Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News, Volume 25, Issue 16, July 28, 2017 by Neighborhood News

Volume 25 Issue 16

Inside: Welcome To Wiregrass, Noble Crust & Irish 31!

July 28, 2017

In Neighborhood Magazine!

Co-Creator Of The Wesley Chapel Chamber Of Commerce’s Chairman’s Award-Winning WCNT-tv! The Direct-Mail News Magazines Serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Since 1993! For the complete list of neighborhoods that receive this publication by direct mail in Wesley Chapel (zip codes 33543, 33544 & 33545), see page 46! Multi - Family

More Eateries & Shops Getting Closer On S.R. 56 Across From The Outlet Mall 230 Units

Twin Benefits Raise Thousands For Troy Duncan; New Restaurants Open In Wiregrass; Frogury On A Roll With Ice Cream & More Neighborhood Nibbles & Business Bytes!

Pages 33-48

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Neighborhood Magazine

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Parcel D 10.0+ Acres

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Commissioners Set To Raise School Impact Fees; New Homes Approved To Replace QHCC; ‘Keys With Eeeze’ To Roll Out In Wesley Chapel; New Tampa YMCA Lifeguards Save Young Swimmer; School Grades Are Out For Wesley Chapel; Wiregrass Ranch Star Picks Penn State; Plus, Lots Of Local Business Features!

Parcel B 15.3+ Acres

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News, Business & Sports Updates

Parcel C 12.3+ Acres

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Also Inside This Issue:

Wesley Chapel Blvd

By John C. Cotey

Regency Shopping Ctr

Parcel S 16.6+ Acres

Map Key 56

Undeveloped Parcel

M e m o ri

al Dr

Cre Cyp res s Old

Rumored Development

Brightwork Crossing 56

Parcel P 8.0+ Acres

ment is building a strip center between the Taco It offers vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free alterBell and Bahama Breeze site that will have seven natives as well. Some have referred to Mellow tenants (including Mellow Mushroom). Parcel QMushroom as a “hippie” pizza place, as many While new to the New Tampa/Wesley 1.5+ Acreslocations pay homage to the tie-dye style. 54 Chapel area, Mellow Mushroom is a chain Chuy’s is a Tex-Mex chain headquartered founded in 1974 in Atlanta, and has more than in Austin, TX, and established in 1982. It now 150 locations in the U.S., including Brandon, boasts nearly 100 locations nationwide. The Clearwater and West Tampa. nearest to Wesley Chapel is in Kissimmee, one It serves up a variety of specialty pizzas and of the restaurant chain’s five Orlando-area lodozens of different craft beers while specializing cations. It also has locations in Tallahassee and in creating an atypical vibe and unusual decor. Gainesville, and is building one in Jacksonville. d Wesley Chapel Blv

The long-dormant stretch of S.R. 56 from Wesley Chapel Blvd. to I-75 has been bustling the past two years. On the south side of 56, development has boomed with the Tampa Premium Outlets, Costco, Cheddars, BJ’s Brewhouse, Longhorn Steakhouse, Culver’s, Chick Fil-A and others, with more yet to come. Now, it looks like the Cypress Creek Town Center North development across S.R. 56 is starting to catch up. According to Pasco County building permit records, at least 10 other businesses -— including Tex-Mex restaurant Chuy’s and psychedelic pizza place Mellow Mushroom, are in construction on the more than 200 acres of property on the north side of S.R. 56 owned by the Sierra family’s Pasco Ranch, Inc. The coming businesses, all of which are located on Sierra Center Blvd. (which runs through the Cypress Creek Town Center North development), will join the recently opened Ford’s Garag, Pollo Tropical and Wendy’s (which opened the day we went to press), as well as the soon-to-open Taco Bell, all on the north side of 56. Another popular restaurant, Bahama Breeze Island Grill, is planned a little further to the east of Chuy’s. The owners of that restaurant, which specializes in Caribbean-inspired food and tropical drinks, had their pre-application meeting with county planners on Jan. 30. Bahama Breeze is expected to be roughly 8,000-sq.-ft. with an outdoor seating area. Mellow Mushroom and Chuy’s Tex-Mex will add to the area’s quickly growing chain food scene. Tennessee-based Hutton Develop-

Proposed, Approved or Under Construction Existing Development

I-75

Map is not to scale & has been modified by Neighborhood News to make it easier to read.

Chuy’s offers made-from-scratch Tex-Mex inspired dishes, and varies the look of each link in its chain. According to county permit records, the Wesley Chapel Chuy’s will be 8,492-sq.ft., with 605 of those for an outside patio. While no opening date is available, let’s hope it’s before Jan. 8, Elvis Presley’s birthday. Each Chuy’s has a shrine to Elvis, and his birthday is celebrated each year at the restaurants

See “What’s New, SR 56?” on pg. 4

Dr. June Hall To Host Her 4th Annual ‘APTacious Experience’ On August 5!

Dr. June Hall (aka “Dr. June”) is a motivationalist and the “Proprietor of Positivity.” She founded “Time to APT” (Accentuate Positive Thinking) in order to help others find their way through dark periods and began the annual APTacious Experience Conference four years ago. The fourth annual APTacious event will be held on Saturday, August 5, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel (8310 Galbraith Rd., New Tampa). With her background in Counseling and Education, she has worked with many individuals to help them overcome and deal with adversities. Not only has Dr. June been an educator for more than 20 years, she also penned a syndicated advice column and had her own advice segment on the “CBS Morning News” in Miami. Since then, she has also developed an advice talk show, “Cooking Up Advice with Dr. June,” to reach as many individuals as possible to reduce personal and relationship stress. Through facing her personal struggles with darkness and negativity, including fighting cancer, Dr. June put her faith in God, learned to “APT” and to turn her own darkness into sunshine. In addition to her published books, No More Pity Parties: A Guide to Celebrating Your Way through Life and No More Career Pity Parties, she also is Editor-in-Chief of It’s APTAcious magazine. This

is an extension of the APTacious event and is available online and in print. Dr. June has traveled throughout the country motivating individuals on national television shows such as “Daytime” and “Jenny Jones,” and has been an adviser and speaker for organizations such as the Pasco Lawyers Group, SALO (Student Activities & Leadership Officers), RA Group on Relationships, Mental Health Assn., Florida Developmental Education Assn. and others. In addition to Dr. June, this year’s APTacious Experience Conference includes four other motivational speakers, Dr. June Hall, aka Dr. June (2nd from left) is hosting her fourth annual APTacious Experience Conference on August 5. so whether you’re a small business owner, “mompreneur,” interested in health & wellness or just want to be inspired, the APTacious Experience is for you! Seating is limited, so register today at APTacious.com, call (813) 993-8100 or see the ad on page 19 of this issue. — Gary Nager

WCNT-tv One-Year Anniversary Party Ends With A Surprise Marriage Proposal! An editorial by Gary Nager For those who don’t know me personally, I was separated in 2006 and have been divorced since 2009 and, although I’ve done a lot of dating and had a few relationships since then, I honestly never thought too seriously about getting married again. Two-and-a-half years ago, when I was a member of the Wesley Chapel Noon Rotary Club, a fellow club member and I who had known each other through business only prior to that, met by chance at what used to be Stage Left (now Brunchies) on S.R. 54. She was sitting with a few other fellow club members and invited me to join them at their table. By the end of that super-fun evening (it became my birthday at midnight that night), Jannah McDonald (who was working for the American Cancer Society at the time, but became the marketing and events coordinator for the Pasco Education Foundation shortly after that evening) and I had arranged our first date, where we embarked on a journey that has had a few ups and downs (as all of our friends know all too well). But ultimately, the good times far outnumbered the bad, which led to the night of the one-year anniversary party for WCNT-tv (Wesley Chapel & New Tampa Television), which was held in and outside of my office on June 30. When we hired mine and Jannah’s favorite local band — Restless Soul (search “Restless Soul” on Facebook) — to not only provide the entertainment for the event, but also to learn a song (“Saint Valentine’s Day, by Bruce Springsteen’s guitarist, Miami Steve Van Zandt, who recorded the song with his own band, called Lit-

Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News Address: 29157 Chapel Park Dr., Suite B Wesley Chapel, FL 33543 Phone: (813) 910-2575 Advertising E-mail: Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Editorial E-mail: EditorialDept@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Publisher & Editor Gary Nager Advertising Sales & Office Assistant Jannah McDonald Assistant Editor / Photographer John C. Cotey Staff Writer Celeste McLaughlin Correspondents Brad Stager • Andy Warrener WCNT-tv Sales & Production Assistant Gavin Olsen Graphic Designers Blake Beatty • Georgia Carmichael Nothing that appears in Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, without permission. Opinions expressed by Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News writers are their own and do not reflect the publisher’s opinion. The deadline for outside editorial submissions and advertisements for Volume 25, Issue 18, of Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News is Monday, August 14, 2017. Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News will consider previously non-published outside editorial submissions if they are double spaced, typed and less than 500 words. Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit and/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makes no guarantees regarding publication dates. Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News will not return unsolicited editorial materials. Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit &/or reject any advertising. Wesley Chapel 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.

say yes and you can clearly see how stunned she was that I got down on one (bad) knee. Obviously, those who stuck around for it were glad they did and Jannah and I thank the hundreds of you who have already posted well wishes on Facebook.

WC Rotary’s Casino Night!

tle Steven and the Disciples of Soul, which was released in February 2017) for us to sing with them, I wasn’t actually planning anything other than to have a kick-butt invitation-only party to thank all of our friends and sponsors, but... A couple of weeks before the event, I decided that Jannah and I should also do a little dance routine during the song’s 45-second musical interlude and it was during our first lesson (anyone who knows me can tell you that I maybe can sing a little bit, but have never been much of a dancer) at the Rhapsody Ballroom on N. 56th St. just north of E. Fowler Ave. that I decided that there would be a surprise ending to the song (you can check out the entire song and dance number on our “Neighborhood News” Facebook page). The evening did not go off without a hitch, which had me concerned about whether we would even get to perform the song, much less whether I would get to spring the beautiful faceted garnet-and-diamond ring I got a great deal on from my friends at Leiva’s Jewelry (in the New Tampa Center shopping plaza) on her. Although we had a little more than 100 people on hand at around 7, the skies opened up — as they so often do during the summer here in Florida — around 7:15, while everyone was enjoying the truly amazing food from my friends Jessica and Carl Meyers of Little Italy’s Family Restaurant & Catering in Lutz, Ramses and Ana Garcia of Las Palmas Café and Phil and Natalia from Olde Heights Bistro in Seminole Heights, plus the incredible desserts from Nothing Bundt Cakes (right now in Carrollwood, but looking to secure a Wesley Chapel location) and my friend Evelyn Barreno from 7 Layers Bakery. The plan was for our song to open the band’s second set — and for us to do a Facebook Live event for the song — at 8 p.m. But, by the time the rain stopped shortly before 8, more than half of the people had left. Undaunted, we went ahead and performed the song when the rain gave us about a 15-minute window and I ended the song by asking Jannah if she would marry me “some Saint Valentine’s Day?” And yes, even though no one actually heard her say it, she did

Although I am now a member of the New Tampa Noon Rotary Club, the Wesley Chapel (Noon) Rotary Club that I previously belonged to (and which now meets Wednesdays at noon at Lexington Oaks Golf Club) contacted me (on deadline, of course. lol) to try to help the club promote its upcoming Casino Night fund raiser, which will be held on Friday, August 25, 7 p.m.-10 p.m., at Wesley Chapel Nissan (8519 S.R. 54). The event is for such an amazing cause, I couldn’t let it go by without a mention here. All

proceeds from the Casino Night will be donated to benefit the family of 16-month-old Clayton Mahler, who has been diagnosed with an unidentified Stage 3 pediatric cancer. Clayton’s father, Rob Mahler, is a former Hudson High football coach and eleven local high school teams (including Wiregrass Ranch High) will participate in a preseason jamboree on Thursday, August 12, at Springstead High, with all proceeds also benefiting the Mahler family. If you enjoy a little gambling for great prizes, a $20 donation gets you $20 in chips and there will be free food, a cash bar, and a silent auction and of course, the spirit of Rotary. For more information about the Rotary Casino Night, visit WCRotary.com or visit one of the club’s Wednesday meetings. For more about the “Preseason Clash for Clayton,” visit SpringsteadAthletics.com.

