New Tampa Neighborhood News, Volume 30, Issue 19, September 20, 2022

NEENA

Photo by Gary Nager

Two Friends Give Their Viewpoints On The Passing Of Queen Elizabeth II

By GARY NAGER Editorial

Although I only know what I’ve read about Queen Elizabeth II (left photo), who of course, passed away at the age of 96 the week we went to press with this issue, I decided to discuss the loss of England’s longest-serving monarch (70 years) with two of my friends.

One of those friends is Tammy Campbell, a British national who has lived here in the States since moving with her husband — former English Premier League and Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer player and coach Stuart Campbell (who is now the director of soccer at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County) — more than a decade ago.

The other is my childhood best friend Doug Getter, who moved “across the Pond” for work not too long after I moved to Florida 30 years ago. I have only one blood sibling (my sister Bonnie), but since we met in the first grade at Woodmere Elementary on Long Island, Doug was the closest thing I ever had to a brother, especially because everyone said we looked and acted like brothers. And, even when Doug visited me for a day a few months ago (right photo), Jannah and my family said they could see why.

When I spoke with Tammy a couple of days after the Queen’s passing, you could hear it in her voice that she was still broken up over it.

“She was 96, so it wasn’t like everyone didn’t know it was going to happen at some point,” Tammy said, “but the reality of her actu ally passing hit me harder than I even thought it would, especially since she just swore in our new Prime Minister two days before that.”

Tammy said that although she never actu ally met Queen Elizabeth, “I did get to see her in person twice before I moved here.” The first time, she said, she was only seven years old when the Queen visited the northern town of Colby, England, where Tammy was living at the time. “All of the school children in the town lined the streets waving Union Jacks (the British flag) as her motorcade went by,” Tammy said, “She smiled and waved and seemed to make eye contact with each of us. She had such presence, such dignity.”

More than 25 years later, Tammy made eye contact with the Queen again, when suddenly, the streets were cleared for her motorcade. Tammy said she felt the same sense of pride and excitement she did as a child. “She was like every one’s favorite grandmother,” Tammy said. “She knew how to make everyone feel important.”

Meanwhile, Doug said that the news of the Queen’s passing definitely hit people hard in England, too. Doug, a partner with the international law firm Dechert LLP, who lives not far from Buckingham Palace, said, “Some of my English colleagues were very affected. I think it’s quite personal, but as a generalization, it’s quite meaningful to the population here. There were big crowds out at Buckingham Palace who came to pay their respects. I think a lot of people are genuinely in mourning.”

Doug also said that although he doesn’t have a lot of British clients, “I was actually on a call today with a fellow who met and received an award from the Queen. But, I think for Brits it is a tough time and we have allowed our staff that normally comes in to the office to work from home, and attend counseling, memorials, etc., as they feel is best for them. So, this is being taken very seriously, as so many people are affected — some harder than others. I know that on the day of her funeral (announced as Sept. 19 at our press

time), it will not be possible for anyone to get things done here. A good percentage of our people will take the day off to reflect and mourn — and most everyone will be glued to their TV sets for the funeral, which will be a State event. We will be closed on the day of the funeral, for sure.”

As for the impressions of how the new King Charles III will be, Doug says, “He certainly has the training, but he also has a hard act to follow and a wife that many Brits have mixed views about. Unfortunately for Charles, I think peo ple are looking forward to William and Kate taking the reins in the future. It’s odd here for people to think in terms of a king after 70 years of a queen. Her longevity is staggering.”

As to why Premier League soccer games were cancelled the weekend the Queen passed, “It’s just such a somber time,” Doug said. “No one wanted to be seen as doing something frivolous during this mourning period. I’m no Royalist, but this is truly a sad event for the British people.”

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School Traffic Remains A Concern In K-Bar Ranch

By JOHN C. COTEY

John@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Like almost every school in Tampa, Pride Elementary has traffic issues during drop-off and pick-up times.

Residents in K-Bar Ranch whose children attend the school may be receiv ing some relief, as the city and county are conducting a number of projects and studies in the area.

In another of Tampa City Council member Luis Viera’s community meetings on Aug. 22, residents had many of their concerns addressed by a panel of experts that the District 7 representative assem bled, including Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan (who repre sents the New Tampa area for the county in Dist. 2), Dist. 6 Hillsborough School Board member Karen Perez and transpor tation and mobility experts from the city and county.

The hour-long meeting seemed to provide the answers, or reassurance that answers were being sought, that came from roughly 50 residents in attendance.

• The long-awaited Meadow Pointe Blvd. connector to K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. is now open, officially. It opened Aug. 30, a week after the meeting, but those in attendance were already told it would only be a matter of days.

The new connection now allows area residents a quick 4- or 5-minute drive to S.R. 56, just east of the Shops at Wire grass. AdventHealth Wesley Chapel Hos pital, I-75 and the Winn-Dixie and Super Target on County Line Rd. also are now a much shorter trip.

Other connections which were planned for years are coming, Vik Bhide, the City of Tampa chief traffic manage ment engineer said, but it may take a while for any of them to open. Other topics of discussion included:

• K-Bar residents still pine for a Kin nan St.-Mansfield Blvd. connection, which is now open only to emergency response

vehicles and police. Area residents always bring up the topic, and this meeting was no different. They were told by Viera and Hagan to pin their hopes on the recent primary elections. Pasco County commis sioner Mike Moore, a strong opponent of the connection, is leaving office, and his anticipated replacement Seth Weight man (the Republican nominee facing only a write-in candidate on Nov. 8) may be more amenable to the idea of opening the connection to all traffic, although that remains an unlikely scenario.

• Street lights may be on the way for Kinnan St., which runs north from Cross Creek Blvd. past Pride and to entrances at

both K-Bar Ranch and Live Oak Pre serve. At past meetings, residents have complained that the street is dangerous due to speeders, which is heightened by the lack of lighting. According to Josh Bellotti, the Hillsborough County director of engineering and operations, the county is working closely with Tampa Electric (TECO) and coming up with designs. “A rough estimate is that in about six months, I think you’ll see lights,” Bellotti said.

• It was suggested that the school zone be extended around Pride Elemen tary, and speed limits in the area be made more uniform. That continues to be studied by the City of Tampa.

• A Hillsborough County traffic study is under way in advance of the possi bility of a massive upgrade of Cross Creek Park (see story on pg. 6), which would include an indoor recreation center, up dated playgrounds and outdoor basketball courts, a new parking lot and other ameni ties. The rec center and other amenities, which will cost roughly $8-million, would be built next to Pride, an area of high traf fic in the morning and afternoons.

“I want to address the community transportation problem on the front end so we don’t exacerbate it,” said Commis sioner Hagan. “This is a real opportunity to improve the current situation.”

Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan discusses a new park and traffic study at a recent meeting with K-Bar Ranch residents. (Photo: John C. Cotey)

Is Proposed Recreation Center At Cross Creek Park A Slam Dunk?

By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com

Is the proposed recreation center at Cross Creek Park a slam dunk (prefer ably on an indoor basket in a potential air-conditioned facility!), as District 2 Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan hopes?

You would think so, considering the $8-million price tag and number of proposed amenities for what would be the first county-owned public indoor recrea tion center in New Tampa.

At the very least, it’s a three-point swish, according to online polling.

As the county proceeds on the new upgrades at Cross Creek Park, which is lo cated next to Pride Elementary (at 19025 Bassett Creek Dr.), it continues to gauge support for the endeavor.

The project would potentially include things like an indoor facility for basketball, volleyball and pickleball (as well as senior and adult programming), bathrooms and after-school and summer programs for children, a new shaded playground and upgraded outdoor basketball court, a splash pad, a walking trail and more.

Of the 179 responses filled out online, 84% of respondents said they were in favor of the upgrades at the park, 10% were opposed and 7% percent said they were undecided.

When it came to what amenities respondents were most interested in, 66% wanted an upgraded playground, 64% favored a recreation center with program ming, 59% wanted a walking trail, 55% wanted a splash pad and 35% chose some of the other amenities.

One of the respondents wrote that they would like to see more of the wideopen field — which gets a lot of use by people playing soccer, cricket, flag football and flying kites — preserved, despite early renderings showing that much of it would be eliminated and replaced by a retention pond under the county’s plan.

Residents who replied online about their desires for a proposed upgrade to Cross Creek Park (see next pg.) generally favor them by a wide margin, but a handful lamented the potential loss of all the green space that is used to play soccer, football, fly kites, play with dogs and more. (Photo: John C. Cotey)

A lot of commentors agreed and suggested that the pond could be moved across the street to replace two overgrown baseball fields that are almost never used.

Others loved the idea of upgrades, and chimed in with their own suggestions, most of them advocating for a skate park, dog park or tennis courts.

However, when the county held a public input meeting on Aug. 15 in the lunchroom at Pride Elementary, only five residents, including two couples, attended. Most of the questions at that meeting centered around preserving the park’s green space.

Pride principal Paulette English at tended the meeting that night, and voiced her support.

“I think it’s a very positive thing for the community and school as well,” English said. “It opens some after-school programs for kids that they don’t other wise have access to, and having staff there will keep it a safer place for kids to be.”

English said that her school gets a lot of requests for after-school programs and club-type activities. The school offered a drama and tennis club this year “and it filled up just like that,” she said.

Pride has waiting lists of roughly 30 students for each of those clubs.

While Hagan said the online support for the rec center has been great, K-Bar Ranch resident Beth Bodai was one of the residents at an Aug. 22 community meet ing in K-Bar Ranch attended by Hagan (story on pg. 4) who questioned whether the county would be able to handle a new park. Cross Creek Park has a dirt park ing lot, overgrown baseball fields and no bathrooms, along with other issues.

“It sounds fantastic, but who will maintain it, because you haven’t main tained what you have now,” Bodai said.

Bodai also said that the park is often called the “Forgotten Park” by residents. She cited the dirt parking lot and lack of lighting at night, leading to a number of cars parking in the unpatrolled lot after dark, the porta-potties being turned over numerous times every weekend, and the playground equipment being too hot, due to a lack of shade, so that it can’t be used. “And the (baseball) fields are a disgrace,” she said.

Hagan explained that the county would maintain the upgraded park, at a cost of roughly $100,000 a year, and

would employ full-time attendants.

He even said he would look into hav ing the parking lot lights installed now.

However, another resident in at tendance at the K-Bar Ranch meeting expressed concern the park would end up being a burden to taxpayers. And Bodai, who said she hopes the park is everything Hagan says it will be, is still a skeptic.

Hagan promised it would be a facil ity that K-Bar Ranch (a City of Tampa development) and the rest of New Tampa would be proud of. “I can tell you, If NT doesn’t want this facility, I promise you there are a million other communities that will,” he said.

