County Breaks Ground On Cross Creek Recreation Center!
By Gary Nager
Local families and residents have to be happy with all of the new parks now being built or in the planning stages these days in New Tampa, which has long had a dearth of Hillsborough County and City of Tampa parks and recreation facilities.
Well, no more. Where zip code 33647 at one time only was home to the three-field New Tampa Little League (now called the North East Sports Complex/Eber Baseball) complex on Kinnan St., the county-owned Flatwoods Wilderness/Conservation Park (with entrances on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. and Morris Bridge Rd.) and Branchton Park (on Morris Bridge Rd., south of Cross Creek Blvd.; more on that below), we now have the city’s New Tampa Recreation Center in Tampa Palms, the county-built North Tampa Athletic Assn. field complex at Turner-Bartels K-8 School (in conjunction with the Hillsborough School District) and the city’s New Tampa Nature Park. (Note-Of course, both Flatwoods and the New Tampa Nature Park are largely “passive” parks without much in the way of recreational facilities, other than trails and shelters).
But, if you thought that was it for our local government-built parks,
you were sadly mistaken, as the county is in the process of building a muchexpanded Branchton Park, the city has created its first All-Abilities Park at the New Tampa Rec Center, a new covered outdoor “court sport” facility between Freedom High and Liberty Middle School and (as we reported last issue), also is in the planning stages of building a new 60-acre city park in K-Bar Ranch (see pg. 6 for an update).
And, on Aug. 30, Hillsborough County held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new indoor Cross Creek Recreation/Community Center & Gymnasium (see the latest graphic of the park’s location, right) on the grounds of what was previously just an unfinished, underused outdoor “practice” facility in Cross Creek (just south of Pride Elementary and the Bassett Creek subdivision of K-Bar Ranch.
“There are no indoor park facilities like this in New Tampa,” Dist. 7 Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan said at the groundbreaking ceremony. “The city has the gymnastics center in Tampa Palms, but nothing for indoor basketball or volleyball. We know this new facility will be bustling with activity the day it opens.”
See “Cross Creek Rec Center” on page 4.
No Named Storms Since Debby, But Aug. 2024 Was Still One Of The Wettest Ever!
An Editorial by GARY NAGER
While I was working on the stories for this issue, I needed to make multiple trips to The Grill at Morris Bridge (see story on pg. 42) and Johnny C’s Italian Eatery (page 44) on Cross Creek Blvd. at Morris Bridge Rd., and I discovered what appeared to be a new feature on my iPhone’s “Maps” app. For the first time that I can remember, the Maps app gave me alternative routes to take from our Silversaw Apartments (see pg. 46) to these restaurants in order to “Avoid Flood Warning.”
Wait, what? I know we’ve had a super-rainy last several weeks (more on this below), but I don’t even remember being cautioned to “Avoid a Flood Warning” even after some of our hurricanes hit — and the only major named storm to hit Florida, which wasn’t even that bad here, was Hurricane Debby, which came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane near Steinhatchee, FL — more than 150 miles north of here — and hit our area with really only mild tropical storm-force winds on Aug. 5.
Since then, yes there have been many days with heavy rains and I saw lots of reports of major flooding in South Tampa, but very few major roads here that got flooded — and I have done a lot of local driving over the past several weeks and haven’t seen any such flooding.
Of course, I also haven’t driven the roads through New Tampa’s communities, staying mostly on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., Cross Creek Blvd., Morris Bridge Rd. (which I would think would be the most likely to flood) and County Line Rd., but those were the precise streets my iPhone Maps app was telling me to avoid.
I was most stunned when the app’s “Suggested Route” to The Grill a couple of days before our press time told me to take I-75 north from the S.R. 56 exit (where I live) and take S.R. 54 east to Morris Bridge Rd. before turning south towards Cross Creek Blvd. That trip, however, would have taken me 35 minutes to drive, rather than the 21 minutes the fastest route offered to me (I-75 south to the BBD exit, north on BBD to Cross Creek Blvd. and east towards Morris Bridge) would take.
And, these types of go-way-out-of-my-way routes have been offered to me pretty much every day for the past two weeks or so. Of course, I always took the fastest routes instead — and never saw a single flooded road!
So, what’s going on? Has my Maps app suddenly taken up drinking?
I honestly have no idea, but I thought I would at least attempt to look into it and ask you, our faithful readers, whether or not you’ve been dealing with flooding in or around your New Tampa communities. Here’s what I found:
Near-Record Rainfall
Spectrum Bay News 9 posted a chart on its website that said that Tampa had experienced its second or third highest rainfall total ever in August 2024, with 17.78 inches of rain, or less than an inch less than the city’s all-time record August rainfall of 18.59” set back in 1949. The article that accompanied the chart said that “Average rainfall in a typical August is around 8 to 9 inches. There were some unofficial observations with up to 29 inches during August!”
Of course, the official rainfall numbers are taken at Tampa International Airport, more than 20 miles from the southern tip of New Tampa in Tampa Palms, but still, how much different could the rainfall here really have been and how does it explain my Maps app trying to get me to drive
miles out of my way in order to “Avoid Flood Warnings” every single day?
As someone who hasn’t had to drive young kids to school for a couple of decades, I can only imagine how difficult it’s been driving to and from school with your kids in this kind of weather, especially with all of the distracted drivers there are on the roads these days.
In other words, please take extra care out there, whether you have kids or not, and no matter where you are heading. And please, don’t try to zip your way through if you do believe there’s a lot of standing water. It’s never happened to me, but I have known plenty of people who have flooded their engines and stranded their vehicles doing that.
But, based on what I’ve seen to date, please take these “Avoids Flood Warnings” messages on whatever app you’re using with a grain of salt.
It just kind of feels like the boy who cried “wolf” to me. If I keep never having to deal with flooding when I’m being warned every day, what will happen the one time I don’t heed the warning when I should have?
And, just because we haven’t really had to deal with a major storm during this year’s hurricane season yet, please don’t assume that our area is out of the woods when it comes to major storms. The next few weeks represent the peak of the season, so keep those flashlights and portable generators at the
Hormonal Health & Wellness Consulting
Dana Carter Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
10-Minute Phone Consultation
OTHER SERVICES INCLUDE:
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ready, keep stocked up on potable water and non-perishable food and do everything else you can to keep your family safe.
I am genuinely interested to hear from any of you who have already dealt with flooding in your New Tampa neighborhood the past few weeks. If you have, you can either email me at ads@ntneighborhoodnews. com or send me a message on our “Neighborhood News” Facebook page! I will run any messages I get — whether you’ve experienced flooding or not, in our next issue.
• All-natural recommendations aimed to regulate hormonal imbalances
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Aug. 30 was a super-hot day, so the festivities for the groundbreaking of the $9-million Cross Creek Recreation Center were short and sweet.
“I’m so excited for how this park will further our mission of enhancing lives through people, parks and enjoyable experiences,” said Hillsborough Parks & Recreation director Rick Valdez. “Our county’s parks are among our most treasured resources and we are committed to preservingm growing and maintaining these outstanding community assets. And community parks are among our most popular assets, with fun amenities for people of all ages, improving physical fitness and proving that you can have fun and stay healthy at the same time.”
He added, “This Cross Creek Community and Gymnasium will no doubt serve as a wonderful addition to this community and enrich the lives of our residents.”
Valdez then introduced District 7 Hillsborough County Commissioner (and former New Tampa resident) Ken Hagan, saying that “The New Tampa community has truly been a labor of love for our next speaker. He has championed major projects, including the state-of-the-art New Tampa Performing Arts Center, the very popular New Tampa dog park (adjacent to the city’s rec center in Tampa Palms), our soon-to-open Branchton Destination Park and now this. I must say that no one has fought harder for New Tampa.”
Hagan said, “It is such a pleasure to be here as we break ground on the next destination here in
New Tampa., one of the most beautiful areas in all of Hillsborough County..”
Hagan noted that the new park has been “many years in the making” and said that when he did live in Cross Creek and his son was zoned for Pride Elementary, “We did not have any summer or after-school programs, and we still don’t have a public indoor facility, but with this project, that’s about to change. This project will transform this entire area.”
He then mentioned that the project will inckude a new 16,000-sq.-ft. community center and gymnasium, with a fitness room, a multi-purpose room with a warming kitchen, it will have multiple classrooms, a covered outdoor space, a new parking lot, walking path, more open green space with a large pavilion and the exisitng playground will be renovated to be ADA (Americans with Disabilties Act)-compliant and there also will be a new picnic shelter. There will be something for everyome here in New Tampa.”
In addition, Hagan said, there will be summer programs, after-school programs for kids, as well as senior programs during the day, including a possible ceramics studio. “Just imagine all of the possibilities for fun, education, community gather-
ings and fellowship. You’ll be able to do all of that at this new facility. It did take years for me to secure the funding, but I’m immensely proud to have championed this facility.”
Following the “turning of the dirt,” Hagan also noted that because of the after-school programming at the new indoor facility, “We’re confident that it will help the traffic situation at Pride when school lets out. A lot of kids will come to the facility right after school lets out, which will shorten that queue initially and then, it’ll be spread out. Some of them will be picked up at 4 or 5 or even 6, so it will actually relieve the traffic here.”
Hagan also said that because a rezoning was required to get the park approved, the county’s transportation staff had to come up with a pan to handle the traffic beforehand. He also noted that because Bassett Creek Dr. (the roadway that connects Kinnan St. to Pride is a county road that turns
will be handled is just one of the challenges we’re dealing with.”
Valdez said that the Cross Creek Rec Center shouldn be open by Fall of 2025.
Branchton Park Update
Hagan also said after the groundbreaking that the first phase of the revamped Branchton Park, located further south of Cross Creek Blvd. on Morris Bridge Rd. than the existing park, was expected to open by the end of this month or in early October, but no update was available at our press time. He also said that his pet project at Branchton Park — the county’s first public-private partnership zip line — would not be included in that first phase and that not all of the Branchton Park construction phases were funded yet.
into a city road just north of the park site, how the traffic
(Above) The groundbreaking for Hillsborough County’s new Cross Creek Recreation Center on Aug. 30, where the featured speakers were County Commissioner Ken Hagan (below left) and county parks director Rick Valdez (below right).
(Bottom left) The rendering of the exterior design of the rec center and (below it) the design of the park’s revamped playground.
(Photos by Charmaine George; renderings provided by Hillsborough County)
Tampa City Council Approves Funding For K-Bar Park Design!
By Gary Nager
As we reported last issue, K-Bar Ranch is getting a 60-acre City of Tampa park and one that District 7 Tampa City Council member (and New Tampa resident) Luis Viera (photo, near right) has said he hopes will include a cricket pitch as one of its amenities.
At that meeting with about 50-60 residents (most, but not all of whom live in K-Bar Ranch) on Aug. 7, Viera said that he hoped and expected that the funding for the design of the park to be included in the city’s Fiscal 2025 budget.
Well, on Sept. 5, the City Council did approve the roughly $1 million needed for the park’s design upon first reading of the city’s budget and Viera is thankful not only for the item passing its first muster, but also for the support of District 67 State Representative and State House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell (who also attended the resident meeting on Aug. 7). Leader Driskell wrote a letter (in the far right column) to the City Council members on Sept. 3 to let them know that she is “in strong support of the FY25 budget design money for the K-Bar Ranch Park.”
Viera then went on his Facebook page to thank Driskell “for your advocacy in support” of the park design funding. “Rep. Driskell has been on the front line advocating not only for this park in the budget, but for a cricket component to this park...Thank you, Rep. Driskell for your advocacy for this budget item.”
And of course, Viera also noted in his
Facebook message that, “We have about 60 acres available — with a great deal of conservation space and a park, as well as potentially a firestation long-term,” even though Tampa Fire Rescue Fire Chief Barbara Tripp has yet to express her support for a full fire station in K-Bar, at the park site or otherwise.
1.Fullyfundedtrafficreducingprojectslikethe CitrusParkRoadExtensionandaccelerated neighborhoodroadresurfacingplans.
Ken Hagan’s common-sense plan to strengthen and improve our neighborhoods:
2.Recordinvestmentsinneighborhood infrastructureincludingsidewalks,lighting, parks,theartsandyouthsports.
3.Continuetomakedeveloperspaytheir
1.Fullyfundedtrafficreducingprojectslikethe CitrusParkRoadExtensionandaccelerated neighborhoodroadresurfacingplans.
At the Aug. 7 resident meeting, Brad Suder, the superintendent of the city’s planning design natural resources division, said that once the design money becomes available — most likely sometime in late November — the city will be able to hire a consultant to work with and the public participating in the design process could begin. The second reading of the budget is scheduled for Thursday, September 19 — or a couple of days (or so) after this issue arrives in your mailbox.
4.Developingnewprogramsandprojects thatprotectthequantityandqualityofour drinkingwater.
2.Recordinvestmentsinneighborhood infrastructureincludingsidewalks,lighting, parks,theartsandyouthsports.
Ken Hagan’s common-sense plan to strengthen and improve our neighborhoods:
3.Continuetomakedeveloperspaytheir fairshare.
5.Fighttokeeptaxeslow,budgetsbalancedand countyspendingtransparent.
Ken Hagan’s common-sense plan to strengthen and improve our neighborhoods:
4.Developingnewprogramsandprojects thatprotectthequantityandqualityofour drinkingwater.
6.WorkwithourSherifftocontinuetokeepour familiessafeandfundnewinitiativestoreduce violentcrimes.
1.Fullyfundedtrafficreducingprojectslikethe CitrusParkRoadExtensionandaccelerated neighborhoodroadresurfacingplans.
1.Fullyfundedtrafficreducingprojectslikethe CitrusParkRoadExtensionandaccelerated neighborhoodroadresurfacingplans.
5.Fighttokeeptaxeslow,budgetsbalancedand countyspendingtransparent.
1.Fullyfundedtrafficreducingprojectslikethe CitrusParkRoadExtensionandaccelerated neighborhoodroadresurfacingplans.
2.Recordinvestmentsinneighborhood infrastructureincludingsidewalks,lighting,
7.Focusonkeepinghousingaffordableespeciallyinoururbancores.
2.Recordinvestmentsinneighborhood infrastructureincludingsidewalks,lighting, parks,theartsandyouthsports.
2.Recordinvestmentsinneighborhood infrastructureincludingsidewalks,lighting, parks,theartsandyouthsports.
6.WorkwithourSherifftocontinuetokeepour familiessafeandfundnewinitiativestoreduce violentcrimes.
3.Continuetomakedeveloperspaytheir fairshare.
3.Continuetomakedeveloperspaytheir fairshare.
7.Focusonkeepinghousingaffordableespeciallyinoururbancores.
3.Continuetomakedeveloperspaytheir fairshare.
4.Developingnewprogramsandprojects thatprotectthequantityandqualityofour drinkingwater.
4.Developingnewprogramsandprojects thatprotectthequantityandqualityofour drinkingwater.
4.Developingnewprogramsandprojects thatprotectthequantityandqualityofour drinkingwater.
5.Fighttokeeptaxeslow,budgetsbalancedand countyspendingtransparent.
• New Tampa Performing Arts Center
•$100m widening of Bruce B Downs Blvd.
5.Fighttokeeptaxeslow,budgetsbalancedand countyspendingtransparent.
6.WorkwithourSherifftocontinuetokeepour familiessafeandfundnewinitiativestoreduce violentcrimes.
5.Fighttokeeptaxeslow,budgetsbalancedand countyspendingtransparent.
•Our New $7m Branchton Park - Opening Fall 2024
6.WorkwithourSherifftocontinuetokeepour familiessafeandfundnewinitiativestoreduce violentcrimes.
•New Tampa’s first public recreation center/gymnasium Opening 2025
6.WorkwithourSherifftocontinuetokeepour familiessafeandfundnewinitiativestoreduce violentcrimes.
•Widening of Cross Creek Blvd.
7.Focusonkeepinghousingaffordableespeciallyinoururbancores.
7.Focusonkeepinghousingaffordableespeciallyinoururbancores.
•Flatwoods Trail Improvements
•$2.1m for Morris Bridge Rd. safety improvements - Fall 2024
7.Focusonkeepinghousingaffordableespeciallyinoururbancores. If
If you have questions -please me on my cell at any time.
City Councilman Luis Viera Provides Watering Restriction & City Election Updates
New Tampa’s City Council Rep Says He Isn’t Afraid To Stand Alone On These & Other Critical Issues
By Luis Viera Tampa City Council, District 7
I always like to keep my constituents informed about what is happening in Tampa. At this time, I would like to provide you with updates on two important issue:
City of Tampa Watering Restrictions
The Tampa City Council recently passed an ordinance permanently mandating once-a-week watering restriction for residential lawns, with no expiration date.
Violators will be subject to a “three strikes, you’re out” policy, with fines up to $500 and mandatory court appearances for third violations.
This law passed on a 5-1 vote. I was the only Council member who voted “No.”
The law has a great goal that I support: drought conditions require us to do better on water conservation. About one in five (only 20%) of Tampa’s households consume almost 50% of our water supply. We need to do something — but I believe it has to be done right.
I do not believe that we had sufficient community outreach on this issue. This big, permanent solution needed a step-by-step approach that works with communities through education.
Then there is Tampa’s “Alaska,” New Tampa. Here, there are many homeowners associations and community development districts that fine homeowners for common violations. Sometimes, these fines become property liens which can have awful consequences for homeowners.
The new law states that property owners cannot be penalized for grass that has not been watered by any entity, if the lack of watering was due to being in compliance with this law. But, what assurance does this vague blanket statement give a homeowner? Is there a process for proving this was the case in the face of a property lien?
I want more assurances that the City has reached out to the people of New Tampa and worked with our HOAs and CDDs on accommodations. We have a lot to lose here.
I am against government regulation with penalties that is done without extensive outreach.
Even so, I urge all of my constituents to comply with this new law. Email me at Luis. Viera@tampagov.net or go to Tampa.gov/water/ conservation/watering-days-and-hours to get more information out about this law.
I have been the lone “No” vote before on Council — such as when we awarded the $25-million dollar grant to the Straz Center. I do not mind standing alone. My “No” vote on the watering restrictions law was the means to the end. I love the end — and love our public servants in the city’s Water Department. I just want to find a better way to land this law in the yards of 33647.
City of Tampa Elections
Here is another time that I stood alone: my recent proposal to move Tampa’s municipal elections to even-numbered years.
