New Tampa Neighborhood News, Volume 29, Issue 11, May 25, 2021 by Neighborhood News

Volume 29 Issue 11 May 25, 2021

Commissioners Vote To Build The PAC! By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com The New Tampa Players (NTP), a local acting troupe looking for a permanent home, recently finished a run of shows with a cast of just a handful of performers in a 2,000-sq.-ft. black box theater at the old University Mall. It’s not exactly what the group may have envisioned when it started nearly 20 years ago with the hope of a cultural center they could call home in the heart of New Tampa, but now, they can see a spotlight at the end of the tunnel. Thanks in part to a public outpouring of support from many NTP and New Tampa community members, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners voted 5-2 to approve a $7.3-million construction contract to build the long-awaited New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC). “We weren’t 100 percent it would go through, but we are super happy it did,” said Nora Paine, a long-time member and current president of the NTP. The vote is the biggest step yet for the project, which dates back to 2001, and was initially approved in 2014. Commissioner Ken Hagan, whose District 2 includes New Tampa, says a groundbreaking for the state-of-the-art, 20,000-sq.-ft. (expandable to 30,000 square feet) NTPAC should be scheduled in the next month or two. Hagan would like to see the project, which is located in the Village at Hunter’s Lake development across Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from the entrance to the Hunter’s

Green community, completed by September of 2022. “I’m ecstatic over the results,” Hagan says. “Good things come to those who wait. It only took 17 years, but we finally got over the finish line. The end result is that next year, New Tampa is going to have a first-class facility that’s going to be a wonderful centerpiece for the entire community to enjoy.” Hagan told the Neighborhood News that the construction contract has been awarded to Dunedin-based Bandes Construction, but that the Request for Proposals to operate the PAC hasn’t yet happened (see below). Hagan told the Board he had received more than 140 emails in support of the NTPAC project. The handful of emails Hagan said he received in op- The New Tampa Performing Arts Center will be built on this cleared lot between The Trails position to building it primarily dealt at Hunter’s Lake apartments (upper right in photo) and the Village at Hunter’s Lake retail plaza off Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (Photo: Charmaine George) with traffic concerns. Green resident Rob Larsen. “Well, to our surprise, the PerPrior to the vote, more than a forming Arts Center was going to be the heart of this new dozen speakers, including many NTP members, asked the center. And without it, it basically dies.” commissioners to keep the PAC dream alive. District 63 State Rep. Fentrice Driskell sent an email of “A lot of us had concerns of (the project just being) small stores and another apartment complex,” said Hunter’s See “Performing Arts Center” on pg. 4.

Mahana Fresh To Offer Free Bowls On Saturday, June 12! For all the details, see pages 36-37!

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Looking Forward To Another Zoom Meeting With Rep. Driskell An editorial by Gary Nager Back in August 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and just a few months after the murder of George Floyd by now-convicted former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, I organized a Zoom Town Hall meeting about racism and asked Dist. 63 State Rep. Fentrice Driskell (which includes all of New Tampa and some of Wesley Chapel )to co-host it with me. The Zoom meeting (photo, right) went exceedingly well, with about two dozen local residents participating, and a lot of great discussion on the specific subject of systemic racism. During the meeting, I promised to organize another Zoom and/or in-person meeting with the New Tampa community in the future. Well, it’s been a crazy nine months since then, to be sure, but now, Rep. Driskell has invited me to co-host a Zoom Virtual Town Hall meeting with her on Wednesday, June 16, at 6 p.m., and I’m really looking forward to connecting again with her and even more residents of our local communities. Since it is a Town Hall, anyone who registers to participate (at bit.ly/driskelltownhall, see ad below) can sign into the meeting to hear our State Representative discuss some of the bills that passed during the 2021 Legislative Session, including education, criminal justice reform, the environment, bills related to Covid-19, health care and the state budget. Rep. Driskell also will discuss the bills that she got passed during the session, including police reform and a bill that will create a task force to address the issue of abandoned African-American cemeteries throughout Florida. We also plan some time during the Zoom meeting for participants to and ask questions about life in their community, from traffic to development to what the state legislature is doing to help improve life in our area. And, because Rep. Driskell wants to be involved in all of the communities she serves in Dist. 63, whether you miss that first meeting or not, you can connect with both Rep. Driskell and our District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera (see stories on pages 6 & 8 of this issue) at an in-person New Tampa Town Hall the following week — on Tuesday, June 22, 6 p.m., at Compton Park at Tampa Palms. As if that isn’t enough, Rep. Driskell also is hosting Virtual Office Hours on both Tuesday, May 25, noon-2 p.m. (the day this issue is certain to arrive in your mailbox, although it could arrive by May 24) and on Wednesday, July 7, also noon-2 p.m. To participate in either or both of these virtual office hours, email Lucile.Malone@ MyFloridaHouse.gov or call (813) 936-0854. As someone who has lived and/or worked in both New Tampa and Wesley Chapel since 1994, all I can say is that there have been very few state representatives — or elected officials in general, regardless of party affiliation — doing as much to be responsive to the needs of our communities as Rep. Driskell (or, of course, Councilman Viera). My thanks go out to both of them. Neighborhood News

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No More Masks?

Even though Jannah and I have been fully vaccinated for some time, it took Gov. DeSantis’ repeal of all mask mandates in Florida for us to start going out in public without them. Although it has been taking a while for us to get used to not having to wear our masks when we go out, I give Gov. DeSantis a lot of credit for taking the lead on this issue throughout the pandemic.

INSIDE:

Recapping the New Tampa Town Hall hosted by Castor & Viera. Page 6

Check out the variety of fun, educational toys at Goofy Turtle at the Outlet Mall. Pages 22-23

Mahana Fresh to offer free bowls on Saturday, June 12! No questions asked! Pages 36-37

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OUR NEW ADDRESS: 28949 State Road 54 Wesley Chapel, FL 33543 Phone: (813) 910-2575 Advertising E-mail: Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Editorial E-mail: EditorialDept@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Publisher & Editor /Ad Sales Gary Nager Managing Editor / Photographer John C. Cotey Correspondents Celeste McLaughlin • Isabella Douglas • Rodney Page Lead Video Producer/Multimedia Specialist Charmaine George Graphic Designers Georgia Carmichael • Valerie Wegener Billing Assistant Jannah Nager Office Assistant Benjamin Hobe 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 advertisement reservations for Volume 29, Issue 13, of New Tampa Neighborhood News is Monday, June 7, 2021. New Tampa Neighborhood News will consider previously non-published outside editorial submissions if they are double spaced, typed and less than 500 words. New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit and/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makes no guarantees regarding publication dates. New Tampa Neighborhood News will not return unsolicited editorial materials. New Tampa Neighborhood News also 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.

Performing Arts Center: Groundbreaking right around the corner? Continued from page 1.

support, and Tampa City Council member Luis Viera, who represents New (and North) Tampa in District 7, weighed in as well, promising a commitment from the city to help pay some of the PAC’s operating costs. Joining Hagan in voting to award the construction contract were commissioners Harry Cohen, Stacy White, Kimberly Overman and Gwen Myers. They all cited the promises made to New Tampa residents over the years and, as Hagan pointed out, the money to build the PAC was approved back in 2019 and has been waiting to be spent. “Promises made, promises kept,” said Comm. Myers. “I hope no other community would go through 17 years waiting on a decision from our county.” Commissioners Mariella Smith and BCC chair Pat Kemp voted against awarding the construction contract. Smith said she didn’t believe the rights to operate the PAC once it was built should be awarded to the Manatee County-based Florida Cultural Group (FCG). Kemp was critical of the PAC’s location. She said it was a “little teeny place carved out of a massive parking lot” and jammed be-

tween a strip mall and an apartment complex, both which financially benefited the developers and left the PAC’s actual location as an afterthought. “It would just be a boondoggle for me to put an iconic building that you put up a lot of money for behind a strip mall and in front of a four-story apartment building,” Kemp said. Following the construction vote, the commissioners addressed the concerns about FCG The New Tampa Players have been waiting 17 years for a home located in New Tampa to put on their producby voting unanimously for tions, like “Peter Pan” (for the Penguin Project) above left, and currently are doing black box performances at the Uptown Stage on E. Fowler Ave., like the recent Amish Project. (Photos: James Cass of Picture This of Palma Ceia) a Request for Proposals (RFP) to reopen the that we’re unaware of, our staff feels that at the facility and help with any other issues. bidding process in order to find a group to the end, after going through the RFP, it will For more information about the New handle the PAC operations. likely be FCG again,” Hagan says. “WhoTampa Players, visit NewTampaPlayers. Hagan says the county staff felt that ever it is, I just want them to be able to be org. The troupe’s latest project, “MothFCG was the best organization to run the effective and able to fund raise and bring in erhood Out Loud.” runs June 11-12 at facility to get it to a net-zero operation, and national acts.” 7:30 p.m., June 13 at 3 p.m., June 18-19 that its extensive experience at fund raising Hagan said he also will champion the at 7:30 p.m. and June 20 at 3 p.m. at the and luring national acts would be an ideal fit. creation of an additional local board, comUptown Stage at the University Mall “Unless there’s another organization prised of New Tampa residents, to support (2200 E. Fowler Ave.).

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Luis Viera Op-Ed: Local Support Reaps Results! For too long, New Tampa has been characterized as an area that does not show up when it’s time to secure support from local government. Over the last four years, however, we thankfully have begun to see this narrative change. Just recently, a $7.5-million dollar New Tampa Performing Arts Center (see story on pg. 1) — long championed by former County Commissioner and New Tampa resident Victor Crist — looked like it was doomed in the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners. Many New Tampa residents — myself included — were disturbed to hear this and showed up to County Commission meetings to let the commissioners know where New Tampa stands. Thanks to this, as well as a promise of likely maintenance support from the City of Tampa, this at-risk project passed by a 5-2 vote. This Performing Arts Center is but one of numerous local government wins New Tampa has had over recent years: • In 2017, we passed, after years of rejection in the City of Tampa budget, the New Tampa Recreation Center expansion. Year after year, New Tampa saw this expansion rejected in City of Tampa budgets that seemed to care little about zip code 33647. But, New Tampa residents showed up in red Tshirts to City Council to demand that this Rec Center expansion be included in the budget, and it finally passed. • That same year, New Tampa successfully pushed to have Fire Station No. 23 — which serves expanding New Tampa communities — included in the City budget. • Recently, New Tampa residents supported a compromise in the KinnanMansfield stalemate. Thanks to insistence between the City of Tampa and budget support from Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan and others, Kinnan-Mansfield is now open for first responders, pedestrians and bicyclists. Though this is only a single — and we wanted a home run — it is a pivotal single for public safety. • And, just this past year, a top priority of mine — the New Tampa All Abilities Park for children with special Neighborhood News

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District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera needs — passed our City budget. Soon, New Tampa will be home to a park — a first for the City of Tampa’s budget — for children with intellectual disabilities or Autism. And, New Tampa has been showing up. In town halls that I have organized, hosted or co-hosted (see page 6), New Tampa’s engaged citizens have been coming out to express their views. When I ran for Tampa City Council in 2016, I did so because North and New Tampa had too often been ignored in the City budget. For New Tampa, our voice has been heard with results. My vision was and still is not for citizens to be adversarial protestors to the City. Rather, it is one of citizens being involved as stakeholders. This is the narrative that produces results. Residents — Republicans and Democrats — coming together to advocate for our neighborhoods. And, to quote the Carpenters, “We’ve only just begun.” There is more ground to cover: Residents in K-Bar Ranch look to the County and City to work together on a K-Bar Ranch park; New Tampa lags behind in response times for Tampa Fire Rescue; New Tampa badly lacks robust mass transit investments; and roads like New Tampa Blvd. and Tampa Palms Blvd. also need help. But, we should pause to see how becoming stakeholders in local government has been paying off for our community. New Tampa – Republicans and Democrats working together – is making its voice heard. For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 11 • May 25, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

The Best Of The Latest New Tampa Town Hall that launched Viera’s political career. Davison won 30 percent of the votes (compared to 20 percent for Viera) in a crowded primary field, but Viera won the run-off by 65 total votes. So, is Davison ready for another run? Hmmmm.

