Volume 21 Issue 19
Inside: Homemade Pasta At The Wiregrass Mall?
September 14, 2013
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Fugitive Dies Following 13-Hour Manhunt, High-Speed Chase & Shootout By Matt Wiley On the day we went to press with this issue, a 13-hour manhunt throughout the Tampa Palms area, high-speed chase and desperate shootout with local law enforcement authorities ended with a man who was wanted for violent sexual batteries on multiple women — as well as several armed home invasions during the early morning hours of September 6 — dead shortly after being taken into custody. Choppers buzzed overhead in the southern section of Tampa Palms and over the University of South Florida (USF) area, as law enforcement officials searched the wooded, conservation areas for 24-year-old Charlie Christopher Bates, a dangerous fugitive facing six Charlie Christopher counts of armed sexual (Chris) Bates battery, eight counts of armed kidnapping and one count of armed home invasion, with more charges possible, if the suspect weren’t already dead. New Tampa schools were kept on modified lockdown throughout the day,
while “scores” of authorities with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) and Tampa Police Department (TPD) descended upon the southern New Tampa area to locate Bates, a tattooed and dreadlocked man, who had eluded them overnight since his crime spree began around 11 p.m. on September 5. According to HCSO sheriff David Gee and TPD chief Jane Castor — both of whom spoke at a morning press conference in the parking lot of the Acropolis Tavernaanchored Oak Ramble Plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (which served as the enforcement authorities’ command post during the search), Bates entered an apartment inside the Cambridge Woods student rental complex, located on N. 42nd St., where eight USF students were watching a football game. Once inside, Bates, who was armed with a gun, bound the four men with duct tape and sexually battered the four women, before fleeing on foot. Two of the women went to Florida Hospital Tampa on BBD, where hospital staffers alerted HCSO about the incident. Gee says that Bates then entered another nearby residence in the Eagle’s Point at Tampa Palms apartment complex, located on N. 46th St. Inside, he ordered the lone
woman to take off her clothes and give him a kiss. When she complied and began to pray for him out loud, he apologized and prayed with her. She ripped pages from a Bible to give to him before he left, after they spoke for more than 20 minutes, HCSO says. After leaving that apartment, Gee says that Bates then went to the Authorities (left) approach the vehicle driven by Oaks apartment complex, also located on N. 42nd St., and entered a Charlie Christopher Bates following the shootout that residence where another party was would later claim Bates’ life. The photo is a screen shot going on involving about 25 people. captured from A BC A ctionN ews.com . Using his firearm, Bates forced everyone into a bedroom, before fleeing again on authorities positioned at several intersections, foot. HCSO reports that Bates also shot at a under the bridge at Cypress Creek on BBD man in the parking lot, although that man (south of Amberly Dr.) and at nearby apartment complexes, monitoring and checking was unharmed. “(Bates) fired shots inside that resi- the trunks of cars exiting each complex. Bates was able to get into the apartment dence,” Gee explained during the morning of another woman, who Gee said was somepress conference. “Deputies were already on scene at the other (home invasion) and heard one Bates might have known at one time, the shots. They gave chase and we (ended where the fugitive shaved his head and left up) looking for that subject all morning in the woman’s car. Authorities were alerted that he had taken the vehicle and were able long.” Deputies searched through the night to locate Bates around 1 p.m. on E. Fowler and into the morning for Bates using chop- Ave. at Gillette Ave. It didn’t take long for Bates to realize pers, dogs and a heavy law enforcement presence throughout the morning, with See “Manhunt” on page 14.
Deacon Blues To Play At Leukemia Society Fund Raiser At The Palms
NEIGHBORHOOD MAGAZINE
Tampa Palms Pill Pusher Put Away, WC Man Arrested For Sea Turtle, New Tampa Girl To Tee Off At Pebble Beach, Lots Of Local Business Features & More!
New Owners Revamp Ciao! Italian Bistro, Our 2013 Dining Survey & Contest, New Tampa Dance Theatre Gets Ready For Fall Season, Plus More Neighborhood Nibbles & Biz Bytes!
Pages 1-42
Pages 43-60
The beautiful young woman in flight in the far right photo is Marlana Lacivita, a fulltime professional “Dance Captain” at Busch Gardens Tampa who is friends with Bernie’s daughter Nicole (who also is a paid performer at Busch Gardens). Unfortunately, Marlana was diagnosed in March 2012 with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but despite her ongoing chemo treatments, she is somehow still doing what she loves — dancing — all while keeping a smile on her face. So, I was happy to help when Bernie asked me to promote a silent auction and fund-raising concert by the Deacon Blues (a
The Deacon Blues Band will perform at a Sept. 28 fund raiser at Peabody’s for Marlana Lacivita (right).
band I sang with for a couple of gigs) in honor of Marlana to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Tampa Bay, at Peabody’s Palms Lounge in the Shoppes of Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms on Saturday, September 28, 7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. See “Marlana” on page 14.
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NEWS, BUSINESS, SPORTS & EDUCATION UPDATES
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the kind of guy he is and always will be. So, I know when Bernie asks me if I can help at all with something, it’s always his way of trying to do the most he possibly can to help someone who not only deserves that help, but who probably also is the type of person who would never ask for any assistance themselves.
Postal Customer
Long-time Hunter’s Green resident Bernie Desrosiers is someone I consider to be a good friend, not only because he helped coach the Wharton High ice hockey team that both of my sons played for a few years ago, but also because Bernie was the first person I met in New Tampa who spent untold amounts of his free time helping others to try to build an actual community in the middle of our suburban sea of seemingly impassive, sometimes apathetic subdivisions.
Although I first met Bernie at one of the first annual “Toilet Bowl” touch football games he organized within Hunter’s Green, it wasn’t long before he asked me if I could help a family in need. Although he works full-time and travels a lot for his job, over the years, Bernie (who also is the keyboard player in the local band called the Deacon Blues; more on them later) has donated untold hours of his time and saved people lots of money by offering his services as a deejay with a professional audio setup for free, as long as the event is for a good cause. It’s just
Dated Material Please Rush!
By Gary Nager & Matt Wiley
New Tampa’s Oldest Rotary Club Isn’t Resting On Its Laurels An editorial by Gary Nager Although there are currently three Rotary Clubs in New Tampa and two in Wesley Chapel — and despite all of the promoting of those clubs that we do in the New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News — there are still some people who don’t know what Rotary is or what it does. All Rotary Clubs are under the umbrella of Rotary International, the oldest and still the largest service organization in the world, established in 1905 which today has 34,000 clubs and more than 1.2 million members worldwide. Although other organizations and individuals have helped, since 1979, Rotary International has been and continues to be the lead organization in the eradication of polio from the world. And, to date, there is no polio in 97-98 percent of the world, with only Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan still “polio-endemic,” according to the World Health Organization. But, Rotary also is about local clubs helping local people, organizations and causes — and all of our area Rotary Clubs do as much as they can to help people in New Tampa, Wesley Chapel and even the Tampa Bay area as a whole. The first Rotary Club founded in either of our distribution areas was the New Tampa Rotary Club, which has been meeting Friday mornings at 7 a.m. at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club (TPGCC) since the club was chartered with a southeastern U.S.-record 86 members in 1995. The club’s leadership has changed over the years, and the New Tampa “Breakfast Club” has lost some members through attrition (as most clubs and organizations
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Publisher & Editor Gary Nager General Manager Nikki Bennett Assistant Editor / Photographer Matt Wiley Correspondents Bonnie Mason • Lauren Saslow • Kathleen Schiop Senior Graphic Designer Porsha Lemos Advertising Sales Rep Taylor Gardner Nothing that appears in New Tampa Neighborhood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, without permission. Opinions expressed by New Tampa Neighborhood News writers are their own and do not reflect the publisher’s opinion. The deadline for outside editorial submissions and advertisements for Volume 21, Issue 21, of New Tampa Neighborhood News is Monday, September 30, 2013. New Tampa Neighborhood News will consider previously non-published outside editorial submissions if they are double spaced, typed and less than 500 words. New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit and/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makes no guarantees regarding publication dates. New Tampa Neighborhood News will not return unsolicited editorial materials. New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit &/or reject any advertising. New Tampa Neighborhood News is not responsible for errors in advertising beyond the actual cost of the advertising space itself, nor for the validity of any claims made by its advertisers. © 2013 JM2 Communications, Inc.
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have the last few years in particular), but today still has more than 60 active and about 20 honorary members. And yes, the New Tampa Rotary is still the vibrant, energetic group that started the annual Rotary PigFest, hosts golf tournaments and is involved in many other events and service projects. Current New Tampa Rotary president and longtime member Peter Gambacorta says that the club currently is working on one of its biggest service projects of all — the establishment of a dog park for all New Tampa residents in front of the New Tampa Community Park & Recreation Center on Commerce Park Blvd. in Tampa Palms. “We’re close to having a commitment from the City of Tampa,” Gambacorta says. “If it is approved, the city will match our $25,000 investment to build the park and the city’s Parks Department will maintain it and provide the pooper-scooper bags and trash receptacles for it. A lot of people in our area have been asking for a park like this for a long time.”
On Being A Pig...
Gambacorta, a Culinary Institute of America-trained chef who owns the Private Chef of Tampa catering service, also is working on not only bringing back, but also expanding, the Rotary’s annual PigFest, which will celebrate its ninth anniversary in 2014. “We didn’t have a PigFest in 2013,” Gambacorta says. “But, we plan to hold it the weekend of February 22 and make it more of a culinary weekend, with me cooking a wild game dinner one night, the PigFest on one day and other culinary events that are still in the planning stages. We hope to be announcing firm dates and locations later this month.” The PigFest started as a New Tampa Rotary-only event, but as many as six or seven local Rotary Clubs — including the New Tampa Noon and New Tampa
(L. to r.) New Tampa Rotary Club president Peter Gambacorta, Operation Helping Hands Tampa chair Bob Silah and Valerie Casey of the New Tampa Noon Rotary. Gunter and other club members also are Evening Rotaries (both of which meet at frequent visitors to the monthly Operation Hunter’s Green Country Club) — have Helping Hand (OpHelpHand) dinners teamed up to make the PigFest an outstanding local event in years past and Gam- served at the hospital for the wounded vets and their families. bacorta and his “team” of Rotarians are OpHelpHand Tampa is a project of confident it will be even better next year. the Tampa Chapter of Military Officers AsGambacorta says the New Tampa Rotary also is proud to support the Tampa sociation of America (MOAA), and has Fisher House, the residence on the campus been organized to help the families of the of the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital on wounded and injured during their stay in Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., which offers Tampa Bay. U.S. Navy Capt. (Ret.) Robert free room and board to family members of Silah, the chairman of OpHelpHands the wounded veterans being treated at the Tampa, will be the guest speaker at the hospital, which later this year will be one of New Tampa Rotary’s meeting on Friday, several charitable recipients of funds raised October 4, 7 a.m., at TPGCC. by the New Tampa Rotary in 2013. Thanks for the updates, Pete! Gambacorta, New Tampa Rotary senFor info about the New Tampa Roior director (and a past president) Gary tary Club, visit NewTampaRotary.org.
Table of Contents
LOCAL NEWS, BUSINESS, EDUCATION & SPORTS UPDATES..............................Pages 1-42
Tampa Palms Pill Pusher Put Away.........................................................4 New Tampa News Briefs...................................................................6 Annexation Hearing Set For Land Behind Wharton Labor Day ATM Robber Caught Schenecker Trial Postponed Until 2014 Wesley Chapel Man Arrested For Possession Of Sea Turtle.............8 New Tampa, Wesley Chapel T-Mobile Stores Robbed..................10 New Tampa Community Calendar................................16
Local Business Updates.................................18-37
New Tampa Chamber Of Commerce Newsletter...................18 Florida Hospital’s Pepin Heart Institute Health Screenings.. 20 Small World Pediatrics Takes Care Of Your Kids......................24 Cellmasters Will Put The Right Phone In Your Hands............28 The Room Exchange: Your Furniture Consignment Store......30 Pasco Dental Will Brighten Your Smile....................................34 Sun Laboratories Handles All Of Your Testing Needs..............36
Local Education & Sports Updates...............38-39
School District Launches School Lunch Menu App.................38 Wharton Hosting Annual Harvest Tournament, Food Drive..38 Tampa Palms Girl Prepares For ‘First Tee’ At Pebble Beach....39
Neighborhood Magazine
Check Out The All-New Menu At Ciao! Italian Bistro!....43, 56 New Tampa Dance Theatre Voted Best In North Tampa!.......46 New Tampa YMCA Donates School Supplies..........................48 Enter Our 2013 Dining Survey & Contest.......................51 ‘Neighborhood Nibbles & Biz Bytes’...............................54
NEW TAMPA COLOR CLASSIFIEDS....................56
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Tampa Palms Pill Pusher Crashes Car Full Of Drugs By Matt Wiley
A Tampa Palms man has been arrested with a car full of narcotics following a single-vehicle crash on S.R. 54, just east of Wesley Chapel, in Land O’ Lakes. According to a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) report, just before 10 a.m. on August 28, Jeremy Earle Grove, 23, of 16228 Saint Michelle Ct. (in the Promenade at Tampa Palms apartment complex), was discovered with several packages containing prescription drugs and controlled substances after flipJeremy Grove ping his Toyota Scion on S.R. 54, east of Hailey Ln., in Land O’ Lakes. Witnesses described Grove’s driving leading up to the crash as erratic, stating that he was driving at a high rate of speed, cutting off other vehicles, following too closely and was unable to stay in his lane, before veering off the road and flipping his vehicle. FHP reports that following the arrival and departure of an ambulance (which the uninjured Grove did not need), he returned to his vehicle to remove Manila envelopes from his car, telling witnesses that they were for his
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work, “Kangaroo Companies,” and were very expensive and could not get wet. When FHP troopers arrived and asked Grove for his license and registration, he replied that he did not have a Florida driver’s license and that his only license was from Washington state, which currently is suspended. Grove had an active Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) warrant for his arrest due to previously having been caught driving with the suspended license. Once in cuffs, FHP says, troopers began taking an inventory of his vehicle before it was towed, when the envelopes full of narcotics were discovered. During the investigation, Grove attempted to escape his handcuffs to no success. At our press time, he was still in custody at the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center Inside the five separate, stamped envelopes with addresses across the U.S. were 14 Hydrocodone pills (a first-degree felony), 8 Xanax pills (a third-degree felony) and an undisclosed amount of Ecstasy (also a third-degree felony). Grove has been charged with one count each of driving without a valid driver’s license, driving with a suspended license, driving with a license suspended for more than four months and reckless driving with property damage. In addition, he has been charged with five counts of possession of drug
paraphernalia, four counts of possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, three counts of possession of drugs with the intent to sell, manufacture or deliver, one count of trafficking in controlled substances, as well as one count of owning a vehicle used in the crime of trafficking a controlled substance. Grove is being held on a $188,500 bond. FHP sought high bonds due to possible federal charges with the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) and the U.S. Postal Service. No additional information was available at our press time.