Table of Contents

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

Impact Fee Compromise Now In BCC’s Hands.........8 400 Homes Coming To Quail Hollow Golf Club.......9 Check Out “Keys With Eeeze!”.............................10 Lifeguards Rescue Swimmer At New Tampa YMCA...16 Wesley Chapel Community Calendar..........................18

Local Business Updates..............22-30

Bella Med Spa Can Make You Look & Feel Better....22 3D Wellness Pharmacy’s 3rd Dimension Is Care!...24 SPOTLIGHT ON: Massage Green Spa....................26 SPOTLIGHT ON: Creative Permanent Makeup.........26 SPOTLIGHT ON: Florida Educators Insurance...27 SPOTLIGHT ON: WC Medical Clinic..................27 Karen Tillman-Gosselin Wants To Be Your Realtor!...28

Local Education/Sports Updates......30-31 Wesley Chapel Fares Well On School Grades...............30 WRH Football Star Jordan Miner Picks Penn State.......31

Neighborhood Magazine

Twin Benefits Raise Thousands For Troy Duncan....33 You Can Go Craft Yourself Anytime You Want!......36 Noble Crust Is Now Gary’s Fave In Wesley Chapel!...38 Irish 31 Adds Excitement To Wiregrass Dining...39 Frogury Offers Yogurt, Rolled Ice Cream & More!...40 ‘Neighborhood Nibbles & Business Bytes’.........42 Wesley Chapel & New Tampa Classifieds...........44 @NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 16 • July 28, 2017 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

‘What’s New, SR 56?’ Continued from page 1

with a party...often with an Elvis impersonator. Many of these new locations appeared on a map produced by leasing agents last year, but one that did appear on that map (that we also ended up showing on our map of the area in our April issues) but is apparently not coming to Cypress Creek Town Center North is Newk’s Eatery. A spokesperson for Newk’s said that the company, based in Jackson, MS, is looking at other options in the Wesley Chapel area, but had no specific locations.

Green Grocer Alert!

And, it’s not just restaurants coming to the north side of S.R. 56. County permitting records reveal that a Men’s Wearhouse, Great Clips, Mattress Firm and T-Mobile store are on the way, as well as a Five Below discount store, which caters to the pre-teen and teen market and doesn’t sell anything more expensive than $5. Founded in 2002, Five Below has nearly 600 stores nationwide. The nearest locations are in the North Pointe Plaza on N. Dale Mabry in Tampa, and in Plant City. The Wesley Chapel location will be 8,960-sq.-ft. Permitting also shows a 24,230-sq.-ft. PetSmart and 89,995-sq.-ft. Dick’s Sporting Goods store coming to the Cypress Creek Town Center, as well as a Burlington Coat Factory. We were unable to find out before our press time how the new Dick’s store would affect the sporting goods chain’s existing Wesley Chapel location in The Grove plaza off S.R. 54 If you think the restaurant scene along S.R. 56 is becoming crowded — which is likely to add almost 20 dining choices in a half-mile or

Wesley Chapel’s second Wendy’s restaurant has opened on S.R. 56, next to Pollo Tropical. so stretch, the grocery store scene may not be far behind. Hutton also met with Pasco County planners last month to propose a development of 3.84 acres on the northeast corner of S.R. 56 and Wesley Chapel Blvd. that has appeared on our map as “Regency Shopping Center.” That development (west of Ford’s Garage) would encompass a 35,320-sq.-ft. retail center, which will include a 23,820-sq.-ft. grocery — expected to be a green or boutique grocer — and the remaining 11,500 square feet will house general retail stores. The proposed grocery store would be just northeast (across S.R. 56) from the proposed Aldi store, and east (across Wesley Chapel Blvd.) from a possible 16,000-sq.-ft. grocery store in the Brightwork Crossing project (north and west of Walgreens; look for more about this new development in a future issue). Even though many locals still wonder if we’ll ever have anything other than a Publix or a Winn-Dixie in the Wesley Chapel area, these three new stores and the new Costco means a much more competitive marketplace for your grocery dollar is coming very soon.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 16 • July 28, 2017 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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County Commissioners Prepared To Vote For Impact Fee Increase In August By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com After months of meetings and workshops, Pasco County’s School District and Board of County Commissioners (BCC) appear ready to seal a deal with the Tampa Bay Builders Association (TBBA) which would raise impact fees on new homes in Pasco to help build new schools. The deal to phase in an impact fee increase of roughly $3,500 per home over three years was forged a day before a public hearing was held on July 13 regarding the issue. While signaling strong support for the increase, the commissioners ended up being unable to vote on the ordinance because it had changed significantly from what was originally advertised. The vote will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 15. Every commissioner signaled support for the increase at the July 13 meeting. “This gets us in the right direction,’’ said District 5 commissioner Jack Mariano. “We’ve come to a great agreement here,” said District 4 commissioner Mike Wells. “We haven’t had an increase in the impact fee since 2007. To give the school board 92 percent of what they asked for is strong.” Wells added, “it’s time to stop kicking the can down the road.” Pasco Superintendent of Schools Kurt Browning was seeking to increase the current impact fee of $4,876 for a single-family home to $9,028, or an 85 percent increase. That increase, it said, would help fund the construction of five new schools. The TBBA was hoping to keep the increase at no higher than $7,176, or a 48-percent raise. Pasco County chief assistant attorney

David Goldstein said the county and TBBA worked through the weekend to get a deal done. The biggest battle, he said, was determining what was a fair increase for both sides. “To me, a reasonable fee is when both sides have to give up a little bit,” Goldstein said. “I’m not going to tell you that either one is (completely) happy with this compromise we have reached. They both gave up a little bit, and neither is entirely thrilled.” The school district got 92 percent of what it was hoping for, but it will be phased in over three years. The school district will get 79 percent of the amount requested ($2,252) on Jan. 1, 2018, with a $600 increase each year on Jan. 1 of 2019 and 2020, bringing the total to $3,452. The new fee will help raise more than $200-million over the next decade for school construction, which will build 4-5 schools. “It’s a number I feel comfortable with,’’ said District 1 County Commissioner Ron Oakley, who represents part of Wesley Chapel. in District 1. “It’s not too high or too low... you can’t have a better thing than education for your kids.” District 3 commissioner Kathryn Starkey was part of the School Board in 2008 when she sent a letter to then-BCC chair Ann Hildebrand requesting approval of a 2007 Impact Fee Study to raise the fee to $8,983. The BCC never took up the study. “This may not get them where they need to be, but it gets them close,’’ Starkey said. “I’m supporting the 92 percent.” Mark Spada, president of the TBBA, said his organization was incurring significant increases that make the impact fees, “among the highest in Florida and the nation.”

Spada says while he recognizes the building industry is part of the solution, he also suggested the school district look for additional revenues, or consider selling some of the 20 school sites he claims Pasco owns to help pay for new schools. Deputy superintendent Ray Gadd disputed Spada’s numbers, saying the county currently only owns nine school sites outright. Pasco has struggled for years with overcrowd- New schools like Cypress Creek Middle High School will help alleviate school ed schools, and few areas overcrowding in Pasco, but an increase in school impact fees has to be aphave felt the pinch more proved by Pasco’s County Commissioners to build 4-5 more new schools. than Wesley Chapel. Wiregrass Ranch ceptable… please vote for our kids.” High (WRH) has been on a 10-period schedule Doug Wood, a Wiregrass Ranch High for the last two years, and while the new school parent, urged the BCC to “pass the full impact boundaries were drawn late last year will allevi- fee that was asked by the school system; why ate some of that overcrowding, the school still should the burden fall on our kids?” has no room. The newest school set to open Wood said an extra $10,000 to buy a next month, Cypress Creek Middle High, will house wouldn’t deter him as long as the money do so as both a middle and high school, with was going to help build schools. Others wor1,900 students combined. ried the higher fee would just be passed on to By its second year, Cypress Creek could homebuyers, citing how the same villa in the already be at capacity. new Estancia at Wiregrass Ranch development Everyone who spoke at the public hearing that was $320,000 last year already now sells was in favor of the impact fee increase. Most, in for $370,000. fact, urged the BCC to vote for the full increase “Home prices in Pasco County are up originally asked for by the school district. 10-15 percent,’’ said Trinity’s Heidi Janshon. “We’re asking you to please fully fund our “That’s awesome, but not awesome when we schools,’’ said county PTA president Denise need to fund our schools. I’m asking you to Nicholas. “Our children need these schools. vote for the full amount….I reiterate, please They are overcrowded. It is absolutely unac- fund us.”

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Pasco Commissioners Vote 4-1 To Allow 400 New Homes To Replace QHCC By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com Local residents of the community bordering the Quail Hollow Country Club (QHCC) hoping for a miracle that would save their golf course finally ran out of mulligans. By a 4-1 vote on July 11, Pasco’s Board of County Commissioners (BCC) closed a longsimmering rezoning process that allows the owners of the golf course to replace it with 398 new homes. The lone dissenting vote was issued by commissioner Mike Moore, who represents District 2, where Quail Hollow is located. The golf course, which is located at 6225 Old Pasco Rd. (roughly a mile north of Wesley Chapel Blvd.), will be shuttered after a nearly two-year fight by owner Andre Carollo’s Pasco Office Park, LLC, including a handful of hearings this year. Attorney Barbara Wilhite, who represented Carollo, succeeded in changing the zoning of the golf course property to MPUD, allowing for 400 single-family homes, including 30,000-sq.-ft. of office and retail space and a 10,000-sq.-ft. daycare center. Carollo already had a R1 zoning, which meant he was already able to build nearly 300 homes on the property. County senior planner Corelynn Howell opened the hearing by joking that the project had caused the previous county planner to quit. But, despite the number of hearings and studies done, Howell said no matter how hard the county looked at the proposal, their original recommendation was unchanged. “We went back and looked at it again and analyzed it, and we keep coming up with the

Neighborhood News

The long-awaited, often-delayed development agreement to allow the owner of Quail Hollow Country Club to raze the golf course and build 400 new homes was finally passed by Pasco’s Board of County Commissioners by a 4-1 vote on July 11. District 2 commissioner Mike Moore cast the only “nay” vote.

same answer,’’ Howell said. “The development is appropriate for the area.” Planners and commissioners repeatedly sent Carollo’s team back to the drawing board to make changes to assuage resident concerns about flooding, traffic and overcrowding. “They’ve done everything that we asked them to do,’’ Howell said. That included making changes like eliminating the original plan to build townhomes, increasing buffers between new construction and current homes, agreeing to a binding conceptual plan, traffic changes to improve safety and stormwater facilities designed to handle a 100-year storm. The developer also agreed to a strict regulatory program in regards to offsite discharges, and agreed to hire an independent, certified inspector to monitor stormwater erosion and sediment control, both for pre-construction and during construction.