By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com If you’re into local government, then you have to be impressed with the roster of dignitaries that District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera lined up for his latest New Tampa town hall, held last month at the Freedom High auditorium. Those sharing the stage included the guest of honor, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, longtime District 2 Tampa Police Dept. (TPD) Major Mike Stout, interim Tampa Fire Rescue Chief Barbara Tripp, City of Tampa director of mobility Vik Bhide and Parks & Recreation director Sherisha Hills. “The Monsters of Rock tour,” Viera joked. Here are four takeaways from that event:

&%$#@% Roads!

News Flash! — Traffic in New Tampa stinks! That was the message from those who got a chance to speak at the town hall. Whether it was congestion, unpaved roads (e.g., New Tampa and Tampa Palms Blvds.), people speeding or a lack of transportation options — even light rail was brought up! — local residents had a lot to say. Unfortunately, there really aren’t a lot of answers that don’t revolve around the city crying poor. The Supreme Court striking down the All For Transportation referendum money (a onecent sales tax) continues to leave a mark. That money would have fixed a good portion of New Tampa’s problems.. “Hopefully there’s another transportation referendum in the future,” Mayor Castor said.

No Excuses

Not everyone was buying the

Some Good News

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor takes additional questions from New Tampa residents following the April 21 Town Hall held at Freedom High in Tampa Palms. (Photo: Charmaine George)

referendum excuse. Local transportation activist Dr. Jim Davison was his usual feisty self, basically accusing the city of not using the gas and other taxes New Tampa residents pay to fix their transportation woes while blaming the Supreme Court decision instead. “There’s millions of dollars there,” Dr. Davison said, to applause. Davison also criticized the city for taking the East-West Expressway (aka the E-W Rd.) off the Hillsborough Metropolitan Planning Organization long-range plan. The debate over an E-W Rd. — which would have connected the New Tampa Gateway Bridge (that connects West Meadows to Tampa Palms) to I-275 — goes back more than 20 years. It was killed in 2008 by the Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority but had remained in the MPO’s plans until 2017.

Davison also said he has been asked to reorganize the old New Tampa Transportation Task Force, of which he was a co-founder more than 20 years ago. He think it’s time for a “heart-toheart” talk about what is happening in New Tampa and basically what the city is and isn’t doing about it. “Because what is happening now, this ‘If you vote for the one-cent sales tax we’ll build all this stuff,’ that’s extortion,” Davison said, to more applause.

Kick Off?

Did Davison kick off his 2022 campaign for Tampa City Council or the Hillsborough County Commission at the town hall? It kind of sounded like it. Davison has run twice for the County Commission and lost, and ran for City Council in a 2016 special election to replace Lisa Montelione

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Mayor Castor told the audience that she has signed off on the planning and development contract for the All Abilities Park, which also has been called the Sensory Park and will be built at the New Tampa Recreation Center. “That should be started very very soon, so we’ll see another outstanding park out here in the New Tampa area,” Castor said. Peter Gamborta of the Rotary Club of New Tampa said the club is ready and eager to begin fund raising for the park, as well as improvements for the New Tampa Rotary Dog Park, for which they raised $27,000 to build in 2015. Castor also said the planning department threw dynamite on its permitting process, blowing it up and starting anew with the focus on new technology and more efficiency and effectiveness. That improvement yielded $4.5 billion in development in 2020, up from $3.4 billion in 2019, despite Covid. And, despite all the complaints, the mayor insisted that her administration is working on transportation and public safety issues. “One of the reasons I ran for this position…is that this city is going to change more in the next 10 years than it has in my lifetime,” Castor said. “We really have one opportunity to create the city we want Tampa to be, and to hand that off to the next generation. We’re very excited to be a part of that.”

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College Students Host ‘Zoomhall’ For New Tampa Study the Master’s program and are currently By ISABELLA DOUGLAS in beginning their summer internships. Next

Three Master of Social Work (MSW) students at Southeastern University in Lakeland hosted a New Tampa Town Hall meeting on Zoom, hoping to discuss the community’s potential for growth. The final verdict? To grow, you need to connect. During the 40-minute Zoom call on May 4, presenters Darlene Starrette, Kyrin Backlund and Melissa Rice (a 20-year resident of New Tampa and the only member of her group that lives here) discussed the opportunities that New Tampa could partake in to increase community engagement. In addition, they held an open forum to hear from the 17 attendees present, including District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera. “While New Tampa can feel like a disconnected place, residents have voices that matter and we would like to hear your voices,” Starrette said. The Zoom call was part of a final project in the course “Generalist Practice with Groups, Communities and Organizations.” The three students completed their first year

of New Tampa, benefits of community engagement and survey results posted on year, the students will start their final clinical the app Nextdoor. From the responses of year to earn their MSW degrees. 21 residents who took the survey, the lack Rice was the one who suggested of social and cultural events in New Tampa focusing on New Tampa for their final was highlighted as a priority. project. She described herself not as a “In terms of its cohesiveness and comsocial butterfly, but as someone who was munity spirit, it’s not a town — it’s just a zip interested in hearing from the people of code,” said Priscilla Stephenson, a Tampa her community. resident who participated in the meeting. “New Tampa just isn’t talked about The New Tampa Performing Arts much at all,” Rice said. “Living here, I was Center (PAC), which has been 17 years in very interested in other people’s percepthe making (see pg. 1), also was a hot topic tions of the community.” during the meeting. The team encouraged One of the main issues discussed dur- the Zoom call participants to email and voice ing the meeting was the lack of interaction their support for the vote occurring the next between New Tampa neighborhoods. Viday. On May 5, the Hillsborough County era, who has long argued the same thing, Board of County Commissioners approved said that New Tampa needed a better the construction contract of the PAC. collective community identity. “In our research, we found that there “We see ourselves as Tampa Palms, are a lot of benefits to engaging the comHunter’s Green, Richmond Place, Cory munity,” Backlund said, “including overall Lake Isles, K-Bar Ranch, Grand Hampton, health, sense of belonging and social conetc. and we don’t see ourselves as New nectedness.” Tampa collectively,” Viera said. Rice talked about how some members During the Zoom call, a link was of the community wanted better transporshared to a 42-page community engagetation and more affordable housing. From ment tool kit that covers the demographics her notes, she recorded that New Tampa

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residents also wanted to fill some of the open store fronts, build cultural bridges and have more restaurants in the area. Although two of the three MSW students aren’t residents of New Tampa, each member has worked towards a common goal of establishing New Tampa’s sense of community. Backlund suggested creating a Facebook page for the New Tampa area to keep the community discussion going. While nearby Wesley Chapel has three robust community Facebook pages with nearly 60,000 total combined members, New Tampa’s busiest Facebook page, New Tampa Online Yardsale!, is mostly for selling household items. “I’m just hoping that this isn’t the end,” Backlund said. “Our goal is to get people on board and start to actually make some significant changes.” The three MSW students want the residents of New Tampa to take pride in their community and to keep engaging through community events. “It’s really up to the community to decide that this is a good thing for them and it’s something that they really want to do,” Starrette said.

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One Year Later, No Regrets For These Parents By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com It has been nearly a year since families had to wrestle with one of the toughest decisions of their lives — whether to send their kids to brick-andmortar classrooms, or have them learn at home via computer. Because of Covid-19, the choices caused a great deal of consternation and debate among families in New Tampa, along with the rest of the state. We talked to three of those parents last July, each of whom had different and complicated choices to make. So, how did those decisions work out? Well, we caught up with those families as the 2020-21 school year was coming to a close, and they all say they would make the same decision again, even though the results were mixed. Laurie Gonzalez actually had two decisions to make — should she return to teaching in a classroom at TurnerBartels K-8 School, despite having an auto-immune disease, and should she allow her son Grayson to attend classes at Benito Middle School? The answer, in the end, was no to both questions. Gonzalez was fortunate, however. The administration at Turner-Bartels accommodated her health concerns, and she was not forced back into the classroom. She says that other teaching friends of hers weren’t so lucky. “The administration at my school deserves some recognition for being amazing,” she says. “Other schools were not as flexible.” Gonzalez admits that teaching virtually paled in comparison to teaching in a classroom, and it wasn’t her preferred

Eric and Lisa Ling (left) say their decision to send Elijah and Ethan back to school last August turned out great, while Laurie Gonzalez and son Grayson (top right) had mixed experiences. But, Gonzalez says she and her family stayed Covid-free, and that was their No. 1 goal.

method of doing her job. Even so, she says the school year went about as well as it could have. However, she says Grayson did not have as good an experience. While he had great teachers, Gonzalez says, Grayson did not enjoy learning online. “There was too much information being thrown at a 12-year-old,” she says. Socially, eLearning also had a negative impact, because Grayson is outgoing and engaging. Gonzalez says it was “mentally taxing” for him to stare at a screen all day. While he had his friends in the video gaming community, he missed person-to-person contact. As 2020-21 school year comes to a close, however, Laurie does not regret her decision, because she achieved her primary goal: keeping her family safe. “I would 100 percent make the same decision again, because it kept us from getting coronavirus,” Gonzalez says. “I had two family members pass away from coronavirus complications,

so I am still taking it very seriously.”

Other Decisions, Other Results

Despite the spread of Covid-19 last summer, and the uncertain future of the virus, Lisa Ling did not hesitate about returning her first- and fourth-grade children to school last August, convinced that schools would be taking the proper safety measures. Her children attend Hunter’s Green Elementary (HGE), and disconnecting from the school community, which she says her family loves, was never a serious option. Her decision was fortified by the end of the 2019-20 school year when, at the onset of the pandemic, all schools had to shut down in March and everyone was forced online. It was a difficult few months for her kids, and one Ling didn’t want to repeat that situation for an entire school year. But, sending her children back to school turned out to be the right choice for Ling and her husband Eric. “I definitely don’t regret the deci-

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sion at all,” she says. “It went as well as it could have, considering the crazy circumstances we found ourselves in. The kids adapted to wearing the masks pretty well. They didn’t love it, but they were okay with it.” Ling says there were very few cases of Covid-19 at HGE. Her kids did have to quarantine for 10 days once, but that was due to cases at their after-school daycare. She says most of the cases reported at HGE were due to exposure away from the school. Ling says her children also were fortunate to have the same teachers all year, even as shortages and changes plagued many schools and caused a great deal of shuffling in many classrooms. “It was a pretty good year for our kids,” Ling says. “I can’t imagine them having spent a whole year out of school.”

One Decision, Then Another

Meanwhile, Connor Kelly (photo, right), a 17-year-old Wharton senior,

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decided to do eLearning for his final year of high school, mainly because he was concerned about bringing the coronavirus home to his parents, Cindy and Patrick. But, after one semester, and with Covid-19 vaccinations right around the corner, he decided to return to the classroom at Wharton in January. Truthfully, he says, neither choice turned out as well as he had originally hoped. While he enjoyed the safety and freedom of online learning, he felt the instruction was lacking and didn’t think it was administered very well. He understands it was a difficult experience for everyone involved, “but it was a draining experience,” he says. School wasn’t the same as he remembered when he returned in January. He’s not sure what he expected, but it wasn’t what he got. It was easier, less challenging. Different. But, Connor regrets nothing. He loaded up on dual enrollment and AP classes as part of a challenging online workload in the fall, will graduate No. 8 in his class with a grade-point-average higher than 6.0, and plans to study accounting in the fall at Florida State University in Tallahassee. As far as he is concerned, it wasn’t a great journey his final year at Wharton, but he arrived at his destination.

