Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News, Volume 31, Issue 16, August 8, 2023

The “Barbie” Movie — I Guess I’m Just A Man Who Doesn’t “Get It”

By GARY NAGER

Editorial world, Ken visits a library and takes out (steals?) books about the “patriarchy” and decides he likes the idea of men being in charge, rather than the Barbie dolls who “rule” Barbieland. How did these dolls even learn how to read? I know...suspend disbelief.

Although I never owned a Barbie doll, I did get an Action Jackson “figure” when I was a kid and I loved that you could dress the “boy dolls” as Batman, Superman and other DC Comics heroes. And, while I still prefer superhero movies to pretty much any other genre these days (other than a great comedy), I will admit that when Jannah said she wanted to go see the “Barbie” movie, I quickly agreed.

I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, as “Barbie” shattered the record for the top box office opening weekend for a movie directed by a woman, but I also was intrigued by the idea of a Barbie doll coming to life, especially with the talented Margot Robbie in the title role.

I also had high hopes for Ryan Gosling as Ken, despite the ridiculous-looking (at least to me) dye job to match the doll’s well-known blond locks. And yes, the teaser commercials showing Barbie and Ken getting arrested multiple times during their first trip to the “real world” looked cute and funny

What was most appealing to me was to see how director Greta Gerwig was planning to bring (almost) every young girl’s favorite doll to life and how Barbie and Ken would ultimately fare. I somehow didn’t even realize that Will Ferrell (who plays the CEO of Mattel, they toy company that still owns the Barbie empire) also was in the movie until the opening credits. I enjoy some of Mr. Ferrell’s films, but he is usually so over the top with his acting that every movie he’s in walks that fine line between super-funny and super-stupid.

Well, after sitting through the nearly twohour run of “Barbie” a week or so after it hit theaters across the U.S., all I can say is I honestly didn’t get what all the hype has been about.

In my opinion, despite having some very funny moments, the film is just so stupid and the story so convoluted that the star power does little to prop it up. My favorite characters are America Ferrera as Gloria, the mom who loved playing with Barbies as a kid (and apparently, still does), Ariana Greenblatt as Gloria’s daughter Sasha who (along with her friends) has gotten to the age where they think they’re too old and too cool to play with dolls, and especially, the great Rhea Perlman (best known as Carla from “Cheers” and for being married to Danny DeVito) as Ruth Handler, the American businesswoman who invented the Barbie doll in 1959.

I give Gerwig a lot of credit for at least trying and it seems that, based on everything I’ve seen about the movie on talk shows, the women of America seem to believe that the director got the story right, especially in terms of “female empowerment.” Yes, all of the Barbies of all shapes, sizes, colors and physical abilities are treated equally in “Barbieland, and the president is an African-American Barbie. I did understand, applaud and appreciate at least that part of Gerwig’s message.

But, what I couldn’t understand was why the director had to make Gosling’s Ken the movie’s ignorant “villain.” In the opening scenes of the movie, Ken clearly thinks he’s in love with Barbie, even though he doesn’t understand why he should have sleepovers with his “girlfriend,” who clearly has no clue as to why he’d even be interested in anything other than the two of them looking pretty together. But then, when they travel to the real

And, all Barbie-hell breaks loose when the dolls return to Barbieland. There are pitiful musical numbers and even a fake-weapon fight scene between all of the incarnations of the Ken doll, with Simu Liu (of the “Shang Chi” Marvel movie) as Gosling’s arch-rival Ken. While the men and their abs are fighting, the Barbies somehow find a loophole to take back Barblieland for themselves and Robbie’s Barbie ends up realizing she had been taking Ken’s needs for granted, even as she then chooses to return to the real world to live forever.

I’ve seen the movie called “hilarious,” but for my money, there were just a few laughs sprinkled into the almost nonstop stupidity. Jannah and I both had trouble sitting through it.

The best thing about the film, in my opinion, has been the merchandising. The B&B Theatres at The Grove hosted a big opening weekend “Barbie” party and still has life-size Barbie doll boxes in the lobby that no woman (including Jannah, right) could resist dressing up in pink for and taking pictures in — I even wore my pink polo shirt for the occasion. I regretted that decision afterwards.

Again, in my opinion, “Barbie” misses the mark as badly as most of its jokes. A better plot might have had the girl who outgrew Barbies become the “villain” until she realizes the value of the dolls to the girls and women who love

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Catching Up With County Commissioner Seth Weightman!

It’s Been A Busy Nine Months Since Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman Took Office In November 2022

By GARY NAGER

When Pasco County native Seth Weightman took over from Mike Moore as the county commissioner for District 2 at the end of November 2022, some people in our area knew his name — Weightman Middle School on Wells Rd. was named for his great uncle, Thomas E. Weightman — but few knew much else about him.

But, that hasn’t stopped the former Board member for the Southwest Florida Water Management District (aka “Swiftmud”) from jumping in with both feet to tackle the issues that are top-of-mind for his family and — as important to him — the families of his constituents.

“It’s been a super-busy nine months,” Weightman told me in his first full-length interview with any local member of the media, “but I am proud of what we already have accomplished and I’m going to keep pushing for the people of District 2 (which includes much, but not all, of Wesley Chapel) and all of Pasco County.

During my interview with Commissioner Weightman and his legislative aide Andy Taylor (who also was Moore’s assistant) at Weightman’s Board of County Commissioners office in Dade City, I let them lead the way in terms of subject matter.

I asked him to list the accomplishments he’s proudest of so far in his nearly nine months in office. Here’s a list (that we hope to update soon) of many of them:

Sidewalks For Denham Oaks

Although I was looking for projects that directly affect Wesley Chapel, Weightman said that his proudest accomplishment to date was bringing in $1.5 million from the state to build and improve sidewalks for nearby Denham Oaks Elementary and Pine View Elementary and Middle Schools.

“Although I originally asked for $2 million,” he said, “I was proud that in my first attempt to procure money from the state for my district, I was the only Pasco commissioner whose budget request was approved by the legislature.”

He added that Denham Oaks, where kids from southern Wesley Chapel went to

school until Sand Pine Elementary opened, was originally a school for the deaf and hard of hearing and still has programs to help hearing-impaired children.

“We asked the (Pasco) School District where the greatest needs were” he said, “and these were the schools they came up with.”

He said the sidewalk issue was made loud and clear to him during the county’s budget process for Fiscal Year 2024 because of the statute that ended the courtesy buses for kids who live within a two-mile radius of their schools.

“Sidewalks are never an easy issue,” he said, “because in some cases, a developer, homeowners association or CDD has to pay for them — because there are liabilities associated with sidewalks — but sometimes, the county and/or the state have to step in. But, I plan to continue to work on getting funds for improved sidewalks for our area’s schools, so this was a great first-year success for me.”

Widening Of Old Pasco Rd.

When Commissioner Moore left office, Weightman said, the 99-acre parcel on Old Pasco Rd. now know as the “Rooker Site” was just getting started. Today, that acreage, located south of Overpass Rd., is home to the first 187,000 sq. ft. of a planned 800,000-sq.-ft. Class A warehouse/industrial space (as we reported in our June issue).

“We have a great partnership with Rooker Properties (which bought the land from the county),” Weightman said, “but the segment of Old Pasco Rd. from north of Deedra Dr. to south of Overpass Rd. was supposed

to be widened before Rooker received its Certificate of Occupancy for the (warehouse). For whatever reason, the county fumbled the ball on that, but I felt there was a commitment made, not just to Rooker, but to all of the residents who travel Old Pasco Rd. to Cypress Creek Middle and High School (north of Overpass Rd.).”

He added, “This was definitely a failure on the county’s part, but once we saw what happened, we were able to get the Request for Proposals (RFP) done and the bids were received by July 10. The county’s procurement staff is going through those now and our Board of (County) Commissioners (BCC) will vote on the selected bid within the next two months, with construction set to begin shortly after.” He also noted that no right of way needed to be purchased for that project.

Widening Of WC Blvd.

“When I was on the governing board of Swiftmud,” Weightman said, “we were negotiating with the county and the property owners on the east side of Wesley Chapel Blvd.(from where S.R. 56 meets S.R. 54 to Old Pasco Rd.) for stormwater relief. That deal is now put together, so we’re working on finalizing stormwater right of way. Once the county has those, we’re going to move forward on getting the expansion of Wesley Chapel Blvd. done.”

He said that until that expansion plan is in place, he doesn’t know if the plan will include addi-

tional traffic signals but notes that he expects to advertise for construction bids by September or October of this year, “so construction should begin by early 2024.”

But, because Wesley Chapel Blvd. is a two-lane road, he said, “To quote State Rep. Randy Maggard, ‘The good news for area residents is that there will be road construction. The bad news (at least for a while) will also be that there will be road construction.’”

S.R. 54 Traffic Issues

While the freshman commissioner says he was happy to vote for the redevelopment of the Saddlebrook property on S.R. 54 (see pg. 10), there’s no doubt that, with all the growth in that area the last few years, and with more still to come, the traffic signal situation on 54 from Curley Rd. to the new Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. “is a mess. So, we met with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) secretary in Tampa (since that portion of 54 is a state road) to discuss the traffic light cycles, the timing of them, to make them more fluid and safer.”

He added that, “We’re hoping that when Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. officially opens (which we reported last issue was supposed to already have happened by now, but hadn’t yet at our press time), that will alleviate some of the problems in that portion of 54, but we owe it to the folks who travel that segment of that road every day to figure out a good light timing pattern for them.”

County Aquatics Facility

“Currently, the only county-owned pool in District 2 is at the Land O’Lakes Rec

District 2 Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman at the Grand Opening of the Metro Lagoon at Mirada on June 2

Comm. Weightman says Old Pasco Rd. should have been widened south of Overpass Rd. before this warehouse got its Certificate of Occupancy.

Center,” Weightman said, “but being part of Florida’s Sports Coast, and with all the new families moving in — many of whom aren’t originally from Florida, so they’re not as used to being around water — we’re trying to find a site east of Land O’Lakes for a true, full aquatics center, with swimming and diving. This would be not only for swim meets, but also for learn-to-swim programs for children and adults — for safety as much as for recreation.”

He noted that the BCC had a workshop on the idea in January, “and there was consensus on having a county aquatics facility.” And, while there wasn’t a location for it yet, “There is a 300-acre ‘superpark’ site — which would be the largest park in the county — in the Villages at Pasadena Hills, which was one possibility mentioned. I selfishly want to see this aquatics facility built in my district, preferably in Wesley Chapel, but Pasadena Hills is just outside of my district.”

He admitted that the facility is “a want, not a need, but maybe because of my age demographic — I have a family with young kids — I am excited about this and will be trying to navigate where we can land with it. This would be a great ‘big picture’ item for Pasco County.”

He added that he encourages his constituents, “If you see a park need, please let us know because that’s a fun part of this job. As the Sports Coast, we want our residents to have opportunities to have fun and be active.”

Fighting Sex Traffickers

“There’s a big group of people in Wesley Chapel, including the Wesley Chapel Rotary

Club, that is really focused on sex trafficking issues,” Weightman said. “It wasn’t long ago that we had one of the strip clubs on U.S. 19 caught having an underage girl that was basically fostered by her family and was being trafficked through there.”

He said that, “If we believe we’re a premiere county, when we look at quality of life issues, something’s not right when we hope families will want to live here but we have this type of underworld environment.”

He added that he understands that although “adult entertainment” businesses have a right to operate, because most of their employees are independent contractors, there are very limited rules as to how to keep tabs on these “employees.”

“The county started down a path of creating its own ordinance to tighten the reporting rules on these businesses, but it wasn’t successful,” Weightman said. “So, we spoke with Rep. Maggard and the legislature wrote up a bill to add reporting rules to these adult businesses — with the age, who you’re working for, etc. (The businesses) have to comply and submit their info to a state database. So, while Pasco wasn’t successful on our level, it’s another example of working with our state government, and the governor signed it into law, to add some teeth and say to these establishments, ‘Hey, we’re watching you. When you’re in this kind of tough business, you need to be more transparent with what you’ve got going on.’

Taylor added, “Even if we were successful on a county level, the penalties we

See “Weightman” on page 6.

“Weightman”

Continued from page 5

could impose would have been extremely limited. We were concerned about going through this whole process and probably getting sued as soon as it passed, and that it wouldn’t have much ‘teeth’ anyway. By the legislature doing it, the state has much more (enforcement) authority and, at some point, it becomes a felony if the businesses don’t comply. By the state taking the action, it has a lot more teeth to it.”

Weightman added, “The state came in big with this and it felt good to me having some small piece of making that happen. But now, our state attorney has much more ability to make things much more uncomfortable for these businesses. So, I’m pretty proud of that work, too.”

