high the next moment, you’re back to behave either been champion or coing a regular kid,” she says. “I didn’t school, early college, I felt that there champion. realize how much it bothered me or were such massive expectations from Since her win, Nupur says she did winning the Spelling Bee at 14. I was how much I internalized that feeling. not watch the Spelling Bee every year. It fueled me for years.” still trying to figure out who I was She confesses to a rebellious period Nupur says it was Whitehurst, and where I wanted to fit in in the where she didn’t want to be the “godwho had gone to D.C. with her world. It was very difficult.” dess of spelling" anymore. Today, however, Nupur has found student in 1998, and Pritchard, who But, when she does watch it, she her path. As a result, it is easier to em- is now interim deputy director for says she finds herself moved by the brace being noticed by someone who Hillsborough County’s Achievement reactions of the winners, as well as her Schools, that helped lift up her spirits. recognizes her name or face. own memories. “Teachers don’t even know the *** “It was the culmination of a lot impact they make,” Nupur says. “I Nupur attended high school in of hard work, by me and my family,” Fayetteville, AR, where her family had hope they read this and know they Nupur says. “I did something very made a tremendous difference.” moved just a few months after the few people have, and I will forever be *** Spelling Bee victory. She graduated grateful for that moment.” With Meena (who spent many from the University of Michigan in So will those who knew her, like Ann Arbor in 2007 with a B.S. degree hours reading the practice words Pritchard. Nupur’s picture commemoto her daughter), Whitehurst and in Brain Cognitive and Behavioral rating her win still hangs in the front Science, and worked for three years at Pritchard in her corner, Nupur was office at Benito. And, for a long time, determined to get back to the Nathe Massachusetts Institute of techthere was a large photo portrait of tional Spelling Bee in the eighth nology (MIT) in Cambridge doing Nupur displayed at the Hillsborough grade, and her goal was to make it functional MRI research in cognitive County School Board boardroom to the televised portion of the event. neuroscience auditorium, until the boardroom was She graduated with a Master’s de- She competed in a half dozen regional renovated in 2017. gree in Cancer Biology from the Uni- events to qualify, but says the stiffest “It was always nice seeing that versity of Texas MD Anderson Cancer competition was actually at Benito. picture,” Pritchard says. “I can’t beThere were 249 competitors from lieve it’s been 20 years. Nupur was a Center in 2015. And, after earning around the country who survived her Doctor of Medicine degree from shining star. There’s probably a lot of the University of Arkansas for Medical Regionals and made it to Washington people who remember her vividly.”

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 11 • May 17, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Drew: Tampa Palms Resident & Youngest USF Grad Ever Is Just Getting Started FROM PAGE 1 The son of Tracy and Steven Falkowitz, who have lived in Tampa Palms since 2000, Drew is a true wunderkind, although he doesn’t seem to think all that much of it. He’s smart. Super smart. And always has been. His trajectory to becoming USF’s youngest graduate is different from your average student, but not so different from other gifted children who simply had outgrown their peers the moment they entered pre-school. In Drew’s case, he started kindergarten at a Montessori school, and by the time he was in the first grade, they had moved him to the upper class, which was for grades 4-6. He devoured course work, exhausting nearly everything available in middle school, and started taking high school classes online when he was a 9-year-old 6th grader being home schooled by Steven, who worked out of their house. Steven remembers Drew completing workbooks faster than other kids his age finished coloring books. In fact, Steven says Drew’s first word, fittingly, was “book.” When he went for his two-yearold pediatric check-up, Steven told the physician that Drew was already reading. The doctor scoffed, and then handed Drew a pamphlet about asthma to read aloud. He did. The doctor called in another doctor, because he couldn’t believe it, and Drew read another pamphlet for them. “These kinds of things kept happening,” says Steven. “At 20 months, he started reading, and no one had ever taught him how to read,” Tracy says. “We’re not entirely sure how he learned. He was writing essays by four years old. He learned division on a car ride to pre-school.” Steven and Tracy knew they had something unique on their hands, but

raising a boy volunteered genius isn’t for the Joshua exactly someHouse and thing found in took part for a the parenting few summers manual. The at Camp Jenny, learning took a “Mitzvah care of itself, Corps” proand they knew ject that helps their son was children from headed for an impoverished a different Atlanta commuacademic track nity learn. than most He could kids his age. have entered But, college at 10 how would or 11 years old, he develop but Steven and socially and Tracy resisted. emotionally “What do while being you do with a surrounded by 13-year-old cololder kids or, lege graduate?,” in the case of Drew was 3 years old in this picture and already knew not Tracy asks. being home- only all of the U.S. states and their capitals, but also every U.S. Even so, schooled, by President — in order — and could add, subtract and divide. Drew bristles at no kids? the suggestion he was denied a “regular” education, or that he missed out on many of life’s Finding Help...In Reno? They sought the help of the David- rites of passage that come with attending middle and high school. son Institute for Talent Development, “I have a high school experience,” a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Reno, NV, that was formed in 1999 Drew says. “I have friends my own age. I have friends in college. I hang out and says it “serves profoundly gifted and do basically the same things you do people” ages 18 and under. in high school or college…I would not Steven says Drew was the last 4-year-old accepted there (the age limit give it up if it meant giving up everything else I have been able to do from has since been raised to 5). Davidson skipping ahead...I wouldn’t give that up offers programs, summer camps in Reno, databases and resources for fami- for a couple of parties.” Drew says he is not that much lies raising gifted children. different than any other teenager. He Drew qualified for Davidson’s plays video games — “I can smoke anyYoung Scholars program, which assists parents and students with support, and one in Mario Kart 8” — and watches YouTube and Netflix and tweets. he attended three summer camps. In December, he took up the elec“They talked us off ledges sometimes,” Steven says. “We reached out to tric bass and has fallen in love with it. While he said school was always them a number of times.” boring to him until college, his last seHis parents got Drew involved in activities at the New Tampa Recreation mester was his most gruelling. He took Center and in their neighborhood. He 18 credit hours of mostly 4000- level classes, had to complete a senior thesis joined his synagogue’s youth group,

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and also had to conquer Bio Medical Physiology, which he says is the toughest class he has ever taken. “It’s one of these classes you walk in and say, ‘There’s no way I’m getting an A in this class,’” says Drew, who, by the way, got an A. In fact, he got all As his last semester, and boosted his overall USF grade point average to 3.93. Maybe some of the credit should go to the rock band Metallica. To relieve stress, Drew spent his free time during the semester teaching himself how to play the instrumental version of the group’s “The Call of Ktulu” on his bass guitar. “I set a goal to be able to play (it) and even bought an overdrive pedal so I could do it,” he says. “In five months, I managed to do it. It’s really a technical piece and one of the things I’m most proud of.” Drew will start working on his Master’s degree in cancer research when he returns to Tampa after his internship at Yale University in New Haven, CT, where he will do autism serotonin research. He says that after he earns his Ph.D. degree, he hopes to pursue a career in medical genetics, with a focus on mood disorders like schizophrenia, bipolarism and schizo-affective disorder. He says he finds the genetics behind the disorders “extremely interesting,” and he hopes it will provide him a chance to help people. And, as uncomfortable as the attention for being the youngest-ever USF grad may have been, Drew will try to enjoy his moment in the spotlight. After all, he knows it won’t last forever. Last year, 11-year-old William Maillis graduated from St. Petersburg College, earning his Associate degree, and transferred to USF to study astrophysics for his Bachelor’s degree. “I guess I’ll have the title for a couple of years,” Drew says, chuckling, “then William is going to come in and steal my throne from me.” And that will just fine by Drew.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 11 • May 17, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

On To The Next Buyer For Pebble Creek Golf Club Owner By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneightborhoodnews.com

The price simply wasn’t right for the developers Bill Place chose to buy and turn the Pebble Creek Golf Club (PCGC) into new homes, so the PCGC owner is turning to a new development group. 13th Floor Homes, a Miami-based investment management firm, was chosen late last year from a group of bidders interested in razing New Tampa’s oldest golf course in favor of a new housing development. Following months of inspections and meetings with homeowners, 13th Floor has withdrawn its interest. “They got to end of the inspection period and wanted to change a lot of the terms,” says Place. “We didn’t want to change the terms.” Place and his wife Su Lee own Ace Golf, which bought PCGC in 2005. While the exit of 13th Floor from the process was a disappointment for Place, he said there were seven developers that had originally submitted bids to purchase the 6,436-yard golf course, which opened in 1967. So, it’s on to the next group of potential suitors, which Place would only describe as “major homebuilders.” Despite the lack of a sale to 13th Floor, he says the months of examination and feedback have helped guide

Mulligan’s Irish Pub remains popular, says Pebble Creek Golf Club owner Bill Place, but the golf course itself is not holding its own. (Photo: Gavin Olsen)

what will be acceptable in the future. Place also said that while the zoning exists to build 600 homes on the 149 acres he is selling, he wouldn’t even consider allowing that much development. And, according to what he learned from focus groups organized by Pebble Creek’s two homeowners associations, there also is opposition to multi-family units and homes being built in close proximity to existing homes in the community. “We’ve excluded all that from this next round,” Place says. “We’ll tell the next developer that these are things that have already been worked on with the homeown-

ers and that we don’t want to backtrack.” Place said that he didn’t originally choose the highest bidder because they wanted to come in and build rental homes. “We don’t feel that would be appropriate for the community,” he says. Although there is a large contingent of residents opposed to the sale of the golf club (and what they fear will be a resulting loss of wildlife and green space) for any reason, the inspection period, which included lots of meetings with Pebble Creek’s HOAs and focus groups, was not acrimonious. “Not at all, surprisingly so,” said 13th Floor corporate counsel Dan Daley. “The

community, particularly the HOA members and leadership, understood the reality of the situation.” That reality, Place says, is that the golf course is losing money — he has said that 2018 revenues were down 33 percent, and profits were down 50 percent — as the golf course industry struggles nationwide. The club currently has only 20 members, and competition is stiff. In New Tampa alone, Pebble Creek has to compete with private country clubs at Hunter’s Green and Tampa Palms, as well the recently revamped Heritage Isles on Cross Creek Blvd. Place even said that since Ace Golf bought Plantation Palms Golf Club — which had been closed for two years and is located only 10 miles from PCGC (in Land O’Lakes) — in 2015, with the hopes of reviving it, Plantation Palms also has drawn additional business away from Pebble Creek. While the sale of PCGC remains imminent, Place says that it currently is still business as usual. Mulligan’s Pub continues to be a popular hangout, and the club itself is booking weddings and other events through the end of next year. “It’s physically impossible to get through the zoning and public input before then,” he says, “so we are still booking events through 2020. The one thing I have refused to do is operate like a business that is going out of business.”

