29 minute read
Wesley Chapel has a new representative on the Pasco County Commission. See
By JOHN C. COTEY John@NTNeighborhoodNews.com
As far as surprises go, Pasco County didn’t have many (if any) on Primary Election night (Aug. 23).
But, the Wesley Chapel area most likely has a new commissioner lined up to replace the departing Mike Moore in District 2. Buoyed by the backing of Moore and other well-known local Republicans, Seth Weightman coasted to an easy win over opponents Christie Zimmer and Troy Stevenson.
Weightman picked up 48.9 percent of the vote, while fellow Republicans Zimmer (27.1 percent) and Stevenson (24 percent) basically split the rest.
A regional manager for waste-hauling company Republic Services, Weightman was backed by county tax collector Mike Fasano, former Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford and current Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson (who won the GOP nomination for Florida Secretary of Agriculture and will face Democratic nominee Naomi Esther Blemur in the General Election on Nov. 8).
Only registered Republicans voted in the two County Commission primaries. If only Republicans had entered the races, the primaries could have decided the elections, as voters of all parties would have been allowed to cast ballots.
But, Louie Rodriguez entered the Dist. 2 race as a write-in candidate with no party affiliation, which closed the primary to only Republican voters.
On Nov. 8, Weightman and Rodriguez will “run” against each other.
In Dist. 4, challenger Gary Bradford was accused of employing the same closed primary strategy when he defeated incumbent Christina Fitzpatrick 43.9-37.7 percent, avenging his loss for the same seat in 2020.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, Bradford acknowledged that a friend of his, Cory Patterson, filed as a write-in candidate in order to close the primary to Republicans only.
As the Times noted, Patterson, who has donated to Bradford’s campaign and has a Bradford campaign sign in his yard, will “run” against his friend on Nov. 8.
Only about 1 in 4 (24.8 percent)registered voters in Pasco County cast ballots in the 2022 Primary Election. However, that was still up from just 21 percent for the midterm Primary Election in 2020.
Meanwhile, there were three Pasco School Board seats up for grabs on Aug. 23. In Dist. 1, which includes all of Wesley Chapel, Al Hernandez (44.8 percent) and James Washington (31.5) were the top two vote-getters of the three candidates. Since Hernandez failed to pass the 50 percent threshold, he and Washington will square off in November to determine who replaces retiring Allen Altman, the Dist. 1 member since 2006.
Cynthia Armstrong edged Matthew Geiger by 2,159 votes on Election Day, but by then, had already built a massive 13,000-vote advantage via mail-in ballots,
to hold on to her Dist. 3 seat with 58 percent of the vote. Megan Harding retained her Dist. 5 seat with 71 percent of ballots cast. In other races, Dist. 12 U.S. Congressman Gus Bilirakis easily won his primary with 84 percent of the vote. His 33,883 votes were more than five times the combined amount of his four challengers, who received roughly 6,000 votes total. Bilirakis is in a safe Republican district and is expected to easily Seth Weightman gets in some last-minute campaigning on Primary win re-election in November Election day (Aug 23), as he cruised to an easy victory in the District 2 against Democrat Kimberly race for the Pasco County Commission.(Photo: Facebook) Walker and Charles Smith, who has no party affiliation. And, in one of the more interesting votes of the night, Pasco’s millage referendum to raise funds to increase teacher salaries easily passed (59-41%), even though a similar measure narrowly failed in neighboring Hillsborough County. In Pasco, registered Republicans, generally advocates of lower taxes and less spending, outnumber Democrats 165,856 to 114,335. But, in Hillsborough, which has more registered Democrats, its millage referendum failed in a vote so close a recount was ordered.
By JOHN C. COTEY John@NTNeighborhoodNews.com
It has been almost a decade since the plans for the Publix supermarket in the Hollybrook Plaza to move a little to the east into a newly built location were first floated.
But now, those plans finally are picking up steam.
According to permitting records filed with Pasco County, Publix is beginning the process of moving from its current location at the corner of S.R. 54 and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. to a 9.5-acre parcel right across Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. from the Walmart.
Plans indicate that Publix, which owns the land, will build a 60,548-sq.-ft. center, which will be anchored by a 48,848-sq.-ft. grocery store, with a 2,100-sq.-ft. liquor store and 9,600 square feet of retail space.
The new Publix center will be located directly behind the Bank of America, Advance Auto Parts and Starbucks-anchored Pleasant Plaza on S.R. 54 (see map).