On Taxes & Fire Stations

“We recently sent the TRIM (Truth in Millage) notices out to property owners and the Board voted that the county’s operating millage would be held flat,” Weightman said. “Staff recommended back in May to not increase the MSTU (Municipal Service Taxing Unit) for fire services. Then, at 6 p.m. the night before the vote, staff proposed increasing the MSTU millage from 1.8 to 2.3 mils for 2024, a 27% tax increase, and that’s roughly $24 million for just FY 2024 — and staff wanted to base this on a five-year plan. It was like, surprise, there was no notice to the public, no notice to us.”

He added, “I’m pretty conservative when it comes to money. We’re battling 40-year-high inflation, housing prices through the roof, interest rates through the roof and we’re going to hit people with taxes they didn’t know about, regardless of what entity (the money is) for? The process was not managed as it should be, transparently, in my opinion. So, we called it out. The School Board passed its referendum last August, and that 1 mil is on top of what the county may or may not do in terms of its taxes.”

With the county’s fiscal year beginning October 1, the vote on the taxes will be held in September and, Weightman said, “We’re going to do a little investigation into what the proposed taxes could mean for our District. Two additional fire stations are planned for our area, but they’re staff-ranked based on the pot of money available to fund them. With as many folks as there are moving here,

everybody says, ‘I need it now,’ but I rely on the fire chief, the experts, who tell us that while it’s tough here for response times, we still have to spend those millions of dollars where they say we need them first.”

Weightman also noted that Pasco’s new Fire Chief Anthony (Tony) Perez, who lives in District 2, just took over on Aug. 1, “But, he has fantastic energy, so I’m excited to see what he will do about fire services in not just my district, but the entire county.”

“Eatertainment”

“Whenever a big project comes in, and someone spreads all of these plans out on this table,” Weightman said, “my two questions are, ‘What are these people going to do for work?’ and ‘What are they going to do for fun?’ I get asked these questions by residents daily. If we’re going to build these projects, some of which are bigger than the incorporated cities we have here, why don’t we have a Disney-style downtown with food, drink and green spaces? Most folks don’t just want chain restaurants, they want places where you have the right space for a boutique-style diner, wine bar or whatever.”

“So now,” he laughed, “Other Board members are now asking when these large projects come in, where’s Weightman’s ‘Eatertainment’ going to be? Mixed-use projects, like out in front of Saddlebrook (see pg. 10), where’s your fun things for folks to do?”

In fact, even though Avalon Park Wesley Chapel’s downtown was approved before he took office, Weightman said, “I think Avalon Park is on to something there. Having these places within these communities keeps people off the roads. The models for us here in Pasco are to look at downtown New Port Richey, downtown Zephyrhills or downtown Dade City. People will come to them, they’ll create jobs, moms and dads can meet folks, and someone can live their American dream — it’s a way to build a sense of community.”

And, even though change is inevitable, Weightman said that he hears many longtime Pasco residents complaining that the county, “isn’t what it used to be because of all these new folks. So, I say we need these types of downtown areas to build those communities. And I think we’re gaining traction on it, so we’ll see.”

‘Live Local’ Challenges

“There are challenges everywhere,” Weightman admitted. “There’s a new law

out there called the ‘Live Local Act,’ which is the state’s way of trying to find more people an affordable way to live. But, buried deep inside of this bill, it preempts cities and counties from saying ‘No’ to multi-family apartments on any commercially- or light industrial-zoned properties.”

He added, “I hit this thing head-on right out of the gate, to protect our job-creating sites. We now have six projects in the pipeline, over 1,000 units, on C2 (business and office) commercially-zoned properties throughout the county. One problem with this is that we weren’t planning for hundreds of residential units to come in; we were planning for jobs to come in.”

He also said that the bigger, compounding issue with this law is if at least 40% of the units in these properties are “affordable” housing, “they’re tax-exempt until 2059, but we still have to provide services to them. We have to figure out how to get fire service to them, etc.” The law was unanimously passed by the Florida House and Senate and signed by the governor.

“In Pasco, we value our jobs, and to be a thriving county, we need a balanced county. We’re very housing-rich and jobs poor. The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council has a chart that shows this, and it’s not just us — it’s also Hernando, Citrus, your growing kind of traditionally rural counties. In order to stop just being ‘bedroom’ communities, you really have to focus on the rezonings and protect these sites, to allow jobs to come in. Now, at all of our properties that have commercial and industrial zonings, the

developers could sell those sites to an affordable housing developer and the cities and counties can’t do anything to stop it.”

He said he started working with our state legislature, “because I didn’t believe that they meant for this to happen, but somehow, some way, it got passed, and this language affecting our job-creating sites made it into this bill. It might work for Orlando or for Tampa, but it’s not a one-sizefits-all, as it could really damage Pasco.”

He said that the county already has six sites that are being affected by this, “One of the six sites is close to my district, on S.R. 54. Two of the six did not disclose the parcel ID or say where they’re wanting to (put this affordable housing) just yet. But, they will ultimately have to come in with a site plan, so that’s when we’ll find out.”

So now, when people are coming to look at commercially-zoned sites in Wesley Chapel, Weightman’s first question is, “What’s your intention? Because we know that it’s in the back of their minds when they negotiate with the county that they could always just cut a deal with a Live Local apartment developer and there’s nothing that we can do about it.”

He adds that, “It’s important to be vocal about it and I’m not afraid to ask the question. We recently had one developer come in who wouldn’t agree to put a deed restriction that would have not allowed for residential zoning on their property, so Weightman told the developer, “When it comes for a vote to approve your site plan, you might not get my vote to approve it.”

He added, “We’ve been trying to educate the planning commission to ask these developers in advance to agree to this type of deed restriction. People in our area need to know about this. What you might think is a Publix or Amazon could very quickly not be that. They could put up Live Local apartment units — with no caps. They can do whatever the highest density that’s allowed in that jurisdiction and whatever the highest height a building can be in that jurisdiction.”

‘Build-To-Rent’ Issues

“Build-to-Rent” is another recent development that Weightman said is exploding.

“Investors are buying 60 acres at a time and they’re building these build-to-rent houses because they’re tied to single-family.”

Here’s how he says it works:

“You’re looking to buy a house in

Tine & Joe’s Café in downtown Zephyrhills, is located across 5th Ave. from the Zephyrhills Brewing Co., which are the types of “Eatertainment” establishments Comm. Weightman wants to see in new communities.

Wesley Chapel, they’re like $600-800,000. You’re making a big investment, and you don’t realize that tied to the neighborhood are build-to-rent units that look like houses, but are actually deconstructed apartments. Their rules are multi-family and we have hundreds of these units all over the place.”

He noted that build-to-rent “homes” do not have to adhere to single-family home architectural design standards, “Plus, the product’s not platted, so you can’t sell it off as a single-family-home product. It looks like a duck, it quacks like a duck, but it’s not.”

He also admitted that, “It’s kind of a donut hole within our code. My fear was that you come in and make a big investment in your home and you don’t realize that right next to you, there are hundreds of units that are rentals. They don’t have the same driveway or landscaping standards, etc.”

He notes that in Quail Hollow, where the golf course and clubhouse were razed, the new Siena Cove neighborhood is buildto-rent, but the Villages of Quail Hollow directly behind it is single family. “My concern,” he said, “is to protect the investment of the property owners who aren’t renting, to ensure that their property doesn’t decline.”

Weightman has begun working with the staff, the development community, all of the stakeholders, to address build-torent regulations. “We’re very early in the process, we just have our first memorandum that addressed this,” he said. “We started working on it in January, and our regulation now is, if you’re going to do build to rent, the product is platted, so it can be sold off individually. It’s not just sold as one big apartment complex. They’ll be platted and their architectural design standards are that they have to match the single-family-home product.”

He said he also is looking into the different styles of build to rent. He said there’s one going on Old Pasco Rd. that’s going to be build-to-rent “horizontal apartments,” which is another style.

“There are a few different versions of this product out there,” he said. “We’re trying to figure out how these types of products fit into our code and the quality and value standards of our communities.”

Taylor noted that the first policy memo, “was sent out in April, but because there are so many different styles of this, we’re working on additional ones. But, the first piece,

the build-to-rent products that have driveways, was approved in April by the Board.”

To which Weightman added, “That was a good win for us to start addressing this product. It was our initiative and we got it pushed through and we’re excited to be able to start addressing build-to-rent products to be up to our quality and value standards.”

On Preserving Pasco

Weightman said he’s also, “big on preserving big environmental spaces. And, the county has the Environmental Lands Acquisition & Management Program (ELAMP) to do just that. Within our district, there are sites that we’re taking a hard look at. And for me, if we’re successful in capturing these sites for water control, keeping our wildlife corridors open, that’d be a huge win.”

He added, however, that he doesn’t take “pulling properties off the tax roles lightly, either, so if we’re successful in preserving these lands for perpetuity, everything that goes into preserving a piece of historical Florida and Pasco County, I hope to be successful in doing that.”

He also noted that there aren’t many such sites in Dist. 2, “but there’s more than one and we’re in the very early stages of conversation on one of them. We’re involving Swiftmud because there’s always a water component to it. I think residents old and new will be able to appreciate if we’re able to do that for recreation and water quality — everything that folks like.”

In Closing...

“I’m only nine months in,” Weightman concluded, “but I am trying to bring a different way of thinking, such as, ‘What is quality of life?’ We’ve been busy. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished in a short amount of time. We’ve hit the ground running and I’m excited to see how we can round out the year.”

He added, “We know what we have here in Pasco County; everybody wants a piece of us. We’re the fifth fastest-growing county in the entire country. We know we have something special. It’s time that we recognize that and know that we have a (great county) here that I intend to continue to work hard to try to make better.”

To contact District 2 Pasco Commissioner Seth Weightman, email him at SWeightman@mypasco.net.

WC Contract Postal Unit To Open Soon!

By GARY NAGER

In our last issue, I told you that the Wesley Chapel Contract Postal Unit (CPU) was getting ready to open in the Freedom Plaza, in the space next to Bosco’s Italian-to-Go that previously was occupied by the 3D Wellness Pharmacy (at 30124 S.R. 54).

Literally an hour after I sent that issue to press, I finally learned the first and last names of the new contractors — Jevon and Cindy Williams, a husband-and-wife team of Realtors based in Wesley Chapel with EXP Realty. I also found out that Jevon and Cindy were planning to open the CPU by the first or no later than the second week of August — and just before we went to press with this issue, Jevon confirmed that the location should be open within a couple of days of you receiving this issue in your mailbox, if it’s not already open!

“We are truly excited to serve the Wesley Chapel community,” Jevon told me. “This location will have a lot more visibility from S.R. 54 than the previous (CPU) location on Boyette Rd.”

As for the parking concerns at the busy Freedom Plaza, Jevon also noted that despite the fact the long, but narrow, parking lot stretching from Bagelicious & More to Taco Son does get

pretty full at certain times, as does the even narrower portion of the lot from Great Hope Preschool to EZ Smoke Shop, “There are twelve spaces on the smoke shop side of the building (above) facing 54 that usually aren’t filled.”

And, even though the former CPU on Boyette Rd. also had parking issues, especially during the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, “We are confident that there is more parking overall at this location than there was at the old location. No matter what, we are going to make it work.”

Jevon also confirmed that in addition to its postal services, the CPU will sell a variety of gifts and also will offer free coffee to its customers.

Wesley Chapel CPU contractor Jevon Williams says the 12 spaces to the left of the EZ Smoke Shop should help parking for his postal customers.

Pasco County Commissioners Approve Saddlebrook Rezoning!

Residents & Developer Come To Agreement Over Redevelopment Plan Prior To Commission Vote On July 11!

By GARY NAGER

Although the planned rezoning of Saddlebrook Resort and its surrounding community was a fairly long and contentious fight between the community’s existing residents and Miamibased Mast Capital — which purchased the 480-acre resort last year for $15 million — the good news is that the battled was settled amicably.

On July 11, Pasco’s Board of County Commissioners (BCC) approved Mast Capital’s redevelopment plan for Saddlebrook after a hard-fought agreement finally was reached between the residents and the developer.

After dozens of meetings since Mast’s purchase of the property, the BCC vote was unanimous and most of the residents who spoke before the vote part said they were happy with the plan. Among those who expressed their concerns were Saddlebrook condominium owners who said they were unhappy that they would have to pay for renovations to their units by the developer out of their own pockets.

There are four redevelopment areas under the plan approved by the County Commission on July 11 (see site map above):

Development Area #1:

This 35-acre parcel on S.R. 54 will replace the current driving range that fronts 54 (see photo on next page). This section will include 75,000 square feet of commercial, retail and office uses in a neotraditional village (similar to what is being built in Avalon Park Wesley Chapel) with 465 apartments and 36 townhome units. The planned multi-story buildings will have retail or office uses on the ground floor, with apartments above and behind them.

Amenities in this development area will include a clubhouse, swimming pool, outdoor amenities and parks. This area also includes a new “Vision Road H,” which will extend south from S.R. 54 at the westernmost edge of Saddlebrook and provide access to multiple gated entrances.