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N EW T AMPA Annexation Hearing Set For Land Behind Wharton
The public will have its say in November and December regarding the voluntary annexation of nearly 150 acres of New Tampa land behind Wharton High. The Tampa City Council approved two public hearings to discuss the voluntary annexation of 148 acres located east of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (behind Wharton High), between New Tampa Blvd. and County Line Rd., during its August 22 meeting. The hearings will be held on Thursday, November 14, 5:30 p.m., and on Thursday, December 5, 10 a.m. The land, which is co-owned by Busch Junction Enterprises and Taylor Morrison of Florida, Inc., is to be used for a new single-family housing community that will target “empty-nesters,” or families whose kids have grown and moved out and who want to downsize their homes. Currently, 370 homes (2.5 per acre) are planned for the development. “A public hearing is necessary to bring land into the city limits,” says District 7 City Council member Lisa Montelione. “Nothing is in stone until after the public hearings.” Assistant city attorney Kate Taylor says that the first hearing will likely feature a short presentation about what is being considered, followed by a period of time for public comment. City Council members will listen to the public before deciding whether to create an ordinance approving the annexation. Taylor explains that if members of the public express disdain toward the annexation, the Council will be looking for substantial evidence that the annexation would not be a good move, such as if it would create an unsafe increase in traffic in areas where there are children at play, presenting a danger to the community. Montelione says that anecdotal evidence, such as a member of the public not liking the developer(s), will not affect the Council’s decision.
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News Briefs
Labor Day ATM Robber Caught
Thanks to a photo taken from surveillance footage, a man wanted for multiple ATM robberies during the Labor Day weekend is in custody and could be held responsible for additional, similar crimes, authorities say. According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff ’s Office (HCSO), Charles Griffin, 34, of the Hidden Palms apartment complex, located just south of Tampa Palms on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., was arrested on September 3 in connection with at least three separate ATM robberies, each of which occurred within a day of the previous. The HCSO report states that at around 2 a.m. on September 3, Griffin, who was armed with a silver handgun, approached and attempted to rob a customer using the Bank of America ATM machine at 250 E. Bearss Ave. Hours earlier (on September 2 at around 1:35), Griffin had demanded money from a person at the same ATM, where his photo was caught using surveillance footage from the ATM machine. He drove off in a grey Dodge Journey SUV, which deputies spotted later that day, ultimately leading to his arrest. Griffin also has been charged in the ATM robbery of a customer at the Chase Bank at 2802 E. Fletcher Ave. When deputies spotted what looked like his vehicle at the RaceTrac gas station on E. Bearss Ave. (just west of I-275 and right across the street from the scene of the robbery) on September 3, they questioned him and took him into custody. “We’ve identified (Griffin) as a suspect in five similar crimes,” says HCSO spokesman Larry McKinnon. “But, we’ve only been able to formally charge him in three of those cases, so far.” Griffin is being held at the Hillsbor-
ough County jail without bond. No more information was available at our press time.
Schenecker Trial Postponed Until April 2014
The trial for Julie Schenecker, 52, the woman accused of murdering her teenage children in the family’s Tampa Palms home, has been postponed from October 2013 to April 2014, court records indicate. Schenecker’s case, which was originally scheduled to begin on October 7 of this year, has been postponed until April 28, 2014. The case was postponed during a hearing on August 16, in which Hillsborough Circuit Judge Emmett Battles granted a motion from Schenecker’s lawyers for a continuance, to which the state did not object. Court records show that prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Schenecker, who has been charged with the January 2011 first-degree murder of her children Beau, 13, and Calyx, 16. Schenecker’s lawyers announced in Au-
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gust 2011 that they would rely upon an insanity defense. The court decided in February of this year that Schenecker would need to be evaluated by three state experts to determine her sanity at the time of the murders. As previously reported in the New Tampa Neighborhood News, Schenecker is accused of shooting her two children in the head for being “mouthy” and disrespectful toward her while her now-ex-husband, now-retired U.S. Army Col. Parker Schenecker, was deployed overseas. Schenecker has a prior history of both mental illness and substance abuse. Schenecker sent an alarming email to her husband the night before the murders, which he reported to the police, who discovered the bodies of the children,. They also found Schenecker, who was unconscious in the backyard of the family’s home in the Ashington Reserve neighborhood of Tampa Palms. No additional info was available at our press time. — Matt Wiley
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Wesley Chapel Man Arrested For Possession Of Sea Turtle By Matt Wiley A Wesley Chapel man has been released, after turning himself in for being illegally in the possession of a sea turtle. According to a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) report, Kim Raymond Feaste, 21 — whose permanent address is in the Williamsburg community of Wesley Chapel (just north of the Hillsborough-Pasco county line) — turned himself in to the Orient Rd. jail in Tampa on September 1, after Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) authorities visited his apartment the day before. “(FWC) had put out a news release with his photograph, asking for the public’s help identifying him,” says FWC spokesperson Gary Morse. “As a result, we received a significant number of calls to the FWC Alert Hotline and we were able to determine his name and his whereabouts.” The FWC release, dated August 13, describes a photographer’s encounter with Feaste, who was photographed digging in a Loggerhead sea turtle (which is classified as an “endangered” species by the International Union for Censervation of Nature, or IUCN) nest on Casey Key in Sarasota County. When asked what he was doing, Feaste replied that he was “collecting turtle eggs to be released when they hatched.”
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This photo, released by Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation, led to the identification & arrest of Wesley Chapel resident Kim Raymond Feaste.
nest was apparently not the only time that he has disturbed one. “There have been a number of sea turtle nest disturbances in the past year,” Morse says. “This is the first case that we have been able to close. Without the cooperation of the public and the media, (FWC) wouldn’t have been able to find (Feaste). It’s hard to catch these people in the act.” Feaste has been charged with possessing an endangered sea turtle, a third degree felony. He was released from the Hillsborough County jail on a $2,000
bond, but Morse says that additional charges could follow in Sarasota County for the disturbance of the Casey Key nest in August. His case is still under investigation. Punishment for disrupting a sea turtle nest is no joke. It is a violation of both federal and state law. According to FWC, those convicted of doing so are subject to a fine of up to $5,000 and/or five years behind bars. For more information about sea turtles and their protection, please visit MyFWC.com/SeaTurtle.
Morse says that there was plenty of evidence at Feaste’s apartment, located in downtown Tampa, to determine that he was, indeed, the man they were looking for. “There were various indications and evidence that he had illegal possession of a sea turtle,” Morse says. “Plus, there was a picture of a sea turtle in a tank in the same apartment.” However, Morse explains, the turtle that Feaste is accused of being in possession of is actually from a separate incident than the photos of him digging in the Casey Key nest. In other words, Morse says that the photo of Feaste digging in a
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Two Local T-Mobile Stores Burglarized Just A Day Apart through the back door, setting off the store’s alarm system. Once the alarm An after-hours burglary has left the started to go off, the suspects walked over Cellmasters, Inc., T-Mobile store in New to a display case and began shoving phones Tampa, as well as the T-Mobile store in and phone cases into a bag, before leaving Wesley Chapel, short thousands of dollars through the same back door. in stolen phones. Surveillance footage shows the susAccording to the Tampa Police Depects clearing out the display cases and partment (TPD), at around 6:45 a.m. on leaving the store, literally, in only about one August 23, two caucasian or “fair-skinned” minute. TPD describes the suspect’s loot as male suspects, clad in long sleeves, gloves an “enormous amount of merchandise.” and ski-masks, broke into Cellmasters, loCellmasters, Inc., owner Ashraf cated at 19024 Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Hamed says that the store is out about Blvd. in the Publix-anchored New Tampa $10,000 in product, plus the cash register, Center shopping plaza. in only its second month of business. TPD reports that the suspects entered “They knew exactly where to go,” Hamed says. “It’s like they knew the store. They were in and out of here.” In addition, the T-Mobile store located at 5438 BBD in Wesley Chapel also was burglarized. The Pasco County Sheriff ’s Office (PCSO) reports that on August 24, two unknown suspects entered the locked, These burglars, wearing gloves, long sleeves and facemasks, were able to rear door of the store break in to T-Mobile stores in both New Tampa and Wesley Chapel, by prying open the steal thousands of dollars in product and escape within minutes of en- door with an untering the stores. They still had not been identified at our press time. known tool, which
By Matt Wiley
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also was used to pry open the locked stockroom door. Once inside, PCSO says that the suspects took 67 new cell phones, valued at more than $25,000. The suspects exited the business through the same rear door. Their mode of transportation still is not known. The case is still under investigation and no additional information was available at our press time. Anyone with info about the suspects’ identities or whereabouts is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800873-TIPS (8477) or text “CSTB plus your tip” to 274637 (CRIMES). A tip leading to an arrest may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 in cash.
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“Manhunt”
“Marlana”
Continued from page 1
Continued from page 1 that he was being followed, Sheriff Gee said. HCSO deputies, TPD officers, Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) troopers and U.S. Marshalls chased Bates through Temple Terrace to Temple Terrace Hwy. and onto U.S. 301, as Bates’ vehicle reached speeds up to 100 mph at some points, HCSO reports. Gee explains that Bates fired at his pursuers through the rear windshield of his vehicle and out the driver’s window. Shortly before 1 p.m., authorities caused Bates to lose control of his car just south of Sligh Ave. and come to a stop on the westbound shoulder of U.S. 301, in front of a Waffle House restaurant. He continued to fire at authorities and was struck several times, before being taken into custody. Gee says that Bates died at 1:21 p.m. Although more than 100 shots were fired, no law enforcement officials were hurt. “The law enforcement officers that were here today did an outstanding job of quickly identifying this man, who would have, there’s no doubt in my mind, killed someone, if he hasn’t already,” Gee said at a news conference following Bates’ death. The suspect’s identity was determined thanks to information gathered from similar cases that TPD has handled over the past several months. Bates has been tied to an August 9 armed home robbery near W. Busch Blvd. and Rome Ave., in which he broke in through the back window of a
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Hillsborough Sheriff David Gee and Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor at the news conference held in the Oak Ramble Plaza parking lot on Sept. 6.
home, leaving blood on the scene. He demanded that the lone woman inside disrobe, but she began to pray. At that point, similar to the Eagle’s Point incident, Bates fled the residence. He left blood at the scene and was identified on August 30, HCSO says. A warrant had been issued for his arrest. More recently, on September 3, HCSO reports that Bates entered a home through an unlocked back door and woke a sleeping couple at gunpoint, pistol-whipped the boyfriend and sexually battered the female before fleeing. Any updates that occur after our press time of September 6 will be addressed in a future issue and at NTNeighborhoodNews.com as soon as they become available. Our website and Facebook.com page received thousands of hits on September 6, as we updated this story throughout the day, which just happened to be our press day.
Not dancing during her treatment wasn’t an option for Marlana. “I shopped around for a doctor because I wanted to find one who would work with me, and my dancing,” Marlana says. “I was determined to keep dancing the whole time.” She says she is happy she decided to go with Dr. David Wright at Florida Cancer Specialists. Marlana had to get a special “port” for treatment because the chemo chemicals could not touch her skin. Dr. Wright sent her to a breast cancer specialist to get the port. “Busch Gardens (BG) worked with me and my treatment schedule,” she says. “They also adjusted my hours and my costumes for my port. They keep my spirits up.” And, Marlana keeps other people’s spirits up, too. “She is such an inspiration,” says her friend and fellow BG dancer Shari Torres (Rae). “She just loves to dance and isn’t going to let her condition slow her down.” Marlana, who met her husband Guy Harris at BG, is the Dance Captain for the park’s “Born 2 Rock” show, where the troupe puts on six shows per day. Bernie says that on treatment days, she performs in the first two shows, then slips out to the hospital for a few rounds of chemo and then back for the 6 p.m. show. “It really puts things in perspective, at least for me,” Bernie says. “If she
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Shari Torres (left) & Marlana Lacivita
can fight through chemo while dancing, it’s hard for me to say ‘I’m tired’ after a day of just working.” Marlana says that when she goes for her treatments, she’s always positive and tries to wear crazy colors. “I put a smile on for others who are going through treatment, too.” At our press time, she had two chemo sessions left of 12, then will have a positron emission tomography (PET) scan a month after the last session to see the status of her cancer. The Deacon Blues, a truly rockin’ blues band which started in 1998 at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church on Cross Creek Blvd., has performed at more than 100 different venues, including The Taste of New Tampa. The requested donation to attend the event at Peabody’s (15333 Amberly Dr.) is $5 & proceeds will benefit the Leukemia Society. Call 9721725 or visit pages.teamintraining. org/sun/StPeteHf13/storresg0s.
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September 2013
MOMS Club Of New Tampa - The MOMS (Moms Offering Moms Support) Club of New Tampa is currently open to new members in the New Tampa area. The MOMS Club offers a variety of daytime activities for mothers and their children, opportunities for Moms’ Nights Out and many more benefits. For more information, or to join the club, email MomsClubNewTampa@gmail.com.
Sunday, September 15
Zen Meditation Group - Enjoy meditation? Looking for a new way to relax? Check out the FREE Zen Meditation Group that meets Sundays at 10 a.m. in the Arbor Greene Community Center (18000 Arbor Greene Dr., off Cross Creek Blvd.) Aerobics Room. People of all faiths are welcome. You only need an interest in meditation and a more peaceful and relaxed mind and life. For more info, call Jeremy at 528-6285.
Monday, September 16
Community Acupuncture - A Monday night community acupuncture and discussion group is forming at Ion Medi-Spa (8903 Regents Park Dr., Suite 130), 6:30 p.m. Topics include needle-free acupuncture, facial rejuvenation, stop smoking and customized weightloss programs. For more info, call 960-8833 or visit IonMediSpa.com.
Tuesday, September 17
New Tampa Tri Club - The New Tampa Tri Club is open to runners, swimmers, cyclists and triathletes across the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area. The club hosts group bike rides/runs at Flatwoods Wilderness Park (13330 Morris Bridge Rd.) every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 7:30 a.m. For additional information, join the Facebook group or email NewTampaTriClub@gmail.com. GriefShare - This video-seminar-support group is for anyone who is grieving the death of a loved one. The cost is $20 for a workbook and 13 sessions, begin any week to find healing and hope. The group meets Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at Lake Magdalene Methodist Church (2902 W. Fletcher Ave., Room 310). For information/registration, call 963-1555.
Wednesday, September 18
BNI Millionaire Makers - The BNI Millionaire Makers chapter meets every Wednesday at Pebble Creek Golf Club at 7:15 a.m. (10550 Regents Park Dr., off BBD Blvd.). The $13 meeting fee includes a hot breakfast. Contact Lisa Jordan at 621-6015 for more details. Business Networking International (BNI) - BNI, a group of business professionals dedicated to helping their respective businesses grow through qualified referrals, meets every Wednesday morning at 7:30 a.m. at the Cory Lake Isles Beach Club clubhouse (18630 Plantation Bay Dr., off Morris Bridge Rd.). For more info, call Ed Gleason at 299-4475. New Tampa Noon Rotary - The New Tampa Noon Rotary Club meets every Wednesday for lunch at noon at Hunter’s Green Country Club (18101 Longwater Run Dr.). Guests are always welcome. New Tampa Evening Rotary Club - The New Tampa Evening Rotary Club meets every Wednesday at 6:15 p.m. at Hunter’s Green Country Club. New members are always welcome. For info, call Liz DeAmbrose at 956-6487 or email homenet@gte.net. Tampa Toastmasters - Great speeches & great topics. Come hone your public speaking skills. Tampa Toastmasters meets every Wednesday 7 p.m. at Pebble Creek Golf Club (10550 Regents Park Dr.) New guests are always welcome. For more information, call 428-6356.