Regardless of whether Cross Creek Park gets upgraded, the traffic and road study that comes with the planning could result in the kind of positive change that those who drive in the area have been seeking. Many of those who participated in the online forum (see next pg.) said the area’s already tangled transportation woes prevented them from fully supporting the new park.

If Hagan wants his slam dunk, that will have to be an issue that gets resolved in conjunction with a new rec center.

“And we understand that,” he says. “We’re taking a close look at everything.”

LOCALS CHIME IN

Here are some of the online comments submitted for local (presumably) residents on what they think of the new upgrades proposed for Cross Creek Park, and what other things they would like to see at the park.

It would be great for the gym to have pickleball courts. Adding lights to the basketball courts would also be a plus, as a lot of kids play basketball there in the evenings. For being a little park it gets a lot of use. (Would) love to see these improvements going in.

New Tampa desperately needs public tennis courts and public soccer fields (doesn’t have to be regulation size). Benito soccer fields are under lock and key by the Chargers program and not available for public use.

There are no public tennis courts in this area. Need one in this park. Please add a skate park!!

Ithink this is a brilliant plan! This is a major community that needs these improvements. The splash pad intrigues me the most. Considering we live in the Sunshine State, there aren’t many places to cool down for kids. I also agree with everyone on an updated playground with shade!

Park definitely needs an update. Splash pad would be great for those hot summers. None nearby.

Love this idea! The current play ground is run down, it needs an upgrade as it’s used daily (by) neighbor hood kids. An adjacent splash pad seems like a great idea, too, as those are popu lar in many other communities across Tampa. The area is in desperate need of lighting also.

Iwould like to see a dog park, and obviously more covered picnic tables with bathroom facilities

Many people use the extensive field space currently for field sports such as ultimate frisbee, football, soccer, cricket, baseball, kickball, and others. It appears that the proposed plan will cut down on field space to the point that field sports will not have enough space to be played. As a hub for local kids playing sports, this field space is particu larly important as it is the only park with this space in the area.

Shaded play area is needed

Paved parking lot and shaded areas.

Why would we need additional bas ket ball courts while we have two existing courts?

Tennis court and a leveled kickball field

The parking lot needs to be paved and there needs to be restrooms. Shaded play area. Litter pick up not just trash can pickup because people can’t put trash in trash cans.

Please add more trees

The roadway is already too crowded by the park. Consideration would need to be taken if any changes are to be made, to deal with additional traffic.

The traffic by this area is already too much. This will cause too much congestion and people who live in Bas set Creek will (have) too much traffic traveling in and out of their home area.

Please preserve the open field space at Cross Creek Park. Numerous indi viduals and organized groups regularly use the space for games and training. Move the retention pond, parking lot, and building across the street.

This “improvement” is a terrible idea. The park is already amazing and I use it all the time with my friends. We love the large field that we can play any sport on, as well as exercise. Sprint workouts, football, frisbee, kickball, baseball and many other sports are only possible because of these fields. You can not play on a small field, rec center, or retention pond.

Paint the basketball courts so it’s smoother and not the basic concrete.

This is a great plan to upgrade the park. It does look very old.

Traffic is high speed through there, and there’s already school traffic. Plus additional traffic from current development in KBar 3 and 4. People currently can take their dogs there to exercise, and it would limit the park to children’s use primarily. There’s already a city park being developed in KBar and Mistflower (?) for kids.

Tampa Palms resident Karen Perez won more than 50 percent of the vote to hold on to her District

6 School Board seat, while Grand Hampton’s Alan Cohn faces Republican Laurel Lee for Florida’s District 15 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 8.

Perez Retains School Board Seat, Cohn Heads To Nov. 8 Election

By JOHN C. COTEY

John@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

More than two dozen school board candidates across Florida were endorsed by Gov. Ron DeSantis — a move that broke from tradition in what historically have been non-partisan elections — and a good many of them won.

But, not all of them.

Karen Perez, a long-time New Tampa and current Tampa Palms resident, not only won her election against two other op ponents, she gained more than 50 percent of the vote– 50.71%, to be precise — in the District 6 Hillsborough County School Board race, avoiding a runoff and securing her seat for another four-year term.

Aly Marie Legge, who was endorsed by DeSantis, was second with 37.59% of the vote, while Roshaun Gendrett was picked on 11.71% of the ballots to finish third.

Perez was endorsed by Democratic gubernatorial candidate (and former Florida Gov.) Charlie Crist, who won all but three of New Tampa’s precincts and 58.2% to 37.9% of New Tampa’s vote, as he even more easily defeated Nikki Fried 60.9%-34.3% in the statewide for the chance to face Gov. DeSan tis in November.

Perez said it’s unfortunate that school board races have become so politicized.

“When everybody is yelling around their kids, they get that angst, they feel what’s going on,” Perez says. “They need to be able to go to school, to focus on school, and in a climate where there is not a lot of political rhetoric around. That’s what I want for our kids today, the exact same comfort level that we were provided when we went to school.”

Perez, a mental health professional, was praised by the Tampa Bay Times in its endorsement for her, “calm, methodical approach…(that) has succeeded in bringing more transparency to school district opera tions. Perez has been a leader in holding the administration accountable, and in relaying concerns from families when and

where the school system falls.”

Perez, who won 20 of New Tampa’s 23 voting precincts, said her focus will “always be the teachers and the students, and their needs. That’s what my first term was, and what my second term will be as well.”

Neither Perez nor Legge was in favor of the millage referendum that narrowly failed to pass. The one mil tax increase, according to the school district, would have provided an estimated $146 million annually for four years for teachers’ salaries.

The referendum failed 50.1%-49.9%.

However, in New Tampa, 5,604 voted for the tax, or 53.8%, while 4,810 voted against it (46.1%).

Cohn Advances In Primary

In another race involving a New Tampa resident, Alan Cohn, a former investigative TV news reporter and current Grand Hampton resident, won a competi tive Democratic primary for Florida’s new District 15 seat in the U.S. Congress, win ning 35.5% of the vote in a five-candidate race throughout the district, Eddie Geller and Gavin Brown received 21% apiece.

In New Tampa’s precincts, Cohn won 34.3% of the vote, with Geller at 23.2% and Brown grabbing 21% of the ballots cast in New Tampa.

On Nov. 8, Cohn will next face Republican Laurel Lee, the former Florida Secretary of State, who received 44.4% of vote in her Republican primary, beating out Kelli Stargell (24.9) and three others.

As usual, New Tampa’s voter turnout fell far below Hillsborough County’s 25.2% overall turnout, as none of the 23 precincts in New Tampa’s 33647 zip code or the two precincts at the Lake Forest clubhouse reached a voter turnout percentage as high as 16%. In fact, only two New Tampa precincts even reached a 15% voter turnout — Pre cinct #358 (15.0%) and #365 (15.5%).

For all of the 2022 Primary Election results, visit https://enr.electionsfl.org/ HIL/Summary/3245/ or VoteHillsbor ough.org.

Neena Pacholke: The ‘Brightest Light’ Is Gone

By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com

There was something about Neena Pacholke that made you feel special and loved.

The smile, the laugh, the joy.

“She had this bright, awesome personality that just made you feel so welcomed,” said Lauren Repp, a long time friend and former basketball teammate. “She had a special charm.”

Charm may be the best word to describe Neena’s personality, as she had it in abundance, according to those who played basketball with her, or watched her as a televi sion anchor where, judging from the outpouring of love following her death, she could radiate from the screen and make you feel as if you’ve been friends for years.

Neena, who played high school basketball at Free dom High and then at the University of South Florida, took her own life Aug. 27 in her Wausau, WI, home. She was only 27.

Neena’s life was celebrated at Radiant Church Heights in Tampa on Sept. 10. She is survived by her sister Kaitlynn, father Aaron and mother Laurie, who coached her at Freedom.

“Absolutely devastated,” wrote Aaron on Facebook. “She was a great gift.”

Neena’s death was shocking to most who knew her. However, Laurie told WAOW-TV News 9 in Wausau, where her daughter was a popular anchor, that Neena had struggled with mental health issues for years.

“She was getting treatment,” Laurie said. “I’ll put it out there — she had been to the crisis center a couple of times. She had so many people here to talk to. She talked to people, but she didn’t want anybody to know how she

was hurting, so she didn’t talk until it got so bad.”

That part is what makes it so painful for friends like Repp, who met Neena when they were 12 years old.

“It’s hard to wrap my head around,” Repp said. “Just hearing that maybe it was because she felt like a burden to others, it breaks my heart. All of us are living with the what-ifs and are absolutely crushed and devastated.”

Neena was the “ideal American girl” in high school, who would get excited over coffee, loved the changing seasons and buying a new sweater or boots. She painted her nails on the Fourth of July and St. Patrick’s Day and loved being with her cat, says Faith Woodard who, along with Repp, were teammates of Neena’s.

The three were starters on the 2013 Freedom High team that made the program’s only State final four ap pearance. Woodard said she has been watching old game films since receiving the news.

The gritty, tenacious Neena was the Patriots’ point guard, and even watching old games today, Woodard said she can feel her energy and glee.

“She was the glue on that team,” Woodard said. “She was everyone’s biggest cheerleader. But, she was more than just your teammate. She was your friend… She was the happiest person I knew, and the best person I knew.”

After graduating from USF in 2017, she joined WAOW-TV as a reporter. At her service at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Weston, WI, on Sept. 4, one of her first friends at the station, Josh Holland, shared with an in-person audience of roughly 200 what a joy Neena had been. Together, the two rookie reporters went to high school pep rallies, sported silly socks, challenged high school athletes to Nerf football games and played life-size games of Hungry Hungry Hippos against

Former Freedom High basketball star Neena Pacholke, who was a popular news anchor for WAOW-TV in Wausau, WI, tragically took her own life on Aug. 27.

students. “She went to great lengths to bring joy to others,” Holland said.

She was promoted to anchor in 2019 and her popu larity grew. Following her death, the station’s phone

lines and Facebook page were flooded with condo lence calls and sadness from people who only knew her through a screen, her personal ity breaking through that barrier.

When WAOW-TV had techni cal difficulties and couldn’t broadcast her memorial service live, it didn’t stop more than 22,000 people from watching when it was posted a day later.

Brendan Mackey wrote that being Neena’s co-anchor was an honor and called her, “The brightest light in the room.”

Friends like Repp and Woodard will never forget Neena. Not only did Faith transfer to Freedom for her senior season because of Neena, she followed her into broadcasting, and is currently an anchor for KTHV-TV (THV11) in Little Rock, AR.

“I always tried to be more like her,” Woodard said. “I tried to volunteer more because she did. I tried to do the good things she did and I even tried to make my work (as a news anchor) look more

like hers. More than anything, I’m go ing to miss her for the good, supportive person she was.”