Presently, Tampa’s municipal elections are held in odd-numbered years – 2023, 2027, etc.
In short, we pay more for less for our
Aug. 29, New
to even-numbered
elections. The cost to taxpayers to have the city’s elections in odd years runs up to about $700,000.
The cost for even-year elections? Nothing!
And yes, we get less for this spending spree. A lot less. We get fewer voters turning out. I want to hold Tampa’s elections the same years as gubernatorial races, where we have between about 25%
turnout (during the primaries) to more than 60% (for the general elections). Tampa election turnout ranges from 10% — when only City Council seats are up for grabs — to 23% or so, with those higher turnout numbers usually only when the election for Mayor is included. That is pathetic. By moving races to gubernatorial election years, the city would
On
Tampa’s District 7 Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera made a pitch to move Tampa’s municipal elections from odd-numbered
years. The idea received no support from Viera’s fellow Council members. (Source: Screenshot from City of Tampa Television on Aug. 29)
get more voters — and save our taxpayers money.
Our present system results in a more affluent and less diverse electorate and fewer electoral stakeholders. The more diverse your precinct is, and the poorer your precinct is, the bigger the drop in turnout you get from the even-year elections to the odd-year elections. For example, precincts in the University area and East Tampa see a drop of 70%-80% from even to odd years — compared to drops that are about 30% for areas like Tampa Palms and Bayshore.
As a result, we do not hear much from people who take the HART buses, everyday working families or from those who live in newer communities during our odd-year elections.
Instead, City of Tampa candidates go hunting where the ducks are — the so-called “super voters.” The candidates do not expand that base — they stalk only that small base of voters.
Some of my constituents on City Council say we need the status quo because Tampa deserves its own elections and that we should not share the spotlight with the race for Governor.
In even-numbered years, County Commissioners and School Board members are on the ballot. And so are judges! And yet, we deserve our own election — which costs a ton and results in a less diverse electorate? Not in my opinion.
Some say that this will cost City of Tampa candidates more money to run. My response is “Who cares?” Also: “It will not (cost more).”
If doing what we do for judges, School Board members and County Commissioners results in more fund-raising stress for candidates, that does not translate to it being the duty of the taxpayers to fund up to $700,000 in money to subsidize the tariff of a cheap campaign for Tampa municipal candidates. Also, fund raising provides little indication of
who wins an election. In Tampa’s last election cycle (in 2023), we saw candidates who were outspent 2-to-1 and even 3-to-1 who still won easily.
Then there is the myth of the “good voter” who is educated on city issues. There is no such thing as a “good voter” — there are only voters and we should want everyone — independent, Republican and Democrat — to vote as stakeholders, and our election systems should reflect that.
This issue is not going away. With elections where anywhere from 75% to 90% of our city does not vote, we are creating a city where engaged voters bear little resemblance to our actual constituents and the communities we serve.
To quote Willie Nelson: “Turn out the lights, the party is over.” Eventually, the “party” of subsidized taxpayer elections will end in Tampa, and I believe it will be a good day when that happens.
Mixed Bag Of Results For New Tampa Candidates In The August 20 Primary Election
By Gary Nager
On Aug. 19, the day before the Primary Election throughout Florida, New Tampa resident Dr. Jim Davison told me that he felt he had run his best campaign yet — and believed that he would defeat Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Chris Boles in his bid for the Republican nomination for countywide District 6, where incumbent Democrat Pat Kemp was leaving her seat to challenge for the U.S. Congressional seat held by Dist. 15 incumbent Laurel Lee. (Note - Rep. Lee easily earned the Republican nomination on Aug. 20 to face Kemp on Tuesday, November 5).
“It’s in the hands of the voters,” Davison told me that day. “My fate is already sealed. But either way, I’m going to light a cigar, see what happens and be satisfied with what I’ve worked to accomplish this time around.”
Unfortunately for Davison — who previously has run for both the County Commission (against current District 2 incumbent Ken Hagan; more on him below) and Tampa City Council (losing by 65 votes in a runoff election to now-two-term incumbent Luis Viera in Dist. 7) — it again wasn’t meant to be. Davison lost 59%-41% to Boles, who will now face Democratic Primary winner and former State Rep. Sean Shaw for the Dist. 6 seat in Nov.
And, although he was a lot stronger in New Tampa’s 25 voting precincts (see chart on next page) — where he earned nearly 48% of the vote — than he was countywide, Davison still finished behind Boles on the local ballots, too, despite being a strong-voiced advocate for New Tampa at both City Council and County Commission meetings for more than two decades.
Meanwhile, Hagan, the former New Tampa resident, easily defeated Melissa Nordbeck 78.2%-21.8% (Hagan was even stronger in New Tampa, where he earned 82.1% of the vote), and will face Democrat Patricia Alonzo in his attempt to keep alive his 22-year streak of serving either in District 2 or a countywide Commission seat — the longest tenure of any current Hillsborough commissioner.
In one of the more contentious races last month, Tampa Palms resident and incumbent District 3 Hillsborough County School Board member Jessica Vaughn convincingly defeated Myosha Powell — 59%-41% — to retain her seat. Vaughn, who won nearly 63% of the vote in New Tampa’s 25 precincts, survived a num-
Electioneering at the New Tampa Regional Library on Primary Election Day (Aug. 20), were (clockwise from top left) County Commission candidate Jim Davison (with daughter Allie), Dist. 67 Florida House candidate Rico Smith (at right) and Pebble Creek activist Leslie Green and her husband, Dr. Mike Green.
ber of nasty attack ads (including being called a Hamas terrorist) and Gov. Ron DeSantis’ endorsement of her opponent to retain her seat.
“The race was unfortunately ugly and had me more concerned about my safety and my family’s safety,” Vaughn told me a few weeks before the election. “I’ll be relieved when it’s over either way.”
In the other School Board race where New Tampa residents had a vote — District-wide Dist. 7 — incumbent and long-time former teacher Lynn Gray advanced to a November runoff against Karen Bendorf in that fourcandidate race. Neither Gray (35.1%) nor Bendorf (30.3%) received close to the 50% + 1 vote needed to win the seat outright. In fact, if the rest of the county voted the same way New Tampa did, Bendorf would not have even advanced to the runoff, as third-place finisher Johnny Bush received more votes in our 25 precincts (24.1%-23.7%) than Bendorf did.
Also winning handily in Aug. was New Tampa resident and former County Commissioner, State Rep. and State Sen. Victor Crist, who defeated Melony Williams with more than 68% of the vote (nearly 71% in New Tampa), to secure the Republican nomination for Clerk of the Court & Comptroller. Crist will face incumbent Clerk (and former School Board member) Cindy Stuart. Crist, who is still recovering from a serious car accident that occurred not long before the Primary, is far behind Stuart in fund raising,
but he also is a wellknown local name, so that Nov. race should be interesting.
State & National Races
Republican incumbent U.S. Senator and former Gov. Rick Scott faced little resistance from his Primary Election opponents Keith Gross and John Columbus, but his campaign against Democratic primary winner Debbie Mucarsel-Powell — a former U.S. Representative from Miami-Dade County, could be an interesting one with truly national implications, with the split in the Senate currently sitting at 50 (46 Democrats and four independents who either caucused or are considered to be with the Dems for committee purposes) to 49 Republicans, and one seat open.
If Mucarsel-Powell (who easily defeated three opponents in Aug.) can flip that Senate seat in Nov. — and some recent polls do show her as being ahead by a few percentage points — the Democratic Party could retain control of the Upper House of Congress. Of course, a lot will depend upon the outcome of the Presidential election between former President Donald Trump and current Vice-President Kamala Harris and whether or not the winning candidate proves to
have coattails that flip other seats in both houses. Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee, who maintains an office in Tampa Palms, grabbed 72.5% of the vote (70.6% in New Tampa) to easily outdistance opponents James Judge (18.2%) and Jennifer Barbosa (9.3%) to face off against Kemp, who had to give up (due to term limits) the countywide Dist. 6 County Commission seat she has held since first being elected in 2016. Kemp, who also was an aide to current Dist. 14 U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (when Castor served on the County Commission) and former U.S. Rep. Sara Romeo, has been a popular Hillsborough commissioner, but will also have to be able to earn votes from Republicanleaning areas like Wesley Chapel and parts of Polk County to unseat Rep. Lee, will have her work cut out for her.
And, in the battle to battle incumbent Democrat (and State House Minority Leader) Fentrice Driskell for her Dist. 67 Florida House seat in Nov., two New Tampa Republicans
squared off — Dr. Lisette Bonano, who lost to Driskell in the 2022 election, and Rico Smith, who previously planned to run for the Dist. 6 Hillsborough Commission seat being given up by Kemp but who switched to vie for Driskell’s seat in January, after conferring with party leaders in Tallahassee. Smith, an engineer, defeated his fellow U.S. Air Force vet Bonano 56.5%43.5% in Aug. (57.5%-42.5% in New Tampa), but according to TransparencyUSA.org, was far behind Driskell in terms of fund-raising and will surely have his hands full trying to unseat
this rising star in the Democratic party.
Judicial & Other Races
One of the most closely-watched races in November will be between former twice-elected Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren, the Democrat who was suspended from his seat (for allegedly not following his duties), and the Republican Gov. DeSantis replaced him with — Suzy Lopez. Warren easily dispatched Elizabeth Martinez Strauss on Aug. 20 (70.3%29.7%), so it remains to be seen if Warren can
Race & Candidates NT % HC%
County Commission - District 6 (D)
Sean
County Court Judge - Group 11 (N)
Christine
County Court Judge - Group 21 (N)
Matt Smith √ 52.5%
School Board Member - District 3 (N)
School Board Member - District 7 (N)
keep Lopez from winning a full term in Nov. There also were two judgeships up for election, including New Tampa resident Linette “Star” Brookins, who lost the County Court Judge Group 11 seat to Christine Edwards by 57.4%-42.6%, but who lost in New Tampa’s 25 precincts by less than 2% (50.9%-49.1%).
Voter Turnout
Whether it’s always been deserved or not, New Tampa’s voters have long been known in both the city and county for apathy and not
√ - Candidates advancing to Nov. runoff
Note - All information in this chart was provided by the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections website, VoteHillsborough.gov.
The 25 New Tampa Precincts include: Precinct #s 354-374, 583-584, 671 & 673
New Tampa’s Election Returns were calculated by Gary Nager from Precinct-by-Precinct data provided by VoteHillsborough.gov.
showing up to vote — except for in Presidential Election years — but the Primary Election voter turnout countywide was 19.53% and New Tampa was barely behind that with 19.49%.
When you consider that Pasco County as a whole — and the Wesley Chapel area, as well — had only about a 16% turnout, New Tampa didn’t fare too badly this time around and, with both a contentious Presidential election and a controversial county School Tax on the ballot, it may be possible for both the county and New Tampa to surpass the 2020 turnout of 76+%.
AdventHealth Wesley Chapel Breaks Ground On Expansion Of Main Hospital
By Gary Nager
When AdventHealth Wesley Chapel (AHWC) opened as the first hospital located in Wesley Chapel almost a dozen years ago (when it was called Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel) with just 83 total beds, the community was told that the plan was to eventually expand the number of beds to 300.
Since then, AHWC has done a lot more than just go through a name change to AHWC in 2019. First of all, two medical office buildings have opened (the AHWC Wellness Plaza in 2013 and the Outpatient Cancer & Research Center, in partnership with the Moffitt Cancer Center, in 2021).
In addition, the hospital more than doubled its original 83 beds to 169 in 2016, which also included increasing from four operating rooms to 12 and from 20 emergency room (ER) beds to 35.
But, along with the recent establishment of the new family care residency program and the freestanding emergency room in Meadow Pointe (as we reported last issue), AHWC held a groundbreaking ceremony for the hospital’s upward expansion on Aug. 15. Although Jannah and I were not personally able to attend that event, photographer Charmaine George did attend and made sure she recorded all of the proceedings for me, so I could write this story.
On hand for the event were District 54 State Rep. Randy Maggard, Pasco Commissioners Jack Mariano (Dist. 5), Seth Weightman (Dist. 2) and Board Chair Ron Oakley (Dist. 1), and Pasco Fire Chief Tony Perez, as well as members of both the hospital’s Governing Board and its Foundation’s Board and the AdventHealth Division office. AHWC president Erik Wangsness also introduced Bill Porter of the Porter Family Trust and Scott Sheridan of Locust Branch, LLC, the developer of Wiregrass Ranch, “since we are located on the Porter family’s land,” Wangsness said.
Wangsness also thanked those involved in the design and construction of the hospital expansion, including the AdventHealth Office of Design & Construction, architects HuntonBrady, design engineers Smith Seckman Reed, Atwell civil engineers and general contractor Batson Cook.
“This hospital is not yet 12 years old,” Wangsness said. “It opened in 2012 with 83 beds but was designed to grow with the community. We’re at 169 now but this expansion will allow us to add 72 inpatient beds, which is important for us — even though there are other facilities opening around us — since this community continues to grow in a meaningful way.”
“Case in point,” he added, “We have around 20 patients waiting at our Emergency Department this morning for admission. We need the [additional] capacity to continue to serve this growing community. And, the development isn’t go ing to stop, so it’s time for us to continue to grow.”
In addition to the inpatient beds, Wangsness said the expansion will add a couple of additional operating rooms, endoscopy suites, pre- and post-op beds, additional imaging, a PET-CT (positron emission tomography-computed tomogra phy) suite and a hybrid lab (a traditional lab that also can dou ble as a surgical operating room), “that will help us grow in the severity of the patients we can serve. I want to thank all of you for joining us on this warm, muggy morning.” Wangsness also said the expansion should be completed by the end of 2025.
Wangsness then introduced Rep. Maggard, who said, “We all know how important it is for Advent to be doing this for our community. I can truly say that when I go to Tallahas see, people know [there is] no district like we have, District 54, with the community partners we have here. It is special and I feel very honored to be able to help in any way I can to help this area grow.”
Rep. Maggard also mentioned Pasco Hernando State College and its nearby Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, which recently expanded its nursing program (as we reported last issue). “We can see a future that’s bright for our area.”
He also mentioned that the need for health care facilities will continue to grow. “We expect a 20% population growth for Pasco County by 2045,” he said. “If you think the traffic’s bad now, just wait.”
Comm. Oakley also said he was honored to be on the Foundation Board for AdventHealth, and to be on hand for yet another major event for the hospital, “which is such a
“I just want to say that we’ve been recognized by Newsweek magazine three years in a row as one of the ‘World’s Best Hospitals.’”
Comm. Weightman, whose Dist. 2 includes the hospital, then also thanked the Porter family for its vision for Wiregrass Ranch.
“It wasn’t long ago that this was all wide open... with cows roaming around...and Bruce B. Downs was a road to nowhere. But, we’ve grown in incredible leaps and bounds over the past decade. The vision of Wiregrass Ranch and AdventHealth...it’s just such a fantastic place to be for our community. The invest ment that Advent continues to make...and the jobs... it’s just phenomenal.”
Speaking of vision, the final speaker before the groundbreaking was former University Community Hospital president and long-time AHWC Board member Norm Stein, whom Wangsness credited with having the vision for the need to build a hospital in Wesley Chapel.
“It was Dec. 14, 2010, when we had another groundbreaking,” Stein said. “The late Don Porter had walked into my hospital and told me of his idea to build a hospital in this part of Pasco and to have a college that could provide nursing students for that hospital. And, he wanted to see both of those institutions come together on his property. And you know what? It wasn’t easy, but it happened.” For more information about AHWC, see the ad on pg. 15.
(Above) Several different groups took part in the groundbreaking. This photo includes State Rep. Randy Mag gard (far right) and three Pasco County commissioners, as well as the hospital’s management team. (Below) Also on hand were Bill Porter (left) of the Porter family & Scott Sheridan of the Wiregrass Ranch development team.
Martin Gramática ‘Kicks Off’ Tampa Bay Bucs Season At AdventHealth Tampa!
By Gary Nager
Photos by Charmaine George
AdventHealth Tampa (3100 E. Fletcher Ave. at Bruce B. Downs Blvd.) got a special visit Friday from a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers star two days before the team kicked off the 2024 NFL season.
Super Bowl winner Martin Gramática stopped by to greet hundreds of doctors, nurses, and clinicians. The former Bucs kicker took time to sign autographs, take photos and show his appreciation for the hard work front-line health care workers do every day.
AdventHealth is the exclusive hospital of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Gramática said he was happy — and honored — to represent the Bucs while greeting the AdventHealth Tampa team.
“I’m just here representing the Bucs to say ‘Thank you’ to all of the men and women who sacrifice so much to take care of us when we’re not doing well,” said “Mr. Automatica.”
Gramática, who also is the VP of Business Development for Life Guard Imaging (see ad on pg. 7), said that it was just a “happy coincidence” that he made his appearance at the hospital’s Pepin Heart Institute. “Life Guard is just an imaging center,” he said. “This is where you go to be taken care of when we find something wrong with you that needs to be addressed. People look up to football players, but these people are the real heroes.”
As for what he thinks about the Bucs — who opened the season with a 37-20 win over the Washington Commanders on Sep. 8 at Raymond James Stadium — this year, when many so-called experts believe the team isn’t playoff caliber, Gramática said, “I don’t know about that. I’m really
excited about our chances. We had a really good year last year and when you bring guys like (quarterback) Baker (Mayfield) and (wide receiver) MIke (Evans) back, and add some young talent, you never know what can happen. Everyone starts the year 0-0 and every team is one injury away from not being good, so we just have to stay healthy and I think we’re gonna be good.”
For more information about AdventHealth Tampa, visit AdventHealth.com or see the ad on pg. 15 (the facing page).
(Above) Former Tampa Bay Bucs kicker Martin Gramática posed for lots of pictures when he was met by a happy crowd of doctors, nurses and staffers at AdventHealth Tampa on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. on Sept. 6 to help kick off the Bucs 2024 season two days later. (Below) Bucs cheerleaders Dante Hale (far left) and Ella Whitby (far right) also were happy to pose for pictures with the AdventHealth team.
Mansfield Blvd. Traffic Signal Becomes Operational Just Two Days Before School
By Joel Provenzano Neighborhood News Correspondent
The new traffic signal at Oakwood Preserve Dr./Wiregrass School Rd., in front of John Long Middle School, Wiregrass Ranch Elementary, and the back gate for The Ridge at Wiregrass community (see map), was put into operation just in the nick of time for the start of the 2024-25 school year. In fact, the signal didn’t change from blinking yellow to full operation until Aug. 10, or just two days before school started throughout Pasco County.