June 30, 2019

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 11 • May 17, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 11 • May 17, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

The Lagoon Is Open To Everyone, But Not Forever By JOHN COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com

One of the most asked — if not the most asked — questions in Wesley Chapel has an answer, and it is yes. Or, more accurately: YES! The Crystal Lagoons® amenity by Metro Lagoons at Epperson (off Curley Rd.) in Wesley Chapel is open, and yes — you can use it, too. At least for now. The first of its kind in the United States, the first shining jewel of Metro Development Group’s Connected City project between Wesley Chapel and San Antonio, FL, is already drawing huge crowds to its crystal clear water, sandy beach and variety of activities. For a limited time, the public is welcome to attend for $20 per person, up from $10 in April. The discounted rate will be in effect through Memorial Day, when it goes up to $25 per person per day. The lagoon has been allowing a limited number of non-Epperson residents in each day since April 8, and tickets are available while they last at LagoonInformation.com. (Note-Publisher Gary Nager raves about his visit to the lagoon in April; see page 3). If you don’t pre-order tickets and decide to just show up, you run the risk of being shut out. According to Eric Wahlbeck, the managing director of Metro Lagoons, there already have been sellouts on almost every day with good weather, with more to come as summer rolls in. “It’s been awesome to watch,” he says. The lagoon is letting in 200-300 non-residents a day, and drawing nearly 2,000 visitors (including Epperson residents) on busy days, Wahlbeck added. “It’s limited, so we can control the numbers for our residents,” he said, “but so far, it has been hugely popular. This is only a test market, so we are still trying to see what the facility can handle while affording the residents their space.” In time, the lagoon will be limited to residents only, who pay a $25 per month

Aquatic activities, (like this cool obstacle course), sandy beaches and the crystal clear water of the Crystal Lagoons® amenity at Epperson are available to the public for a limited time.

fee per household to use the facility. Until Epperson is built out, the admission of non-residents will help supplement the costs of maintaining the lagoon. Epperson currently has 1,200 residents (in 350 homes), with another 165 homes currently under contract or being built, which will bring the resident count to 1,800 people within six months. So far, those living in Epperson don’t seem to have a problem sharing their most desirable amenity. Wahlbeck says he hasn’t had to sort out any problems involving non-residents so far. “There was a lot of fear in the beginning,” he says. “But, since we started it, it has gone really well. We have made sure to make sure it’s not a free-for-all. And there will be plenty of resident-only parties.” Please note that the lagoon doesn’t allow any outside food, drink or coolers inside, nor are guests or residents allowed to bring their own chairs. Wahlbeck says the lagoon has more than 600 lounge chairs, a grab-and-go café for food, as well as a rotating schedule of food trucks, a bar that serves beer and liquor, kayaks and paddleboards for rent and, well, the clearest water around, thanks to a patented

water-filtration process that uses up to 100 times less chemicals than a conventional swimming pool and 30 times less water than a golf course. While not completely ready to open at our press time, Wahlbeck even hinted that the much-anticipated swim-up bar and tiki hut could be ready to go as this issue hits your mailboxes. “There’s no reason to bring anything, we’ve got you covered,” he says. “Well, you might want to bring a few bucks.”

The lagoon pavilion area also boasts what Wahlbeck says is a “really cool” 18-foot by 12-foot LED screen above its stage, which will be used for viewing sporting events, like the recent Kentucky Derby, and even television shows like “Jeopardy” — he says some Epperson residents are organizing a Tuesday night “Jeopardy” watch party. There also are activities scheduled every weekend. The lagoon has held a cornhole tournament, a Kentucky Derby party and there’s always plenty of music. There also are aquatic activities planned, and the lagoon has a giant inflatable water slide like the one at the Tradewinds Resort on St. Pete Beach and a water obstacle course. “It’s the same idea as Disney resorts,” Wahlbeck says. “You come for the water, but there are plenty of activities to take part in as well.” Although it has had a few starts and stops due to permitting and other issues, the lagoon is now pretty much 100-percent functional. Following a few grand openings, as well as its share of controversy, Wahlbeck says the lagoon has evolved into everything Metro said it would be when it first introduced the concept back in 2014. If you want to check it out, hurry over to LagoonInformation.com and get your tickets now!

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Few Answers At ‘Connections’ Forum

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john@ntneightborhoodnews.com The Pasco Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) asked county residents last month to complete an online survey involving the Wesley Chapel Roadways Connections study, which took a detailed look at traffic improvements mostly within Meadow Pointe, as well as three potential connections to the City of Tampa’s New Tampa area. The survey, which ran from April 1-30, drew more than 2,700 responses, said Pasco County commissioner Mike Moore, whose District 2 includes most of Wesley Chapel. The online survey asked a handful of simple questions about whether you approved of the following: • A connection at Mansfield Blvd. in Meadow Pointe and Kinnan St. in K-Bar Ranch. • A connection at Meadow Pointe Blvd. and the Meadow Pointe Blvd. Extension, which hooks up with K-Bar Ranch Blvd., also in New Tampa’s K-Bar Ranch development • A connection at Wyndfields Blvd. and the Wyndfields Blvd. Extension, which would connect to both K-Bar Ranch Blvd. and Morris Bridge Rd. • All three connections. The survey also asked after each question if the respondent’s answer would be different if all of the improvements identified by Wesley Chapel Roadways Connections are committed to be done prior to, or concurrent with, the connection(s). Along with looking at the connections, the study identified $13.8-million worth of road improvements in and around Meadow Pointe, such as repaving and widening roads, making intersections safer and improving traffic signals. In anticipation of the results and because the Pasco side has dominated the debate over the proposed roadway connections, District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera, who represents those in K-Bar Ranch and the rest of the City of Tampa communities in New Tampa, held a forum in April at Cypress Point Community Church on Morris Bridge Rd. to discuss the thorniest of the proposed connections: Kinnan-Mansfield, where a 20-foot stretch of dirt and shrubs is all that stands in the way of linking the two roads. Roughly 40 people attended the Cypress Point meeting, along with the Tampa’s administrator of economic opportunity Bob McDonaugh, who has negotiated on the city’s behalf with Pasco’s MPO regarding the Kinnan-Mansfield connection. McDonaugh lamented that despite negotiating with Pasco County for years, a deal has never been struck, even though he says promises were made by Pasco officials to connect the roads years ago. “I wanted to get some ideas from you and would like to hear what’s important,” McDonaugh said at the meeting at Cypress Point. “I’m certainly willing to go back to the table and bring our legal staff and transportation people.” 10

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“People on the other side like the idea of living on a dead-end street,” says the City of Tampa’s Bob McDonaugh. (Photo: John C. Cotey) However, McDonaugh admitted that the Wesley Chapel side has been very well entrenched, and has the support of Moore and other county commissioners as well. “People on the other side like the idea of living on a dead-end street,” he said. “Not in my backyard, they say, and they are very vocal.” Their were few new ideas put forth, as the smattering of New Tampa residents took turns expressing their frustration. One resident likened the debate with Wesley Chapel to negotiating with a hostage taker; others suggested taking their concerns to the state legislature. And, K-Bar Ranch resident Cindy Gustavel even echoed what Wesley Chapel residents have argued — stop building homes in K-Bar Ranch if the needed connections aren’t made. Last summer, M/I Homes received City of Tampa approval to build 700 more homes in K-Bar Ranch, where residents are already complaining about having only way out of their community and the difficulty in receiving timely police and fire assistance, or what an evacuation in the case of a major emergency might look like. Viera and McDonaugh said that M/I Homes officials have tried to facilitate the connections, and are in complete favor of making them. “They are trying,” Viera told the attendees at Cypress Point. But, if they aren’t succeeding, something else should be done. Or, not done. “It is irresponsible to keep building houses if we only have one point of egress,” Gustavel said. “It is irresponsible to let M/I Homes keep building homes without proper infrastructure.” Many in attendance seemed to agree that the hopes of connecting Kinnan and Mansfield are as dim as they have ever been. “We’re beating our heads against the wall,” said one New Tampa resident, which may have summed up the feelings of most of the people in the room perfectly.

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Craft Brewery Sets Sights On Old Sports + Field Location On S.R. 56! By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com

A one-time multi-million dollar sports and fitness facility could be reborn as home to one of the Tampa Bay area’s most popular craft breweries, if Anthony Derby has his way. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Brew Bus Brewing and Florida Avenue Brewing Co. in Tampa says he is eyeing the former Sports + Field Family Athletic & Fitness Club complex on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel to expand his current operations, and hopes to close on the property by the end of June. “We love the property, we love that area of town, but there are some things we need to work out and plan for,” says Derby, who co-founded his brewing companies with his mother Toni Derby, who serves as the company’s chief financial officer (CFO). Anthony says he, architect Ken Cowart — who also is the project architect for the St. Petersburg Pier — and land-use attorney Anne Pollack met with Pasco County planning officials on April 17, and Derby says the meeting went well. Derby says he plans to spend $8-9 million on the initial phase/renova-

The former Sports + Field Family Athletic & Fitness Club on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel could be transformed into a hip, new craft brewery and restaurant. (Photo: Gavin Olsen)

tions of the project, if it continues to move forward, developing a full-service restaurant and bar while utilizing what was once an outdoor field for training athletes as a beer garden. “The property has a great L-shape and that is going to help us create a nice little customer experience,” Derby says. “Right now, this property is a really big deal for us.” The outdoor area also will serve as a family-friendly activities area with games and events, and that was one of

the things that made the property even more attractive, along with its location on a busy stretch of S.R. 56 and its proximity to AdventHealth Center Ice, one of Wesley Chapel’s busiest spots. The “bones” of the building itself remain in great shape, Derby adds, and he expects an extensive but fairly quick indoor renovation that could see the new craft brewery and restaurant open by this time next year. It’s the next piece of the puzzle out here,” Derby says.

While Wesley Chapel has its fair share of bars, it is not yet home to a craft brewery and restaurant like Brew Bus Brewing and Florida Avenue Brewing Co., which is located in Seminole Heights, at 4101 N. Florida Ave. The company produces Florida Avenue and Brew Bus-branded beers at that location, also serving food and offering tours of other local breweries in Tampa. The two-story Sports + Field building the Derbys are hoping to renovate as part of their expansion was originally developed by Strong-S Corporation and opened in 2005 as a $10.5-million fitness center that had multiple purposes. It held local basketball leagues on its NBA-sized court, and hosted a number of professional athletes who came there to train, like tennis player Jennifer Capriati and some of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It also offered a number of fitness and massage options for community members. Sports + Field promoted itself as the only local facility offering elite strength training for professionals and amateurs. However, it closed in 2015, and while there was talk of a charter school or car dealership moving into the space, neither of those two plans materialized and the building has remained unused.

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Business Beat: Updates On Glory Days Grill, Volkswagen & Aldi By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com

As development continues at a breakneck pace in Wesley Chapel, more and more businesses are rushing to fill a need or desire. For a while, one of those business segments that had been needed and desired was sports bars. It may soon be time to consider that need filled. Glory Days Grill, which opened its first location in New Tampa in 2014 and has opened more than 30 restaurants since — including 10 in Florida — is coming to Wesley Chapel in the strip currently under construction on S.R. 54 being developed by Wiregrass Ranch’s JD Porter. The business strip also will be home to a Domino’s Pizza and Max’s Natural Pet Market & Salon (see ad below), is located just west of Saddlebrook Resort on S.R. 54. Glory Days is a sports-themed restaurant and bar, with dozens of large screen televisions. Its menu consists of traditional sports restaurant fare and does it pretty well with tasty burgers and steaks. It also offers a wide selection of craft beers and other drinks. Although it can be classified as a chain, the Glory Days Grill in New Tampa, which occupies the space which, at one time, was home to Lee Roy Selmon’s, has been an active participant in the local community, sponsoring many events at the local

green light to put shovels in the ground. On April 22, Aldi received final approval from Pasco County to begin construction on the new 22,335-sq.-ft. store, which will be located on the southeast corner of S.R. 56 and Wesley Chapel Blvd., in front of the Costco Warehouse. CYPRESS CREEK TOWN CENTER IS A’ BLOOMIN’: For hot news on three new restaurants looking to join the Cypress Creek Town Center, make sure you check out Nibbles & Bytes on pages 42-43, and our Facebook page at Facebook.com/ NeighborhoodNews.