Repp said Neena’s loss will be felt by many. She well remembers her friend always wiggling her way out of running at the end of basketball practices, never taking anything too seriously and always being able to break the tension by laugh ing or giggling about something.

Repp said she was recently at a Milwaukee Brewers game when the ladies sitting behind her found out she played basketball in Tampa with Neena.

“They started freaking out,” Repp says. “They told me they loved her.”

It is a feeling shared by many.

The Pacholke family in happier times: (l.-r.) Laurie, Kaitlynn, Neena and Aaron. (Photo: Pacholke family Facebook page)

Old Courts To Be Turned Into Fields For Public Use

By JOHN C. COTEY

John@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Townhalls and other community meet ings may sound boring to many, but some times, they produce action that otherwise wouldn’t happen.

Alexandra Gilmore, a Tampa Palms resident since 2007, attended one hosted by Tampa City Council member Luis Viera and other city planners back in 2020 and when she took the mic, she wanted to know why there weren’t more — or any, actually — public basketball courts in New Tampa.

Her boys, Caleb and Bryce, had searched for places to play, but were always booted off the courts.

“You have to live in a community that has them, or a certain neighborhood, or have a membership somewhere,” Alexandra re members telling city officials. She told Viera and the others there were courts and space behind Liberty Middle School that could be used but were fenced off to keep kids out.

“Why can’t those be public?,” she asked.

It was a great question, and one that finally got answered on Aug. 25, when the Tampa City Council voted 5-0 to pitch in with the Hillsborough County School Dis trict to spend $1 million to upgrade the aged tennis courts behind Liberty.

Gilmore had no idea her suggestion had even become a reality until the Neighborhood News called her.

“Oh my goodness,” she said. “You’re kidding me! This is absolutely amazing!”

Gilmore stayed in touch with Viera via email while the councilman did the pushing behind the scenes to initiate the project. The Tampa City Council agreed to enter into an interlocal agreement with the School District to improve some of the athletic facilities that adjoin Liberty and Freedom High.

The current facilities — six hard court tennis courts — between the two schools will receive a new design and a court cover to shield those playing from the elements.

The “all-fields facility,” as it is called, will feature three resurfaced and outfitted courts for basketball, tennis, pickleball or volleyball, depending on the needs. The other three

existing tennis courts will be replaced by an artificial multi-purpose turf field and will be covered. Restrooms also will be a part of the new facility.

Courts behind Liberty Middle School will be converted into an “all-fields facility,” featuring multiple playing courts as well as an overhead covering. (NN graphic by Charmaine George) and she was in favor of making the courts open to the public.

The School District will control access to the fields and their usage — most likely for recess and other school-related activi ties — during daytime hours when Liberty and Freedom are in session. The city will control public access in the evening hours and on weekends.

“Utilizing unused school space for rec reation activities for the larger communities, including basketball…is going to be a great thing,” said Viera, who represents the New Tampa area in District 7.

The cost of upgrading the courts is ex pected to be roughly $1 million, and the City Council voted that the city would pay up to 50 percent, or $500,000, of those costs, us ing Capital Improvement Plan funds.

During the public comments portion of the City Council meeting, only one person, South Tampa’s Stephanie Poynter, commented

“If the City of Tampa is paying half for the basketball courts at Liberty and Freedom schools, those courts should be accessible 24 hours a day if the schools are not in session,”

she said. “This is the only place I have ever lived where every single school has a fence between it and the kids who live around it. I’ll never understand that.”

Before the vote took place, the motion was pulled for discussion by District 3 Coun cil member Lynn Hurtak. She favored the interlocal agreement, and asked that the city’s Parks & Recreation Department explore more opportunities like this.

“How when many of us when we were kids, that at our neighborhood school, after school, we could go play on the playground, in the field, on the basketball courts, do it on the weekends, do it all summer?,” Hurtak asked. “Now, with the advent of school shootings, many of those open spaces have been fenced off for student security, and they don’t allow the public to utilize those facilities, which is a bigger strain on our parks system. So, when I saw this interlocal agree ment, I was really excited about it. “

Viera made a point of crediting Gilmore during the meeting.

“This is going to be a wonderful thing,” Viera told the Council.

Gilmore agrees.

“I remember a couple of people reached out to me after that meeting in 2020 to thank me,” said Gilmore, who was running for the Hillsborough County School Board at the time. “This will be great for kids in the local neighborhoods to have a place to play.”

Florida’s Sports Coast To Host 2022-24 Florida Senior Games

By JOHN C. COTEY John@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

The Wesley Chapel area already is host to some of the largest youth sports tournaments in the Tampa Bay area and will now expand its reach to a new demographic — seniors.

The Florida Sports Foundation, the state of Florida’s sports promotion and development organi zation, and Florida’s Sports Coast (Pasco County’s sports tourism arm) will team up to be the primary host of Florida Senior Games for the next three years, starting in December of this year.

“It’s definitely a different demographic than what we tend to go after,” said Adam Thomas, the director of Florida’s Sports Coast. “Out of all of our sports, 95% of them are youth sports. This will be a new audience to tap into.”

The Florida Senior Games is an Olympic-style sports festival, for athletes over the age of 50 (and there is even a 100+ age group). The 31st annual Games in December will consist of 22 sports — half of which will be staged in Wesley Chapel — and will be held December 3-11. The event is a qualifier for the 2023 National Senior Games in Pittsburgh, PA.

The county has hosted various Senior Games events in the past. The Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County hosted bag toss, basket ball shooting, 3-on-3 basketball and volleyball in December 2020, while pickleball was played at the Sarah Vande Berg (SVB) Tennis & Wellness Center in Zephyrhills.

This year, however, will mark the county’s first time as the primary host of the entire event.

And, because of the growth of sports venues in Wesley Chapel over the past decade, many of the events will take place just north of New Tampa.

The Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus will host archery, basketball shooting and 3-on-3 basketball (Dec. 3), and volleyball (Dec. 10-11), while Saddle brook Resort will host foot golf Dec. 10.

SVB will host almost every racquet sport, includ ing padel (which will be played for the first time in the Senior Games Dec. 9-11), tennis (Dec. 3-8) and pickleball (Dec. 8-11).

Cypress Creek High and its rubber track will be home for many of the running events. Track & field is scheduled for Dec. 9-11, with a 1,500-meter power walk and 1,500-meter race walk set for Dec. 11.

Events like bowling and shuffleboard (Zephy rhills), golf (Trinity), and even power lifting (Land O’Lakes) will be held across the county.

“We’ve always been involved with the Senior Games in some form or fashion,” Thomas says, “but landing the actual games as the host destination, that will bring in close to 2,000 (hotel) rooms for a weeklong event, and it will bring up to 3,000 athletes and their families here for that same time period. So we’re looking at total visitors per day of 4,000.”

Thomas says that, according to Florida’s Sports Coast’s projections, the Senior Games will have an economic impact of $1.2 million per day throughout Pasco County. And, because the event is a national qualifier, Thomas is hoping the Florida Senior Games can put Florida’s Sports Coast in line to host the national event at some point down the road.

“This opens the door for us,” Thomas says. “We’ve definitely got our eyes on that.”

For more information about the 2022 Flori da Senior Games, visit FloridaSeniorGames.com or follow FloridaSeniorGames on Facebook. For more information about Florida’s Sports Coast, visit FLSportsCoast.com.

In 2020, the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County hosted the 3-on-3 basketball (above) and volleyball Florida Senior Games events. This year, it will host those Senior Games sports again, as well as archery. (Photo: FloridaSeniorGames.com)

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NEW YEAR, NEW RULES!

There are 24 categories in our 2022 Reader Dining Survey on this page. Please fill in as many categories as you like, but to be eligible to win this year’s FREE Dining Gift Cards (to the restaurant of your choice), you MUST tell us your top three favorite restaurants (of any cuisine type) in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel AND provide an answer in at least 18 of the 24 total categories. Please note that this year, your votes will still count if you don’t provide answers to at least 18 categories, you just won’t be eligible to win this year’s prizes.

Three winners will be drawn at random from all correct entries, whether you enter by mail or at NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net by no later than Wednesday, November 23, to win a $100, $60 or $35 gift card to the restaurant of your choice. Mail-in entries must have all requested personal info (right) & be mailed to Neighborhood News 2022 Dining Survey & Contest, 28949 State Road 54, Wesley Chapel, FL 33543. — GN

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NTDT — New Tampa’s Place For Dance Since 1995!

Whether you or your child likes to dance for fun or dreams of a career on stage one day, the New Tampa Dance Theatre (NTDT) offers dancers a worldclass, professional experience that is un matched in the Tampa Bay area.

Located on Cross Creek Blvd. (across from Heritage Isles) in New Tampa, the 7,500-sq.-ft. NTDT is the largest profes sional dance training facility in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area. Owner and artistic director Dyane Elkins IronWing is in her 28th season of creating dance mem ories and futures for her students, many of whom have gone on to study dance in college and/or dance professionally.

“As always, I’m so proud of our stu dents,” says Elkins IronWing. “Our danc ers become excellent college students, with their impressive time-management skills, perseverance and creative thinking. Our hearts are bursting with excitement, seeing our beautiful students again. We are continuing to give back to the com munity during this pandemic with our “Pay It Forward” program and offering all new students $25 per month tuition for every class!”

“Our students are extremely excited being back dancing at the school again and spending time with their dance fam ily,” says Elkins IronWing. “We’re ex tremely proud of our faculty and students’ dedication and perseverance during this pandemic. They are all truly living up to the NTDT motto of ‘Respect, Responsi bility and Teamwork.’”

A Chance To ‘Do As I Have Done’

Elkins IronWing says she started dancing at age 5, later trained in New York City and performed with Ballet Met ropolitan in Columbus, OH.

She moved to Tampa in 1995 and immediately opened NTDT in the Pebble Creek Collection. In 2002, she purchased the current NTDT property on Cross

The New Tampa Dance Theatre on Cross Creek Blvd. can help you train for a professional career in dance (above left), but it’s also a super-fun place for younger children to learn how to dance. (Photos provided by New Tampa Dance Theatre)

Creek Blvd, and moved her school to the new building in January 2006.

With the bigger location, Elkins IronWing was off and running, offering smaller class sizes and larger, more varied schedules.

She says NTDT also has a larger pool of students today, with the ongoing ex plosive growth in Wesley Chapel, as well as in New Tampa.

“Our name might say New Tampa,” she says, “but our location is much closer to Wesley Chapel than one might assume. We are extremely convenient to all of the current growth (there). Wesley Chapel families are shocked to discover just how close we are and are excited because of how quickly they can drive to our school.”

All Ages & Experience Levels

NTDT caters to both the recre ational dance lover as well as the devot ed pre-professional — and every level in between.