Thursday, September 19
English As A Second Language (ESL) - This group meets Thursday mornings at
Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church, located at 19911 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., from 9-11:45 a.m. Classes are taught by a native English speaker using several ESL and Bible study resources. Come, practice your conversational English and make new friends in a fun and relaxed environment! The cost is $20 each quarter, which covers the workbook and class materials. For more information, or to register, call Heather at 753-8567.
Food Addicts In Recovery - Are you having trouble controlling the way you eat? Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA) is a support group without any dues, fees or weighins and is based on the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. FA meets at Florida Hospital Tampa at (on BBD) in the Camelot A room at 7 p.m. For additional information, visit FoodAddicts.org or call Roz at 355-4197.
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Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel’s Inagural Women’s Health & Wellness Day At Saddlebrook Resort
Saturday, September 21, 8:30 a.m. - In appreciation of all that women do, Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC) is holding a multi-generational women’s health & wellness-focused event. This fun, FREE, inspiring event will feature physician presentations, health screenings, pampering and giveaways at Saddlebrook Resort & Spa Tampa (located off S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel). Attendees will have an opportunity to hear from some of the area’s most respected physicians, about topics including heart health, genetic testing & breast cancer risk factors, pregnancy, healthy aging and what women need to know to live a healthy life. There also will be a variety of free screenings, including blood pressure, blood glucose, Body Mass Index (BMI) and more. And, it wouldn’t be a day dedicated to women if there weren’t also pampering opportunities like chair and hand massages. The event is free and open to the public; however, registration is required, as space is limited. To register, call 929-5432 or visit FHWesleyChapel.org/events.
CBC Networking - Come together with like-minded professionals at the Christian Business Connections (CBC) Networking group, which meets every Thursday at 7:30 a.m. at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church (located at 5338 Primrose Lake Cir. near the New Tampa Community Park in Tampa Palms) for a “meet & greet,” followed by a meeting, . For more info, email Shawn@TPACorp.com.
Friday, September 20
New Tampa Rotary Club - The New Tampa Rotary club meets for breakfast at 7 a.m. at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club (TPGCC, 5811 Tampa Palms Blvd.). The guest speaker will be Tim Jordan, speaking about the BP oil spill. For more information, call Eric Longphee at 202-1105.
Saturday, September 21
New Tampa Dog Pack - Do you have a dog? Enjoy scenic nature walks? Join the New Tampa Dog Pack on Saturday mornings at 8:30 a.m at Flatwoods Wilderness Park (at the 18205 BBD entrance) and on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. at Compton Park (16101 Compton Dr., Tampa Palms). For more info, please visit MeetUp.com/New-Tampa-Dog-Pack.
Thursday, September 26
New Tampa Chamber Of Commerce Business Expo & Annual Meeting -
The New Tampa Chamber invites you to check out its annual Business Expo & new Board member intro at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites (8310 Galbraith Rd., next to the Muvico movie theater), 5:30 p.m. Free to attend. For info, call Regina at 293-2464.
October 2013 Saturday, October 5
Hunter's Green Community Trash & Treasure Sale - Hunter’s Green will be hosting it’s fall “Trash & Treasure Sale” from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in Hunter's Green Park (9476 Highland Oak Dr.). Those interested in seeing what’s for sale are asked to use the Cross Creek Blvd. entrance. For info, call 991-4818. Grace Episcopal Calypso BBQ - Grace Episcopal (15102 Amberly Dr.) will be hosting it’s annual BBQ beginning at 3:30 p.m. A $10 donation guarantees a great time, including food, music, fun and games. For info, call 971-8484.
Thursday, October 10
Northeast Tampa Women In Business Meeting - The Northeast Tampa Women in Business group meets the second Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. at Hunter’s Green Country Club (18101 Longwater Run Dr.). Visit NETWIB.org or call 843-2354.
Friday, October 25
Tampa Fisher House Golf Classic - The Pebble Creek Golf Club will host this year’s golf tournament to benefit the Tampa Fisher House, the residence providing free housing & meals to the families of injured military veterans treated at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital (on BBD, south of Fletcher Ave.). Tournament registration & catered lunch begin at 11:30 a.m., with a 12:30 shotgun start. The cost to play is $125 per golfer (includes cart, lunch, dinner & more); sponsorships are available, too. For info, call Valerie Casey at 317-8886 (or email valcasey3@aol.com) or Barry Shuman at (516) 523-2678.
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New Tampa Chamber of Commerce, Inc.
2012-13 Board of Directors President-Regina Ramalheira
Board Members:
15310 Amberly Dr., Suite 250 Tampa, FL 33647 Information: (813) 293-2464 Fax: (813) 388-4408
Website: NewTampaChamber.Org
VP-Neil Heird Treas-Karen Hilton Secy-John Lore
Non-Officers: Dr. Rachel Haviland Mark Lange Dr. Earl Meyer
Executive Assistant: Position Available!
ʻ‘W orking To Im prove The Q uality O fLife In N ew Tam pa!ʼ’
Do Not Miss Our Free Annual Business Expo September 26! This year, the New Tampa Chamber of Commerce will return its annual free (to attendees) Business Expo & new Board member introduction to the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites on Galbraith Pkwy. (next to Muvico) for a night of great fun. The Expo is scheduled for Thursday, September 26, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. The Expo is a great opportunity to sell merchandise, offer discounts to other Chamber members (as well as the public) and pass out marketing materials to promote your business. Restaurants are welcome to participate and provide food samples as well. Chamber Members can reserve their business booth for just $50 and we Gunter & Gunter Insurance had a will limit the number of booth spaces to booth at the 2012 New Tampa Chamber 75, so please contact us asap to reserve of Commerce Business Expo. one of the few spaces we still have left. Tuesday, Oct. 8 - New Tampa’s Non-Chamber members must pay $125 District 7 City of Tampa Council memto join the Chamber + $50 for the ber Lisa Montelione booth to be included. Tuesday, Nov. 12 - Former NFL Food will be catered by the newly coach and executive Harold Richardson, opened Little Greek restaurant and by who served as general manager of the Toast Fine Wine & Café, both of Atlanta Falcons from 1998-2002, which which are located on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. A cash bar will be available. included making it to the Super Bowl in 1999; he also served 14 years as a coach To reserve your booth space, call and administrator for the New Orleans Regina Ramalheira at 245-8895 or Saints and Denver Broncos, as well as 12 email info@newtampachamber.org to reserve your booth. You can mail your years as a college football coach. Tuesday, Dec. 10 - Hillsborough check to our new PO Box at PakMail County commissioner Mark Sharpe (19046 BBD Blvd., #202, Tampa, FL Tuesday, Jan. 14 - Tampa Mayor 33647). You also may be able to pay Bob Buckhorn for your booth on the Chamber’s If you’re interested in being a fuwebsite, NewTampaChamber.org. ture New Tampa Chamber featured Upcoming Chamber luncheon speaker, call Regina RamalLuncheons heira at 245-8895 or email info@new The second Tuesday of each month, tampachamber.org. the New Tampa Chamber hosts a luncheon, with networking at 11:30 a.m. and Here’s An Awesome the program beginning at noon, at Marketing Op For You! Hunter’s Green Country Club (18101 The cost to advertise on this page Longwater Run Dr.) and we have a great in the N ew Tam pa N eighborhood N ews roster of upcoming speakers: each month is just $400 per year (an av-
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erage of just $33.33 per month for the year) for a single business card ad in color or double-size ad for just $700 per year (or a monthly cost of $58.33). Where else can you have an ad for that price in a publication that is directmailed to 24,500 homes in New Tampa’s 33647 zip code? The answer is there is no place else! Call Regina Ramalheira at 2458895 or email info@newtampachamber.org to reserve your ad space on this page!
Our New Website, Too!
There are now also virtually endless opportunities to promote your business on our new website. The web address — NewTampaChamber.org — hasn’t changed, but the site has been greatly improved. Please call Regina for pricing, as there are many online ad sizes available and the first to call may get some time to advertise on our newand-improved site for free.
Want To Cut A Ribbon? & More
As always, the New Tampa Chamber of Commerce appreciates your support, and wants to support you with new business ribbon cutting ceremonies and sponsored events. Call Regina Ramalheira at 245-8895 or email info@new tampachamber.org. If you’re interested in becoming a Board member of the New Tampa Chamber or even a Chamber Ambassador, please email info@newtampa
Liberty Mutual Insurance at last year’s Expo chamber.org for an application. Please note that our membership pricing and benefits will be changing and there will be many more opportunities to promote your business on our new website and on our weekly event emails. Stay tuned, as it will be great! Lastly we want to encourage our members and prospective members a chance to provide a drawing for all events as it gives you talk time and business card collection for follow up. As always, feel free to call me about the New Tampa Chamber of Commerce at 245-8893. Best Regards! Regina Ramalheira President New Tampa Chamber of Commerce
Ads appearing on the New Tampa Chamber of Commerce page in New Tampa Neighborhood News are available to Chamber member businesses only. Call 293-2464 to get yours!
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Florida Hospital’s Pepin Heart Institute Offers Community Health Screenings Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the U.S. Your lifestyle, diet and genetics all play a part in your heart health risks and benefits. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that heart attack prevention begin by age 20 and continue throughout your life. It’s vital to assess your risk factors and take action to protect your heart. A Tampa couple understands the meaning behind taking action for your health. Richard and Jill Beistle keep several dates on the calendar that are important to them, including birthdays, anniversaries and...for more than 10 years ...health screenings. The couple says this gives them peace of mind about their health and their hearts! “It’s important because you need to know what your numbers are, rather than wait until something happens to you and you end up in the hospital,” says Jill. There are five key numbers medical experts say you should know. The average adult’s blood pressure should be no higher than 120/80, their triglycerides should be 150 or less and when it comes to total cholesterol, the goal is below 200. Triglycerides and total cholesterol numbers measure both good and bad cholesterol. Good cholesterol, also called HDL (or high-density lipoproteins), should fall in the range of 40-60. Bad cholesterol, called LDL (or
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low-density lipoproteins) should be 100 or less. The Beistles say they participate in Florida Hospital Tampa (located at Florida Hopsital Tampa, on E. Fletcher Ave. at Bruce B. Downs Blvd.)’s community health screenings yearly. The next screenings are being held the next two weeks at both the hospital itself and at the offices of the Florida Hospital Physician Group in Brandon (see below). “Every once in a while it’s nice to check to make sure you are still on the right track,” said Richard. Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute medical director Dr. Charles R. Lambert, M.D., is involved with the health screenings and says medical experts can pick up some significant warning signs in a matter of minutes. “If I know your cholesterol, your body mass index and your family history… you can, with amazing accuracy, predict the risk factors and the actual risk of having cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. Lambert. While some risk factors are hereditary and determined by your family history, you do have the power to change some of your other risk factors through lifestyle and dietary changes. Remember, you are your first line of defense against heart disease. Dr. Lambert says the screenings are not a substitute for your checkup or an-
The Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute, located at 3100 E Fletcher Ave, invites you to take part in its annual community health screenings. nual physical with your doctor, but they are a great way to measure how you are doing and can shed light on your risk factors. “Extensive studies have identified several factors that increase the risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack,” Dr. Lambert says. “Some risk factors include: high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity and lack of exercise. The good news is that many of these can be lowered with making lifestyle and diet changes. Another significant risk factor includes smoking… a smoker’s risk of developing heart disease is 2-4 times that of non-smoker’s.”
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Diabetes also can increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Children of parents with heart disease are more likely to develop it themselves. Just as you can’t control your age, sex and race, you can’t control your family history. Therefore, it’s even more important to manage the other risk factors you can change. People often do not recognize the signs of a heart attack and wait too long before getting help. Signs that a heart attack is happening include an uncomfortable pressure or squeezing in the chest, pain in the neck, jaw, arms or stomach, shortness of breath and other signs could often be breaking
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Center, 8 a.m. - noon. Thursday, September 19 & Friday, September 27 — at Florida Hospital Physician Group, the office of Mark Craft, MD, and Edward Scanlan, MD (426 W. Brandon Blvd., Brandon, FL 33511), 8 a.m. – noon. The $25 screenings will include blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, body mass index (BMI) and a Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) screening. PAD is more commonly known as hardening of the arteries, which increases your risk for having a heart attack or stroke. PAD screening is done by using the ankle-branchial index (ABI). This ABI screening is a painless, quick and noninvasive Doppler ultrasound that measures the ratio between the pressure A simple drop of blood can help assess your risk in your arms and that in your legs, idenfor heart disease, as a volunteer demonstrates. tifying most cases of PAD. Once the screening is complete, participants will out in a cold sweat or lightheadedness. review results with a healthcare profesFirst-ever heart attacks can be fatal or dissional. Keep your heart protected with the abling, so prevention is critical. experts at Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Florida Hospital Pepin Heart InstiInstitute. Sign up for your screening tute will be hosting four community today, it might just save your life. health screenings the next two weeks to Registration for the screenings is help you keep your heart beating strong! required online at to attend any of the following days and ExpertCardiacCare.org. Or, call 615times for these important community 7537 for registration & more informahealth screenings: tion. This announcement was written Friday, September 20 & Thursday, and submitted to the New Tampa September 26 — at Florida Hospital Tampa (3100 E. Fletcher Ave. at BBD) Neighborhood News by the staff at Pepin Heart Institute Wallace Conference Florida Hospital Tampa.
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Small World Pediatrics Takes Care Of Your Kids From Diapers To Degrees By Matt Wiley Watching children develop from newborns to college scholars is a joy usually reserved for parents. However, José Jiménez, M.D., the one physician who has been seeing all of the patients at Small World Pediatrics (now located jut north of S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel) for the past decade, has been right there with the parents in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area help those kids stay healthy as they have grown and matured from babies and young children into teenagers and young adults. Now located (since 2010) in the Windguard Professional Center across Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from the new Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC), Small World Pediatrics is a fullservice pediatrics practice that cares for children from the time that they are born through their college years (usually to about age 21). Among the services Dr. Jiménez provides are physical exams for school and sports, vaccinations for daycare, school and college entry, and treating a wide range of pediatric illnesses. Dr. Jiménez originally opened Small World Pediatrics in 2003 in the Northwoods plaza on BBD near Target, about a mile closer to the Hillsborough County line than his new office. He says that becoming a pediatric physician is something
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that he knew he wanted to do since his sophomore year at prestigious Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. “I had studied engineering my first two years because of my love for math and science, but I felt I would be happier using my scientific knowledge caring for people on a day-to-day basis,” Dr. Jiménez explains. “It turns out that I was right. I love my job, and I love coming to work every day.” Dr. Jiménez earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida in 1992, after transferring from Cornell during his junior year. He earned his M.D. degree from the University of South Florida (USF) College of Medicine in 1996, and completed his pediatric residency at USF in 2000. “I chose pediatrics because I love working with children,” Dr. Jimenez says. “I get to smile every time I walk into a patient’s room.” Dr. Jiménez adds that he really wanted to live in and be a part of the community where he was practicing. “I decided to open a practice in Wesley Chapel because my wife and I loved the area,” says the Meadow Pointe resident. “Wesley Chapel has a small town feel, yet it is very close to the city of Tampa and just across the county line from New Tampa. This is a great place to live, raise a family and work.” It’s easy to feel like a kid walking into
Dr. Jiménez’s office, which is decorated on every wall with Disney characters and other cartoons. Animated movies are constantly being shown on the lobby’s flat-screen TV. The exam rooms, too, make children feel right at home with colorful cartoon characters adorning the walls.