This under-construction strip plaza on S.R. 54 will be home to Glory Days Grill, Domino’s Pizza and Max’s Natural Pet Market & Salon sometime this summer.

high schools and at community sporting events. It is one of New Tampa’s more popular food and drink destinations. Max’s Natural Pet Market and Salon will set up shop in a 2,800-sq.-ft. space in the strip and owner Paul Spalveri says it should open sometime this summer. And, although it is not yet open, MaxsPetMarket.com is live now. VW IN THE WC?: Volkswagen has renewed its interest in a Wesley Chapel location, filing site plans for a 27,845-sq.-ft. automotive dealership on S.R. 56. Volkswagen of Wesley Chapel is eye-

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MAY 2019

Saturday, May 18

Bay Chapel Food Pantry - Free food for needy families. Open every Saturday from 9:30 a.m.-11:30am, behind Christian Brothers Automotive (20300 Trout Creek Dr., off BBD). For more info, visit BayChapel.com/foodpantry. “Pig Out For Parkinson’s” Charity Event - Please join us Discovery Village at Tampa Palms (17470 Brookside Trace Court, Tampa) 11 a.m.-1 p.m., as the Assisted Living & Memory Care residence hosts “Pig Out For Parkinson’s.” This fun event will feature barbecue favorites, including pulled pork, hamburgers & hot dogs, with all the sides — baked beans, mac-n-cheese & apple pie. Enjoy live music & tours of the community. Don’t forget to buy your $1 tickets for the event’s 50/50 raffle and bid on a variety of unique gifts, tickets to sporting events and more in a silent auction to benefit the Parkinson’s Foundation. For more information, call (813) 605-2400. Free Community Boot Camp - Camp Gladiator is a fitness movement with dynamic, fun and challenging workouts. This is 60 minutes of amazing at your favorite place to shop. This Free event is held every Saturday, 8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m., at Tampa Premium Outlets (2300 Grand Cypress Dr, Lutz). Participants should bring: exercise mat, 1-2 bottles of water, sweat towel, a smile & great attitude. For info, email Christine Iloni at christineiloni@campgladiator.com. Fresh Market at Wiregrass - The 1st & 3rd Saturday of the month, you can enjoy the Fresh Market at Wiregrass (28211 Paseo Dr, Wesley Chapel), 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Shop for fresh produce, hand crafts, candles, sauces, fresh bread, & much more. For more info, visit tampabaymarkets.com.

Monday, May 20

Yoga On The Lawn (The Shops at Wiregrass) - This Free event is held every Monday, 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., at Center Court, weather permitting. This is Relaxing Beginner to Intermediate Yoga, sponsored by Energia Wellness Studio. For more info, call (813) 973-7300.

Wednesday, May 22

BNI Business Leaders (New Tampa) - Every Wednesday, Business Networking International (BNI) Business Leaders meets at 7:30 a.m., at Mulligan’s Irish Pub inside the Pebble Creek Golf Club (10550 Regents Park Dr.). This is a dynamic, committed group of business people who refer business to each other. For more info, call Lauren Hopper at (727) 786-2427. Rotary Club Of New Tampa Noon - The New Tampa Noon Rotary Club meets Wednesdays at Noon at Bayscape Bistro (see story on page 37 & ad on pg. 38), inside Heritage Isles Country Club off Cross Creek Blvd. Guests are always welcome. For more info, search “New Tampa Noon Rotary” on Facebook. North Tampa Arts League - The mission of the North Tampa Arts League is to develop, nurture, and support the arts and the artists of North Tampa by working in concert with community leaders to make North Tampa a vibrant art community. All are welcome! NTAL meets 7 p.m.-9 p.m., on the 4th Wednesday of the 1st and 3rd month each quarter (except as noted) at the Compton Park Community Center (16101 Compton Dr., Tampa Palms). For more info. email NTALboard@gmail.com or visit website www.northtampa-arts.com.

MGM Friends Business Connection - Leap into action the first Tuesday of each month with MGM (Meet & Greet Mixers) Friends Business Connections, held at USF (3802 Spectrum Blvd.) 9 a.m.-10:15 a.m. Build strong relationships with like-minded business professionals with no fees. Open to all businesses looking to make real connections. Hosted by Shelomo Solson with Leapcaller. Facilitator: Georgianna Strickland. For more info, visit mgmfriends. com or call (813) 477-7306. Job Fair: The Shops at Wiregrass - Mall wide job fair at the Shops at Wiregrass, 4 p.m.-6 p.m. Just in time for the Summer, job seekers may visit participating stores individually for job opportunities — we respectfully request that you do not visit the stores early, in order to give stores time to prepare for applicants. Upon arrival, please check-in at Guest Services, located in Center Court, to register for the Job Fair and receive a map of participating stores. For more info, call (813) 994-2242.

Sunday, June 16

Happy Father’s Day!

Wednesday, June 19

GFWC New Tampa Junior Woman’s Club Meeting monthly at the New Tampa Regional Library (10001 Cross Creek Blvd.), 1 p.m.-2 p.m., the NTJWC provides civic, educational and charitable activities, and is dedicated to community improvement through volunteer service. For more information, email womansclubnewtampa@gmail.com.

Thursday, May 23

North Tampa Veterans Association meeting - All armed forces veterans and associates are invited to a weekly lighthearted Dutch-treat breakfast meeting to get acquainted and tell your tales, new and old. Location: Steak ‘n Shake, just off BBD Blvd. (at 17509 North Palms Village Pl.), every Thursday at 7:30 a.m. Bring your spouse and your brag sheet. Open to veterans of all branches of the U.S. military. RGA Network Weekly Meeting - The RGA Networking Group meets every Thursday for networking at GrillSmith at the Shops at Wiregrass Mall. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; Lunch is Noon-1 p.m. For more info, visit RGANetwork.net.

Friday, May 24

Rotary Club of New Tampa - The Rotary Club of New Tampa meets every Friday for breakfast at 7 a.m., at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club (5811 Tampa Palms Blvd.). For more info, including the speaker schedule, contact David Lanigan at (813) 760-6548, email dave@davidlanigan.com or visit NewTampaRotary.org.

Monday, May 27

New Tampa Democratic Club - The Club meets the 4th Monday of each month, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m., at Mulligan’s Irish Pub (10550 Regents Park Dr.). Guest speakers are featured at every meeting. Come early, eat, mingle or come on time and eat during the meeting. For more info, email newtampademocraticclub@gmail.com.

Friday, May 31

North Tampa Bay Chamber: Final Friday Event - Held the last Friday of each month, Final Friday allows business professionals to meet in a ‘not-too-formal’ setting. This month’s event is hosted by Mulligan’s Irish Pub at Pebble Creek (10550 Regents Park Dr.). 4 p.m.-6 p.m. There is no fee to attend this event. For more info, call (813) 994-8534.

JUNE 2019 Tuesday, June 4

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Pelican Water Systems Brings A Mobile Showroom To Your Front Door! By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

As we become more concerned with contaminants and toxins in the water coming from the taps in our homes, Pelican Water Systems can help you understand what’s in your water and how to improve it. Clean, safe water is the key to keeping us healthier, improving the appearance of our hair and skin and keeping our home’s appliances functioning longer. It even helps to protect our environment. While some people throw money away purchasing an endless supply of bottled water that only addresses the purity of the drinking water they consume, Pelican Water Systems can install a wholehome filtration system that has earned Pelican the country’s only dual certification, which verifies that its systems reduce chlorine by 97 percent and hard water scale by 99.6 percent. Chlorine levels are reduced through the system’s carbon filter, which is tested and certified by the International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), in accordance with National Standards Strategy (NSS) standards. The salt-free water softener is certified by the German Technical & Scientific Association for Gas & Water. Pelican Water Sys-

Pelican Water Systems can bring a mobile retail showroom and a filtration specialist right to your front door, test your home’s tap water for free and offer solutions that will provide healthier, cleaner water throughout your entire home.

tems uses the German standards because there currently are none in the U.S. for that type of technology. And, Pelican’s salt-free water softener naturally softens water without salt, brine discharge, or the use of electricity. It works by taking minerals from solution through precipitation as well as reducing the water’s surface tension. More important is that this is done without the use of chemicals to produce a certified 99.6% success rate in scale prevention. Without water filtration, municipal water can give off a noticeable chlorine smell. Well water often smells like rotten eggs. You may see an orange color from

rust or buildup from hard water. But, even if you can’t smell or see anything in your water, you may want to know for sure exactly what’s in it and whether or not it’s safe for your family. In any of these cases, you can call Pelican Water Systems for a free in-home water test. A professional, uniformed water filtration specialist will drive a Pelican Water Systems mobile retail showroom to your home. These customized vans display many of the filters and systems offered by the company, carry many of Pelican’s products and offer many of the benefits of a traditional retail storefront — such as being able to see and compare products

— with the comfort and convenience of not having to leave your home. “With our mobile showrooms, our representatives drive right up to your door, test your water, and tell you what it’s going to take to correct any problems,” explains Vickie Oglesby, Pelican Water Systems’ Marketing Director. “You don’t have to guess. We’ll tell you exactly what’s in your water.” She says the employees who come to your home are experienced professionals who aren’t interested in hard sales tactics. “They’re there to help you,” Vickie explains. “Our employees are extremely educated in their field.”

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along with eliminating the negative effects of hard water without the use of salt, then a Pelican Water combo system is the perfect system for you. Best of all, Pelican Water’s combo system doesn’t consume electricity and is also salt-free, which means there are no heavy bags of salt to lug around. They also don’t waste any water through the filtration process, which is important if your home uses municipal water. In that case, homeowners pay for both the water they consume, as well as the water that’s disposed of through sewer lines. With its mobile retail centers, Pelican Water Systems has streamlined the process of sales and installation, too. When you purchase a system, the system itself is usually carried in the mobile retail center. It’s then left at your home right then, allowing the installation team to follow shortly behind the retail van — often within just two days— to install your new system. “We offer white glove, professional installation,” explains Vickie. “Our employees arrive in professional attire, in our Pelican Water vans, and are extremely neat and tidy. After installation, they will leave your home pristine.” Once installed, Pelican Water Systems stands by its work with a Limited Lifetime Guarantee. Financing is available, with monthly payments as low as $59, with approval.