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That was more than enough to impress District 3 commissioner Kathryn Starkey, who said the improvements made to the original plans should alleviate the fears of the current residents. “I’m thankful for the creativity from this engineer,’’ she said, while reiterating some of her previous arguments, that golf courses are dying all over the state and their owners can’t be forced to keep failing businesses open. District 1 commissioner Ron Oakley agreed. “I think the party that owns this property has worked very hard with staff and residents,’’ Oakley said. “It seems like they dotted every I, and crossed every T, to keep this a nice property.” The other commissioners who voted yes also had some reservations. “I’m not comfortable, but I have to go with staff’s approval, based on the laws in place,’’ said District 5 commissioner Jack Mariano, while District 4 commissioner Mike Wells

cited property owners’ land rights issues in voting for the rezoning. Moore, however, said he couldn’t support the plan “out of principle.” According to the Wesley Chapel-based commissioner, he has met with many of the Quail Hollow residents, who showed him documents indicating they had been sold their homes based on it being on golf course property. “And they thought it would be that way for a long time,’’ Moore said. He said he had hoped the new homes would stay more consistent with the current neighborhood, although current residents have argued that putting 400 homes on 175 acres would eliminate all of the green space they had come to enjoy. The hearing took only 10 minutes. A few dozen residents showed up. That was in stark contrast to the hours and hours worth of meetings held this year regarding the Quail Hollow Country Club rezoning. For example, more than 100 residents crowded into the Dade City Courthouse on January 12 at the Developmental Review Committee (DRC) meeting in the hopes of saving their 6,811-yard golf course. On March 9, the DRC voted 4-1 to move the project forward to the BCC, which wrangled with the decision over three meetings and two frustrating (for all sides) continuances. QHCC, which opened way back in 1965, has had an up-and-down existence the past decade, even closing for two years in 2008-10. Carollo bought the property for $1.7 million in 2010 and the nicely refurbished golf course and clubhouse drew rave reviews when they first re-opened. We’ll update this story as the development begins building.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 16 • July 28, 2017 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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‘Keys With Eeeze’ Inventor Has A Wesley Chapel Connection! By GARY NAGER

When you bring your car to the dealership or an independent auto service center for service, from an oil change to a new transmission, have you ever worried about putting your costly key “fob” in the service center’s after-hours “dropbox?” I sure have. When one of my electronic keys broke a few years back, leaving me with only one, I remember bringing my car for service at my dealership shortly after it had closed and was left wondering, “What happens if they somehow lose my one remaining key? And, how much will it cost me to replace it?” Well, thanks to the brother of a friend of mine, worrying about leaving today’s expensive, computerized car keys will soon be a thing of the past, because of a new smartphone app and key drop terminal called “Keys with Eeeze.” That’s the good news. The even better news is that Keys with Eeeze will one day do more for auto service centers and even rental car companies than just make it more convenient to leave your keys. With everyone in our technologicallydriven world begging for speed and convenience, Keys with Eeeze will allow you to step up to a machine that looks very similar to a bank ATM, and with a few touch-screen commands, secure your valuable keys, order whatever services you need, and every time your key or your car moves — from the parking area outside the service center to onto the lift to completion, etc. — you’ll receive an electronic Instant Message (IM). In other words, even if it’s not after hours, Keys with Eeeze will allow you to check your car in, order the services you need and pick up your car, all without ever having to talk to a service writer. How’s that for convenience?

Inventor Tony Santo (left)’s Keys with Eeeze terminal isn’t available at Chevrolet of Wesley Chapel...at least not yet...but one day, it will completely change the way you check in & out of an auto service center.

The Wesley Chapel Connection

Keys with Eeeze was invented by a Dillsburg, PA, software developer named Tony Santo. If that name sounds a little familiar to you, maybe it’s because you know Tony’s brother Ken — the former owner of Skinny’s Sports Bar and Santo’s Pizza & Pasta on S.R, 54. But, Ken is more than just Tony’s brother. Ken and his friend Tim Booth (the former owner of the Wesley Chapel Silver Ring Café, which was located in the same Pinebrook at The Grove plaza as Santo’s and Skinny’s who still owns Silver Ring Cafés in Riverview and Lakeland) are Tony’s point men to roll out Keys with Eeeze here in Florida. The invention is so new that Ken, Tim and Tony are right now revamping their existing website and marketing

materials for Keys with Eeeze in order to better capture the attention and imagination of Wesley Chapel’s growing list of auto dealerships, chain and local independent service centers and those rental car companies. And, Keys with Eeeze is already operational and exceeding expectations back in Dillsburg, where HC Automotive became the first auto repair shop in the world to employ Santo’s incredible, new technology. Santo says the idea for his invention came to him as he was dropping off his car for service and looking down at the paper envelope he had to fill out by hand, drop his key into and deposit in the box at the dealership’s door. He wondered why anyone, in today’s technologically advanced age, would still be using a system

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that hasn’t changed much since the 1950s? According to hard numbers given to Santo by HC Automotive owner Jon Gustafson, who only rolled out the new system at the end of April, the software is more than paying for itself. In fact, although Santo originally estimated that it could take up to a year for a service center to generate enough additional income using Keys with Eeeze to pay for the cost of the software and kiosk, Gustafson’s two-lift service shop generated enough income to justify the expense in less than 120 days! “We knew we had something special when Tony first told me about Keys with Eeeze,” says his proud brother. “We just didn’t know it would make such a difference so quickly.” Tony adds, “(Gustafson) says it has revolutionized his business. He tells me that when he first rolled out the kiosk and software at HC Auto, only 10 or 15 percent of the service center’s customers were using it. Just a few months later, 49 percent of his customers are using it and he’s seen a 30-percent increase in revenue, all of which, he says, is directly attributable to Keys with Eeeze.” Santo’s invention combines an automated software system you can download to your smartphone that will allow you to manage your service appointment — from dropping off the key into the kiosk to picking it up after hours. The new technology also allows your key to be coded to your phone and be delivered back to you at the kiosk any time of the day or night. “Our Keys with Eeeze system puts you in the driver’s seat by giving you the ability to do business on your own time constraints, not the service shop’s,” Santo says. The software alone gives you carte blanche to pick a service date, order various items from a menu, communicate

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the issues you may be having with your vehicle electronically — concise, legible and in print — and receive instant feedback, updates and digital reports about your vehicle’s condition, all in an electronic Instant Message to your phone.” He adds that if necessary, customers also can receive uploaded photos and recall notices about their vehicles, receive an electronic IM when their vehicle is ready for pickup and even access easy payment options, “so you can literally bypass the service desk most of the time and only talk to a service rep if there is a problem with your car that needs to be addressed.” HC Auto has the prototype terminal for Santo’s system, which only allowed 12 keys to be stored in the kiosk at once, but the newer model shown on the previous page allows up to 30 cars at once to be entered into the system. “That will be perfect for these dealerships here in Wesley Chapel, some of which have ten or more lifts,” says Ken. “I can’t imagine that a more efficient system than this one for keeping

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track of all those keys and service orders is going to be invented anytime soon.” Tony has a patent pending on his invention and is in the process of rolling it out to dealerships and service centers nationwide. Ken and Tim only recently began handling all of Florida for him and say that even though they are still working on the retooling of the Keys with Eeeze website and marketing materials, they’ve already had some great interest. “Keys with Eeeze is perfect for anyone with a busy lifestyle and millennials are eating it up,” Tony says. “I’m confident that I’ve hit on the right idea at the right time.” And, why are there three “eeeze” in Keys With Eeeze? “Eeeze of checking in, Eeeze of doing business and Eeeze of checking out!” For details, pricing and leasing information, please contact Ken Santo at (813) 727-5794 or visit KeysWithEeeze.biz. And, don’t forget to ask your dealer or service center if they have Keys With Eeeze!

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Young New Tampa YMCA Lifeguards Earn Kudos For Saving Teghan! By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

celeste@ntneighborhoodnews.com

On a sunny day just before school let out for the summer, the New Tampa Family YMCA pool was busy. Four teenage lifeguards were on duty as people enjoyed the pool and young synchronized swimmers were training for the upcoming Junior Olympics. Teghan Fender, a 10-year-old who has been on the synchronized swimming team at the New Tampa YMCA for three years, was participating in the practice, doing what she does most afternoons, for several hours at a time. As Teghan and her teammates were swimming laps, something about the way her legs were moving caught lifeguard Aviana Jividen’s attention. It didn’t look quite right. As Aviana watched, Teghan blacked out and sank to the bottom of the pool. Aviana jumped into action, and TJ Hernandez, another of the lifeguards on duty that day, helped pull Teghan out of the water. “We do practices every month,” recalls Aviana, “so when you actually see it happen, your adrenaline kicks in and you think of all the training that you went through.” Assisted by lifeguards Emma Cutkomp and Alfred Briceno, Aviana and TJ began lifesaving procedures as 9-1-1 was called. “They stayed calm, worked together and did what was needed to save Teghan’s life,” says aquatics experience director Lacey Boldman. “All the monthly drills and scenario practice was put into action and they remembered all the steps necessary to make the rescue quickly and efficiently. A life was saved

Teghan Fender (center) with the New Tampa YMCA lifeguards who rescued her (l.-r.): Alfred Briceno, Emma Cutkomp, Aviana Jividen and TJ Hernandez.

because of their vigilance and quick action.” Teghan’s mom, Brenna, was in the shower when she got a call that something scary had happened to her daughter. She immediately headed to the pool. “When I arrived, Teghan wasn’t moving, but they said she was breathing,” says Brenna. “Running out to the pool and finding it silent, with onlookers frozen against the fence while a small group huddled together over a figure that I knew was my daughter, was an experience I’ll never forget.”

Over the next couple of days, Brenna pieced together what had happened. “Teghan did several laps in a row with very few breaths,” Brenna explains. “She then attempted a 50-meter zero under, trying to swim the distance without taking a breath.” “I thought I could make it because the wall was just a few yards away,” Teghan remembers. “The next thing I remember, I was out of the pool, lying on a towel, and I was so confused.” Tampa Y aquatics experience executive Amanda Walker explains that what happened to

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Teghan is called a shallow water blackout. “With shallow water blackouts, you don’t even realize sometimes that you need to take a breath,” explains Amanda. “Your brain genuinely plays tricks on you and you pass out.” Thanks to the quick action of the four lifeguards, Teghan was conscious by the time paramedics arrived, and was transported to the hospital, where she stayed in the pediatric ICU for a couple of days, while doctors ran tests to ensure that there was no underlying medical cause for her blackout. When Brenna considers that the four people who saved her daughter’s life were all just teenagers, “it was stunning to think about,” she says. “They were so attentive. It was a pool full of people, so who thinks they need to be watching the experienced swimmers? The lifeguards were so prepared and obviously took their training seriously. I absolutely credit the YMCA for that — selecting the right people for the job and training them so well.” Brenna says that on the way to the hospital, Teghan was already asking if she had to miss school the next day. She was given the all-clear to return to her fourth grade class at Lake Magdalene Elementary just in time for the last day of school later that week. Within just a couple of weeks, surprise! — Teghan was back in the pool again. In early July, just barely a month later, Teghan and her team travelled to California to compete in the Junior Olympics. Brenna says there was never a doubt she would get right back in and swim again. “She’s worked too hard,” Brenna says, “I couldn’t keep her from competing at the Junior Olympics.”

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Brenna says Teghan has always loved to be in the water. “She was the kid who thought she could swim before she was two years old,” she says. “I’d tell her to jump to me and she’d jump into the water next to me.” Based on research she’s since done, Brenna understands that it’s unlikely to happen again, as long as Teghan makes different decisions. That doesn’t make the lingering anxiety go away, though, as her daughter continues swimming. “It’s been over a month now, so it’s getting easier,” Brenna explains, “but I’ve had a knot in my stomach that’s been hard to get rid of.” Brenna is incredibly grateful to the YMCA lifeguards. To provide just a glimpse of the appreciation she and Teghan have for them, they hosted a thank-you pizza party

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with homemade brownies and goodies, where Teghan had a chance to talk with the lifeguards who saved her life. “It was really good for Teghan, especially,” Brenna says, “because she wanted to see them all.” Now that Junior Olympics is over, Teghan is getting a brief break from her synchronized swimming practices. Her mom says she loves reading Harry Potter and making her own music videos, and is excited about joining her school’s safety patrol as a fifth grader in the fall. But, when the swim season starts again, Teghan will be right back in that place she loves the most, practicing synchronized swimming in the New Tampa YMCA pool again. Luckily for all of us, the New Tampa Y lifeguards will be there, too.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 16 • July 28, 2017 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

JULY 2017 Saturday, July 29

BayChapel Food Pantry - Free food to help needy families. Open every Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m., behind Christian Brothers Automotive on Bruce B. Downs Blvd., at 20300 Trout Creek Dr., New Tampa. Visit BayChapel.org.