Permitting also was submitted last month for a retail and restaurant project to be located behind the Clearwater Crossing plaza (anchored by Glory Days) and wrapping behind the new Publix.
Wiregrass Ranch development company Locust Branch, LLC, submitted a
New Apartments
Wesley Chapel is losing one Publix....but gaining another, as plans have been submitted to start the process of relocating the store at the corner of S.R. 54 and BBD Blvd. to the east. (NN Map: Charmaine George) preliminary development and construction plan for a 7,216-sq.-ft. strip center.
There are no current plans for the future of the Hollybrook Publix building. However, Scott Sheridan, the chief operating officer of Locust Branch, LLC, doesn’t think it will remain empty for long.
“I think that will be an easy fill,” he says, largely in part to the fact that it is a heavily-trafficked area.
There are also new apartments planned just south of Hollybrook Plaza, behind the Sonny’s BBQ on BBD.
TWO MINUTE WARNING: The Sombutmai Center, located at 22835 S.R. 54 a little west of Morris Bridge Rd. in Wesley Chapel, is adding a restaurant to its plans, according to permitting records. 2 Minutes, a popular mom-and-pop restaurant known for its large portions and located on Gall Blvd. in Zephyrhills, is planning its second location at the new Wesley Chapel-located center.
The new 2 Minutes will be 3,017-sq.-ft. and will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.
NEW CHILDCARE OPTIONS: There are a few new childcare/education options coming for Wesley Chapel residents.
Amazing Explorers Academy (AEA), a 12,110-sq.-ft. facility which will be located just south of Overpass Rd. near Watergrass, is in permitting. AEA will offer a STEAM curriculum for 200 students between the ages of six weeks-12 years old.
Also, a 13,586-sq.-ft. Primrose School (for children in Pre-K through kindergarten) on Chancey Rd. and Persimmon Park Dr. in Wiregrass Ranch also is in permitting. A third, as-yet-unnamed 10,000-sq.-ft. childcare facility is being planned just north of the El Dorado Furniture store (see below) on Wesley Chapel Blvd.
PLACE TO SIT: Speaking of El Dorado Furniture, the 70,000-sq.-ft. store located on S.R. 54, just west of Wesley Chapel Blvd. (across from the Cypress Creek Town Center), will hold its Grand Opening in September.
El Dorado promises a different kind of furniture store experience, with Boulevard showrooms set up like strips of old-fashioned city streets, with benches and street lamps lining the path.
By JOHN C. COTEY John@NTNeighborhoodNews.com
The Wesley Chapel area already is host to some of the largest youth sports tournaments in the Tampa Bay area and will now expand its reach to a new demographic — seniors.
The Florida Sports Foundation, the state of Florida’s sports promotion and development organization, and Florida’s Sports Coast (Pasco County’s sports tourism arm) will team up to be the primary host of Florida Senior Games for the next three years, starting in December of this year.
“It’s definitely a different demographic than what we tend to go after,” said Adam Thomas, the director of Florida’s Sports Coast. “Out of all of our sports, 95% of them are youth sports. This will be a new audience to tap into.”
The Florida Senior Games is an Olympic-style sports festival, for athletes over the age of 50 (and there is even a 100+ age group). The 31st annual Games in December will consist of 22 sports — half of which will be staged in Wesley Chapel — and will be held December 3-11. The event is a qualifier for the 2023 National Senior Games in Pittsburgh, PA.
The county has hosted various Senior Games events in the past. The Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County hosted bag toss, basketball shooting, 3-on-3 basketball and volleyball in December 2020, while pickleball was played at the Sarah Vande Berg (SVB) Tennis & Wellness Center in Zephyrhills.
This year, however, will mark the county’s first time as the primary host of the entire event.
And, because of the growth of sports venues in Wesley Chapel over the past decade, many of the events will take place here.
The Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus will host archery, basketball shooting and 3-on-3 basketball (Dec. 3), and volleyball (Dec. 10-11), while Saddlebrook Resort will host foot golf Dec. 10.
SVB will host almost every racquet sport, including padel (which will be played for the first time in the Senior Games Dec. 9-11), tennis (Dec. 3-8) and pickleball (Dec. 8-11).
Cypress Creek High and its rubber track will be home for many of the running events. Track & field is scheduled for Dec. 9-11, with a 1,500-meter power walk and 1,500-meter race walk set for Dec. 11.
Events like bowling and shuffleboard (Zephyrhills), golf (Trinity), and even power lifting (Land O’Lakes) will be held across the county.