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Pelican Water Systems offers $250 off installation to Neighborhood News readers who mention the ad on page 47 of this issue, or this story. Be sure to see the ad for more details. To schedule a free, in-home consultation with a Pelican Water Systems Mobile Retail Showroom filtration specialist, call (813) 699-3588. For more information, visit PelicanTampa.com

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Despite being fairly new to offering installation in Wesley Chapel and New Tampa, Pelican Water Systems has been selling directly to consumers in Central Florida for about three years. For those who prefer a “do-it-yourself” approach, Pelican Water Systems also offers direct-to-consumer products through its website, with professional support. But, for those who don’t want the hassle of installing their own water purification system, Vickie says the process of purchasing a complete system with installation from Pelican Water Systems is both easy and convenient. “We take care of it from start to finish,” she says. Once your system has been installed, you’ll have clean, safe, odorless water that tastes great running from every tap in your home. “If you live in Florida, you need this system,” says Andrew in an online Google review. “Since installation, the water finally tastes better, there are no more spots on my dishes or hard stains

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on my shower glass. No salt to add or flush. “The installer who came out to put in our system was very professional, worked quickly and didn’t leave a big mess behind.” Pelican Water Systems also prides itself on giving back to the community. The company has partnered with organizations like the American Cancer Society, Our Home Transitional, the International Bird Rescue and Operation First Response. Pelican also sponsors Sustainability Scholarships every year to students who are U.S. residents and are enrolled full-time in an accredited university.

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Pelican Water Systems’ Florida headquarters is located in Deland (northeast of Orlando). The company was formed in 2007 and broke into the Florida market in Ocala and Orlando in 2016, moved into Jacksonville and The Villages in 2017, and opened up in the Tampa Bay market in 2018.

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After your in-home consultation, the experts at Pelican Water Systems will recommend the proper size and type of system to meet your exact needs. A popular option is the company’s “Smart Combo,” a whole house water filtration system offering the most comprehensive filtration option, which provides clean, filtered water from every single water source in a home. By filtering water as it enters the home’s property line, it ensures contaminants like chlorine and lead are removed as soon as they enter a home’s plumbing system. This type of system not only provides filtered water for drinking and cooking, but also clean water for bathing. Water softener and filter combo systems offer a complete package, with the filter component working to remove contaminants and impurities from your water, and the water softener component preventing scale from building up on your appliances and pipes. The filtration component removes sediment, silt, pollutants, chlorine and other impurities. The softener component prevents hard scale from forming, which means you’ll enjoy cleaner, scale-free shower heads and faucets. The softener also improves the efficiency and lifespan of your appliances and plumbing due to prevention of scale buildup. If you are interested in filtering the chlorine and contaminants in your water,

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Informed Patients, Attention To Detail Are Hallmarks Of The Bowman Institute By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

The staff at The Bowman Institute, located just off Commerce Park Blvd. in Tampa Palms, wants to make every patient’s experience as informative and easy as possible. Just waiting in the posh lobby, complete with two, large saltwater fish tanks, can be a soothing experience. Dermatologist Paul Bowman, M.D., and his staff strive to give their patients everything they need to make informed decisions with regards to their skin cancer care. “Our main goals are to attain the highest cure rate, create the most imperceptible result and make it an easy process for the patient,” says Dr. Bowman, who earned his Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Medical School and had nine years of residencies and fellowships at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Louisiana State University in Shreveport and New Orleans, the University of California at San Francisco, Saint Louis University in St. Louis, MO, and the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. Dr. Bowman spent two years at Saint Louis University completing an official Fellowship in Mohs Micrographic Surgery and is now a Fellow of the American College of Mohs Surgery (ACMS). In order to attain and maintain a high cure rate for his skin cancer patients, Dr. Bowman specializes in Mohs Micrographic Surgery.

Dermatologist Dr. Paul Bowman (left) and Physician’s Assistant Avni Koschmeder provide outstanding care for skin cancer patients at The Bowman Institute in Tampa Palms near I-75. Decades Of Surgical Success once, we start where the biopsy was done Mohs surgery is a technique first devel- and only remove the cancerous tissue,” Dr. oped by Dr. Frederic Mohs in the 1930s. Dr. Bowman says. “The goal is to remove all of the cancer cells but take as little (healthy) Mohs recognized that the part of any skin cancer that is visible to the naked eye is often tissue as possible.” Dr. Bowman says that Mohs surgerjust the “tip of the iceberg,” with more tuies have the highest success rate, up to 99 mor cells growing downward and outward, percent. That’s because 100 percent of the like the roots of a tree. “Instead of cutting a big area out all at excision margins are examined. With standard

excisions, less than one percent of the margins are examined. Mohs excisions take a “bowl” of tissue, removing one layer at a time. This allows Dr. Bowman to trace and remove the microscopic “roots” of the cancer while preserving the surrounding normal tissue. The high cure rates are dependent upon all aspects of the Mohs procedure being performed very meticulously, Dr. Bowman says. That’s why he spent two years completing a Mohs surgery fellowship with the American College of Mohs Surgery, after he had completed his dermatology residency. “(Mohs surgery) is a very technical and labor-intensive procedure that requires a team of people with special training,” Dr. Bowman says. That team includes the Mohs surgeon, surgical assistants and laboratory personnel, including histotechnologists, that the surgeon directly oversees throughout the process. He adds that this meticulous approach to examining all of the surgical margins leads to more successful surgeries. “A patient could have some excised skin cancer and been considered ‘all clear’ but the next year, the cancer comes back,” Dr. Bowman says. “The margins that were looked at might very well have been clear, but that doesn’t mean all margins are clear.” As you can see in the diagram on the next page, in a standard excision, it is possible for the surgeon to miss part of the cancer and not even know it. In contrast, in Mohs surgery, 100 percent of the actual surgical margins are examined by the surgeon himself.

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Dr. Bowman uses Mohs surgery according to established indications for skin cancer — although he says the highest cure rate is possible when it is used as an initial treatment, especially if a cancer is large, aggressive or in “high risk” areas, like the face. In other situations, Mohs surgery is indicated when cancers recur after treatment by other methods. “Cancers behave differently in different anatomic parts of the body, since there are different tissue planes,” Dr. Bowman says. “For instance, the back has a thick dermis and fat layer that the cancer has to travel through. On the nose, there’s almost no fat and the cancer can quickly extend into the underlying muscle, cartilage and bone.” He adds that he has had patients come to him after trying other procedures first, only to wish they had tried Mohs first, had they known about it. “I had [a] Mohs procedure performed in New Jersey years ago,” wrote one of his patients. “Very little was explained to me. But, Dr. Bowman’s explanation was thorough, easy to understand, and he’s very personable, too.” Although Mohs surgery has higher cure rates than any other treatment for skin cancer, Dr. Bowman says there are other “quick and easy,” but less successful, surgical treatments such as standard excisions, or destructive treatments like electrodesiccation and curettage (commonly known as “scraping and burning”). He adds that many patients who had undergone the aforementioned types of surgery had never heard of Mohs surgery, which was originally met with resistance by the medical community. In fact, Dr. Bowman says that when he came to Tampa in 2004, there was only one other fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon in town. Dr. Bowman advises patients to seek out “fellowship-trained” Mohs surgeons (meaning, trained in the American College of Mohs Surgery). Most doctors who perform Mohs surgery in Florida have not completed a fellowship, he says. “It’s what we try to educate patients about,” Dr. Bowman says.

Complete Care

The Bowman Institute specializes in Mohs surgery, but also performs meticulous skin examinations, skin biopsies, and high-risk tumor follow-up. Dr. Bowman also performs surgical revisions for patients who have had skin cancer surgery elsewhere but did not have good results. For example, Dr. Bowman recalls a patient who had to make multiple visits to another practice for recurrences of a skin cancer on their nose. After repair, the patient had difficulty breathing through the nostril where the surgery was performed. When the cancer appeared yet again, the patient came to Dr. Bowman, who successfully removed the cancer with Mohs surgery, and conducted reconstructive surgery, using staged flaps and cartilage grafts taken from the patient’s ear, to rebuild the nostril Neighborhood News

Exp. 06/30/2019

rim. “We were able to replace a lot of the volume (of the nostril) and now the patient can breathe again,” Dr. Bowman says. “It’s still healing, but the patient now has a right side of their nose.” In Mohs surgery, Dr. Bowman is both the surgeon and the pathologist — one of the key definitions of the procedure. He is the one who looks at the tissue under the microscope to determine if, or where, any cancer cells remain, and if they do, he knows exactly where to go back to follow them. “Everything is processed on site, in our own lab,” Dr. Bowman says. “It’s a different standard of processing.” Even if a patient’s needs somehow extend beyond the services The Bowman Institute provides, the practice maintains a network and good relationships with other specialists. In fact, Dr. Bowman gave a lecture at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in Washington, D.C., on Multidisciplinary Collaboration in the treatment of skin cancer, and how dermatologic surgeons can collaborate with other specialists (plastic surgeons, surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, etc.) to provide the best possible outcome for patients with very complicated and difficult skin cancers. The practice opened its doors in 2004, and in 2008, Physician’s Assistant Avni Koschmeder came on board. Dr. Bowman performs all of the surgical procedures, but Koschmeder helps evaluate patients prior to surgery and is very much an extension of Dr. Bowman’s approach to customer care. “She (Koschmeder) follows my philosophy of how to treat patients,” Dr. Bowman says. “We want patients to feel like they are a person and not just a number. Avni does a great job with that.” No referral is required to make an appointment.

THE BOWMAN INSTITUTE Located at 5379 Primrose Lake Cir. in Tampa Palms. Call (813) 977-2040 or visit BowmanInstitute.com See the ad on page 24 for more information. @NTWCNews

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Looking For A Great Father’s Day Gift? Check Out Doc’s Dog Portraits! By GARY NAGER

Herman Weinberg, Ph.D., decided in 2015, following a 50+-year career as an educator — most recently at Turner Bartels K-8 School in Live Oak Preserve — that it was time for a change. “I had been in a school environment for a long time,” he says. “I needed something else to do.” The Hunter’s Green resident took up art as a hobby about a year later, around the same time he started giving swim lessons and coaching younger kids for the Tampa Bay Aquatics program at the Arbor Greene Community Clubhouse Pool. One of the first pieces he painted was of a neighbor’s shih tzu (left pic above). The neighbor raved about the watercolor piece Dr. Weinberg created, told some of their other neighbors and soon, many were suggesting that he start a business. Although Dr. Weinberg, who earned his Ph.D. degree in Education from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, says he was reluctant at first to try to make a business out of his art, he saw that giving pet owners an opportunity to turn a photograph of their beloved pets into art made the recipients very happy. And, even though he has primarily worked with dogs as his subjects, he says his favorite piece to date was of another friend’s beautiful pinto horse. “I would definitely do more horse

(L.-r.): Among Dr. Herman Weinberg’s favorite artwork pieces he has created were of a neighbor’s shih tzu, a friend’s horse and his own self portrait. Dr. Weinberg invites you Neighborhood News readers and pet lovers to utilize the services of Doc’s Dog Portraits.

portraits, too,” he says. “They’re such majestic animals.” And yes, Dr. Weinberg also can create people portraits, such as his own self-portrait on this page. “My beard and the shih tzu’s beard are pretty similar, don’t you think?,” he asks, laughing. “That made it easier for me.”

So, What About Father’s Day?