The studio’s leveled curriculum of

fers multiple art forms for students to explore. Through personalized attention and professional expertise, NTDT’s pro fessional faculty strives to provide a posi tive educational experience.

Children ages 3-4 can participate in the school’s Early Childhood Program, ages 5-8 can take part in the Children’s Program and ages 9-18 are invited to join NTDT’s Youth Program.

In addition to classical ballet, NTDT offers full programs in creative move ment, modern, jazz, tap and hip-hop.

Each program has its own directors and specific syllabuses guiding students in a structured manner through their studies.

The facilities at NTDT are as top notch as the instructors, and include ma ple flooring for the tap classes, 20-25-ft.tall mirrored walls, student locker rooms and a large studio space that can accom modate up to 200 people.

Sprung floors provide shock absorp tion to protect the dancers’ joints and an

on-site physical therapist ensures the health of the dancers. NTDT also features a café offering light meals, snacks and drinks.

The Training You Need

NTDT has developed a reputation for creating strong, professional dancers with alumni who have moved on to high ly respected dance companies, Broadway productions, national tours and even the Walt Disney Company.

Because NTDT students learn to be proficient in multiple art forms, these students have an edge in the competitive world of dance and many of them have been accepted into prestigious summer intensive programs, including the School of American Ballet and American Ballet Theater in New York City, The Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago and the Boston Ballet.

“With just passing our milestone 25th 2.0 anniversary celebration season, it’s a time for reflection with extreme gratitude and love for all the amazing people who

DTT’s 2022 performances of “The Nutcracker” will be held Dec. 17-18, at USF ‘s College of the Arts Theater 1.

have been a part of our dance programs and family,” says Elkins IronWing.

One local former student certainly agrees with that assessment.

“I credit all of my success as a profes sional dancer to the foundational training I received at NTDT from ages 6-18,” says Victoria DeRenzo, who today is a profes sional dancer and choreographer who has toured internationally in 28 countries on four continents, most notably with the renowned Pilobolus Dance Theatre in Washington Depot, CT.

“I loved every second of my experi ence growing up there,” DeRenzo adds, “but I had no idea how spoiled I was un til I graduated. Not many people receive a top-notch dance education in multiple artforms during their lifetimes, let alone at the age of 6.”

If a student doesn’t choose to pur sue a career in dance after high school, they can still reach a level of artistry to be accepted into many college dance pro grams, says Elkins IronWing.

“Believing in yourself, respecting the process of working towards a goal, and having a well-rounded dance education give our students the tools and confidence to continue discovering new passions throughout their lifetimes,” she says. Great Productions, Too!

All students have the opportunity to perform in NTDT’s “Spring Pro duction” and — through the studio’s nonprofit partner, the Dance Theatre of Tampa (DTT) — in the winter pro

duction of “The Nutcracker,” as well as the “Summer Concert Series,” held in June at the University of South Florida’s Tampa campus.

DTT provides more than 300 free tickets to NTDT’s corporate sponsors, lo cal community supporters, alumni mem bers and students. A small costume rental fee for productions is the only cost over the tuition that parents have to pay at any time — Elkins IronWing says there is nev er a requirement to buy advertising or pay performance fees.

New Tampa residents Gary and Charity Hartley relocated here in 2018 from Virginia, and enrolled their daugh ter Hope at NTDT.

“The New Tampa Dance Theatre and the entire staff were the linchpins for our transition into the New Tampa area,” Charity says. “The warmth of the studio, quality of instruction and wonderful stu dents have made us feel right at home. We especially love the way (NTDT) man ages the educational aspect of their DTT company members, ensuring they have exposure to various dance forms in their weekly training, master classes and dance performances they attend as a group.”

Every holiday season, Elkins Iron Wing says local residents look forward to the community’s largest and longest-run ning interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet, “The Nutcracker,” now in its 23rd DTT season. This year, it will be held Sat urday & Sunday, December 17-18, at the USF Tampa College of Arts Theater 1.

Prior to the performances at USF, DTT also will perform “The Nutcracker Suite” Sat urday & Sunday, December 3-4, at 6, 7 & 8 p.m., at The Shops at Wiregrass.

“It’s all about the children at NTDT, always has been and always will be,” she says. “We are a company that enables children to succeed. The key is setting high expectations, all while having fun and building self-confidence. With the new season ahead of us, we would like to thank all of our trust ing and loyal families over the years and the

organizations that continually support our vision. Without their recognition and time, NTDT wouldn’t be the magical place it has become!”

The New Tampa Dance Theatre offers year-round free trial classes for prospective dancers of all ages. To tour the facility or to rent it for a meet ing, party or function, visit NTDT at 10701 Cross Creek Blvd. For more information and to check out the ex citing lineup of Fall 2022 classes, vis it NewTampaDanceTheatre.com, call (813) 994-NTDT (6838) or see the ad on page 30. You also can follow NTDT on Facebook and Instagram at “New Tampa Dance Theatre.”

Recapping Marion Brodarick’s 100th Birthday Spectacular!

By GARY NAGER

Considering that she has lived in Pebble Creek for almost 42 years and has entered pretty much every contest we’ve ever run in the Neighborhood News the last 29 (and has regularly called our office to tell us about any number of news stories in her neighborhood), I’ve long considered Marion Brodarick to be a cherished member of my newspaper family.

I therefore was thrilled when Florence Bronner, a member of the bridge club Marion has been a part of since she first moved to New Tampa from her native Chicago, called me to invite me to the bridge club’s celebration of Marion’s 100th birthday at Heritage Isles Golf Club (top left photo, by Charmaine George)

I was even more excited that Jannah and I were then invited to attend Marion’s “real” 100th birthday bash, thrown for her by her daughter (and long-time publicist for Tampa General Hospital and Fox-13 TV before that) Ellen Fiss. The party was held over Labor Day weekend at The Orlo, a 100+-year-old house in downtown Tampa that has been converted into a spectacular event venue.

Marion was transported to the event in her “Birthday Express,” a beautiful 1920s-style car (right), and was escorted into The Orlo by Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin (or, at least, great impersonators of them; there also were Audrey Hepburn and Elvis impersonators on hand). Inside, Ellen had tables of beautiful, signed photos from not only local newscasters, but celebrities such as Julie Andrews, Johnny

Depp, Carol Burnett, Jerry Seinfeld and oth ers, as well as commendations from Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, Polk Sheriff Grady Judd

and the Tampa Bay Bucs, plus many other artifacts of Marion’s life, including photos from her wedding to her husband of 58 years,

Urban “Brod” Brodarick, who passed away in 2005 at the age of 86. During her speech at the party, Ellen said

(Above, center) Ellen Fiss & Don Juceam; (Right) Olivia & Herb Fiss. Most photos on these pages were taken by Keith Lindquist & provided to Neighborhood News by Ellen Fiss.

that more than 200 people were in attendance (many of whom wore 1920s-era costumes), including more than 50 relatives, who came from 15 states to be there. Former Tampa Mayor Dick Greco (photo, right) and his wife, Dr. Linda McClintock, were among those who attended in person, while other dignitaries sent videos, including Santiago Corrada of Visit Tampa Bay (where Marion worked for three decades when it was called the Tampa Conven tion & Visitors Bureau), Fox-13 anchors Rus sell Rhodes and Jen Epstein, News Channel 8’s Stacy Schaible and Josh Benson and others. There was dancing to the music of the 12-piece Don Juceam Orchestra, a quartet from Palma Ceia United Methodist Church (where Ellen and her husband Herb Fiss are members) who sang all of the theme songs of the U.S. military, a letter from Marion’s rela

tives in Croatia that was read by her grand daughter Olivia Fiss, delicious food by private chef Justin Fedin and the most wonderful feeling Jannah and I have ever felt attending a birthday party.

Congrats, Marion. We love you!

Dr. Jureyda Will Make You Smile At Radiance Orthodontics

By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN Correspondent

Braces used to be a somewhat embar rassing, somewhat uncomfortable rite of passage for pre-teens, but it doesn’t have to be that way anymore.

The field of orthodontics continues to evolve and grow, with simpler ways to solve complex problems that relate to the straightening of the teeth and jaw — and not just for those in middle school.

While technology now offers many improvements, Dr. Sam Jureyda says he won’t allow it to replace his favorite thing about practicing orthodontics — developing relationships with people and working closely with them to achieve their perfect smile.

“Dr. J,” as his patients call him, opened his Radiance Orthodontics more than six years ago in the Tampa Palms Professional Center off of Commerce Park Blvd., near the New Tampa Rec Center.

His patients say they appreciate his warm, friendly demeanor, paired with his expertise and attention to detail.

Radiance Orthodontics is not a cor porate practice where patients are shuffled through as quickly as possible. Instead, all aspects of the practice are marked with Dr. J’s generous style, where he personally

ensures that each patient gets the treat ment they need, along with the respect and kindness he feels everyone deserves.

“The staff is friendly, the prices are reasonable, and I love that they all pay close attention to details,” says Rawan, a Wesley Chapel mom whose 16-year-old twins just got their braces off.

In fact, the girls were beyond thrilled with the results. They love how straight their teeth are, but Dr. J told Rawan he wasn’t quite satisfied.

“He’s a perfectionist,” Rawan says. “He’s amazing. He likes to make sure everything is perfect to their liking — and to his — so he decided to use Invisalign®

for little finishing touches.”

Rawan says that once her girls started their treatment with Dr. Jureyda, she de cided to get Invisalign for herself, as well.

“I never had a problem with my teeth, but over time, I started to get overcrowding,” Rawan explains. “My teeth weren’t terrible, but it was starting to bother me.”

Rawan says that when compared with other orthodontists in the area, the prices at Radiance were the most reasonable, which made it affordable for her to start treatment, too.

Affordability is one reason Karyn Kraf, a West Meadows mom, chose Radiance Orthodontics for her teenage daughters, Karis and Lydia, too.

“He’s got great payment plans and options, which is a big concern with two kids,” Karyn says. “Having flexibility in setting up payments was very helpful.”

She says she also chose the practice because, as treasurer of the Freedom High PTSA, she sees how invested Dr. Jureyda is in the community.

“He supports the local schools,” she says. “It means a lot to the community that he gives back in that way, and I want to make sure he knows he’s appreciated.”

Not only is the practice a business partner at all of New Tampa’s public

Dr. Sam Jureyda, also known as “Dr. J,” of Radiance Orthodontics in the Tampa Palms Profes sional Center, says that it’s still important for him to have hands-on contact with his orthodontic patients to achieve the best results. (Photos by Charmaine George)

schools, but for the past four years, Radi ance Orthodontics has awarded a schol arship each spring to a Wharton High senior who has dem onstrated a commit ment to serve the community through volunteering. This year, he also will of fer a scholarship to a senior at Freedom.