Because of a number of delays, the county was only able to have the signal in “flash mode” for two days before that, whereas most new signals blink for at least 7-14 days before becoming operational, so motorists who drive through the area can get used to seeing it at that location.
Some observant drivers may have noticed that these delays, and the rush to get the signal turned on before the start of school, at first caused some pretty serious safety concerns.
But, with the “flash mode” lasting only two days, that gave very little time for motorists to get acclimated to the new signal. This was initially made worse by the fact that since this intersection has been a 4-way stop for two years, most drivers using Mansfield were used to coming to a complete stop from each approach. It was extra confusing because the overhead signals for the Mansfield traffic began flashing yellow, even though the ground-mounted stop signs that had long been at that intersection (with their flashing red signals on top) were still there and operational.
To generally avoid confusion, national traffic engineering standards (as listed in the Federal Highway Administration’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets & Highways,
or MUTCD) requires that if any flashing light is present, its color must match whatever condition is present, so with a stop sign for each approach, the overhead signals on the new span should have been flashing red for all directions (according to the standards), but it was flashing yellow instead for Mansfield, causing a mixed message.
Because of these inconsistent colors, it was directly observed that some motorists were still stopping at the stop sign like they should have been, while others on the same approach didn’t notice the stop signs, or were confused, and continued through the intersection without stopping (as most people do when they see an overhead flashing yellow signal). This caught many motorists who were turning from the side streets off guard, since they were expecting the Mansfield traffic to stop, naturally causing a few near misses and horn-honking.
taking over, since they were used to always stopping there. Horn honkers behind them alerted them to their error, and they proceeded on their way. This happened four times while we were taking photos and observing the intersection, a full week and a half after it was put into normal operation. Even with the advanced “Signal Ahead” signs, it seems that there’s no replacement for time.
Concerns About Pedestrian Safety
Luckily, this confusing set-up was only present for two days before the stop signs were removed (from all four approaches) and the signal was put into full operation. But, that did create another issue. Since it was done so quickly, some motorists were observed coming to a complete stop at the stop bar, even though they had a solid green signal, likely because their subconscious muscle memory was
To address pedestrian safety at the new signal, the county did something local motorists are used to, by giving it an “exclusive pedestrian phase,” which means that when the “Walk” symbol comes on after the button is pushed (at any time of day), it comes on for all of the crosswalk directions simultaneously, requiring ALL directions of vehicular traffic to stop without moving, including the right
turns, until the walk phase ends, exactly like the operation of the signal down the street at County Line Rd. in front of the Meadow Pointe II clubhouse.
To help enforce the right turn restrictions, electronic “blank-out,” “No Right on Red” signs were installed next to the eastbound and southbound approach signal heads, and similar static signs were installed facing the northbound and westbound approach signals. But, the county also left cable coiled up on the line for more future electronic signs, if the need arises.
Crossing guards (trained as traffic control officers by the Pasco Sheriff’s Office) are still present at the signal on school days, to help out pedestrians. Since they are traffic control officers, they can direct traffic to move as needed, despite what color the signal shows, requiring motorists to pay
(Left) The location of the new traffic signal on Mansfield Blvd. in Wiregrass Ranch. (Google map modified by NN) (Right) Despite some confusion when it first became operational, the new traffic signal at the intersection of Mansfield Blvd. & Oakwood Preserve Blvd. has helped calm traffic in the area.
THE RIDGE AT WIREGRASS
Photo by Joel Provenzano
caution when approaching the intersection.
Unfortunately, during our most recent visit, some motorists were observed still stopping at the red light, even though the crossing guard was clearly waiving them through.
The Need For The Signal
Mansfield Blvd. has seen its share of improvements over the past few years, many of which (including this signal) were geared towards safety. The original 4-way stop was installed shortly after it was announced by Pasco County Traffic Operations representative Venkat Vattikuti, at a meeting with Meadow Pointe residents in the fall of 2022. Eventually, flashing beacons were installed on top when it was clear that many residents were not “seeing” (or obeying) the stop signs.
Then, in 2023, there was resurfacing on Mansfield to address pavement that was quickly becoming gravel and flashing pedestrian beacons were added in front of the entrance to the Wrencrest subdivision in Meadow Pointe in 2024.
The all-way stop was continuous from the start. Many residents appreciated the interim solution (before the signal could be funded and installed) because of how it helped with pedestrian safety, but other residents felt that it unnecessarily backed up traffic by stopping every single vehicle on the main road.
What About The High School?
Traffic still may back-up a little at the time when the crossing guards are out there at the new signal, since the middle and adjacent elementary schools dismiss students only a few minutes apart from each other. However, traffic around the time of Wiregrass Ranch High’s dismissal has been observed to be much better at this intersection.
Back when it was just a 4-way stop, traffic would sometimes be seen backing up on Mansfield
Blvd. for half a mile from the southbound stop sign, from traffic leaving the high school heading back into Meadow Pointe.
Now, the biggest issue for the high school seems to be a relic of its original design — the two outbound lanes onto Mansfield at Hueland Pond Blvd. Back when the high school opened in 2007 the entrance/exit was (for two years) strictly to the intersection where the new signal is at The Ridge, where Mansfield (at that time) came to an end.
Between 2007 and 2009, Mansfield Blvd. was extended northbound at the same time S.R. 56 was being extended eastbound from Publix to meet it, a coordinated effort by the developer of Wiregrass Ranch, the county and FDOT. When the Mansfield extension was completed, the two northern outbound lanes from the high school (a left and a right) were opened for use and were all that was needed, because the intersection was unsignalized, and there was no through traffic because Hueland Pond Blvd. didn’t exist yet.
The southern exit to Mansfield was subsequently closed (by a gate) and the northern entrance became the only way in and out of Wiregrass Ranch High.
In 2016, Hueland Pond Blvd. was constructed to align with the high school’s entrance and the signal was installed. The right turn lane coming out of the high school was converted to a through/right, and even though Hueland Pond was given a dual left, for whatever reason, the exit from Wiregrass Ranch High remained a single left, even though there was room in the median to add another left.
That single left and through/right make getting out of the high school a lengthy process. The through traffic (waiting for a green to go onto Hueland Pond) blocks traffic behind them as they wait to make a right turn onto Mansfield, and all it takes is one car wanting to go straight. It does appear that there is room to add a separate right turn lane if the county decides to add one.
Business Briefs — Defining Beauty Christens New Office & A Few Chamber Ribbons Cut
By Gary Nager
It’s been anther busy month or so for Grand Openings and North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC) ribbon-cutting events in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel.
On Aug. 29, Defining Beauty Well ness & Med Spa officially oopened its new location — in the same New Tampa Professional Park off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Pebble Creek as before, but in a larger suite, so owner and Family Nurse Practitioner Karma Nguyen could better serve her growing number of patients and clients with more treatment rooms and more types of treatments available (as we told you about in our last issue).
Grand Opening attendees got to see Karma demonstrate how her newest body sculpting/contouring machine works and she also introduced permanent jewelry services and much more, as more than 50 of her patients, clients, friends and family were on hand to wish her well — and receive great “swag bags” and special offers on services.
Defining Beauty Wellness & Med Spa is located at 8907 Regents Park Dr., Suite 330. For more information, call (813)955-0408, visit DefiningBeautyMedSpa.com or see the ad below. Memberships are available and members receive invitations to special events and anniversary gifts.
Chamber Keeps Cutting Ribbons!
As for who’s been cutting North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbons over the last 30 days, on Aug. 22, our friends and local Realtors Chad and April Emory officially celebrated the Grand Opening of their Emorys Rock Realty, in one of the biggest Chamber ribbon-cutting events we’ve been
More than 100 people were on hand at the Signature Workspace in The Shops at Wiregrass to celebrate with Chad, the firm’s Broker, and April. They served delicious Rock & Brews, Falabella Family Bistro, Bubba’s 33, Texas Roadhouse Main Event.
Chad and April also thanked their family and friends, Mackenzie Maldonado for the beautiful balloon arrangements for the event, Vanessa Suarez for the stunning floral arrangements, Radiant Wellness Spa, AdventHealth Center Ice, Lisa Moore from the Hilton Garden Inn TampaWesley Chapel (who helped plan their event) and the Hampton Inn & Suites, as well as Chamber president & CEO Hope Kennedy for her warm introduction. The Emorys also thanked their real estate team members Michelle Leann, Amanda Downing and Vanessa Suarez.
It’s hard to believe that the Emorys could take enough time out from being at literally
every Chamber ribbon cutting and every event throughout the Wesley Chapel and surrounding areas to plan, much less host such a spectacular event. Congrats, you two!
Emorys Rock Realty is located at 28210 Paseo Dr. For more information, visit EmorysRockRealty.com or call (813)404-2286.
We also want to congratulate Eden Chiropractic (in the Brookside Professional Park in Wesley Chapel) owners and chiropractic physicians Abigail and Thomas Farrar, for hosting another well-attended North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon-cutting event on Sept. 5.
The doctors Farrar turned their Grand Opening into a fun scavenger hunt and gave
away raffle tickets for a number of great prizes to those who completed a row of a Bingo card.
Eden Chiropractic specializes in the Gonstead Method, created by renowned chiropractor Clarence Gonstead in the 1920s. The Gonstead Method (or Technique) focuses on how a patient’s nervous system is functioning to better determine the underlying cause of misalignments in the neck using X-rays and other instrumentation, as well as hands-on palpations and visualization. Eden Chiropractic provides chiropractic services for adults, children, women who are pregnant and even for those who are trying to get pregnant.
For more info about Eden Chiropractic (29141 Chapel Park Dr.), call (813) 8158135 or visit EdenChiropracticFL.com.
the Grand Opening of their Emorys Rock Realty on Aug. 22. (Photo by Gary Nager) (Above right) Chiropractic Physicians Dr. Abigail & Dr. Thomas Farrar (both holding scissors) of Eden Chiropractic in the Brookside Professional Park on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel cut their Chamber ribbon on Sept. 5. (Photo by Charmaine George)
Upcoming Events — Avalon Park & Blue Heron Grand Openings,
Wednesday, September 18, 9 a.m.-10:30 a.m. — North Tampa Bay Chamber Coffee Social. At USF Federal Credit Union (20610 Bruce B.Downs Blvd.) For more information, visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com/events or call the NTBC office at (813) 994-8534.
Wednesday, September 18, 9 a.m.-10:30 a.m. — Palm Endovascular Institute Grand Opening. At 2344 Crestover Ln., Wesley Chapel. Light refreshments and snacks will be served. For more information, visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com/events or call the NTBC office at (813) 994-8534.
Thursday, September 19, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. — North Tampa Bay Chamber Ribbon Cutting at Embodhi Integrative Wellness and Medspa. (16007 N. Florida Ave., Lutz) Free to attend and light bites will be served. For more info, visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com/events or call the NTBC office at (813) 994-8534.
Thursday, September 19, 4 p.m.-6 p.m. — Grand Opening of Downtown I at Avalon Park Wesley Chapel. The community is invited to attend the Grand Opening of Downtown Avalon Park Wesley Chapel (4424 Friendly Way, Wesley Chapel) for a ribbon cutting and to meet the businesses that make up the downtown area’s first building. Free to attend, but reservations are requested. For more info, visit AvalonParkWesleyChapel.com, RSVP to Marketing@AvalonParkGroup.com or see the ad below.
Thursday, September 19, 7 p.m.-10 p.m. –Majesty of Rock, A Tribute to Journey & Styx. At Shops at Wiregrass, Center Stage. Grab your lawn chair and get ready to dance. Free to attend, but please no outside alcohol or coolers. Lawn chairs and blankets are recommended. For more info, visit TheShopsatWiregrass.com.
Friday & Saturday, September 20-21, 7 p.m. — Powerstories presents “Celebrate the Power of the Arts.” At the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (8550 Hunters Village Rd.). For more information, see the story on pg. 24.
Friday, September 20, 7 p.m.-9 p.m. – Karaoke Night. At The Shops at Wiregrass Center Stage. Visitors can rock out to their favorite songs and listeners can grab some light bites from nearby eateries. Free to attend, but please no outside alcohol or coolers. Lawn chairs and blankets are recommended. For info, visit TheShopsatWiregrass.com.
Friday, September 20, 7 p.m.-11 p.m. – Nico Brown Productions presents Keeping it Country w/ Crossfire Creek. At The KRATE at the Grove container park (5817 Wesley Grove Blvd.). Tickets cost $5 for Advanced General Admission (available online until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19). Presale tickets are non-refundable. Admission @ the door & online the day of is $10; kids 12 & under are free. Tickets are limited & once capacity is reached, there will be no more entries. For more info, search “Nico Brown Productions” on Facebook.
Saturday, September 21, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. – Fresh Market at Wiregrass. Along Paseo Dr. at The Shops At Wiregrass. Discover the vibrant atmosphere of The Fresh Market at Wiregrass, boasting a diverse array of more than 50 vendors, in the heart of the shopping center. Locally grown produce, plants, fresh herbs, hand-crafted art and blooming flowers. Operated by Tampa Bay Markets, Inc. To become a vendor or for more information, visit TampaBayMarkets.com.
Saturday, September 21, 4 p.m.-11p.m. – Nico Brown Productions presents the 2nd Annual Latin Culture Fest. At The KRATE at the Grove container park (5817 Wesley Grove Blvd.). In Honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, with entertainment TBA. Free to attend.
For more information, search “Nico
Sunday, September 22, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. — “Auto & Truck Showcase.” At The Shops at Wiregrass, on Paseo Dr. Stroll along palm treelined Paseo Dr. to check out the area’s best cars and trucks, while enjoying live music, family activities, shopping and 30+ eateries to choose from for a quick bite, brunch, or sit-down dining. Trophies will be awarded to all makes, models, and vintages. Brought to you by Unhinged International, Florida. To register a vehicle or for more info, visit TheShopsatWiregrass.com.
Monday, September 23, 7 p.m. – New Tampa Democratic Club Monthly Meeting. At New Tampa Regional Library (10001 Cross Creek Blvd.) Special Guest: Hillsborough County Tax Collector, Nancy Millan. For more info, see the
ad below or visit NewTampaDemocrats.com.
Wednesday, September 25, 5 p.m.-10 p.m. – Nico Brown Productions presents 2 Wheelz 1 Love Bike Night. At The KRATE at the Grove container park (5817 Wesley Grove Blvd.). 4, 3, 2 Wheelz 1 Love Bike Night! All are welcome! Sponsored by: Gables Motorsports of Wesley Chapel, The Fran Haasch Law Group & Florida Full Throttle magazine. Free to attend. For more info, search “Nico Brown Productions” on Facebook.
Wednesday, September 25, 6 p.m.-7 p.m. — Medicare Educational Seminar. At the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, (3032 Collier Pkwy.). Many people turning 65 struggle to understand Medicare Part B enrollment. We can help! Call to RSVP (800) 586-4604 or see the Insurance Opportunities ad on pg. 37.
Thursday, September 26, 4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. – Durand Mortgage Group Grand Opening. At 25200 Sawyer Francis Ln. (off Wesley Chapel Blvd.), Ste 130, Lutz. Cocktail social. For more info, visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com/ Events or call (813) 994-8534
Thursday, September 26, 6 p.m.–10 p.m. – Nico Brown Productions presents Jeep Night. At The KRATE at the Grove container park (5817 Wesley Grove Blvd.). KRATE is reserving exclusive parking for ALL Jeep owners. Soundtrack provided by The Legendary DJ Charlie Chase! Latin, hiphop, Caribbean, R&B, freestyle, reggeaton, rock & much, much more. In Partnership with Misfit Jeepers, Jeep Riderz, Los Entertainment, & FL Jeep Connection. Free to attend. For more info search
Brown Productions” on Facebook.
The “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” walk, hosted by BayCare Wesley Chapel Hospital, returns to The Shops at Wiregrass on Oct. 6.
“Nico Brown Productions” on Facebook.
Thursday, September 26, 7 p.m.-10 p.m.
– The Motowners, Tribute to Motown. At The Shops at Wiregrass, Center Stage. Grab your lawn chair and get ready to dance. Free to attend, but please, no outside alcohol or coolers. Lawn chairs and blankets are recommended. For more info, visit TheShopsatWiregrass.com.
Friday, September 27, 4 p.m.-6 p.m. — Final Friday Free Networking Event.. At Top Shelf Sports Lounge (3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd., Wesley Chapel). For more info, visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com/events or call the NTBC office at (813) 994-8534.
Saturday, September 28, 8 p.m. — The Tampa Jazz Club presents “James Suggs: A Miles Davis Tribute). At the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (8550 Hunters Village Rd.). Reserved theater & cabaret seating available. For tickets & more info, see the ad on pg. 20 or visit NewTampaArtsCenter.org.
Sunday, September 29, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. –Williamsburg Tanglewood Club House Market At 28429 Williamsburg Dr., Wesley Chapel. This is a brand new event that has a large number of vendors with local crafts and food. Free to attend.
Friday, October 4, 9 a.m.-10:30 a.m. –Leading Ladies Network. At the North Tampa Bay Chamber’s Wiregrass Office (Signature Workspace Building (28210 Paseo Dr., #190, Wesley Chapel). This Chamber-driven meeting aims to empower and support women in various fields. Speaker TBD. Online registration is required, $15 per person. For more information, visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com/Events or call
the NTBC office (813) 994-8534.
Friday, October 4, 5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
– The Market Elaine. The Village at the Grove (6013 Wesley Grove Blvd., Wesley Chapel). Join us for a delightful evening of shopping, entertainment, and community spirit at The Market Elaine. With a staggering 150 vendors, this event is a shopper’s paradise, offering everything from unique handcrafted goods to delectable treats. Free admission and parking. For more info, visit TheMarketCulture.com.
Sunday, October 6, 7 a.m. – Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Pasco. At The Shops at Wiregrass. Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is a celebration of courage and hope, a movement uniting our community to end breast cancer as we know it, for everyone. The event funds lifesaving breast cancer research and is committed to advancing health equity. For more info visit TheShopsatWiregrass.com.
Thursday, October 10, 4 p.m.-7 p.m. –
Blue Heron Senior Living Community New Expansion Grand Opening. At 5085 Eagleston Blvd, Wesley Chapel. Join Blue Heron for light bites and refreshments in celebration of the expansion of assisted living residence’s Skilled Nursing Dept. For more info, see the story on pg. 26, visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com/Events or call the NTBC office (813) 994-8534.