The best news of all is that if you’ve been thinking about a great gift idea to give

your father, husband, significant other — or any dog lover, for any occasion — Dr. Weinberg says he can pretty much turn any photograph into a beautiful portrait “in about a week.” And, his prices are surprisingly affordable — with most pieces coming in at around $150, depending upon the amount of time he believes it will take to not only recreate the photograph, but also make sure that the creation also reflects the personality of the beloved pet.

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“The piece that took me the longest to create so far was the wire-haired fox terrier from my ad (see page 3),” he says. “The more hair a dog has, the harder it is for me to get it just right.”

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New Tampa FIRST LEGO League Team Tries For National Title This Weekend! By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

Of 48 teams that competed in the FIRST LEGO League State competition on April 6 in Delray Beach, a team of six fifth and sixth grade students from New Tampa, called Team TechnoWizards, took home first place and are on their way to competing for a national title. The team consists of Pride Elementary fifth grade students Ayona Bagui, Dhruv Kulkarni, Naina Sethi and Nikhil Katiyar, along with sixth grade students Anika Prasad, who attends Benito Middle School, and Netra Vijay, who attends Williams Middle School. The team has been working together for two years now, under the guidance and support of coach Sudhir Katiyar, who also Nikhil’s father, along with other parents of team members. Last year, Team TechnoWizards qualified to go to the State tournament, but didn’t place at that competition. This year, they placed second at the Florida-West Coast Regional competition in February, which qualified them to compete at State. At the State tournament, their improved performance landed them the first-place prize, outmatching all of their competition. “That happened because the team worked together in all aspects,” says Sudhir. FIRST LEGO League teams use STEM (Science, Technology, Engineer-

The FIRST LEGO League Team TechnoWizards from New Tampa took second place in the Florida-West Coast Regional competition in February, then outmatched their competition to take home first place in the State competition last month. Pictured here are (l.-r.): coach Sudhir Katiyar and team members Dhruv Kulkarni, Nikhil Katiyar, Netra Vijay, Ayona Bagui, Naina Sethi and Anika Prasad.

ing and Math) as the basis for innovative learning and competition. FIRST also is an acronym that stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.” The theme for the 2018-19 season was “Into Orbit.” The league uses LEGO Mindstorms robots as one part of its competition. Teams had to design, build and write programs to cause a robot to perform assigned tasks related to the theme.

More Than Just Robots

Robots are only part of the competition, though. Teams also have to complete and are judged on a project. For this year’s competition, the team members researched numerous topics regarding problems in space and chose one that was most important to them — the well-being of astronauts. They created a prototype to depict

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possible solutions to prevent health hazards to the astronauts, like loneliness. “They are not judged just on the technical aspects” explains Sudhir. “They are also judged on the FIRST core values, such as how did you resolve issues and conflicts within the team, and how did you solve problems when your coach wasn’t around?” FIRST’s core values include discovery, innovation, impact, inclusion, teamwork, fun, gracious professionalism and cooperation. Throughout the competition season, which runs concurrent with the school year, Team TechnoWizards also explored and served their community at the public library and in their schools, as well as for Feeding Tampa Bay, the Children’s Home Network, St. Joseph’s Hospital, American Heart Association and an aerospace museum. A field trip to NASA in Cape Canaveral gave the team a chance to meet with a real astronaut, and a trip to iFly Indoor Skydiving gave them a simulation of an experience in space. Thanks to its win at the State level, Team TechnoWizards was invited to attend the FIRST LEGO League Razorback Invitational, a 72-team championship tournament that includes national and international teams. It is being held this weekend on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville.

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The Hillsborough County Council PTA/PTSA (Parent Teacher Association/ Parent Teacher Student Association) has presented has again named its annual award winners and those who work and learn in New Tampa have taken home a number of those awards. The biggest one given out at the Glazer JCC on April 11 may be the one given to Liberty Middle School 8th-grader Elaine Feaster, who was chosen as the district-wide Middle School Student of the Year. Feaster, who has been mentioned in these pages a few times in the past, is a Girl Scout (Troop 1247) who has collected thousands of books for underprivileged students. This spring, she also was recognized by the Prudential Spirit of Community Award and the Presidential Volunteer Service Award. The Freedom High PTSA took home four awards, including the “At Your Service Award,” which recognizes an outstanding service project. Freedom won the award for its campus cleanup project, which involved stu-

dents doing school beautification projects on the weekends, about once a month, including trimming shrubs, adding mulch, and painting. Freedom music teacher Lorelie Wiemar was named “Instructional Person of the Year,” teaching assistant Stacey Lindahl was named “Non Instructional Person of the Year” and PTSA president Jeannine Armington was the “PTSA President of the Year.” Wharton High principal Mike Rowan was named “Principal of the Year.” The latter award is given to recognize an outstanding principal who is committed to cooperation with the PTSA. Wharton PTSA president Kristie Scism says that in his first year as principal at the school, Rowan worked tirelessly, and closely with the school’s PTSA, to add events and recognitions that help increase school spirit and pride around campus. Other winners include Hunter’s Green Elementary earning the “Arts in Education Award” and Tampa Palms Elementary PTA earning the “At Your Service Award” for the elementary level. Benito Middle School PTSA won the “Family Involvement Award” and Liberty Middle School’s Meghan Melton was awarded the middle school “Non-Instructional Person of the Year.”

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THE SPORTS PAGE

WHARTON EXTENDS SEASON

THE CHAMP

Wharton High junior Zach Goldbold, already rated as one of the top javelin throwers in his age group nationally, added a Florida High School Athletic Association Class 4A State championship to his resume on May 3. Godbold threw the javelin 171 feet, 11 inches, more than eight feet further than second-place Jack Gary of Calvary Christian. And, it wasn’t even Godbold’s bestever throw. That happened at an AAU event earlier this spring, where he threw it 191 feet, which at the time was No. 1 in the nation in the 18-under age group. Considered one of the most promising throwers in the country, Godbold will test his mighty right arm against the rest of the country June 13-16 when he competes at the prestigious 29th annual New Balance Nationals Outdoor at Aggie Stadium in Greensboro, NC.

Wharton High’s softball team, at one point just 9-7, was the last New Tampa team standing in the 2018-19 sports season, thanks to some late-game heroics. On May 8, the Wildcats spotted Lake Minneola High a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth inning before rallying to a 3-2 win in the first round of the Class 8A State playoffs. Wharton met East Ridge, which ended Freedom High’s season (also on May 8) with a 7-3 win, in the Regional semifinals on May 14, which was after we went to press with this issue. Regardless of that result, the Wildcats, now 15-7 winners of six straight, were the last New Tampa high schoolers still competing. Against Lake Minneola, pitcher Jill Long (pictured bottom right) retired the first nine hitters she faced before the Hawks (13-10) scored runs in the fourth and fifth innings on RBI triples to take the lead. “I got a little in my head for sure,” Long said, “but I wiped it away and came back and pitched like it was nothing. It was always a 0-0 game (in my head).” In the bottom of the fifth, No. 9 hitter Riley Collins drew a one-out walk.

Hana Schwindler (pictured, top right) singled, and an error loaded the bases. Collins then scored on a sacrifice fly by Savannah Klinger to cut the Hawks’ lead in half. In the bottom of the sixth, Tieley Vaughn led off with a triple, and Sophia Cathy singled her in. Courtesy runner Lauren McCain was sacrificed to second, went to third on a ground out and scored the game-winner on Schwindler’s third hit of the game. “I knew I had to start it off (big) in order to keep our momentum going,” said Vaughn. “The energy was up, and it was good after that.” It was the third time in their last six games the Wildcats scored the winning run in either the bottom of the sixth or seventh inning. “I’m upset to say that that’s normal, but this is a team you can never count out,” said coach Brittany Bonea. -- Story and photos by John C. Cotey.

GREEN IS TOPS

E-SPORTS

Plant City High hosted the first-ever Hillsborough County-wide Super Smash Bros Ultimate Singles tournament, with more than 60 students from a dozen schools competing on April 27. The top two finishers were both New Tampa residents, as Middleton’s Jonathon Cotey (top right) and Carlos Cruz took firstand second-place, respectively. Organizers hope to make it an annual event. 30

DISTRICT SWEEP

Freedom High has emerged as the dominant tennis programs in New Tampa over the past two seasons, and capped off 2019 with District championships by both its boys and girls teams. While the boys, led by West Meadows brothers Hakim and Malik Zekri, fell in the Regional playoffs, the girls, who went undefeated during the regular season for the second straight year, won twice to make it to the State tournament finals. The girls advanced to the Class 3A semifinals after beating Tallahassee

Chiles 5-2 (behind wins from Julianna Gibson, Maya Youssef, Jehanne Caudell and Zoe Ruszin), before falling to Gulf Coast. Hakim Zekri, who advanced to the State Clas 3A individual championships because he won No. 1 singles at the District tournament and his team did not advance to state, beat Viera’s Griffin Lamp 6-0, 6-0 in the first round before being eliminated by Ilya Korolev of Matanzas High. Zekri also teamed up with his brother at State in doubles, losing their only match in the quarterfinals.

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Wharton senior Darin Green, the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,410 points, is racking up a number of postseason honors. Green, who led the Wildcats to a 26-5 record and Class 8A Regional final last season, received the Alston “Mac” McGahagin Boys Basketball Award, given annually to Hillsborough County’s best player. Green also was named the Tampa Bay Times’ Player of the Year for Hillsborough County.

BASEBALL NUMBERS

Offensive categories Wharton sophomore Zach Ehrhard led Wharton in this season, among them average (.434), runs (25), hits (33) and stolen bases (15).

Wharton junior Carson Caso’s final ERA in 35 innings pitched. Consecutive IP to end season without allowing an ER for Caso. @NTWCNews

Local Tennis Pro Wins Prestigious Award By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com

Arbor Greene resident Michael-Ray Pallares was recently award a humanitarian award for his efforts to spread tennis to the poorer parts of the world. Pallares, a former University of Alabama player and four-time Davis Cup player for the Dominican Republic, was named the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) Humanitarian of the Year, and received $3,000 for his One Love Tennis Inc. nonprofit foundation. “To me, that’s a very big deal,” says Pallares (photo). “Not only does it honor the actual work that I’ve done, it also demonstrates that it is an important foundation and it makes a difference.” Because the PTR consists of more than 16,000 registered tennis coaches in 125 countries, Pallares said the award “was one of most important I have ever received.” Pallares competed on the ITF (International Tennis Federation) Men’s Circuit and ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Challenger Tour for 10 years. In 2011, he founded One Love Tennis Inc. in order to reach underprivileged and low-income

youth through affordable tennis, education and fitness. His travels have taken him to Zambia, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Romania, Colombia, Mexico, Haiti, Myanmar, Malta, UAE, Guam and the Philippines. He organizes PlayDay events, even though that often means teaching on makeshift courts. However, thousands of children have taken part, and are always happy for the opportunity, he says. “Every place is different,” he says. “What I’ve come to realize through all my travels is kids just want to fun, they want to feel like someone actually cares for them. Through the foundation, we are actually able to do that.” While he strives to build actual tennis facilities, most recently he has raised money for a court made out of sea shells and dirt in the Philippines. Pallares says oftentimes, you have to work with the most available resources in an area. In Zambia, for example, he helped build tennis courts out of sugar cane; in Haiti, they did so with sand. For more information or to donate, visit OneLoveTennis.org.