More Options

Than Ever Before

“Orthodon tics is a rapidlychanging, dynamic specialty that offers more options than ever before,” Dr. Jureyda explains. “But, that also makes it confusing for patients.”

He offers a unique, personalized treatment plan to every patient, taking into consideration medical needs, budget, and lifestyle. The office staff works with patients to determine orthodontic benefits through dental insurance and provide af fordable payment options.

Dr. Jureyda has practiced orthodon tics for more than 25 years. Before mov ing into private practice in 2006 — and subsequently opening Radiance in 2016 — he taught graduate-level students at the University of Buffalo, NY.

He offers a completely free, no-obli gation consultation, whether or not you’ve been referred to him by your dentist. Dr. J provides a thorough examination and makes recommendations as to whether or not treatment would be beneficial. Radi ance Orthodontics offers both traditional braces and Invisalign®, and Dr. J will help you understand the pros and cons of each type of treatment.

Even traditional braces continue to evolve and use better technologies, and are typically available in either metal or clear ceramic.

Dr. J says that Invisalign®, which uses a series of invisible, removable, comfort able aligners to straighten teeth, is a con stantly improving method that is now so effective, it often works more quickly than traditional braces.

Fancy television commercials may say that “do-it-yourself” options can work just as well, but Dr. J emphasizes that having treatment in person with an orthodontist allows you access to an expert who will check your progress every step of the way to keep you on track and watch to ensure no problems develop or worsen.

When it’s time to start treatment, Radiance Orthodontics uses a compact, hand-held wand and optical digital tech

nology to create 3D images of a patient’s mouth. This technology is much easier and more comfortable than taking impres sions by hand with a goopy material. It also streamlines the process of moving from diagnosis to treatment. Patients can view their “before” images immediately on the screen during the appointment, and a proposed “after” image comes via email shortly thereafter.

In between, Dr. J takes time to care fully review exactly how the technology recommends the teeth be moved in to position, using his decades of experience to be sure that each of his patients re ceives a treatment plan that is perfect for them. While the technology adds some degree of automation, he says it doesn’t replace his careful eye and expertise throughout the process.

That’s exactly why Karyn says she’s glad she chose Radiance Orthodontics.

“We’ve had such a great experience,” she says. “He’s so attentive and personable and very professional.”

And, while she says she never feels rushed, her time is respected and she’s able to get in and out much faster than when her son was in braces in another office, and she was often kept waiting for more than an hour before appointments.

“When we first met Dr. J, we im mediately felt comfortable with him and his staff,” Karyn says. “He spends so much time with the girls, he pays atten tion to details, and makes every patient feel special.”

To schedule a free consultation, text or call Radiance Orthodontics at (813) 972-1100. For more informa tion about the practice, located at 17427 Bridge Hill Ct., Suite A, in the Tampa Palms Professional Center, search for Radiance Orthodontics on Facebook, visit MyRadianceBraces.com or see the ad on page 7.

Dr. J’s personable, caring demeanor with his patients and their families is one major reason why Radiance Orthodontics has been so successful.

went into the Care Pavilion for lab work and had the results that night,” he says. “Six hours later, I could access all my results in the patient portal.”

He says technology continues to evolve, but the at-your-fingertips con venience of lab results, prescription refills, and other services are appreciated by the Care Pavilion’s patients.

Entering The ‘Kid Zone’

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

The office offers an on-site “Kids Club,” where up to eight children at a time are cared for, while their parent is seeing a doctor in the building.

“We call it our ‘Kid Zone,’” Johan nessen says. “It’s not a daycare center, but is equipped with trained staff while people are getting services at the build ing. You can drop your child off and go get your medical care taken care of.”

He says that the Care Pavilion does not charge any fee for the Kid Zone, which follows strict safety measures, such as procedures for registering and releas ing children, and doors are kept locked for security.

“The feedback I’ve gotten is that kids want to come back,” Johannes sen says. “It’s a convenience tool that we have, to try to make it a little easier

when (a parent needs) care.”

And, while Johannessen says the Care Pavilion is not an urgent care cent er, it is structured in a way that patients can receive all of the care they would get in an urgent care facility.

Since opening a year ago, the Adven tHealth Care Pavilion at Hunter’s Green already has expanded to add dermatology to its available services.

“It’s a challenging need,” Johannes sen says. “You live in Florida — the Sun shine State — and it can take such a long time to get in and see a dermatologist.”

Being that it’s a new specialty in the

building, the Care Pavilion currently has capacity for people to see a dermatologist fairly quickly. See the contact information at the end of this article to schedule a specialty appointment.

The Care Pavilion still has room to grow, and Johannessen says further expansion is being considered, especially centered around primary care needs.

“We’re having conversations with a dental practice, ophthalmology, and audiology,” he explains, “and (we’re) also considering physical therapy services.”

He says the company’s focus will continue to be on convenience, as well as

patient experience and satisfaction.

“We hope that people would start to accept the Care Pavilion as a first choice for primary needs,” he says. “If you have any primary care need, this center has all of the tools to get everything you need in one place.”

The AdventHealth Care Pavilion at Hunter’s Green is located at 8702 Hunter’s Lake Dr. It’s open MondayFriday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m., and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday. For more infor mation, call (813) 467-4700, visit AdventHealthCarePavilion.com, or see the ad on page 41.

The AdventHealth Care Pavilion at Hunter’s Green offers one-stop primary care, labs, imaging, pharmacy and specialty services in a 50,000-square-foot building just south of Cross Creek Blvd. on Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

Decorating Den Interiors Brings A New Look To Your Home

By JOHN C. COTEY

When Sheila Merchant was looking to refresh some of the furniture and window dressings in her Arbor Greene home, she did what she always does.

She called Decorating Den Interiors.

“They have done just about every room in my home,” says Merchant.

It’s the kind of repeat customer that keeps fran chise owner and decorator Debbie Demboski and her daughter Sara McKenzie-Nelson atop their field in the Tampa Bay and Central Florida area. Decorating Den, which says it is North America’s largest interior design and home furnishings franchise company, was founded in 1969; Debbie has been a Decorating Den franchisee since 1989, and is one of the company’s longest-ten ured representatives.

It will come as no surprise to Merchant that Deb bie was recently named Franchise Owner of the Year, the highest annual award presented by Decorating Den Interiors.

The key to Debbie’s success is the combination of a super-convenient model — the business comes to its customers with a completely free consultation and no hourly fees — and, of course, a keen eye for style.

Whether you want to update a room or patio, a piece of furniture, your window treatments, or redeco rate your entire home from top to bottom, Debbie can find something that pleases your visual palate.

Debbie says the reasons why her clients love work ing with Decorating Den are outlined in the following “NIFTY” benefits:

•N-National umbrella: Decorating Den has the buying power of a national company.

•I-In-home decorating: Design decisions are made in your home, in your existing lighting, working with what you already own.

•F-Free consultation: Not only do Debbie and Sara come to you, there is no cost for the consultation and never any hourly fees for their time.

•T-Training: Decorating Den provides opportuni ties for decorators to constantly update their skills and learn about the latest trends through conferences and working with other franchise owners in the region.

•Y-Your lifestyle: Your likes, dislikes and budget are Debbie and Sara’s highest priority, to be sure that your home reflects your personal taste — not theirs.

And while there are many Do-It-Yourself design ers and decorators out there who fill their needs online, Debbie says that doesn’t always work out. In fact, she says that, most of the time, it doesn’t.

Debbie and Sara can bring a design studio right to your driveway. The Decorating Den van is stocked with a wide variety of samples of fabrics and colors — samples you can touch and feel and hold up to a wall or piece of furniture, offering the kind of coordination that often can’t be matched by the pictures you see online.

“Window treatments are such a custom thing,” Debbie says. “If you want a truly custom treatment, you need someone to come to your home and meas ure (the available space) and match fabrics. You need a professional to do it right.”

Debbie’s local franchise is truly a family affair. Her 91-year-old mother Phyllis runs the office, and 30-yearold Sara is the window treatment specialist.

In fact, it was Phyllis who met Merchant at a church group and suggested Decorating Den, and it was Sara who has done the work in Merchant’s home.

“(Sara) is fantastic,” Merchant says. “She really brings us out of our comfort level and we love it. We’re traditionalists in our 70s, so we might fall back into wanting the same old same old, but she is not afraid to

Debbie Demboski (left) and her daughter Sara McKenzie Nel son are the Decorating Den duo ready to bring a fresh new look to your home or office. (Photo courtesy of Debbie Demboski)

‘Have you thought about doing it this way?’”

Merchant has had her bedroom and family room windows decorated, some dining room chairs reupholstered and other touches.

“Probably 10 things in all,” she says.

Sara, who has now worked with Debbie for eight years, plays an im portant, and increasingly wider, role at Decorating Den. Window treatments — these days that mostly includes replacing vertical blinds with more modern sliding and curtain panels, solar shades and motorized shades or panels — currently make up roughly half of Decorating Den’s business.

“She is the future,” Debbie says of Sara, and Merchant agrees, adding that Debbie’s daughter has a good eye for colors and patterns.

Another repeat customer, Lisa Dosal, recently moved from her Wesley Chapel home to Oviedo, FL. Roughly 10 years ago, Debbie re-did the window treat ments in Lisa’s home and also reuphol stered some older, classic furniture.

Dosal says all the furniture has lasted and is coming with her to Oviedo, but she wanted her window treatments in her new home refreshed and another piece of furniture reupholstered. While she waited for her new home to be finished, Debbie actually reupholstered the furniture so it was ready to go before Lisa even moved.

Debbie also traveled to Oviedo to

do the window treatments and add some other design touches.

“Originally, we loved the whole Decorating Den concept and how they came to us (in Wesley Chapel),” Lisa says.

“And, we loved working with Debbie. She works with you to decide on something that we liked. She didn’t just pick some thing she liked and made us use it. We work together to find the perfect look.”

Debbie has a Bachelor of Arts de gree in Design and Business from West Virginia University in Morgantown. She got into the interior decorating busi ness when she was living and working in Atlanta and a friend became a Decorating Den franchise owner. Debbie went to work as a decorator for that business and, soon after, started her own franchise.

Decorating Den offers a “good, better, and best” mix of product lines to meet every budget.

And, business is going great, she says.

“It’s probably doubled in the last few years,” Debbie says. “It’s definitely been beneficial being part of a big na tional company.”

Debbie says that the Covid-19 pan demic contributed to the increase as well. With people confined indoors during parts of the last few years, they spent a lot of time looking at their old furniture or out their windows…and noticed that things needed to be updated or replaced.

“We never really shut down,” Deb bie says. “We worked through it and

there was a challenge with travel, but otherwise, as people were more or less locked into their homes, they wanted to change things. And of course, a lot of them started working from home.”

In addition, many people wanted rooms converted to home offices, or ex isting home offices updated. Debbie jok ingly says that finding desks during the height of Covid-19 was akin to the hunt for toilet paper around that same time.