“We’ve always been involved with the Senior Games in some form or fashion,” Thomas says, “but landing the actual games as the host destination, that will bring in close to 2,000 (hotel) rooms for a weeklong event, and it will bring up to 3,000 athletes and their families here for that same time period. So we’re looking at total visitors per day of 4,000.”
Thomas says that, according to Florida’s Sports Coast’s projections, the Senior Games will have an economic impact of $1.2 million per day throughout Pasco County. And, because the event is a national qualifier, Thomas is hoping the Florida games can put Florida’s Sports Coast in line to host the national event at some point down the road.
“This opens the door for us,” Thomas says. “We’ve definitely got our eyes on that.”
For more information about the 2022 Florida Senior Games, visit FloridaSeniorGames.com or follow FloridaSeniorGames on Facebook. For more information about Florida’s Sports Coast, visit FLSportsCoast.com.
In 2020, the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County hosted the 3-on-3 basketball (above) and volleyball Florida Senior Games events. This year, it will host those Senior Games sports
again, as well as archery. (Photo: FloridaSeniorGames.com)
For you oldtimers out there, it doesn’t seem that long ago that the debate over who had the best food in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel came down to the ABC Pizza on S.R. 54 and the gas station in front of Pebble Creek (Spoiler alert: It was the ABC Pizza).
Now, the choices for good food in both of our distribution areas are seemingly endless. In fact, in Wesley Chapel and New Tampa alone, there are close to 200 restaurants, and pretty much everything is covered, except for maybe Vietnamese, although a quality full-on Vietnamese restaurant is going to be opening soon just south of County Line Rd. (scoop alert!).
Otherwise, if you have a hankering for something, there are multiple places to satisfy your cravings.
But, to determine what the best places are (or, at least, your favorite places), we need your help. Any Reader Survey is only as good as, well, its readers. So whattya say?
There may be a few more categories this year than usual, but we think we’ve actually made it simpler for you — just write in your favorite choices, although we do ask that your rank your favorite three restaurants in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel overall, and throw it in an envelope and mail it to us.
Or, you can take a picture of your but the spaghetti and meatballs are simply to die for. Some restaurants just do one thing better than anyone else, so fill us in! We’ve also added a “Favorite Appetizer” category because it can make or break a dining experience. These days, mozzarella sticks and loaded potato skins simply With all of the changes in this year’s Reader Dining Survey & Contest (see entry aren’t enough. Resform on pg. 13), can Noble Crust repeat as your favorite restaurant in Wesley taurants are really
Chapel and New Tampa? It’s up to you to decide! (Photo: Charmaine George) putting some seriballot once you fill it in and email it to ous effort into their john@ntneighborhoodnews.com. Or, pre-meal offerings. And really, who hasn’t visit NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net, ordered nothing more than an appetizer and fill out the 2022 Reader Survey there. (or two) as their meal?
Heck, we even have prizes for a few We’ve also added a Covid-19-inspired of the lucky ones that do (see next page). category — “Best Coffee Shop,” because a
We — and the local eateries — do lot of us work out of a coffee shop these days. truly appreciate your participation. We’ve also added “Best KRATE at
So, what’s different this year? The Grove,” because, well, duh! While
Well, we’ve added a “Best Dish” you can certainly vote for any of the concategory, because sometimes, that’s the tainer restaurants in any other category, reason you’re going to a certain restaurant. we decided that the container park really Maybe the place isn’t your favorite overall, needed its own category. Plus, we’re curious to see how this one will turn out.
We decided to split the dessert categories into “Best Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt (FroYo)/Gelato” and “Best Bakery” sweets, and added a “Best Fried Chicken/Wings” category, given “Best Indian Food” and “Best Latin (Other Than Mexican)” their own categories for the first time, added “Best Breakfast/Brunch” and brought back the “Best Burger” category.
And, with the exception of the KRATEs, any of your favorites can be in New Tampa (zip code 33647, as well as in the Palms Connection plaza on E. Bearss Ave. in 33613) or Wesley Chapel (zip codes 33543, 33544 and 33545, as well as 33559, which is technically Lutz, but it allows you to include picks near the Tampa Premium Outlets, since so many locals love so many of those places to eat).
We think we have everything covered this time around. While it might be a little more work for you than when we gave you the names of pretty much every restaurant in our distribution areas, our goal was to present enough choices so that this year’s Reader’s Survey would present the most complete and accurate snapshot of your views of the dining experience in Wesley Chapel and New Tampa.