Sunday, July 30

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

Monday - July 31

Professional Business Connections (PBC) - PBC meets Mondays at 7:45 a.m. at The Happy Hangar Cafe (at Tampa North Aero Park, 4241 Birdsong Blvd., off S.R. 54, Lutz). For info, call Matt Archbold at (813) 782-1777. Wesley Chapel Speaks - The Wesley Chapel Toastmasters meets every Monday at 6 p.m. for networking, 6:30 pm for public speaking, at Wesley Chapel Nissan (28519 State Rd 54). For more info, call Martin at (813) 693-0969.

produce, a variety of vendors, and food trucks. Summer events held the first Wednesday of each month from 5-8 p.m. 9401 Oak Preserve Dr. Info at Facebook.com/LiveOakPreserve.

Thursday, August 3

BNI Networking Meeting - Business professionals are invited to attend this networking organization’s meetings on Thursdays, 7:30 a.m., at Savannah Church (3758 Maryweather Lane, behind Dunkin’ Donuts off BBD Blvd.). For info, call Kyle Flischel at 813.815.0250. Networking For Your Success - The Networking For Your Success group meets Thursdays, 8 a.m., at the Lexington Oaks Golf Club clubhouse (26133 Lexington Oaks Blvd.). All are welcome. For more information, call (813) 994-9944. RGA Network Weekly Meeting - The RGA Networking Group meets weekly for networking at GrillSmith at the Shops at Wiregrass mall. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; lunch is noon-1 p.m. For more info, visit RGANetwork.net. Celebrate Recovery - Meeting Thursdays at 7 p.m. at Bridgeway Church (30660 Wells Rd.), the purpose of Celebrate Recovery is to bring freedom from dysfunctional, compulsive & addictive behaviors through biblically-based principles. Dinner & free childcare available. For info, call (813) 907-1313

Friday, August 4

Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Sunrise - The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Sunrise meets the 1st & 3rd Fridays of each month, 7:15 a.m., at Happy Hangar Cafe, 4241 Birdsong Blvd. For info, call Kathy Schenck at (813) 956-4436. Women-n-Charge - 11:15 a.m.-1:15 p.m. at Pebble Creek Country Club (10550 Tuesday, August 1 Regents Park Dr., Tampa, 33647). We share our talents, build relationships, Keep It Local - This seat-specific networking group emphasizes small, local and share our resources with other women in business. $15 for members, $18 businesses. Meets meets every Tuesday, 11:30 a.m., at GrillSmith at The for guests. Register at www.women-n-charge.com. For more information, Shops at Wiregrass. For more info, call Marino Cecchi at (813) 513-9001. please contact Judy at 813-600-9848 or admin@women-n-charge.com. GFWC Pasco Junior Woman’s Club - Meetings are held on the first Tues- online at http://familyofchristtampa.com/2017-vbs-registration/. day of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Lexington Oaks Clubhouse, 26304 Saturday, August 5 Lexington Oaks Blvd. Visit GFWCPascoJWC.blogspot.com or The APTacious Experience - See ad on page 19. Facebook.com/GFWCPascoJuniors for more informaiton. Friday, August 11 NAMI Friends & Family: Mental Health Support Group - NAMI (National Alliance Mental Health Support Group - NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) of on Mental Illness) of Pasco support group for friends & family of those with mental Pasco is a support group for adults in Pasco County living with mental illness or in illness. The group meets the 1st & 3rd Tues. of each month, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m., at recovery. The group meets the 2nd & 4th Friday of each month, 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Atonement Lutheran Church (29617 S.R. 54). For info, visit NAMIPasco.com. at Atonement Lutheran Church (29617 S.R. 54). For info, visit NAMIPasco.org.

AUGUST 2017

Wednesday - August 2

Business Networking International (BNI) - BNI, a group of business pros dedicated to helping their member businesses grow through qualified referrals, meets every Wed., 7:30 a.m., at the Cory Lake Isles Beach Club clubhouse (10441 Cory Lake Dr.) in New Tampa. Call Bill Sullivan at (813) 994-1143. Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel - The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel (Noon) now meets Wed., at noon at Lexington Oaks Golf Club (26133 Lexington Oaks Blvd.). First-time guests attend for free. For info, call (813) 862-8989 or (813) 391-3895. Live Oak Preserve Food Truck Rally - Open to the public! New Tampa’s Live Oak Preserve community just south of County Line Rd. on BBD f eatures fresh

Monday, August 21

East Pasco Democratic Club - Meets 3rd Monday of each month at American House, 38130 Pretty Pond Rd. in Zephyrhills from 7-8:30 p.m. For more info, visit www.eastpascodems.com or call Wilson Blount at (505) 463-4210.

Tuesday, August 22

Wesley Chapel Lions Club - The Wesley Chapel Lions Club meets every 4th Tues., 6:30 p.m. at the Lexington Oaks Community Center (26304 Lexington Oaks Blvd.), Wesley Chapel. For info about volunteering, community efforts, meetings, helping the vision impaired & more, visit WesleyChapelLionsClub.com or the club’s page on Facebook.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 16 • July 28, 2017 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 16 • July 28, 2017 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

Dr. Yvette Suarez Of Bella MedSpa Can Make You Look & Feel More Beautiful, Too! By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com When a patient walks out of Bella Med Spa, one of owner Yvette Suarez, M.D.’s hopes is that no one can tell that the patient just walked out of a medspa. She’d rather hear that her clients were complimented for having better skin, fewer wrinkles and a fresher look, maybe even mistaken for changing their hair color or benefiting from an extra few hours of sleep. “It’s not, I know what you had done,’’ says Dr. Suarez, “because if they say that, it probably wasn’t a good job.” Dr. Suarez says that everyone at Bella Med Spa (which is located next to Nutrition S’Mart on Bruce B. Downs Blvd., just south of S.R. 56 and the Shops at Wiregrass mall), takes great pride in being part of making their patients not only look better, but feel better, without using techniques that create harsh or jolting transformations. While a plethora of services for one’s face and body, inside and out, are offered for men and women at Bella Med Spa, Suarez says her most popular services are non-surgical procedures performed with BOTOX and cosmetic dermal fillers, which help reduce lines and wrinkles. Dr. Suarez says it’s all about incremental improvements, via carefully prescribed programs designed to reverse many of the effects of aging. “Who says now at the age of 40, you have to feel 80, when we have something to make us feel better?,” Dr. Suarez says. “Would you not want to feel like you were 30 again, when you’re 50? Most of us would.” New Tampa’s Karen Mohn has been a Bella Med Spa client for more than five years, and has indulged in a number of services. She says she always appreciates the experience, starting with a staff she describes as warm and friendly, to the gentle touch of Dr. Suarez, who has produced a number of subtle changes that Mohn approves of, and — just as important — that no one else is struck by. “I’m in a few ladies’ groups that meet monthly, and those who know I had something done always compliment me,’’ Mohn said. “But in general, those who don’t know will comment of how beautiful my skin looks, and ask how I keep it so nice.” It’s simple, she says -- “I take advantage of technology.” Dr. Suarez and a staff of 13 help administer that technology at Bella Med Spa, which has roughly 11,000 clients, which speaks to the growing popularity of nonsurgical cosmetic enhancements. She began her practice in 2005,

in the Summergate Professional Park behind Sam’s Club, before relocating Bella to its current location in 2011, because she needed more space. As a child, Dr. Suarez says she always knew she’d be a doctor, because every time someone got hurt in the family, she was one doing the fixing up. “I think I told my mother when I was in eighth grade that I was going to be a doctor when I grew up. That, or a pilot,’’ she says, laughing. Either way, Dr. Suarez says she knew she wanted to do something to help people. She attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ, and earned her M.D. degree in 2000 from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark. She completed a residency program at the Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando. Since her residency, she worked for seven years as a Pediatric Emergency Physician in Tampa, four years as an Urgent Care Physician and six years as a Cosmetic Physician. “I always loved orthodontics, I loved putting joints back in, loved putting in chest tubes, things that can make people feel better immediately,’’ Suarez said. “Fixing someone is the best thing.” But, Suarez also says she was interested in a field that allowed her to spend more time with her patients, as well as more time with her husband, Bella MedSpa CEO David Singletary, and their children. “Before, it was get them stable, get them treated, get them out,’’ Dr. Suarez says. “Here, you get to know them, they talk to you about all their problems. I find it very touching that you really have the time you don’t in most insurance-based practices. I’m blessed to have that luxury.” Dr. Suarez says she never stopped learning, and is certified to provide all of the services available at BellaMed Spa. She is the regional instructor for a number of companies that make the products she uses, and also teaches other physicians the skills for Lipo Body Sculpting. She says she has been training the past two years for Allergan, which lists BOTOX, Juvederm and Kybella among its many products, to train other physicians and practitioners so they can get certified, too. Most common at Bella Med Spa are the injectables, such as BOTOX and dermal fillers. Because there are many varieties — for example, there are five different kinds of Juvederm — Dr. Suarez says it’s important to keep clients educated on which filler, and how much of it, is best for them. “I’ve been to a place that used two syring-

es, or two vials, one on each side,’’ Mohn says. “All they cared about was selling the product.” At Bella Med Spa, Mohn says one vial of the product was used, and it was carefully administered over a wider area. “Her staff is concerned and interested in you, and that’s more important to them than selling product.’’ It also helps patients avoid looking like Hollywood caricatures. While someone like Kylie Kardashian can drive in customers — “When she had her lips done, I think we had every young girl coming in wanting their lips done,” Dr. Suarez says — many clients want the exact opposite effect. “I start slowly and work our way up instead of injecting tons of stuff right away, because I like a natural flow,’’ Dr. Suarez says. “They really like it as opposed to all at one time.” Suarez says that Florida is one of the top states for injectables.

Vampire Facials?

Dr. Yvette Suarez is the owner and medical director at Bella MedSpa, located in the same plaza as Nutrition S’Mart on Bruce B. Downs Blvd., just south of S.R. 56.

Another recent trend, given a second life by the Kardashians, is a Vampire Facial, or facelift. It involves drawing a client’s blood and using a centrifuge to isolate the Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), which is then infused back into the skin to stimulate collagen production. Suarez says Bella Med Spa probably administers at least one Vampire Facial a day. “It’s been going on for a long time, but obviously once you hear that one of the movie stars or a famous person does it, you’ll notice it,’’ she says. She adds that the second most popular procedure at Bella Med Spa is liposculpting, which thanks to technology is not only better, but is no longer performed under general anesthesia; conscious sedation is used instead. “We get to change the shape of someone, not just remove the fat,’’ Dr. Suarez says. Facial treatments also are popular, she says. Bella Med Spa’s licensed aestheticians perform facials, chemical peels, eyelash extensions, eyebrow microblading, dermaplaning, microneedling and more. Bella Med Spa also offers Liquivida IV Therapy which, in just 30-45 minutes, delivers vitamins, minerals and amino acids directly into the body’s bloodstream via an intravenous drip. A variety of vitamin drip combinations that serve specific purposes are available, as are medical weight loss programs.

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The Fountain Of Youth?