“We had some supply chain issues we had to work through,” Debbie says, “and some fabrics and materials were dis continued as businesses shut down. But, it’s gotten better.”

Debbie has a long list of clients and says that she can have as many as 20 dif

ferent projects going at any one time. As Sara has grown into her role as a de signer, that workload has become easier to manage.

It keeps their customers coming back. In fact, Merchant says she has an other decorating job planned for this fall.

Guess who she’ll be calling?

“I wouldn’t use anybody else.”

Decorating Den Interiors comes to you at your home or office in Wesley Chapel or New Tampa for an absolutely free consultation. For more information, see the ad on pg. 40, call Debbie or Sara at their studio at (813) 982-2820 or on their cell at (813) 817-2264, or visit Deb bieD.DecoratingDen.com.

Subtle changes can transform a room, like the dining room above, with the before on the left and the after on the right. Decorating Den can also give your bathroom a whole new look.

Nutrition Smart Is Wesley Chapel’s Original Green Grocer & More!

By GARY NAGER

When Nutrition Smart, Wesley Chapel’s original and, once again, it’s only “green” grocery store, opened in 2009 on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. just south of S.R. 56, I was at the store’s Grand Opening.

And, even though I never felt the need to eat only organic produce and unprocessed foods, I knew there was a huge — and growing — demand in our community for food, bever ages, vitamins and supplements that supported peoples’ efforts to live a healthier lifestyle.

But for me, it was more about the snacks. More than 15 years before Nutrition Smart opened, when I still lived in Westches ter County, NY, I lost more than 35 pounds with a Registered Dietitian who didn’t need her degree in nutrition to figure out the biggest challenge to my ability to lose weight and keep it off was that I was a “carbaholic.”

The most important of her solutions was to get me to stop eating my body weight in processed sugars and starchy, salty snacks. And, until I tore a calf muscle playing bas ketball and couldn’t work out, I was able to keep the weight off for a few years.

But, moving to Florida, working long hours to try to grow the Neighborhood News, visiting and writing about every new restaurant in our area and spending all of my free time with my sons and their love of fast food ulti mately got me back to an unhealthy weight.

But years later, when Nutrition Smart opened, I found a new oasis of healthy

(L.-r.) Knowledgeable vitamin and supplement specialists Joe Geier and Gary Kyle and general manager Fausto Soriano are a big part of why Nutrition Smart on BBD Blvd. (south of S.R. 56) is becoming more and more popular. (All photos on these pages by Charmaine George)

snacks, including the same delicious cookies and chocolate bars with little or no processed sugar and healthier alternatives to the chips and pretzels I craved.

A Little History

The first Nutrition Smart store opened in Pembroke Pines, FL, in 1996. Today there are four stores in this Florida mini-chain — Coral Springs, Port St. Lucie, Wesley Chapel and the flagship store in Pembroke Pines that actually had to move to a larger location in a better plaza in the same community because

it became so popular. It was in 2010, before that store had moved to its current location, that current Wesley Chapel general manager Fausto Soriano joined the company.

“I was interested in nutrition, so I stopped in and got hired part-time in the produce department,” Soriano says. “Within three months, I became the produce man ager. But, I wanted to keep learning, so I eventually became the grocery manager and then the store manager, where I had to learn about every department, including vitamins and supplements, which is the largest depart

ment where some guys work 20 years to learn and keep up with all of the new products. You have to be able to cater what you sell them to each customer’s specific needs. When I became the GM at the new Pembroke Pines store, it already was a monster that outsold (and still outsells) our other stores in terms of vitamins and supplements.”

Soriano took over as GM of the Wesley Chapel location in March of 2020, at the start of the pandemic. “I wanted to buy a home and couldn’t afford anything in the South Florida area,” Soriano says, “but when the owner told me the Wesley Chapel posi tion was available, I jumped at the chance because homes were so much less expensive here — at least at that time.”

He says that although Pembroke Pines is still the king of Nutrition Smart’s stores in terms of vitamins, “the Wesley Chapel store actually does a higher volume on the grocery side.” He also is proud that Nutrition Smart’s selection of vitamins and supplements is the largest of any store in Wesley Chapel or New Tampa.

Soriano also credits his vitamin and supplement experts — Gary Kyle and Joe Geier (photo on this page) with keeping customers coming back.

“They’ve both been here for a long time and people trust them to give them good advice. You don’t get that kind of help or knowledge in grocery or pharmacy stores. When they go on vacation, customers will say, ‘I’ll come back when Gary (or Joe) comes

back. That’s a big part of what separates Nutrition Smart from other stores.”

Soriano also says that the reason Nutri tion Smart finally started advertising with us and wanted us to write a story was because, “There are so many people here who moved from other states who never heard of us. We hope the Neighborhood News can help us get the word out because everyone reads it.”

Despite the fact the store only carries organic produce, as well as everything from unpasteurized “raw” milk to organic meats and meat alternatives to breads, grains, bulk nuts and dried fruits and of course, an evergrowing roster of my beloved snacks, Soriano says that the fastest-growing category in terms of sales at the store these days are im mune support products, “like zinc, elderberry and silver, because of Covid.”

He adds, “Even though Publix and pharmacies carry some of our same products, we are Wesley Chapel’s one-stop shop for all of these items — and we definitely offer competitive pricing and price-matching (with other stores) on the same products.”

He adds, “And, as the GM, I have to try everything. How can I recommend some thing to a customer I’ve never tried myself?”

He also notes that the store should be bringing back its once-popular juice bar soon.

Customer Appreciation Day!

Soriano says that Nutrition Smart’s Customer Appreciation Day — which is being held this year on Saturday, September 24, is one of his favorite days each year, but they stopped having the events during Covid.

“We’ll have live music, free samples, giveaways, raffles, discounts, cooking classes and other demonstrations,” he says, “but it’s also an opportunity for customers to slow down, spend some time in the store and get to try some things before you buy, plus our people will be on hand to answer questions. Everything moves so fast these days. We really hope the community will come out and see why Nutrition Smart is different and special.”

Nutrition Smart (1821 BBD Blvd.) is open Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-9 p.m., and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, call (813) 3414444, visit NutritionSmart.com or see the ad on pg. 36 of this issue, which also has a coupon for 20% off your next in-store purchase (some restrictions ap ply; see ad for details).

(Above) The Wesley Chapel Nutrition Smart prides itself on selling only organic produce. (Below center) Our editor loves the amazing selection of healthier cookies from the Alternative Baking Company. (Bottom left) If you’re looking for unpasteurized “raw” milk, you’ll find it in Nutrition Smart’s dairy case. (Bottom right) The store also carries a wide variety of CBD products , and Joe or Gary can help you pick the right CBD products for your needs.

Get A Brand-New Kitchen In Only Five Days With Kitchen Tune-Up

By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN Correspondent

If you would love to have a new kitchen, but the thought of months of remodeling fills you with dread, Tampa Palms residents Al and Zein Aita want you to know they have the perfect solu tion for you.

As owners of the local franchise of Kitchen Tune-Up, they offer fast, clean, and affordable solutions for a complete kitchen makeover.

Kitchen Tune-Up has been around for more than 35 years and has more than 200 locations throughout the United States. Over the last few years, the com pany has grown tremendously, including the Aitas’ expansion into the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area a little more than two years ago.

It’s the best of both worlds, says Al, because, “we are locally owned and oper ated, but we have the support of a large company.”

That means lower prices because the corporate entity buys in bulk. And while, these days, everyone is experiencing delays and supplier shortages, being a larger buyer, Kitchen Tune-Up is able to get priority faster than other companies, so access to materials hasn’t been as delayed as it has been for others in the industry.

Al and Zein Aita’s Kitchen Tune-Up franchise can provide a custom complete or partially remodeled kitchen, or just some updates that can make your kitchen look more modern and new without the big price tag. (Photo by Charmaine George)

Kitchen Tune-Up can help if you are looking for a complete, custom kitchen remodel, but they also offer much easier and quicker solutions that can update and refresh nearly every home.

First, if you still love your kitchen but it’s looking a little worn, the “origi nal tune-up” includes a deep cleaning and wood reconditioning. Cabinets are cleaned to remove all dirt, grease, wax, smoke and dust, and any imperfections or discolorations are restored, including

repairing scratches and dents. They’ll make your old cabinets look like new with a penetrating oil or fresh coat of finish, and you can even add new acces sories, such as hardware, roll-out drawers inside your cabinets, or new countertops or backsplashes.

If you no longer love your cabi nets, but you still like the color, Kitchen Tune-Up can replace all of your doors and drawer fronts with new ones that are color-matched to your existing cabinet

boxes in a process called “redooring,” which includes new, soft-close hinges, pulls and knobs.

Changing the color isn’t hard, either. Al says most customers choose this option, which is called “refacing.”

“Refacing is perfect for customers who like the layout of their kitchen and don’t want demolition mess,” he says.

This includes redooring, but also adding a veneer layer to the cabinet boxes so you’re not limited to your cur rent kitchen color.

“Most kitchens are done in four days at about half the cost of a new kitchen,” Al says. “It’s a beautiful transition without the hassle and the mess.”

He says his job is something like be ing a detective, listening to the customer and making recommendations about what would work best for them. With any of the available options, Kitchen Tune-Up technicians can customize the job to include upgrades such as adding an island, additional cabinets, or whatever the cus tomer wants in order to have the kitchen of their dreams.

For those who don’t like their current kitchen layout or need more extensive help, Al says working with Kitchen TuneUp allows customers the benefits of the large corporate backing for full kitchen

See “New Kitchen” on pg. 36

redesigns, with 3D designs and quality tech nical support for any unusual circumstances.

He says current trends include twotone kitchens, with white cabinets on the top and grey or blue cabinets on the bot tom. Many customers are choosing natural colors — such as a soft green — for their cabinets. Al says having the support of the national Kitchen Tune-Up corporation helps him to stay up-to-date on all trends and new ideas.

With any option, customers can add on accessories, such as a farmhouse sink, which is a popular option right now. Al says his customers also love having rollout trays inside the cabinets.

“They don’t have to go digging deep in a bottom cabinet anymore,” he says. “Just roll it out, and it’s very smooth and practical, so you don’t have to be on the ground looking for your pots and pans.”

The process starts with a phone call, where Al strives to understand exactly what each customer wants and needs, and then schedules a free, in-home consultation and estimate. Everything is custom made, so careful measurements are taken, and then it takes about three weeks to order and receive materials.

The Five ‘Trust Points’

Al says he often hears stories about problems with contractors, but Kitchen

Tune-Up has a very strict set of “Trust Points” that every franchisee is expected to provide.

These Trust Points include:

• We listen carefully.

• We communicate promptly.