Friday-Sunday, October 11-13 & October 18-20 – The New Tampa Players Present “Little Shop of Horrors.” At the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (8550 Hunters Village Rd.). The hilarious “horror” musical hit invades the NTPAC stage. For tickets & more info visit NewTampaPlayers.org or see the ad (right).
Marc Price, aka ‘Skippy’ From ‘Family Ties,’ To Visit SideSplitters At The Grove Sept. 27!
By Gary Nager
One of the things I love about my job is that I have gotten to meet — and interview — a little more than my fair share of famous people — from sports celebrities like Pete Sampras, Wade Boggs and the late, great Lee Roy Selmon to entertainers like Tom Petty and actress Kathy Bates to public figures like former Vice-President Mike Pence, General Norman Schwartzkopf and yes, Saddebrook Resort founder Tom Dempsey.
But, I was surprised — and a little starstruck — to receive a phone call a few months ago from Marc Price, the actor, writer and standup comic who played Irwin “Skippy” Handelman on the hit NBC-TV show “Family Ties” from 1982-89. And, while Marc may not be the most famous person I’ve interviewed, his character — the best friend of star Michael J. Fox’s Alex P. Keaton — is someone with whom I felt a kindred spirit. I also was a little nerdy in high school, wore glasses until I finally got contact lenses at age 14 and my closest friends were always smarter and more adept at “getting the girl” than I was.
Our first conversation was very brief, but Marc told me then that he was coming to perform at Sidesplitters at The Grove in Wesley Chapel and would call me again to try to help promote his one-night-only show — which is scheduled for Friday, September 27, at 7 p.m.
And, he was true to his word. Marc called me a few days before we went to press with this issue and we had a great conversation, which was a stroll down memory lane for both of us — as I realized that, when compared with him, I’ve really hardly met anyone.
“My father and mother were both in show business,” Marc told me. “My dad was a ‘Borscht Belt’ comedian in the resorts of the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York from the 1930s through the early ‘80s. He performed under the name ‘Al Bernie’ and he did his stand-up routines frequently on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show.’ ‘The Mike Douglas Show’ and ‘Merv Griffin.’ My mom was a night club singer and recording artist who went by the stage name ‘Joy Mann.’”
He adds, “My dad loved show business. My mom hated show business...and she hated my dad.”
His parents split up when Marc was going through his formative years in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and he says he had to make a choice: either stay in New York and live with his mom, “who wanted me to go to Cornell, have a family and follow in the footsteps of my doctor stepfather, that sort of thing. Or, I could move to Hollywood with my dad, hang out at The Comedy Store and try to be in showbiz. So really...my mom’s plan never stood a chance.”
When they moved to California, Marc says, “My dad’s goal was to make it on a sitcom — and that wouldn’t have been absurd ten years before that because they were using people his age in the ‘60s and ‘70s. One of my dad’s best friends was Phil Foster, who played Laverne’s grumpy dad (Frank DeFazio) on ‘Laverne & Shirley.’ So, it wasn’t a crazy idea that my dad could get a part on a sitcom.”
But, he adds, “By the time I moved out there with him, there was a shift on TV sitcoms to only young people who would become big stars. ‘Family Ties’ was a great example of that — it was about a family but it was really focused on the
kids. And, it was very clear early in the show that he (Fox) was the breakout superstar of the show. And I think we all appreciated it.”
Marc credits Foster for helping him land the part of Skippy.
“Uncle Phil brought me to Paramount Studios one day and asked me, “Do you want to watch how we make ‘Laverne & Shirley’ and ‘Happy Days?’ And I was watching them figuring out how to make that physical comedy work and it just blew my mind.”
Stand-up comic & actor Marc Price today (above left) and as “Skippy” on “Family Ties” (with Michael J. Fox). Price brings his stand-up show to Sidesplitters at The Grove in Wesley Chapel for one night only — Friday, September 27. (Photos are from IJoke.com)
He says he, “always knew I wanted to be a stand-up comedian, but here was this whole new world — acting — and he could see it in my eyes and said, ‘Hey, you wanna come back and watch this all week?’ If any of the security people gives you a hard time, you just tell them that you’re Phil Foster’s nephew.’”
But then, Marc says, “I started wandering around the studio and was on the set of ‘Bosom Buddies’ and Tom Hanks came over to juggle and do his shtick for me. And, it was only a few years later when he was on ‘Family Ties’ (as “Uncle Ned”) on the same set as me. Same thing with ‘Mork & Mindy’ and ‘Taxi.’ I got to watch them all getting made, watched the process.”
Because of that experience, he says, “I’d like to think that a couple of years later, when
I was auditioning for ‘Family Ties,’ I was a lot more comfortable on set than the average 13- or 14-year-old. Sure, I was nervous, but it wasn’t like a complete freak-out. It kind of felt like home.” Marc says that one of the best things about being on the show was watching Fox just explode as a mega-star. “Michael was always super-cool to me and to this day, he remains an inspiration,” he says. “So, we raise money for the Michael J. Fox Foundation at every stop on our tour because I believe that I might not even be on tour if it wasn’t for him. People can go to TeamFox.org if they want to make a donation for a really great cause — Parkinson’s disease research.”
About His Stand-Up Show
Marc says his comedy “follows in the footsteps of my dad. I would hang out backstage at his shows when we lived in New York and I met so many famous comics and actors — including George Burns, Joey Bishop, you know, the old-
school greats, I even pitched Milton Berle a joke before I was 12 that he used in his stand-up act.”
But then, when he and his dad moved to L.A., “There was a Comedy Store near where we lived. This wasn’t the famous Comedy Store on Sunset Blvd., because it was hard for a kid under age 14 to get into, but the one in Westwood, near UCLA, which was for those college kids, so they didn’t serve hard alcohol, just wine, beer and food, and you could get in at any age, like a restaurant.”
He also remembered that when “Family Ties” was on the air, “none of the stand-up guys who went on to become the biggest sitcom and TV stars in history even had a TV show yet — Jerry Seinfeld, Drew Carey, Jay Leno, Paul Reiser and the list goes on. Yes, Seinfeld and Leno were the best-known stand-up comics in the country. And yes, they were famous, but Jay didn’t host ‘The Tonight Show’ yet and Jerry didn’t have a sitcom. And I was working doing stand-up with these guys and they wanted to know about sitcoms, about my (other) world. They gravitated towards me.”
He adds, “And I got to meet and hang out with all of the comics on the circuit at that time — Andrew Dice Clay, Sam Kinison, Tim Allen, Jim Carrey. Jim was a few years older than me but he was the youngest guy working regularly at the Comedy Store. The host the first night I met Jim, my friend Freddy Asparagus, introduced us and said, “Marc, I want you to meet Jim. He’s young, too, but we expect big things from him. So, I guess he was right.”
He says that because his influences in comedy were so varied — from Milton Berle to Sam Kinison — “I don’t think you can say I’m ‘like’ any other stand-up, maybe to my own detriment. I’m not a very specific comedian, I’m kind of all over the place. There are parts of my show that I like
to think are smart and parts that I think are silly. And there are parts that are crazy, wacky, jokey, and there are parts where I deal with my true life and things that are very real to me. It’s like what some people say about the weather — if you don’t like something, wait a few minutes and it’ll change.”
Marc did just a little of his act for me. “I love Florida because I live in L.A., where when you’re in your 50s, you’re a dinosaur. But then, I go to Florida and I hear, ‘Oh...spring chicken.’”
He admits he also enjoys a lot of today’s young comics, “Even though none of them know who I am.” When I mentioned that I just saw Taylor Tomlinson in Vegas, he said, “I’ve been trying to get on that show she does — ‘After Midnight’ — because they mix it up. They actually have folks from my world on it, too.”
In fact, he says, “I was actually on CBS in that exact time slot — 12:30 weeknights — but for only one week. It was when Pat Sajak was an epic failure as the big competition for Johnny Carson. So then, they tried something different called ‘The Midnight Hour,’ where they had a different host each week for eleven weeks as a summer replacement. One of those hosts was Bill Maher, and CBS should have picked him up, but they missed on him. And then, I got the eleventh — and final — week, at about age 19. When those shows aired, we were up against David Letterman. At the end of my week, the network executives asked me, ‘What do you think of this David Letterman?’ And I said, ‘Are you kidding? He’s amazing!’ So, I like to think that I got him that job.”
For tickets to see Marc Price at Sidesplitters at The Grove (6333 Wesley Grove Blvd., in the B&B Theaters, Theater #7), visit SideSplittersComedy.com or call (813) 723-2170. For more info about Marc Price, visit IJoke.com.
‘Charlie Brown’ Is A Hit For Ampersand!
Ampersand Theatre, which offers stage productions that are performed and produced by adults with disabilities, with the guidance of artistic mentors, just completed a two-show run of the musical “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC).
Ampersand productions are created in conjunction with the New Tampa Players (NTP) theatre troupe, which helps these talented adults learn about acting, choreography, music, lighting, sound, costumes, set design and even marketing and working at the Box Office.
NTP producing artistic director Nora Paine (right) said she was proud to be affiliated with Ampersand as she introduced “Charlie Brown” and the entire Ampersand “Peanuts” gang — including Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, Peppermint Patty, et al., to appre-
ciative, impressed audiences at NTPAC. Next up for the Players are performances of “Little Shop of Horrors” at NTPAC Oct. 11-13 & 18-20. For tickets and more info, visit or see the ad below. — GN, photos by Charmaine George
Former ‘Golden Girls,’ ‘Gilmore Girls’ & ‘Roseanne’ Writer Brings New Play To NTPAC
By Gary Nager
You may not know the name Stan Zimmerman, but if you’ve ever watched an episode of “The Golden Girls,” “Gilmore Girls” or “Roseanne,” you may already know his work.
But, whether you know his name or not, you owe it to yourself to check out Zimmerman’s original play, “right before I go,” in which he also acts as the narrator.
Zimmerman’s play about suicide notes will be performed at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC, 5850 Hunters Village Rd.) on Friday and Saturday, September 20-21, 7 p.m., by Powerstories, “a nonprofit professional theatre troupe whose mission is to stage true stories to open minds and hearts and inspire action worldwide.” Powerstories will “Celebrate the Power of the Arts” throughout the weekend, which also will include an art display, raffles, appetizers, staged reading, talkback, celebrity meet & greet and live music.
Zimmerman, who also has directed many plays, says “right before i go” itself is “only about an hour long” and that there will be a half-hour sit-down with a mental health professional following the performance. A portion of the ticket sales will be donated to the Crisis Center of Hillsborough. Also scheduled to be readers are chief meteorologist Denis Phillips and anchor Wendy Ryan of ABC Action News Tampa Bay.
“I feel that with this piece, the audience will need to talk about it afterwards,” Zimmerman says. “It’s really about starting a discus-
sion. I’ve found that after the show, people want to talk about it with total strangers on the street or friends and family.”
Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW) had this to say about the play: “Stan Zimmerman brings to life the last words written in letters by individuals lost to suicide — including celebrities, veterans, kids that were bullied, LGBTQ and the clinically depressed — and those who have survived suicide attempts. Since its acclaimed first performance at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in 2015, the play
has traveled across the country, raising awareness and offering hope for suicide prevention.”
Zimmerman, who says he was mercilessly bullied and regularly spit on in 7th, 8th and 9th grade, admits that he would go home and “visualize taking my own life” many times.
In an interview on YouTube, he said, “I don’t suffer from depression, but if I did, and had those feelings [of suicide], I honestly don’t know if I’d be here today.”
But then, in 2012, “I was one of a couple of people who received a suicide note from a very
good friend of mine named Kevin, who took his own life. I started Googling ‘suicide notes’ and had an idea to use my craft to put what I found into a play, with actors reading the suicide notes in order to help raise awareness and prevention for suicide.”
With his career predominantly as a comedy writer, Zimmerman says he really scoured the internet in order to try to find a “funny” suicide note, “but what I found is that there really wasn’t one. Some of them were lighter, and that some people will laugh or giggle, but that may be nervous laughter. But, this is a very important moment in anyone’s life when they decide to do this.”
He says that when the play was first performed at the Fringe Festival, “the tendency for the actors was to play the result, you know, where this was going. And I had to remind them that there’s an urgency to these notes. These people that wrote these notes needed to get this out [because] they weren’t being heard and they had to tell people what they felt inside. And I think that’s why they’re all so powerful.” The subtitle of “right before i go” is “Destigmatizing Suicide.”
As for how he approached writing “right before i go,” Zimmerman says, “I wanted this to be sort of like ‘The Vagina Monologues,’ in that it would be something that would be easily performed and wouldn’t take a lot of rehearsal, so theatre companies, when they did this piece, they could rehearse it for a couple
of hours or a couple of days and interpret it any way they wanted.”
He also says that it just came to him “how the structure needed to be and how to group the notes to tell the story.”
Meanwhile, Zimmerman says that although he has made a career of writing, his first love was acting, and he started his career in the theatre program at New York University.
And, even though he didn’t originally intend to be the play’s narrator, “When I did the first table read in my living room with friends of mine, a lot of them said, ‘You’re a writer, you need to put yourself in this piece.’
That’s when I started writing a lot more in between. And, they said they wanted hope, so that’s when I started putting a lot of stuff about hope at the end.”
An Illustrious Career
Although Zimmerman and his long-time writing partner James Berg were never the head writers on “The Golden Girls,” “Gilmore Girls” or “Roseanne,” the Zimmerman/Berg team did write multiple episodes for all three and were able to capitalize on those successes (and others) with many other writing credits.
In addition, while they also didn’t receive writing credits for the original script of “The Brady Bunch Movie” (and weren’t happy about it), the team was hired by the film’s director Betty Thomas to do rewrites of the original script, and the movie became a hit. Zimmerman and Berg would then get full writing credits for “A Very Brady Sequel,” which also became a hit in 1996.
And, while none of the other TV series the pair wrote for — including the TV adaptation of the hit movie “Fame,” as well as “Just Our Luck,” “Pauly” and “Rita Rocks,” to name just a few — became monster hits, they also were hired as “term writers” for other series, most notably “The Nanny.”
Their work won the team two Writers Guild of America award nominations — for the “Rose’s Mother” episode of “The Golden Girls” and the infamous “Lesbian Kiss” episode of “Roseanne.”
Zimmerman and Berg also were the writers for “Ladies of the ‘80s: A Divas Christmas,”
and
i go” at NTPAC and will have a “talkback” session following the play. (Photo: Screenshot from YouTube) a 2023 TV Christmas comedy starring some of the most famous TV divas of the ‘80s — Loni Anderson (“WKRP in Cincinnati”), Morgan Fairchild (“Flamingo Road” and “Falcon’s Crest”), Linda Gray (“Dallas”), Donna Mills (“Knots Landing”) and Nicollette Sheridan (also “Knots Landing” and later, “Desperate Housewives”).
Also last year, Indian River Publishing (an independent book publishing company distributed by Simon & Schuster) published Zimmerman’s book The Girls: from Golden to Gilmore, subtitled “Stories about all the wonderful women I’ve worked with...” (Note-He says that the words that come after the ellipsis are “and Roseanne,” although the book cover doesn’t say it.)
The book tells Zimmerman’s true story as a TV and film writer and yes, all of the wonderful women he and Berg worked with together. I’ve read several chapters of my copy, which I will ask Stan to autograph when I meet him next month. It’s a great read.
Editor’s note — Although I also interviewed him on the phone, most of the direct quotes in this article came from the YouTube video “Playwright Stan Zimmerman Discusses Right Before I Go.” And, the information about his early life and career came from The Girls. For tickets ($40-$100) to the performances of “right before i go,” scan the QR code on the ad on pg. 24 or visit bit.ly/ NNCelebration or Powerstories.com.
Writer, director, playwright
actor Stan Zimmerman will be the narrator for “right before
Blue Heron Senior Living Gets Ready To Expand Skilled Nursing Department
By Celeste McLaughlin Neighborhood News Correspondent
Blue Heron Senior Living, located on Eagleston Blvd. off Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Seven Oaks (near the new BayCare Wesley Chapel Hospital) is home to four distinct lifestyle communities.
Community relations director Lilly Gonzalez explains, “We are the only community in the Wesley Chapel or New Tampa area that combines assisted living with memory care, skilled rehab and long-term care, all on one campus.”
This allows people to move between areas as needed — whether that means aging in place in a move from an active assisted living lifestyle to memory care or long-term care, or moving from rehab back to home in assisted living.
Blue Heron’s campus also is expanding, as a long-awaited new wing will be unveiled at a Grand Opening ceremony on Thursday, October 10.
The expansion will add 35 skilled nursing rooms to its existing 106 rooms, bringing the total number of rooms to 141. Each room is private to accommodate one person who is either in long-term care (meaning they need more medical assistance than can be provided in the assisted living facility) or for rehabilitation, which is when someone needs care after leaving the hospital but before returning home.
Edward Ley recently had hip replacement surgery and needed physical therapy before he could return to his home in Lutz. He chose Blue Heron for his rehab care.
“The stay here has been far more than I ever expected,” Edward said. “The facility is great, but
the rehab also has been really, really good.”
He says he’s been so impressed with the quality of care he’s received that, once he’s released to return home and recover with in-home care, he plans to return for outpatient physical therapy.
“I like these people,” he says. “They’re good at what they do.”
Edward says his occupational and physical therapists recognized his love for golf and have worked with him on the facility’s putting green, making the therapy more fun and personal for
him. He says his therapist sometimes even picks him up from his room with a cup of coffee for him in hand.
Executive Director Meagan Kopstad says with the growth in the area and a third hospital being added in Wesley Chapel (Orlando Health Wiregrass Ranch), the need for rehab facilities and long-term care beds is significant. Meagan says she is excited for the new wing to open to accommodate more people who need those facilities.
She’s also happy to have a new partner on
board who is able to give additional attention to the assisted living side of the campus.
In May, Assistant Living Administrator Courtney Dyer joined the team, bringing about 15 years of experience to the community. She was most recently the regional director of operations for a much larger company.
Courtney says that what drew her to want to work at Blue Heron is the company’s care for people, both its residents and staff.
“Our care is above and beyond a typical assistant living facility,” she says. “Our staffing ratios are way better than normal, and the quality of people and their length of employment is well above what’s typical.”