Hormone Replacement Therapy is another treatment growing in popularity. For women, Dr. Suarez says that estrogen and progesterone deficiencies brought on by menopause can be controlled with Bio-Indentical replacements. For younger men, Suarez says that testosterone levels should be around 800, but by the time men turn 40 or 50, that number can be closer to 400. Low testosterone can lead to decreased libido (sex drive), disturbed sleep, moodiness, loss of muscle mass and fatigue. Testosterone replacement with bio-identical Hormones can help reverse all those effects and Dr. Suarez says many of her male clients come in weekly for injections, while others have pellets surgically inserted in the buttocks area. “We have a tremendous amount of male patients here,’’ says Dr. Suarez, who estimates that nearly 50 percent of her clients are men. She says most are fighting what she calls the “Couch Potato Syndrome”: once they get home and sit on the couch, they can’t get back up. She says that testosterone treatments can fix that. “When I ask them if they have problems with focus, with memory, with energy

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Dr. Suarez says that about 50 percent of her patients are men, who try everything from liposculpting (above) to hormone replacement therapy in order to look and feel better. and fatigue, or if they’re not getting the same results when going to the gym, they can relate,’’ she says. “That’s when you know. They think testosterone is just libido. Well, that’s a great thing to fix, but it’s not the only issue it can correct.” Another popular choice of her male clientele is Kybella, an injectable that reduces the fat below a chin, or “double chin.” Dr. Suarez says that men are first bothered by that second chin because many wear shirts and ties that amplify it. At least half the clients receiving Kybella injections at Bella Med Spa are men, filling the waiting room many mornings. “I had a woman walk in and look around and saw all these guys, and she looks at me, and I just said, “Yep, times are changing,’’’ Dr. Suarez says.

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She adds that virtually all of her clients share common goals when they come to Bella Med Spa -— to look better, and feel better. Dr. Suarez says she and her staff are always looking for ways to oblige them. “My best day is when I treat a patient, and they get up and they hug me and say, ‘Thank you, I love coming to see you,’” she says. “That feeling that you really made a change is so much fun.” Bella MedSpa is located at 1821 BBD Blvd. (between S.R. 56 and County Line Rd.) and is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday. For free consultations and more information, call (813) 929-1500, visit BellaTampa.com or see the ad on pg. 29 of this issue.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 16 • July 28, 2017 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

3D Wellness Pharmacy In The Freedom Plaza Offers A New Dimension Of Care! or capsules. For high blood pressure, apple cider vinegar.”

By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

celeste@ntneighborhoodnews.com On a recent Thursday afternoon, Ngozi Benyard, PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy), was working behind the counter at 3D Wellness Pharmacy, when she looked up and saw a car pulling into the parking lot outside. “I think Mr. Santacruz is here,” she called to her assistant, Danielle Malone. “Can you please bring me his medications?” Sure enough, a few moments later, José Santacruz walked into the pharmacy, and Ngozi had his medications waiting for him. “She takes an interest in me,” José says of his pharmacist. “They’re so friendly, and the service is more personalized than at other pharmacies.” That’s what Ngozi says is the “third dimension in care” referred to in the name of the pharmacy she opened in the Freedom Plaza on S.R. 54 (next to Bosco’s ItalianTo-Go), about a mile east of Saddlebrook, in November of last year. Ngozi says that third dimension is two-fold. First, it’s the aboveand-beyond level of service you can expect if you get your medications there. (Note-It’s pretty much guaranteed that the pharmacist at the local big box retailer isn’t looking out the window, awaiting your arrival.) And, she adds, it’s the role that the pharmacist plays in your health care. “There’s you, your doctor, and the pharmacist,” Ngozi says. “The pharmacist is an integral part of that triad. You might see several doctors, and the pharmacist sees all of the medications that all of your doctors prescribe.”

Rxight Genetic Testing

Pharmacy assistant Danielle Malone (left) and Doctor of Pharmacy Ngozi Benyard invite you to discover the third dimension in health care at 3D Wellness Pharmacy on S.R. 54. Ngozi earned her PharmD degree to counsel and truly care for their patients. from Florida A&M University in TallahasIf their queue gets too long, they will hear see in 2004. She worked at Tampa General from their district manager that they’re not Hospital, and then was the lead pharmacist fast enough. Ngozi says all that matters at specializing in infectious diseases — for the the chain stores is the bottom line. “Here, we treat you like a patient, entire Central Florida region — for a major not a number,” she says. “We’re your retail chain. She and her husband, Jamel, local neighborhood pharmacy, where you who is a U.S. Navy veteran, are the owners can get all of your medications, including of 3D Wellness Pharmacy. compounded medications, and that extra “Moving up the corporate ladder takes you away from what you learned in school,” dimension of care.” She says that also includes holistic care, says Ngozi. “With my patients now, I know such as vitamins and supplements for overall all about them. I know when they go to the wellness. “Certain medications deplete nuhospital and I know what pains them.” trients,” she says, “so I’ll suggest a vitamin. She explains that some pharmacies – especially big chains — often don’t have time For arthritis, I’ll recommend cherry juice

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Beyond what you would typically expect from a pharmacy, Ngozi offers additional services to help her patients and give them options they might not have even known were available to them. She says she is the only pharmacist in Wesley Chapel and surrounding areas that is certified and trained to offer the Rxight (pronounced “Right”) pharmacogenetic test. “The Rxight test is precision medical test,” explains Ngozi. “It tests more than 200 medications and tells us if your body metabolizes them too fast, which means you’re not getting the efficacy of your medications, or if it’s not metabolizing properly, which is when the medicine accumulates and you get side effects.” She says that adverse reactions to medicine is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S., so getting the proper medications and doses is extremely important, and can sometimes even be lifesaving. So that we could see exactly how it works, Ngozi offered the Rxight test to Rita McLaughlin, my mother-in-law, who is a great candidate for it because she regularly takes several medications. Rita stopped in for a quick cheek swab, and the swabs were sent to a lab. About two weeks later, Ngozi received a report and went over the results with Rita. “It was amazing,” Rita said. “It was a lot more information than I thought it would be. It assured me that the medications I’m taking now are the right ones, and

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in the right dosages.” Rita says she found the results to be trustworthy, because they lined up with the experiences she has had with her medications. “For example, with my cholesterol medication, I had quite a time getting the right one,” she says. “One gave me side effects, another worked, but then my doctor changed the dose and it worked better.” The medicine she finally ended up with is what the test revealed she should take. That confirmation, along with other information she Ngozi can compound your medications at 3D Wellness Pharmacy. felt correlated to her experiences, made Rita to skip over the back-and-forth of trying believe the Rxight test different medications and different doses to was worthwhile. go straight to what medication will be mostly “For the future, if I ever need a blood likely to work for them. thinner, the results say there are two medica“This test is especially great for kids tions I shouldn’t take,” Rita says. “I would with ADHD,” says Ngozi. “Instead of trying absolutely abide by that.” one med that makes them sleepy, and then As a final step in the process, Rita will another where they don’t sleep at all, and be given a wallet-sized card that outlines then another to wait and see what happens, exactly what she should and should not take, you can just do this test. Then, your kid isn’t and which doses, to be able to present to a used like a guinea pig to try a whole bunch hospital or doctor in time of need. In addiof different medications.” tion, she has the option to share the report She says parents will know definitively with all of her doctors. what medications will work best for their The test is somewhat expensive, at child with no side effects. $399, but because it is based on genetics, Another great example, she says, is for it is a one-time test that gives results for people who get a blood clot and are put on the rest of your life. It can allow someone

a blood thinner. Will it work? “You could get another clot in the time it takes to figure out if you’re on the right dose of the right medicine,” Ngozi says. “With this test, you don’t have to guess.” Ngozi personally goes over the results with each patient, so all of your questions are answered, and she’s able to help you manage your medications with the information from the test.

Women’s Health

“We have a focus on women,” says Ngozi, “and we’re especially passionate about new moms.” Both Ngozi and Danielle are moms to two boys, and both are advocates of breastfeeding. “Times have changed for breastfeeding moms,” Ngozi says. “Pumps are now covered by insurance, and they are so much more comfortable than they used to be.” Renting a pump from 3D Wellness Pharmacy includes shipping or delivery and, perhaps the most important thing a new mom needs, encouragement from both Ngozi and Danielle. The pharmacy also offers a libido enhancement for women that Ngozi calls “scream cream.” “We hear all about enhancements for men, but why should we be left out?” Ngozi asks. “We often provide (scream cream) for women with fertility issues. You have to have a prescription from your doctor, but you can ask us about it and we can give you the information to discuss with your doctor.” While it’s not proprietary, Ngozi says that she won’t publicly reveal exactly what’s in the “scream cream.” “I’m known for compounding it and

I’m good at it,” she says with a smile. “We want to be a place where women can come in, see familiar faces, and feel comfortable asking questions.” While Danielle is new to the pharmacy, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology in 2003, where she was a pre-med major, from Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans, and is excited to be helping Ngozi — and the patients — at 3D Wellness Pharmacy. “Wellness is very intentionally a part of our name and our logo,” explains Danielle. “We want to help you get well and stay well.” 3D Wellness Pharmacy is open Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and will ship or deliver medications. For more information, visit 3DWellnessPharmacy. com, call (813) 428-6000, or see the ad on page 26 of this issue.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 16 • July 28, 2017 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

SPOTLIGHT ON...Creative Permanent Makeup By Pam! Pam Edmonson is passionate about eyebrows. She’s been offering Creative Permanent Makeup By Pam since 2011, but moved last year into her new location at Serenity Salon & Spa Suites, located off S.R. 54 in Suite 101 of the Brookfield Professional Park, west of the Walmart at the corner of Eiland Blvd. There, Pam offers permanent makeup and other aesthetic services, but she says that eyebrows are still her favorite. “Eyebrows completely frame the face,” Pam says. “They are so important.” Pam has been a licensed cosmetologist in Florida since 2009. She then studied at the Boca Ta-2 School for Permanent Makeup in Williston, FL. She treats clients of all ages, and eyebrows of all sorts, from those that need to be reconstructed to those that have faded with age and exposure to the sun. Pam has been doing the popular “microblading” technique since she was trained in it in 2014. She uses a small blade and ink to create each individual hair. Pam’s penchant for detail serves her well, as her steady hands help draw on an eyebrow which she then microblades, with each stroke adding a more natural look to the eyebrow. “Microblading is a big thing right now,’’ says Pam, who is licensed through the Florida Department of Health for permanent makeup (the same license as tattooing). She encourages anyone who wants permanent makeup to schedule a free consultation with her. “Do your homework,” she says. “Make sure the person who does your eyebrows does a consultation. They should sit down with you, show you their work before and after, and also after the skin has healed from the process.” Having your eyebrows done by Pam takes

about an hour and the cost includes a touchup after the first four weeks, to help deepen the color and make them more permanent. Pam also offers permanent eyeliner, and is now offering permanent lip color, too. “I used to not like to do lips, but I learned a new technique,” she says. “It’s not as painful and the color stays beautifully. I had mine done, and it looks so natural and full.” Pam is currently charging $350 for eyeliner or eyebrows, and $450 for lips. She says she will be raising prices later this year, so anyone who wants to take advantage of her lower prices should do so before September 1. Some of Pam’s other services include scalp therapy (for women with thinning hair) and microneedling, which improves the skin by producing a slight injury to the face, causing new collagen to grow at the “injury” site. For a free consultation or more info, visit CreativePermanentMakeupByPam. com, see npg. 33 or call (813) 997-6302.

SPOTLIGHT ON...Massage Green Spa! Todd and Kelly Phillips have figured out a way to deliver bliss to their customers at Massage Green Spa in the Publixanchored New Tampa Center on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. at New Tampa Blvd. Due to their success, they have already opened a second location, in Brandon (in April 2017), with a third coming to Carrollwood. The concept is simple: create a fresh, clean environment and beautifully designed waiting room; while offering quality massages, infrared heat therapy, facials and aromatherapy. The spa also includes options for couples, like a couples massage room (pictured). Massage Green Spa is a membershipbased spa, although non-members also are welcome. You’ll get a better price with a membership, with a variety of different combinations from which to choose. And, if you’re unsure about joining, the spa offers introductory pricing for your first visit only. “Green” is more than just a word at Massage Green Spa. The spa was built with recycled cellulose drywall and decorated with hand-cultured stone. Part of the spa’s mantra, in fact, is “Healthy Bodies, Healthy Buildings.” “We think our price points are a little better than our competitors,” Todd says. “And, while it is still a subscription-based model, it’s a little less by-the-throat aggressive than some others. It is truly a monthto-month commitment. At other places, if you want to leave after two months, you’re still paying for another 10. Not here.”