• We respect your home.

• We arrive on time.

• We provide solutions.

“We want to ensure our customers have a good experience, so we emphasize these trust points,” Al says.

Al and Zein have lived in Tampa Palms for six years and say they always dreamed of running a business together. Al’s background is in retail and sales, and Zein’s is in accounting, although she also holds a Master’s degree from the Univer sity of South Florida in Project Manage ment. So, Al works with the customers to ensure they get the kitchen of their dreams, while Zein handles the accounting for the business.

The couple has a 16-month-old daughter, Julia.

“It’s been challenging taking care of a baby and running a business,” Al says, “but we’ve gotten used to it and are get ting better every day.”

He says they love it when they get to reveal a finished kitchen to their custom ers.

“It’s very rewarding to start on a Monday with one kitchen and end on Fri day with a completely different kitchen,”

Al says. “It’s the best part of the job and we’re happy to help our customers with that.”

Cheryle White recently had her cabinets refaced, after buy ing a new home with cabinets she didn’t like.

“They didn’t have handles, didn’t open and close properly, and my kitchen looked old and dated and needed to be refreshed,” Cheryle says. “At the same time, it had brand new quartz countertops that we didn’t want to waste, so we looked at our options.”

She says she’s thrilled with how her kitchen turned out.

“A lot of people don’t know that if your cabinets are in good shape, you don’t need to tear them out,” she says. “If you just don’t like the aesthet ics, you can change them.”

Kitchen Tune-Up offers several options for financing, which currently includes a 12-month interest-free option.

Kitchen Tune-Up will come to you for a free inhome consultation. For more information, (813) 8225911, visit KitchenTuneUp. com/tampa-north-fl or see the ad on page 43.

Above is a typical kitchen before “refacing”. Below is that same kitchen after refacing by Kitchen Tune-Up.

Freedom Volleyball Takes On Wharton; ‘Cats Football Gets Defensive

By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com

First-year Freedom High volleyball coach Renee Thompson is new to the local coaching scene, but it didn’t take long for her to learn one thing — beating Wharton this Thursday, September 22, would be a big deal.

“I always hear from the girls that Wharton is our biggest competition,” says Thompson.

The Wildcats might beg to differ. After all, they have beaten the Patriots 19 straight times dating back to 2007, and beat them last year 3-1, dropping a set to Freedom for the first time since 2015.

But, if the tide was ever going to turn, this might be the season for it.

Freedom was off to a 4-1 start through its first five games — one of its best starts ever. It returns the trio of junior Addison Barno, who leads the team in kills, and sisters Liliana and Dahlia Palacios, who are second and third respectively. Liliana, a sophomore, also leads the team in assists.

Senior middle blocker Niyela DeVore also is emerging as a force at the net.

“Even in the few weeks I’ve been here, I’ve seen a great amount of improvement,” Thompson says.

The Wildcats lost a host of talented players from a team that won the Class 6A, District 6 title last year, including impos

Freedom junior Addison Barno digs out a ball during last year’s 3-1 loss to Wharton. Barno leads the Patriots in kills through the first five matches this season, and will be a key player in Thursday’s match against Wharton. (Photo: Charmaine George)

ing hitter Bella Bonatakis and her 368 kills. They started out this season 3-3 in their first six matches.

But, Wharton still boasts firepower at the net in senior kills leader Ja’niya Lamar, junior middle blocker Paige Boyd and sophomore Naree Kately, with junior setter Dani Galfond getting them the ball.

And, coach Eric Barber’s team has ruled the New Tampa roost for more than a decade, and is unlikely to surrender its perch without a fight.

“Our team has a lot of confidence,” Thompson says. “I have very high hopes, I believe we can do it. It’s really just a matter of them believing it.”

NO POINTS FOR YOU!: As a play er, Mike Williams was an offensive force at wide receiver in college and in the NFL, but his calling card as head coach of Wharton’s football team this season has been defense.

The Wildcats bounced back from a tough 24-13 season-opening loss to nation ally-ranked Jesuit by shutting out Plant City — coached by former Tampa Bay Bucs WR Michael Clayton — by a 26-0 score on Sept. 2, and then, scored 47 unanswered points to beat Gaither 47-6 on Sept. 9.

Led by pass rushers like juniors Tyler Green (pictured above) and Booker Pickett Jr. (five sacks in the win over Plant City), Wharton has now produced eight shutouts in 24 games since Williams took over, and had 14 games where the defense has allowed just one score or less.

Spotlight On: Bounty Hunters Basketball!

The Bounty Hunters, a local AAU (Am ateur Athletic Union) competitive basketball program, is hosting tryouts for its girls travel teams on Sunday, October 23, and invites girls in grades 5-11 in New Tampa and Wes ley Chapel to try out for the squad.

Coach Max Guevara (photo, with as sistant coach Jess Cumba), who played AAU ball when he was a kid (“Which probably saved my life,” he says, since he grew up in one of the worst neighborhoods in Philadel phia) and in various adult leagues, played an assistant coach role with other organizations and the feedback he received from other par ents was always overwhelmingly positive.

“When you hear; ‘You should have your own team’ enough times, you start to consider it,” Guevara says. “It frustrated me seeing my own daughter go from program to program being told what to do but not be ing shown how to do it. About a year ago, I contacted the AAU to see what it would take to start my own club.”

Guevara sought corporate sponsorship for 6 months, but says he was told by corpo rate CEOs and general managers that, “‘No one cares about girls’ basketball’ and that they failed to see the return on their investment. So, I funded the Bounty Hunters out of my own pocket. We ran our first camp this past summer and it sold out in less than 2 weeks.”

The Bounty Hunters is a year-round program, but from March to August, Guevara says his Junior Varsity (JV) and Varsity teams will travel in and out of the state, participat

ing in tournaments against the best their age group has to offer. “We also teach these kids to be productive members of the community through volunteering and teaching them respect, communication skills, self-esteem and even money management,” he says.

The Bounty Hunters JV team is for girls in grades 5-8, and the Varsity team is for girls in grades 9-11. A total of 13 players per travel team will be selected, although the program also offers a Developmental Team.

The tryouts to be held on Oct. 23 will be free of charge. “As a nonprofit organiza tion, we must rely of the generosity of the community to survive,” Guevara says. “You can help us keep this going by making a contribution on our website (BountyHunt erBasketball.com).” For more details, please email info@bountyhunterbasket ball.com or see the ad below.

The Lucky Dill Deli — A True NY Deli, But So Much More!

By GARY NAGER Photos by Charmaine George

When Alex Mitow, the son of Kim Mitow, who first opened The Lucky Dill Deli in Palm Harbor way back in 1991, emailed to ask for advertising rates in the New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News, I’ll admit I was a little confused.

Why would a deli restaurant located in Palm Harbor (that I personally had visited many times over the past 31 years because it is a true New York-style deli) want to adver tise itself to two communities located at least 45 minutes away?

During my most recent visit, Lucky Dill general manager Ron Garcia explained it this way to me:

“We know that pretty much everyone in Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs and even New Port Richey and Clearwater pretty much already knows who and where we are and what we serve,” Ron said. “But, our goal is to bring in and introduce a whole new group of customers to our ‘destination restaurant’ because we know that if they give us a try, they’ll keep coming back — and tell their friends about us.”

Ron, who has more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality business himself, has been the GM at The Lucky Dill since 2020. He told me that it was important to him to maintain the family feel Kim and her family created with delicious, top-quality food and outstanding service.

Kim and her children Jason, Tanya, and Alex, worked hard to bring the New York way of life, along with its commitment to top-notch food and great value, to Lucky Dill Palm Harbor. Over the years (according

to its website), “Lucky Dill has been heralded as not only one of the best restaurants in Palms Harbor (it’s nominated again for that honor by Creative Loaf ing), but one of the top NYC delis in Florida. A loyal follow ing of New York transplants... have grown to call Lucky Dill their home away from home.”

And, for good reason. It had been a couple of years since I had visited The Lucky Dill, but I was excited to give it another try, because it offers a few of my favorite New York deli items you really can’t find anywhere else near here, including real matzo ball soup and savory Jewish-style brisket of beef (not to be confused with BBQ brisket) with real au jus for dipping.

“We use real steamer trays and col lect the brisket drippings to make the au jus,” Brian, the head bartender (left) at Lucky Dill’s full liquor bar (with great craft cocktails) told me. We don’t use any of that canned or powdered crap other places use for their au jus.”

The menu at The Lucky Dill is huge, but the variety of deli sandwiches — with favorites like corned beef, pastra mi, roast beef, turkey and even chopped liver — is definitely the star of the show. Those who like their sandwiches as big

The Lucky Dill Deli on U.S. 19 in Palm Harbor has a huge variety of true NY-style deli favorites, from (above left) The New Yorker bagel sandwich with Nova Scotia salmon, (above right) the Empire State Stacker, (below left) brisket & pastrami combo sandwich with real au jus and (below right) real matzo ball soup.

In addition to traditional deli favorites, The Lucky Dill has a (left) full liquor bar, (above left) amaz ing Bananas Foster French toast and even Italian favorites like (above right) Vinny’s mozzarella stack.

The Lucky Dill’s Brooklyn Bakery (top) offers an incredible variety of cakes, pies, cookies (above left) and even a cannoli bar where you pick your own fillings . Lucky Dill’s outdoor Ditch Plains Surf Bar has its own menu with favorites like fresh calamari (above right), as well as a true Hamptons-style tiki bar (below).

as their heads definitely should try one of the “skyscraper” options, like the Empire State Stacker shown on the previous page, which is a nearly 9-inch-tall combo of corned beef, pastrami, turkey and roast beef with Swiss and provolone cheeses on marble rye. Lucky Dill even offers “old school” NY Deli Delights like tongue, silky smoked whitefish salad and “Nib bles & Noshes” like Gabila’s Coney Island knishes, Lower East latkes (potato pancakes) with sour cream and chunky applesauce and Hebrew National hot dogs.

But, in addition to those deli classics, The Lucky Dill also offers “A Taste Of Little Italy,” with favorites like clams casino pasta, chicken Alfredo and Vinny’s mozzarella stack.

Breakfast, Bakery & More!

Breakfast at The Lucky Dill includes The Bagel Noshery, with classics like The New Yorker with Nova Scotia salmon, the BEC (Bacon, Egg & Cheese) deluxe, with thickcut bacon, cheddar cheese, scrambled eggs and chipotle apple aioli.

There’s also a variety of bowls and toasts, like Awesome Avo + Egg toast and an Aussie Brekkie Bowl with poached egg, farro grains, fresh veggies, avocado, grilled hal loumi cheese and pickled onions, as well as a variety of traditional egg and omelette dishes and “Bennies,” including the Brighton Beach Benny with smoked Nova Scotia salmon, wilted spinach, poached eggs and Hollan daise sauce on an English muffin with a side of home fries. I’ve had the Bananas Foster French toast, which is literally to die for.