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“I wound up where I wanted to be,” Connor says. “And I’m fortunate that the pandemic really didn’t touch that much. I was very fortunate. So, the decision I made led me to where I am, and ultimately I stayed on track.” Cindy agrees. “I think it went as well as anything in the year of Covid 19. Everyone had to implement new and different ways to keep things moving along. Do I feel good about the decision? What I feel is very thankful to all the teachers and other team members in Hillsborough County education who worked so hard and made sacrifices so our kids could continue the learn, to participate in activities, and in some cases, to eat during this challenging time.”

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Wharton Valedictorian Manages To Make It Look Easy By JOHN C. COTEY

Wharton’s Top 10 GPAs Siya Patel 9.09 Julianna Munoz 7.84 Sean Moody 6.92 Megha Shukla 6.86 Mark Johnson 6.80 Haley Chambers 6.80 Blake Brennen 6.58 Brooke Dekle 6.52 Connor Kelly 6.49 Callie Zack 6.48

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com Siya Patel knew when she entered Wharton High that she could become her class valedictorian, but she didn’t really give it much thought. Instead, Siya decided to focus on her grade-point-average. While the two things — a high GPA and becoming a valedictorian — go hand in hand, she decided she wanted to post the highest GPA ever, so instead of chasing another student for valedictorian, she decided to chase a number: 9.0. When Siya officially graduates, it will be with a 9.09 weighted GPA, the highest ever for a Wharton High female. Tori Bell had a 9.01 in 2019. “I wanted my GPA to be well over 9, because that’s the highest in Wharton’s history,” Siya says. “Due to Covid, I thought I wouldn’t make it because some of the classes I wanted to take were only being taught in school. But, I was able to work around it and accomplish my goal.” Siya achieved her goal with a busy schedule of classes, taking as many as she was allowed. In her time at Wharton, she took 15 dual enrollment course online — three classes each semester her last two years — through Hillsborough Community College, as well as 13 AP classes for Wharton. While that may sound like a grind, for Siya, it wasn’t. She managed to fit in time playing the violin in the school orchestra, she was in a number of Honors clubs and volunteered 200 hours. Like almost every valedictorian at every school, she was masterful in not taking too much and using enhanced time management skills to get it all done. “I didn’t ever think it was too hard,” she says. “I always just did what I could do.” The key was not letting the schedule get the best of her. She was attending school during normal hours, and would do her homework before starting on her HCC assignments. She says she split up everything evenly during the week so her weekends wouldn’t be filled with stressful deadlines. She did not try for an AA degree, saying

Siya Patel, foreground, worked hard to graduate with the highest GPA for a female in Wharton history, utilizing advice from brother Yash (background), last year’s salutatorian. (Photo: Charmaine George).

of those nice but fleeting distinctions, and that it would have involved too many unnecessary classes that she wouldn’t normally something he says she will discover quickly be taking. So instead, she took extra math fades into the past. classes. Her favorite was AP Statistics. “This is just one step in the journey,” She’ll attend USF in the fall and major in finance. Sometimes, she sits with her father, Dr. Prakashkumar Patel, a neurologist, and her mother, Aarti Patel, and helps do the billing for her father’s practice. Siya will join brother Yash, a biomedical science major, at USF. Last year, Yash was the salutatorian at Wharton, and used his experience to help guide his sister to the top of the academic standings this year. “He always helped me whenever I needed help, and was one of the biggest reasons I was able to become valedictorian at Wharton,” she says. Yash says he is proud of his sister. He advised her about what classes to take, and which ones to avoid, and was happy to see her finish No. 1. Yash says the best piece of advice he gave his sister was to not rest on her laurels. No one ever asks if he was salutatorian in high school, and next year, no one will probably ask Siya if she was valedictorian. It is one

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he says. “When you go to college you still have to show that same rigor and effort and still be motivated, even if you’re not first every time.” That won’t be a problem for Siya. When she reunites with the senior class of 2021, which has been scattered due to Covid— some learning in school, others learning at home — due to Covid, she will share that same advice with her classmates. “Take everything they’ve learned the last 13 years,” she says, “and put it to good use.”

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Tiger Woods’ PopStroke Coming To Wesley Chapel By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com PopStroke Entertainment, a minigolf and restaurant concept owned by golfing legend Tiger Woods and entrepreneur Greg Bartoli, is coming to Wesley Chapel’s Cypress Creek Town Center on S.R. 56. According to its website, Wesley Chapel is just part of a major PopStroke Entertainment expansion that also will include seven new locations across three states. In Florida, new PopStroke locations will include Sarasota, Orlando and Delray Beach. The company’s two current locations are in Port St. Lucie and Fort Myers. And, these aren’t your daddy’s putt-putt golf courses. There are no windmills to hit around, just specially designed holes meant to mimic real putting on a real course. Woods and TGR Design, his award-winning design team, will be building two 18-hole putting courses — at the Fort Myers PopStroke, for example, one course is called the Cub and is more for beginners, while

PopStroke Entertainment, a mixture of mini-golf, games, food and drink, is the latest new concept heading to Wesley Chapel. (Photo: PopStroke Facebook) and the other, more challenging, course is called the Tiger. The courses have synthetic turfs, incorporate fairways into the design, and the primary obstacles — replacing windmills and ramps — will be the same types of bunkers and rough you face on a real golf course. The undulation

changes will bring the course to life. “I am very excited about our expansion plans,” Woods said in the statement on PopStroke.com. “Putting is a universal part of golf that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels. It has been rewarding to see the broad and diverse group of guests

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enjoying their experience at PopStroke, and I look forward to seeing players make those long putts in locations throughout the South and Southwest. Each new location will have a different course design and layout, giving players unique putting challenges as they travel across the country.” PopStroke was founded in 2018, and uses technology to enhance the putt-putt experience. A customized app will track scores on a digital scoreboard, as well as allow customers to order food and drinks to be delivered directly to you on the course. PopStroke locations feature an outdoor dining area with a full menu, a variety of craft beer and wine, ice cream, outdoor games and a playground. The Port St. Lucie location also has three golf simulators, allowing you to play more than 200 courses worldwide. A more traditional mini-golf course also is under construction at The Grove Entertainment Complex, next to The Grove movie theater. It is expected to be completed this year. For more info, see the Mahana Fresh story on pgs. 36-37.

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Millennium Physician Group Leverages Technology As It Expands Into Our Area Special To Neighborhood News One of the leading independent physician groups in Florida is expanding into the Tampa area. Founded in Charlotte County and now headquartered in Fort Myers, Millennium Physician Group boasts more than 550 healthcare providers at 150 locations in 19 Florida counties serving nearly half a million patients. It’s no secret that Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties are consistently ranked among the fastest-growing counties in the country. Although the Tampa area is rife with hospital-affiliated medical groups, Millennium is seizing the opportunity to fill a void by providing independent physicians the opportunity to be part of a physician-focused group, one that gives them the support of being in a partnership yet honors their connection with their patients. “We like to focus on working with independent practices and those doctors who are tired of hospital employment,” explains Millennium Healthcare President Geurt Peet. “We provide them with the support, resources and tools to survive and thrive in this ever-changing world we call health care.” The secret to Millennium’s success is its highly engaged physicians. Wesley Chap-

(L.-r) Kristie Gonzalez, NRCMA, Dr. Nektarios Demetriou & Amanda Grantham, CAN, of Millennium Physician Group’s Wesley Chapel office are launching a first-of-its-kind Virtual Clinic, using Millennium’s proprietary telehealth platform MPG Connect. (Photo provided by Millennium)

el-based Family Medicine physician Nektarios Demetriou, D.O., serves as the Medical Director for the Tampa region and says the Tampa-area growth means Millennium is well-positioned to serve the community. “Being a part of this time of growth and expansion is exciting and humbling,”

says Dr. Demetriou. “It truly is a once-in-alifetime experience.” Dr. Demetriou says the Wesley Chapel area is the fourth fastest-growing area in the U.S., and to keep up with that growth, Millennium has several new physicians in the pipeline scheduled to join Millennium in

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Wesley Chapel, Lutz and Brandon. “We are seeing a massive influx of people moving here from the Midwest and East Coast,” Dr. Demetriou explains. “And they all need good doctors to take care of them and meet their medical needs.” The emotional commitment Millennium’s physicians and advanced-care providers apply to their work contributes to their national recognition, including garnering the Pinnacle of Excellence Award for consistently high levels of physician engagement by healthcare research firm Press Ganey. Millennium’s patients sense their physicians’ engagement through a strong patient-physician relationship, which comes to life thousands of times a day across the organization. Millennium excels in value-based healthcare, which aims to deliver high-quality care at a lower cost with better patient outcomes by practicing preventive, coordinated primary care.

Introducing: The Virtual Clinic! As a testament to that commitment, Millennium is launching a first-of-its-kind Virtual Clinic, initially staffed by Tampa-area physicians who will use Millennium’s proprietary telehealth platform — MPG Connect — to virtually see patients from across

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The Millennium Physician Group head office (above) is located in Ft. Myers. The Millennium office in Wesley Chapel is located on Windguard Cir. (Photo provided by Millennium Physician Group) Florida. Millennium’s Virtual Walk-In Clinic being “Your Connection to a Healthier Life.” providers will conduct virtual visits to treat a “Rapid expansion of service delivery variety of acute-care issues, from sniffles and through technology, that’s really what we’re strains to earaches and stomach aches. about,” he says. “Especially in our innovation Millennium’s Chief Innovation Officer area, really focusing on how we continue to Jeffrey Nelson says the Virtual Clinic is a log- push the envelope. We have created a culture ical next step. “It’s going to allow Millenniof change and innovation. And, throughout the years, we’ve always been on the forefront um to further expand our services and hours of technology. We’ve always been three to for our patients to be able to see a provider five years ahead of the industry in general.” when and where they need us most.” Dr. Demetriou adds that the use of teleDr. Demetriou says the goal of the health technology in today’s rapidly evolving Virtual Clinic is to prevent patients from having to go to the emergency room just healthcare landscape allows Millennium patients to have access to a clinician from because it’s after hours. “It gives our patients and the public the ability to be seen anywhere, and that’s a powerful thing. “Millennium’s focus is preventive by a clinician outside of office hours and get peace of mind.” health,” he says,. “and the best way to He adds that it’s just this type of inachieve that is through communication, novative approach to medical care that sets access and follow-up.” Peet explains that technology isn’t a Millennium apart. “Millennium is not just a way for physicians to be more hands-off, but medical company but a technology company actually quite the opposite. as well,” Dr. Demetriou says. “This type of no-barriers approach to treating patients is “We provide the technology to supdefinitely a trend we’ll be seeing more of, and port our physicians, which then, in turn, Millennium is on the cutting edge of develallows them to spend more time face-tooping technologies to allow us to do this.” face with their patients, which is why they Dr. Demetriou says Covid-19 and the got into medicine in the first place,” Peet pandemic have led to much of the recent says. “Patients get easier access to health population growth and, in turn, triggered care and meaningful time with their health leaps in innovation. At the height of the care providers.” pandemic, when health officials called on the Millennium Physician Group’s expansion into the Tampa-area market means more medical community to employ telehealth as a tool to help slow the spread of Covid-19, health care providers connecting with more Millennium’s physician and innovation teams patients, supporting their mission to connect the best doctors, service and quality. responded. Through their swift deployment of MPG Connect, Millennium physicians Every patient, every time. were able to preserve their connection with Millennium Physician Group’s Virtutheir patients just when they needed it most, al Clinic is available Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-9 p.m. For more information, call (877) turning a challenge into an opportunity. 748-1114 or (239) 320-8138. Dr. NekToday, telehealth is a sustainable care delivery system Millennium health care protarios Demetriou’s Millennium Physician viders leverage hundreds of times a day across Group office is located at 2649 Windthe organization. guard Cir., Ste. 101, Wesley Chapel. For info, call (813) 723-1303, visit MillenniNelson says leveraging the technology allows Millennium to support its mission of umPhysician.com or see the ad on pg. 23. Neighborhood News