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 16 • July 28, 2017 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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To complement the great massages, Massage Green Spa now has a full-time aesthetician on staff for facials, with Skin Script, an all natural-enzyme based product line. What Todd says truly sets Massage Green Spa apart from others is its Full Spectrum Infrared Therapy, powered by Sunlighten. He says that the benefits of heat therapy have been around forever. Todd also notes that infrared therapy aids in detoxification and dissolving toxins in the blood, helps with fat loss, chronic fatigue and skin disorders. And, he says that 30 minutes of infrared therapy can burn 600 calories. Massage Green Spa is located at 19040 BBD Blvd., next to Publix in the New Tampa Center and is open Mon.Sat., 9 a.m.-9 p.m., and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sun. For more information, visit MassageGreenSpa.com or Facebook/ MassageGreenTampa, call (813) 3337703, or see the ad on pg. 10.

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SPOTLIGHT ON: Florida Educators Insurance! SPOTLIGHT ON: Wesley Chapel Medical Clinic! Florida Educators Insurance, with its office in Wesley Chapel, is one of the largest insurance agencies in the Tampa Bay area. As an independent agency of Horace Mann, Florida Educators Insurance works with many of the largest companies in the world, both for insurance and for financial services. Owner Gary Cucchi says insurance is complicated in our area because of the unique challenges: flooding, hurricanes and sink holes, among others. Insurance companies will suddenly stop writing certain lines of business in Florida, pull out completely, or have to raise their rates because of the risk. In the case of flood insurance, Gary says, “66-80 percent of flood losses occur outside flood zones and your homeowners’ insurance policy likely does not cover flood damage. We are right in the heart of summer storms, so people should call their insurance company or us if they are not 100-percent sure of how their policy handles flood and water damage. Insurance is only good if it covers your specific needs.” It is important that the insurance agency you choose has knowledge of doing business in this area and has a large enough staff to spend time on the annual reviews. And, Gary says, your best options for which carriers to use can change. “The biggest thing we do is educate our clients,” Gary says, “Not only do we serve educators and their neighbors, family members and friends, but we also educate our clients about their insurance and retirement plans, to be sure they have the right strategy and coverages, so their family is protected, now and in the future.”

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You may see the Florida Educators Insurance School Bus riding around town (see photo, with Gary, right, and former New York Yankees pitcher Orlando Hernandez). “If you see the bus, then you know our agency is participating in a community or charity event ,” Gary says, adding that Florida Educators Insurance was giving away so many bikes to schools for the “Bikes for Books” program that he needed something bigger to carry all of them. He adds that in 2016, Florida Educators Insurance spent at least $100,000 to provide reading and attendance incentives, school supplies, teacher appreciation gifts, and more to local schools in Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties. Florida Educators Insurance is located at 26809 Tanic Dr., Suite 101, (behind the Gate gas station, near I-75). For additional information, call (813) 600-3268, visit FloridaEducatorsInsurance.com or see the ad on pg. 14 of this issue. The office is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and on Saturdays by appointment.

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Wesley Chapel Medical Clinic, established in 2000, is welcoming a new physician to its team — Rafael Crespo, M.D., WHO specializes in general practice. He previously practiced in Puerto Rico and speaks Spanish, as well as English. Dr. Crespo joins Mahmud Ahmed, M.D. (photo), and certified physician assistant Kirti Patel, PA-C., to treat patients. Patel earned her MPAS (Master of Physician Assistant Studies) from Nova Southeastern University in Orlando and is Board-certified in her profession. Dr. Ahmed says his professional perspective was shaped by practicing medicine for 13 years in Canada, which has a substantial national health plan, after earning his M.D. degree from Dow Medical College of Karachi University in Karachi, Pakistan. He is Board-certified in internal medicine, specializes in cardiology, and completed his medical training at Winnipeg General Hospital and St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Wesley Chapel Medical Clinic provides primary medical care with an emphasis on providing services for senior citizens, including those insured by Medicare Advantage. “The concept of Medicare Advantage plans is to provide the best possible care with the least use of medical resources — such as tests and medications — without cutting corners, which also saves money,” Dr. Ahmed says. “The idea is to keep the patient from getting sick.” He is happy to explain how his clinical experience in Canada compares with medical practices in the U.S. “Here, doctors do test after test after

test,” he says. “In Canada, you do the test that will provide the most information.” Taking proper care of patient health with medical screenings before a medical emergency arises or chronic health condition develops is an important part of Dr. Ahmed’s approach to medicine. Among the tests that can be performed onsite include glucose checks, electrocardiograms (EKG), spirometry to check lung capacity and tuberculosis skin tests. The clinic also offers a non-invasive onsite colon cancer screening, which Dr. Ahmed says is an alternative to a colonoscopy. Other services available include school and sports physical exams, Department of Transportation physicals, flu shots, vaccinations for tetanus and the flu (but no children’s vaccines), anti-inflammatory injections such as cortisone shots, blood tests (phlebotomy) and nebulizer treatments for respiratory distress. Wesley Chapel Medical Clinic (5819 Argerian Dr. in the Canterbury Professional Park, off SR 54, two miles east of I-75) accepts major health insurance plans. For more information, call (813) 994-0800 or see the ad on pg. 21.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 16 • July 28, 2017 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

Karen Tillman-Gosselin & Renynold Gosselin Sell More Than Just Luxury Homes The couple bought a home in Tampa Palms more than 30 years ago, back when the closest grocery stores were either at S.R. 54 or in Temple Terrace, where their daughter attended school because there were no schools built in Tampa Palms yet. “We’ve seen such growth in this area,” Karen says.

By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

celeste@ntneighborhoodnews.com According to long-time Tampa-area real estate agent Karen Tillman-Gosselin, whether a person is looking to sell or buy a home, it is most likely the most important and largest financial decision that they are making. “Having a real estate agent who can listen to your wants and needs and help you find that one house you will make your home is crucial,” Karen says. “That agent needs to put you first, then properly coordinate all aspects — from negotiations and inspections to ensuring that the transaction becomes a reality.” Karen knows what it takes to do that. During her decades-long career in real estate, she has sold more than $150 million of real estate. She has been so successful, in fact, that she was named one of the top 25 agents in the Tampa Bay area in 2005 by the Tampa Bay Business Journal. Karen currently is one of the top 10 producers at Smith & Associates Real Estate, a boutique firm based in South Tampa that has been in business 45 years and is the largest independent real estate office in the Tampa Bay area, with 245 agents and $1.2 billion in transactions in 2016. Karen joined Smith & Associates in 2012. “It’s a big company, but not as well known in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel as it is in South Tampa,” she says. Prior to joining Smith & Associates, Karen worked for many years for local offices of Florida Executive Realty, Keller Williams and Casa Fina Realty. “I find Smith to be a good fit for me,” she says. “It just feels right. I like their reputation

Setting The Stage Properly

The husband-and-wife team of Renynold Gosselin & Karen Tillman-Gosselin of Smith & Associates Real Estate can help you buy the luxury home of your dreams or help you sell your home. to the Tampa Bay area — she also represents and that the company is really big on giving buyers and sellers at any price point, even firstback to the community, in both time and time home buyers. money.” Karen’s husband, Renynold Gosselin, has Smith & Associates’ commitment to the worked with her “behind the scenes” since they community is especially important to Karen. both got their real estate licenses in 2000. She is highly involved in many commuRenynold recently retired from a 30-year nity organizations that are meaningful to her, career with Verizon and is now Karen’s fullincluding the Rotary Club of New Tampa, time partner in real estate. the Board of Directors of the Greater Wesley While Renynold was born and raised in Chapel Chamber of Commerce (as its current Tampa, Karen has also lived here nearly her membership chair), and several other organientire life. She moved to the area as a child, zations, including some at the University of when her father was stationed at MacDill Air South Florida. Force Base. Although Smith & Associates is known “We know the Tampa Bay market so well as a luxury firm — and Karen does sell luxury from living here,” she says. homes and specialize in relocating executives

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 16 • July 28, 2017 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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Karen first got into real estate when she was working as an interior designer, often staging homes for sale for real estate agents. She uses that background in interior design to be sure her clients’ homes look their best. “My experience as an interior designer means I can stage a house so it looks good and sells faster,” she says. Karen and Renynold agree that one of the most important parts of selling a house is ensuring that it has great photographs online. “First impressions are so important,” says Renynold, “and now, those first impressions are the pictures they see online.” He adds, “So many people are moving into the area from up north, and buyers tell their agents which houses they want to see, based just on pictures.” So, Karen and Renynold provide a 3D tour of each home they list. The tour is so comprehensive, it can even be viewed in virtual reality to feel like you’re actually walking through the home. While they take a lot of photos themselves, they will hire a professional photographer — and will even do drone photography if it’s needed. And, with all of their years of success helping buyers and sellers, they know when it’s needed.

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“We make sure we have the right price, the right pictures, and the right advertising,” Renynold says. “Each house is unique.” Karen says she and Renynold are by their clients’ side throughout the entire process, paying attention to every detail. “It can be very overwhelming to sell a house,” she says. “It’s not easy to put a house on the market, especially with kids and pets, and people often want to see it at the last minute, so we try to have a calming effect on all of that.” Their expertise can make the entire process much easier on buyers and sellers. “There are always new situations and you have to figure out what to do in that situation,” Karen says. “If something unexpected comes up, that’s why we’re there. We try to keep everything as simple and open as possible. An inexperienced agent doesn’t know what to do, but we know how to handle those problems.” Dennis and Fran Loomis are currently working with the Gosselins to sell their home in West Meadows and buy a home in Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club, located just north of Wesley Chapel in San Antonio. They are repeat clients who love working with Karen and Renynold, first selling their home in Tampa Palms in 2004, then moving to a new construction home in Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club (TBGCC), then selling that home and moving back to the New Tampa area, in West Meadows, in 2008. “We’re probably the only people who moved into the same retirement community twice,” jokes Dennis. He says he continues to work with Karen and Renynold because, “they do a fabulous job. We have a lot of trust in both of them.” On a recent Monday, Dennis told us, “Our home in West Meadows went on the

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market on Friday, and we had five or six people look at it over the weekend, and we expect to have a contract today. Karen goes to all the showings, even when she’s not representing the buyer, and she also shows up at inspections.” He says Karen also has been a constant advocate for him and his wife. “In my experience, most real estate agents want to get the sale and get the commission, and aren’t really interested in what’s in the best interest of their client,” Dennis says. Not so with Karen, he adds, citing how she helped him list his home at a higher price point than expected, and negotiate aggressively so the final price of the home remained high. He says he also appreciates Karen’s attention to detail. “During the construction of our first home in TBGCC, she went in and put tape on the wall everywhere the paint needed to be touched up,” explains Dennis. “Well, we walked in and saw 50 or 60 pieces of tape. The builder just repainted the whole thing.” Dennis says the most important thing is that she treats everyone well. “Karen represents larger transactions, but (even for smaller transactions) she spends time with you just like if you were selling an $800,000 home,” he says. Karen says that’s a hallmark of her and Renynold’s business. “We work with everyone, from CEOs to first-time buyers, and it doesn’t matter who the seller is, they all deserve to be treated the same,” she says, adding, “We love what we do, because it is all about making sure that the client’s needs are met.” To schedule a free, no-obligation consultation in your home with Karen Tillman-Gosselin, visit FineHomesOfTampa.com or call (813) 629-1502 and please mention that you read about them in the Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News!