On Call From Day One
An advantage to For ten years now, Dr. José Jiménez has been the only phyisican at being located across Small World Pediatrics, now located across BBD from Florida Hosfrom FHWC for Dr. pital Wesley Chapel, in the Windguard Professional Center Jiménez is also having doctor privileges at the 12, 15 & 18 months old), followed by annew hospital. (Note-He also has privileges nual physicals. During exams — which inat Florida Hospital Tampa on Bruce B. clude a complete physical exam, assessment Downs {BBD} Blvd. {at E. Fletcher Ave.} of growth and development, as well as upand at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital on W. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd.) This dating all vaccinations — Dr. Jiménez takes time to discuss with parents such important allows him to begin caring for children as topics as proper nutrition, fitness, healthy soon as they are born and make daily visits sleep habits, school progress, child safety throughout the baby’s stay at the hospital and issues unique to each age group. and through their formative years. “We provide an atmosphere where Dr. Jiménez follows the American our patients and their parents can feel at Academy of Pediatrics’ recommended schedule for well-child visits when the baby home,” Dr. Jiménez explains. “We treat is a newborn — at 2 weeks, and then at the our patients and their parents with a personal touch, so they feel comfortable here specified monthly intervals (1, 2, 4, 6, 9,
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screenings for these problems. “Keep in mind that vision and hearing screenings are a very important part of (a physical) exam,” Dr. Jiménez explains. “Often children are thought to have learning disabilities or are simply just not performing well in pre-school or school, when the real problem may be that the child needs Dr. Jiménez discusses the progress of 16-week old Zoey glasses, or they are McCauley with Zoey’s mom Jessica in one of the practice’s Disney- having trouble hearthemed exam rooms.The entire office is decorated in the same fashion. ing.” In addition to from the time they make the appointment vision and hearing screenings, Small World to the time they leave the office.” also can provide testing for anemia, diaSmall World even can make same-day betes, influenza, mononucleosis, pregnancy appointments for sick children, which is a and strep throat, as well as screenings for common issue as kids make the transition scoliosis and tuberculosis. from summer into a new school year. Dr. Other health issues that Dr. Jiménez Jiménez says that, lately, he has been treatcan treat include asthma, cardiac issues ing quite a few patients with the common (such as chest pain and evaluations of heart cold, sore throats, vomiting and diarrhea, murmurs and other cardia irregularities), ailments that hand washing is the key to gastrointestinal issues, genitourinary issues minimizing. (such as bed wetting or urinary tract infecFeel as if you child hasn’t been pertions), as well as musculoskeletal, neuroforming as well as in previous school years? logic, skin and systemic issues. It could be due to a hearing or vision issue, “Our philosophy is that we can have a and Small World Pediatrics does provide positive impact in the lives of the child(ren)
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and the parent(s) at every visit and we strive to make the office visit the best possible for both,” Dr. Jiménez explains. “We care, and I believe that shows every time you visit.” And, Small World Pediatrics does have quite a few satisfied families singing the praises of Dr. Jiménez and his staff. “I wouldn’t trust my little one to anyone else,” says Denean Griffin, the mom of a Small World patient. “We’ve been going there since she was a few weeks old and she just turned 5 years old this month. I’ve referred seven people to him and each one has been pleased. I can’t say enough good things about (Small World). We are blessed to have found them.” Ten years of a practice is quite an accomplishment, and Dr. Jiménez says that he
is thankful to the community for making it possible. “It is an amazing feeling to be able to celebrate 10 years of serving and caring for the pediatric patients of the Wesley Chapel and New Tampa area,” Dr. Jiménez says. “We as an office staff feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment and pride in our longevity. I say ‘we’ because our present staff has been together now for seven years, and we all contribute and take a lot of pride in our service to this community.” Small World Pediatrics is located at 2527 Windguard Cir., Suite 102, and accepts virtually all major health insurance plans but, for a specific list, please visit SmallWorldPediatric.com. To make an appointment, please call 907-8001.
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Cellmasters Will Put The World In Your Palm With T-Mobile Phones & More! By Matt Wiley In our current technological age, it’s easy to forget that the computers many of us carry in our hands actually are what were once referred to as “telephones.” With the ongoing addition of more technology and services that these “Smartphones” are capable of offering, it’s good that there is a place in New Tampa to find the phone and the wireless service that meets your needs. Consider Cellmasters, Inc., a new, independendtly owned T-Mobile store that opened in June of this year in the New Tampa Center shopping plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. at Cross Creek/New Tampa Blvd. Inside, a myriad of the latest in phone technology and accessories line the showroom walls. It is here that owner Alex Hamed, a Cross Creek resident, and store manager Joe Dimian, who lives in West Meadows, fit customers with the plans and phones that best suit their lifestyles. Whether it is a contract plan with an expensive phone or a cheaper phone with a prepaid plan, Cellmasters has something for you and your family. “We are a T-Mobile ‘exclusive’ store,” Hamed explains. “What ‘exclu-
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sive’ means, is that instead of it being a T-Mobile corporate store, where T-Mobile owns the whole store, we own the store with the corporation, which allows us to provide additional services and do our own thing. So, this basically is a TMobile store, except that instead of it being owned by the corporation, it’s owned by an individual.” Those additional services Cellmasters offers include the ability to buy, sell, trade, repair and unlock phones, even if they are from another cell carrier. “We get to do all of the extra stuff, but of course, we still offer all of T-Mobile’s plans, including their secondary, cheaper, pre-paid mobile phone company called GoSmart Mobile,” Hamed explains. Hamed adds that, due to the way the store is owned, Cellmasters can offer GoSmart Mobile plans as well as T-Mobile monthly 4G pre-paid plans, as well as the traditional, credit-based plans, just like the ones most other major cellphone companies provide. But, Hamed says that having the ability to offer all of these plans isn’t something that can be found at just any T-Mobile store. “Usually there are either pre-paid plan T-Mobile stores or regular plan T-
Mobile stores,” Hamed explains. “We’re all across the board, which makes our store unique.” In addition to numerous options for cellular plans, Cellmasters carries the latest in today’s smartphones, including both the Apple iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy 4, with unlimited call, text and data plans starting as low as $50 per month. Need Alex Hamed (left) and Joe Dimian will help put the two phone lines? No right phone with the right plan in your hand. problem. Your cost is just $80 per month for “the ing phones, which isn’t typical of a norworks,” unlimited. Need four lines for mal T-Mobile store. the family? The cost is just $100 per “We can fix anything from broken month. screens to charging ports on your Hamed says that, besides the price, iPhones, Androids, and even tablets,” the best part about the T-Mobile conHamed says, adding that Cellmasters can tract plans is that the customer never has even fix water damage to phones. All reto worry about overages of any kind. In pairs are done with original, manufacfact, customers can get unlimited 4G turer parts. LTE service for just $20 per month. Dimian is the lead repair tech at Although the store offers several dif- Cellmasters and he says he has been ferent types of plans to fit almost any working on phones for four years, a skill budget, Hamed says that he is most he learned while working at a local proud that his store can focus on repairMetro PCS store, before leaving to open
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Cellmasters carries a wide range of the newest smartphones, which can be paired with an unlimited plan, as well as a wide variety of smartphone accessories. Cellmasters with Hamed. The two actually met at the other store. Hamed says that he got into the cell phone industry for a change. Before working at Metro PCS, he had been working as a manager at a convenience store for three years. He bought his first T-Mobile store in Town N’ Country last December, a location which already had been open for eight years. Looking to expand, he chose to open a second store close to his home in Cross Creek. “The first month, business was tough,” he explains. “But, since then, business has been good.” Hamed says that the positive trend in business is due to Cellmasters’ com-
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how it would best fit my needs. I felt no pressure to upgrade my phone and my questions were answered accordingly. After receiving my new phone, their staff was able to help set up my e-mail and also a required ‘Apple ID’ so that I can utilize the Apple App store. After previously using the Android system on my old device, I was not sure how to maneuver the iPhone system; however, the staff was more than willing to assist me with whatever I needed to know about my new device.” Hamed says that he hopes people will look at Cellmasters as a one-stopshop for their cellular needs.
“When the store is privately owned and the owners are working in the store, it’s easier to make sure that customers leave the store happy,” he says. Still not intrigued? Hamed says that until Monday, September 30, every new customer will receive a free stylus pen that works on touch-screen phones and tablets, plus 25-percent off all accessories and repairs. If a new cell phone or data plan is in your future, stop in to Cellmasters at 19024 Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in the New Tampa Center shopping plaza, or give the store a call at 631-1111.
mitment to customer service. “We never put our customers on any plan that they don’t want,” Hamed explains. “I could probably convince a customer that he or she needs four lines and make it sound like a great idea, but when your first bill comes, you might decide that you really don’t need that and cancel your plan. We don’t want that to happen.” But don’t just take his word for it. “I was looking for a phone that would fit my needs and be practical to use at the same time,” says Demi-Marie De Silva, a happy Cellmasters customer. “The T-mobile staff was able to provide all the specs of the iPhone 5 and describe
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The Room Exchange — Designer Furniture At Great Consignment Prices By Kathleen Schiop “The heart is in the home,” so the saying goes, and for most of us, our homes are our refuge from the stress and anxieties of the everyday world, so naturally we want our home to be a comfortable and beautiful place where we can relax. And, both new and established homeowners can find artistic and budgetary challenges to furnishing and accessorizing their homes, and that is where The Room Exchange, located in the Willow Bend Towne Centre Plaza (at the corner of SR 54 and Collier Pkwy. in Lutz (five miles west of Bruce B. Downs Blvd.) can help. The Room Exchange, a consignment furniture store, has been assisting customers with home furnishings for seven years, the first three at the Village Lake Shopping Center on U.S. 41 in Land O’Lakes, and for the past four at its current location. The Room Exchange sells a wide range of furniture and accessories consigned from private individuals and from builders’ model homes. Voted the 2011 Gold Winner for Best Consignment Store & Furniture Store in East & Central Pasco by the Media General Publications Florida Publishing Group, The Room Exchange represents quality furniture and service to its customers, some of whom
are both selling and buying their furniture and “knickknacks” at the store. Courtney Stone, the charismatic owner of The Room Exchange, says he comes by his chosen profession honestly. “My dad has a store in Ocala called Bargains and Treasures,” he says, “and I have pretty much spent the last ten years in this business. You’re not going to get rich doing this, but I just love it.” Two years after opening the store, Courtney was joined by wife Lesley¸ a former USF librarian who eventually left her job to work full time at the store. “We’re here all the time,” he laughs. “It’s definitely a family business.”
How It Works...For You!
So how does furniture consignment work? The Room Exchange sets the price of the item, based on the track record for selling of other similar items at the store. The consignment period is for 120 days and the business takes 50 percent of the sale, with the seller taking the other 50 percent. (Please note that some consignment stores take a more advantageous, for them, 60-40 split of consignment proceeds.) Every 30 days that the item doesn’t sell, The Room Exchange reduces the selling price by 10 percent from its original price. And, if the item goes the full 120 days without selling, it is marked half off. “We have an average turnaround on a
sale of about three weeks, and almost 90 percent of everything in the store sells within the first month, so our inventory changes constantly,” explains Courtney. “We sell a lot of sofas, coffee tables, and knickknacks (picture frames, small lamps, candlesticks and more), but there are some things we don’t take, such as fine china. So, before you consign, check our website (TheRoomExchangeOnline.com) to see what we Lesley and Courtney Stone of The Room Exchange in the do and don’t accept.” Willow Bend Towne Centre on S.R. 54 at Collier Pkwy. He adds that The Room Exchange has taken work at The Room Exchange. in whole houses or apartments full of fur“Business is really good,” says Courtnishings, “if the furniture and accessories ney. “We have some wonderful regular meets our criteria, and of course, the model consigners and customers who come in homes come in periodically. If an estate here every day, but we also do pickup and doesn’t meet our criteria, we refer the fami- delivery and we even offer free pickup lies to appropriate vendors who can help within 15 miles of the store, which is great them.” for the customer who can’t bring everyThe store, a former Publix supermarthing down.” ket in the plaza, consists of 12,500 square He adds that the pickups are so popufeet, and resembles a retail furniture store, lar that, “Right now, we’re on a six-week but without the sticker shock. The furniwaiting period, so it’s good to plan ahead if ture and accessories are arranged in tasteful you have a large amount of items — or just and appealing “vignettes” by Michele, the a few larger items to consign.” Delivery of store’s part-time interior decorator, one of your furniture purchases also is available, the ten full- and part-time employees who for a fee.
The Room Exchange features (left) a huge variety of dining room tables and chairs, armoires and artwork, as well as furniture arranged in “vignettes,” designed by Michele, the store’s part-time interior decorator. But, trust us, these photos do not do the store justice. You really have to see it to understand the quality and variety of the available furniture & accessories.
“Most of our consignments come to us from a 15-mile radius, people who live in New Tampa, Wesley Chapel, Lutz, Land O’Lakes and Carrollwood,” he says. “And we do have quite a few people who bring in our daily limit of 30 items on a regular basis. (Note-Consignments are accepted at The Room Exchange Tuesday-Saturday only). They go out to garage sales and bring in things to consign and do very well. If I didn’t own this business, I might become a consigner myself, because I see some of the checks we pay out to these people.” Julie, a customer from Lutz, couldn’t say enough good things about The Room Exchange. “I’ve been following the store
ever since they started, and visit at least two to three times a week, just to see what they have in stock. It’s a great place to shop, and the inventory changes practically daily. Everything is reasonably priced and the staff is so friendly and nice, they’ve practically become my second family.” Pressed for time? Check out TheRoom ExchangeOnline.com to see some of the latest furniture available at the showroom. The website even updates the pricing of each item, so you know exactly what an item will cost. In addition, take a look at the site’s beautiful blog “Everyday Spaces” for fabulous ideas about decorating with your new treasures. Of course, the website cannot possibly include all of the large and
ever-changing inventory at The Room Exchange, so you are encouraged to come and view the showroom during store hours. Whether you need one piece of furniture, or a whole house-full, The Room Exchange offers a variety of different styles to meet your decorating needs. Don’t see what you want? The store also offers an affordable custom design service for those hard-to-furnish rooms in your home. Nora, a customer from Wesley Chapel, raves, “About 60 percent of my home has been furnished by The Room Exchange. Every room in my house has something from there, and I was able to use the personalized decorating service when I needed help. They are kind, fun,
easygoing people and their customer service is excellent.” When not at the store, owners Courtney Stone and his wife Lesley spend time running and swimming and spending time with their daughter Alyssa, who is finishing up her last year of nursing school at Florida Gulf Coast University in Ft. Myers. For more information, please visit TheRoomExchangeonline.com or call 909-2411. The Room Exchange is located in the Willow Bend Towne Centre, at 23046 SR 54 in Lutz (next to LA Fitness). The store is open Mon.– Sat., 10 a.m.-7 p.m., and noon- 5 p.m. on Sunday. Consignments are ONLY received Tues.-Sat., 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
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Pasco Dental For Top Training, Technology & Patient Comfort By Gary Nager It’s probably not every day that you hear a native New Yorker say that he’s kindred spirits with a dentist who was born in Korea, but that’s the way I feel about Dr. Daniel Hwang, DDS, of Pasco Dental, located in the Wesley Chapel Executive Center on S.R. 54, a little more than a mile east of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (Note-New Tampa residents who live north of I-75 are only 10-15 minutes from Pasco Dental.) Although he was born in Seoul, South Korea, Dr. Hwang was raised in Mt. Vernon, VA, and moved to Brooklyn, NY, for middle school and Queens, NY, for high school. He received both his Bachelor’s degree (in 1987) and his DDS degree (in 1991) from prestigious Columbia University in Manhattan and spent twelve years “learning the ropes of the dental business” with his brother, who had a thriving dental practice in Ft. Lee, NJ. Dr. Hwang then began opening his own chain of Price Dental offices in Flushing, Queens; Plainview, Long Island; Manhattan; Brooklyn; and Ft. Lee and Bergen Township, NJ. “I was traveling between six offices and not spending enough time with my family,” admits Dr. Hwang. He adds that it was because his older son was a top-level tennis player that Dr.