Now, it’s your turn. Thanks in advance for entering. — JCC & GN
FAVORITE RESTAURANTS IN NEW TAMPA & WESLEY CHAPEL (IN OR-
1.
2.
3.
BEST NEW RESTAURANT BEST BURGER IN NT/WC BEST AMERICAN RESTAURANT
BEST ITALIAN FOOD IN
BEST GREEK/MEDITERRANE-
FAVORITE DISH IN NT OR WC BEST PIZZA IN NT/WC BEST ASIAN RESTAURANT
BEST THAI FOOD IN NT/
BEST INDIAN FOOD IN NT/
BEST SUSHI IN NT/WC
BEST BEER OR WINE BAR
FAVORITE COFFEE SHOP
FAVORITE APPETIZER IN
FAVORITE KRATE AT THE
BEST MEXICAN FOOD IN
BEST LATIN (NOT MEX.) FOOD
BEST ICE CREAM/FROYO/GEBEST FRIED CHICKEN/WINGS
BEST STEAK IN NT/WC
BEST BREAKFAST OR BRUNCH
BEST FULL LIQUOR BAR IN
BEST BAKERY/DESSERT IN
NEW YEAR, NEW RULES!
There are 24 categories in our 2022 Reader Dining Survey on this page. Please fill in as many categories as you like, but to be eligible to win this year’s FREE Dining Gift Cards (to the restaurant of your choice), you MUST tell us your top three favorite restaurants (of any cuisine type) in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel AND provide an answer in at least 18 of the 24 total categories. Please note that this year, your votes will still count if you don’t provide answers to at least 18 categories, you just won’t be eligible to win this year’s prizes.
Three winners will be drawn at random from all correct entries, whether you enter by mail or at NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net by no later than Wednesday, November 23, to win a $100, $60 or $35 gift card to the restaurant of your choice. Mail-in entries must have all requested personal info (right) & be mailed to Neighborhood News 2022 Dining Survey & Contest, 28949 State Road 54, Wesley Chapel, FL 33543. — GN YOUR NAME________________________________________
COMMUNITY YOU LIVE IN (Epperson, Tampa Palms, etc.)
YOUR EMAIL _________________________________________ Enter online or by mail by Wednesday, November 23!
Neighborhood News 2022 Dining Survey & Contest 28949 State Road 54, Wesley Chapel, FL 33543 To Enter Online, visit: NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net
By JOHN C. COTEY John@NTNeighborhoodNews.com
When Sheila Merchant was looking to refresh some of the furniture and window dressings in her Arbor Greene home, she did what she always does.
She called Decorating Den Interiors.
“They have done just about every room in my home,” says Merchant.
It’s the kind of repeat customer that keeps franchise owner and decorator Debbie Demboski and her daughter Sara McKenzie-Nelson atop their field in the Tampa Bay and Central Florida area. Decorating Den, which says it is North America’s largest interior design and home furnishings franchise company, was founded in 1969; Debbie has been a Decorating Den franchisee since 1989, and is one of the company’s longest-tenured representatives.
It will come as no surprise to Merchant that Debbie was recently named Franchise Owner of the Year, the highest annual award presented by Decorating Den Interiors.
The key to Debbie’s success is the combination of a super-convenient model — the business comes to its customers with a completely free consultation and no hourly fees — and, of course, a keen eye for style.
Whether you want to update a room or patio, a piece of furniture, your window treatments, or redecorate your entire home from top to bottom, Debbie can find something that pleases your visual palate.
Debbie says the reasons why her clients love working with Decorating Den are outlined in the following “NIFTY” benefits:
•N-National umbrella: Decorating Den has the buying power of a national company. •I-In-home decorating: Design decisions are made in your home, in your existing lighting, working with what you already own. •F-Free consultation: Not only do Debbie and Sara come to you, there is no cost for the consultation and never any hourly fees for their time.
•T-Training: Decorating Den provides opportunities for decorators to constantly update their skills and learn about the latest trends through conferences and working with other franchise owners in the region. •Y-Your lifestyle: Your likes, dislikes and budget are Debbie and Sara’s highest priority, to be sure that your home reflects your personal taste — not theirs.
And while there are many Do-It-Yourself designers and decorators out there who fill their needs online, Debbie says that doesn’t always work out. In fact, she says that, most of the time, it doesn’t.
Debbie and Sara can bring a design studio right to your driveway. The Decorating Den van is stocked with a wide variety of samples of fabrics and colors — samples you can touch and feel and hold up to a wall or piece of furniture, offering the kind of coordination that often can’t be matched by the pictures you see online.