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Budget Blinds Expanding To The KRATE Park At The Grove exits south of Wesley Chapel’s S.R. 56 exit) and in Riverview, covers nearly 90 zip codes. john@ntneighborhoodnews.com The brisk business has not only led to having to hire more employees (they now There’s something about staring longhave 30), but Budget Blinds has outgrown ingly out your window while tucked safely its Riverview showroom, which is being away inside during a pandemic that makes expanded. The showrooms are still closed to you notice that your drapes are looking a walk-in traffic, as Budget Blinds continues to little dingy, or your shutters feel a little outtake Covid precautions and a no-contact apdated, or the light coming in is really harsher proach, with design consultants still wearing than you originally thought. gloves, masks and booties when visiting their That might explain why the phones at customers’ homes. the Budget Blinds office of Wesley Chapel’s And, this summer, the Wonderlins will Mike and Adriane Wonderlin rarely stopped expand to Wesley Chapel. ringing this past year. Budget Blinds was one of the first “To be honest, business has never businesses to sign a lease for a spot in the been better,” says Adriane. “People are in upcoming KRATE container park at The their homes, looking out their windows and getting sick of looking at the same thing all Wesley Chapel residents Adriane and Mike Grove. After a number of delays, they hope the time.” Wonderlin own one of the top Budget Blinds to be open sometime in June or July. The container set-up will feature living But, that’s not the only reason, Adriane franchises in the country. spaces that show off the offerings at Budget adds. New homes are flying off the shelves, expand. After working for Budget Blinds for Blinds (something similar to IKEA’s set-ups). too, and many new owners are eager to put nearly 10 years, the Lexington Oaks residents There will be samples on hand and design their own touch on their new residences. are now the owners of the Budget Blinds consultants to assist in making your choices. “There’s a lot of new construction franchises in Greater Tampa, Brandon and “It will be like a mini-showroom,” going on, and they don’t want the builder’s Adriane says. blinds,” Adriane says. “They want something Lakeland. Adriane says their territory, which stretches all the way north to San Antonio The new showroom also will utilize telethey had a choice in (to make) their homes and south to Palmetto and includes showvision monitors and iPads to help bring your more beautiful.” The growth has led Adriane and Mike to rooms on W. Fletcher Ave. (near I-275, two ideas into focus. It’s part of a move to a more

By JOHN C. COTEY

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digital approach, the Wonderlins say. And, speaking of digital approaches, their Budget Blinds franchise also is beefing up its social media standing with a renewed focus on Instagram — @budgetblindsgreatertampa — where it is polling customers to determine what they like and teaming up with online influencers to bring the possibilities offered by Budget Blinds to life. There is a variety of styles to choose from no matter what you are looking for — from best-selling brands like Signature Series, Enlightened Styles and Norman Shutters. Blinds come in vinyl, wood, fabric, faux wood and aluminum. Shutter options range from real wood (in painted or stained) and also composite shutters that will not fade or warp. If you prefer shades, you can choose from roller, pleated, Roman, cellular, woven wood, bamboo, sheer, solar and graphic, not to mention a variety of panels, valances and drapes. Adriane says the most popular choices are plantation shutters, which is a huge part of Budget Blinds’ business, and treatments like Roman and roller shades remain a top seller. Adriane says after years of more simple and hard-lined window treatments, soft treat-

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ments also are growing again in popularity. Features that continue to grow in popularity are motorization and automation. Budget Blinds has a private label called Smart Home Collection by Budget Blinds, and it can be used with a variety of vendors. “If you found a certain fabric with one vendor, but for another room you want a different vendor, that system will work with both,” Mike says. “It’s a single platform that goes across multiple brands.” Motorization is more pushing a button on a remote control or keypad, while automation is typically using an app on a phone to set times for the drapes or blinds to open and close. Scheduled correctly, you can be awakened in the morning by natural sunlight as your blackout shades gradually rise, or change the ambiance of your whole home after the sun has set, all with the press of a button or a voice command. Both eliminate the need for unsightly (and sometimes dangerous) cords. “It’s great for windows behind couches, especially if you have a conservation view,” Mike says. “People love not having to go (manually) raise the blinds on eight windows every morning. I even had a customer a few months ago (whose) teenage sons wouldn’t wake up, so they set the timers on their blinds for 7 a.m.” The technology gets better every year,

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Mike says, and sales of motorization/automation products are up 25 percent over the past three years.

About The Company

Budget Blinds was founded in 1992 in Orange County, CA, and has more than 1,000 franchises in the U.S. and Canada. The Wonderlins’ franchise, which they purchased in 2018, was recently awarded Budget Blinds’ national Franchise of the Year for 2020, the franchise’s third such honor since 2016. The Wonderlins have a staff of 30 consultants, including installation manager Bill Tumelty, a U.S. Army veteran, and administrative manager Kristi Cicollelo. Tumelty is one of a few military veterans working for the Wonderlins, who partner with Homes For Our Troops by providing and installing the window treatments in the homes of wounded veterans for free.

Softer window treatments (left) are coming back in style, while automated shutters (above) are some of Budget Blinds’ best sellers.

Whether you’re looking for improved aesthetics or smarter energy consumption — or, like many customers, a little bit of both — Budget Blinds can steer you in the right direction. And this summer, your journey to more elegant and convenient window treatments can start right in the new local mini-showroom at KRATE. “We’re excited about it,” Adriane says. “Anything you put in Wesley Chapel right

now takes off. And, we’re local — it’s literally right in our backyard.” The main Budget Blinds of Greater Tampa showroom is located at 1208 W. Fletcher Ave. The showroom hours are Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. To schedule a complimentary in-home consultation, call (813) 968-5050. For more info, visit BudgetBlinds.com/ NorthTampa or see the ad on page 33.

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Spinner Law Is Area’s Powerhouse Neighborhood Firm By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN As Spinner Law Firm approaches nearly two decades of serving the community, it continues to make its mark helping people. Charles Spinner, Esq., originally established his firm in New Tampa in 2003. Its main office is now located in the Cypress Glen Professional Park off S.R. 56, just east of I-75. The practice is led by Spinner, together with attorneys Anissa Morris, who joined the firm in 2011, and Patrick Barnes, who joined in 2020. Spinner says that when it comes to personal injury, insurance disputes, and estate law, locals have access to a highly accredited, experienced and aggressive law firm, without having to leave Wesley Chapel. In fact, all of the attorneys and the 10-person staff live in or near the immediate area. “Our (personal injury) caseload covers everything from relatively minor car accidents to complex cases resulting in catastrophic injuries and death,” he says. Before opening his private practice, Spinner worked for several years as a civil trial and insurance defense attorney. Prior to that, he graduated from the University of Dayton in Ohio, and then received his Juris Doctor

Attorney Charles Spinner has been leading Spinner Law Firm for nearly two decades, helping those in the community who have been injured because of someone else’s carelessness. (J.D.) degree from the University of Toledo College of Law, in Toledo, OH, in 1996. Spinner is peer-rated “AV Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell for personal injury law, which is the highest possible rating for professional excellence, legal ability and ad-

herence to professional standards of ethics. And, unlike at larger firms, which may assign your case to an inexperienced attorney or case manager, all of the attorneys at Spinner Law Firm have practiced for many years, and also collaborate together.

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“We have three highly experienced attorneys, and we work as a team, so each client gets the benefit of our collective experience,” Spinner says. He adds that there’s a big push on television ads right now where law firms emphasize how huge they are. “The biggest measure of our success is not size,” he says, “but the way that we care for our clients and their families, and the results that we achieve.” That often means walking with clients every step of the way through a devastating motor vehicle accident or the loss of a loved one. “It means being there for our clients all the way through, with a level of caring and service you’re not likely to receive from a larger law firm,” where, he adds, you’re more likely to deal with young and inexperienced lawyers and case managers. “We take it personally when a member of our community is injured in a crash because of someone’s carelessness on our roads,” says Spinner. “This is not only where we work, but also where we live and raise our children. We fully appreciate how dangerous these roads can be. They’re the same roads we travel to go out to dinner, to the doctor and to take our kids to school.”

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Community-Minded

He also says that being “small but impactful” extends from helping clients to helping the people in and around Wesley Chapel with community service, too. “What makes us so unique is that we schedule time to get out into our community,” Spinner says. The firm’s attorneys and staff members volunteer hundreds of hours every year in the community. Marketing director Jennie Yingling says they provide dinner each month for local fire stations, support local high school athletics, youth sports leagues and charitable organizations, provide snacks for the staffs at local high schools, volunteer with the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club and Habitat for Humanity, and more. In fact, you may see Yingling driving around Wesley Chapel in the firm’s new “community outreach vehicle,” a Ford F-150 pickup truck with a lift kit that is expected to be used to lead graduation parades this year, something that Spinner himself participated in last year and he is planning to do again this year. “We’re putting plans in place to have large participation with a graduation parade and excited to show off the truck,” says Spinner. “It’s an attention-grabber, and we get lots of positive feedback on it. Jennie is always driving around the area, reaching out to our fire fighters, Sheriff’s Office, schools and sports organizations.”

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Spinner and his team — including fellow attorneys Patrick Barnes (front row, 2nd from the left) and Anissa Morris (front row, third from the left) — all live in the local community, and give back to it with hundreds of volunteer hours each year. Also, because courts across the country Impacts of Covid-19 Spinner says that the Covid-19 pandemic were shut down for so long, he says, “there is a huge backlog of cases that has piled up, has changed the way all firms practice law, especially in the use of video conferencing for which has dramatically slowed the pace of litigation.” everything from client meetings to deposiHe admits that this is a source of frustrations and mediations and the use of electronic tion for clients, but Spinner and his staff are document processing software.

committed to being patient and persistent, knowing that it’s a system-wide problem that will eventually be resolved. He says his firm also is committed to constant communication with the client to ensure they know exactly what’s happening with their cases and how they will move forward. Despite those delays, some clients say they’re thrilled with how quickly Spinner Law Firm was able to help them resolve their cases. Eric Young was hit head-on last March, in an accident that required him to have back surgery. “Charlie got me the maximum amount anyone could have gotten, in the quickest amount of time I could have imagined,” says Young. “From the time of the accident and surgery to receiving funding was less than a year, and this was during the pandemic.” He says the firm’s communication with him was great and the staff would even call to check on his well-being. “It’s like a big city attorney (who is) no-holds-barred and takes care of business,” says Eric, “but also a small town feel where you walk in and everyone knows you and cares about you.” Spinner Law Firm offers a comprehensive consultation for all legal matters at no charge. The firm is located at 2418 Cypress Glen Dr. For more information, call (813) 991-5099, see the ad on pg. 32 or visit SpinnerLawFirm.com.