Hwang and his family found Saddlebrook Preparatory (Prep) School , the tennis and golf academy located inside the gates to Saddlebrook Resort Tampa, which is only a half-mile closer to BBD on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel than Dr. Hwang’s office. That son, 21-year-old Ben, went on to win a State No. 1 singles championship while at Saddlebrook Prep, although he is now a future dentist completing his undergraduate degree at the also-prestigious Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. Dr. Hwang says Ben plans to attend the Harvard School of Dental Medicine in Boston, MA, and the good doctor even admits that Ben is a better tennis player than he is. Dr. Hwang also played for the tennis team at Columbia and has helped coach his son through the years. “I love coaching tennis,” says Dr. Hwang, who also has a 19-year-old daughter Nina at New York University and a 15year-old son Tommy who attends New Tampa’s Paul R. Wharton High. “But, most of all, my wife Jan and I really enjoy spending quality time with our kids. We’re lucky to still have one at home.” And of course, Dr. Hwang has a little more free time for his family now that he has only one state-of-the-art family dental office instead of six. The office is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. every weekday except Wednesday (when it is open noon-7 p.m.) and Dr. Hwang will make appointments for his patients before and after regular hours. “Convenience is important to me and to my patients,” he says. “But, we’ve also invested in outstanding technology for this office that my patients also appreciate.”
many dentists refer their patients to specialists for things like braces, dental implants and even gum or root canal procedures.” He adds, “But, not every dentist has the passion I do for dentistry. I take 200 hours of continuing education every year, although dentists are only required to take 30 hours The friendly, caring staff at Pasco Dental includes (l. to r.) every two years. With my Therese, the office manager, Dr. Daniel Hwang, office assistant experience, I almost never Sona and dental assistant Trish. have to refer one of my patients to a specialist. to be as accurate as possible when creating Dental implants and mini-implants are dental implants. It even shows both the among my specialties.” quantity and the quality of bone in your Dr. Hwang also has had advanced mouth to handle the implants.” coursework and experience with Botox inHe notes that he also has a low-dose, jections, Invisalign orthodontic devices, 6 two-dimensional X-ray machine that is apmonth braces, Inman Aligners, Lumineers, propriate for most patients, “but having and sedation dentistry. the 3D scan gives both me and the patient In order to meet his commitment to more peace of mind for the more compliquality care, Dr. Hwang expanded his sixcated procedures we do.” year-old office about six months ago, and says he added some outstanding new techComfort Is A Key, Too nology, including now having one of the One of the other new additions at only 3D CT Scan Sirona Orthophos maPasco Dental is the post-op room. Whether chines in the Tampa Bay area and certainly the patient is recuperating from oral surthe only one in Wesley Chapel. gery with novocaine or sedation, this calm“It definitely offers a more accurate ing room features two large massage chairs, 3D depiction of the patient’s full head, jaw a large flatscreen TV and even a fireplace, and even the sinus cavity, which allows me all to make the recovering patient feel more
New Technology & One-Stop Care
Dr. Hwang says he is proud to be able to provide all of the dental services every member of your family needs to have a winning smile. “In New York, most general and family dentists The Sirona Orthophos 3D CT Scan machine at Pasco provide all dental services,” Dental is great for dental implants. he says, “but here in Florida,
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comfortable and at ease. “Our elderly patients, in particular, seem to enjoy the warmth of the fireplace while recuperating,” he says, adding that while some senior citizens may not have enough quality bone for full implants, “we usually can help them with mini-implants, which are great for stabilizing dentures.”
No Insurance Surprises, Too
Pasco Dental accepts most major dental insurance plans, but Dr. Hwang says his experience dealing with the insurance companies for 22 years allows him to prevent patients from being surprised when they get their bills. “I know what your plan will and won’t pay for and how much they reimburse for your procedure. “I’m so confident
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that if the insurance company ends up not paying that amount, we won’t hold the patient responsible for the difference.” Dr. Hwang also promises that Pasco Dental is not “high-pressure dentistry.” “I have (New York) city savvy and common sense. I want you and your family to be confident that I want you to be a happy patient, so I will not try to get you to do work you don’t need or can’t afford. I always offer the best possible care possible with your financial concerns in mind.” I told you I had an affinity for the guy, didn’t I? For more info about and appointments with Dr. Daniel Hwang at Pasco Dental (29450 S.R. 54), call 907-6600 or visit PascoDental.net.
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Sun Laboratory Services Opens Diagnostic Center In Wesley Chapel By Bonnie Mason Roger Briggs, the chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder of Sun Laboratory Services, Inc. (which has a location in Wesley Chapel), stands by his mission to “deliver a level of patient service other laboratories are either unwilling or unable to provide.” Briggs says that both Sun Labs’ new diagnostic center, located across Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC), as well as the original location in Sun City Center, offer convenience and customer-centered care that other labs often don’t. The main laboratory opened in Sun City in 2005 and grew from about 1,000 square feet to a 15,000-sq.-ft. facility. “We went from serving a few local clients to more than 300, in addition to the individual patients who use our two diagnostic centers daily for their prescribed lab tests,” says Briggs. Sun Laboratory Services is a full-service clinical laboratory that partners with businesses and organizations to provide onsite phlebotomy services (phlebotomy is the act of drawing or removing blood in order to obtain a sample for analysis and diagnosis) and lab results. Sun Laboratory-trained technicians visit hundreds of assisted living and skilled nursing facil-
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ities, as well as homebound patients, to provide the care and expertise expected by physicians and patient families in 13 counties on the west coast of Florida. Briggs and his high Roger Briggs, school friend Kirk Coyle CEO of Sun Labocame up with the idea to ratory Services open a lab service several years before Briggs was able to secure enough funding to launch the business. Briggs graduated from St. Bonaventure University in St. Bonaventure, NY, with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. He moved to Tampa in 1992, where his mother had relocated a few years earlier, and says he spent many years in sales management and (in the late 1990s) as a real estate investor, before the investor boom in the new millennium. Coyle, Sun Labs’ co-founder and chief operating officer (COO), has knowledge and experience in science, chemistry and engineering. That, combined with Briggs’ business expertise and entrepreneurial spirit, made for a great foundation for the two to launch their business. Briggs says, “The best part of what I do is the building of the business...seeing
Sun Laboratory Services’ main lab is located in Sun City Center, but the lab company also has a convenient location off Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Wesley Chapel. the business grow so that we can provide Briggs resides in Wesley Chapel with more patients and clients with our his wife Renee and their twin eight-yearmuch-needed services.” old sons, Ryan and Jacob. He says he Briggs also says he is a strong advosaw a community need for laboratory cate for small business and he definitely services that were convenient to resiseems to take that core value to heart. dents in our area. So, in June 2013, Sun He says, “When I need to purchase a Laboratory Services opened its second product or service in my personal life, I diagnostic center location, just across do my best to buy from local community from the new FHWC, where the highest businesses. Some people don’t realize quality services are provided, using the that the local hardware store is generally best diagnostic and laboratory equipowned by a small business person and ment available. not some big corporation. And, many “We are a community business,” people also don't realize that nearly 70 Briggs says. “We offer quicker and better percent of working individuals in the service and are able to be more efficient U.S. are employed by small businesses.” than the larger laboratories.”
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Choose Your Lab!
Why You Should Tell Your Doctor
Just as people choose their You Prefer Sun Laboratory Services physicians, Sun Laboratory For Your Blood Work: Services hopes that patients will be as wise when choosing • Short Wait Times! In & out in 15 minutes or less their lab service provider. • Results delivered promptly to your doctor Briggs says it’s important for • Experienced, friendly phlebotomists patients to realize that when • Appointments available they receive a prescription for • Most Health Insurance Plans accepted lab services from their physi• We welcome all home health care specialists cian, they have a choice of where they can go to get their issues and he was able to provide them blood and other diagnostic tests. Sun with quality service, where he was confiLaboratory Services’ diagnostic centers dent that their testing would be done are convenient to their patients and they quickly and the results would be accurate. accept most major insurance plans. “It's a good feeling to know that we’re And, for those paying out of pocket, helping people,” Briggs says. “We’re not Sun Laboratory Services allows its pajust a product someone uses, but a toptients to make their payments online. notch service that really makes a differ“We care for the individual patient ence to physicians and their patients.” and understand that our precision and acTo schedule your next lab test curacy in testing is a key component to with Sun Laboratory Services (2621 their well being,” says Briggs. Windguard Cir., Suite 101), call 634He remembers feeling a sense of 6120. Sun Laboratory Services also pride and relief when several family mem- has a location at 721 Cortaro Dr. in bers recently required testing for health Sun City Center/Ruskin.
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HCSD Launches School Lunch App for both Apple iPhones and iPads and Android phones and tablets and is available in the respective “App Store” for The days of wondering what the each platform. Once the app is downlunch lady will be serving in the cafeteria loaded to a student’s phone or tablet, on any given day are over for New finding out what’s for breakfast or lunch Tampa students, as the Hillsborough is only a few finger swipes away. County School District (HCSD) has “Many of our parents and students launched a smartphone application that are using smartphones these days, and we literally puts the menu into the hands have a message we want to deliver to (and pockets) of students. them,” says HCSD Student Nutrition According to HCSD, the app is called School Lunch by Nutrislice, which Services general manager MaryKate Harrison. “We hope all students come dine provides the menus of hundreds of with us. Our new menu app is the perfect schools nationwide (including schools in communication tool for this new generaWesley Chapel, too) by day and week. The app includes pictures of menu items, tion of parents and students.” From the main screen, the user simas well as nutrition information. ply chooses a state, followed by a school The School Lunch app is available district and school. Once on the school’s menu, students and parents can see the menu for each day of the week for the entire month. In addition to nutrition facts — including calories, carbs, fat, fiber, protein and sodium — and a photo, the menu also lets the user know whether the item includes any common food allergens, such as dairy, soy, wheat, gluten, peanuts and others. For more information, please visit SDHC.K12.FL.US The School Lunch app shows students a picture of what’s for lunch and provides the nutritional info. and click on the “Student Nutrition” tab. By Matt Wiley
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Wharton To Host Annual Harvest Volleyball Tourney & Food Drive By Matt Wiley With the changing of the seasons comes the annual Harvest Volleyball Tournament at New Tampa’s Paul R. Wharton High, along with its accompanying food drive. For the third consecutive year, Wharton High will welcome Brandon, Clearwater, Freedom, King, Riverview, Strawberry Crest and Wiregrass Ranch high schools to its Bruce The Wharton Wildcats volleyball team has hosted & B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. campus to won each of the first two Harvest Tournaments. compete in the annual girls volleyball thinks will pose the biggest threat to tournament on Friday-Saturday, SepWharton’s “three-peat” are Wiregrass tember 20-21. But the battle won’t be Ranch, Clearwater, and New Tampa completely on the court, as each team rival Freedom. However, Barber adds participating also is being challenged to that he thinks that Wharton still might collect the most donated canned and boxed food items. Wharton has won the have an advantage over the competition. “We have been fortunate to win the tourney each of the first two years. last two, so I think a certain level of con“(Wharton) started the Harvest fidence comes with that,” Barber exTournament for two reasons,” explains plains. “We are also working on being volleyball coach Eric Barber. “To promore diverse in our offense this year.” vide a tournament in the north Tampa Anyone planning to attend the area that these schools could attend, as tournament who is interested in donatwell as provide a way for high school ing cans/boxes of food is encouraged to volleyball programs to directly impact do so, as a box will be set up in front of their communities in a positive way.” the gym for any donations. Barber says that the schools that he
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New Tampa Teen To Tee Off At Pebble Beach During PGA Event By Matt Wiley Terese Romeo looks down at the tee box on the signature par-3 17th hole at Tampa Palms Golf & County Club. After judging the distance and deciding her plan of attack to stay out of the hole’s large water hazard, she adjusts her stance, pulls her Ping club back, swings and watches her ball land safely on the green, just feet from the hole. In just a few weeks, Romeo will be repeating the same process alongside a PGA Champions (formerly “Senior PGA”) Tour pro and in front of an international audience on one of the country’s most prestigious courses, the Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, CA. At just 16 years old, Romeo, a Freedom High student and Tampa Palms resident, will be playing in front of the entire world during the 2013 Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, which will be held September 27-29 and televised on the Golf Channel. Romeo was chosen by The First Tee program, an international youth development organization that teaches young participants life skills through the
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game of golf. The plan for the fuTampa Bay chapture and appreter is one of 188 ciate diversity. chapters around First Tee of the world and is Tampa Bay exan official proecutive director gram of the Ian Baxter says Tampa Metropolithat Romeo is tan Area YMCA. not only one of “There was a the most deterseries of essays mined golfers that I had to he has ever met, write,” Romeo she also is a says. “I had to model of what send in an applicathe program is tion with a reall about. sume and my “She really handicap (which is embodies what an impressive 1) a First Tee kid is and some golf supposed to Terese Romeo, 16, will be taking to the fabled be,” Baxter exscores.” Pebble Beach Golf Links Sept. 27-29. The First Tee plains. “She’s focuses on helpsuch a good ing kids develop nine core values, inplayer, but she also lives what we teach, cluding honesty, integrity, here.” sportsmanship, respect, confidence, reRomeo started playing golf about sponsibility, perseverance, courtesy and five years ago, when her aunt gave her a judgment. According to the program’s club (a 5 wood) for Christmas. Before website, the First Tee aims to teach pargolf, she says, her passion was gymnasticipants how to properly introduce tics, until a wrist injury took her off of themselves, manage their emotions, rethe balance beam and, after two surgersolve conflicts, set step-by-step goals, ies, Romeo decided to focus on golf.
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Through the First Tee program, Romeo says that she has learned far more than how to swing a club (although she averages a 73 per round from the white, or “men’s tees,” the same tees she will tee off from at Pebble Beach). “The First Tee program has shown me that it isn’t all about playing golf,” she says. “It teaches you a lot of sportsmanship, even the little things, like shaking someone’s hand, looking them in the eye and saying, ‘Nice playing with you.’ The program teaches you perseverance and confidence that you can take off of the golf course, too.” Romeo will be playing alongside 80 other players who were selected by their local First Tee chapters. Along with the First Tee participants, 81 PGA Champions Tour professionals and 162 amateur golfers also will participate in the tournament, which counts as one of this year’s professional tour events. However, Romeo doesn’t seem too phased. “I don’t know about winning,” she says, “but if I get paired with a pro who’s playing well at the time, maybe we’ll have a chance.” For more information about The First Tee of Tampa Bay, please visit TheFirstTeeTampaBay.org.