Development Area #2:

Located further to the east on 54, Mast purchased this 20-acre site, which will feature 25,000 sq. ft. of commercial, retail and office space and 120 additional townhome units. This development area will actually be separated from Saddlebrook by fences and will include its own clubhouse, swimming pool, outdoor amenity areas and parks.

There will be no access to Saddlebrook for residents and businesses in Development Area #2, which will have

its own entrance at the intersection of 54 and Vandine Rd., which already has its own traffic signal (at the existing the Racetrac gas station).

Development Area #s 3a & 3b: Mast’s plan calls for Development Area #3a (in yellow on site map above) to “maintain an area that equates to a minimum of 20 of the current tennis courts, which may be used as tennis, pickleball or paddle tennis, or for similar outdoor racket sport use. New development (which is defined to not include renovations) within Area 3a shall be limited to construction of additional surface parking and construction of one-story structures that are ancillary to court use and to surface parking uses.”

“Any new development within Area #3b (in orange on the site map) (which is defined to not include renovations) shall be limited to construction of a clubhouse for the golf course(s) (not to exceed 12,000 sq. ft.), restaurant(s) (not to exceed 5,000 sq. ft.), a cart barn, surface parking, maintenance structure(s) and area(s) and golf bag storage structure.”

Restricted Development Area #4:

“Restricted Area #4 (in light gray with pink outlines on site map) may only be used as a 27-hole golf course(s) replacing the 36 holes in the Arnold Palmer-designed Saddlebrook

and Palmer courses), together with any ancillary and incidental uses to the operation and maintenance of a golf course(s), including, without limitation, practice facilities, vehicular parking around putting greens, chipping areas, a conventional driving range, player-based food and beverage areas, open areas, landscaping, irrigation, drainage improvements, floodplain compensation(limited to the stormwater runoff and drainage caused by the permitted uses, and maintenance activities, special events associated with the operation of a golf course(s), and any other uses customarily applicable to the operation of a golf course(s) (collectively “Restricted Area #4 permitted uses”).

Barbara Wilhite, Mast’s attorney, said the 27 holes of golf will be designed by a new golf course designer as three nine-hole golf courses and noted that the driving range will be relocated. In addition, all of the current golf course areas will be restricted to golf and open space.

Restricted Area #4 also will have separate tee areas for those enrolled at the Saddlebrook Prep Golf Academy and golf members and resort guests.

In a statement, Mast noted that since buying the property in March 2022, it has “invested in repairs and upgrades, including adding the pick-

leball courts. It has also relocated the hotel gym, replaced all of the buildings’ roofs and added a new fleet of vehicles at the property.

It also has stated that, ays that in addition to all of the new features, the developer plans to invest “millions of dollars in capital improvements” to the existing resort, from modernizing the resort’s lobby, food and beverage areas, guest rooms and meeting space to making swimming pool upgrades.

Saddlebrook Resort was developed by Tom Dempsey, now 97, the former owner of Penton Publishing (a subsidiary of Pittway Corp.), in 1979, and was purchased by the Dempsey family from Pittway in 1988. The family owned the resort until it was sold to Mast Capital last year.

Saddlebrook Resort currently is still open for golf, tennis, spa services, dining and lodging. We were not yet aware of a timetable for the planned renovations to begin, according to an article in the Tampa Bay Times, the agreement requires Mast, “to have all the new amenities started before the town center apartments begin and sets percentages of resort work that must be done as that mixed residential and commercial area moves forward.”

For more information about Saddlebrook Resort, visit Saddlebrook.com or call (813) 973-1111.

(Above) This driving range near the S.R. 54 entrance to Saddlebrook Resort, will be moved when Mast Capital begins the redevelopment of the Saddlebrook community.

(Neighborhood News file photo by Charmaine George) (Below) Rendering of Saddlebrook renovations provided by Mast Capital.

Compromise Reached On Seven Oaks Parcel Adjacent To Clubhouse

By GARY NAGER

A dispute between the residents of Seven Oaks and Crown Community Development, which developed the master-planned community, has been settled with an impressive compromise, brokered in no small part by Pasco County District 2 Commissioner Seth Weightman (see story on pages 4-7), who represents Seven Oaks and most of Wesley Chapel on the Board of County Commissioners (BCC).

Since 2017, Crown has been trying to re-zone a vacant parcel of nearly 1.2 acres (see map) that is adjacent to the Seven Oaks Community Club for both office and possible recreational uses.

The unspecified recreational uses, which could have been anything from a park to a bowling alley to a putt-putt golf course, was the cause of the dispute between Crown and the residents of Seven Oaks, led by Seven Oaks Community Development District (CDD) supervisor Jon Tomsu.

The concern was that these types of recreational uses would attract large numbers of cars to not only travel, but also possibly park, on Seven Oaks’ primary north-south thoroughfare, Ancient Oaks Blvd.

The BCC had turned down Crown’s

rezoning request back in 2018, but a mediator ruled in June of 2020 that the Parcel 12 could be divided in two, with the 16.8-acre CDD maintaining its ownership of Parcel 12A (which includes the community center), and Crown retaining the 1.2-acre Parcel 12B, with the ability to add office uses.

The fate of the parcel still had not been decided when Covid hit in 2020 and the possible rezoning wasn’t brought back to the BCC for a vote until its July 11 meeting.

Weightman brought Tomsu and Crown attorney Barbara Wilhite together to settle the dispute, with Tomsu saying that although he was OK with a less intrusive PO-1 office use for the 50,000+-sq.-ft. space, he would not agree to any “recreational use” on the site.

After Wilhite agreed to the officeonly stipulation, the agreement was brought before the BCC and unanimously approved.

“That was a great coming together of two parties — the residents of Seven Oaks and Crown Development,” Weightman said. “Ultimately, the CDD leadership and Crown came together to go with office space and match what was already there. It was a nice negotiation and agreement to

have that issue come to an end and I think it was the best possible resolution for that site.”

Weightman’s legislative aide Andy Taylor agreed.

“When they were talking about recreational uses, like a Main Eventstyle use, where people would be coming in and parking on the roads in Seven Oaks, everything about it just didn’t make sense. It was nice to see it finally get resolved amicably.”

The rezoning will have a second reading before the BCC the day this issue hit mailboxes (Tues., Aug. 8), but will not offer opportunity for public comment, as per Wilhite’s request on July 11.

AutoNation Dealership To Sell Used Cars; Black Rifle Plan Withdrawn

By GARY NAGER

After months of trying to find out what type of auto dealership AutoNation, which owns and operates both new and used car dealerships, was planning to open (see site map), our editorial researcher Joel Provenzano was able to find out that the dealership under construction behind Cigars International on the south side of S.R. 56 will be a used car lot, similar to Carmax.

AutoNation USA, which also owns the Mercedes Benz of Wesley Chapel dealership on the east side of S.R. 56 (less than a half-mile from the underconstruction used car dealership), owns 300+ new and used car dealerships across the country, making it the fourth largest owner of auto dealerships in the U.S.

One of the company’s used car slogans is “We’ll Buy Your Car” (“Even if you don’t buy ours”), as AutoNation provides its customers with a competitive, no-purchase-necessary, same-day cash offer that is valid for seven days, helping fuel its share of the used vehicle market while ensuring the most extensive selection available to AutoNation USA customers.

According to a statement from AutoNation’s public relations department, “AutoNation USA makes buying a pre-owned vehicle easy. (Our) One Price Pre-Owned vehicles feature a low, haggle-free price. AutoNation USA’s focus on customer excellence is what drives the organization to ensure that it maintains a favorable reputation, has the widest selection of quality used vehicles available across the network, along with low, no-haggle pricing, competitive financing, and streamlined online inventory tools that make vehicle selection easy.”

The AutoNation dealership will encompass a total of 22,723 sq. ft., with more than 11,000 of that the used car showroom and nearly 8,000 sq. ft. for the nine-lift service area. For more information, visitAutoNation.com.

Black Rifle Coffee? No More!

Even though I had never had Black Rifle Coffee, I was excited — as many of you were — that a new non-Starbucks coffee place was planning to open in our area.

Many of us got even more excited when they saw the new building going vertical on S.R. 56, just west of Rock & Brews, thinking that it was Black Rifle getting ready to open.

Ummm, no. Although it hasn’t been widely reported, Black Rifle withdrew its plans to build a location with a drive-through in our area. The building that got a lot of folks excited will be a new Paradise Grills location (see below).

Black Rifle, founded and operated by U.S. military veterans, currently has 18 locations in several states, including two in Georgia. Ours would have been the second store in Florida, but unfortunately, unless it resurfaces, that plan is gone.

The only good news is that Black Rifle Coffee is available at local Walmart stores, so even though it’s not the same as experiencing it at one of the company’s shops, it’ll have to do.

Almost Paradise (Grills)!

Paradise Grills, the outdoor kitchen superstore, with a nearby location on N. Dale Mabry Hwy. in Tampa, is the building in the bottom photo below that is under construction due west of Rock & Brews.

Paradise Grills allows you to design your own outdoor living experience, offering ten different grill islands and ten different bar systems to customize your outdoor kitchen, with lots of different available grills and accessories.

It’s a cool concept that already has about 50 locations in seven states, more than half of which are here in the Sunshine State.

For more information, visit ParadiseGrillsDirect.com.

(Top) The large area in white is the under-construction AutoNation used car dealership south of S.R. 56. (Center) A recent photo of the progress on AutoNation. (Bottom) The progress on Paradise Grills, located due west of Rock & Brews. (Photos by Charmaine George)

Checking In With Congresswoman Laurel Lee’s Tampa Palms Office!

By GARY NAGER

Unbeknownst to many, including yours truly — at least until a couple of months ago — U.S. Congresswoman Laurel Lee (R-Brandon), who was elected to serve in the newly redistricted District 15 in the U.S. House of Representatives in November, quietly opened a local office in the Tampa Palms Professional Center.

So, when District 7 Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera told me about her new office, I knew I wanted to at least try to speak with the former Florida Secretary of State (who resigned to run for Congress) about a number of important issues. My first question, however, was “How did Rep. Lee decide to open an office in Tampa Palms?”

And, while I didn’t speak directly with the Congresswoman, her communications director Grace Bartlinski was able to send me answers to most of my questions, including to the one above:

“This location is right along 75, allowing constituents from all over the district to have access (to it).”

And, since Rep. Lee took over from Rep. Gus Bilirakis as the member of Congress representing Wesley Chapel, as well as New Tampa, in the redistricting, I felt the answers given to my questions also were important for people living in zip codes 33543, 33544 & 33545 to know where she stands on a variety of issues.

As to what constituent services are available at the Tampa Palms office, Bartlinski said, “Constituents can call our District Office or visit in person to receive help with any issues they might have. Our office can help those who need help with a federal agency, have questions about VA (Veterans Administration) benefits, getting a passport, or who have questions about open casework. Constituents also can call in to voice their concerns, so the Congresswoman can best represent Florida’s 15th District.”

I also wanted to know how often Rep. Lee would be at the local office and whether or not she would host/attend any meetings in our area.

“When the House is out of session,” Bartlinski said, “the Congresswoman is in the District taking meetings with constituents, local businesses and community lead-

ers throughout the District. (She) is planning (to host) community meetings and more telephone town halls in the future. Be sure to sign up for her newsletter (see info at the end of this story) and follow her on social media to stay up to date on when the next events will be announced.”

As to what bills Rep. Lee has so far authored or co-authored, Rep. Lee released the following statement on July 25, following the House passing H.R. 4470, the Protecting and Securing Chemical Facilities from Terrorists Attacks Act of 2023 she authored.

“This bill (which has now gone to the Senate for final approval) will extend the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) authority to ensure the security measures and standards of chemical facilities are reauthorized, Rep. Lee said in a statement. “The CFATS program identifies and regulates high-risk chemical facilities across the U.S. to ensure they have security measures in place to reduce the risks associated with certain chemicals and terrorist threats posed by foreign actors. My bill will ensure that the CFATS Program remains authorized so that Department of Homeland Security Officials can continue working with these facilities to keep our communities safe.”

She added, “I applaud the House for working in a bipartisan manner to reauthorize the CFATS Program, ensuring communities across the country can remain protected from terrorist attacks. Collaboration between industry leaders and the Department of Homeland Security has never been more important with cyber attacks becoming more common. I’d like to thank Chairman Green for his leadership and support during the process of moving this bill.”

Another bill Rep. Lee has authored is:

• H.R. 4563, the “American Confidence in Elections (ACE) Act of 2023.” This legislation will equip states with election integrity tools to ensure all Americans’ First Amendment rights are safe. Additionally, this legislation will prevent non-citizen voting, ensure that the men and women serving our country have their ballots counted, and (will provide) direct federal resources to increase election security measures.

Additionally, Bartlinski said that Rep. Lee has co-sponsored the following bills that have already passed the House:

• H.R. 662, the “Block Grant Assistance Act of 2023.” This bill authorizes the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide as block grants to states and territories certain funding available to assist agricultural producers with losses due to droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos (wind storms), excessive heat, tornadoes, winter storms, freezes, smoke exposure, and excessive moisture occurring in calendar year 2022.