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Goofy Turtle Offers A Huge Variety Of Fun, Educational Toys! By Gary Nager

Before you visit the new Goofy Turtle toy store inside the Tampa Premium Outlets (located next to Saks Off 5th), you should get rid of all of the preconceived notions you have about toy stores. Goofy Turtle has prices similar to what you’ll find at Walmart or Target, and has a selection that rivals the old Toys R Us stores, but in a much smaller space and with a completely different focus. At Goofy Turtle — which is owned by long-time friends Swathi Atchuta, Soujanya Nomula and Lakshmi Kanthi Korlepara and their spouses — although there are some more traditional toys, the emphasis is on fun toys for kids that are also educational. Really. The three families that own Goofy Turtle all have children ages 7-11 and all have lamented over the lack of anything educational to be found in most toy stores. They also didn’t like the idea of finding items they thought they would like on Amazon and other online services that they ended up having to return because they either weren’t of the quality or the size they expected. “One thing we can honestly say is that people who buy toys here don’t bring them back because they’re not satisfied,” Swathi

says. “Our staff is trained to know about every toy in the store and people appreciate being able to see and touch what they buy before they buy it!” So, since Goofy Turtle is a new franchise that currently only has three stores — the flagship store in Manchester, CT, Grapevine, TX, and the Lutz/Wesley Chapel location at the outlet mall — the partners liked the flexibility and the corporate entity’s focus on educational toys. Unfortunately, the local partners originally leased their space in late 2019, or just before the pandemic hit, and weren’t able to open until shortly before Christmas of 2020. “No one knew we were here,” says Swathi, “so we’re trying to get the word out now about everything we have to offer.”

A Truly Amazing Selection!

Although mine and Jannah’s kids are now adults, we are both grandparents to amazing toddlers and Goofy Turtle starts with the kind of fun, educational toys that stimulate young minds like Jax’s

(Clockwise from top left): Co-owner Swathi Atchuta shows off a PokeA-Dot book by Melissa & Doug toys. Your kids can try out some of their new toys (or just hang out) in Goofy Turtle’s Princess Castle play area. The Toddler Tree greets you as you enter the store. Crafty kids will love Aquabeads, which are an improvement over Perler Beads because you only have to add water, instead of ironing them, to create a variety of cool toys. (All photos on these pages by Charmaine George)

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and Rosie’s. From musical Ditty Bird and Poke-A-Dot books by Melissa & Doug, dolls, musical toys, play mats, trucks and so much more by Melissa & Doug, Haba and Green Toys (whose toys are all made from recycled materials), to “crafty” toys for slightly older kids, like Aquabeads, Craft-Tastic, Land of Dough (which is a truly reusable Play-Doh improvement taken to the next level) and so many others, young minds never had so much fun learning — at least my kids never did! Yes, there is a smattering of Disney and Star Wars learning toys mixed in, but even the plush toys at Goofy Turtle are educational, especially the large variety of Wild Republic animals and dinosaurs. Swathi also says that kids love hanging out in Goofy Turtle’s unique Princess Castle (see photo at the bottom of the previous page) so much that many parents have asked them where they got it so they can re-create it in their own homes. If you have older kids and/or teenagers in your home who also would appreciate playing with something other than (or, at least, in addition to) video games, Goofy Turtle also has you covered with such high-tech wizardry that a lot of it went over my head...completely! “Not only do we have an entire STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) toy section, we also have quite a few STEAM toys that include that Art element, too,” Swathi says, as she shows me one of several Power Blox by E-Blox sets that can even use your kids’ existing building bricks to create their own toys that light up and move. Think Legos on steroids. There also is a large section of wall devoted to coding toys. (Clockwise from top left): You can’t beat the variety of crafting toys at Goofy TurtleSwathi shows off a Wild Republic plush sea turtle. See “Goofy Turtle Is Open!” on page 42! Whether you want your kids to select from a huge variety of STEAM or Coding toys, you can’t beat the selection at Goofy Turtle.

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Happy 5th Birthday,

Palms Pharmacy!

Congratulations go out to Shahida Choudhry, Pharm.D., and her amazing, super-friendly, knowledgeable team at Palms Pharmacy at 17008 Palm Pointe Dr. in the Shoppes at the Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms, which celebrated its fifth anniversary on April 16 with a great, free event for its customers. Most items in the store were buy-one, getone-half-off for the one-day party, which was attended by several dozen customers, in addition to the Neighborhood News. Photographer/video producer Charmaine George and I were among those who enjoyed the free cupcakes from Smallcakes Cupcakery next door, as well as truly delicious coffee drinks from the Bean Bar coffee truck. Palms Pharmacy, which has been providing both rapid Covid-19 and Covid antibody testing for several months, is now also offering both the two-shot Moderna and single-shot Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccines, as well as shots for the flu, shingles and other ailments. And, the prices for everyday over-the-counter medications, vitamins, supplements, CBD products and sundries are competitive with the big chains. For more info, call (813) 252-9063, visit ThePalmsPharmacy.com or see the ad on pg. 19. — GN

(Clockwise from top left): The staff at Palms Pharmacy welcomes customers for the store’s 5th anniversary, many of whom enjoyed the selection of BOGO products. Owner/pharmacist Shahida Choudhry greeted customers during the event, which included a delicious cupcake cake from Smallcakes Cupcakery next door and free coffee drinks from the Bean Bar.

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Small World Pediatrics Helps Families Navigate The Covid Pandemic By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN University of South Florida (USF) College of Medicine in Tampa in 1996, and completed The doctors of Small World Pediatrics his pediatric residency at USF in 2000. Dr. Silva earned her M.D. degree from in Wesley Chapel are invested in the community as pediatricians, parents, business the State University of New York (SUNY) owners and neighbors. Health Science Center in Brooklyn in 1997, Over the past year, while the Covid-19 after earning her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) pandemic has caused uncertainty and fear, degree in an Honors B.S./M.D. program at they have reached out to use their experithe City University of New York (CUNY) ence and expertise to bring solid medical in- Brooklyn College in 1993. Like Dr. Jiménez, formation and hope to the local community. she also completed her residency at USF in José Jiménez, M.D., and Nancy Silva, 2000. She worked for a group in Brandon M.D., are a husband-and-wife team with until joining Small World Pediatrics in 2014. Over the past 15 months, they say their two kids, ages 15 and seven. As Meadow practice has changed quite a bit. Even bePointe residents for 19 years, their kids fore the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) attend local schools and participate in Boy and Prevention came out with guidance Scouts and Girl Scouts, where Dr. Silva for Covid-19 in 2020, Dr. Silva started serves as a troop leader. implementing procedures in the office to Their practice is located in the Windguard Professional Center across Bruce B. keep their patients and staff safe. More than Downs (BBD) Blvd. from the AdventHealth a year later, those procedures have become Wesley Chapel (AHWC) hospital. routine, as every surface is cleaned with Dr. Jiménez first opened Small World hospital-grade disinfectant between every Pediatrics in 2003 in the Northwoods plaza patient, and the doctors and staff do not on BBD, near Target, and moved the office remove their masks. to its current location in 2010. Patients now start all of their appointHe earned his Bachelor’s degree from the ments from their car via Skype, to minimize University of Florida in Gainesville in 1992, the number of people in the office and the after transferring from Cornell University amount of time they spend in the office, in Ithaca, NY. Dr. Jiménez then earned his as well as to ensure the flow of patients is Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree from the managed so that people don’t cross paths in

the hallways or waiting room. But, the biggest change may be how the couple spends their Sundays, by going live on their Facebook page to share what they have learned about Covid from their research and experience. “Our goal is to offer honest, helpful, hopeful information,” says Dr. Silva, who adds that they started with just one video but decided to continue weekly because there is so much information to share and people continue to say it is helpful to them. “People are overwhelmed,” Dr. Silva explains, noting that she and Dr. Jiménez are keeping up on all of the latest data and information from many sources, so they can be a resource for the community, especially for their patients who have developed a relationship with them and trust them. They often share the latest CDC guidelines and their opinions on them, including the latest relaxation of rules about face masks for fully vaccinated people (see below). They also share their personal experiences, such as which schooling option they chose for their own kids last fall, and what they’ll do now that some counties — and even the CDC — are changing mask mandates. “I can tell you what I recommend as a minimum,” says Dr. Silva. “Or I may do more than that for my kid.”

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José Jiménez, M.D., and his wife, Nancy Silva, M.D., are the husband-and-wife team at Small World Pediatrics in Wesley Chapel and longtime local residents.. She adds, “The CDC states that the science shows that breakthrough Covid illness in fully vaccinated individuals is limited and mostly resulting in mild disease. Hence, fully vaccinated individuals do not need to wear a mask indoors and do not need to socially distance, ‘except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules,

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and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.’ In practical terms, this means that masks are still required in medical offices, hospitals, nursing homes, prisons & public travel. In addition, it is still recommended for fully vaccinated people to wear masks in environments that are densely populated, for example, at concerts. She also notes that, “Anyone who is not fully vaccinated still needs to wear a mask. This means that children 2 to 11 years old should wear masks. In addition, those ages 12 and up who are not fully vaccinated are recommended to wear a mask. Full vaccination occurs two weeks or more after they have received the 2nd dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or two weeks or more after they have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.” The doctors say that in the future, they hope their video series will become a monthly conversation about pediatric issues that may include Covid-19, but that won’t be the only topic of conversation, as it has been for the more than 60 weeks in a row they have gone live on Facebook at noon on Sundays. They intentionally focus on what they have to be both hopeful and grateful for, even in the midst of very difficult times. “At the end of every episode, we always talk about what we’re grateful for,” explains Dr. Jiménez. “So many people have lost so much. Not only loved ones, but also contact with loved ones, travel and activities, but there’s always something to be grateful for.”

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They say their practice has seen many mental health issues over the past year and they don’t expect all of their patients to make the same decisions they do. Since every child is different, what’s best for that child might be different, too. “We’re here to answer questions,” says Dr. Jiménez. “We ask them if they have any questions about the vaccines, now that they’re available for children. We have some patients who are not planning to vaccinate, others have questions and ask us because they value our opinion, and others don’t have questions and are ready to vaccinate.” The doctors expect to begin giving Covid-19 vaccines to patients ages 12 and up in their office as soon as they receive them, which they anticipate will be in late May,

about the same time this issue hits mailboxes. To find out if (or when) appointments are (or will be) available and how to sign up, visit Facebook.com/SmallWorldPediatrics. “People need to be informed and make their own decisions, and we’re here to give them the best practical medical and scientific advice,” Dr. Silva says. “We hope they get vaccinated and mask up to protect themselves and others, and we want to be here to help them with their concerns and support them.” Dr. Silva says people across the country are leaving the medical field because they don’t want to be exposed to Covid-19, but their staff has done a “wonderful job in a really hard year.” She credits Shaneka Phillips, a medical assistant who also is acting as the practice’s office manager, and medical receptionist Tonya Weicht for going above and beyond to help patients. The team works hard to cultivate an atmosphere where patients feel like family, and Dr. Jiménez is proud that many people who started with the practice in 2003 are still active patients. That includes the Childers family, who live in Meadow Pointe. Jamie Childers says she has been taking her kids, now ages 17, 15, and 9, to Small World Pediatrics since they moved to the area when her oldest was just three months old and the practice was new. “My son is very proud of the fact that he’s one of their oldest patients,” Jamie says.