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WELCOME TO FAMILY & COSMETIC DENTISTRY
Dr. Neeraja Jasthi
• Cleanings (Ages 4 and up) • Crowns, Bridges and Implant Crowns • Veneers • Zoom & Take Home Whitening • Root Canals & Extractions
FAMILY & COSMETIC DENTISTRY 20441 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (across the street from Wharton H.S., in front of Live Oak)
“Let Our Family Be Here For Yours”
866-9913
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Dr. Neeraja Jasthi, DMD
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Ciao! Italian Bistro — New Co-Owner, New Chef & Homemade Pasta! By Gary Nager Although we currently have some outstanding pizza places in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel, we’ve never really had a great Italian restaurant. And, although some folks in the area seemed to enjoy Pagelli’s Italian Restaurant when it opened in the Shops at Wiregrass mall a couple of years ago, the owners decided a year or so ago to revamp the concept and change the name to Ciao! Italian Bistro. Well, according to Justin Fleming, the new chef and co-owner of Ciao!, neither Pagelli’s (and Justin worked for two years at the original Pagelli’s in Estero, FL) nor Ciao! was good enough, so he decided to move to the Tampa Bay area to start over and re-create Ciao! as a real, sit-down Italian restaurant that utilizes fresh ingredients and has dishes for men, and women, with family-friendly dishes and pricing. “A lot of the new menu (which was just unveiled to the public this week) is designed with women in mind,” says Justin, who isn’t afraid to speak his mind on the subject of Ciao!’s food. “Women usually make the decision about where to eat, so we always want to make sure the ladies are happy.” Ciao!, which still hosts the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club at noon for lunch every Wednesday, is open for lunch and dinner every day and Justin promises that the delicious new flavors our office sampled at an exclusive preview of the new menu will be representative of his passion for great food.
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“I really haven’t been happy with either the Pagelli’s menu or the previous menu for Ciao!,” Justin says. “But, I figure is good place to start is with homeAmong the new menu items our staff sampled at the all-new Ciao! Italmade pasta, ian Bistro in the Shops at Wiregrass mall are (clockwise from top left): the fresh seafood mezzo giorno sausage rigatoni, angus tenderloin, scallops with wild mushand the freshest rooms & sherry cream, chicken caprese salad & margherita pizza. ingredients for homemade gnocchi quattro formy homemade sauces.” maggio appetizer, which featured And, he’s right. We started with a addictively perfect potato pasta sample of Justin’s new lobster bisque and pockets topped with a creamy a chicken caprese salad, which adds grilled sauce of fontina, gorgonzola, chicken to the usual fresh mozzarella and parmesan and romano cheeses. tomato slices. We also enjoyed the newSpeaking of the pasta, my and-improved margherita pizza, which is brick-oven-baked and excellent, and the See “Ciao!” on page 56.
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The New Tampa Dance Theatre: Nearly Two Decades Of Dance & Life Lessons By Bonnie Mason Dance has gained popularity in recent years with television shows like “Dancing with the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance?” attracting millions of viewers of all ages. Dyane Elkins IronWing, the artistic director and owner of the New Tampa Dance Theatre (NTDT) on Cross Creek Blvd., also has made her mark through dance. Dyane and her staff of highly trained and experienced dance instructors have been teaching dance — and lifelessons — to New Tampa and Tampa Bayarea residents for the past 19 years. The first dance studio in the New Tampa area, NTDT opened in the Pebble Creek Collection back in 1995. Then, in 2006, Elkins IronWing purchased a parcel of land on Cross Creek Blvd. and built a 10,000-sq.-ft. building, with 7,500-sq.-ft. to be used as a stand-alone dance-training facility. NTDT still is the largest dancetraining studio in the area and, in its largest studio space, can accommodate an audience of 200 people. Other unique features include locker rooms, maple flooring for the tap program, mirrored walls at proper dance height and even a café. And, also housed in the large space are costumes for 16 unique performances — all created by NTDT’s very own costume seamstress. Elkins IronWing started dancing when she was 5 years old and hasn't
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stopped. She studied at the Ballet Metropolitan in New York and toured with Rhythm Extreme Performance Troupe for 10 years with her husband, Troy IronWing, who has been the school's director of tap dance since 2003. In addition to tap programs for young dancers, Troy also leads NTDT’s beginning and intermediate adult tap classes, which recently started new sessions.
Second-To-None Kids’ Programs
New Tampa resident Angie Sposato, whose daughter Taylor has been studying with NTDT for ten years, says, “What started as a fun activity for a toddler has turned into a passion for the world of dance. Taylor started dancing at (NTDT) at the age of three. Almost a decade later, not only has she matured into a talented dancer, she also is an honor student and community volunteer with a desire to help others. The staff at NTDT is not only teaching the fundamentals of dance, but also developing life skills that will (help Taylor become) a responsible, self-confident person.” Recently voted the 2013 Best Dance Theater in the Northeast area by The Tampa Tribune, Elkins IronWing says that NTDT is still the dance studio of choice in the New Tampa area for both recreational dancers and career-focused dancers looking for an intensive training facility.
“Our pre-professional track is for students who are at the point of choosing dance over other activities," says Elkins IronWing. “Around 11 or 12 years of age is generally when dancers know if they want to focus on the art of dance.” Aspiring dancers on the pre-professional track major in the study of ballet technique, she says. However, they also are cross-trained in other forms of dance, including modern, jazz, tap and hip-hop. Learning the different forms of dance allows for versatility and opens up many possibilities for students as they move into the next phase of their dance study. Elkins IronWing has seen several students achieve successful careers in dance over the years — going on to the School of American Ballet in New York City, the Boston Ballet and even on a Walt Disney World national tour. Recently, several NTDT students were offered scholarships to study at year-round dance schools: one dancer earned a scholarship to Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet in New York City; two students received scholarships to the HARID Conservatory in Boca Raton, FL; one dancer was offered a scholarship to
For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 19 • September 14, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com
attend the Sarasota Ballet School and another was offered a scholarship to the Nutmeg Conservatory in Torrington, CT. “Students choosing to further their studies in dance and being accepted by a year-round program is a true testament to what we do here,” says Elkins IronWing.
Affordable Recreational Dancing, Too
But, it's not all about a career in dance at NTDT. Elkins IronWing says many students take dance classes for the sheer enjoyment. Whether students begin their dance exploration at three years old or 60, NTDT is the place to learn. In addition to an array of classes, Elkins IronWing says that her prices are extremely competitive. And, most important, there are no hidden costs with your class tuition.
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"We are more affordable than many families think," says Elkins IronWing. "This is a great way for kids to experience the art of dance.” In fact, there is a coupon for free registration in NTDT's ad in this issue — a $40 value! And, children who attend preschool at Bright Horizons (in Hunter’s Green) or Creative World (in Pebble Creek), which are both located near NTDT, are offered to participate in dance at the facility.
Upcoming Performance Events
The Dance Theatre of Tampa (DTT), the non-profit partner of NTDT, is in its 13th season. Elkins IronWing established the non-profit for students considering dance as a career and as a way to give back to the community. In fact, DTT recently was honored as the Non-Profit of Choice for the New Tampa area by Brighton Collectibles. “We are honored and grateful to be
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selected as New Tampa Area's non-profit of choice through Brighton Collectibles’ Love Kids Across America Campaign — a program designed for children and the arts through local Brighton stores — and we look forward to our continued partnership with Brighton Collectibles at the Shops at Wiregrass,” say Elkins IronWing. NTDT students have multiple performance opportunities throughout the year, in a series of original, full -length productions, including DTT's “The Nutcracker,” the Summer Concert Series, and the annual spring production. Performances of DTT’s 14th Annual “Nutcracker” (the largest and longest-running “Nutcracker” performance in the Tampa Bay area) are scheduled for December 20-22 at the University of South Florida's (USF) College of the Arts Theater 1. NTDT’s 9th annual Sugar Plum Fairy Tea will be held on Sunday, December 8, 2 p.m.-4 p.m., at the USF Gibbons Alumni Center. Proceeds from the Sugar Plum Fairy Tea go toward guest teachers and choreographers for NTDT dancers, and a portion is donated to the Ronald McDon-
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ald House Charities of Tampa Bay. Tickets for both the full-length “Nutcracker” performances and the Sugar Plum Fairy Tea go on sale October 21 at TicketMaster.com and at New Tampa Dance Theatre. And, beginning on Black Friday (November 29), and throughout the holiday season, NTDT students will take the stage at the Shops at Wiregrass mall in Wesley Chapel for 16 free community performances of various segments, from the fulllength production of “The Nutcracker.” For more information about specific performance dates and times, visit TheShopsAtWiregrass.com. “Our programs are designed to help students develop an appreciation for diverse disciplines, by encouraging self-expression, artistry, and self-discovery in addition to technical proficiency," says Elkins IronWing. Rebeca Canchani, an award-winning choreographer and principal dancer with Ballet Concierto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, for 10 years (and currently with CODA 21 Puerto Rico), agrees. “As soon as I walked in the studio, it felt like walking into a professional dance company,” Canchani says. “I was super impressed with the groups I taught; the students showed a high level of commitment, discipline and very strong technique. What impressed me the most was their versatility of movement thanks to their training in every dance style. I had the opportunity to teach them classical and contemporary and they were as technically strong in ballet as
they were fluid in contemporary. It’s so refreshing to see students at such a young age with that level of professionalism. It was a pleasure to work with such beautiful young dancers and I would love to return and set choreography for them." Shannon Wilary, a New Tampa resident whose daughters Brynn, 9, and Kate, 5, study at NTDT, says, “After searching North Tampa for a dance studio that provided quality instruction while offering a variety of classes and times for our oldest daughter, we decided upon NTDT. After one class, she was hooked and enrolling her at NTDT has been one of the best decisions that we have made as parents. Her instruction in various art forms has surpassed our expectations and her enthusiasm and passion for dance has deepened while learning proper technique and gaining self-confidence and poise. Most important is that she has fun and leaves each class with a smile." Wilary adds that, “The difference with NTDT is that they really do, and can, meet the needs of any dancer. Whether it’s our youngest daughter who takes only one class or the dancer that's there five days a week, each is directed and guided by Dyane and the rest of the knowledgeable and caring staff to be the best that they can be.” The New Tampa Dance Theatre is now registering for fall classes. To schedule your free trial class, or to tour the facilities (located at 10701 Cross Creek Blvd.), call 994-NTDT (6838) or visit NewTampaDanceTheatre.com.
For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 19 • September 14, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com
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New Tampa YMCA Donates School Supplies To Students In Need By Matt Wiley Heading back to school after summer vacation can be tough for students. Who wants to start doing homework again after so many days off? For many students, however, homework isn’t among their biggest concerns. For families in need, heading back to school can be much more difficult, as a simple thing like school supplies can be tough to fit into the family budget. To help ease the transition into a new school year, the New Tampa Family YMCA, located on Compton Dr. in Tampa Palms, decided to hold its second annual school supply drive to benefit the students of families that may have had a hard time purchasing necessary supplies for classes. Throughout the month of August, members of the New Tampa Y brought in supplies to donate. By the end of the month, the facility had quite a collection, says Monica Mirza, executive director of the New Tampa YMCA. “We delivered all of the supplies to both Mort (located on E. Bearss Ave.) and Tampa Palms elementary schools,” Mirza explains. “Both schools were very appreciative.” The supply drive lasted from August 1-16. In just that short span of time, the YMCA was able to collect enough sup-
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plies to fill 30 shopping bags for needy students. The drive also found support from radio station WILD 94.1, which donated backpacks that were stuffed with everything from pencils and markers to folders and notebooks. “We think it was very successful,” says Andrea Johnston, membership director at the New Tampa Y. “We received even more supplies after the cut-off date, which also will be delivered to the schools.” Tampa Palms Elementary principal Kimberly Keenan says that the supplies went a long way toward helping students in need. “We distributed the supplies to more than 70 kids,” Keenan explains. “There was a lot of stuff.” Keenan says that, with 36-percent of students qualified for free and reducedprice lunch at TPE, the supplies did not help just the students. “The families appreciate the help, too,” she explains. “Many called to say thanks. We’re very thankful for the Y’s donation. For the kids in need, to be able to start off the school year with supplies, it really allows them to start the year off on the right foot.” For more info about what is going on at the Y, please call 8669622 or visit TampaYMCA.org.
Members of the New Tampa YMCA donated school supplies during the month of August (right) that were donated to children in need at Tampa Palms Elementary.
For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 19 • September 14, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com
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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 19 • September 14, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com
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Win $100 In FREE Dining In Our 2013 Dining Survey & Contest! Please fill in as many categories as possible and all of the personal info requested. One winner, drawn at random from all legitimate entries, will receive a $100 gift card to the restaurant of his or her choice in the Tampa Bay area! To help you remember the different local independent restaurants in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel, we have provided an alphabetical list of them (& their locations) to choose from in each category, although you can write in your other favorites in each category, too, in the “Write-In” space. Fast food & national & regional chains with more than 20 locations are not listed, although you can vote for them in any category by writing them in. — GN __Mulligan’s Irish Pub (Pebble Creek CC) My Favorite Restaurants In New Tampa (Number your 5 favorites #1-#5) __New China King (Cross Creek) __Oakley’s Grille (North Palms/BBD) __Acropolis (Oak Ramble) __Peabody’s Billiards & Games (Amberly) __Apna Kabab House (Live Oak/BBD) __ Petra Mediterranean Cuisine (Highwoods) __Back 9 Café (Heritage Isles CC) __Pita’s Republic (County Line Rd.) __Biagio’s II Pizza & Pasta (Cross Creek) __Pizzazone (Tampa Palms) __Big Papa’s Pit (Bearss Ave.) __PJ Dolan’s Irish Pub (Bearss Ave.) __Burger 21 (Trout Creek/BBD) __Saffron Indian Cuisine (Cross Creek) __Café Olé (Cross Creek) __Seasons Fresh Café (Bearss Ave.) __Casa Ramos (Shoppes of Amberly) __Soho Sushi (Bearss Ave.) __China City (City Plaza) __Stonewood Grill & Tavern (Tampa Palms) __China Wok (County Line Rd.) __Sushi Café (Highwoods) __Cross Creek Deli (Shell station) __Sushi Ko (New Tampa Center) __Full Circle Pizza (Pebble Creek) __Sukhothai (Highwoods) __Fushia Asian Bistro (Shoppes of Amberly) __Takara Sushi & Sake Lounge (Oak Ramble) __Hawkeye NYS Pizza (Cross Creek/BP) __Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club __Ho King (Highwoods) __Taste of New York Pizza (Highwoods) __Hunter’s Green Country Club __Thai Ruby (Shoppes of Amberly) __Kobé Japanese Steakhouse (Pebble Creek) __Toast Fine Wine & Café (Oak Ramble) __Koizi Hibachi Grill (Tampa Palms) __Top Thai (Live Oak) __La Cubanita Café (New Tampa Center) __Woodfired Pizza (Bearss Ave.) __La Fuente Mexican Cuisine (Cross Creek) __Zeko’s Express (New Tampa Center Mobil) __Lanna Thai (old Ploy Thai; Cross Creek) __Write-In (must name)___________________ __Las Palmas Café (Pebble Creek) __Write-In (must name)___________________ __Liang’s Bistro (North Palms/BBD) __Write-In (must name)___________________ __Little Greek (New Tampa Center) __Write-In (must name)___________________ __Mr. Dunderbak’s (Oak Ramble) __Write-In (must name)___________________
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My Favorite Restaurants In Wesley Chapel (Number your 5 favorites #1-#5)
__Asian Buffet (Shoppes at New Tampa) __Amici Pizza (Grand Oaks Plaza) __Bagelicious & More (Freedom Plaza/54) __Best NY Pizza (Pinebrook Plaza/S.R. 54) __Bonsai Sushi (Shoppes at New Tampa) __Bosco’s Italian To Go (Freedom Plaza/54) __Burger Monger (Shoppes at New Tampa) __Café Fresco (S.R. 56) __China Taste (Shoppes at New Tampa) __China Wok (Village Market) __Ciao! Italian Bistro (Wiregrass Mall) __CineBistro (The Grove) __Dempsey’s Steak House (Saddlebrook) __Dempsey’s Too Lounge (Saddlebrook) __Don Pan Int’l Bakery (Shoppes at NT ) __Fine Thai Express (S.R. 54) __Gonna China (Hollybrook Plaza) __GrillSmith (Wiregrass Mall) __Hibachi Express (Village Market) __Ho Wok (next to Target) __Hungry Greek (across BBD from FHWC) __Kwan Ming Bistro (S.R. 56) __La Prima Pizza (next to Target/BBD) __Latin Twist Café (across BBD from FHWC) __Lexington Oaks Golf Club
__900º Woodfired Pizza (Wiregrass Mall) __NY NY Pizza (BBD in Seven Oaks) __PDQ (S.R. 56) __PizzaMania (Wiregrass Mall) __Poolside Café (Saddlebrook) __PrimeBar (Wiregrass Mall) __Quail Hollow Country Club __Shang Hai Chinese (Eiland Blvd./Publix) __ Taste of Boston (Shoppes at New Tampa) __TD’s Sports Bar (Saddlebrook) __365 Caffé Italiano (Wiregrass Mall) __Tokyo Grill & Sushi (Eiland Blvd./Publix) __Vallarta’s (Village Market) __Woody’s Pizza & Wings (Village Market) __Wolf’s Den (S.R. 56) __Yamato Japanese Steakhouse (Wiregrass) __Write-In (must name)___________________ __Write-In (must name)___________________ __Write-In (must name)___________________ __Write-In (must name)___________________ __Write-In (must name)___________________ Please only put each numeral (#s 1-5) on each list once each, including your writeins. We apologize for any inconvenience to independent restaurants not listed here.