• H.R. 277, the “REINS Act,” which revises provisions relating to congressional review of agency rulemaking.

• H.R. 5, the “Parents Bill of Rights.” This bill establishes various rights of parents and guardians regarding the public elementary or secondary school education (including secondary career and technical education) of their children. Local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools must comply with the requirements of the bill in order to receive federal education funds.

• H.J. Res. 27, which provides for congressional disapproval under Chapter 8

of Title 5 of the United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of the Army’s Corps of Engineers, Department of Defense and the Environmental Protection Agency relating to “Revised Definition of ‘Waters of the United States.’”

• H.J. Res. 44, which provides for congressional disapproval under Chapter 8 of Title 5 of the United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives relating to “Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached ‘Stabilizing Braces.’”

In addition, Bartlinski said, the fol-

Elected in November, U.S. Congresswoman Laurel Lee (R-Dist. 15) already has been actively sponsoring bills. Rep. Lee has a constituent office now open in the Tampa Palms Professional Center.

(Photo provided by Rep. Lee’s communications director Grace Bartlinski)

lowing are bills the Congresswoman has introduced or cosponsored, and letters:

• “National Human Trafficking Hotline Enhancement Act” (bipartisan and introduced with U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor). This legislation would require entities that contract with the National Human Trafficking Hotline to cooperate with state and local law enforcement when receiving tips through the Hotline. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody and 35 other state attorneys general recently contacted House and Senate Leadership to express outrage that the Hotline is not reporting human trafficking tips to law enforcement unless the victim self-reports. This disrupts the federal-state partnership to end human trafficking.

• “OPIOIDS Act” (bipartisan and she introduced). This legislation will increase training for state and local law enforcement officers, update systems used for drug tracing and provide federal grants for training and resources to stop secondary drug exposure to first responders.

• “Saving Our Invaluable Land (SOIL) Act” (bipartisan). This bill would prohibit China, Iran, Russia and North Korea from owning or renting land within 10 miles of a sensitive site (military bases, important research facilities, and other locations containing sensitive/top-secret information or resources).

• Rep. Lee is a member of the Everglades Caucus (bipartisan) and signed a letter to President Biden requesting he include $725 million for Everglades Restoration in his Presidential Budget. This bipartisan caucus advocates for restoration projects in the Everglades and works closely with our state partners to ensure this land is protected.

• The Congresswoman voted in support of an Amendment that would prevent offshore drilling off the coast of Florida.

• She cosponsored H.R. 314, the “Force Act.” This bill would prohibit the removal of Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism until Cuba’s communist regime stops terrorizing its citizens.

• She also signed appropriations letters for Israel’s defense.

• Rep. Lee also was the original cosponsor of H.R. 4162, the “Land Grant Research Prioritization Act.”

The Congresswoman serves on the House Administration, Judiciary, and Homeland Security Committees. Bartlinski said that Rep. Lee looks forward to the National Human Trafficking Hotline Enhancement Act (introduced with Rep. Kathy Castor, D-FL 14) and the OPIOIDS Act (she introduced both) being brought to the House Floor to be considered. Additionally, her bills, H.R. 4470 and H.R. 4563, passed out of committee and now head to the House Floor for final passage.

Priorities & Positions

Bartlinski also said that one of Rep. Lee’s top priorities is securing our southern border and ensuring community safety. In May, the House passed the most comprehensive border security bill to date, H.R. 2, aka the “Secure the Border Act.” Additionally, the Congresswoman is working to stop government overreach and restore Congress’ role to check the regulatory actions of federal

agencies. She cosponsored the REINS Act, which will rein in government overreach and ensure government accountability.

“The Congresswoman also is committed to making goods and services more affordable,” Bartlinski said. “Inflation is hurting Americans’ pocketbooks — we have seen prices at the gas pump and grocery stores skyrocket.” Rep. Lee co-sponsored the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which would keep taxes low for small businesses and all Americans: “When we keep taxes low and curb wasteful spending (in) Washington, we put more money back into Americans’ pockets.”

In addition, as a member of the Homeland Security Committee, Bartlinski said, “The Congresswoman is working to secure the southern border. (She) believes securing our border, enforcing our laws and taking steps to ensure we stop unchecked illegal immigration is the humanitarian thing to do. The border is not secure and when we fail to enforce our laws, we empower criminals. The House recently passed the most comprehensive border security bill to date (H.R. 2, the “Secure the Border Act,” for which Rep. Lee voted ‘yes’). A few weeks ago, the Homeland Security Committee launched an investigation into Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ dereliction of duty. Through this investigation, the Committee will get answers for the American people.”

In fact, on July 26, Rep. Lee was one of the members of Congress who questioned Secretary Mayorkas at the House Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “Oversight of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.”

Rep. Lee pressed Mayorkas on his department’s failure to keep tabs on more than a million illegal immigrants, and Mayorkas admitted that only about 180,000 of those illegals had voluntarily provided information to the Department. And, while Mayorkas said Homeland Security was prioritizing the detention of illegal immigrants considered to be potential threats to the U.S., “we simply don’t have the manpower to detain all of them.”

On another front, said Bartlinski, “The Congresswoman also believes that the U.S. has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. We cannot keep spending our grandchildren’s money — to get our budget under control, Congress has to cut spending. Rep. Lee looks forward to working to get our fiscal house back in order and put money back into Americans’ pockets.”

Bartlinski also noted that, as a former judge, the Congresswoman respects the law and Constitution and is deeply committed to upholding the law and will support those rights granted to American citizens.

In April, Rep. Lee also became the first Florida member of the U.S. Congress to endorse Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for President in 2024.

As for trying to help Wesley Chapel get a full-service Post Office, Bartlinski said she would look into it and get back to me.

For more info about Rep. Lee’s position on various issues, visit https://laurellee. house.gov/services or follow her on social media. For a complete list of bills she has introduced, co-sponsored and voted on, visit https://www.congress.gov/member/laurellee/L000597?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5 B%22laurel+lee%22%5D%7D&s=2&r=1.

It’s All On The Avenue We’re Taking You To (Or Near?) — 42nd St.!

By GARY NAGER

For years, whenever anyone headed southwest from Tampa Palms on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. towards the Lake Forest subdivision, there really wasn’t much between the two on the west side of BBD other than a gas station, a flower shop (A Special Rose Florist, now located in Tampa Palms), a do-ityourself car wash, an Ob/Gyn office and the North Oaks condominiums.

Just north of North Oaks, a street labeled as 42nd St. already was home to the Palma Verde apartments, a small rental apartment development built in 1965 made up of ten one-bedroom units in five buildings.

Then, roughly eight years ago, Angels Senior Living at New Tampa Assisted Living & Memory Care, which has a sign at the corner of 42nd and BBD, near the Palma Verde apartments (which are managed by Martino Chillura Management), became the second establishment to open on 42nd St. Both Angels and Palma Verde have Tampa addresses in zip code 33613.

The 42nd St. location, which offers 102 beds and 89 total units (including 24 secured memory care apartments), is one of eleven senior living facilities the Angels Senior Living parent company operates throughout the Tampa Bay area. Photographer Charmaine George and I toured Angels and I will say that it is quaint, super-clean and provides its seniors with home health care, therapy, pharmaceutical services, adult day care, respite care and a lovely place to live.

What prompted me to write this story, however, was the fact that until more of the property on BBD began being cleared a couple of years ago, to add more than 750 total additional rental units (see below), I honestly didn’t even know Angels was there. Yes, we had published stories about the new apartment units that had begun construction at that time, but now, as you head north on 42nd St. from Angels, you realize that not only are there sparkling, new apartments for rent, but also that the street seems to change names to what is now called Cypress Cay Blvd.

This mile-or-so-long stretch of Cypress Cay Blvd. actually does have a separate curb cut on BBD just north of 42nd St. In addition, even though Palma Verde and Angels are located in zip code 33613, the new

apartment communities — the separate Lantana and Sage at Cypress Cay rental communities located north of Angels — actually have Lutz addresses in zip code 33559.

Cypress Cay Blvd. continues past the 252-unit Lantana (which just welcomed its first residents a couple of weeks ago and is not yet 100% completed) and 304-unit Sage (which has been open for about a year) communities and winds its way towards a new multi-family development known as the Cottages at Cypress Cay, which will include 198 total additional rental units in 71 buildings.

Although we don’t yet have much information about the Cottages at Cypress Cay, based on the photo of its sign (below), it appears that, like Lantana and Sage, it also will be seeking to reach upscale apartment renters. Lantana and Sage feature 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments ranging from $1,800 to more than $3,000 per month. And, while they are located near USF, these are not your usual student apartments, with their beautiful lobby areas, upscale amenities and gated security.

Both Lantana and Sage are being developed by RangeWater Real Estate, which has developed dozens of apartment communities in 11 states, including Ascend Grove West and Beacon Epperson in Wesley Chapel. We were told that Sage, which is nearing its capacity, is now under contract to be sold.

Meanwhile, The Cottages are being developed by Capstone Communities, which also has developed thousands of units in over half the U.S. (including 8 projects in Florida), but is making its debut in the Tampa Bay area.

And, just northeast of where Cypress Cay Blvd. meets BBD (see map on next page), there is an undeveloped commercial lot. We don’t yet know what is planned for that site, but will update that for you in a future issue.

(Top) For about 50 years, the for-lease Palma Verde apartments at the corner of Bruce B. Downs Blvd. & 42nd St. were the only buildings on 42nd St. But, eight years ago, the Angels Senior Living Assisted Living & Memory Care residence (middle and bottom photos) opened, and the beautiful lobby area has been welcoming residents to its 102 studio, 1- and 2-bedroom and 24 memory care apartments ever since. (Photos by Charmaine George)

(Top to bottom) Today, Cypress Cay Blvd. extends north from 42nd St. and is home to the Lantana at Cypress Cay apartments, the Sage at Cypress Cay apartments (two middle photos) and (bottom) the coming-soon Cottages at Cypress Cay rental townhomes.

Lantana Apts.

Sage Apts. Cypress Cay Blvd.

Angels & Palma Verde

42nd St.

Comml. Propty.

‘Grease’ Was The Word At The New Tampa Performing Arts Center!

By GARY NAGER

The last time I performed in “Grease,” the 1972 Tony Award-winning musical about mythical Rydell High in 1959, I was Teen Angel and Johnny Casino in summer camp.

I auditioned to be Teen Angel in the New Tampa Players production of “Grease” — which missed selling out all six shows in the new New Tampa Performing Arts Center by fewer than 10 seats total — but the role rightly went to the much more talented Trevor Lloyd (more on him in a bit).

Instead, I portrayed radio DJ “The Main Brain” Vince Fontaine and was officially the oldest member of an incredible cast of mostly “kids” ages 15-34 — and loved every minute of it.

With five cast members either still in or having just graduated from high school, NTP’s “Grease” had the look and feel of the Broadway hit and the cast didn’t disappoint. Under the direction and musical direction of G. Frank Meekins, with great choreography by Sarah Walston (see pg. 28 for more on them), these very young performers wowed close to 2,000 people between the six shows.

“We’re season ticket holders at the Straz Center (in downtown Tampa),” one couple told me after the first performance. “And this was a good as anything we’ve seen there.”

Were they kidding or exaggerating? Not in my book. Real-life substitute teacher Dylan Fidler was a powerhouse as Danny, especially his hand jive contest-winning duet dance with Makayla Raines as Cha-Cha DiGregorio, and crowd-pleasing karaoke favorite duet “Summer Nights” with Olivia Carr’s innocent (but later transformed) Sandy. At 17, “Liv” owns her own music business and she and Dylan also got high marks for the Olivia Newton-John/John Travolta duet “You’re the One that I Want” from the hit 1978 movie version of the show.

But, the rest of the cast members were all so talented and fun to work with, too.

Kyle Fisher, who works for USAA Insurance, was perfectly cast as Kenickie. His rendition of “Greased Lightning,” with Walston’s outstanding choreography with both the full-sized 1957 Chrysler and most of the guys in the cast, definitely rocked the house.

Photo above courtesy of Picture This Photography of Palma Ceia. All other photos on these pages by Charmaine George

(Clockwise from above left) Four scenes from Act I of “Grease” — “Grease is the Word,” “Rydell Alma Mater,” “Those Magic Changes,” & “Alma Mater Parody”

Target employee Jake Veit, 22, who was rightfully likened to late-‘50s pop star Ricky Nelson by Broadway World.com reviewer Peter Nason, charmed while singing “Those Magic Changes,” while the duet between 18-yearold Tripp Peavyhouse (as Roger, aka “Rump”) and University of Tampa musical theatre major Anna Jeffries (as Jan) on “Mooning” was so sweet and cute it gave me a toothache every time.

Meanwhile, 22-year-old Heather Rich (Marty), who hopes to be a forensic psychologist after graduating with Psychology and Theatre degrees from the same program at UT as Jeffries, belted out a stirring “Freddy, My Love.”