Amenites & Activities
Blue Heron’s assisted living community includes about 100 residents in studio, onebedroom and two-bedroom rental apartments (with no buy-in required). Some of the units have balconies that overlook a courtyard and pond, offering beautiful views.
The main dining area serves up to three chefprepared restaurant-style meals a day to residents. There is a resident exercise room, on-site salon for hair and nail appointments, community games such as BINGO and Bunko, live music, movies in the cinema and transportation provided to go to the local grocery store or to doctor appointments.
The bustling activities are resident Beverly Fleming’s favorite thing about living at Blue Heron. “It’s where the action is,” Beverly says, “and it keeps me busy.”
Beverly also says she enjoys playing games and
(L.-r.) Executive Director Meagan Kopstad, Director of Admissions Melissa McDaniel, Community Relations
Gonzalez and Assisted Living Administrator Courtney Dyer of Blue Heron Senior Living off Bruce B Downs Blvd. in Wesley Chapel invite you to check out the New Tampa & Wesley Chapel area’s only assisted living facility that also offers skilled rehab, long-term care & memory care. (Photo by Charmaine George)
being part of Blue Heron’s resident council, which chooses what activities will be offered for weekly outings. These outings could be shopping, a meal in a restaurant, or to go see a play. The group visited a winery recently, and loved it so much that they plan to go back. Beverly also got to attend her first major league baseball game — to see the Tampa Bay Rays play — and tried to take in the whole experience, including eating hot dogs in the stadium.
Beverly says new experiences that might feel overwhelming are more comfortable with the Blue Heron staff who take them on these trips.
“The people who drive us aren’t just drivers,” Beverly says. “If someone has trouble figuring out a tip or needs help ordering off a menu, they are there to help, and I’m so thankful for them.”
Beverly also serves as a resident ambassador, helping to welcome a new resident to the community, giving them a tour of the building and sitting with them at meals until they get comfortable in their new home.
“We have staff who help with that transition, of course,” Lilly notes, “but it’s nice to have a peer helper from a different perspective.”
For Blue Heron residents with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, the community offers
a separated, secured, but intimate memory care community, which allows those residents to thrive and not be overwhelmed. Offering a smaller home-like environment also ensures these residents receive the personalized attention and programming they deserve.
The Memory Care community provides a supervised neighborhood for residents, while also allowing them to maintain some independence.
For those who already live at Blue Heron, if skilled nursing or long-term care is needed, the transition to that care is seamless. It allows a husband or wife to visit their spouse with just a walk down the hallway when that spouse is in need of additional care — no need for transportation or spending long hours in an unfamiliar facility.
For residents such as Beverly, Blue Heron is a place of joy that keeps her active and fulfilled.
“This is a beautiful place, a lovely place to be,” she says, “and they really do take good care of you.”
Blue Heron Senior Living is located at 5071 Eagleston Blvd. in Wesley Chapel, and its hours are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m., and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on the weekends. For more information, call (813) 454-0513, see the ad on page 33 or visit SeniorLivingAtBlueHeron.com.
with balconies, like the spacious one-bedroom unit shown here. (Photo provided by Blue Heron)
The New Tampa Dance Theatre Is Celebrating 30 Years Of Success!
For 30 remarkable years, the New Tampa Dance Theatre (NTDT) on Cross Creek Blvd. (across from the Heritage Isles community) has been a beacon of joy and artistic excellence, nurturing young dancers and helping them discover the transformative power of dance. Whether their students come with dreams of performing on the world’s grandest stages or simply to experience the joy of movement, NTDT is proud to offer a world class, professional and versatile program experience that is truly unmatched in the Tampa Bay area.
NTDT is the largest professional dance training facility in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area. Owner and Artistic Director Dyane Elkins IronWing is in her 30th season of creating dance memories and futures for her students, many of whom have gone on to study dance in college and/ or dance professionally.
“As always, I’m beyond proud of our students,” says Elkins IronWing. “Our dancers become excellent college students, with their impressive time-management skills, perseverance, and creative thinking. As we kick off our 30th Anniversary Celebration, we plan to continue giving back to our community with the ‘Pay It Forward’ program and offering all new students $25 per month tuition for every class!”
Growth Was Inevitable
With the bigger location built in 2006, eleven years after NTDT first opened, Elkins IronWing was off and running, offering smaller class sizes and larger, more varied schedules.
She says NTDT has an even larger pool of students to day, with the ongoing explosive 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 when they discover just how close we are and excited about how quickly they can drive to our facility.”
Not Just For Future Pros!
NTDT caters to both the recreational dance lover (even adults) as well as the devoted pre-professional — and every level in between.
The school’s leveled curriculum offers multiple art forms for students to explore. Through personalized attention and professional expertise, NTDT’s professional faculty strives to provide a positive 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 training, NTDT also offers full programs in creative movement, 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
locker rooms and a large studio space that can accommodate up to 200 people.
Sprung floors provide shock absorption to protect the dancers’ joints and an on-site physical therapist ensures the health of the dancers. NTDT also features a café for a break, meal, or homework.
World-Class Credentials
NTDT has developed a reputation for creating strong, professional dancers with alumni who have moved on to highly respected dance companies, Broadway productions, national tours, and the Walt Disney Company.
Because NTDT students learn to be proficient in multiple art forms, they 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, Cincinnati Ballet and the Boston Ballet.
“Reflecting on 30 years in our community, it’s beyond words the gratitude and love I have for the amazing people who 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 professional dancer to the foundational training
ria DeRenzo, who today is a professional 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 experience grow ing up there,” DeRenzo adds, “but I had no idea how spoiled I was until 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 pursue a career in dance after high school, they can still reach a level of artistry to be accepted into many college dance programs, says Elkins IronWing.
“Believing in yourself, respecting the process of working towards a goal, and having a wellrounded dance education give our students the tools and confidence to continue discovering new passions throughout their lifetimes,” she says.
Participating In Productions
All students have the opportunity to perform in NTDT’s “Spring Production” and — through the studio’s nonprofit partner, the Dance Theatre of Tampa (DTT) — in the winter production of “The Nutcracker (photo)” as well as the “Summer Concert Series,” held in June at the USF Tampa campus.
DTT provides more than 300 free tickets to NTDT’s corporate sponsors, local community supporters, alumni members and students.
New Tampa residents Brian and Trisha Mangan enrolled their daughters Mattie and Mikayla at any early age with NTDT.
“What began as tentative steps has blos-
Every holiday season, Elkins IronWing says local residents look forward to the community’s largest and longest-running interpretation of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet, “The Nutcracker,” now in its 25th DTT Anniversary season. This year, “The Nutcracker” will be performed Friday-Sunday, December 20-22, at
IronWing 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 this 30th Anniversary celebration season ahead of us, we would like to thank all of our trusting and loyal families over the years and organizations that continually
NTDT at 10701 Cross Creek Blvd. For more information and to check out the exciting lineup of Fall 2024 classes, visit NewTampaDanceTheatre.com, call (813) 994-NTDT (6838) or see the ad on page 47 of this issue. You also can follow NTDT on Facebook and Instagram at “New Tampa Dance Theatre.”
Lori Kalaaukahi Of Aloha Nui Counseling Provides Therapy With An ‘Aloha Spirit’
By Celeste McLaughlin Neighborhood News Correspondent
In 2011, Lori Kalaaukahi-Boone was ready to get off the island of Oahu in Hawaii, where she was born, had been raised and lived her whole life. She had been working as a medical assistant and a nurse’s aide, and was struggling with mental health issues. She wanted to explore the world, so she did something unconventional for a single mom in her mid-30s.
Lori enlisted in the Army.
“At 34, I just barely made the age cutoff,” she says. “Growing up on a small island can become claustrophobic, and I felt like I was going in circles.”
She asked her parents to care for her two kids, Tihani (then 17) and Ramsay (then 7), and she headed out to boot camp at Fort Jackson, SC. She found herself in basic training with kids just barely older than her older daughter back home, taking orders from people much younger than she was.
After serving four years in the Army, she was living in Tennessee and was able to use GI Bill benefits to earn both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Social Work from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville.
At first, she thought she would be a nurse, but she was struggling in the program. Then, a friend who was a social worker told her about his job.
“It just resonated with me, and I knew this is what I needed to do,” she says. “When I changed my program, everything started flowing naturally, and I knew I was supposed to be a therapist.”
She graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in 2018 and her Master’s in 2020. Now, she is
credentialed as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), which means she is qualified to provide services independently.
When she first came to Florida, Lori worked with an agency in Clearwater providing community mental health. She helped people who were homeless and struggling with addiction, as well as many other issues.
But now, this Wesley Chapel resident is
tackling her dream of having her own practice, which she opened in Zephyrhills in July 2023. She provides teens, adults and couples with mental health care via virtual and in-office appointments. She says she named her practice Aloha Nui Counseling Services to embrace her Hawaiian heritage, and what is important to her in her relationships with her clients.
“‘Aloha nui’ means ‘Take good care,’ or ‘Lots
of love,’” she says. “It’s basically our version of southern hospitality.”
She says it’s important to her that she incorporates that spirit with all of her clients.
“In my culture, we’re brought up to help others, love others and care for others,” Lori says. “I wanted to implement that here in my practice.”
EMDR Therapy
Lori says that, as a former soldier herself, she is especially passionate about helping those who have experienced any kind of trauma to process their issues and heal.
One way she does this is a specialized trauma therapy called EMDR, which stands for Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing.
Lori explains that EMDR is a well-known modality that uses eye movements to help people process trauma in a healthy way.
“It helps your brain to process the images in your head in a healthy manner so it doesn’t get stuck,” she says. “It’s almost like how eating too much food can cause it to get stuck, and we start choking. images can get stuck in our brains, too.”
She says EMDR puts a patient into a similar state to REM (rapid eye movement, a state of deep sleep) and she installs positive cognitions to help her patients process their trauma.
“Once it’s completed,” she says, “you still have these images, but it’s no longer accompanied by heavy emotions.”
Lori has completed 60 hours of training to be qualified to practice this modality. She also has used it under supervision to complete her training,
Licensed Clinical Social Worker Lori Kalaaukahi-Boone specializes in mental health therapy for teens, adults & couples. Her office is in Zephyrhills, but she also offers Telehealth appointments. (Photos by Charmaine George)
so she is well qualified to help those who need to work through traumatic issues and find healing from those difficult events or times of their lives.
Lori definitely also has a heart for those who have served in the military, as not only a veteran herself, but also as the daughter of a veteran, and now the spouse of a veteran, too.
When Lori was stationed and living in Tennessee, her parents loved to visit her there. She says it was her father who inspired her to join the Army. She knew it would “knock his socks off” for her to join, after his own 36-year military career. With the low prices relative to the cost of living in Hawaii, and the southern hospitality that reminded them of home, they relocated to Tennessee.
Lori’s husband Barry Boone is retired from the Army and brought the family to Florida to work as a military recruiter. Tihani now lives in Hawaii, where she is married with four daughters. She is a nurse who earned her Bachelor’s degree in 2020, the same year her mom got her Master’s.
Ramsay still lives with Lori’s parents in Tennessee and is in school to become a fashion designer, and her 12-year-old daughter Teveah is
home-schooled. Barry has three adult children of his own, as well.
With all of her experience raising children, as a single mom and as part of a blended family, she feels she has no problem relating to adolescents and understands what they’re going through.
She encourages teenagers who are struggling or parents who see their children suffering from mental health issues to reach out to her.
“It’s okay to not be okay,” Lori says. “Mental health is not something to be afraid of. Let’s normalize mental issues in the same way medical issues are normalized.”
Aloha Nui Counseling offers a free initial consultation. While Lori is happy to see patients in person at her office in Zephyrhills, she also offers Telehealth appointments for anyone who prefers to meet that way.
She works with clients who have insurance to pay the cost of counseling and those who self-pay.
Bonita Ashe, a colleague of Lori’s who is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, says the following about Lori, which was published on Lori’s profile at PsychologyToday.com.
“Lori has an authentic style and warm demeanor and she will immediately calm an anxious spirit,” Bonita says. “If you need a kind and compassionate therapist, your search ends here. Lori is EMDR trained and a therapist I would trust with any client.”
To schedule a free consultation, call Lori at (808) 342-1042, email her at LLorik808@ gmail.com, or visit AlohaNuiService.com. Aloha Nui Counseling is located at 5344 9th St., Suite 105, in downtown Zephyrhills, and appointments are offered in person or via Telehealth. For more information, see the ad on page 45.
Stitching Together A Unique Legacy — Meet Kathy Gillespie Of ‘Stitch Happens’
By Iris Vitelli
Neighborhood News Correspondent
Kathy Gillespie never imagined her life would take such a creative turn. She began her journey as a skilled seamstress, crafting parachutes with precision and care. Kathy explained that alongside her late husband, Rob Jones, she “co-owned Morpheus Technologies, a business that combined our passion for skydiving with the art of making parachutes.” Together, they built a life filled with adventure and hard work. “But, when Rob passed away,” Kathy says, “I found myself at a crossroads, uncertain about the future of the business.”
As time went on, she began to feel the weight of her loss and the reality of aging. “I wasn’t sure,” she explains, “if I wanted to continue running Morpheus Technologies full time, especially since I knew I wouldn’t be jumping out of planes as often as before.” Little did she know that a new passion was just around the corner, waiting for her to take a different kind of leap.
In 2011, the couple who owned the business that embroidered their parachutes had mentioned that they were thinking about retiring. The couple asked Kathy if she would be interested in purchasing the business. “This sparked many thoughts” Kathy says. “What if I took over the business and ventured into the world of embroidery?” It was a big decision, and it took her a year to think it through. But, in 2012, she decided to take the plunge and purchase the business.
Kathy was now the proud owner of both Morpheus Technologies and a new company.
“I wanted to give this new company a name that people would remember and smile,” she says. “I thought about it for a while and finally came up with the perfect name: ‘Stitch Happens.’” It is playful, catchy and a little bit cheeky, a perfect reflection of Kathy’s personality.
Although Kathy still makes parachutes, Stitch Happens quickly became her focus.
“The business offers more than just embroidery,” Kathy explains. “We also provide silk screening and a variety of other services.” She can make just about anything you can think of — shirts, hats, scrubs, personalized backpacks, pens, team uniforms, magnets, stickers and even dog collars. “If you can dream it, I can stitch it.” she says.
Business Branding, Too
One of Kathy’s favorite things about her work is helping companies promote their brands. “I especially enjoy working with the medical
industry, creating custom scrubs for healthcare professionals,” she says. “Two of my clients are AdventHealth and Florida Medical Clinic.”
But, what really sets Stitch Happens apart from other companies is Kathy’s commitment to building personal relationships with customers.
“I don’t just take orders,” Kathy says, “I collaborate with my clients, and help them refine their ideas and create the perfect design. My custom ers know they can count on me to be creative and add that special touch that makes their products stand out.”
She recently created promotion al items for Black Sheep Restaurant in Lutz, including shirts for the restaurant’s anniversary celebration.
“Helping people grow their businesses through branding is something I find deeply rewarding,” she says “I love hearing back from them and knowing I was a part of their success story.”
Building relationships with her customers is at the heart of Kathy’s business philosophy. She knows that even a small job can lead to bigger opportunities down the road. For example, she might start by creating a personalized item for a newborn baby and as the child grows, she continues to provide items like embroidered backpacks and school uniforms.
“Over time, these small connections grow into lasting partnerships that I cherish,” she says.
And, Kathy’s customers rave about her services, too, giving her a 4.8-out-of-5-star overall rating on Google. Here is just one of those raves:
“We at Crown Insurance Group have been working with Kathy and Stitch Happens for over 5 years and she has yet to disappoint. The quality of her work and her attention to detail are second to none, but more importantly, Kathy brings a passion to her work and goes out of her way to ensure customer satisfaction. Stitch Happens has made polo shirts for the entire Crown Insurance Group team, dress shirts and ‘swag,’ including cups, koozies, magnets and table runners, just to name a few. Even when we have given her short timelines to work with, she delivers every time. We regularly receive compliments on everything that Stitch Happens has done for us. So much so, that we refer Stitch Happens constantly and everyone raves about Kathy and Stitch Happens.
Thank you!” — Crown Insurance Group, Inc.
Pet Products & More
Pets are a big part of many people’s lives and Kathy knows just how to make them look special, too. “I offer custom embroidery for dog collars,” she says, “and I create unique designs that pet owners love.” Some collars have playful sayings like, “If you find me, call my Mom,” complete with a phone number, while others simply display the pet’s name.” Kathy enjoys helping her customers come up with just the right words to make their pet’s collars one-of-a-kind.
or messages,” explains Kathy, “creating a beautiful and lasting tribute to loved ones.”
While Stitch Happens does have a website — StitchHappensPromo.com — Kathy says it’s more for inspiration than for shopping. Her site doesn’t have a shopping cart because she prefers to work directly with her customers. The website is a place where people can browse for ideas and once they know what they want, they can reach out to her.
“I take pride in finding the best prices for my customers.” she says, adding that she often searches for local businesses to source products, avoiding extra shipping costs whenever possible.
The holiday season is a busy time for Kathy, especially when it comes to Christmas stockings.
“These personalized items are always in high demand,” she says. “I enjoy creating festive designs
Weddings are another occasion where Kathy’s talents shine — from embroidered bathrobes for the wedding party to personalized ties with messages for the groom — Kathy helps couples add a personal touch to their big day. She can even stitch wedding dates and names inside bridal dresses, creating a hidden keepsake that brides can cherish forever. And, the possibilities don’t stop there, as Kathy’s embroidery has graced everything from menus to initials on glassware, making each wedding truly unique.
In addition to her work with Stitch Happens, Kathy also is an active member of the Main Street Zephyrhills group which organizes events and fund raisers. She has created logos for the group and enjoys giving back to her community. Kathy also has embroidered golf towels and created logos for golf tournaments that support underprivileged children.
Kathy’s motto is “Making Stitch Happen Since 2012.” This sums up her journey perfectly, as she took a leap of faith by leaving behind the parachutes she once made to create something for
(Above) Kathy Gillespie of Stitch Happens can help you create unique Christmas stock ings for your pets (right) and so much more.
(All photos provided by Kathy Gillespie)
Nations Roofing & Construction — A Legacy Of Excellence In Roofing Since 2006
By Iris Vitelli Neighborhood News Correspondent
It doesn’t have to be the middle of hurricane season for you to need to call Nations Roofing & Construction LLC, which has been a beacon of quality in Central Florida’s roofing industry since its inception in 2006.