“I absolutely adore both doctors,” she says. “They have been wonderful resources for us whenever we’ve had questions.” She says what she loved in the beginning was that anytime Dr. Jiménez didn’t have an answer off the top of his head, he would tell her honestly that he didn’t know, and then research the question to find the best answer, and follow up to let her know what he found. “These days,” Jamie adds, “it’s very rare to get an ‘I don’t know’ (from them) because they are constantly doing research and they really do have the answers.” Jamie also says she likes going to Small World Pediatrics because she appreciates that they support local school Parent Teacher Associations and give back to the community in other ways. “They are so absolutely loving towards everybody,” she says. “They’re professional, but they’re down to earth and caring, too.” As an example, Dr. Silva says, “My son & I volunteered at Metropolitan Ministries and Feeding Tampa Bay this year. We wanted to do as much as we could to help our community in these difficult times, especially with food insecurity at such a high rate.” Small World Pediatrics is located at 2527 Windguard Cir., Suite 102, and is open Mon.–Fri., 9 a.m.–5 p.m. For more information, visit SmallWorldPediatrics.com, see the ad on page 34 or call (813) 907-8001.

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Education Notebook — Local PTSAs Take Home County Honors By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN The Hillsborough County Council of PTAs/PTSAs held its annual awards ceremony this year on May 1, with several New Tampa schools, educators and volunteers taking home top honors. Hector Rivera of Liberty Middle School (photo, left) was named Instructional Person of the Year for middle school. Rivera is a technology resource teacher who was nominated Hector Rivera because he, “worked tirelessly to provide technical support and troubleshoot problems that our e-learners encountered with technology during the year,” according to his nomination. Rivera uses his bilingual skills to help Spanish-speaking parents overcome technical difficulties, and enthusiastically supports his school and students. At the high school level, Dr. Tammy Crawford of Wharton High also received the Instructional Person of the Year award. Dr. Crawford is a success coach at the school who, according to her nomination, “is someone who has been a very strong advocate

for all students, but especially for those who sometimes need the most help and are often overlooked.” Wharton principal Michael Rowan (photo, left) was named Principal of the Year among the county’s high school nominees for the second time in three years. Wharton High According to the principal Mi- Wharton PTSA’s nomchael Rowan ination, “Our principal, Michael Rowan, works to make our school a safe, welcoming and fun place that students want to come to!” Hunter’s Green Elementary won awards for Health & Safety for its “Walk & Bike to School Week” event, for Advocacy/ Legislation for its “Engage 33647” initiative, and for Volunteer of the Year, which went to PTA treasurer Rachel Barten. This year was a year of unknowns for Barten, whose work used to include frequent international travel, which was stopped due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Then, she faced unexpected surgery to remove a brain tumor. As she recovered, with no work obligations, she returned to the school PTA and became one of the group’s

into blessings,” Barten said. “I was able to totally repurpose my attention to what I’ve always wanted it to be.”

After A Decade In New Tampa, Principal Gaye Holt Retires

Hunter’s Green Elementary PTA treasurer Rachel Barten with her Volunteer of the Year award.

busiest and most passionate volunteers. “I honestly think between Covid and my diagnosis, it should have been the worst year ever,” Barten says, “but it truly gave me the opportunity to focus on things I always wanted to do.” Barten’s main priority is her daughter, Reagan, who is a fourth-grader at the school. She jumped in and volunteered at every possible opportunity, from the school’s fund raisers to running errands, helping with staff appreciation and handing out fliers in the car line after school. “It was two very odd crises that turned

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After 10 years serving as principal of New Tampa schools, Gaye Holt will retire June 30. She steps down after a 39-year career in education, with the last seven years as the principal of Hunter’s Green Elementary and three years prior to that at Clark Elementary. “I’m really going to miss everyone, and it’s going to be hard,” she says. “Whether I was at Clark or Hunter’s Green, the boys and girls, the parents, everyone in the community has been nothing but supportive, helpful and caring.” Holt is known for her hard work and generous spirit, whether it’s greeting each child by name every morning or keeping the campus looking top-notch with her personal, daily inspections. She says one of the funniest memories she has is when she dressed up as a member of the rock band KISS for a school fund-raising lip synch contest among teachers and staff. “It’s those kinds of things that every-

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Retiring Hunter’s Green Elementary principal Gaye Holt (above) was known for her generous spirit and for doing anything to help her students — like taking the occasional slime bath (right).

body enjoys,” she says, “because it’s very uncharacteristic of me. I did it because the kids love it, and I’ll do anything for those kids – goo and slime, getting iced, all of that, I’ll do it for the kids.” Her teachers and staff at Hunter’s Green say Holt will be missed tremendously. “She’s so wonderful about procedures,” says Roxi Coriell, one of HGE’s kindergarten teachers. “There’s a plan for everything and the plan makes sense. When it came to coming back after Covid, I knew that we would be in great hands.”

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Coriell says it’s obvious how much Holt cares about all of her students and members of the school community, a sentiment echoed by current PTA president Rebecca Towner. “She is leaving Hunter’s Green Elementary with a strong foundation and a legacy that will not be forgotten,” says Towner. Holt’s replacement was scheduled to be named at the Hillsborough County School Board meeting on May 18, which was held after this publication was printed.

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Zach Ehrhard (center), holding the District 7A-7 championship trophy, led the Wildcats to a 21-5 record and the playoffs en route to winning the Wade Boggs Athletic Achievement Award.

Ehrhard Named Tops In County By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com Wharton High shortstop Zach Ehrhard received the Wade Boggs Athletic Achievement Award May 19 in a ceremony at the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners meeting. It is the second time in four years the award has been given to a Wharton player, with Zach’s brother Drew winning it in 2017. Drew went on to win a Division II national championship with the University of Tampa in 2019, and currently stars for the No. 14-ranked Spartans. Zach, who will attend 21st-ranked (in Div. I) Oklahoma State University in Stillwater in the fall, led the Wildcats to a 21-5 record and a District 7A-7 title this season, batting .438 with 29 runs scored, 12 doubles, 3 home runs and 21 RBI. He finished his Wharton career with a .417 average. The Wade Boggs Athletic Achievement Award, which was started in 2006, is named for Boggs, a Hall of Famer who also assists coach Scott Hoffman with the Wharton baseball team. The most notable winner of it is New York Met and last year’s National League Rookie of the Year Pete Alonso, who received the award in 2013 after playing at Plant High. DOUBLE BRONZE: The spring sports season is officially over, and Wharton cross country and track standout Brooke Reif made sure it ended with a couple of school records. Running at the Florida High School Athletics Association Class 4A State championships on May 8, the junior set the Wharton High mark in the mile and 2-mile races. finishing third in both. 32

Reif ran the mile (1600 meters) race in a sterling time of 4 minutes, 57.58 seconds, becoming the first Wildcat girl to run a sub-5:00 mile. While she was seven seconds off the winning time, she was less than one second from finishing second. In the 2-mile (3200-meter) race, Reif finished in 10:49.47. While eight seconds off the winning pace, she again bettered her school record, which she broke for the third time this season. Reif also ran on Wharton’s 4x800 relay at state. The team finished 10th in the state by running 9:37.38. Other top finishers: • Sophomore Serenity Brazell took 11th in the girls 400m in 58.32 seconds. • Senior Jared Hammill, who has signed with the University of Tampa, took 5th in the boys mile in 4:16.97, missing breaking Wharton’s school record by less than half a second. •Senior Tavis Wilson took 9th in the boys 100m in 11.07 seconds • Senior Illya Jackson took 11th in the boys pole vault, clearing 12’- 9.5”. SLOW AND STEADY: When coach Tripp Merrell took over the Freedom High baseball team in 2019, he knew a hard job awaited. But after a 6-15 record his first season, the Patriots wrapped up 2021 with a respectable 12-13 record, the most wins since the team went 15-10 in 2012. Junior infielder Raul Olivera batted .430 and led the team in almost every category, including hits with 34, the most since Dane Moore had 35 in 2010. The entire pitching staff was underclassmen, as well as the team’s top five hitters. So Merrell’s rebuilding job appears to be headed in the right direction.

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Win A Prize Package Worth Nearly $500 At The Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Center!

Now that it’s been open for a while, you’ve hopefully heard of the Sarah Vande Berg (SVB) Tennis & Wellness Center, located on Simons Rd. in Zephyrhills. In case you haven’t heard of it before, SVB has an amazing array of competition tennis courts, as well as full-size courts for both pickleball and padel, two of the fastest-growing racquet sports in the world. But, SVB also is home to an amazing fitness center and also offers licensed massages, cryotherapy, salt therapy, sports counseling, a boutique pro shop and a full-service restaurant with chef-created food by locally renowned Vesh Catering. But, you might ask, what does all this have to do with you? I’m glad you asked. One of the things we’ve heard from our readers in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel is that SVB is “too far away” for our readers to join. Wrong! It’s only 20-25 minutes away from most of our New Tampa communities and, with its unique variety of activities, you really should check it out. Still not convinced? Here’s some incentive: To win an amazing prize package to give SVB a try for FREE, send us an email (to ads@ntneighborhoodnews.com) or message us (at “Neighborhood News” on Facebook) with your name, address, the community you live in, a valid email address and daytime phone number, by Tuesday, June 1, to be entered into a random drawing to win this incredible SVB prize package worth nearly $500: • One week of Recreational Kids Summer Camp (for ages 4-6) or Boot Camp (for athletes ages 8-14) (the latter with former NFL star Mel Williams) • SVB “swag bag,” including an SVB logo • One 60-minute massage mask, Mahala cup, lipstick, sunstick, black • One 25-minute Salt Room session cup & borosilicate verre water bottle • Brunch for two at the Vesh Café

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Are You Looking To Have Your Dream Wedding...On A Budget? your two-hour timeframe will be exclusively yours, there will be other couples getting married at the hotel the same day. Even so, Hilton Garden Inn director of market sales Lisa Moore promises that, “We have brought together the most awesome vendors in Florida, in order to make your special day perfect. All of the details have been taken care of for you — all you have to do is give us a call ASAP to reserve your time and discuss all of those details with us.” Moore also says that if this first-time

In case you hadn’t heard, one of the more unexpected effects of the 2020 pandemic was the cancellation of many weddings — as people weren’t allowed or were afraid to travel, or even go out to eat, much less spend hours in a room full of people. Many were even skittish about staying in hotels. To that end, our friends at the Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel on S.R. 56 have come up with a unique idea to help those who lost deposits or otherwise had to cancel or postpone their nuptials, as well as those who were hoping to still make their wedding a beautiful occasion on a budget they can afford. The concept is called “My Dream Micro Wedding” and it offers the opportunity for a wedding event that will be intimate, as well as budget-friendly. You’ll be able to invite a small guest list of your family and dearest friends, all for one cost that will include everything you need to have the glamorous feel of a large wedding, with all of the “trimmings,” at a fraction of what it would normally cost.

“My Dream Micro Wedding” event proves to be a success (as she fully expects), “we will begin offering to do the same thing on other dates in the future.” To reserve your two-hour timeframe now, call Moore as soon as possible at (813) 591-6907. The Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel is located at 26640 Silver Maple Pkwy. For more information, visit TampaWesleyChapel.HGI.com, email Moore at Lisa.Moore2@hilton.com or see the ad on page 38 of this issue.