And, commercial leasing agent Alyson Gannon was another audience favorite as the rough-edged Rizzo, whose sarcastic “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee” was one of the best-received songs in Act 1, and her heartfelt “There are Worse Things I Could Do” was one of the top moments from Act 2.

Speaking of Act 2, Lloyd, who previously wrote for another local publication and who currently writes for Savvy Dealer automotive websites, was a super-cool Johnny Casino on “Born to Hand Jive” and a true show-stopper as the Teen Angel on “Beauty School Dropout.” Oh, how I wish I could match Trevor’s falsetto. “Dropout” also featured most of the female cast members in pyramidic hair curlers providing comic relief. Props also go out to Chelsea Orvis, an ensemble player who not only rejects my Vince character at the dance but who also sang “It’s Raining on Prom Night” as a beautiful duet with Sandy — even though Chelsea was off-stage for the entire song, as it was supposed to be coming from a radio in Sandy’s lonely bedroom.

As for the cast members who didn’t have solo songs or duets, whether featured players or members of the ensemble, their backing vocals were always outstanding and their dance moves were super-impressive. One such standout was Michael Figueroa as the crude Sonny, who spent as much time being battered around the stage by Kenickie, Danny and even stay-at-home mom Suzanne Bainbridge’s Miss Lynch character when he wasn’t turning cartwheels or other athletic dance moves (which he says he learned how to do from the Just Dance! video game; who knew?).

Ariyonna Thomas, who manages two local Join Chiropractic centers, was super-cute as the high school and beauty school dropout Frenchy, who loves her friends but can’t pronounce anyone else’s name correctly.

For more of the “Grease” story & Act 2 photos, see pg. 26

More Act 1 scenes from the New Tampa Players production of “Grease”: (Top left) Jan & Roger sing “Mooning”; (Top center) Rizzo, Jan, Marty & Frenchy in “Freddy, My Love”; (Top right) Kenickie, Rizzo & Danny from “Look At Me, I’m Sandra Dee.” (2nd row, left, l.-r.) Sandy, Patty & Dakota’s “Fight Team, Fight!” (2nd row, right, front) Eugene, Sonny, Ms. Lynch & Doody. (3rd row) “Greased Lightning”; (Above) Sandy goes after Rizzo after “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee”: “I saw you making fun of me!!!” (Left) “We Go Together”

Continued from page 25

Although they’re also really good singers and dancers as part of the ensemble on most of the musical numbers, Starbucks barista Cassidy Haberland was great as Patty, the peppy cheerleader who’s sweet on Danny, while young substitute teacher Zach Smith provided lots of laughs as the bumbling class valedictorian Eugene. Meekins, Walston and NTP producing artistic director (and “Grease” stage manager) Nora Paine also did a great job of picking their ensemble players.

Not only was Raines, a behavioral therapist who works with special needs kids (including as one of the on-stage mentors during NTP’s Penguin Productions), amazing as Cha-Cha, her voice was as impressive as her dancing and her acting was spot-on, too.

Dakota Henry, at 15, was the youngest cast member. She is just starting her sophomore year at Pasco High, but she already is an accomplished singer who also has professional dance credits and is a standout in every ensemble dance number. Also fantastic was credit card processor Zane Sanrsour, who also learned how to dance from Just Dance!, but who somehow knew not only his own dance steps, but everyone else’s, too. I told Zane I would give him a much-deserved “assistant choreographer” credit for his efforts.

The remaining ensemble players also all had beautiful singing voices and auditioned for bigger roles, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t just as important to the success of the show, as they were the people most responsible for moving and locking down the brakes on the big, rolling set pieces between every scene.

Michael Neary, a remote IT tech for Stavvy in Boston, was Paine’s go-to guy for making sure everything was in its proper place on stage. He also earned laughs for his over-thetop solo hand jive during the dance contest.

Amanda Schapiro, a high school math teacher; Wesley Santana, who works for GTE Financial; and youngsters Mia De Choudens, a 17-year-old Wharton High senior; and Cypress Creek high junior Julian Rebelo, 16 (who also works at Sbarro at the Tampa Premium Outlets); rounded out the cast.

Yes, I was by far the oldest of the performers and had the smallest of all the speaking parts, but I can’t imagine that anyone had more fun on stage in “Grease” than I did. I even got my first-ever stage review from BrodwayWorld.com’s Nason, who raved about the show as a whole and called me “such a fun presence.” Thanks, Peter!

‘Shrek’ Is Next!

Although the cast had not yet been announced at our press time for NTP’s production of “Shrek, the Musical” (with shows Oct. 20-22 & 27-29) the auditions already were held and I chose to not try out, after seeing what a huge commitment it was to perform with this community theatre troupe. I can’t thank Nora, Frank, Sarah and the entire cast and crew (again, see pg. 28) for making me feel so at home. For “Shrek” tickets and more info, visit NewTampaPlayers.org.

(Top left) Every performance of “Grease” at the NTPAC was either fully or nearly sold out.(Top right) Director & musical director Frank Meekins. (2nd row, above right & below left) Scenes from the “High School Hop.” (Above left) “Beauty School Dropout. (Below left) “You’re the One that I Want.” (Below right) “We Go Together Reprise.”

Meet The Unsung Heroes Behind The New Tampa Players’ “Grease!”

By Deborah Bostock-Kelley Neighborhood News Correspondent

Nearly everyone knows “Grease,” the iconic musical with toe-tapping tunes, incredible dance moves, and romance and drama at Rydell High. Behind all of the show’s glitz and glamour lies tremendous hard work from a dedicated team making the cast look (and sound) as good as possible.

As the first official New Tampa Players (NTP) performance at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center, “Grease” is no ordinary musical — it’s a high-energy ride through the fabulous ‘50s, complete with a 1957 Chrysler that has to be dollied on and off stage. A hidden army of talented workers ensures the show’s success, working diligently behind the scenes. They don’t often get the spotlight, but the show could not go on without them.

NTP producing artistic director Nora Paine, a homeschool mom of four and the producing artistic director, also manages the stage, with the help of assistant stage managers Kristin Nelson, Emily Buonaquisiti and aspiring playwright Mark Weisenmiller. With her headset on and monitor in place, the company feels secure as Paine calls out cues from a barely lit space backstage. Her techy husband Joshua, “her theatre saint,” and son Sebastian also play vital roles, helping with support and lights (while Keith Eisenstadt designed the lighting).

Paine jokes that her favorite part of being a stage manager is “going to sound very stage managery, but it’s when a set change goes

well. The stage lights go down at the right time. The set pieces move in the choreography that you need them to. Everything slides in. The next set piece comes in. The lights go up, and the orchestra syncs all together.”

Nelson, a medical scribe and first-time assistant stage manager who has performed in some previous NTP productions, says, “My favorite thing has been watching the cast grow. I enjoy getting to be part of the magic behind the scenes. Creating this world was super cool.”

A recent high school graduate, Buonaquisiti adds, “I love working with the actors, especially during set changes making sure everything goes smoothly and safely.”

While the performers spend months perfecting their lines, vocals and choreography, the director and music director are the masterminds behind the magic. In this musical, those roles are handled by the same person.

A computer programmer by day, director and musical director G. Frank Meekins says his favorite moment was when, “we actually got our stage, and the production came to life. We finally had the space to spread our wings.”

Meekins says that wearing both hats for “Grease” required more effort, as his attention was split between the two different roles; however, having true directorial control allowed him the creativity to make the dialogue and music gel. “It’s rewarding when it all comes together,” he says.

Meekins also notes that, “While this show follows the movie that many are familiar with, it’s also a little more gritty and deals with adult

situations differently than the movie did. We are actually performing the original Broadway version from 1972. We maintained (most of) the items that would now be considered taboo in keeping the style of society back then.”

Professional dancer, Atlas Modern Ballet founder and HCC professor Sarah Walston provided the choreography for the show’s memorable dance routines. She taught the cast the hand jives, jitterbugs and other energetic dance routines — a new experience for the bal-

let and contemporary dance choreographer.

“As a dancer, I love ‘Grease,’” Walston says. “The community feel has made a project like this less stressful with all these moving parts. It’s really been a team effort and a great experience for me to learn what can happen in a musical with a great community.”

You can’t have “Grease” without the iconic T-Birds leather and Pink Ladies jackets and authentic ‘50s attire. Retired engineer and current NTP Board of Directors chair Michell

The members of the crew behind the scenes of “Grease” were just as important as the cast members. Pictured are (l.-r) Shelley Giles, Mark Weisenmiller, Amogha Kuppaa, Emma Hosking, Jannah Nager, Emily Buonaquisiti, Bella Otte, Kristin Nelson,Tami Carr, Katie Carr, James Cass, Nora Paine, Heather Cleveland & Ereka Morton. (Photo courtesy of Picture This of Palma Ceia)

“Shelley” Giles and engineer/teacher Heather Cleveland meticulously assembled more than 100 different costumes for the show, going as far as to research if each fabric and pattern would be appropriate for the period. Both women say working with costumes is like solving a satisfying puzzle, especially with an extremely limited budget to purchase the costumes and the materials to make them.

“My favorite part of the job was being able to make some of the dresses,” says Giles, who is a self-taught seamstress. “As a costumer, I enjoy seeing the actors come to life on stage. My hobby is sewing. I sew everything.”

Cleveland adds, “You want everybody on stage to feel fantastic. I enjoy the creativity, starting from nothing and having it blossom into something.” As an example, Cleveland says, “We took Frenchy’s prom dress apart three or four times — a new bodice was made, and we hand-pleated the skirt. I’m pleased with the results of the work that went into that one.”

Behind the curtain, a small army of costume, prop assistants, stagehands and costume “dressers,” including college senior and aerial acrobat Emma Hosking, assist by waiting in the wings to help the actors with quick costume changes and to make sure they all have the props they need for each scene.

“During Freddy My Love,” Hosking said, “we made a tradition of dramatically lipsyncing along to the song. I looked forward to that every performance.”

Among the costume and stage crew, all coordinated by Giles, Cleveland and prop master Tami Carr (the mom of Olivia, who played Sandy, and Sean Carr, who played bass in the orchestra) were Amogha Kuppaa, Ereka Mor-

ton, Ryan Pettaway, Bella Otte, Tracy Stemm, Katie Guerra, Jannah Nager and Katie Carr.

Tami Carr, a retired children’s orthotist and prosthetist, is the woman behind all the props. From sourcing authentic ‘50s items to crafting realistic-looking food, this creative wizard turns trash into treasure… literally. She says she created Sonny’s “zipgun” from items she found in the trash.

Tami explains how excited she is for NTP to have a new home, “They do everything with such integrity and excellence. Over the years, it made me sad that people didn’t always see the shows because they didn’t have a consistent place. To have all these sold-out shows, I feel not just happy for the cast of Grease but for everyone. Finally, people can experience and appreciate what they do.”

Assisted by most members of the cast, the set stagehands, led by Paul McColgan, work swiftly and silently, changing scenes with precision and coordination, like ninjas in black. Scenic artists Leiann Klein, Kyle Billington, Tami and Olivia Carr, Olivia’s fellow cast member Dakota Henry, Alex DeJoseph and Joshua Paine gave each piece of built-for-the-show set “furniture” its distinctive ‘50s look.

In addition, sound man John Camacho made sure all 24 of the performers’ microphones not only worked but also had compatible levels of volume before every performance. Stagehand James Cass of Picture This of Palma Ceia also served as the show’s official photgrapher. The orchestra included Meekins, rehearsal pianist Rick Barclay, Stan Martindale (guitar), Todd DuPriest (drums), Josh Hollenbeck and Elliott Domagola (sax) and Sean Carr. Diana Diaz designed the “Grease” program.

AdventHealth Care Pavilion New Tampa Continues To Grow

By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN Neighborhood News Correspondent

When the AdventHealth Care Pavilion New Tampa opened back in 2021, it was poised to serve the community as a modern, convenient way to meet the area’s primary healthcare needs.

Two years later, the Care Pavilion, located on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., just south of Cross Creek Blvd. in front of Hunter’s Green, has delivered on its promise to provide a reimagined experience to make going to the doctor easier.

“AdventHealth Care Pavilion New Tampa is committed to meeting the grow ing healthcare needs of the community,” says Victor Odoh, the market director for Advent Health Care Pavilion New Tampa. “With a comprehensive range of services under one roof, including primary and specialty care, pediatrics, imaging, an on-site lab and more, our purpose is to provide convenient and accessible healthcare to those we serve.”

The 50,000-sq.-ft. building is home to primary care physicians and providers, on-site labs and imaging, and an expanding list of specialties. Patients sign in one time at the concierge Welcome Center and don’t need to go anywhere else. An in-house pharmacy means patients can even leave with their prescriptions already in hand.

With its Care Pavilions, AdventHealth has reduced or eliminated altogether many of

the frustrations that are typical of a visit to the doctor’s office — such as having to schedule way in advance, dealing with crowded waiting rooms with long waits to see the doctor, and having to fill out pages and pages of forms.