“Window treatments are such a custom thing,” Debbie says. “If you want a truly custom treatment, you need someone to come to your home and measure (the available space) and match fabrics. You need a professional to do it right.”
Debbie’s local franchise is truly a family affair. Her 91-year-old mother Phyllis runs the office, and 30-yearold Sara is the window treatment specialist.
In fact, it was Phyllis who met Merchant at a church group and suggested Decorating Den, and it was Sara who has done the work in Merchant’s home.
“(Sara) is fantastic,” Merchant says. “She really brings us out of our comfort level and we love it. We’re traditionalists in our 70s, so we might fall back into wanting the same old same old, but she is not afraid to
Debbie Demboski (left) and her daughter Sara McKenzie Nelson are the Decorating Den duo ready to bring a fresh new look
to your home or office. (Photo courtesy of Debbie Demboski)
Subtle changes can transform a room, like the dining room above, with the before on the left and the after on the right. Decorating Den can also give your bathroom a whole new look. say, ‘Have you thought about doing it this way?’”
Merchant has had her bedroom and family room windows decorated, some dining room chairs reupholstered and other touches.
“Probably 10 things in all,” she says.
Sara, who has now worked with Debbie for eight years, plays an important, and increasingly wider, role at Decorating Den. Window treatments — these days that mostly includes replacing vertical blinds with more modern sliding and curtain panels, solar shades and motorized shades or panels — currently make up roughly half of Decorating Den’s business.
“She is the future,” Debbie says of Sara, and Merchant agrees, adding that Debbie’s daughter has a good eye for colors and patterns.
Another repeat customer, Lisa Dosal, recently moved from her Wesley Chapel home to Oviedo, FL. Roughly 10 years ago, Debbie re-did the window treatments in Lisa’s home and also reupholstered some older, classic furniture.
Dosal says all the furniture has lasted and is coming with her to Oviedo, but she wanted her window treatments in her new home refreshed and another piece of furniture reupholstered. While she waited for her new home to be finished, Debbie actually reupholstered the furniture so it was ready to go before Lisa even moved.
Debbie also traveled to Oviedo to do the window treatments and add some other design touches. “Originally, we loved the whole Decorating Den concept and how they came to us (in Wesley Chapel),” Lisa says. “And, we loved working with Debbie. She works with you to decide on something that we liked. She didn’t just pick something she liked and made us use it. We work together to find the perfect look.” Debbie has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Design and Business from West Virginia University in Morgantown. She got into the interior decorating business when she was living and working in Atlanta and a friend became a Decorating Den franchise owner. Debbie went to work as a decorator for that business and, soon after, started her own franchise. Decorating Den offers a “good, better, and best” mix of product lines to meet every budget. And, business is going great, she says. “It’s probably doubled in the last few years,” Debbie says. “It’s definitely been beneficial being part of a big national company.” Debbie says that the Covid-19 pandemic contributed to the increase as well. With people confined indoors during parts of the last few years, they spent a lot of time looking at their old furniture or out their windows…and noticed that things needed to be updated or replaced. “We never really shut down,” Debbie says. “We worked through it and there was a challenge with travel, but otherwise, as people were more or less locked into their homes, they wanted to change things. And of course, a lot of them started working from home.” In addition, many people wanted rooms converted to home offices, or existing home offices updated. Debbie jokingly says that finding desks during the height of Covid-19 was akin to the hunt for toilet paper around that same time. “We had some supply chain issues we had to work through,” Debbie says, “and some fabrics and materials were discontinued as businesses shut down. But, it’s gotten better.” Debbie has a long list of clients and says that she can have as many as 20 different projects going at any one time. As Sara has grown into her role as a designer, that workload has become easier to manage. It keeps their customers coming back. In fact, Merchant says she has another decorating job planned for this fall. Guess who she’ll be calling? “I wouldn’t use anybody else.” Decorating Den Interiors comes to you at your home or office in Wesley Chapel or New Tampa for an absolutely free consultation. For more information, see the ad on pg. 23, call Debbie or Sara at their studio at (813) 982-2820 or on their cell at (813) 817-2264, or visit DebbieD.DecoratingDen.com.
By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN
Correspondent
Dr. Richard Lockey, Dr. Mark Glaum, Dr. Seong Cho and Dr. Amber Pepper diagnose and treat various allergic and immunologic diseases in both children and adults.
These include allergic nose and eye problems; other respiratory issues such as asthma; food, drug and insect allergies; various forms of allergic skin disorders, including atopic eczema, urticaria (hives) and contact dermatitis; acute and chronic sinusitis; and systemic allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis.