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My ‘25 Years Of Neighborhood News’ Celebration Rocked Bayscape Bistro! Story by Gary Nager

Photos by Charmaine George When I purchased Neighborhood News on February 26, 1994, with a former partner, I had no idea I’d still be doing the same job 25 years later. At that time, this was a once-a-month, quarter-folded direct mail newspaper with only “spot” color (not full color) and only on four pages, that was delivered to 6,500 households in what wasn’t even yet referred to as “New Tampa.” Our only Wesley Chapel distribution back then were the 200 or so copies that were being dropped off each month at the new Meadow Pointe I clubhouse. I quickly added mailing to the first few hundred homes in the original portion of Meadow Pointe, as well as to the few hundred homes in the community surrounding Saddlebrook Resort. All I knew then was that, in addition to homes, roads with no traffic signals and thousands of heads of cattle, the areas that would one day be called New Tampa and Wesley Chapel had a lot of vacant land, most of which already had development plans in place. I started calling the phone numbers on every sign along both Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in New Tampa (at that time, the portion in Pasco County was only known as County Road 581) and Cross Creek Blvd. And even though the Neighborhood News I purchased already had a reasonable number of advertisers, I knew that the key to getting people to actually read the publication was to tell them about the plans for the new developments coming to their community. As you can see from the first few of the 25 covers on pages 34-36, I and my “staff” of one part-time writer/editor made sure that we told the residents in my two (then-combined) distribution areas everything we could about the plans for the homes, apartments, businesses, roads, libraries, churches and recreational opportunities that were coming “in the future.” Well, 25 years later, I and my still-small staff of one outstanding full-time managing editor, a few great freelance writers and a few in-house support staffers continue to give you more news and information about everything that is still coming to our now-separate distribution areas than all other local publications combined.

The Neighborhood News front pages on the following three pages include an average of one cover per year for every year we’ve been in business, although there are a few years along the way that didn’t make it to these pages — not because nothing “important” happened those years, but because most of these front pages are about “firsts,” meaning the first story we published (and believe me, especially in the beginning, no other local news media covered most of the stories we did) about a particular subject affecting our readers. In order to give you that true historical perspective in a small amount of available space, there aren’t nearly as many covers from the era of 2015 until the present, even though managing editor John Cotey has probably broken as many big news stories in his nearly four years as I did between 1994-2000, but most of you have been here for most of John’s biggest stories, whereas the vast majority of our readers weren’t living here 15-25 years ago.

But, What About The Party?

So, even though my anniversary of buying the paper was actually in February of ‘94, my first issue as the publisher and editor was April of that year. In addition, as we told you on last issue’s cover, I got married in late March, so I didn’t really want to host the party until after that event. I was thrilled that Eddie Bujarski and his wife Lourdes, the owners of the Bayscape Bistro in the Heritage Isles Golf Club on Cross Creek Blvd. in New Tampa, agreed to not only host the party on April 12, but also to put out a beautiful spread of both hot and cold munchies for what turned out to be more than 100 guests. I, of course, provided a karaoke DJ for the event, just as I had done at our first “Meet the Publisher” karaoke party way back in May of ‘94. But, most of the folks who attended the 25th anniversary event weren’t there to sing (even though Jannah and I and some of our friends may have been) — almost every reader who attended said they just wanted to be there to thank me for being an important part of their lives here in New Tampa and Wesley

Chapel. We had folks from Epperson to the north and Tampa Palms to the south, and from Lexington Oaks to the west to K-Bar Ranch to the east attend, and many came in groups of people who all had at least one thing in common — they all love the Neighborhood News! I also was particularly happy that several of our wonderful advertisers also found time to check out the celebration — and find out more about our new Video & Online Subscriptions. Among the attendees were Realtors Karen Tillman-Gosselin and her husband Renynold Gosselin (see ad on pg. 2), James and Alexis Staten of Olympus Pools (see ad on pg. 18), Pam Edmonson of Creative Permanent Makeup by Pam (see ad below), Derek Usman of Usman Law Firm (see ad on pg. 21) and Ramses Garcia of Las Palmas Latin Grill all showed up to party with me, Jannah, John, office and sales assistant Janet Levins, senior video producer Gavin Olsen and his assistant videographer Charmaine George. Charmaine also has a great highlights video from the event that has been live for about a week on our “Neighborhood News” Facebook page and our WCNT-tv YouTube channel (see ad on pg. 37) as this issue is reaching your mailbox. Thanks for 25 years of love. Enjoy the front pages! See pages 34-36 for 25 years of Neighborhood News covers!

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My Early Years - 1994-99 I really enjoyed becoming New Tampa and Wesley Chapel’s primary news source as soon as I took over as editor/ owner/publisher of an 11-month-old monthly. I started by doing some market research and telling readers on page 1 of my very first issue about things like home values, per-capita incomes and the quality of life enjoyed by the earliest residents along Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. In my third issue, I was able to recap the very first year of the Taste of New Tampa, which was held at Hunter’s Green Country Club (HGCC) in May 1995. Hunter’s Green, thanks to developer Markborough Florida, became the focal point not only for the first few Tastes, but also for coining the name “New Tampa” and for starting the now-defunct New Tampa Community Council (NTCC) to help put on those first Tastes. And, even though the idea/possibility of bringing Charlie Daniels Western World to the Porter Family Trust property now being developed as Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel never got off the ground, I was the first local news medium to not only report about, but also ask local residents what they thought about the theme park. It went over so badly with my readers — even though it would have been great for my brandnew business — that I got blamed by the folks behind the theme park as the guy “railing against” it. By the end of 1995, we started putting out maps of the area I then called New Tampa (Wesley Chapel didn’t yet really have its own identity) and telling people what was planned for every parcel of land along that map (almost all of which is now

being developed) really helped get folks in both communities reading us, so we expanded to two issues per month. Also on this page is the first cover we devoted to former HGCC GM Frank Margarella, who still ran the NTCC, even after he left Markborough and the club. We also published the first article about the sale of the then-undeveloped portion of Hunter’s Green that would later be developed as the separate community called Arbor Greene in 1996. I also was on hand when attendance boundaries were set for and New Tampa’s first secondary schools were named Paul R. Wharton High and Louis Benito Middle School and when our area’s second Publix supermarket opened in the new New Tampa Center plaza, the first major retail complex to use the name “New Tampa” in its title. We also published the first story about Harris & Co. restaurant opening in the location that has seen at least five restaurants come and go before Kobe Japanese Steakhouse helped stabilize that location. Harris & Co. was named for long-time Tampa Bay-area broadcast media star Jack Harris, who also was a part owner of the eatery I loved but sadly never “made it.” And, although there was still plenty of New Tampa news to report about in 1999, as the father of two young boys attending school at the time of the Columbine mass school shooting, I felt compelled to put my thoughts about the tragedy on page 1 of one of our May ‘99 issues. That story would start a trend of me personalizing tragic events for our readers . See page 36 for more Neighborhood News covers!

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More NN Covers!

From Page 35!

Among the Neighborhood News front pages on this page are more firsts, specifically for New Tampa, culminating in John Cotey’s awesome “Bruce B. Done” cover from last year (and a certain editor’s nuptials). This page starts with our own Scripps National Spelling Bee champ Nupur Lala (see page 1), and includes our first cover about Highwoods Preserve, my take on the 9/11 terrorist attack on my native New York City and the Lightning’s Stanley Cup win. We’ve also got our first cover about the skate park in Tampa Palms, the start of construction at Market Square at Tampa Palms, where many stores have closed, Lifepoint Church’s move into the former Winn-Dixie location on BBD, the opening of the New Tampa Little League park in Live Oak, the tornado spawned by Hurricane Debby that touched down in Grand Hampton, the opening of the once-controversial New Tampa Gateway Bridge, the creation of the Turner/Bartels K-8 School, and two recent tragedies that touched New Tampa.— GN Volume 26 Issue 15 July 13, 2018

Inside:

Little Italy’s Gets A New Chef! See Pages 38-39!

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Prayers For Pedro & The Aguerreberry Family

By GARY NAGER

MAGINE, IF YOU CAN, your husband or wife taking the kids for their usual bike ride together and waiting for them to come home. Everyone knows bicycles can be dangerous, but even those times that you get that feeling in the pit of your stomach because it’s taking a little longer than usual for them to return, it pretty much always turns out OK. Doesn’t it? Then, imagine what the family of West Meadows resident Pedro Aguerreberry, 42, is going through today, less than two weeks (as I’m writing this) since Pedro took his sons Lucas, 8, and Bennett, 3, out for a bike ride, never to be seen alive again by his wife Meghan or those young boys. But, this wasn’t just another tragic accident that, in an instant, changed forever the lives of the Aguerreberry family and everyone who worked with the always-smiling Pedro at Citigroup and their friends and neighbors in New Tampa. Instead, it was an intentional act by a sadly mentally deranged young man who posted on Instagram the day before he made that quick U-turn in his car on New Tampa Blvd. (the main road that runs through West Meadows) to run down Pedro and his young sons that no one should blame him for what he was about to do. Instead, Morse said, “blame the devil.” Yes, Morse, the former Freedom High student who was Baker Acted by the Tampa Police Department (TPD) on June 12, just two weeks earlier, only to be released — against the protests of his own mother — on June 19, a week after being held and evaluated, was obviously dealing with a serious mental illness. But, this isn’t about whether or not the man charged with the first-degree, premeditated murder of Pedro should be declared not guilty by reason of insanity or not. It’s about what happens after a happily married, devoted husband and father is intentionally taken from the arms of his loving family by someone he had never met.

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one of them hugged Meghan and the boys (Lucas was able to get himself into a seat, but Bennett, who was more severely injured in the crash, was still in a wheelchair) and offered them all prayers and other words of love and encouragement. I had never seen this done at a funeral before but I definitely felt this amazing energy flowing

Inside:

Neighborhood Magazine: Neighborhood Magazine: Updating The Have Ever-Changing The Readers Spoken! Here S.R.Are 56 Their DiningFavorites! Scene Pages Page39-52 42

NEWS

A Recap Of The 2019 Taste Of New Tampa!

See Neighborhood Magazine

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!

The Direct-Mail News Magazines Serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Since 1993! For the complete list of neighborhoods that receive this publication by direct mail in Wesley Chapel (zip codes 33543, 33544 & 33545), see page 46!

BRUCE B. DONE News:

Business:

News: Sports: LongtimeBruce LocalB. Politicians Voted News,Looking Business For That& Unique ChristINSIDE Surprise! Downs (BBD) Former Wharton High Football Also Inside INSIDE Blue Wave. mas Gift?Updates Try Creativity Unpinned. Blvd. IsOut OurInArea’s Worst Road Players Declare for NFL DraftEducation Page3-17 10 This Issue:Pages

Pages 28-29

Pages 34-37 Pages 3-32

OUR

First Look Inside:

Openings Galore

Burlington and 5 Below are open, and Wawa and Chick Fil-A aren’t far behind. Cue the applause.