The New Tampa Care Pavilion is open for early morning appointments, evening hours, and even all day (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) on Saturday, for flexibility and convenience.

“(Local) families need access to highquality medical care,” says Odoh. “Advent Health strives to make health care easier and more convenient for our patients, reducing

the need for additional trips elsewhere. That is why the AdventHealth Care Pavilion New Tampa offers same-day appointment availability, weekend hours and convenient registration, along with in-house labs, imaging, and an in-house pharmacy.”

AdventHealth is adding advanced practitioners and physicians to the location, to be sure they can accommodate the number of people who visit.

In addition to its primary care services and various subspecialties, including cardiology, dermatology and pediatrics, the

on-site Imaging Center offers services such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRIs), computed tomography (CT scans), dual Xray absorptiometry (DEXA scans), X-Rays, Ultrasound imaging and 3D Mammography, with a separate women’s suite to provide a private, comfortable area for women to receive breast care.

Odoh explains that the Hunter’s Green location offers a short-bore MRI unit (photo on next page) for enhanced patient comfort.

“Depending on the exam,” he says, “we can scan head first or feet first to allow

(Above left) As soon as you step into the AdventHealth Care Pavilion New Tampa on Bruce B. Downs Blvd., just south of Cross Creek Blvd. in front of Hunter’s Green, you are greeted at the “Welcome Center” reception area by smiling faces who help make both walk-in patients and those with appointments feel welcome. (Right) Parents who are being treated or seen at the Care Pavilion can have their kids watched at the Care Pavilion’s on-site, secure “Kids Club.” (Photos on these pages provided by AdventHealth Care Pavilion)

positioning closer to the entrance of the machine. We provide headphones with music of (the patient’s) choice, posi tioning supports, sheets and blankets to provide a relaxing environment during the exam. The imaging technicians always aim to make patients as comfort able as possible.”

And, while the Care Pavilion is not an urgent care center, it is structured in such a way that patients can receive all of the care — and convenience — they would receive at an urgent care facility.

“We’ve added additional primary care physicians within the Care Pavilion over the last year to care for our growing community,” says Odoh. “We are also excited to share that the New Tampa Im aging Center now performs daily pediatric and adult scoliosis studies on an outpa tient basis. Scoliosis studies are a series of X-rays used to (properly) identify curvatures of the spine. Appointments are not necessary, and walk-ins are welcome.”

Appointments are available for patients who prefer them, but if you don’t have an appointment, you can still walk right in and expect to be seen in a reasonable amount of time. You may not get to see your favorite doctor — whose schedule might be already filled for the day — but there will be someone available to see you in a timely manner.

Another perk of the AdventHealth Care Pavilion is that patients won’t be asked to fill out forms over and over again. Online registration and communication through a patient portal and app mean communication

Entering The ‘Kids Zone’

For parents, another inconvenience of going to the doctor themselves can be having to bring their children along and keep them entertained. But, the AdventHealth Care Pavilion has a solution for that, too.

“For families with young children, the Care Pavilion has a ‘Kids Club’ — (with) complimentary care for children ages three months to 12 years — so parents can enjoy stress-free appointments,” explains Odoh.

The Kids Club hosts up to eight children at a time, while their parents are seeing a doctor in the building.

Odoh emphasizes that the Care Pavilion

does not charge any fee for the Kids Club, which follows strict safety measures, such as procedures for registering and releasing children, and doors are kept locked for security.

he Care Pavilion still has room to grow, and AdventHealth is committed to delivering convenient and accessible care to meet the community’s healthcare needs.

A recent Google review gives the facility five out of five stars.

“We have been with AdventHealth for three years, (and) at the pavilion since it opened,” says Colleen Scherer in her review. “They are always helpful and accommodating, but today was above and beyond. We ve multiple family moves coming up soon, as well as a child going off to college. With everything happening simultaneously, I

had questions to clarify what was needed to complete paperwork for the college. I went in person to ask my questions and the staff jumped into action not only to answer my questions but get everything needed done TODAY, which was completely unexpected... Everyone was so kind and helpful!”

Odoh summarizes the bottom line for the facility, “We want (people) to know that AdventHealth Care Pavilion is dedicated to providing high-quality healthcare and supporting the well-being of our patients.”

The AdventHealth Care Pavilion New Tampa is located at 8702 Hunters Lake Dr. It’s open Mon.-Fri., 7 a.m.-7 p.m., and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sat. For more info, see the ad on pg. 41, call (813) 467-4700 or visit AdventHealthCarePavilion.com.

Running Great Auto — 26 Years Of Trusted, Family-Owned Repairs

By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN Neighborhood News Correspondent

When Glen Yudman purchased Running Great Automotive on N. Nebraska Ave (just south of Skipper Rd.) in North Tampa in 1997, his two sons were just kids.

Now, 26 years later, Glen’s sons Robby and Danny work right alongside him every day at the shop that has grown to earn a reputation for honesty and reliability. And, Glen’s wife Barbi helps with the books and sometimes answers the phones.

That makes Running Great a true family business — despite the fact Glen says he actually encouraged his sons to do something else. “It’s long hours,” he says.

On the other hand, it’s also rewarding, knowing that the business helps people and provides the kind of honest, quality service that is harder and harder to find these days.

A staff of 11 handles automobile maintenance and repairs at Running Great — from oil changes to brake service to new tires and more — while an additional seven employees provide services in the body shop.

As an independently-owned, neighborhood automotive center, there are no sales commissions, no quotas, and no dealer prices.

“The body shop world is mainly franchises,” Glen says. “It’s not personal.”

Not so at Running Great, where the service is personal and the customers span generations. There are now young people who bring their cars in for maintenance and repairs who are the grown children of parents who have been Glen’s customers for decades.

That’s the case with Helen Lucht, who moved to the area in 1996. At that time, the air conditioning went out in her 1989 Honda Accord. She started asking around and was referred to Running Great.

“We’ve been going there ever since,” she says. “Because they’re honest.”

Raising two teenage boys who were hard on cars, Helen says she’s had all kinds of work done over the years, including replacing transmissions, A/C systems and even motors.

Now those boys are grown and they bring their own cars to Running Great, too, which might not be remarkable, except that one currently lives in Atlanta.

“Whenever he comes down for a visit, we go to Running Great,” Helen says. “He doesn’t have a mechanic in Atlanta.”

cians at Running Great advise her of issues with her car things are urgent and if anything can wait.

Most of all, she’s grateful for the relationship that has been built over so many years. “It’s nice to call and say, ‘It’s Helen,’ and they know who we are,” she says.

That’s possible because of the longevity of the employees who work at Running Great. Glen says the shop has many longterm employees and very low turnover.

For example, Chris Bach is a certified Master Mechanic by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and has been working at the location for 32 years, starting out when Nebraska Ave. was just a two-lane road and the business was called Mad Hatter Mufflers, Brakes & Transmissions.

Many other technicians have worked at Running Great for 10 years or much longer, which is something else that sets it apart from franchise or dealer shops.

“We don’t follow any franchise rules. No one works on commission here,” Glen says. “Nobody out in the shop is going to profit by saying you need something. Whether you buy new brakes or you don’t, it’s all the same to the mechanic.”

He says Running Great has no need for quotas, as the shop is always busy, but never so busy that it can’t take in new customers and their vehicles. “We can’t promise every job can be done the same day, every day,” he says, while adding that his mechanics do their best to finish every job as quickly as possible.

While it used to be the norm to trade in cars every few years, it’s not as common these days.

“We see cars with more than 100,000 miles literally every day,” he says. “Most people used to only take a four-year loan; now there are seven-year loans.”

He says the key to keeping your car in tip-top shape is still oil changes. Being in Florida, the oil gets really hot, so it’s important to change it every 3,000 miles for conventional oil and every 5,000 miles for synthetic oil. When you bring your car to Running Great, your oil change will include a complimentary — and legitimate — vehicle inspection.

“If you go to the quick oil change place, they don’t usually care if your steering is about to fall off or if you have a bald tire,” Glen says. “Most are not trained to look.”

He says his customers tell him all the time that they’re surprised that the people at the oil change place didn’t tell them about problems with their brakes or other systems, but Glen emphasizes that’s not what a quick oil change place is in business to do.

And, he advises, if your brakes make any noise other than just a squeak, get someone to look at them right away. “The longer you wait,” he says, “the more it will cost you.”

As a NAPA-certified auto care center, any repairs done at Running Great use NAPA’s better quality parts and have a nationwide guarantee. Glen says that means if you take a road trip or move, if something fails, it

but even if the parts aren’t from NAPA, the work is still guaranteed and can be repaired at no cost at any NAPA-certified repair shop.

Over in the body shop, Glen says a steady stream of cars that have been in accidents come in for repair, with many more fender benders than they used to see.

Running Great uses a computer matching system for paint that has a camera with an eye that goes up against the body of the car to match the color. If it’s not perfect, the body shop can make adjustments based on what they see. They tint the paint on site so adjustments can be made as needed.

Drivers who have been in an accident have the right to take their car to any body shop they choose, so even if the insurance company recommends a specific shop, you don’t have to go there.

He says Running Great works with directly with all insurance companies and he recommends that you never pay out of pocket if your car needs body work.

“Always go through insurance,” he says. “Otherwise, you won’t get a rental and, if someone else agrees to pay for your repairs, they aren’t going to pay more if we find something else wrong. But, the insurance company will.”

Running Great Auto (14513 N. Nebraska Ave.) is open Mon.-Fri., 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and 7:30 a.m.-noon on Sat. For more information, call (813) 971-0642, visit RunningGreatAuto.com or see the ad on pg. 40 of this issue.

Glen Yudman has owned Running Great Automotive on N. Nebraska Ave. (top photo on next page) for 26 years.

The Flower Box Offers Beautiful Flowers, Personalized Service & More!

By ANNA GORMAN Neighborhood News Correspondent

The Flower Box, located on Wesley Chapel Blvd. in the Grand Oaks Plaza in Lutz, is a locally-owned-and-operated flower shop providing a wide range of floral bouquets and arrangements for any occasion or event.

“We’ve been here for going on 18 years,” says owner Wendy Hobbs. “We’ve been in the community, in the same location, and we help people from all over.”

The Flower Box is a family-run business, with Wendy originally working alongside her mother and now working with her daughter, Carly Hobbs (as well as six other floral experts).

Although Wendy says many customers come looking for flowers for a specific event or occasion, many also stop by to get a “just because” gift for a family member, spouse, or other loved one.

In addition to offering classic floral arrangements, such as white or red roses and boutonnieres for events such as homecoming dances or proms, The Flower Box also stocks arrangements of unique flowers, such as circus (two-toned orange and yellow) roses. Also available is a variety of different orchids, which are easy to care for and provide elegance to anywhere they may be placed.

one with an unexpected floral gift, The Flower Box has a “Deal of the Day,” where the customer only has to pick the size of arrangement they want and the florists create a unique arrangement to fulfill that need. The store also offers a similar option called “Designer’s Choice,” where the customer fills out a brief form stating what occasion the arrangement is for, as well as who the recipient will be.

For anyone looking for more than just the usual floral options, The Flower

rangement.

Throughout the years, The Flower Box has provided its customers with many unique floral choices. For example, the shop has provided beautiful floral arches for weddings. Anyone looking for a unique or large floral arrangement for a special event such as a wedding or baby shower can request a consultation on the store’s website (FlowerBoxWesleyChapel.com) under the “Weddings & Events” tab. Wendy says that many people

for inspiration, and she does her best to duplicate these so the customer can get exactly what he or she wants.

‘Tis The Season, Every Season!

Besides having flowers for special occasions such as birthdays, graduations and anniversaries, The Flower Box also offers flowers that correspond with the specific seasons of the year.

For example, the shop offers a “Springtime Wishes” arrangement that

(L.-r.) Carly and Wendy Hobbs put together a beautiful bouquet of white roses at The Flower Box, located in the Grand Oaks Plaza on Wes

features warmer-toned flowers to cor respond with the warmer yellow, orange and red colors seen in the fall. Another fall offering is a Cornucopia arrangement filled with a variety of fall-toned flowers and foliage. Being located in a subtropical area like Florida, specific tropical flowers, such as birds of paradise also are available.

Wendy says The Flower Box utilizes several growers from the local Lutz/Wesley Chapel area. The shop also receives flowers from larger wholesalers as well. To be able to provide more tropical flower varieties, Wendy and her crew work with a wholesaler

that each customer receives exactly what he or she wants.

“We try to deal with each customer one on one, whatever their needs are, for all different kinds of events and special occasions.” Wendy says, adding that when working with customers, she first starts out by asking for the particular inspiration they may have and designing an arrangement from there.

Although The Flower Box is located in Lutz, the store delivers flowers and gifts to a wide array of zip codes, including Wesley Chapel and New Tampa, as

well as Dade City, San Antonio and Land O’ Lakes. The store even has a network of florists to allow for delivery to many areas and cities nationwide. In case there is a need for a last-minute gift for someone special, same-day delivery is offered at no additional cost.