The doctors also are also experts in treating immunodeficiency diseases — patients who are abnormally susceptible to infections.
The four of them are set apart by their commitment to research and education in the field, treating patients in private practice while also conducting research at the University of South Florida (USF) Division of Allergy & Immunology Clinical Research Unit (CRU). The private practice office and CRU make up the top floor of a medical building near the corner of Fletcher Ave. and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., and the practice is found online at AllergyTampa.com.
Richard Lockey, M.D., founded the practice in this location in 1984 as Academic Associates in Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Nearly four decades later, he continues to practice alongside a team of professionals who are all Boardcertified in both internal medicine and allergy and immunology and who pride themselves on excellent patient care.
All four also educate residents and medical students at USF and supervise
The doctors of AllergyTampa.com include (l.-r.) Dr. Amber Pepper, Dr. Richard Lockey, Dr. Mark Glaum and Dr. Seong Cho. All four doctors see patients at their offices on BBD Blvd. and
South Tampa and also teach at the University of South Florida. (Photos by Charmaine George) a nationally recognized program to train allergists and immunologists. In that capacity, they do clinical research and have been involved in many of the innovations in the specialty of allergy and immunology over the past several decades. “Because of our research background,” says Dr. Cho, “we take a scientific approach to diseases. We are all currently involved in doing research on both the university and clinical side, so we have more scientific understanding.”
Their goals are to improve the quality of life of their patients with allergies and immunologic diseases and make them self-sufficient in caring for their own health and the health of their children and families. They also continue to improve the diagnosis and treatment of allergic and immunologic diseases.
While Dr. Lockey says that there’s nothing wrong with a doctor who chooses only to focus on seeing patients, physicians join his team because they also want to do academic research and train new physicians in the specialty.
“We all have our areas of specialty and interest,” he explains. “That’s what makes us so powerful.” A Little Background
Dr. Lockey earned his Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree from the Temple University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War, then subsequently joined the faculty of the USF (now Morsani) College of Medicine as a Professor of Medicine. Dr. Lockey also has served as president of the World Allergy Organization and is a past president of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), of which all of the practice’s specialists are members.
Dr. Lockey has been serving area residents for nearly four decades, and also has served as president of the World Allergy Organization and is a past president of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
Dr. Glaum earned his M.D. degree at the Hahnemann University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. He completed a fellowship in allergy and clinical immunology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, also in Philadelphia. His areas of interest include how the body responds to substances that cause allergic reactions and advancing diagnostic techniques, such as rhinoscopies (examining nasal passages with specialized instruments). Dr. Cho received his M.D. degree as an otolaryngologist — an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor — from Kyung Hee University School of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea. His allergy and immunology training was completed at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, IL. “Being an ENT is unique,” Dr. Cho says, “I have more expertise in sinus problems. Often ENTs and allergists work together, but my training and background gives me a better perspective of both sides.”
And, like the other doctors in the practice, Dr. Cho explains that the ongoing research and university experience means they take a scientific approach to treating patients, as well.
Dr. Pepper earned her M.D. degree from USF in 2013, then completed her residency in internal medicine in 2016 at USF and a fellowship at the practice through USF’s Division of Allergy & Immunology.
While all of the doctors are able to treat nearly all allergy and immunology issues, there are times when they rely on each other to handle very complicated cases. They say that some local allergists refer to them when a patient has a particularly intricate issue.
For example, Dr. Cho’s background as an ENT means he’ll sometimes handle nasal allergy testing for patients of his colleagues, if skin and blood tests are negative for allergy responses and the patient requires that nasal allergy testing.
The doctors provide the community with pollen counts, including pollen counts from mold spores, year-round. In the spring, they provide pollen counts from trees. In the summer, they provide counts for grasses and, in the fall, for weeds. They are experts in both outdoor and indoor allergies cause by mites, molds, animals and other allergens.
Drs. Lockey, Glaum, Cho and Pepper recommend that patients always look for physicians with expertise and ongoing training to meet your specific needs. They intentionally stay up-to-date on medicine and treatment at the forefront of medical science.
Patients can see Drs. Lockey, Glaum, Cho or Pepper at their North Tampa office, which is located at 13801 BBD Blvd., Ste. 502, or in the South Tampa office, located at 1906 W. Platt St. To learn more about the services they provide, visit AllergyTampa.com, call (813) 971-9743, or see the ad on page 29.