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 16 • July 28, 2017 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

School Grades For 2016-17 Are In & Wesley Chapel’s Schools Are Proud! By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN celeste@ntneighborhoodnews.com

School grades have been announced for the 2016-17 school year and, of the 12 public schools located in Wesley Chapel, all either maintained their grades from the 2015-16 school year, or went up by at least one letter grade. Letter grades are assigned by the State of Florida Department of Education (DoE), based on statewide standardized assessments. High schools also have a graduation component, based on how many students graduate in four years. The letter grades then reflect the percentage of points received, of the total number of available points. The biggest jump in local school grades was at Quail Hollow Elementary (QHE). For the 2016-17 school year, QHE received an “A” from the DoE, a big boost from the C it received last year, in 2015-16. Prior to that, the school had been closed for two years for remodeling. But, QHE isn’t the only school that improved. Veterans and Seven Oaks elementaries both improved from B to A, while Watergrass Elementary improved from C to B. For the other elementary schools, Sand Pine and Wesley Chapel both maintained their A ratings, while Double Branch maintained its B. Wiregrass Elementary received its first-ever grade since it opened last fall, a B. Wesley Chapel High (WCH) raised

School Name DOUBLE BRANCH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL VETERANS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WATERGRASS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL QUAIL HOLLOW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WIREGRASS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SAND PINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WESLEY CHAPEL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SEVEN OAKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DR. JOHN LONG MIDDLE SCHOOL THOMAS E. WEIGHTMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL WESLEY CHAPEL HIGH SCHOOL WIREGRASS RANCH HIGH SCHOOL

LA Achievement Math Achievement Science Achievement 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 65 64 56 B B A B A A B 76 80 77 A B A A A A A 69 59 55 B C B C C B A 59 72 51 A C 70 73 75

68 76 72

51 80 74

B A A

A A

73 69

74 77

67 63

A A

B A

A A

62 55 68

60 61 58

61 66 79

B B B

B C B

B B A

A B A

A A A

its grade back up to a B again after last year’s grade dipped to a C for the first time in the school’s history. “I was ecstatic,” says Carin HetzlerNettles, who was the principal at WCH until she was named principal of the new Cypress Creek Middle High School in January. “It’s fun to see that grade improve, and it’s exciting for the community, staff and kids at the school.” The other Wesley Chapel high school, Wiregrass Ranch (WRH), maintained the B rating it had last year. Dr. John Long Middle School maintained its A from the previous year, and Weightman Middle School kept its B. While the school grading system has many critics, the grades are widely used by parents as a measure of how well their child’s school is performing.

Hetzler-Nettles is among many who say that school grades are just one of many factors to be considered when attempting to measure a school’s performance. This is partly because a different group of students is tested each year. “In high school, tenth grade is our heavy testing year,” she says. “Next year, we’ll test a completely different group of tenth grade students. There is a human factor.” And, she says, the specific criteria that make up the school’s grade also are different from year to year. “There are always things that change,” says Hetzler-Nettles. “The grading changes every year at the state level, and then we tend to see trends. This year, it seems like the schools are on an upswing.”

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WRH’s Miner Picks Nittany Lions! By ANDY WARRENER Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH) football star Jordan Miner (photo), one of the top players in the Tampa Bay area and arguably Pasco County’s best, is taking his talents to the Big Ten. Miner, a rising senior defensive back for the Bulls, announced on July 6, during a live broadcast on Spectrum Sports, that he would play college football for Penn State University. Miner will make it binding in February on National Signing Day, and next summer will return to a region of the country where most of his family still lives. “Well, 95 percent of our family is within a couple hours of Penn State,” Jordan’s father, John Miner, said. “Penn State felt like a family atmosphere and Coach (James) Franklin was very engaged throughout the process.” Rated a 4-Star recruit by the 247Sports recruiting service, Miner had 29 college scholarship offers, including 10 from Southeastern Conference teams and five from the Big Ten and Atlantic Coast Conference. Penn State, the Big Ten champions last year, went 11-3 and were ranked as high as No. 5 in the country before losing a 52-49 thriller to USC in the Rose Bowl. Mark Tate, a Penn State alum, connected Miner to Coach Franklin. Tate was Miner’s AAU track coach in elementary school, when Miner lived in Ohio, and was an assistant coach on the Team Tampa 7-on-7 team that won the under-15 national title in 2016. Miner was one of the standouts on that team. “I’ve known Coach Tate since I was a kid,” Miner said. “I knew he played for Penn State but I didn’t know much about the program.” Even though he’s entering his senior year, Miner won’t turn 17 until the end of this

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football season. He started grade school in Ohio, where if a student turned 5 during the course of the school year, they could start kindergarten. He’s always been one of the youngest players on the field and in the back yard. Football is in his blood, as brother Jaye, also a former WRH standout, is playing for Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. Jordan was called up to the WRH varsity team at age 13, after he scored five TDs in his second junior varsity game. “When you’re 13 on varsity you’re not as physical as the other kids,’’ Miner said. “So you have to outsmart them and learn the game better than anyone else.” Despite his age, Miner used his speed and agility to become one of the team’s top DBs, receivers and return specialists. In an October 8 game last season against Wharton, Miner scored on a 53-yard touchdown reception, and then returned an interception 95 yards for a TD. Two days later, he received a text message from PSU defensive backs coach Terry Smith. Smith made an offer, Miner posted the news on Twitter and, “it blew up from there.” Miner has scored on a run, pass, interception return and kick return. “Jordan is the ultimate team player,” WRH head coach Mark Kantor said. “He gets us up and motivated to play at a high level, and he made a great choice to play for Franklin and Penn State.” The Bulls visit Clearwater Central Catholic for the Pre-Season Classic on Friday, August 18, and then open the regular season at home against Zephyrhills High on August 25.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 16 • July 28, 2017 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

O’Brien’s & Joe Whiskey’s Raise Thousands To Help Local Musician Troy Duncan By GARY NAGER

I haven’t known local musician Troy Duncan of the Troy Duncan Band for very long, but we’ve become friends in part because I always like the selection of music his band plays whenever I’ve seen them perform. And, even though Troy is an outstanding musician, I also have always appreciated the type of man he is and the nice things he has had to say about this publication and many of the same business people who advertise with me. So, when O’Brien’s (in the Wesley Chapel Village Market off S.R. 54) co-owner/general manager Randy Goodwin asked me to try to help promote what turned out to be two benefit events for Troy on the same day — July 15 — I naturally offered to help in any way I could. A short article ran at the bottom of page 1 of our June 30 Wesley Chapel edition announcing that both O’Brien’s and the nearby Joe Whiskey’s Sports Bar in the Pinebrook at The Grove plaza on S.R. 54 were hosting special events that pretty much lasted all day and night to help Duncan, who has been diagnosed again with leukemia and has no medical insurance. The countrified rocker was still being treated at Shands Medical Center in Gainesville when the twin benefits were held in his honor. And, even though both sports bars — located less than a mile from each other — were selling plates of food for donations to help Troy’s cause, hundreds of Troy’s fans, friends and family members attended both events, which suited Goodwin and Joe Whiskey’s owner Mike Izzi just fine. The great news is that O’Brien’s raised more than $6,600 and Joe Whiskey’s right around $7,000, all of which is being donated to help pay Troy’s ever-escalating medical expenses. “All of us just wish we could do more,” Goodwin told me. “But, we estimate that we had right around 500 people come out to support Troy and it really was an amazing day.” Also impressed with the support for his bandmate was Troy’s lead guitarist Jeff Strickland. Although he was at his day job when I contacted him for this story, Jeff said, “Please be sure to mention that Troy, his mother Pat, his sister

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Lisa and his brothers Ricky, Joey and Dwayne are all extremely grateful, as are all the members of the Troy Duncan Band, for all of the hard work at O’Brien’s and Joe Whiskeys. Special thanks also go out to Randy Goodwin at O’Brien’s and Angie Rola Way at Joe Whiskey’s for organizing the events.” I personally felt so bad that my fiancé Jannah and I had a previous commitment out of the area for the weekend and had to miss it. The good news is that even if you missed it, too, you can still help, as Troy’s friends and family have set up a GoFundMe page — GoFundMe/Troy Duncan Fund — to try to raise more money to help this beloved local musician. I’ve already made a donation to the cause and I hope those of you who appreciate Troy, his band and his music will help him, too. For more info about O’Brien’s Irish Pub (5429 Village Market), call (813) 973-9988, visit O’Brien’sWesleyChapel.com or see the ad on page 35 of this issue. For Joe Whiskey’s Sports Bar (27429 C.R. 54), call (813) 973-3386 or see the ad on page 40. For more info about the Troy Duncan Band, search the band’s name on Facebook.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 16 • July 28, 2017 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 16 • July 28, 2017 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

Feeling Crafty? You Can ‘Go Craft Yourself’ Pretty Much Anytime You Want By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com When she wasn’t working in software sales, or in real estate or defense manufacturing, Samantha Harrison says she was working on crafts. Many of her projects — other than adding an artistic touch to her young daughters’ rooms and their home — were gifts for friends that always seemed to be a hit. Combined with a Pinterest account burgeoning with projects she was hoping to get around to one day, the road to a crafting career was already in the works. “You know, you should do this for a living,’’ her friends would tell her, and one day, Samantha agreed. In February, in the Cory Lake Isles Professional Center off Cross Creek Blvd. in New Tampa, Samantha and her husband Brian opened Go Craft Yourself, a concept that combines crafting with affordability and availability. While Go Craft Yourself does hold crafting events and themed outings, its scheduling flexibility is one of the things that make it stand out from its few competitors in the Tampa Bay area. It’s this simple: Do you want to craft? Then come on in. “You can walk in the door anytime,” Samantha says. “You pick a project, do it, and take it home with you that day. You don’t have to make an appointment or come to a scheduled workshop. We’re open every day but Mondays, so we’re pretty much always here.” Go Craft Yourself is located right across the way from the popular Children’s Dentistry office of Dr. Greg Stepanski, and shares the plaza with a number of other kid-friendly businesses where parents are often stopping by so their children can see doctors and dentists and take their music

Lindsay Rewald works on a craft with her daughters Hayley (left) and Madison. The Rewalds decided to drop in to Go Craft Yourself on Cross Creek Blvd. after a doctor’s appointment. Madison and Hayley were working on a and martial arts lessons. “It seems like everysimilar project, painting their first names to hang body’s kids go to the dentist right across the in their bedrooms. way,’’ Samantha says, laughing. “It’s fun,’’ Hayley said. That’s how New Tampa’s Lindsay Rewald “And, we will definitely be back,’’ her discovered Go Craft Yourself. Her young mom added. daughters, Madison, 12, and Hayley, 9, were One of the things Rewald says she liked visiting their doctor’s office when they noticed about Go Craft Yourself is the workspace. The the crafting center. The three of them walked right in, found a shop is more than 3,000 sq. ft., with a half dozen or so large, square wooden tables set up project they liked and started crafting. to handle large groups. “It’s a great concept,’’ says Rewald, who The Harrisons looked around for the right was stenciling the family name over the letter R onto a rectangular piece of wood she planned to studio, but more expensive locations right on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. didn’t fit their hang in their family room. It is Go Craft Yourneeds. They chose a far more spacious locale. self’s most popular project, Samantha says.

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“The space is one thing that definitely makes us different,’’ Brian says. The Harrisons made the distinct, dark wood tables in the studio themselves, as well as the front counter and the wood-slatted wall behind it. There is a children’s area in one corner, with chalkboard walls, and in another corner is a work area. On Father’s Day, children were able to fill a squirt gun with different colored paints and then fire away at a stencil, creating a unique gift for their dads. Most of the crafts offered are wood-oriented, like signs, custom serving trays, planter boxes and wall decorations, although the studio also has painting for kids and various other crafts. Pricing is per project and varies depending upon the project. Although you can walk right in and start crafting, Go Craft Yourself also offers workshops for serious crafters ages 18 and older, and the studio is available for private events.

Your Holiday HQ?