Customers love The Flower Box, too: “The ordering process was so easy and smooth,” says Ashlyn Hartford in her recent Google review. “They have a massive, stunning variety to choose from with affordable prices...the arrangements are all gorgeous. (I) ordered a bouquet for delivery as a surprise & I couldn’t be happier with how they turned out.”

In another Google review, customer

Kathy Hershelm praises The Flower Box for its excellent service: “The flowers are always fresh and the arrangements are beautifully done. I have ordered for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and funerals and the flowers are always stunning!”

Wendy says The Flower Box also has supported the local community by providing floral arrangements for several area schools.

The Flower Box is located at 26302 Wesley Chapel Blvd., Lutz. For more info, call (813) 907-1916, visit FlowerBoxWesleyChapel.com or see the ad on pg. 38. The shop can also be found by searching @flowerboxwc on Instagram.

Look To MariMark Mortgage For Expertise & Great Communication!

By ANNA GORMAN Neighborhood News Correspondent

Since its founding by Mary Catchur in 2006, Marimark Mortgage has been a trusted mortgage brokerage for potential home buyers in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas.

Mary received both her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Accounting and Bachelor of Arts degree in French from the University of South Florida in Tampa. She also has earned licenses as both a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) and as a Realtor in Florida.

Before founding Marimark, she worked as an auditor for public accounting firm Klynveld, Peat, Marwick & Goerdeler and also served as both the chief operating officer (COO) and chief financial officer (CFO) of New Homes Realty. Mary says that this experience allowed her to learn the business from the financial side.

“Between my background as a CPA and then as the CFO for a real estate company, I think my skills are somewhat unique (for the mortgage business), particularly the CPA background, because I understand the financial part of it.”

Since its origination here in Florida, Marimark has been able to expand to also provide mortgages in Pennsylvania, where Mary is originally from, as well as in Virginia, where she says she had multiple clients due to the solid housing market there.

Recently, Mary has been joined at Marimark by her sons Matthew (Matt) and Nicholas (Nick) Catchur. Matt works as a loan originator while studying at USF, while Nick is a real estate agent as well as a loan originator. With all of this combined expertise, Marimark strives to be a one-stop shop for people looking to buy real estate in New Tampa.

Marimark specializes in fixed-rate mortgages, which Mary says are the mortgages that her buyers are looking for the most, as well as being the most commonly recommended by Marimark.

“I do a variety of different types” she says, “but I think that most people are still looking for the standard, fixed-rate mortgage, not as much the adjustable rates

anymore.” She adds that the reason is that conventional, fixed-rate mortgages often of fer lower down payments, such as 3 percent down, for first-time buyers.

Other loans offered by Marimark are Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans, which are government-backed and also offer low (usually only 3.5 percent) down payments, as well as Veterans Administration (VA) loans, which allow U.S. military veterans to buy a home with no money down.

Another type of loan that doesn’t require a down payment is a USDA (U.S Department of Agriculture) loan, which was originally offered as a way to develop areas that may not have been built up, although this type of loan is not as common in the New Tampa or Wesley Chapel areas due to the increased amount of development seen in our communities.

Marimark also offers reverse mortgages, which allow borrowers over the age of 62 with equity (meaning the house is worth more than what is owed on it) to eliminate mortgage payments altogether, leaving only taxes and insurance to be paid.

Marimark also focuses on helping selfemployed people find mortgages, as Mary says that finding a mortgage when self-employed can be harder because the tax return documentation needed can be harder to

where, as the name implies, deposits into that person’s bank account(s) obtained from their bank statements are used to determine their income, as well as what loans they would be qualified to receive. Bank statement loans also provide pre-qualification letters, which can be obtained through a phone call. These pre-qualification letters allow buyers to get an idea of the amount of credit they may be given by a lender during the mortgage process. Pre-qualification letters then allow home buyers to effectively negotiate with sellers.

Another thing that Mary says is becoming more popular these days is what is known as a debt-service coverage ratio (DSCR) loan. This type of loan is useful for people looking to buy investment properties. Like bank-statement loans, DSCR loans don’t look at a borrower’s overall income, but instead consider how much money is going to come in from the investment property, and the borrower is qualified based on that amount. Debt-service refers to principal, interest, taxes, insurance, as well as Homeowners Association (HOA) fees. DSCR loans look at whether the income from the rent of the property will cover these fees, rather than looking at whether or

not other income made by the owner will

Despite the local real estate boom cooling off somewhat, as people wait for home prices to drop more, Mary says that business at Marimark is still busy. Although there may not be as many people refinancing their existing homes, people are still moving into the area and are still looking to buy here. Even the refinancing market, which seems to have been somewhat slowing of late, is still a big part of Marimark’s business.

“One of the main things I do in refinancing is where people want to consolidate their higher-interest credit card and other debt,” she says.

Overall, the thing that Mary says sets Marimark apart from other mortgage brokers in the area is its borrower-focused approach without sales pressure. While some who get into the business are taught a sales-first approach, “That’s never been my way,” says Mary. “My method is I’m going to explain to you why this mortgage is the best thing for you or give you the options of what you have and explain the pros and cons of them. My approach is from a financial standpoint and an educational standpoint.”

Mary also says that she has some clients who have come to her after negative experiences in more high-pressure sales environ-

(Above l.-r.) Matt, Mary & Nick Catchur of Marimark Mortgage, which is located in the Tampa Palms Professional Center (Photos by Charmaine George)

down. This approach ensures that clients fully understand the process and are then allowed to make their own decisions.

Another thing that sets Marimark’s approach apart from other mortgage brokers is its attentive communication with its clients. This is evident from what clients have said about working with Marimark when obtaining mortgages, as well as home refinances.

“Refinancing with Mary has been an absolute pleasure,” says client Bret Brennan. “I had never been through the process before and she took the time to explain each step…The communication line alone made

pany allows clients to feel more comfortable throughout the whole process.

“I’ve been doing this for 17 years and it’s changed every year,” Mary says. “Either there are new rules or new documentation… but the one thing that remains constant is communication. If you just do that and educate people, you’ll still do good business.”

Marimark Mortgage’s office is located at 5327 Primrose Lake Cir. in the Tampa Palms Professional Center. For more info, visit MarimarkMortgage.com or call (813) 910-8020. Or, see the ad on pg. 40 of this issue.

Expressions Of Life Chiropractic Can Help Relieve Your Pain, Too!

By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN Neighborhood News Correspondent

Long before Dr. Emilio Castrillon opened his Expressions of Life Chiropractic Center in the Medallion Corporate Park off S.R. 56, he was a boy in Colombia who loved to run. Running became his ticket out of a violent nation, when he was invited to Puerto Rico to continue his running career.

He won State and National champion ships while pursuing degrees in computer science and business at Turado University in Gurado, Puerto Rico.

But, he never had a proper assessment of his body done and learned the hard way that when you start putting stress on your body, if everything isn’t in its proper place, some thing will get damaged. He had an injury to his lumbar disc that, at one point, completely incapacitated him.

“At 25, I was a semi-professional run ner,” he says, “but I was stuck and wasn’t able to move. The first doctor I saw said surgery was the only option. Then I went to a specific chiropractor who checked my X-rays and explained to me what was going on. After just three adjustments, I was running again.”

Castrillon was inspired.

Chiropractic Center. He was briefly affiliated with a franchise called Disc Centers of America, where he received a national certification gical spinal decompression. Now, however, he has chosen to evolve and provide more than what that franchise offered. For example, he anticipates expanding to offer laser therapy in the future.

He says the key to the success he has had with patients is his attention to detail.

“The American Medical Association says that a one-millimeter (about 1/25th of an inch) misalignment in the spine can create a 12% impairment grade,” Dr. Castrillon explains. “So, we don’t (engage in) guesswork; e analyze in millimeters.”

This includes X-rays and a proper examination that also could include an MRI.

He says many of his patients have structural defects that are at the root of their pain. It t be that one leg is shorter than the other or the pelvis is uneven, or something else.

“We start with the foundation,” says “Dr. C,” as his patients call him. That means he looks at the feet first, with a foot leveler system, and then he examines the entire body from the bottom up. “A lot of people have symptoms because of compensations, so we

ing, herniation and slippage,” he says, adding that his goal is to help people avoid surgery, as he did, whenever possible.

“We do everything in detail,” says Dr. Castrillon. “We don’t take any case lightly. We take the time to explain if it’s something we can help with or we will refer them to the right provider.”

Dr. Castrillon knows a lot about attention to detail — one of the business degrees he earned at Turado University was a Master’s degree in Quality Management. Before he became a chiropractic physician, he worked in quality management for Johnson & Johnson in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico.

He says he is most passionate about helping people do they things they love to do, because he knows how it feels to have something taken away by pain.

“We want our patients to be able to enjoy the activities that they love the most,” he says. “In my case, I was unable to run and now I’m able to run again.”

He is grateful to be able to continue running to this day, and recently won first place in a statewide Duathlon, which is running and cycling.

He hopes to help other athletes and

encourages all athletes to have a detailed examination with him to help prevent injuries.

Dr. Castrillon loves living in Wesley Chapel, being near the water and having flat land for running and cycling. He is always looking for ways to be more connected to his community, such as his recent participation in Freedom Church’s Freedom Race.

Dr. Castrillon and his chiropractic assistants, Jazmin and Marcela, are committed to not only finding the source of their patients’ pain, but also communicating with the patients so they completely understand what is happening with their bodies and how their problems with pain can be corrected.

They are happy to communicate in either English or Spanish. Dr. Castrillon says some patients who speak Spanish may hesitate to get treatment if they think they won’t understand the doctor. He wants those patients to know he will be able to communicate with them in their native language.

“Most of our business comes from patients who keep recommending us to their friends and family members,”

Dr. C. Expressions of Life Chiropractic Center has many glowing reviews on Google — with almost all being five stars (out of five).

“My Dad goes to Dr. Castrillon,” says Dustie Harris in one review. “He was in

says

(Left photo) Dr. Emilio Castrillon and his chiropractic assistant Marcela pose with the decompression machine at Expressions of Life Chiropractic, located in the Medallion Corporate Park off S.R. 56. (Right) Dr. Castrillon studies his patient’s X-rays carefully, even while making adjustments, (Below) Dr. Castrillon recently took 3rd place at a State duathlon (running & biking).

severe back pain from three bulging discs. He went to another chiropractor for several months with no relief. [He also went] to pain management with no relief, and was told [he] should go to a surgeon. He wanted to try another chiropractor. [Now he’s] been going to Dr. Castrillon for couple of months and found the relief he needed.”

Dr. C says it’s common for him to see patients who have been to other chiropractors before — maybe even a lot of chiropractors — and they’re not getting any results. He is especially excited to help those patients.

As a thanks for reading this article, Dr.

Castrillon is offering an additional discount on his new patient special for a consultation, full spinal X-ray and X-ray analysis. While the ad on page 45 of this issue says the special costs $150, he will offer an additional discount to our readers, so the total charge will be just $120, if you mention this article.

Expressions of Life Chiropractic Center is located at 2604 Cypress Ridge Blvd., Suite 102A, and is open by appointment only. Some evening and weekend appointments are available. For more information, visit EOLChiro.com or call or text (813) 560-4673.

(Above) Dr. Castrillon also won running titles while attending college in Puerto Rico. (Athletic photos provided by Dr. Castrillon)

Tell Us Your Favorite Pizza Place In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel To Win FREE Dining!

Enter Our 2023 Neighborhood News Dining Contest!

Here’s yet another chance to win FREE dining to the restaurant of your choice! One entry per person, per question. Below, please name just your Favorite Pizza Place in New Tampa OR Wesley Chapel! Mail your entry to “2023 Neighborhood News Dining Contest” at 2604 Cypress Ridge Blvd., Suite 102D, Wesley Chapel 33544. Or, enter at NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net or email the entry form to Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com. Even if you already named your five favorite restaurants in Wesley Chapel last issue, you can still enter again by answering the questions below! — GN

Question #2: What is your Favorite Pizza Place located in (or near) New Tampa OR Wesley Chapel?

Your First & Last Name___________________________________________________

Community You Live In (Lexington Oaks, Chapel Pines, etc.)

Your Daytime Phone Number______________________________________________

Your Email Address_______________________________________________________

In this issue, we are giving you two separate chances to win a FREE dining prize of $100, $60 or $35!

Whether or not you already told us your five (5) favorite Wesley Chapel restaurants of any kind last issue, you’re still eligible to have a second chance to enter and win free dining by also telling us your Favorite Pizza Place in New Tampa OR Wesley Chapel (entry form above) and a third chance to win by naming your five (5) Favorite Restaurants in (& near) New Tampa (see below).