The Survey continues on page 52!
Your Name ____________________________________________________________ Your Community (Tampa Palms, Meadow Pointe, etc.) _______________________ Your Mailing Address ___________________________________________________ Your Daytime Phone #__________________________________________________ Your Valid Email Address _______________________________________________ Please submit BOTH pages by fax, mail, email or on our website (see pg. 3) by Fri., Nov. 8.
For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 19 • September 14, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com
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My Favorite Chinese Restaurants In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel (Pick or write-in one)
__Asian Buffet (Shoppes at New Tampa) __China City (City Plaza) __China Taste (Shoppes at New Tampa) __China Wok (County Line Rd.) __China Wok (Village Market) __Fushia Asian Bistro (Shoppes of Amberly) My Favorite Japanese & Sushi Restaurants In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel (Pick or write-in one)
__Asian Buffet (Shoppes at New Tampa) __Bonsai Sushi (Shoppes at New Tampa) __Hibachi Express (Village Market) __Kobé Japanese Steakhouse (Pebble Creek) __Koizi Hibachi Grill (Tampa Palms) My Favorite Thai/Indian Restaurants In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel (Pick or write-in one)
__Fine Thai Express (S.R. 54) __Lanna Thai (old Ploy Thai; Cross Creek) My Favorite Pizza Places In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel (Number no more than #s 1-5)
__Amici Pizza (Grand Oaks Plaza) __Best NY Pizza (Pinebrook Plaza/S.R. 54) __Biagios II Pizza & Pasta (Cross Creek) __Bosco’s Italian To Go (Freedom Plaza/54) __Ciao! Italian Bistro (Wiregrass Mall) __Full Circle Pizza (Pebble Creek) __Hawkeye NYS Pizza (Cross Creek) __La Prima Pizza (next to Target) __900º Woodfired Pizza (Wiregrass Mall) __NY NY Pizza (BBD in Seven Oaks)
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__Gonna China (Hollybrook Plaza) __Ho King (Highwoods) __Ho Wok (next to Target) __Kwan Ming Bistro (S.R. 56) __Liang’s Bistro (North Palms/BBD) __New China King (Cross Creek) __Shang Hai Chinese (Eiland Blvd./Publix) __Sushi Ko (New Tampa Center) __Write-In (must name)___________________ __Soho Sushi (Bearss Ave.) __Sushi Café (Highwoods) __Sushi Ko (New Tampa Center) __Sukhothai (Highwoods) __Takara Sushi & Sake Lounge (Oak Ramble) __Tokyo Grill & Sushi (Eiland Blvd./Publix) __Yamato Japanese Stkhs (Wiregrass Mall) __Write-In (must name)___________________ __Saffron Indian Cuisine (Cross Creek) __Sukhothai (Highwoods) __Thai Ruby (Shoppes of Amberly) __Top Thai (Live Oak) __Write-In (must name)___________________ __Peabody’s Billiards & Games __PizzaMania (Wiregrass Mall) __Pizzazone (Tampa Palms) __Taste of New York Pizza (Highwoods) __Woodfired Pizza (Bearss Ave.) __Woody’s Pizza & Wings (Village Market) __Wolf’s Den (S.R. 56) __Write-In (must name)___________________ __Write-In (must name)___________________ __Write-In (must name)___________________ __Write-In (must name)___________________ __Write-In (must name)___________________
__Mulligan’s Irish Pub (Pebble Creek CC) __Oakley’s Grille (North Palms) __Peabody’s Billiards & Games (Amberly) __PJ Dolan’s Irish Pub (Bearss Ave.) __Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club __Poolside Café (Saddlebrook) __ Taste of Boston (Shoppes at New Tampa) __TD’s Sports Bar (Saddlebrook) __Wolf’s Den (S.R. 56) __Write-In (must name)___________________
My Favorite Hamburger Restaurant In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel (Pick or write-in one)
__Burger Monger (Shoppes at New Tampa) __Burger 21 (Trout Creek/BBD) __Café Fresco (S.R. 56) __Dempsey’s Too Lounge (Saddlebrook) __GrillSmith (Wiregrass Mall) __Hunter’s Green Country Club __Lexington Oaks Golf Club My Favorite Latin/Mexican Restaurants In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel (Pick or write-in one)
__Café Olé (Cross Creek) __Casa Ramos (Shoppes of Amberly) __Café Fresco (S.R. 56) __Don Pan Int’l Bakery (Shoppes at NT ) My Favorite Greek/Mediterranean Restaurants In New Tampa/Wesley Chapel (Pick or write-in one)
__Acropolis (Oak Ramble) __Apna Kabab House (Live Oak) __Hungry Greek (across BBD from FHWC) My Favorite Bars & Taverns In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel (Number no more than #s 1-5)
__Acropolis (Oak Ramble) __Back 9 Café (Heritage Isles CC) __CineBistro (The Grove) __Dempsey’s Steak House (Saddlebrook) __Dempsey’s Too Lounge (Saddlebrook) __GrillSmith (Wiregrass Mall) __Halftime Sports Lounge (New Tampa Ctr) __Hunter’s Green Country Club __Lexington Oaks Golf Club __Linkster’s Tap Room (Highwoods)
For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 19 • September 14, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com
__La Cubanita Café (New Tampa Center) __La Fuente Mexican Cuisine (Cross Creek) __Las Palmas Café (Pebble Creek) __Latin Twist Café (across BBD from FHWC) __Vallarta’s (Village Market) __Write-In (must name)___________________ __Little Greek (New Tampa Center) __ Petra Mediterranean Cuisine (Highwoods) __Pita’s Republic (County Line Rd.) __Zeko’s Express (New Tampa Center Mobil) __Write-In (must name)___________________ __Mulligan’s Irish Pub (Pebble Creek CC) __Peabody’s Billiards & Games (Amberly) __PJ Dolan’s Irish Pub (Bearss Ave.) __Poolside Café (Saddlebrook) __PrimeBar (Wiregrass Mall) __Quail Hollow Country Club __Stonewood Grill & Tavern (Tampa Palms) __Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club __TD’s Sports Bar (Saddlebrook) __Toast Fine Wine & Café (Oak Ramble) __Write-In (must name)___________________ __Write-In (must name)___________________ __Write-In (must name)___________________
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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 19 • September 14, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com
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The Latest & Greatest News About Dining, Shopping, Retail & More In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel! Mobile Meals Delivers!
Although some local restaurants offer their own delivery services, Mobile Meals has been providing deliveries for multiple restaurants in and around the Wesley Chapel area for several years now and currently offers on-line and phone ordering with delivery within 30-60 minutes of your order, for such local favorites as The Little Greek, Mulligan’s Irish Pub, TGI Friday’s and Beef O’Brady’s, as well as nearby Wesley Chapel favorites such as Cantina Laredo, Texas Roadhouse 900º Woodfired Pizza, Yamato Japanese Steakhouse and others. To find out how the service works or to place an order, visit MobileMeals.com or call 907-MEAL (6325).
Energize Your Mind, Body & Spirit At Energia!
tomized fitness regimen designed for each client, to the spa’s commitment to the environment, Energia truly is a one-of-a-kind fitness haven in Tampa Bay. For info about Energia (3836 Flatiron Loop, Suite 101, off BBD in Seven Oaks), call 973-7300 or visit Energia WellnessStudio.com. And, by bringing in/mentioning the coupon in Energia’s ad on page 14, you can receive one free yoga AND one free meditation class!
Wiregrass Financial Cuts A Ribbon
Congratulations to owner Brinton Parker and his wife Cara on the August 22 Grand Opening & Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) ribbon cutting (photo) of Wiregrass Financial, which provides insurance and a variety of financial services for you, your family and your business. Parker says he got into financial services because he saw his parents — both of whom had high-paying jobs most of their lives — not end up with the retirement savings they could have had with proper guidance.
Energia Wellness Studio is a state-ofthe-art total wellness studio that integrates fitness, nutrition, massage, yoga, meditation and natural products to provide clients with a full-service experience in order to improve heath and overall well-being. Energia’s programs are designed to work together to achieve one goal: complete wellness. More than just a fitness studio, Energia is a lifestyle. From the products in Energia’s Estilo Owner Brinton Parker and his wife Cara (holding scissors) celebrated the de Vida BouGrand Opening of Wiregrass Financial in the Summergate Prof. Park (betique to the cus- hind Sam’s Club in Seven Oaks) with a WCCC ribbon cutting on August 22.
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Please call 313-6842 and tell Parker at Wiregrass Financial (27604 Cashford Cir., in the Summergate Prof. Park behind Sam’s Club) that we sent you.
Winners To Be Replaced By City Grill
You may have noticed that Winners Sports Grill, which has been located in the Wesley Chapel Village Market on S.R. 54 just east of I-75, has closed. You may also have noticed a sign saying, “Coming Soon: City Grill,” on the building. Winners owner Gerry Malynowsky says that he plans to open City Grill, which will feature, “chef-created fresh seafood, pasta and more,” within just a couple of weeks after you receive this issue in your mailbox. Look for an update in a future issue.
Check Out The Revamped Skinny’s Sports Bar!
cials every day, so call Skinny’s Sports Bar at 994-4646 for info.
Totalscape Solutions Starts ‘Hope Blooms’ October 1
Although I’m not a smoker, I know a lot of you are, so it’s nice to know that Skinny’s Sports Bar (photo above), located in the Pinebrook at The Grove shopping center on S.R. 54 west of I-75, has been totally revamped, and now features an even better entertainment lineup. Skinny’s has moved the main bar further back, added new, all-wood tables emblazoned with the Skinny’s logo, and is now offering free trivia (for bar tabs) on Monday, a pool tournament on Tuesday, 3-Ball pool tournament on Thursday, karaoke on Thursday and Friday, live music on Saturday and plenty of flat-screen TVs for smokers who want to watch football all weekend. And of course, there are great beer spe-
For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 17 • August 17, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October), Totalscape Solutions, a full-service, comprehensive commercial and residential landscaping solutions company serving the greater Tampa Bay area for more than 10 years, will begin a unique fund raiser on October 1. That’s when Totalscape Solutions will begin planting 100-bloom floral displays in the shape of a pink breast cancer awareness ribbon — and you can get one for your yard! Best of all, more than 50 percent of the purchase price of your yard “ribbon” will be donated to breast cancer research. The purchase price also includes professional preparation of your soil bed, to ensure your ribbon’s flowers will stay vibrant through October and into the winter. Totalscape Solutions prides itself in creating detailed landscape strategies and implementation plans to fit each client’s individual needs from general maintenance, to re-landscaping, irrigation repair, and lawn
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treatment with fertilizer and pesticides. The company’s goal is to make every property impeccable and of the highest quality on a consistent basis. Secure your limited edition floral ribbon today & help Hope Bloom. For orders & more info, call Totalscape Solutions at 348-0960 or email Cheryl at Cherylf@totalscapesolutions.com.
And, Outside Of New Each of these $3 tacos (clockwise from lower Tampa & Wesley Chapel... left: the Pork Street, Chicken Flaming & El Cubano Brisket tacos) at the Flaming Jen & Travis Open The Taco on E. 7th Ave. in Ybor City are made Flaming Taco In Ybor with fresh, amazing ingredients. Although tacos aren’t normally
what I order when I go to a Mexican restaurant, my friends Jennifer & Travis Davidson and their friends Mary Ann & Keith Cucuzza have opened a new taco stand at 1815 E. 7th Ave. in Ybor City called the Flaming Taco, which caters to not only the club crowd’s “fiery passion for spicy food,” but yours and mine, too. It may not be easy to find the Flaming Taco (which is located inside the Yo Boys yogurt shop, a little more than a block from the Columbia Restaurant), but if
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you want delicious tacos featuring words like “all natural,” “grain fed,” “free range,” “no antibiotics” & “black angus USDA Choice beef,” the Flaming Taco has you covered — for just $3 per taco! Travis, who is from Arizona, says he got tired of not having the type of bold, spicy-but-flavorful Mexican food he grew up with since he moved to Florida. And, when the long-time IT geek was told by a friend of his that there was an availability on 7th Ave., he and Jen, a long-time insur-
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ance sales person, decided it was worth a shot to see if Travis’ recipes — some of which he has been perfecting for years — would draw in the Ybor crowd. As soon as standing outside on weekends between midnight-3 a.m. took off, Travis & Jen joined forces with Mary Ann & Keith, both of whom have been in business development and consulting, in order to expand to full lunch and dinner hours on Wed.-Sat., noon-10 p.m., and midnight until at least 1 a.m. on Fri. & Sat. nights. I loved all three of the tacos pictured here, especially the spicy El Cubano beef brisket, and I know you will love all seven items on the Flaming Taco menu (including the unique bacon guac-adilla), where, “Our menu is small, but our commitment
is huge!” For info, call 248-1026 or visit TheFlamingTaco.com. — GN
Angry Chair Brewing Gets Wet Zoning
On August 1, Angry Chair Brewing, owned by Wesley Chapel residents Ryan Dowdle and Shane Mozur, as well as former Cigar City pilot brewer Ben Romano, was approved for a wet zoning license by the Tampa City Council for its future brewery and tasting room location in Tampa’s Historic Seminole Heights neighborhood. Dowdle says that, if all goes according to plan, he hopes to be serving beers to the public at the new Angry Chair Tasting Room, which will be located at 6401 N. Florida Ave., by early 2014. — MW
For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 17 • August 17, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com
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“Ciao”
Continued from page 43 mezzo giorno sausage rigatoni, which is loaded with housemade sausage, homemade rigatoni, cream, Romano cheese, tomato and sweet peas, although I also loved the improved Ciao! pork chop, which is basted with balsamic barbecue and served over roasted Yukon gold spears with caramelized onions, the scallops with wild mushrooms and sherry cream and the gorgonzola angus filet tenderloin, all better than anything previously served at Ciao! Although it’s technically not a dish at Ciao! yet, we also really enjoyed a plate that featured two delicious homemade pork, veal and beef meatballs, a hefty serving of spaghetti and one breast of chicken parmigiana. One woman who had just polished off a plate of just the spaghetti and meatballs proclaimed the meatballs as “the best in town” and it was hard to argue with her. Justin, who spent eight years at a fine dining restaurant in Ann Arbor, MI, before
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relocating to Florida, also says he really hopes to build Ciao!’s lunchtime business, with an array of tasty new sandwiches, all served with either waffle fries or potato wedges. The only one we got to sample was the chicken pesto pannini with flame-grilled chicken, pesto, roasted peppers and provolone cheese. Other options include a crab cake sandwich, chicken salad, a half-lb. angus burger and a chicken parm sandwich on French bread. Ciao also now features homemade desserts and the chocolate chip and pistachio cannolis were definitely yummy. And, Ciao! still features a super-premium bar, a nice kids menu, large private party room, catering and more. Check it out and let me and Justin (who says he wants your feedback) know what you think. Ciao! Italian Bistro is located at 2001 Piazza Ave. in the Shops at Wiregrass. For reservations (not required) and more info, call 907-2200 or visit CiaoItalianBistro.com.