“We are not storm chasers,” says Jason Morphet, the founder of this family-owned-andoperated business that has become synonymous with top-tier roofing and construction services throughout our region. “We are a local company that provides roofing services to customers year ‘round. Much of our business comes from word of mouth and customer referrals and we are proud we have been able to establish and grow our business here in the communities where we live.”
He adds, however, that, “After a storm, homeowners always want to be careful with companies that are knocking on their doors. Is this company licensed in Florida? Are they insured? Local? Will they be there for you after the work is completed? When doing any kind of roofing work, from a small repair to a new installation, always look for a local company with the proper licenses and insurance.”
In addition, he says, “We do work with homeowners who are in the insurance claim process or have already filed a claim and will work to assist them any way we can. Following a storm or damage to a roof, Nations Roofing & Construction can put tarps over damaged areas, remove downed trees on the roof, provide temporary patches and more.”
Jason’s journey didn’t begin at a construction site. He was raised on a family farm outside of Gainesville, FL, where he learned the value of hard work from his grandfather.
“My grandfather taught me that no job is too small and no effort too great when it comes to doing things the right way,” he says, adding that these lessons shaped his approach to business, laying the foundation for Nations Roofing & Construction. Jason has built a company grounded in the principles of quality, customer satisfaction and a strong work ethic.
Nations Roofing & Construction, with its team of dedicated employees, offers a wide range of services to meet the needs of both residential
high-quality roof installation for our customers,” Jason says. The company’s attention to detail and use of premium materials guarantee that your roof that will be both durable and aesthetically pleasing.
Jason explains that Nations Roofing & Construction has received the CertainTeed Certification — Master Craftsman Certified SELECT ShingleMaster.
The SELECT designation means Nations Roofing & Construc tion can offer homeowners a 25-year labor and materials warranty backed by the manufacturer. Having this certification gives Jason’s company the ability to provide extra warranty coverage from the manufacturer to the homeowner that other companies are not able to provide.
“Roofing contractors bestowed with the CertainTeed Certified SELECT ShingleMaster Installer designation are among the top 1 percent of all roofers nationwide,” Jason says.
A new shingle roof in Florida typically lasts 18-20 years, but Jason says, “The usual lifespan of a roof mainly depends on the workmanship of the installers and the materials used,” he says. “Roofs mostly fail before the end of their lifespans due to poor workman ship. Tile and metal roofs can last up to 40 years or longer provided that they are installed properly.”
He adds that, “Nations Roofing & Construction employs 25-30 employees at any given time. We have a dedicated team of professionals, from our crews to our office staff. Many of our employees have been with the company for years. They have a wealth of experience and a deep com mitment to their work. And of course, our team is fully licensed, giving clients peace of mind that their homes are in safe hands.”
The company also does a lot of work for housing authorities in all of the surrounding coun ties and municipalities, as well as popular food & retail chains, etc.
Other roofing services also are available from Nations Roofing & Construction, including a large service department that focuses on repairs,
(Above) Jason & Ayleen Morphet, and their daughters Lily & Ellis of Nations Roofing & Construction — a nearly 20-year-old, family-owned business that can take care of any roofing needs you have for your home or business.
(Photo above by Charmaine George; all other photos on these pages provided by Jason Morphet)
(Middle photos) Jason gives a lot of credit for the success of Nations Roofing & Construction to his outstanding team of roofing professionals, as well as always having the heavy equipment needed to get the job done right.. (Above) No matter how oddly shaped the roof of your home or business may be, Nations Roofing & Construction can give it a whole new look.
Other Services, Too
But, roofing is just the beginning. Nations Roofing & Construction also offers a range of additional construction services. “Proper gutter installation,” Jason says, “is crucial for protecting a home’s foundation.” He adds that his team ensures that water is effectively channeled away from the structure, preventing potential damage.
The company also specializes in soffit and fascia work, which plays a vital role in protecting the home or business. Jason explains, “In addition to protecting the roof, the soffit and fascia also enhance a home’s overall appearance.”
Nations Roofing & Construction also provides quality siding for homes. And, for homes with chimneys that need attention, the company can rebuild and repair them, ensuring that they function safely and efficiently.
And, in keeping with the growing trend towards renewable energy, Nations Roofing & Construction also is proud to offer solar panel installation services.
“One thing that sets Nations Roofing & Construction apart is our personalized approach to each project,” Jason emphasizes. “We believe in building relationships with our clients, understanding their unique needs and providing tailored solutions.” He often visits job sites himself to ensure that the work meets the company’s high standards and to address any concerns his clients might have.
Together with his wife, Ayleen, a teacher in Pasco County, and their two daughters, Lily and Ellis, Nations Roofing & Construction also is deeply involved in giving back to the community. The company sponsors and donates to Pasco
celebrate their children’s “Student of the Month” awards and more.
Jason attributes the success of Nations Roofing & Construction to the company’s outstanding staffers that help keep the operation running.
Headed up by office manager Kristie Eager, production coordinator Renee Jackson, head of residential sales Dan Rutherford and head of the commercial roofing division Dan Bonebrake.
“Not to mention the backbone of the company — the roofing foreman Dino, Diego, Alberto, Geo, Zeb, Aiden and Jimmy, who keep production moving on a daily basis,” Jason says.
Nations Roofing & Construction has a 4.8star out of 5 overall rating on Google, with many
Whether due to storm damage or age, when your home needs a new roof, call Nations Roofing & Construction. glowing 5-star reviews. Here is just one of those:
“Nations Roofing and ALL of the personnel who worked on our new replacement roof were professional. It started with an informative and timely quote by Kristie. Communication was prevalent throughout the entire process. The work crew was very polite and attentive to the plants in and around our house. Everyone was on time as scheduled. Even though there is inflation in these times, we felt the value of paying for everything as specified reflected on the honesty and integrity of the company. There
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were no surprises! We are very satisfied with the new roof and the quality of the work. We highly recommend Nations Roofing.” — Joe C
For more information or to inquire about available services, readers can contact Nations Roofing & Construction LLC at (813) 5318500, visit NationsRoofingCompany.com or see the ad on pg. 17. Whether it’s a roofing job or a full-scale construction project, you can trust Nations Roofing & Construction to deliver excellence, integrity and quality every time.
Your CBD Store Of New Tampa Still Has Delta & Keeps Adding New Products!
Located in the Pebble Creek Collection on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., Your CBD Store of New Tampa has calming blue-grey walls, greenery throughout the store, comfortable seating and an expansive, open layout. With informational displays and posters, exceptional customer support, and product knowledge, the husband-and-wife team of David Calcador and Debra Curler make you feel immediately at home.
David & Debra opened their Your CBD Store franchise location in November 2019 and it has thrived through the pandemic, thanks to the dedication of these two New Tampa residents. “When customers come in, we ask them what they know about CBD,” Debra says. “Some are well-educated and we walk the others through the store and introduce and educate them about our product line. We find out what their problems are health-wise. Are they in pain? Are they having problems sleeping? Do they need energy? We need to know what is happening in their bodies to help direct them to the proper products.”
Your CBD Store is a holistic boutique providing USDA organic and carcinogen-free oral and topical SunMed CBD products for customers and their pets. At Debra and David’s store, CBD comes in both flavored and flavorless tinctures, oils, pills, gummies, weight-loss products, as well as a skincare line, bath bombs, lotions, massage oils, pain creams and products for dogs and cats.
Unlike marijuana, Your CBD Store offers broad-spectrum CBD products that have zero THC, as well as full-spectrum products with the 0.3 legal limit of THC that contain all cannabinoids (CBD and THC), terpenes, or flavonoids.
With anti-inflammatory and other health effects, flavonoids are plant compounds that
give plants their colors and flavors. Flavonoids work with cannabinoids and terpenes, which are naturally occurring compounds in cannabis that shape aroma, taste, colors and therapeutic benefits, to produce the “entourage effect” enhancing their impact. “CBD needs to have terpenes and flavonoids,” David says. “They bond to receptors in your body. Without those, you won’t have the full benefit of CBD.”
doctors who send patients to us because they know the quality is there.”
What’s New?
Debra and David are enthusiastic about their store’s newest products, some of which have been enhanced with more CBD, like their SunMed topical
cream, which is now available in 4,000-milligram strength, while others are brand new.
in a gummy form. People love it. I have a lady who comes in weekly and buys two jars. It helps with aches and pains throughout the body.”
Your CBD Store of New Tampa also sells both “Above” (with Delta 8 THC) and “Beyond” (with Delta 9 THC) by SunMed, both of which are all-natural (non-synthetic). Debra says that although both houses of the State Legislature passed a bill reducing the THC limits in Delta 8 & Delta 9 products, “Thankfully, Governor DeSantis vetoed that bill because Delta 8 and 9 help a lot of people. We’re proud to be able to continue to sell them.”
As some prescriptions can conflict with CBD, Debra and David suggest that if you are taking medications, you should speak with your physician before starting any CBD regimen.
Debra and David says that love educating their customers and clear up misinformation about CBD. Their CBD products won’t get you high, aren’t illegal, won’t make you impaired and you don’t need a Medical Cannabis card to purchase them.
Instead, their products help with anxiety, sleep issues, chronic pain and more.
“Our products are all-natural, organic, and non-addictive, Debra says. “You can buy CBD anywhere — a smoke shop or gas station, even on Amazon — but you don’t want to do that because anything you are putting on your body or in your body, you want to make sure it is good quality. You risk getting a synthetic, damaging product that can harm your health.
David adds, “We’re third-party tested. We have QR codes on everything we sell; you can bring up each product’s lab report. We have referring
“Our topical cream is amazing for isolated pain,” Debra says. “I had a knee replacement years ago, and I had not been able to walk long distances. The product came out in December, and my husband and I were going Christmas shopping, and I could walk the entire mall. It’s been selling off the shelves left and right. We’ve always had 1,000- and 2,000-milligram strengths since we opened, but the 4,000 milligrams is amazing.”
Debra also recommends Neuro, a water-soluble CBD, for pain management. While the store’s original daily oil tincture takes time to work, based on your metabolism and weight, the as-needed, water-soluble Neuro CBD effects are felt more quickly.
“You take the dropper of Neuro and put it in a Dixie cup size of water and drink it,” she says. “It goes into your body within 10 minutes, comes in 900- and 1,800-milligram strengths, and is also
For pet parents, beyond their regular CBD pet treats, chews and tinctures for health and anxiety, Debra recommends another new product — Broad Spectrum Allergy Aid CBD Pet Chews, which have only been in the store for about a month, to help with “hot spots” and seasonal skin allergies.
Debra and David are proud of their store’s Google reviews, which average a 4.9 stars out of 5, based on 170 reviews.
“If you look at our reviews,” Debra says, “you’ll see people love the products and that they’re changing lives.”
Your CBD Store of New Tampa (19651 BBD Blvd. Suite B-1) is open Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and 1 p.m.– 5 p.m. on Sun. Ages 55 or older can save 20% off their purchases. The store also has a bonus system whereby customers accrue points for discounts and free products. Free local delivery/free shipping are available for orders of $100+. For more info, call (813) 9940599 or visit GetSunMed.com.
Your CBD Store of New Tampa in the Pebble Creek Collection now
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 @ 6 PM-7 PM @ Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex 3032 Collier Pkwy., Land O’Lakes ,FL 34639 For more information, call Shaun Fagan @ 816-305-3337 Or visit www.InsOppty.com to schedule a free consultation. Many people turning 65 struggle to understand Medicare Part B enrollment. So, what do Medicare Parts A & B Cover? We can help you with no cost or
We will explain the Part B enrollment process, enrollment periods, the differences between Medicare Advantage & Medicare Supplement Plans, Part D & all the options available to you. CALL TODAY to RSVP @ 800-586-4604
Time Is Running Out To Win FREE Dining In Our 2024 Reader Dining Survey & Contest!
You still have a chance to win FREE dining in this year’s Reader Dining Survey & Contest, but as you’re reading this, there’s only a little more than four weeks left to vote for your favorite eateries in Wesley Chapel & New Tampa!
Here are this year’s categories again!
1) Your Five Favorite (overall) Restaurants in New Tampa (NT)
2) Your Favorite American Restaurant in New Tampa
3) Your Favorite Pizza Place in NT
Those same three categories also appear on the Wesley Chapel ballot on pg. 41 to tell us your Favorites in Wesley Chapel (WC) only.
Both entry forms, however, also include lists of places that ask you to pick your Favorite in New Tampa AND Wesley Chapel, often (but not always) because there aren’t enough in a certain category in just one of our distribution areas. Here are those other categories:
1) You Favorite Mexican Place in NT/ WC
2) Your Favorite Latin (but not Mexican) Restaurant in NT/WC
3) Your Favorite Chinese Place in NT/WC
4) Your Favorite Japanese/Sushi Restaurant in NT & WC
5) Your Favorite Thai or Korean Restaurant in NT/WC
6) Your Favorite Italian Food in NT/WC
7) Your Favorite Greek or Mediterranean Restaurant in NT/WC
8) Your Favorite Indian Place in NT/WC
9) Your Favorite Breakfast Place in NT/WC
9) Your Favorite Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt or Gelato Place in NT/WC
10) Your Favorite Bakery in NT/WC
11) Your Favorite Coffee Shop in NT/WC
We’re providing the lists of places, although we’ve left out the large national and regional chains (with more than 50-60 total locations), because you have to write (or type) the names of your favorites in the spaces provided and we’re pretty sure you know those if they’re your favorite in a category — and yes, you can still include them (we just wish you would focus on local). Fill out as many categories as you like, but please don’t put the same name in every category, because those votes won’t be counted and if a restaurant is on our Wesley Chapel list, your vote won’t count if you write the name of that restaurant in any New Tampa-only spaces and vice-versa.
You can submit both New Tampa & Wesley Chapel ballots without being DQed — and, as always, there is still no purchase of any kind necessary to enter or win a great FREE prize! This year’s Grand Prize is now $200 in FREE dining to the restaurant of your choice anywhere in the Tampa Bay area. There also are prizes of $100 and $50, all chosen at random from among all correctly-filled-out entries received by email or on our NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net website (Note-no U.S. Mail entries will be accepted for this year’s contest!) by Friday, October 18 Good luck! — GN
NEW TAMPA (NT)
My Five Favorite (Overall) Restaurants in NT (Only):
5)__________________________________
American Restaurants (NT Only)
Bayscape Bistro
Burger 21
Cali Tampa Palms
EggTown Breakfast & Lunch
Fat Rabbit Pub
Frammi American Grille & Italian Food
Fresh Kitchen
Hungry Crab Juicy Seafood
Hunter’s Green Country Club
Mr. Dunderbak’s (German & Sandwiches)
Peabody’s Grill & Bar
Provisions Coffee & Kitchen
Stonewood Grill & Tavern
Subs & Such (Livingston Ave.)
Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club
The Bean Bar Co.
The Grill at Morris Bridge
The Wexford Irish Pub
Urban Air Trampoline & Adventure Park
Zio’s NY Bagel & Deli Co.
My Favorite American Restaurant in New Tampa Is______________
Pizza Places (NT Only)
Cali Tampa Palms
Cappy’s Pizzeria
Capri Pizza-N-More
Johnny C’s Italian Eatery
NY Pizza Express (Livingston Ave.)
Peabody’s Grill & Bar
Taste of NY Pizza
Via Italia
Westshore Pizza
My Favorite Pizza Place in New Tampa Is______________
Mexican Restaurants (NT & WC)
Azteca D’Oro
Cantina Mexican Grill
Don Julio’s
Los Vallartas
Señor Tequila
Taco Bus
Taco Son
Tacos el Patron
My Favorite Mexican Restaurant in NT or WC Is_________________
Latin (but not Mexican)
Restaurants (NT & WC)
Arepa Mia
Chamo Bites
Cross Creek Gourmet
Don Pan International Bakery
Hummingbird Jamaican Cuisine
La Creacion Xpress
Las Palmas Latin Grille
Latin Twist Café
Lima Peruvian Cuisine
Macondo Coffee Roasters
Mojo Grill
Mpanitas Restaurant
Pisco Express
Rhythm Pon de Grille (Jamaican)
Rice N Beans Express
Rice N Beans Puerto Rico
My Favorite Latin (but not Mexican)
Restaurant in NT/WC is_______________
Chinese
Restaurants
(NT & WC)
Asian Buffet
China City
China Gourmet
China One
China Wok
Gonna China
Ho King
Hot Wok 88
Ho Wok
Liang’s Bistro Asian Cuisine
New China King
Rain Bistro
Shang Hai
My Favorite Chinese Restaurant in NT or WC Is_____________________
Japanese/Sushi Places (NT/WC)
Asian Buffet
Ato Sushi
Bluefin Sushi
Bonsai Sushi
Crazy Sushi
FJ Express
Ginza Endless Hibachi & Sushi
Ha Long Bay
Hibachi Express
Kobe Japanese Steakhouse
Koizi Endless Hibachi & Sushi Eatery
Michi Ramen
Poké Island Plus
Poké Lulu
Sushi Avenue
Sushi Café
Sushi Haru (Lotte Plaza Market)
Sushi Raw
Tasty Ramen
Thai Lanna & Sushi
Token Ramen & Tea
Tokyo Grill & Sushi
Umu Japanese & Thai
Yamato Japanese Steak House
Zukku-San Sushi Bar & Grill
My Favorite Japanese/Sushi Restaurant in NT or WC Is_________________
Thai/Korean Places
(NT & WC)
Arroy Thai
bb.q chicken (Lotte Plaza Market)
MyungGa Gyo-dong (Lotte Plaza Market)
Ha Long Bay
Jaws Topokki (Lotte Plaza Market)
Palm Thai
SGD Dubo (Lotte Plaza Market)
Thai Lanna
Thai Ruby
My Favorite Thai/Korean Restaurant in NT or WC Is_________________
Italian Restaurants (NT & WC)
365 Caffé Italiano
900º New York Pizza
900º Woodfired Pizza
Amici Pizza
Best NY Pizza
Blush Wine Room
Bosco’s Italian-to-Go
Cali Tampa Palms
Caprese Pizza House
El Pasta & More
Falabella Family Bistro
Frammi American Grille & Italian Food
Fratelli’s Pizza & Café
Johnny C’s Italian Eatery
Mama B’s Pizzeria
Moschella’s Italian Eatery & Market
New York New York Pizza
Pasta di Guy
PizzaMania
Taste of NY Pizza
Via Italia
Westshore Pizza
My Favorite Italian Restaurant in NT or WC Is_________________
Greek/Mediterranean Restaurants (NT & WC)
Acropolis Greek Taverna
Al-Sham Palace
Cafe Zorba
El Prince Mediterranean
Fire Up Halal Grill
Garden Mediterranean Grill
Kabob Café & Grill
Little Greek Fresh Grill
The Hungry Greek
My Favorite Greek/Mediterranean Restaurant in NT or WC Is______________
Indian Restaurants (NT & WC)
Bang-Bang! Bowls
Blush Wine Room
Dosa Hut
Gorkhali Kitchen (Nepalese)
Ice Spice Indian Street Food Café
Indian Street Kitchen
Minerva Indian Restaurant
Namaste Express
Nawabi Hyderabad House
Persis Indian Grill
Saffron Indian Cuisine
Taaza Mart Café
My Favorite Indian Restaurant in NT or WC Is______________________
Breakfast Places (NT & WC)
365 Caffé Italiano
Bayscape Bistro
Brooklyn Water Bagel Co.