Pages 10-11

ONE HEART

Neighborhood Magazine: Neighborhood Magazine: First New Tampa Brew Fest A

Story by Gary Nager Photo by Jillian Joseph Photograhy

The Readers Have Spoken! Smashing Success. Here Are Their Favorites! Pages Pages 39-40 39-52

the Neighborhood News, we first got To me, the story of my relatogether when I walked into the tionship with the former Jannah now-defunct Stage Left (the music Johnson McDonald is so much venue on S.R. 54 in Lutz), the night more than just your usual case of of my birthday in 2015. boy-meets-girl, boy and girl fall in The place was packed. Jannah love and live happily ever after. Ours is the story of two people and I were both members of the Rotary Cub of Wesley Chapel, so who have been through a lot in their lives — although not nearly as when I heard and then saw a group much as some people we know and of women, all of whom also were members of that same Rotary Club, love — but who somehow figured invite me, rather loudly, to join out how to be there for each other them at their table, I didn’t refuse. and became two stronger, better So yes, ours is a match made in people because of our mutual respect for and support of each other. Rotary heaven, and we know a few other couples who also met through the This marriage may not be the world’s largest service organization. first rodeo for either of us — and, But, enough of that mushy quite honestly, neither one of us thought we’d ever get married again stuff. Because we decided to put on our wedding ourselves, I knew I — but after knowing each other for would have to pull together a lot of as many as eight years and being tothe contacts I’ve made through the gether for more than four, we both just knew it was the right time for us Neighborhood News in order to put on the kind of wedding we wanted. to make this thing official. I owe these businesses and busiAlthough we actually met ness owners a lot because only with all when Jannah was working for the of their help, could we have the wedAmerican Cancer Society and was ding of our dreams. So, the story that putting on the Wesley Chapel Relay follows is my way of thanking them. for Life and I was covering it for See “The Business Side Of Jannah & Gary’s Wedding” on page 4.

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Issue 8 April 5, 2019

For the complete list of the neighborhoods that receive this publication by direct mail in New Tampa (zip code 33647), see page 50!

See “Pedro” on page 4.

Pages 24-25 34-37 Pages 3-32

Volume 27

WESLEY CHAPEL

See “BBD” on page 6.

News: Business: News: Sports: News,Former Business & INSIDE Rec Center Expansion & SensoryMeet Roxanne Of Surprise! Bruce B. Downs (BBD) WhartonSimmonds High Football Also Inside INSIDE Friendly Park Taking Shape Blvd. Is Our Area’s Worst Road PremierUpdates Sotheby’s Players Declare for Int’l. NFLRealty DraftEducation Page3-17 10 This Issue:Pages

December 1, 2018

Imagine being a traffic engineer for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and director of public works in Hillsborough County for 29 years, going to work, designing traffic layouts and signals to help traffic flows in 14 Florida counties. Imagine doing your highly stressful job so well and acquiring so many admirers along the way, that when you suddenly pass away, it is so heartbreaking that they re-name a road in your honor. Now, imagine your name is Bruce Barkley Downs. ••• In New Tampa, you won’t have Bruce B. Downs to kick around much longer, as the widening of the much-maligned, oft-criticized and breathlessly-besmirched boulevard that bears the late Mr. Downs’ name is — finally — complete. Not complete complete, mind you.

Trying To Make Sense Of It

Even though I had never met Pedro or Meghan, I was one of more than 200 people who filled St. James United Methodist Church on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. on June 27 for his funeral. The next day, I also came out to take pictures of the 100 or so who got together to put on a memorial bike ride and run in his honor. At the memorial service on Friday, I was stunned that the start of the service was delayed by an hour, as I was one of only maybe 30 people who were actually sitting in the seats. The other (approximately) 175 or so people in attendance made a circle around the outside of the seating area and every last

Volume 26 Issue 25

Inside:

For Great

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Newcomer Tops At Taste

The Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel attracted roughly 1,000 patrons, who sampled the wares of neary 40 local eateries, and two Taste-y newcomers made this year’s top three.

Pages 40-41

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The Hummingbird Jerk House Serves Authentic Jamaican Cuisine! By Gary Nager page) is super-crisp, but still tender and served on the bone, with a side of Patrick’s signaI’m not going to say that Jamaican cuisine ture and super-tasty brown stew sauce, plus has ever been among my top favorites, but I sides like white rice or rice and peas (beans), will say this — as a native New Yorker who has plantains and veggies, which are usually either previously sampled some well-known Jamaican sliced carrots or carrots and cabbage. I’d love restaurants in Manhattan, there are a number of to see some additional veggies on the menu, dishes I’m going to keep going back to the new but the sliced carrots are particularly tasty. Hummingbird Jerk House to enjoy. Lead video editor Gavin Olsen and I both Owner Patrick Murrel, a Hunter’s Green also enjoyed the jerk chicken (center photo resident, and his family invite you to sample on next page) at Hummingbird Jerk House, truly some of the best Jamaican cuisine I’ve although it doesn’t have quite as much kick had the chance to try, especially in Tampa. as some jerk chicken I’ve sampled. Even so, it The Hummingbird Jerk House, located is full of flavor and there’s always a couple of in the space previously occupied by Dairy different hot sauces on the tables, if you need Queen, on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in a bigger jolt from your jerk. There’s also BBQ North Palms Village (next to Oakley’s Grille), and curry chicken on the menu, but I hadn’t features everything from authentic meat patsampled either at our press time. ties (similar to empanadas, but better; see top Speaking of the brown stew sauce, for right pic on this page) to items I’ve previously those who crave sauce all over their chicken, never (and still haven’t) tried, such as cow foot there is a brown stew chicken on the menu, and butter beans (with dumplings) and what is billed on the menu as the Jamaican National which is basically similar to the fried chicken but covered with the sauce. The brown stew Dish called ackee and saltfish. sauce also is tasty on Patrick’s whole snapper, According to Hummingbird’s website, although he’ll warn you that the whole snapPatrick is from the Westmoreland province of Jamaica and grew up in the town of Sav-la-mar, per does have bones, so it’s a little bit of work to enjoy this zesty dish. next to Negril. The website says his “mama From what I’ve seen during my multiple teach him to cook,” and from the items I’ve visits to the restaurant, the more popular snapsampled so far, I’d say she taught him well! per seems to be the escoveitch (photo, right), which is available bone-in or as a filet (which The Best Fried Chicken? is likely how I will try it in the future). The Chicken is obviously a staple of Jamaican snapper is fried and then covered in onions, cuisine, based on the Hummingbird Jerk sliced carrots, scotch bonnet peppers, pepper House’s menu. And, not surprisingly, three and vinegar. There’s also jerk salmon on the of my favorite dishes are the jerk chicken, the brown stew chicken and some of the best fried menu, although I don’t usually enjoy salmon other than smoked and on a bagel. chicken I’ve had at any kind of restaurant in I haven’t yet sampled the ackee (a CaribTampa. The fried chicken (top left pic on next

bean fruit) and saltfish (cod), but many of the Hummingbird Jerk House’s regulars rave about it. I did, however, sample the Japanese coco bread with saltfish, a doughy appetizer which is slightly sweet from coconut milk. Other Jamaican staples I’ve sampled at the Hummingbird Jerk House include the oxtail and the curry goat. I’ve never been the biggest curry fan (although Jamaican curry is different than Thai or Indian curry) and I don’t go out of my way to

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eat goat, but I really enjoyed the oxtail (far right photo on this page). It is “stewed down” with Jamaican herbs and butter beans in a savory brown sauce and is very tasty and tender. It does take a little work to get at all of the available meat, but trust me, it’s worth it. I definitely also plan to try Patrick’s beef stew — which is only available Thur.-Sun. Other menu items include

Neighborhood News

Rastaman vegetable stew, soups (including Manish-Water, or goat soup), chicken wings and roti skin sandwich wraps with curry chicken or goat, jerk chicken or veggies.

Breakfast, Too?

Patrick is proud to have recently announced that he is now serving authentic

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Jamaican breakfast favorites on Sat. and Sun. mornings (8 a.m.-11:30 a.m.). Among the breakfast items are salt mackerel, ackee and saltfish with cooked green bananas, dumplings and more, plus porridges of cornmeal and oats. And of course, any time you walk into a place and the music of the great man himself — Bob Marley — is playing, you’re bound

to feel good. And, at the Hummingbird Jerk House, you’re also likely to leave satisfied. Hummingbird Jerk House (17631 BBD, Unit F) is open 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. on Sun., and every other day 11 a.m.-10 p.m., except it is closed on Mon. For more info, visit HummingbirdJerkHouse.com, see the ad on pg. 35, or call (813) 512-2558.

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Nibbles & Business The Latest & Greatest News In Dining, Shopping & Business In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel!

More Restaurants Coming To 56!

Bloomin’ Brands, which is well-known locally for opening the first Outback Steakhouse in Tampa in 1988, is looking to bring three of its other restaurants to the Cypress Creek Town Center on the north side of S.R. 56 (across from the Tampa Premium Outlets, Starbucks, etc.). The Tampa-based company met on April 23 with Pasco County officials and submitted preliminary plans for building a Bonefish Grill, Carrabba’s Italian Grill and an Aussie Grill by Outback on the northeast corner of the S.R. 56 and Wesley Chapel Blvd. intersection., east of where Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar is expected to open this summer.

The Bonefish Grill, which has a location on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. just south of S.R. 56, will be 5,585 sq. ft. and will seat 195 customers, while the Carrabba’s Italian Grill is proposed for 6,438 sq. ft. and 229 seats for customers. The two restaurants will be next to each other, both facing S.R. 56. The Aussie Grill by Outback, the company’s first fast-casual take on the Outback Steakhouse model, was developed for international growth – it already has locations in Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia — is opening a location at the International Plaza food court this month. At the Cypress Creek Town Center, the Aussie Grill will have seating for 72 customers in a 2,800-sq.ft. space. — JCC

Walkabout Bakery Opens In Lutz

Speaking of Australian cuisine, the Walkabout Australian Bakery & Café is open at 18430 Livingston Ave. (at Sunset Ln.) in Lutz. Owner Regina McColl is a truly authentic Australian, from Melbourne, but we’re fortunate that she has brought the flavors of her home country to within 10-15 minutes of most New Tampa residents. The bakery goods are truly unlike anything I’ve had in the Tampa Bay area. There’s a square one that looked like it could

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 11 • May 17, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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be chocolate and peanut butter, but is actually caramel inside and it’s absolutely addictive. Sorry that I neglected to take a picture of it, but there’s no doubt I’ll be back. Walkabout, which celebrated its Grand Opening with a May 2 North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon cutting (above left), also serves great food, like the thick-cut prime rib, with mashed potatoes and broccoli shown left. Regina also put out finger foods like yummy traditional meat pies (similar to empanadas), and spinach ricotta feta triangles for the Chamber event. Oh, and of course, there’s beer and wine, too, mate! For more info, visit AussieBakeryCafe. com or call (813) 953-1085, and please tell Regina I sent you!