Your Dream Micro Wedding reduces your time frame to only two hours, but includes all of the following for one budget-friendly price: a beautiful venue, a wedding planner, white linens, white chair covers with gold bows, a wedding officiant, photography (and event photo book), a live DJ, hors d’oeuvres, twohour bar, bride’s makeup done (day of wedding), custom bridal and maid of honor bouquets, custom boutonnieres for groom and groomsman, table floral décor, sweetheart table, cake cutting, plus a local engagement photo shoot prior to the event and a one-night stay at the Hilton Garden Inn on the event date. The only “catch” is that My Dream Micro Wedding currently is only being offered on Saturday, June 19, and while

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Mahana Fresh To Offer Free Bowls On June 12 — Don’t Miss It! By Gary Nager The fact that restaurants serving a variety of bowls have taken over the collective consciousness (and appetites) of the local community hasn’t been lost on Ryan Mortti, now the co-owner of Mahana Fresh, located just north of I-75 off Doña Michelle Dr. and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in New Tampa. Ryan, who also owns his own construction company (more about that on page 33), recognized the need to do more to capture more customers, especially with multiple new bowl-oriented restaurants either having opened recently or getting ready to open within a couple of miles of his Mahana Fresh location — which is one of three in the Bradenton-based mini-chain. To that end, Ryan has brought in an experienced partner, Chris Courtney-James, who was responsible the last several years for making sure that Dunkin’ Donuts locations that hadn’t been meeting company expectations were brought up to speed. More important, however, is that Chris also spent years in the kitchens of restaurants across the Tampa Bay area and, in his words, “isn’t afraid to spend a lot of time cooking at a hot grill.” In addition, Ryan and Chris have a special offer that they hope will bring in plenty of locals — two hours of free Mahana-sized bowls (see below) on Saturday, June 12, from noon-1 p.m. and from 6 p.m.-7 p.m. You can pick a bowl, any bowl — one per person, for dine-in only. Photographer Charmaine George and I spent some time recently at the local Mahana Fresh and even though both of us already loved the food, we were impressed with the incredible precision with which the bowl-oriented eatery prepared for a large catering order — as well as with the delicious aromas that emanated from those grills while tender steaks and marinated chicken breasts and thighs were cooked over the open flame.

An Amazing Selection!

(Clockwise from top left) Chris Courtney-James behind the grill. Ryan Mortti & Chris. Our editor loves the honey sriracha Brussels sprouts and ahi tuna. You get to order your bowl your way. (Photos by Charmaine George)

For those who have never tried Mahana Fresh, you shouldn’t wait until June 12 to check it out. Here’s how it works. You choose from three sizes — Kids (with 1 base, 1 veggie, 1 protein & your choice of sauce), Mahana (1 base, 2 veggies, 1 protein & sauce) and the Big Mahana (2 bases, 2 veggies, 2 proteins & sauce). The bases include coconut or cauliflower rice, a basmati rice blend, sesame noodles, spinach or my favorite, the kale crunch salad. Your proteins include marinated ahi tuna, plus Key West, BBQ or (Jannah’s favorite) teriyaki chicken, plus spicy grilled tofu and tender, grilled-to-order steak (my favorite). The incredible veggies (photo on next pg.) include roasted mushrooms, roasted sweet potatoes, Buffalo cauliflower, garlicky cilantro green beans and my two favorites, the sesame ginger broccoli and the honey sriracha Brussels sprouts. Available sauces include coconut sweet potato, creamy wasabi and mine and Jannah’s two favorites, the cilantro vinaigrette and the citrus ginger.

For a small extra charge, add roasted almonds, avocado smash, parmesan cheese, Jannah’s favorite feta cheese and my fave, the Mediterranean tomatoes. Honestly, you really can’t go wrong with any of them, but if you have any trouble deciding, Mahana Fresh has now introduced “Signature Bowls,” including everything from a “Keto Surfer Bowl” (cauliflower rice, sesame ginger broccoli, roasted mush-rooms, grilled steak & cilantro vinaigrette) to a “Veggie Vacay Bowl” (coconut rice, sesame ginger broccoli, roasted mushrooms, sesame garlic tofu and coconut sweet potato sauce) and The Big Kahuna Bowl (basmati rice blend, spinach, Buffalo cauliflower, garlicky cilantro green beans, BBQ chicken, grilled steak and cilantro lime vinaigrette). And, all of Mahana Fresh’s house-made desserts are pretty tasty, especially for gluten-free — and include chocolate chip cookies, zucchini brownies and snickerdoodle cookies. As for beverages, Mahana Fresh has done away with its unique beer taps, but still has

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fountain sodas, Pure Leaf sweet and unsweet tea, regular and strawberry lemonade, a variety of Bubly flavored sparkling waters and Bai flavored antioxidant infusion drinks. Mahana Fresh is located at 17512 Doña Michelle Dr. and is open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. every day. For more information, call (727) 238-9967, visit MahanaFresh.com or see the ad on page 42.

Bringing Mini-Golf To The Grove!

As mentioned earlier, Ryan also owns his own construction company and has been busy working on not only completing many of the repurposed shipping containers at the KRATE container park at The Grove, but also on bringing a cool mini-golf course

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(rendering below) to the area near The Grove theater, with his brother Matt Mortti and his sister Melissa Schachtner and her husband Andrew Schachtner. “It won’t have windmills but it will have a mountain with waterfalls and fire, plus cool trick shots,” Ryan says, adding that the tropical-themed course also will have a tiki hut restaurant that serves beer and wine. This more traditional mini-golf course should not be confused with the Tiger Woods co-owned PopStroke Entertainment minigolf course coming to S.R. 56 (see pg. 11).

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Pick Of The Week: Ice SSSScreamin’

Ice Dreammm Shop Close To Opening In The Grove!

If you’re looking for truly delicious, gourmet ice cream and treats, you have to check out the new Ice SSSScreamin’ shop, located at 14933 Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., next to Mr. Dunderbak’s in the Oak Ramble Plaza, just south of Tampa Palms. My new friend Zee says this is his second store with the many “S” name, with the other having been located in Cape Coral for 15 years. Both stores serve decadently creamy Yoder’s Southern Creamery ice cream (based in Sarasota) in an amazing array of flavors, several of which I got to sample on my first visit, including brownie caramel, chocolate peanut butter and triple peanut butter and all are absolutely unforgettable! Zee says, “People love us for our monthly specials,” which for May include a Reese’s Special (Reese’s ice cream cake with peanut butter ice cream and chunks of crushed Reese’s cups), plus croissant sundaes, pancake, waffle and even donut ice cream sandwiches, hand-spun milk shakes (“We can make them with any of our flavors”) and more! There’s even no sugar added and vegan flavors available. For more information or to place an order, call (813) 6055040 or visit icesssscreamin.com and please tell Zee I sent you! — GN

Total Wine Nears Grand Opening!

Last year, we told you that The Dessert Box was under construction in The Village at The Grove in Wesley Chapel, near Double Branch Artisanal Ales. Well, we were half right. Yes, the new dessert place in The Grove is getting closer to opening, but Ice Dreammm Shop owner Joe Schembri, who previously was planning to partner with Evelyn Barreno of 7 Layers Bakery at the new location, will instead open his new location as the second Ice Dreammm Shop. “For twice the fun,” he says. Jannah and I caught up with Joe, who was putting some finishing touches on the new location as we went to press. He told us that he plans to open the new Ice Dreammm shop around the first week in June and will still offer house-made brownies and cookies and plans to add more baked goods. And yes, the new location will feature those uniquely yummy Ice Dreammm flavors, some infused with alcohol. — GN 38

When it comes to surveying our readers about what they would like to see next in Wesley Chapel or New Tampa, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods always top the list, but Total Wine & More is always pretty close behind. Well, Trader Joe’s is about to lose its toughest non-grocery competition for that most anticipated title, because Total Wine & More is on its way and opening pretty soon. While no grand opening date has been revealed, construction is ongoing to convert the failed 24,000-sq.-ft. Earth Fare store on S.R. 56 to the area’s first Total Wine & More, or America’s Wine Superstore, as it dubs itself. Started in 1991, Total Wine & More has more than 200 stores in 26 states, and a typical store carries more than 8,000 different wines, 2,500 beers

CHICKEN...& MORE CHICKEN?

While the Zaxby’s in front of Costco just south of S.R. 56 has finally gone vertical, another chicken joint is on the way right next door. Chicken Salad Chick will soon be under construction in the parcel right next to Zaxby’s, according to county permitting records. A 2,665-sq.-ft. restaurant is planned. While both restaurants serve chicken and are concentrated primarily in the south, Zaxby’s focus is on chicken wings, chicken tenders and chicken sandwiches, most of which are fried. Meanwhile, Chicken Salad Chick, which has a nearby location on N. Dale Mabry Hwy. in Lutz, specializes in chicken salad served in varieties that include chopped pecans, cranberries and Fuji apples, to name just a few. The menu has more than a dozen different kinds of chicken salad served on bread, lettuce or atop a salad. Pimiento cheese, broccoli and grape salad and other salads also are available. Chicken Salad Chick has nearly 200 locations in 17 states, mostly across the south, including a few in Tampa. Stacy Brown, a stay-at-home mom in Auburn, AL, started the business by perfecting her recipes and dropping off samples door-to-door. Demand became so great, she and husband Kevin opened their first restaurant in 2008. — JCC

and more than 3,000 different spirits. It’s been more than three years since Dilip Kanji, who was building the Hyatt Place Hotel on the north side of S.R. 56, told local business leaders at a meeting that Total Wine & More was coming to Cypress Creek Town Center North. This may not have been the exact original plan for the store, but locals in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel will be happy that it is finally almost here.— JCC

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 11 • May 25, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

New Tampa & Wesley Chapel HOME IMPROVEMENT

TOM JOSEPH HANDYMAN: FREE ESTIMATES! Serving residents, Realtors & property mgrs. 30+ yrs home construction exp. Move in/out setups & repairs. Repairs for sale/rent. Hang flatscreen TVs. Setup wifi & home theater. Install closet organizers. Cabinets, pullouts, shelving. Gen’l carpentry. Crown molding. Kitchen backsplash. Door install/repair & more! Call 813-751-4998 or email JosephHomesllc@outlook.com AMBLER ENTERPRISES Home Improvement. Call James at 813-385-6402. 30 Years of exp. 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. Google us to see pictures: Wesley Chapel Ambler Enterprises. See our display ad at the bottom of this page! JUNK HAULING SERVICE! • We handle all types of furniture removal — bedroom sets, chairs, mattresses & box springs • Hot water heaters & hot tubs — take apart & remove • Construction material • Carpet removal • Estate, eviction, yard, garage & attic clean-outs • Office, home & factory • Comm’l/resdt’l. GorillaJunkremovalExperts.com. For appts/info, call/text Nigel @ 888-346-5865. WESLEYCHAPELPRESSUREWASHING.COM Soft pressure ext. house cleaning, screen enclosures, pool decks, driveways, sidewalks, fences, roofs, paver sealing & deck staining. We clean everything. No job too big/small. Exp. the difference when you hire a pressure cleaning pro. Licensed & insured. Owner operated. Call for a free estimate or visit our website. 813-433-6015. RAYMOND PAINTING. Ext. & Int. Svcs. Exterior: Painting, pressure washing, clean & seal pavers, stucco, roofing, leaks & wood rot repair. Interior: Painting, plastering, ceiling & wall repairs & tiles. Licensed & Bonded. References available. Free estimates. Your Neighborhood Arbor Greene Resident! We work 7 days. Call 813-994-5124. CHARLES POPPE ELECTRIC. Electric of all kinds: pools, spas, svc changes, new circuits, low-voltage, repairs, upgrades, changes to existing, troubleshoot’g, GFCI performance testing, generators. We are experts w/40+ years exp. Discount of 50% off labor for senior citizens! Lic’d & Insured Master Electrician (EC 13002399) - free phone estimates. Call 813-477-9068. MILLENNIUM HOME REPAIR. Prof’l Handyman. Cabinet install., dry wall repair, tile install. & repair, some plumbing, laminate flooring, light fixtures, int. painting, appliance install., pressure washing, paneling, window repair, awning install., carpentry, garbage disposal, fence repair, crown molding, window blinds, seal baths & showers, TV mounting & more. Call 813-400-1408 or email TycoonUnion@yahoo.com. DRY WALL SPECIALIST. Not a handyman. Affordable, Quality Work repairing water damage, ceilings & walls, re-texturing, popcorn removal, room addt’ns, cracks, holes, plaster & stucco repair. 26 years exp. WC resident. State Certified. Call Ron for a free estimate: 813-784-5999. TJ’s PRESSURE WASHING LLC. Houses, Fences, Driveways, Lanais & Screened Enclosures. Most resdt’l 2-car driveways & vinyl fences start at $75. House washing starts at $150 for 1-story home & $199 for 2-story home. Need an instant quote? Text me a picture of the job you need done. Call Tj at 727-808-7775.