Go Craft Yourself is currently concluding its “Christmas in July” celebration, where crafters have been coming in to make gifts for the upcoming holidays, or festive decorations for the home and tree. With Halloween and Thanksgiving quickly approaching as well, Samantha says crafting season is about to kick into full gear and the art studio plans to offer a number of season-themed activities. “We are versatile,’’ Brian says. “We had a whole bridal shower come in one time, and they wanted something that we typically don’t offer. But, we showed them something else, and they ended up making really nice custom-designed pieces for the wedding.” Samantha said that as the business grows,

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Samantha and Brian Harrison opened Go Craft Yourself in February of this year. it will offer kids camps, with room to handle 70 budding artists at a time. She also is hoping to work with nearby schools on projects. She is already working with Benito Middle School (also on Cross Creek Blvd.), where currently, students can come in and decorate pavers for $10, which will then be used for a pathway at the school. Samantha was born and raised in Melbourne, FL, and studied business and religion in college at Stetson and Liberty universities. However, the jobs that followed, she says, lacked a certain connection for her. “They just weren’t very creatively-driven jobs,” she says. Two years ago, the Harrisons moved to West Meadows for Samantha’s new sales job. However, since college, she says she has always imagined herself as a CEO or owner of a compa-

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ny, which ultimately led to Go Craft Yourself. “I just never knew what that looked like, until we figured this out,’’ she says. “This fulfills that desire.” Samantha says that while there are similar crafting studios in Tampa Bay, there aren’t any this area. And, there also aren’t any where you can walk in, sit down and begin crafting something special at a moment’s notice. Go Craft Yourself definitely has an artistic feel to it, and even includes a sitting area with coffee and Wi-Fi for those taking a more leisurely approach to their project. “People love the atmosphere,’’ Samantha says. “There’s no time limit, no pressure, you can sit here all day if you want. We try to provide a calm, relaxing environment.” There also is the convenience factor, she adds. Instead of buying crafting supplies that you will use a few times and then store away until you end up with bottles of dried paint and crusty brushes, it’s more pragmatic to simply use what you need. No storage, no clean up. And, it’s cheaper. “We make it easy,’’ she says. Go Craft Yourself is ideal for a girls night out, birthday parties and team-building events, Samantha says, adding that her customer base has expanded every month. “We’ve grown significantly since we opened in February,’’ Samantha says. “I’ve really enjoyed getting to know new people. We get a lot of repeat customers, and I see a lot of them with the same passion for crafting that I have.” Go Craft Yourself is located at 10311 Cross Creek Blvd., Suite A, in the Cory Lake Isles Professional Center, and is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., and 2 p.m.-7 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, call (813) 345-8498 or visit GoCraftYourselfFL. com and please tell them you heard about them in the Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 16 • July 28, 2017 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

Noble Crust Is Wesley Chapel’s Best Restaurant From Its First Day Open! By GARY NAGER

About a year ago, when we first started our seemingly neverending updates about the anticipated opening of the new Noble Crust in the Shops at Wiregrass mall, my fiancé Jannah (see pg. 3) and I started visiting the original Noble Crust location on 4th St. in St. Petersburg. We were hooked from the moment we walked in. The vibe...the buzz...the enticing aroma of fresh garlic in the air inside owner TJ Thielbar’s not-fancy-but-nice creation had everything we’ve been looking for in a true mom-and-pop addition to the Wesley Chapel dining scene. I was fortunate that Noble Crus Wiregrass managing partner Will Perez — who worked his way up the ranks in St. Pete — is a longtime Wesley Chapel resident who pushed his friend and business associate (Thielbar) into expanding so close to home I can almost taste it from my apartment. It also was Will who sought me out — as the restaurant coordinator for the recent Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel, to make sure Noble Crust would participate in that event. I feel lucky just to know these guys, much less get to sample the incredible Italian cuisine with a Southern flair given life by Noble Crust’s Chef Rob Reinsmith. Here’s all of the dishes we already love at Noble Crust — the too-tasty-to-be kale Caesar, topped with a deep fried soft-boiled egg (Will says he spent most of his first day at the St. Pete location carefully hand-peeling those eggs); the Southern fried chicken parmigiana (with al denté bucatini, or hollow spaghetti); the current grouper special (served with succotash, mashed potatoes, a frise salad and the

(L.-r.) Manager Colin & Chef Rob Reinsmith, Will Perez & TJ Thielbar of the new Noble Crust at the Shops at Wiregrass mall. best chimichurri sauce ever); the beef, pork and “Sunday Gravy” early veal meatballs; the Noble Pig (with housedinner on Sundays made sausage and incredible pepperoni) and and please tell them Margherita pizzas; and our surprise current that you read about favorite special — the cauliflower gratin with Noble Crust in the crumbled bacon. Wesley Chapel NeighYes, although I still can’t get an amazborhood News! For ing Cowboy ribeye at Noble Crust, the fact its reservations & info, prices are less than half the cost of dinner for call (813) 703-2602 two at Dempsey’s Steak House at Saddlebrook or visit Nobe-Crust.com! Resort (my other favorite), make this hot new eatery my #1 favorite restaurant in Wesley Chapel! Now, I just have to convince them to open for lunch, at least for me! Noble Crust Wiregrass (28330 Paseo Dr.) is open every day for dinner at 4 p.m. (3 p.m. on Fri.), and at 10 a.m. for brunch on Sat. & Sun. It stays open until at least 10 p.m. every day (til midnight on Fri. & Sat.). Ask about their

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 16 • July 28, 2017 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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Irish 31’s Opening Brings Even More Restaurant Excitement To Wiregrass! By GARY NAGER

The first of the two new restaurants to open at the Shops at Wiregrass mall is the fifth location of Irish 31, which opened on July 7 (next to Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt; see ad on pg. 34 of this issue). Although I missed the actual Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting on July 6 (I arrived a little late; the ribbon-cutting photo on this page was taken by Steve Miller of Stephen John Photography), Irish 31 owner Jay Mize and general manager Mike Forsyth were on hand for it — as was former Tampa Bay Lightning star and New Tampa resident Brian Bradley

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(who works for the Lightning; he gave away some cool memorabilia), as hundreds of people found their way inside to check out the cool décor, the unique menu and the South Tampa vibe of Mize’s newest Irish 31. I have only sampled a few items so far on Irish 31’s chef-driven menu, but I did enjoy the boneless wings with Thai chili sauce and the corned beef and cabbage and loaded “boxty” (photo; almost tennis-ball-sized balls of mashed potatoes, mixed with generous helpings of corned beef and cabbage, or bacon, Velveeta cheese and chives, and fried to a golden brown), served with an “Emerald Isle” dipping sauce. The fried zucchini appetizer, the Ploughman’s salad (mixed greens, bacon, roma tomato, hard-boiled egg, bleu cheese, candied pecans and avocado tossed in Irish 31’s really tasty Guinness vinaigrette and the “Farmer’s Fried chicken (two boneless chicken breasts breaded with seasoned flour, then fried golden brown, and served with mashed potatoes and onion gravy, with a nice side of fresh market vegetables) are all also among our favorites, at least so far. For more information about Irish 31 (28358 Willett

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Way), visit Irish31. com or call (813) 9072306. Irish 31 is open every day at 11 a.m. (at 10 a.m. on Sun.) and stays open until midnight Sun.-Wed., until 1 a.m. on Thur. and until 2 a.m. on Fri. and Sat. I haven’t checked it out yet for live music or for Sunday brunch, but the website claims that Irish 31 is renowned as one of the best brunch spots in the Tampa Bay area!

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 16 • July 28, 2017 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

Rolled Ice Cream & Boba Tea Help Set Frogury Apart From Its Competition! By GARY NAGER As you’re probably already aware, there are a lot of frozen yogurt and ice cream shops in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel. So, how do any of them distinguish themselves from everyone else? Jackie Chan (not his real name, but the name he goes by), the owner of the Frogury Frozen Yogurt Café, has been open for almost five years, next to Five Guys in the plaza across from LA Fitness at the corner of County Line Rd. and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. A few months ago, we told you that Jackie had added a taste sensation that is becoming popular all over the U.S., especially on and near college campuses — rolled ice cream and frozen yogurt. As you see in the photos on this page, Jackie takes fresh cream and pours it onto an ice-cold, circular “pan.” He’s happy to mix in anything from Oreo cookies to almonds to a variety of fresh fruit, including the fresh banana he added to mine. While the cream is chilling, Jackie mashes up your mix-in until as smooth as possible and then rolls it out flat. He then takes a steel spatula and rolls the now-firm

ice cream into, well, rolls. He then scoops up the super-cold rolls and places them side-byside into a cup, adding virtually any topping you want. I tried to keep it healthy with fresh strawberries, although I also added chocolate syrup and whipped cream. If you’ve never had rolled ice cream, it is significantly colder and more dense than softserve yogurt or ice cream and most “hard” ice creams, too. And the flavor? Out of this world! As someone who still prefers “real” ice cream to any kind of frozen yogurt, I can tell you that if you haven’t yet sampled Frogury’s rolled ice cream, you owe it to yourself to visit and try it out today!

Boba/Bubble Tea, Anyone?

Although I’m not the biggest ice tea fan, either, I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed my most recent foray into Boba, or “bubble” tea, which was first created in Taiwan in the 1990s and has been gaining popularity in the U.S. since the ear;y 2000s. Bobas are ball-shaped, chewy bubbles of

tapioca to which a variety of flavors, especially jellied fruit, can be added. Jackie had me try the traditional, “plain” bobas in iced black tea (there’s also green tea and other flavors) with milk, which was yummy, even though I’m still not a big boba fan. Try it for yourself and let me know what you think. A woman visiting the shop named Suzy says she comes to Frogury

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 16 • July 28, 2017 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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every day, just for the tea. “It’s the best in town,” she said. “It’s why I’m a regular here.” Frogury (6431 County Line Rd.) is open Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-10 p.m., & noon10 p.m. on Sunday. For 20-percent-off your purchase or buy-one, get-one-free smoothies, see the ad on this page. Or, call (813) 994-1960 or visit Frogury.com.

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The Latest & Greatest News About Dining, Retail, Health Care & More In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel!

The Chamber Expands!

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any more exciting or complicated for the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC), on June 28, the WCCC announced that it had finalized an “asset acquisition” and would be merging with the Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce (GPCC), which immediately increases the WCCC membership from nearly 600 to more than 900 business members. The announcement, made at the Culinary Institute at Land O’Lakes High, featured (l.-r. in the photo, above right) Pasco Economic Development Council (EDC) president and CEO Bill Cronin WCCC Board chair Jennifer Cofini and CEO Hope Allen, as well as GPCC Board chair Michael Cox and Pasco County Commissioner Mike

Moore. Allen was excited to announce that the two chambers had formed an alliance back in January and “would become one Chamber of Commerce.” Under the agreement, current members of either chamber would have reciprocal membership in both. And, even though Allen admitted the merged chambers haven’t yet decided on a name, the same joint task force that created the merger, “will continue to meet every two weeks to help make that decision. Our drop-dead date to come up with all

the details is January 1.” Other issues to map out include the fact that there are still other four other chambers also serving Pasco and how the new merged chambers will fit into that structure, as well as the fact that the WCCC also serves New Tampa, which is in Hillsborough County, and Greater Pasco also serves businesses in Pinellas. “I did some research and we actually have 160 business members located in Hillsborough,” Allen said. “We will continue to provide the same services and opportunities for those businesses as usual.” And, speaking of the Chamber, here are some recent ribboncutting events you might have missed: • June 29 at The Salt Room Wesley Chapel (below left), • July 6 at Irish 31 (see story on page 39). • July 15 at The Goddard School for Early Childhood Development of Wesley Chapel (top left; see ad on pg. 8) •July 20 at The Learning Experience of New Tampa.(top right; see ad on pg. 30) •July 15 for Mosquito Hunters (right) For more info (including all start times for its events), call (813) 994-8534 or visit WesleyChapelChamber.com. — GN

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New Tampa & Wesley Chapel HELP WANTED

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 16 • July 28, 2017 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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