Other recommended dishes at Ciao! include the Ciao! pork chop (left), the chicken pesto pannini (bottom) & the chocolate chip & pistachio cannolis.
For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 17 • August 17, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com
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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 17 • August 17, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com
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NEW TAMPA & WESLEY CHAPEL H E L P
HELP WANTED - Hiring housekeeper, with car and valid driver’s license. Spanish a plus. Call: 813.758.9710 or 813.758.9745 NOW INTERVIEWING - Experienced Medical Assistant position. F/T or P/T. To inquire please email resume to bobbie@fwctampa.net or call (813-994-0611 opt.1) and ask for Bobbie. HELP WANTED - New Tampa medical office needs back office clerical support. 15-20 hours per week. Must be very detail-oriented. Some phone responsibilities as well as filing and other clerical duties. Email resume to Sara at doctor@floridawoundcare.com. No phone calls please. HELP WANTED - Cooks, Servers, Cashier & Kitchen Help, Exp’d or Eager Beginners - FULL CIRCLE PIZZA & GRILL – Successful pizzeria/ restaurant in Pebble Creek Collection on BBD now hiring. Full- & part-time available. Bring resume & references to Full Circle Pizza (19651 BBD, Suite B2), Mon-Sat, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. & ask for Ron.
S E R V I C E S
TRANQUILITY POOL SERVICE - New Tampa owned & operated. Great Pricing with outstanding customer service! LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED. See why we are New Tampa and Wesley Chapel’s #1 Choice!! New customer’s ONE MONTH FREE! Call Chris Today @ (813) 857-5400 or visit www.TranquilityPoolService.com AQUATEC POOL SERVICE - keeping pools clear & swim safe since 1994. WE DO POOLS RIGHT! Commercial & Residential. CPO #33-303052 Licensed & Insured. Service guarantee. Call (813) 312-5694 TODAY and get 1 MONTH OF QUALITY SERVICE FOR FREE. www.aquatecpool.com
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W A N T E D FITNESS & WELLBEING
PHYSICAL THERAPIST – An established New Tampa outpatient clinic is hiring a part-time PT to provide customized, one-on-one care. Fax resume to (813) 994-3080
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S E R V I C E S
CAR SERVICES – Don’t Have a Ride? Don’t Want to Leave Your Car? Shouldn’t Drive? We Drive You and Your Car Home! Night Clubs, Corporate Events, Sporting Events, Concerts, Appointments, Airport or Stranded... Call Jay at (813) 966-1530.
TAI CHI CLASSES - open to the public at the Club Tampa Palms. Benefits: Strength, Flexibility, Balance, Focus and reduced stress. New Beginner 6 week courses starting every few months. Adults Course: Thursday evening’s 7-8 pm. Seniors Course: Tuesday afternoons 12-1 pm. Space is limited! Also personal instruction in Tai Chi, Kempo Karate, Boot Camp Fitness training and more. With more than 30 years of training and teaching experience. Please contact me for more details or go to: chuan-fa.org. Peter #787-7560 or E-mail peter@chuan-fa.org LICENSED MOBILE MASSAGE THERAPIST Available seven days a week, 9am -9pm. $55 for 1 hour! Types of massage available: Swedish, Deep Tissue, Aroma Therapy, Hot Stone, Corporate Seated, Pregnancy, Sports & Injury Rehab. References available. www.barkdollmassagetherapy.com CALL (727) 372-6389 Lic #MA47546. GROUP THERAPY CLASSES – 4 groups starting: 1) Adult Stress Management, 2) Children’s Social Skills, 3) Parenting Skills, and 4) Mind-Body Wellbeing. Cost: $20-$30 per week. Conducted by licensed therapists with over 10 years of experience. Limited Space, Call Today. We also provide individual therapy for children, adolescents, and adults. Call Dr. Brad Palermo, Licensed Psychologist – (813)-666-5885 www.Tampa-Therapy.com
M I S C E L L A N E O U S NO TIME - NEED TO RUN ERRANDS or STRANDED? Call 813-263-4444 for: Professional Assistance, Concierge Services, Confidant/Companion, Transportation, Errands, Personal and Professional Care. Hourly, Daily & Long Term Rates Tampa Palms/ New Tampa Area TRUSTWORTHY, RELIABLE, FRIENDLY.
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JASMINE’S LANDSCAPING - Complete lawn maintenance, Tree, palm and hedge trimming, Planting, mulching, stones, Sod replacement, Pressure washing, Gutter cleaning and more. Cited by your HOA for violations? Need to comply for: Pressure washing, Trimming, Mulching, Sod replacement, Sprinkler repair or Mailbox repair or replacements?Ask about our HOA SPECIAL! FREE ESTIMATE! (813) 420-4465
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TURN YOUR CLUTTER INTO CASH! - Garage & estate sales, inventory liquidation,& appraisal services. We'll sell it for you online!We evaluate & appraise your products then get you top dollar. We do the work you get the cash. Ask me how, contact Mary at 813-428-5793
I M P R O V E M E N T
DRY WALL SPECIALIST - Not a handyman. Affordable Quality Work repairing water damage, ceilings and walls, retexturing, popcorn removal, room additions, cracks, holes, plaster and stucco repair. 26 Years Experience. Wesley Chapel resident. State Certified. Call Ron for a free estimate (813) 784-5999
BELLA’S CLEANING SERVICES - Reliable, affordable, professional, detail oriented. I have references. Free estimates. I have many satisfied customers in New Tampa, with 5 years experience. Call: 941544-7451. M.Y. CLEANING SERVICE - Offering Residential cleaning, complete bath & kitchen cleaning, as well as dusting & polishing furniture. We provide our own supplies. Free estimates! Your satisfaction is our priority! With 5 years of experience, we guarantee meticulous cleaning! Call Mila: (813) 516-3554.
RAYMOND PAINTING – Interior & Exterior pressure washing, paper hanging, plaster, stucco, tiles, clean & seal pavers, roofing leaks, etc. Licensed & Bonded. References available. Free Estimates. Your Neighborhoond Arbor Greene Resident. We work 7 days. Call 994-5124.
DISCOUNT JUNK REMOVAL!!! - No job to big or to small! Same day service. Senior discount. Servicing the New Tampa & Wesley Chapel, as well as surrounding areas for over 11 years. Furniture, yard debris, garage clean out, & any other items. Call Lamar Today – 813.285.4674.
DAVID BRIDGES PRESSURE CLEANING Complete exterior cleaning of your home or business with a professional and personal touch. - Pool decks and screen enclosures - All fencing/ driveways and walkways/roofs - Gutter and downspouts. Find your happiness in a fresh, bright clean home. Your neighbors will love you for it! All work guaranteed. Licensed and insured. (813) 215-1177
Squeaky Clean Home Services - is a residential cleaning company offering weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly services. We also specialize in move-in/move-out cleanup. All supplies & equipment provided. We are an Owner Operator company w/ over 20 years experience. "If it Needs to be Clean, We're your Team! Call us for your free in home estimate today! 813625-6045
WEST COAST FLOORING INC - Hardwood, Laminate, and Carpet; Over 25 years experience in sales and installations; Repairs: Large and small jobs; We even do exterior pavers; Free estimates - Call Doug at (813) 215-4817
D-ULTRA CLEANING SERVICE - We have our own supplies & more than 300 clients in New Tampa! For more information, Call 758-9710.
HANDYMAN SERVICES - Handyman Services, Disposal and fan installations. Painting, dry wall repair, calking, tile and wooden floor installations, gutter cleaning, and much more. Great prices! Call 813.907.6994.
CYD Professional Cleaning Services Residential & Commercial - Weekly, bi-Weekly & monthly rates- Flexible scheduling, including weekends. 'Green' cleaning solutions available upon request. We provide all cleaning supplies. Quality cleaning at AFFORDABLE prices. Over 6 years experience. You'll have the same, uniformed cleaning professional every time! Call Katherine (813) 494-6005
D & D PRESSURE WASHING - licensed and insured. We clean driveways, sidewalks, homes, pool decks, screen enclosures, fences and other items. Free estimates. Call Dina or Doug 813-949-5131 www.ddpressurewash.com
COMPUTER SERVICES
RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL IMPROVEMENT AND REPAIRS. - Carpentry, Dry wall, Exterior/Interior Painting, Window/Door installation, Floor Installation, Home/Office repairs. Licensed and Insured. Free estimates (813)-382-1606 rogerhandyman@verizon.net
BABYSITTING
PROFESSIONAL TENNIS LESSONS - Recently relocated USPTA/PTR teaching professional available for private/group/team tennis lessons. Former Head Tennis Professional at the #2 and #3 Tennis Resorts in the U.S. Past coach of former #1 singles player at the University of Florida. Call Steve Brady at (843) 4223993 or email sbrady@hargray.com PIANO LESSONS/TUTORING - Located in Live Oak Preserve for children, teens, and adults. I am a highly qualified/certified Florida teacher specializing in piano, music theory, language arts, reading, writing, geography, elementary math, beginning Spanish, and FCAT/test preparation. Mention this ad and receive your first session for FREE! Now scheduling for the new 2013-2014 school year! Contact Mrs. Daley at 813-468-1424 to reserve your spot! BABYSITTER/NANNY - looking for new clients. I sit days/evenings/weekends. 813.220.7030. Excellent references. Hughjul5@yahoo.com
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CLEAN FIRST TIME - Let Clean First Time of Hillsborough serve you! We offer office cleaning, new home/renovation construction cleaning, Community Center cleaning, window cleaning & more, at times & intervals to suit you! We are fully insured & can provide current references. If a good work ethic & attention to detail are important to you, give us a call! 813.313.8468
GREG’S PAPERHANGING – For all of your wallpapering needs. Licensed & insured, clean, quick & reasonable. Call 973-2767 for free estimate.
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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 21, Issue 17 • August 17, 2013 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com
SERVICES
V&J CLEANING SERVICES, LLC. -Residential Commercial cleaning. Quality service. Affordable rates. Reliable, flexible scheduling. Supplies & equipment provided. Call Elizabeth for free estimates 813.454.3082.
NEED HOME MAINTENANCE –Almost any job, large or small, ext/int, fencing , screening, sm. concrete, sprinklers, painting, repairs, int. doors, locks, sheet rock, windows, paint, caulk, grout, trim, shelving, garages organized. Installations, removals, pressure washing, wood restoration & more. Call Dale’s Home Maintenance @ 973-0194 or 727-2582.
EDUCATION
CLEANING
PROFESSIONAL TECH SUPPORT – in your home or small business. A+ certified computer tech with 20 years of exp. Maintenance & repairs, upgrades & tutoring. More affordable than the large chains! Friendly, personalized svc. Technical jargon explained in plain English. Remote assistance available. References available upon request. Call 957-8342 for free estimate. DO YOU HATE YOUR COMPUTER?!? - WE CAN HELP YOU! Troubleshooting, installation, networking & virus removal. WE COME TO YOU! Servicing residential & businesses, w/ over 25 years experience. Contact Jeffrey Blank (813) 973-4507 today! www.WSICA.COM; Wsica@wsica.com
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TAMPA CAT LADY- Professional Cat-Sitting Service. Cats are happiest in their own home, surrounded by familiar sights, sounds, & smells. When you are away, we feed, cuddle, & play with your kitties & clean & dispose of litter. Insured, bonded, & Red-Cross certified in pet first aid/CPR. Call 994-9449 or visit www.TampaCatLady.com. NEW TAMPA PET SITTING SERVICES Under New Ownership! Please call Larisa at (813) 5463887. Thank-you for your business over ALL these years! Please call Marina at (813) 416-5301 for references!
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PORTFOLIO POR TFOLIO OF FINE HOMES Arbor Gr Greene eene
4 Bed + Den+ Bonus Rm | 3 Bath | 3 Car Garage 3,372 SF | Built 1998 | Pool/Spa | Outdoor Kitchen Offfered for $465,000 Conservation | Offered
Tampa T a ampa Palms
4 Bed + Den + Game Rm | 3,814 SF | Custom Hannah Bartoletta | Pool/Spa | Outdoor Kitchen | Recently Remodeled Conservation | Off Offered fered for $695,000
Mayfair
Great Rm | 2 Bath | 2 Car Garage 3 Bed + Great Free | Oversized Lot 1,778 SF | Maintenance Free Offered for $220,000 Offered
Tampa T ampa a Palms
4 Bed + Den + Loft | 6.5 Bath | 3 Car Garage 4,915 SF | Elegant Finishes | Private Lot Offered Of ffer f ed for $769,000
Tampa T a am Palms ampa
5 Bed | 4.5 Bath | 3 Car Garage | 4,308 SF Throughout Acre Remodeled Thr oughout | Over 1/2 Acr e Conservation Offered Pool/Spa | Of ffer f ed for $675,000
Stonington
5 Bed + Bonus Rm | 4 Bath | 2 Car Garage 4,030 SF | Pool/Spa | New AC | New Roof Offered Of ffer f ed for $650,000t
Hunters Gr Green een
4 Bed + Den | 3 Bath | 3 Car Garage 2,638 SF | Pool | Oversized Conservation Offered Of ffer f ed for $359,9t00
Stonginton
5 Bed | 5 Bath | 2 Car Garage | 4,293 SF Acre View Built 1990 | Pool | Over 1/2 Acr e | Pond V iew Offered Of fered for $399,900
Grand Hampton
4 Bed + Bomus Rm | 3.5 Bath | 3 Car Garage 3,014 SF | Built 2007 | Oversized Lot Offered f ed for $325,000 Offfer
Grand Hampton
Remington
Lancaster
Pebble Cr Creek eek
Hunters Green Green
Grand Hampton
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