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The Man Cave’s Grand Opening

Another great locally-owned business that recently cut a ribbon was The Man Cave Haircuts for Men, which actually celebrated its one-year anniversary on April 1 with a North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon cutting (photo, left). Located in the Pinebrook at The Grove plaza at 27419 Wesley Chapel Blvd. (S.R. 54) in Wesley Chapel, owner Katie Galentine has created a shop that is less barber shop and more salon for men, but with a variety of unique décor touches that make any man feel right at home — like spray bottles that look like bourbon bottles and shelves made out of tires. You also get a shampoo, with a complimentary steam towel, scalp massage and walkins and appointments are welcome. For more info, call (813) 574-8405, or visit the-man-cave-haircuts-for-men.business.site and tell Katie and her crew the New Tampa Neighborhood News sent you!

Hats & Horses Derby Party!

If you thought the disqualification of Kentucky Derby winner Maxikmum Security was a surprise (and it was), you should have visited this year’s “Hats & Horses Derby

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Party,” held again at the amazing Waller Ranch in Dade City. This second annual fund raiser was hosted by the Wesley Chapel and Dade City Rotary Clubs and at least 200 people came to enjoy watching the Derby, gaming tables and live music by the Wesley Chapel Rotary’s own Strictly Business Band (that’s our buddy, Patrick Murtha of Murtha & Murtha singing and playing the guitar, far right). The event benefited not only the nonprofit foundations of both Rotary Clubs, but also the Pasco Education Foundation (yes, the one my wife Jannah works for), but the surprise was the amazing food, provided by M&D Catering & Edibles and Yummy Tablas. M&D offered the hand-carved beef tenderloin shown above, plus delicious chicken & waffles, shrimp and grits and more, and Yummy Tablas put out one of the most beautiful (and delicious) crudité and fruit & cheese platters I’ve ever seen! For more info, call Yummy Tablas at (813) 900-4824 or M&D Catering at (813) 210-0319! — GN

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 11 • May 17, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

New Tampa & Wesley Chapel HOME IMPROVEMENT

HOME IMPROVEMENT

WESLEYCHAPELPRESSUREWASHING.COM Soft pressure exterior house cleaning, screen enclosures, pool decks, driveways, sidewalks, fences, roofs, paver sealing and deck staining. We clean everything. No job too big or small. Experience the difference when you hire a pressure cleaning professional. Licensed and insured. Owner operated. Call for a free estimate or visit our website. 813-433-6015. DAVID BRIDGES PRESSURE CLEANING Complete exterior cleaning of your home or business with a professional & personal touch. - Pool decks and screen enclosures - All fencing/ driveways and walkways/roofs - Gutter and downspouts. Find your happiness in a fresh, bright clean home. Your neighbors will love you for it! All work guaranteed. Licensed and insured. Call 813-215-1177. DRY WALL SPECIALIST. Not a handyman. Affordable Quality Work repairing water damage, ceilings and walls, retexturing, popcorn removal, room additions, cracks, holes, plaster and stucco repair. 26 Years Experience. Wesley Chapel resident. State Certified. Call Ron for free estimate: 813-7845999. MILLENNIUM HOME REPAIR.Professional Handyman. Cabinet Installation, dry wall repair, tile installation & repair, some plumbing, laminate flooring, light fixtures, interior painting, appliance installation, pressure washing, paneling, window repair, awning installation, carpentry, garbage disposal, fence repair, crown molding, window blinds, seal baths & showers, TV mounting & more. Call 813-400-1408 or email TYCOONUNION@YAHOO.COM. Tjs Pressure Washing LLC. Driveways, Houses, Fences, Lanais and Screened Enclosures. Most residential 2 car driveways or vinyl fences starting at $60. House washing prices start at $100 for a 1 story home and $150 for a 2 story home. Looking for an instant quote? Just text me a picture of the job you need done. Call Tj at 727-808-7775 CHARLES POPPE ELECTRIC. Electric of all kinds pools, spas, service changes, new circuts, low voltage, repairs, upgrades, changes to existing, trouble shooting, GFCI performance testing, generators. Expert in the field - over 40 years experience. Discount for retired people 50%. Licensed and Insured Master Electrician EC 13002399 - free phone estimates. Call 813-477-9068.

SPACE AVAILABLE

SERENITY SALON & SPA SUITES Wesley Chapel. Booth rental for Stylist available. Can be either full time or part time. Give us a call!: 813-312-5247 or 813-997-6302.

Classifieds

RAYMOND PAINTING. Exterior & Interior Services. Exterior: Painting, pressure washing, clean & seal pavers, stucco, roofing, leaks & wood rot repair. Interior: Painting, plastering, ceiling & wall repairs & tiles. Licensed & Bonded. References avail. Free estimates. Your Neighborhood Arbor Greene Resident! We work 7 days. Call 813-994-5124. AMBLER ENTERPRISES Home Improvement. Call James at 813-385-6402. 30 Years Experience. Specialist in Kitchens & Bathrooms. Referrals upon request. All interior work: Drywall, Texture Paining, Doors, etc. Use us once & you won’t need to look elsewhere. Please Google us if you would like to see pictures: Wesley Chapel Ambler Enterprises.

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

CLEANING SERVICES

B CLEANING SERVICES: Over 16 years experience! Commercial & residential; Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly; New house & post construction clean-up; Window cleaning; Move-in or move-out cleanings; Pressure washing; FREE estimates; References available. Call today: 813-531-0154 or e-mail: bcleanings@hotmail.com D-ULTRA CLEANING SERVICE We have our own supplies and more than 400 clients in New Tampa! For more info, Call 758-9710.

HELP WANTED

HIRING PERSONAL TRAINER. Private Women’s Studio with Boot Camp & Personal Training in Wesley Chapel & Land O’ Lakes owned by Samantha Taylor. Please no phone calls or walk ins.To apply part time: www.lolfitbodybootcamp.com/hire-pt. BOSCO’S ITALIAN-TO-GO is hiring! Inside & Delivery positions available. Must be 18+, have a good attitude and have your own reliable transportation. Stop in at 30122 S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel to fill out an application today!

We Don’t Cut Corners, We Dust Them

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Family Owned Business with 20Years of Experience We are your all-purpose cleaner with: • High Quality Services • Competitive Rates • Great References • Always the Same Crew

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LAWN & LANDSCAPING

A.T.B. Landscaping & Lawn Service. Licensed and insured serving the Tampa Bay area over 20 years. Family owned and operated. Quality work at affordable prices. We provide services in gutter clean-out, screen repair, pressure washing and sprinkler repair. Landscaping and property maintenance including: sodding, trimming trees and hedges, and clean ups. Other services are available. CALL 813-907-LAWN (5296)

Jasmine Landscaping, Inc. Complete lawn maintenance: Tree, palm & hedge trimming, planting, mulching, stones, sod replacement. Gutter cleaning, leaf removal & more. Cited by your HOA? Ask about our HOA Compliance Special, our Fall/Spring Special & FREE ESTIMATE! Licensed & insured. Accepting new residential & commercial accounts. We accept Visa, MC, PayPal, Zelle, AmExp. Call or text 813-420-4465. Now hiring full-time workers.

PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPHER AVAILABLE Retired Professional Photographer (over 45 years experience) in the Tampa Bay Area. Corporate Events, Personal Occasions, Portraiture, Pets, Comercial Photography, and Real Estate. Reasonable rates. Call/Text 813-7483901. Visit: russellleprephotography.com

BABYSITTING

BABYSITTER AVAILABLE - Days, Evenings, Weekends, Overnight - 20-Years Experience - Non-Smoker - Call: 813-514-3913 or email: hughjul64@gmail.com.

Our Classified Ads are the ones your neighbors in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel actually read!

POOL SERVICES TRANQUILITY POOL SERVICE. New Tampa owned & operated. Great Pricing with outstanding customer service! LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED. See why we are New Tampa and Wesley Chapel’s #1 Choice!! Call or Text Chris today @ 813-857-5400 or visit TranquilityPoolService. com. New customers get ONE MONTH FREE! NEIGHBORHOOD POOLS Wesley Chapel owned and operated since 1999. Weekly service. No long term contracts. Mention ad for one month free service. Call 813-907-7322 for details or text Joe at 813-758-7608.

JUNK REMOVAL

FIRST CALL JUNK HAUL Do you need items removed or clutter cleared? Let First Call Junk Haul be your best call! We offer appliance removal, furniture removal, foreclosure cleanouts, garage clean-outs, yard waste removal & more! Affordable prices & professional service guaranteed! Call or Text 813-970-6440 for a FREE ESTIMATE!

EDUCATION

PIANO LESSONS. Summer is a great time to start! 30+ Years of Experience. Reasonable rates. Children or Adults. Call 813-994-7857 for a FREE interview. LEARN TO PAINT at Andrew Krance School of Art. Professional & Internationally known modern artist with MFA, plus over 50 years of painting experience. Paint with the artist at the artist’s studio in Wesley Chapel. Maximum class size limited to 10 adult students. Outdoor setting. Class length average 2.5 hrs. For more details, contact the artist at krancegallery@aol.com or call 813-727-5195.

Protect your children and pets with Tampa Bay’s only organic monthly fertilization and pest control • Courteous, friendly customer service • Monthly service from $40 per month • State licensed spray technicians • Organic/natural fertilizers • On-time service • Amazing results • No contracts • Special discounts on irrigation repairs and inspections

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 11 • May 17, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Organic Safe Lawns COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL

813.393.9665

WWW.ORGANICSAFELAWNS.COM

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TOPASH PAINTING, L.L.C.

CLEANING SERVICES

FREE ESTIMATES

Doing business in Pasco and Hillsborough County area since 1978

23 Years Experience • Interior/Exterior HUNDREDS OF HAPPY CUSTOMERS

Call K.T. Topash

(owner/painter)

813.780.2511 Topashpainting@Gmail.com

Gardner Gutters

~ Family Owned And Operated ~

SERVING NEW TAMPA FOR 18 YEARS

We offer much more!

• Windows • Gutters • Siding • Soffit Fascia • Screen Enclosures Licensed & Insured: SCC131150705

Call 813-486-1697 or Visit gardnergutters.com

High quality at a great price.

SUNSHINE CLEANERS Top Quality...Great Prices

Whole Home Generators

Join our Customer Rewards Program and get a punch every time you spend $10 or more. After your 10th punch, you’ll receive $10 oﬀ your next order of $10 or more.

Whole Home re-pipe

NTNN Exp. 6/30/2019

Electrical Panel Upgrade Whole Home Generators

$2.99 Press Only*

NTNN Exp. 6/30/2019

813-343-4951

$3.99 Drycleaning & Press* $1.99 Men’s Business Shirts * Some garments incur additional charge. News Neighborhood

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 11 • May 17, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

�The ONLY Publication Direct-Mailed to 27,500 Homes* in Zip Code 33647! Arbor Greene Cory Lake Isles Cross Creek Easton Park Grand Hampton/ The Hammocks 46

Heritage Isles Hunter's Green K-Bar Ranch Hunter's Key Lake Forest

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• Including more than 3,500 i4>iib,.e.d �

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 11 • May 17, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 11 • May 17, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

8204 Marsh Glen Ct.

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16366 Heathrow Dr.

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6430 Renwick Cir.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 27, Issue 11 • May 17, 2019 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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