The Lucky Dill’s Brooklyn Bakery has

a huge variety of cakes, pies (the peanut but ter pie is decadent), cookies (including the best black & white cookies I’ve had outside of NYC) and a cannoli bar, where you can custom-design your cannolis with a variety of fillings and toppings. The Bakery counter also serves as The Lucky Dill’s to-go area.

The Lucky Dill also features The Ditch Plains Surf Bar, the first-of-its-kind in the Tampa Bay area. Serving up a slice of Hamp tons sophistication in Palm Harbor, this new bar celebrates laid-back beach life with its own beachy menu and refined takes on fresh summery cocktails, quenching frosés and craft beers from New York breweries.

The Lucky Dill Deli (33180 US Hwy. 19, Palm Harbor) is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, 8 a.m.-9 p.m. For more info, call (727) 789-5574, visit LuckyDillDeli.com or see the ad on pg. 45 for a 3-course Dill-Flation meal deal. Join the email list and receive a $15 gift card emailed to you on your birthday.

Ha Long Bay Vietnamese To Open On BBD

Congratulations to my new friends Nhan Nguyen and her husband Hai Chu and their family, the owners of the new Ha Long Bay restaurant, which is expected to open (hope fully) by the end of this month in the space previously occupied by Aroi Thai-Tsuyu at 20685 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

Several months ago, we announced in these pages that the restaurant would be a new location of Hana Sushi, but when that deal fell through, Nhan, Hai and their family jumped at the opportunity to open the fourth location of Ha Long Bay (the others are in St. Petersburg, Dunedin and Largo). Nhan and Hai also previously owned Ocean Blue Sushi Bar in Carrollwood.

The new Ha Long Bay will feature a variety of Vietnamese and Asian fusion

favorites, in cluding pho, banh mi sandwiches, Chinese-style stir-fry dishes, poké bowls, rice combination plates and a large variety of boba teas. Check our Facebook page for updates about Ha Long Bay’s opening. — GN

Falabella Bistro Adds Full Liquor & New Menu Items!

Congratulations also go out to my friend and one of Wesley Chapel’s favorite restaurateurs Steve Falabella!

By breaking through a wall between his Falabella Family Bistro (6027 Wesley

Grove Blvd.) and the adjacent 900º NY Pizza at The Grove, Steve has been able to add full liquor to his beer and wine license at Falabella Bistro (only).

Jannah and I already loved Steve’s deli cious Italian cuisine, but since we prefer full-liquor drinks when we dine out, we probably hadn’t been to the Bistro as often as we might have otherwise.

But now, Fuhgeddaboudit! While Jannah sipped her delicious Limoncello Drop martini (and I enjoyed a new rum punch drink, both in the far right picture), we both gobbled down our favorite fried zucchini appetizer, shared Steve’s new filet mignon entrée (near

Carrabba’s Opens On The North Side Of S.R. 56!

Speaking of Italian, Jannah and I were fortunate enough to be invited to the pre-opening of the new Carrabba’s Ital ian Grill, located at 25298 Sierra Center Blvd. (between Bonefish Grill and Aussie Grill, on the north side of S.R. 56). The restaurant officially opened to the public on Sept. 13, and there’s no doubt it’s going to be a local favorite.

The newest location of the chain, which serves 130-year-old recipes created by the family of founders Johnny Carrabba and Da mian Mandola, is one of more than 200 in nearly 30 U.S. states, with about 70 of those being located in Florida.

And, while I’ve never been the biggest fan of most chain eateries, the new Carrabba’s

is beautiful, has a great bar area and I already like many of the made-from-scratch dishes I’ve sampled, including the lasagne pictured above, the Tuscan-grilled pork chops and steaks, the mezzaluna ravioli and more.

For more info, call (813) 261-2691 or visit Carrabbas.com. — GN

right photo) with Marsala mushroom sauce (which we ordered on the side), with sautéed green beans and tasty fingerling potatoes, and his chicken, spinach and ricotta cannelloni (which was the weekend special that week; photo, left).

And of course, we just had to follow all that up with a slab of dessert chef Evelyn Barreno’s awesome chocolate mousse

cheesecake and a super tasty cup of cappuc cino (with a shot of Bailey’s Irish Cream). Need more prodding? Check out the ad on pg. 20, call (813) 428-6957 or visit FalabellaBistro.com. — GN

Even More New Eateries Are Now Open At The KRATE Container Park!

Almost all of the restaurants at the KRATE Container Park at The Grove at Wes ley Chapel have now opened — and the word is definitely getting out that KRATE is a great destination for a wide variety of cuisine types from all around the world.

The newest KRATE to open is Boba Mac’s Tea & Eat, which combines the seem ingly unlikely pairing of a variety of teas with boba pearls (made of tapioca starch from cas sava root, not gelatin; photo below left) and a number of varieties of macaroni and cheese, as well as some Filipino dishes. I sampled the frozen banana tea with bobas and it was both super-tasty and filling like a smoothie.

“We’re still trying to add some employ ees,” said owner Rich Bussey the

day we went to press with this issue, “so we’re just opening with the boba teas for now, but we will add our full planned menu when we really get rolling.”

Also now open (for about a month) at the KRATEs is Pisco Express Peruvian Chinese Fusion, which capitalizes on the fact that Peru is directly across the Pacific Ocean from China, so the cuisine combines the best of Latin American with Chinese fare, like the Tallarin Saltado (Chifa) below far right, which is lo mein-style egg noodles with fresh veggies and your choice of protein (Jan nah and I have devoured the chicken Tallarin in the picture twice now).

The Peruvian-Chinese fried rice at Pisco also is very tasty, and is available with a variety of proteins (steak, chicken, pork or shrimp). The fish ceviche de pescado (right) also was spot-on, with its lime marinade, tasty red on

ions and cilantro. The ceviche also is available with shrimp (de camaron) or “mixto,” which is a mix of fish, shrimp, cooked octopus and mussels, none of which I can eat) and is served with a goodly portion of both the giant white corn known as Peruvian or Cuzco corn (enough for one giant kernel with each bite of fish) and salted, roasted corn kernels that are like the half-popped popcorn kernels I crave when I get popcorn at the movies.

Another KRATE that has been open for just a few weeks is the second Wesley Chapel location of Cafe 365 (the other is the slightly larger location in the Shops at Wire grass), which has delicious ge lato (I loved the marshmallow flavor), a wide variety of cakes and other baked desserts (2nd

from right photo), coffee drinks (2nd from left photo is of the frozen caramel macchiato and a perfect cappuccino), a variety of sweet and savory crepes, as well as a selection of pressed panini sandwiches and more.

The only KRATE restaurant that hasn’t yet opened is Café Zorba Greek Cuisine although, at our press time, we hadn’t yet been told when Café Zorba was expected to open.

— Gary Nager

Classifieds

HOME IMPROVEMENT

JUNK HAULING SERVICE! We handle all types of furniture removal — bdrm sets, chairs, mattresses & box springs • Hot water heaters & hot tubs - take apart & remove • Construction material • Carpet removal • Es tate, eviction, yard, garage & attic clean-outs • Ofc, home & factory • Comm’l/res’l. Gorilla JunkremovalExperts.com. For appts, call/ text Nigel @ 888-346-5865.

CUSTOM INT. WINDOW COVERINGS!

Cust. fabrication of all types of window cover ings — plantation & hurricane shutters, vert. blinds, roller, cellular, woven wood & Roman shades, cellular vert., panel tracks, retract. awnings, motorization experts, alum., wood & faux wood blinds & more! FREE installation on orders over $250! Call Henry @ 813-9486363, email TampaBlindsbyDesign@gmail. com or visit TampaBlindsbyDesign.com.

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

WESLEYCHAPELPRESSUREWASHINGCOM

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

HOME IMPROVEMENT (Cont.)

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

DRY WALL SPECIALIST. Not a handyman. Af fordable, Quality Work repairing water damage, ceilings & walls, re-texturing, popcorn removal, room addt’ns, cracks, holes, plaster & stucco re pair. 26 years exp. WC resident. State Certified. Call Ron for a free estimate: 813-784-5999.

TREE SERVICES

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

COMPUTER & BUSINESS SERVICES

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

PROF’L TECH SUPPORT in your home or small biz. A+ Cert. computer tech w/20 years exp. Maint. & Repairs, Upgrades & Tutoring. More affordable than chains! Friendly, personal svc. Tech jargon explained. Remote assistance & refs. avail. Call (813) 957-8342 for a free estimate!

CLEANING SERVICES

Rosseler Solutions has the cleaning solu tion your home or company needs. We are specialists in Basic Cleaning, Deep Cleaning, Move-In & Move-Out, Commercial & PostConstruction Cleaning. Please contact us for a free estimate. Call Roseli or Anne at 401.543.4638 or 407.338.8700.

A-to-Z CLEANING & ORGANIZING. Home & Ofc Cleaning & Organizing Svcs! We use our own supplies. Affordable & Reliable. FamilyOwned & Operated. WC resident. Weekly & BiWeekly / Deep Cleaning/ Move-In / Move-Out. Serving WC & NT. Call today for a FREE No-Obligation Quote: 813-462-1270. Local references supplied upon request.

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

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

B CLEANING SERVICES: Over 18 years exp.! Comm’l & Resid’l; Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly; New house & post-construction clean-up; Window cleaning; Move-in & move-out cleanings; Pressure washing; FREE estimates.; Refs. avail. Call 813531-0154 or e-mail: bcleanings@hotmail.com.

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MISCELLANEOUS

FAITH COMPASSIONATE HOME CARE.

Providing medical & non-medical home health care services: Nursing services, Friendly companionship, Home health aide, respite care, live in, bowel care service & education, medication & case management, Spinal Cord Injury patient care & more. Call (813) 602-4431 for information & pricing. Private pay only with affordable rates.

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

ELITE RIDES. Private rides in a sanitized 2020 Tesla, plus concierge services. Airport, schools, medical appointments, shopping, etc. Courteous, reliable professional. New Tampa to Tampa Int’l Airport - $40 (one way). Driver vaccinated w/two shots. Cory Lake Isles resi dent. Call/text 813.765.2037.

LAWN, & LANDSCAPING_____

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

JASMINE LANDSCAPING, INC. Complete lawn maint, including Tree, palm & hedge trimming, planting, mulching, stones, sod replacement. Gutter cleaning, leaf removal & more. Cited by your HOA? Ask about our HOA Compliance Special, our Fall/ Spring Special & FREE estimate! Lic’d & insured. Accepting new resid’l & comm’l accounts. Visa, MC, PayPal, Zelle, AmEx. Call or text 813-420-4465. Now hiring FT workers.