Classifieds

HOME HEALTH CARE

HOME DIALYSIS PARTNER: Why travel for dialysis? Home Hemodialysis Partner LLC ‘s Cert. Home Health Aide & Phlebotomy Tech will come to you! We attend mandatory training at your clinic, assemble your machine at home, check vitals, start & finish treatment w/you, maintain contact w/an on-call nurse & safely remove you from the machine. Accepting new clients June 21! Email YourDialysisPartner@gmail.com or call 813.841.3754. CAREGIVER/HOUSEKEEPER URGENTLY NEEDED! This is a live-out position. Work Mon-Thurs, $650/wk. Childcare & light housekeeping. Must be able to interact w/children & speak English. Non-smoker, please! MUST HAVE REFERENCES & BE RESPONSIBLE! If interested, email Linda at flowershop998@gmail.com. CNA/HHA available to do private duty care in your home. 30 years of exp. Will attend to all of your daily needs. References upon request. Call Rhonda at 850-586-1868. SENIOR OVERNIGHT COMPANION SITTERS Two kind senior sisters seeking work safeguarding your loved one during the overnight hours. We’ve been working w/the senior population for 10 years & have seen a need for local, English-speaking, backgroundchecked, Covid-tested, dependable companions w/their own transportation. Very reasonable rates. Call Diane or Elisa at 813-938-8614.

COMPUTER & BUSINESS SERVICES

DO YOU HATE YOUR COMPUTER?!? WE CAN HELP YOU! Troubleshooting, Installation, Networking & Virus Removal. WE COME TO YOU! Residences & Businesses, more than 25-Years Experience. Contact Jeffrey Blank at 813-973-4507, visit WSICA.COM or email Wsica@wsica.com. PROFESSIONAL TECH SUPPORT in your home or small business. A+, Certified computer tech w/20 years exp. Maintenance & Repairs, Upgrades & Tutoring. More affordable than large chains! Friendly, personalized service. Tech jargon explained. Remote assistance & references avail. Call (813) 957-8342 for a free estimate.

MISCELLANEOUS

ELITE RIDES. Private rides in a sanitized 2020 Tesla, plus concierge services. Airport, schools, medical appointments, shopping, etc. Courteous, reliable professional. New Tampa to Tampa Int’l Airport - $35 (one way, 24/7). Driver vaccinated w/two shots. Cory Lake Isles resident. Call/text 813.765.2037. GET $500 TOWARDS CLOSING COSTS... when you buy a NEW CONSTRUCTION HOME with Florida Homes with Geri at Epperson OR Mirada. Schedule a PRIVATE TOUR of both Communities by a Resident Realtor. Join @LifeAtTheLagoon with @RealtorGeri Call/Text 813-609-0966. Connect with me on Instagram & Facebook.

CLEANING SERVICES

PATY CLEANING SERVICE. Comm’l or resid’l cleaning service. We have our own supplies & 6 years of exp. Free estimates. Call 813 943 6054 or email patycleaningservice@hotmail.com. A-to-Z CLEANING & ORGANIZING. Home & Ofc Cleaning & Organizing Svcs! We use our own supplies. Affordable & Reliable. Family-Owned & Operated. WC resident. Weekly & Bi-Weekly / Deep Cleaning/ Move-In / Move-Out. Serving WC & NT. Call today for a FREE No-Obligation Quote: 813-4621270. Local references supplied upon request. CLEAN-IT RESIDENTIAL & COMM’L CLEANING: Following all CDC guidelines, 18 yrs cleaning in NT & WC. Lic’d & Ins’d. Call 813.505.0431 or email cleanitmc@gmail.com.. B CLEANING SERVICES: Over 18 years exp.! Comm’l & Resid’l; Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly; New house & postconstruction clean-up; Window cleaning; Move-in & move-out cleanings; Press. washing; FREE ests.; Refs. avail. Call 813531-0154 or e-mail: bcleanings@hotmail.com D-ULTRA CLEANING SERVICE We have our own supplies & more than 400 clients in New Tampa! For more info, call 813-758-9710 or see our display ad below.

LAWN & LANDSCAPING _

ALL DIMENSIONS LANDSCAPE & EXTERIORS, LLC. Complete resid’l & comm’l landscape, hardscape & softscape. Mulch & decorative stone. Patios, decks, retaining walls, property maintenance & lawn care. Sod & lawn install’n, artificial turf, fencing, railings, soft & hard pressure washing, painting. We do anything exterior. Call (724) 541-2535 or (813) 485-6661 for a 25% discount on labor & materials. NTLC Property Maintenance. Residential & Commercial lawn maintenance for New Tampa & Wesley Chapel. Sprinkler repairs, tree trimming, mulching, landscaping & clean-ups also available. Licensed & Insured. CALL BILL @ (813) 973-3825. A.T.B. Landscaping & Lawn Service. Lic’d & insured, serving the Tampa Bay area 20+ years. Family owned & operated. Quality work, affordable rates. Gutter clean-outs, screen repairs, pressure washing & sprinkler repairs. Landscaping & property maint., including sod, tree & hedge trimming & clean ups. Other services avail. CALL 813-907-LAWN (5296). Jasmine Landscaping, Inc. Complete lawn maint.: 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! Lic’d & insured. Accepting new resid’l & comm’l accounts. Visa, MC, PayPal, Zelle, AmEx. Call or text 813-420-4465. Now hiring FT workers. HEAVY HITTER LAWN CARE: Veteran owned & operated lawn care maint. service, focused on lawn mowing, trimming, edging & blowing (flexible w/extra svcs.). Well maintained & professional laborer ensuring cust. satisfaction & on-time cuts. Rain or shine, quality & schedule will be kept. Lic’d & Insured. Call or text 678-673-7856 for your FREE Estimate.

POOL SERVICES

ALLSTARPOOLSOFTAMPABAY.COM. Pool cleanups, & acid washing of old pool finishes. Marcite, quartz & pebble finishes from $3K. We offer cool decking, Eurocrete & paver decking options. Paver, river rock sealing, leak detection & inground vinyl liner replacements avail. Quality salt & ozone generators, pumps, motors & filters. Mention this ad for a $79 pool svc. (restrictions apply). Serving NT & WC since 1990. Call/text 813-244-7077 or visit AllStarPoolsofTampaBay.com. TRANQUILITY POOL SERVICE. New Tampa owned & operated. Great Pricing w/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! AQUATEC POOL SERVICE has been keeping pools clear & swim-safe since 1994. WE DO POOLS RIGHT! Commercial & Residential. CPO #33-303052 Licensed & Insured. Service guarantee. Call 813-312-5694 TODAY and get ONE MONTH OF QUALITY SERVICE FREE. www.aquatecpool.com. NEIGHBORHOOD POOLS Wesley Chapel owned & operated since 1999. Weekly service. No long term contracts. Mention this AD for one-month Free service. Call 813-907-7322 for details or text Joe at 813-758-7608.

PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTOGRAPHER AVAILABLE! Retired Professional Photographer (45+ years experience) in the Tampa Bay area. Corporate Events, Personal Occasions, Portraiture, Pets, Commercial Photography & Real Estate. Reasonable rates. Ask me about “Front Porch Portraits,” taken from the safety of your front porch, FREE OF CHARGE! Great for Families, Children, Pets & more! Call or Text (813) 748-3901 or Visit: russellleprephotography.com.

FITNESS & WELL BEING

YOGA, PERSONAL TRAINING, NUTRITION & PHYSICAL THERAPY w/DR. LAUREN LEIVA, DPT! Phys Ed for everyone, including all children, w/a certified personal trainer who also is a degreed Dr. of Physical Therapy. Ask Dr. Leiva about her PE4ME sliding scale pay program! For more info, visit TheExerscienceCenter.com, call 813.464.0313 or see the ad on pg. 19 of this issue.

Break It Down Productions. Customized Private Yoga Sessions w/Susanna Jones. Develop strength & flexibility, while learning how to breathe & relax. I specialize in working w/beginners and those requiring a more gentle approach than most group Yoga classes. I explain everything, and provide variations so that you actually feel good in the stretch instead of strained. Gift certificates available. www.breakitdownproductions.com or Call (813) 802-8393.

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TREE SERVICE

FITZPATRICK’s TREE SERVICE. 25-yrs of Prof. Service. Licensed & Insured. Free Estimates. Tree Trimming & Tree Removal. Stump Grinding. Dead-Wood Removal. Affordable Rates. 24-Hour Emergency Storm Service. Free Mulch. Call 813-495-9541 or 813-788-TREE. COMMERCIAL SPACE AVAILABLE_____ 1,850-sq.-ft. Commercial/Medical Space Available to Lease. Address: 24420 SR 54, Lutz (in the Medi-Weightloss Building). For more info, call 813-293-4377 or email: gwillett@mediweightlossclinics.com.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 11 • May 25, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 11 • May 25, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

‘Goofy Turtle Is Open!’ Continued from page 23

Science toys include everything from the Thinkfun brand Code Master and Code On The Brink programming logic games (for ages 8-definitely-not-this-adult) to the MoBotz Ramblez voice-changing “sidekick” and the UpShot Bow & Arrow gaming system from Odyssey, Steve Spangler Science brand Oobleck! slime/quicksand and so many more that I’m really not doing the list of STEM and STEAM goodies justice. And of course, since drone vehicles are the wave of the future, not only is there a huge selection of drones for sale, there’s even what I call the Drone Cone, where kids can learn how to control and fly their drones in an enclosed space. Swathi and her partner Soujanya’s husband Eshwar Babu Vanaparthi, who helped take me on the tour of the store, also promise that as the Covid pandemic hopefully becomes more and more a thing of the past, that Goofy Turtle will offer much more opportunity for kids to try out toys in the store. There’s even plans to convert one area of the store (near the Princess Castle) into an enclosed small party room where each child in attendance can play with a toy their parents have purchased and other fun play ideas coming soon. In other words, even though Goofy Turtle also offers more traditional play blocks, pogo sticks and other lesseducational toys, this is no ordinary toy store and you should definitely bring your kids of all ages to check it out! (Clockwise from top left): For kids who seemingly love to break Goofy Turtle (2416 Grand Cypress Dr., Lutz) is things, try iPlay iLearn’s Take Apart toys. Kids can learn open Mon.-Thur., 11 a.m.-8 p.m., 10 a.m.-9 p.m. on Fri. how to fly their drones in Goofy Turtle’s Drone Cone. Odyssey’s & Sat. & 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Sunday. For more informaUpShot bow & arrow gaming system is one of many available tion, call (813) 406-0518 or visit GoofyTurtle.com and smart toys. Goofy Turtle also has Steve Spangler Science brand Oobleck! slime/quicksand. (Photos by Charmaine George) please tell them the Neighborhood News sent you!

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 11 • May 25, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 11 • May 25, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Neighborhood News

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