Just fill out either or both of the entry forms on this page and mail your entry to us at 2023 Neighborhood News Reader Dining Survey & Contest, 2604 Cypress Ridge Blvd., Suite 102D, Wesley Chapel, FL 33544, or email your entry to us at Ads@ NTNeighborhoodNews.com. You also may enter this year’s contest by visiting our

website — NeighborhoodNewsOnline. net. Each time you answer a different Dining Survey question, you’ll receive an additional chance to win one of our FREE dining prizes — to the restaurant of your choice located anywhere in the Tampa Bay area!

All we ask is that you please check the zip codes of the restaurants you choose and remember not to name any Wesley Chapel restaurants as your favorites in New Tampa on the entry form below.

We also include restaurants located in Lutz (either on Wesley Chapel Blvd., S.R. 56 and S.R. 54 (within no more than two miles from I-75) as Wesley Chapel eateries and those located in the Palms Connection Plaza on E. Bearss Ave. and the Oak Ramble Plaza on BBD Blvd. as acceptable places to eat in New Tampa. See our website for all of the official rules! — GN

Enter Our 2023 Neighborhood News Dining Contest!

Here’s a Bonus Question for you! Please name your Top 5 Favorite Restaurants (of any kind) located in New Tampa’s 33647 zip code (or in the Oak Ramble Plaza on BBD Blvd. or the Palms Connection Plaza on E. Bearss Ave.).

Mail your entry to “2023 Neighborhood News Dining Contest” at the address above or enter at NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net. — GN

Question #3: Name your Five Favorite Restaurants (of any kind) located in New Tampa (in or near zip code 33647):

Your First & Last Name___________________________________________________ Community You Live In (Brookside, Seven Oaks, etc.)

Your Daytime Phone Number______________________________________________

Your Email Address_______________________________________________________

Slim Chickens To Open By Aug. 17!

Yes, we know that the Wesley Chapel area already has The Chicken Boss, Chick-fil-A, King of the Coop, Chick’n Fun, Zaxby’s, Popeye’s and many other restaurants, chain and mom-and-pop, that specialize in fried chicken (and/or wings) in its many (sometimes) delicious forms.

Even so, as we reported months ago that it was coming, the latest news is that Wesley Chapel’s next entry into these “Chicken Wars” will be Slim Chickens, a chain founded in 2003 in Fayetteville, AR, with more than 225 units already open and with 1,200+ in development across most of the U.S.

Specializing in hand-breaded chicken tenders, Slim Chickens’ Wesley Chapel

location was still hiring at our press time and was expected to open by Thursday, August 17, according both to a Google search and a spokesperson at the nearly-com pleted building at 27244 Wesley Chapel Blvd., or about halfway between Chick’n Fun and The Wing House.

With its nearest location to us on S. Macdill Ave. in Tampa, the Wesley Chapel location also will serve the chain’s new Nashville hot and other chicken sandwiches, wings, salads, Southernstyle sides (including fried okra, mac n’ cheese and fried pickles) and, of course, its Chickens.com. — GN

Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar Getting Close To Opening On WC Blvd., Too!

A few miles south of Slim Chickens, at 25026 Wesley Chapel Blvd. extension (in the same plaza as Chicken Salad Chick) in Lutz is the Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar, which will be the 20th link in a chain that already has locations in seven states, including the nearest to us in Ocala. That Shuckin’ Shack also is owned by Brad Harper, who is opening the Lutz/ WC location.

Founded in Carolina Beach, NC, in 2007 by co-founders Matt Piccinin and Sean Cook — because of the co-founders’ shared “craving for fresh oysters” — Shuckin’ Shack began franchising locations in 2014 and features raw, steamed and chargrilled oysters, “sharkbite” shrimp (because “bang-bang” and “firecracker” were already taken, according to TheShuckinShack.com), scallops, snow crab legs (by the lb. or 1/2-lb.), crab “balls,” calamari, fresh clams and mussels and a variety of sampler and family-style options, like a “Low Country Boil.”

There also is an ahi tuna appetizer, but no fresh fish entrées on the menu, but there is a fried cod sandwich and

mahi tacos (there also are shrimp, tuna, chicken and even oyster tacos), as well as wings, salads, po-boy and other sand wiches, que sadillas and even shrimp ‘N grits.

will feature a full liquor bar and will be managed by our new friends Alie and Hunter (photo, right). Watch our “Neighbor hood News” Facebook page for opening date updates. — GN

Sorbo To Open In Former Bru Growler Bar Location

In the Shoppes at Wesley Chapel plaza at 2653 Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (across from AdventHealth Wesley Chapel) that already is home to Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, Latin Twist Café, The Hungry Greek and Umu Japanese & Thai, the former location of Bru Growler Bar and Buttermilk Provisions before that will go back to its coffee-&-tea roots, as Sorbo Coffee • Tea • Bakery • Wine (photo) is expected to open by sometime this fall. The partners who own Umu also are

involved in the ownership of Sorbo, as our friend Chef Will told us when we stopped in a few days before we went to press with this issue. “Sorbo will serve coffee, tea and a variety of pastries for breakfast and become a wine bar in the afternoon,” Will said. “We are excited to be bringing this new concept to Wesley Chapel.”

All I can say after my sneak peek inside is that the place already looks pretty great (and upscale) and will be a welcome addition to the community. — GN

Speaking of the Shoppes at Wesley Chapel, we told you a couple of issues ago Playa Bowls — the beach-themed açai-&-more healthy bowl chain with more than 200 locations — was planning to open on or around June 17.

Also known as “Pineappleland,” Playa Bowls was still not open at our press time and we had no word yet from local franchise owners Tabitha Castro and Pablo Reid as to when it will open. For more info, visit PlayaBowls.com.— GN

HOME IMPROVEMENT

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AMBLER ENTERPRISES Home Improvement. Call James at 813-385-6402. 30 Years of exp. Specialist in Kitchens & Bathrooms. Referrals upon request. All interior work: Drywall, Texture Paining, Doors, etc. Use us once & you won’t need to look elsewhere. Google us to see pictures: Wesley Chapel Ambler Enterprises. See our display ad on pg. 39!

WESLEYCHAPELPRESSUREWASHINGCOM

Soft pressure ext. house cleaning, screen enclosures, pool decks, driveways, sidewalks, fences, roofs, paver sealing & deck staining. We clean everything. No job too big/small. Exp. the difference when you hire a pressure cleaning pro. Licensed & insured. Owner operated. Call for a free estimate 813-433-6015.

RAYMOND PAINTING. Ext. & Int. Svcs. Ext: Painting, pressure washing, clean & seal pavers, stucco, roofing, leaks & wood rot repair. Int: Painting, plastering, ceiling & wall repairs & tiles. Licensed & Bonded. References available. Free estimates. Your Neighborhood Arbor Greene Resident! We work 7 days. Call 813-994-5124.

COMPUTER SERVICES

PROF’L TECH SUPPORT in your home or small biz. A+ Cert. computer tech w/25 years of exp. Maint. & Repairs, Upgrades & Tutoring. More affordable than chains! Friendly, personal svc. Tech jargon explained. Remote assistance & refs. avail. Call (813) 957-8342 for a free estimate!

DO YOU HATE YOUR COMPUTER?!? WE CAN HELP YOU! Troubleshooting, Installation, Networking & Virus Removal. WE COME TO YOU! Residences & Businesses, more than 25-Years Experience. Contact Jeffrey Blank at 813-973-4507, visit WSICA.COM or email Wsica@wsica.com.

LAWN, & LANDSCAPING_____

JOHN IDEAL LAWN & LANDSCAPES. We provide all normal lawn & landscaping svcs: •Mow •Edge •Turf Trim •Air-Sweep •Right-of-Way Weed Control •Bed Edging •Resod •Design Your Lawn •Mulch •Shrub Trim/Shape •Hedge Trim •Yard Cleanup. “For no lawn stress, just join John’s Curb Appeal Success!” Save 12%/mo for 6 mos w/a 1-yr contract. Call Maitland John @ 813.327.1039.

ALL DIMENSIONS LANDSCAPE & EXTERIORS, LLC. Complete resid’l & comm’l landscape, hardscape & softscape. Mulch & decorative stone. Patios, decks, retaining walls, property maintenance & lawn care. Sod & lawn install’n, artificial turf, fencing, railings, soft & hard pressure washing, painting. We do anything exterior. Call (724) 541-2535 or (813) 485-6661 for a 25% discount on labor & materials.

TRANSPORTATION _

AIRPORT SHUTTLE SVC. C&R Transporta-tion Services of Tampa Bay, LLC, is a shuttle service that provide safe & reliable transportation to & from your destinations.• New Tampa Transfer, $69 • Wesley Chapel Transfer, $79 • ZHills Transfer, $89 • Dade City Transfer, $129. Book Online @ Crtransportation.org or Call (813) 895-7413. Receive a FREE T-shirt w/every transfer.

AUTOS WANTED! Autos/trucks/small campers/small boats wanted! We pay top dollar! Any condition, Free Removal 24/7. For more info, call (813) 461-0062.

ELITE RIDES. Private rides in a sanitized 2023 Tesla, plus concierge services. Airport, schools, medical appointments, shopping, etc. Courteous, reliable professional. New Tampa to Tampa Int’l Airport - $45 (one way). Cory Lake Isles resident. For more info, call or text 813.765.2037.

Do you want to write for the Neighborhood News?

Paid freelance writing positions are available.

To apply, email your resume & one writing sample to Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com. No phone calls, please!

MISCELLANEOUS

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RAYSPHOTOGRAPHS LLC! Do you have a special occasion/moment you’d like to capture? Specializing in weddings, engagements, portraits, headshots & events, allow me to capture the moments that matter most to you! Visit raysphotographs.com for samples. Call/text (813) 380-2655 or email ray@raysphotographs. com. Mention this ad & receive 20% off!

DOES YOUR LOVED ONE NEED CARE AT HOME? Faith Compassionate Home Care Provides Medical & Non-Medical Home Health Care svcs: Nursing care, medication mgmt, case mgmt, companion care, home health aide, respite care, bowel care services, training to caregiver & more. Flexible pymt options. We accept private pay only. For info, call 813-602-4431.

360 BOOKKEEPING LLC - We focus on your Bookkeeping so you can focus on your Business. Est’d business? We’ll clean up your books to get you back on track. New Business? We can set up your chart of accounts to get you organized & efficient. Call now & get peace of mind—plus 20% off set-up fees—(813) 336-1363.

Hughes School of Music now accepting new students! Study Saxophone, Piano, Music Production, Composition or Theory with a Master of Music. Zoom sessions also available! Contact us at 813-748-3216.

REAL ESTATE & OFFICE

Steven Kessel, REALTOR® with Future Home Realty, Inc., has created just for you, the most advanced up to date user friendly property search engine for homes for sale in the Tampa Bay and Central Florida area. And it’s FREE for you to use and enjoy. BuyYourDreamHome.com

For Rent — Three BR, fully furnished ground floor condominium in Anand Vihar, a beautiful independent living, gated community in the lovely Wesley Chapel area in Tampa, Florida. Beautiful Club House, with a gym, swimming pool, game room, auditorium and a dining hall. Lunch or dinner Meal plans are available If needed. Contact Dinesh @ 716-830-7260

Well-Appointed Prof’l Ofc Space for Rent. 600 sq.ft. in New Tampa (across from Publix on BBD Blvd., behind Chase Bank). Two offices — one w/laminate floor & another w/carpet. Plus, a carpeted secretarial area & wide hallway. Large closet with shelving, refrigerator & microwave. Fully equipped bathroom with supplies. For leasing info, please call 813-468-9110.

CLEANING SERVICES

ANA PARRA HOUSE CLEANING SERVICES. Prof’l House Cleaning — Best prices & quality,. Licensed & Insured. Routine, Deep & Move-In/ Move-Out cleaning. Serving New Tampa /Lutz/ Wesley Chapel & more. Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or special needs. Avail. Mon-Sat. Refs avail. We supply our own cleaning products & equipmt. Call or text for free est: (305) 338-0981.

A-to-Z CLEANING & ORGANIZING. Home & Ofc Cleaning & Organizing Svcs! We use our own supplies. Affordable & Reliable. FamilyOwned & Operated. WC resident. Weekly & Bi-Weekly/Deep Cleaning/Move-In/Move-Out. Serving WC & NT. Call today for a FREE NoObligation Quote: 813-462-1270. Local refs. supplied upon request.

MARY’S CLEANING SERVICES. We provide flexible domestic & office cleaning. “Jesus is the Lord.” Give us a call at 352-206-8809 for a free estimate or email marynovociclo@ gmail.com.

PATY CLEANING SERVICE. Comm’l or resid’l cleaning service. We have our own supplies & 6 years of exp. Free estimates. Call 813 943 6054 or email patycleaningservice@hotmail.com.

TREE SERVICES

FITZPATRICK’s TREE SERVICE, INC. 27 yrs of Prof. Svc. Licensed & Insured. Free Estimates. Tree Trimming & Tree Removal. Stump Grinding. Dead-Wood Removal. Affordable Rates. 24-Hour Emergency Storm Service. Free Mulch. Call 813-495-9541 or 813-788-TREE.