Brunchies
EggTown Breakfast & Lunch
Happy Hangar Café
Keke’s Breakfast Café
Macondo Coffee Roasters
Provisions Coffee & Kitchen
The Bean Bar Co.
Tropics (Saddlebrook)
Zio’s NY Bagel & Deli
My Favorite Breakfast Place in NT or WC Is_________________
Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt/Gelato
Shops (NT & WC)
35 Below Ice Cream
Astro Ice Cream
Bianco Gelato
Hello Sweetness
Ice Dreammm Shop
Ice Spice Indian Street Food Café
Ice SSScreamin
Le Macaron French Pastries
Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt
Paleta Mia
SubZero Nitrogen Ice Cream
Twistee Treat
You Do The Dishes
My Favorite Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt/ Gelato Shop in NT or WC Is_____________
Bakeries (NT & WC)
Bakery X
Beirut Bakery & Meat Market
Brooklyn Water Bagel Co.
Ice Dreammm Shop
Le Macaron French Pastries
Mediterranean Market
Mochinut Donuts
Nothing Bundt Cakes
The Cake Shop
Urban Sweets
Zio’s NY Bagel & Deli
My Favorite Bakery in NT or WC Is_____________
Coffee Shops (NT & WC)
Bad Ass Coffee
Coffee Latitudes Café
Le Macaron French Pastries
Macondo Coffee Roasters
Provisions Coffee & Kitchen
Raining Berries
Sorbo Coffee
The Bean Bar Co.
You Do The Dishes
My Favorite Coffee Shop in NT or WC Is_____________
Our 2024 Neighborhood News Dining Survey & Contest!
To enter to win up to $200 in FREE dining to the restaurant of your choice, please fill out as many of the spaces on this page as you like — plus all of the information requested on the entry form below — and email a picture of the entire form to us at Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com, with “Dining Contest” in the subject line of the email by Friday, October 18. Or, enter at NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net. No purchase necessary to enter or win, but please see our website for all of the official rules.
Your First & Last Name________________________________________________
Community You Live In (Cross Creek, Tampa Palms, etc.)
Your Daytime Phone Number___________________________________________
Your Valid Email Address_______________________________________________
2000 Piazza Ave Unit 170, Wesley Chapel, FL 33543
Sangria
D’Oro Rita
Our D’Oro Margarita with Monte Alban Reposado Tequila finished off with Gran Gala liqueur. Flavors: Strawberry, Mango, Raspberry & Passion Fruit.
WESLEY CHAPEL
My Five Favorite (Overall) Restaurants in WC (Only):
American Restaurants (WC Only)
Bacon Boss HQ
Bagelicious & More
Bahama Breeze
Bebo’s Cheesesteaks
Brooklyn Water Bagel Co.
Brunchies
Bubba’s 33
Burger Monger
Chick’n Fun
Chuck Lager America’s Tavern
Dempsey’s Too (Saddlebrook)
Dummy Crabby
EggTown Breakfast & Lunch
Flipn’ Fries
Florida Ave. Brewing Co.
Ford’s Garage
Garden Grille (Hilton Garden Inn)
Glory Days Grill
Green Market Café
Grillsmith
Grove Mini-Golf
Mac’s Custom Meats & Deli
Main Event
Marquee Suites (B&B Theatres)
Noble Crust
O’Brien’s Irish Pub
Omari’s Bar & Grill (Lexington Oaks GC)
Palani’s Hawai’i Noodles
Pinchers Crab Shack
PopStroke
Retro Dogs
Rock & Brews
Shake-A-Salad
Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar
Skybox Rooftop Bar (Residence Inn)
The Living Room
The Placery (Hyatt Place Hotel)
Top Shelf Sports Grille (AH Center Ice)
TrebleMakers Dueling Piano Bar
Tropics (Saddlebrook)
Winghouse Bar & Grill
My Favorite American Restaurant in Wesley Chapel Is______________
Pizza Places (WC Only)
900º New York Pizza
900º Woodfired Pizza
Amici Pizza
Best NY Pizza
Blush Wine Room (flatbreads)
Bosco’s Italian-to-Go
Caprese Pizza House
Fratelli’s Pizza & Café
Mama B’s Pizzeria
Moschella’s Italian Eatery & Market
New York New York Pizza
Pasta di Guy (flatbreads)
PizzaMania
My Favorite Pizza Place in Wesley Chapel Is______________
Mexican Restaurants (NT & WC)
Azteca D’Oro
Cantina Mexican Grill
Don Julio’s
Los Vallartas
Señor Tequila
Taco Bus
Taco Son
Tacos el Patron
My Favorite Mexican Restaurant in NT or WC Is_________________
Latin (but not Mexican)
Restaurants (NT & WC)
Arepa Mia
Chamo Bites
Cross Creek Gourmet
Don Pan International Bakery
Hummingbird Jamaican Cuisine
La Creacion Xpress
Las Palmas Latin Grille
Latin Twist Café
Lima Peruvian Cuisine
Macondo Coffee Roasters
Mojo Grill
Mpanitas Restaurant
Pisco Express
Rhythm Pon de Grille (Jamaican)
Rice N Beans Express
Rice N Beans Puerto Rico
My Favorite Latin (but not Mexican)
Restaurant in NT/WC is_______________
Chinese Restaurants (NT & WC)
Asian Buffet
China City China Gourmet
China One
China Wok
Gonna China
Ho King
Hot Wok 88
Ho Wok
Liang’s Bistro Asian Cuisine
New China King
Rain Bistro
Shang Hai
My Favorite Chinese Restaurant in NT or WC Is_____________________
Japanese/Sushi Places (NT/WC)
Asian Buffet
Ato Sushi
Bluefin Sushi
Bonsai Sushi
Crazy Sushi
FJ Express
Ginza Endless Hibachi & Sushi
Ha Long Bay
Hibachi Express
Kobe Japanese Steakhouse
Koizi Endless Hibachi & Sushi Eatery
Michi Ramen
Poké Island Plus
Poké Lulu
Sushi Avenue
Sushi Café
Sushi Haru (Lotte Plaza Market)
Sushi Raw
Tasty Ramen
Thai Lanna
Token Ramen & Tea
Tokyo Grill & Sushi
Umu Japanese & Thai
Yamato Japanese Steak House
Zukku-San Sushi Bar & Grill
My Favorite Japanese/Sushi Restaurant in NT or WC Is_________________
Thai/Korean Places (NT & WC)
Arroy Thai
bb.q chicken (Lotte Plaza Market)
MyungGa Gyo-dong (Lotte Plaza Market)
Ha Long Bay
Jaws Topokki (Lotte Plaza Market)
Palm Thai
SGD Dubo (Lotte Plaza Market)
Thai Lanna
Thai Ruby
My Favorite Thai/Korean Restaurant in NT or WC Is_________________
Italian Restaurants (NT & WC)
365 Caffé Italiano
900º New York Pizza
900º Woodfired Pizza
Amici Pizza
Best NY Pizza
Blush Wine Room
Bosco’s Italian-to-Go
Cali Tampa Palms
Caprese Pizza House
El Pasta & More
Falabella Family Bistro
Frammi American Grille & Italian Food
Fratelli’s Pizza & Café
Johnny C’s Italian Eatery
Mama B’s Pizzeria
Moschella’s Italian Eatery & Market
New York New York Pizza
Pasta di Guy
PizzaMania
Taste of NY Pizza
Via Italia
Westshore Pizza
My Favorite Italian Restaurant in NT or WC Is_________________
Greek/Mediterranean Restaurants (NT & WC)
Acropolis Greek Taverna
Al-Sham Palace
Cafe Zorba
El Prince Mediterranean
Fire Up Halal Grill
Garden Mediterranean Grill
Kabob Café & Grill
Little Greek Fresh Grill
The Hungry Greek
My Favorite Greek/Mediterranean Restaurant in NT or WC Is______________
Indian Restaurants (NT & WC)
Bang-Bang! Bowls
Blush Wine Room
Dosa Hut
Gorkhali Kitchen (Nepalese)
Ice Spice Indian Street Food Café
Indian Street Kitchen
Minerva Indian Restaurant
Namaste Express
Nawabi Hyderabad House
Persis Indian Grill
Saffron Indian Cuisine
Taaza Mart Café
My Favorite Indian Restaurant in NT or WC Is______________________
Breakfast Places (NT & WC)
365 Caffé Italiano
Bayscape Bistro
Brooklyn Water Bagel Co.
Brunchies
EggTown Breakfast & Lunch
Happy Hangar Café
Keke’s Breakfast Café
Macondo Coffee Roasters
Provisions Coffee & Kitchen
The Bean Bar Co.
Tropics (Saddlebrook)
Zio’s NY Bagel & Deli
My Favorite Breakfast Place in NT or WC Is_________________
Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt/Gelato Shops (NT & WC)
35 Below Ice Cream
Astro Ice Cream
Bianco Gelato
Hello Sweetness
Ice Dreammm Shop
Ice Spice Indian Street Food Café
Ice SSScreamin
Le Macaron French Pastries
Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt
Paleta Mia
SubZero Nitrogen Ice Cream
Twistee Treat
You Do The Dishes
My Favorite Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt/ Gelato Shop in NT or WC Is_____________
Bakeries (NT & WC)
Bakery X
Beirut Bakery & Meat Market
Brooklyn Water Bagel Co.
Ice Dreammm Shop
Le Macaron French Pastries
Mediterranean Market
Mochinut Donuts
Nothing Bundt Cakes
The Cake Shop
Urban Sweets
Zio’s NY Bagel & Deli
My Favorite Bakery in NT or WC Is_____________
Coffee Shops (NT & WC)
Bad Ass Coffee
Coffee Latitudes
Le Macaron French Pastries
Macondo Coffee Roasters
Provisions Coffee & Kitchen
Raining Berries
Sorbo Coffee
The Bean Bar Co.
You Do The Dishes
My Favorite Coffee Shop in NT or WC Is_____________
enter to win up to $200 in FREE dining to the restaurant of your choice, please fill out as many of the spaces on this page as you like — plus all of the information requested on the entry form below — and email a picture of the entire form to us at Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com, with “Dining Contest” in the subject line of the email by Friday, October 18. Or, enter at NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net. No purchase necessary to enter or win, but please see our website for all of the official rules.
Valid
The Grill At Morris Bridge Wants To Be Your Football HQ!
By Gary Nager
“This is now the fourth college and pro football season since we opened in 2021,” says The Grill at Morris Bridge owner Frank Gouveia, “and we’re really trying to cater to the local bar crowd that doesn’t want to have to deal with the big crowds and average-at-best food at most sports bars.”
To that end, Frank has expanded his already lower-priced bar menu options to include Nathan’s Famous hot dogs with a variety of toppings, ham and cheese croquettes, zesty meatballs and more.
“My parents sold Nathan’s hot dogs at their restaurant in New Bedford, Massachusetts, as far back as the 1950s,” he says. “So, having Nathan’s hot dogs here is a tribute to them.”
And, they’re delicious, too. I grew up on Na than’s Kosher-style hot dogs at the one-time chain’s second restaurant in Oceanside, Long Island (the original location was, of course, on Coney Island, Brooklyn) and The Grill’s new Coney Island dog with mustard and sauerkraut definitely takes me back to those days, even though Frank serves them with yellow mustard, instead of the brown mustard I was used to — that must also be a Massachusetts thing. But honestly...yum.
The hot dogs also are available with housemade chili and onions and chili, onions and cheese, and are all served with house-made potato chips for just $6.90 apiece or two for $10.90. The chili is chunky, with just a hint of spice and the melted cheese is a great complement.
The super-crispy ham, spicy capicola and cheese croquettes come four to an order for just $9.90 and the white cheddar cheese is fully melted inside. The croquettes are served on top of a thick dip of parmesan, goat cheese, ricotta and parsley. Excellent finger food.
dip in that sauce, try an order of the freshly baked pretzels (just $8.90 per order). They’re nicely crisp outside (as they should be; unlike at most other restaurants) and pillowy soft inside — and even though they’re served with a melted white cheddar dip, Frank won’t throw you out of the place for dipping them in the meatball sauce, too.
And, of course, The Grill’s Bostonstyle bar pizza is already legendary and available with a variety of toppings so you can build your own or try the cutely named options, like the New Bedford (with hot chicken, onions, scallions and spicy peri peri sauce) and the Route 140 (with linguiça sausage, banana peppers
(paprika-braised pulled pork) sliders for $12.90 and a big stuffed quahog (New England clam) for just $7.90. I haven’t yet sampled either of these. But of course, Jannah and I have tried most of The Grill’s full lunch and dinner menu — all of which is available at the bar, too — so if you’re looking for something else when you visit to watch a game or any other reason, you can enjoy everything from the blackened grouper sandwich (and substitute fresh broccoli for the house-made French fries it comes with) to a delicious shaved ribeye sandwich (served with au jus and creamy horseradish sauce for dipping) to what is still New Tampa’s only bone-in tomahawk ribeye steak for two. There’s also true New England-style clam “chowda,” Jannah’s favorite grilled Caesar salad,
Rotisserie Chicl?en & Peruuian Cuisine
There’s even a great Sunday Brunch menu, with spinach & artichoke dip, sautéed mussels, avocado toast, a charcuterie board and a variety of different eggs Benedict options, including braised short rib, salmon, “Southern” and crab cake “Bennys,” as well as a pancakes, Berry Berry French toast, a Nashville hot chicken sandwich, fried or scrambled egg sandwich and much more.
The Grill’s kids menu has mac & cheese, chicken tenders, a smash burger and hot dogs, all for just
And, with New Tampa’s most extensive wine list, plenty of domestic, imported and micro-brewed beers on tap and in bottles and cans and a true craft cocktail selection (Jannah’s favorite is the sparkling French martini), The Grill at Morris Bridge is the perfect place to eat, drink and be merry while watching Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Bucs (above) or your favorite NFL or college teams.
So, don’t just think of The Grill at Morris Bridge for dinner. Check it out for lunch, brunch and weekend football games, too!
The Grill at Morris Bridge (10920 Cross Creek Blvd.) is open Sun., 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Mon., 5 p.m.-9 p.m., 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. on Tue. & Wed., 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. on Thur. & Fri. & 11
•Ozone therapy for oral care
•Recommendation of non-toxic materials
•Sedation dentistry (nitrous oxide) and Sedation
•Invisalign First for children & Invisalign Teen
•Digital
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(release
•Relaxed environment, so your
By Gary Nager
Although it’s only been open a little more than a year, Johnny C’s Italian Eatery, located in the small plaza on Cross Creek Blvd. at Morris Bridge Rd., is already one of our area’s favorite restaurants for New York-style pizza and delicious Italian food.
But lately, co-owner and chef Erik Ravenna says that he’s become more and more passionate about catering — especially as people are starting to think about the upcoming holiday season.
Johnny C’s, named for Erik’s partner Pat Ciaccio’s father Johnny (a long-time restaurateur himself), can accommodate parties and events — on-site or at a remote location — of pretty much any size, which may have something to do with the fact that Erik and Pat also used to work together at Saddlebrook Resort, where large-scale on-site cater ing drove the food and beverage end of the business.
“I really enjoy doing large catering events,” Erik says, “especially events to help people and worthwhile causes.”
As we reported in March of this year, Erik, who also lives in Wesley Chapel, became friends with Cypress Creek High (CCH) principal Carin Hetzler-Nettles because he has coached at the school and helped start its athletic booster club, and has always offered to help the school in any way he can. That included not only hosting an on-site pizza-making class (he now also offers cooking classes for individuals and small groups at the restaurant) for CCH’s Exceptional Student Education (ESE) students, he also recently provided breakfast for 400 CCH students and teachers.
But, Erik also has donated food for New Tampa schools and organizations, including Benito Middle School, Heritage Elementary, and the Breast Cancer Awareness program at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church. In Feb., he also provided dinner for more than 200 special needs teens and young adults for the Tim Tebow Foundation’s “Night to Shine” prom-style celebration, held at Cypress Point Community Church on Morris Bridge Rd.
“I do enjoy helping people whenever I can,” Erik says, “but so many of the people I’ve helped also have also become my customers, whether for a dinner with their families or for a large catering. A lot of the people we’ve served at these events may not have known Johnny C’s before, but they definitely do now. We often also get a banner at the schools we help, so even more people find out who we are and where we’re located.”
When he’s not giving away large amounts of his delicious food for schools and charitable events, Erik still spends most of his days in the kitchen at
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Johnny C’s Italian Eatery — Delicious Food For Dining In Or Catering!
(Above) Try any of Johnny C’s pizzas and ask for the Mike’s Hot Honey to give it a little extra kick. (Below left) The Italian meatballs are a Johnny C’s best seller. (Below right) Catering is a definitely a specialty at Johnny C’s, with everything from great sandwiches to shrimp scampi, chicken parmigiana, garlic knots & so much more available. (Bottom left) Johnny C’s even recently provided breakfast for 400 people at Cypress Creek High in Wesley Chapel. (Top of next page) Co-owner & chef Erik Ravenna puts pizzas in boxes for a catering order. (Below right on next page) Try Johnny C’s hand-piped cannolis with crushed pistachio nuts and/or chocolate chips. (Some photos on these pages are by Charmaine George and Gary Nager; others were provided by Erik Ravenna)
With his New Jersey Italian roots and exten sive cooking training and experience, Erik says that although it was never his goal to run a restaurant, he loves the bustle in Johnny C’s open kitchen when the restaurant has a large weekend crowd and even the quieter times, when he can work on tweaking and perfecting his recipes.
“Our menu hasn’t changed much since we opened,” Erik says, “but I have made minor adjust ments here and there.”
That means Erik is still dusting Johnny C’s pizza crusts with garlic and one of his favorite pizzas — the “Yea, Babe!” — was named after his father-in-law, Grandpa Bill’s favorite saying. The Yea Babe! features pink vodka sauce (instead of traditional red pizza sauce), Italian sausage and mozzarella. The other specialty pizzas on the menu are all named for the five boroughs of New York City, as well as SoHo, but you can get any of the 18 pizza toppings on the menu — from anchovies to sundried tomatoes — on any of the three sizes of pizza and in the calzones. You can even get your pizza made with a gluten-free cauliflower crust, which has become Jannah’s favorite pizza at Johnny C’s, even though she’s not on any kind of gluten-free diet.
And, although none of his specialty pizzas include it, as so many are these days, Erik does also offer Mike’s
pizza they like best.” His fried calamari appetizer also is made with the Mike’s Hot Honey.
And, while Erik offers a lot of different seafood pasta dishes (“partly because I saw that the other Italian places in New Tampa didn’t offer a lot of it”), other than his Linguini Vongolé (with clams, white wine and butter; it’s also offered with marinara), I can’t eat most of them because the dishes have either shrimp, mussels, or both. Even so, he says his shrimp marinara, his two “Fra Diavlo” dishes (literally meaning “Among the Devil” because of their crushed red pepper “heat”) — shrimp Fra Diavlo and “Frutti di Mare (“Fruits of the Sea,” which has shrimp, mussels, clams and calamari) have all proven to be very popular. “But our #1 seafood dish is still our shrimp scampi,” Erik says.
• Scratch Kitchen with Daily Specials
• Brunch Saturdays/Sundays, starting at 11am
• Best Steaks in Town, Hand Cut Daily!
• Slow-Roasted Prime RibAvailable Every Day!
• Happy Hour Every Day (from opening til 7 p.m.)
• Check Out Our‘Wine Down Wednesdays!’
Half-Off Selected Bottles ofWine
(I call them “subs”), including the Italian — with capicola, salami, ham, provolone, tomato, onion, banana peppers and roasted red peppers, plus creamy Italian dressing — and hot grinders like meatball and chicken parm.
Speaking of customer favorites, Erik also says his other top sellers are the Italian meatball appetizer and Momma’s lasagna, but whether you prefer tender chicken or eggplant parmigiana over spaghettini, penne a la vodka, chicken or shrimp Alfredo, ravioli pomodoro or chicken Marsala or piccata, I have no doubt you’ll enjoy Erik’s house-made sauces. They’ve become so popular he also sells the marinara, vodka,
Finish off your meal with delicious handpiped cannolis. I didn’t know I loved them with pistachios until I had them at Johnny C’s. “They’ll make you forget you’re in Pasco County,” Erik said, even though he knows the restaurant is actually located within the City of Tampa limits.
“Wednesday is a Pastability,” when you get a second pasta entrée 1/2-off with the purchase of a pasta entrée, and “Thursday Night Out,” when you can buy one entrée and get the second 1/2-off.
Johnny C’s Italian Eatery (10970 Cross Creek Blvd.) is open for dinner only Mon.-Thur. (4 p.m.-9 p.m.) and for lunch and dinner (11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.) Fri.-Sun. For more info, call (813) 278-8020, visit JohnnyCsItalianEatery.com or see the ad on pg. 53. Your Booster Club also can hold its Spirit Days at the restaurant. Call during business hours for details.
For appointments, call 808.342.1042
Or email: LLorik808@gmail.com
(Above)
Check Out This Spectacular Grand Opening Event At Silversaw Apartments!
By Gary Nager
When Jannah and I moved into the Silversaw Apartments, located on the north side of S.R. 56 (just west of I-75), in the Cypress Creek Town Center North area (next to the Hyatt Place Hotel), we knew we had chosen a great luxury rental community to call home.
What we had no way of knowing, however, was just how spectacularly the Framework Group, LLC, Silversaw’s parent development company, would introduce its residents to this beautiful 300-unit development with 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom
have prepared us for a live artist (below) creating a beautiful painting using the conservation area behind Silversaw’s elegant Amenity Center as the backdrop, three chair massage stations in the on-site Yoga Studio, an electric violinist and “harmonic bowls” providing unique music and a living plant lady (photos on next page) on stilts that totally had me fooled until I saw her smile at Nick’s young daughter (who also was fooled, by the way).
And then, there was the beautiful-looking, delicious food like a full charcuterie table, servers walking around with jumbo shrimp, steak quesa dillas and more and even a “Tart Station” where
Nick Herring, the Executive VP of Framework Group, said that Grand Opening events like these are just his company’s modus operandi for introducing residents to their communities — and for showing the company’s gratitude for choosing a Framework property.
“Our motto is ‘Bigger and better every time,’” Nick says. “Our events coordinator Kat
Cowley does an amazing job of finding different local companies for every event. Every entertainment idea at every opening is provided by a different company. The only thing we’ve repeated is the live artist, as that is always a favorite.”
Nick says that Framework and its contracted management company — Gables Residential — waited until “we had plenty of residents to
celebrate with and we wanted to wait until after Labor Day, so everyone could be here to enjoy it.”
With Silversaw, which first opened to residents in Sept. of last year, now about 75% leased, there certainly were plenty of residents on hand for this event — probably close to 200.
“Silversaw is doing phenomenally well,” Nick says. “Compare our occupancy rate with the other new apartment communities in the Wesley Chapel area and I am confident we’re beating our competition. And, we’re doing so, even though we’re making fewer concessions.”
Even so, Silversaw does offer one month (but
not two months, like several others in the area) of free rent to new residents. Nick says our community is one-of-a-kind and yes, Jannah and I truly love it!
Nick also says that Framework Group is now one of the largest commercial and apartment developers in the Tampa Bay area, with 13 rental properties (all but two in Florida) and more than 3,200 units either in pre-development, lease-up or under construction.
For info, visit FrameworkGroup.net, call (813) 776-4902 or stop by the Silversaw leasing office (at 2990 Citron Gold Blvd., Lutz) any day but Sunday for a tour — and tell them I sent you!
Viva, Las Vegas! The Nagers Travel To ‘Sin City’ To See The Killers & More!
Jannah and I had both been to Las Vegas before, but never together, so when it was announced that one of our favorite live bands — The Killers — was having a residency at Caesar’s Palace in “Sin City,” we knew we had to go see them again, despite the 105º heat.
Frontman Brandon Flowers and his crew (top right photo) did not disappoint. From the Grammy-winning “Mr. Brightside” to more recent hits like “Caution” and “Boy,” it was a great night for us that started with dinner at Peter Luger’s Steakhouse (below), the Brooklyn institution best renowned for its bone-in porterhouse steaks. The reviews say that the Caesar’s Palace version is even better than the original. Maybe...but the meal was amazing.
We also got to see comedian Taylor Tomlinson during her two-night stop on her “Have It All” tour. Taylor, the host of the current TV show “After Midnight,” is known for her views on growing up in a church family and she recently came out as queer. Opening act Zach Noe Towers was super-funny, too.
Our first night in Vegas, we saw Kyle Martin (middle left), who starred in the Billy Joel musical “Movin’ Out” on Broadway, and we loved his show
“Piano Man,” a multimedia tribute performance to both Joel and Elton John. Martin said he recently broke Elvis’ record for the most Vegas shows with more than 650. I can see why — he is awesome.
We also made a visit to the Mob Museum downtown (bottom left), where the history of the mob’s influence in both Vegas and the U.S. (including the JFK assassination), features the recreation of the actual wall where Chicago’s “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” took place. The tour ends with a visit to the museum’s 1920s-style speakeasy.
As for other food we enjoyed, while at the Wynn (one of the most beautiful casinos on the Strip) for Taylor’s set, we ate at a great Japanese place called Mizumi, where we scarfed down Japanese snapper tempura and a king crab hand roll. We closed out our four-day stay with yummy quiche and French toast for brunch at “Mon Ami Gabi” (bottom right), an authentic French bistro in the Paris Casino.
We didn’t get to go to the Sphere (which looks truly amazing from the outside) to see its superpricy “Postcard from Earth” IMAX movie and I didn’t win at the tables, but we had a blast! — GN
Dummy Crabby Opens Third Location In Tampa Palms & More
Back in June, we told you about a new restau rant that opened in the Wesley Chapel Village Mar ket on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. at S.R. 54.
That was the second location of Dummy Crabby, which has already developed a cult fol lowing of sorts for anyone who loves fresh seafood in those boil-in bags, especially the buy-onepound-get-the-second-pound-for-free offer on snow crab legs.
The original Dummy Crabby is located on W. Hillsborough Ave. in Tampa, but there is now a Dummy Crabby III, located in the space at 15317 Amberly Dr. previously occupied by Super Hot Asian & BBQ and by Fushia Asian before that in the Shoppes at Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms.
Like the other links in this growing local chain, the newest Dummy Crabby also offers everything from clams, crawfish, scallops, black and green mussels, shrimp and even lobster tails and king crab legs in their seafood boils., all served with corn on the cob and potatoes. There also is a huge selection of lunch specials and combination meals, daily specials and raw and steamed oysters and wings. “Appetizers” include fried catfish, shrimp, scallops and oysters, three kinds of fries (French, Cajun and sweet potato), as well as a crab cake appetizer, mozzarella sticks and more.
regular price of just $30.95. Dummy Crabby III also serves crisp sweet potato fries, ice cold beer & more.
New Tampa Neighborhood News sent you!.
Shake-A-Salad To Take Over For Island Fin Poké Co.?
And, in addition to soft drinks, there’s also a variety of bottled beers offered.
Dummy Crabby III is open every day from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. (until midnight on Thursdays). For more information, call (813) 447-4465 or visit DummyCrabby.com and tell them that the
In other news, the owners of Shake-A-Salad, the popular salad eatery at the KRATE at The Grove container park in Wesley Chapel, have announced that they are reviewing a lease for the space at 6417 E. County Line Rd. (at BBD) that previously was occupied by Island Fin Poké Co., in the Winn-Dixie-anchored plaza.
We mentioned before that a popular KRATE
might be coming to the Island Fin space, but we couldn’t elaborate because it wasn’t a done deal or announced by the Shake-A-Salad owners (who also have a location on Little Rd. in New Port Richey)...until this recent Facebook post:
“We would love to hear additional feedback from our neighbors in the Chapel and New Tampa, as well as from members of the LA Fitness next door on whether we would be welcomed in this area.”
For more info, call (813) 501-8340 or visit ShakeASaladFL.com. — GN
University Boba Tea House Coming To Palms Connection!
Although it appears to be primarily catering to the USF crowd, the University Boba Tea House, located at 2828 E. Bearss Ave. (just west of BBD Blvd.), in the Palms Connection plaza, looks to be a pretty cool place.
I stumbled upon this stillunder-construction tea room when I went to see if anything had yet been announced coming to the other empty spaces that formerly housed Woodfired Pizza, Bearss Tavern & Tap and Mint Cocktail Club, but no such luck, at least not yet.
A quick search of the UniversityBobaTeaHouseTampa. com website reveals that not only will the new tea house offer 40 different types and flavors of hot and iced teas,as well as coffee, it also will feature a USF student art gallery and different activities every night, from trivia on Tuesdays, karaoke on Thursdays, Open Mic Night on Fridays and Band Night on Saturdays.
Although the exterior signage is already nicely done, a photo taken on Aug. 31 still showed a dirt floor inside, but we’ll keep you posted. — GN.
Tampa
First, of course, there was Chick-fil-A. Then Popeyes. And PDQ. And Chick’n Fun. And King of the Coop. And Zaxby’s. And Slim Chickens. And Chicken Boss.
But now, Celebrity Chef Guy Fieri’s Chicken Guy is expected to open sometime next month on the north side of S.R. 56. Raising Cane’s has started to go vertical on the south side of 56 (next to Rock & Brews). Hangry Joe’s is getting ready to open in the failed King of the Coop location on S.R. 54 in front of The Grove.
And, for those of you who prefer Koreanstyle fried chicken over anything American-made, Sweet Krunch Korean Fried Chicken & Boba will be open in the former location of FJ in the Shoppes at New Tampa at 1832 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (just south of S.R. 56) by the time this issue reaches your mailbox.
(And, for the record, Chicken Boss closed and has been replaced by Indian Street Kitchen).
Of course, when your restaurant boasts the name of the host of “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives,” expectations are likely to be higher than for most
Park, FL, reportedly faced eviction last year for unpaid rent and another in Michigan closed. The good news is that the fast-food joint co-founded by the self-proclaimed “Mayor of Flavortown” has several new additions to its menu, including chopped salad, Buffalo mac & cheese and hot chicken tenders.
At the end of the day, Chicken Guy, Raising Cane’s and Hangry Joe’s are all just (primarily) fried chicken chains, so although I will try them all, anyone who has a slightly different concept is much more likely than the others to get my business on an ongoing basis.
That’s why I plan to be on-site when Sweet Krunch opens on Sept. 12 (which is after this issue goes to press but before it hits mailboxes). I want to see if the fourth Florida Sweet Krunch location — with its parmesan zucchini fries, Korean-style chicken, shrimp or Bulgogi beef teriyaki bowls, Korean-style fried rice and even Japchae (stir-fry Korean glass noodles) — can keep me interested.
For more info, visit SweetKrunchFL.kwick menu.com or the Ballantrae location at 17788 Aprile Dr., Land O’Lakes.
Steak ‘n Shake To Open Sept. 30!
Owner Todd Webb says the long-awaited new Steak n Shake will (finally) open on Monday, September 23, so get ready! For more info, visit SteaknShake.com, stop in at The Palms Car Wash or see the ad below! — GN
If you prefer the original smashed steakburger
Updates On The Bean Shack, A New Brass Tap
Bean Shack Opens At The Mall
With the move of Coffee Latitudes as we reported last issue) to a brick-&-mortar café south of County Line Rd., there’s a new purveyor of coffee in the same kiosk at the Shops at Wiregrass — The Bean Shack (center photo below).
But, it’s not completely new, as Coffee Latitudes owners James and Olga Frank are still supplying their delicious house-roasted coffee to The Bean Shack, which the new owner Ben says has a “beachy” vibe. We hope to update you about everything The Bean Shack has to offer in a future issue.
Congratulations, My Spice Buds!
Congratulations go out to Wesley Chapel resident Bindu Grandhi, the founder & CEO of My Spice Buds, a local familyowned venture that has been spicing up the local culinary scene with all-natural, vibrant hot sauces (Super Mirchi, Fiery Mirchi, and Tangy Mirchi), which stand out in the market for their health-conscious ingredients and exceptional flavors, drawing from cherished family recipes.
My Spice Buds was honored with a “Fulfill Your Destiny” Busi-
passion project. This grant not only validates our vision, it also empowers us to continue innovating and expanding our product offer ings,” including a new spice blend. For more information, visit MySpiceBuds.com.
Sunlake-Area Beef’s Becomes A New Brass Tap!
Congrats also to FSC Franchise Co. CEO Chris Elliott (with scissors in top right photo), Brass Tap GM Kate Tsan and their entire crew at the former Beef O’Brady’s on S.R. 54 in the Sunlake area of Lutz, which was officially rebranded on Aug. 29 as a Brass Tap.
FSC is the parent company of both Beef O’Brady’s & The Brass Tap, which hosted a North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon-cutting event to commemorate the change.
Unfortunately, since we already have a Brass Tap of our own in The Shops at Wiregrass, the closed Beef’s in the nearby Shoppes at New Tampa plaza probably can’t make the same change. — GN
(Above) Bindu Grandhi of My Spice Buds receives her “Fulfill Your Destiny” Business Builder Grant award (left) from Tampa Bay Markets, which puts on the Fresh Market at Wiregrass every other week..
HOME IMPROVEMENT
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DRY WALL SPECIALIST. Not a handyman. Affordable, Quality Work repairing water damage, ceilings & walls, re-texturing, popcorn removal, room addt’ns, cracks, holes, plaster & stucco repair. 30+ years of exp. WC resident. State Certified. Call Ron for a free estimate: 813-784-5999. Lic. #SCC131149699
___TREE SERVICES ___
FITZPATRICK’s TREE SERVICE, INC. 27 yrs of Prof. Svc. Licensed & Insured. Free Estimates. Tree Trimming & Tree Removal. Stump Grinding. Dead-Wood Removal. Affordable Rates. 24-Hour Emergency Storm Service. Free Mulch. Call 813495-9541 or 813-788-TREE.
LAWN & LANDSCAPING_______
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J’S CUTTING EDGE LAWN SERVICE — Over 5 years of quality full lawn care and landscaping services at affordable rates, Including Mowing, Edging, Trimming, Blowing, Cleanups & more. Call or Text 813-842-7753 for your free quote today.
__TRANSPORTATION _
AIRPORT SHUTTLE SVC. C&R Transportation Svcs of Tampa Bay, LLC, is a shuttle service that provides safe & reliable transportation to & from your destinations.• New Tampa Transfer, $69 • Wesley Chapel Transfer, $79 • ZHills Transfer, $89 • Dade City Transfer, $129. Book Online @Crtransportation. org or call (813) 895-7413. Receive a FREE T-shirt w/ every transfer.
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ELITE RIDES. Private rides in a sanitized 2023 Tesla, plus concierge services. Airport, schools, medical appointments, shopping, etc. Courteous, reliable professional. New Tampa to Tampa Int’l Airport - $45 (one way). Cory Lake Isles resident. For more info, call or text 813.765.2037.
REAL ESTATE & OFFICE
SPRING SKIING IN THE ROCKIES? Top Flr Deck w/ beautiful mountain views from a 2 bdrm/2 ba condo. Sleeps 6. Yours to enjoy, Week 17 (last wk in Apr ‘25) for just $500-cheap annual maint. fee of $872 (only $125/day). For details, call 720-838-3551 visit swanmountainresort.com or email geierent@aol.com
Steven Kessel, REALTOR® w/Future Home Realty, Inc., has created just for you, the most advanced, upto-date, user-friendly propty search engine for homes for sale in the Tampa Bay & Central Fla area — & it’s FREE to use & enjoy. BuyYourDreamHome.com.
For Rent — Three BR, fully furnished ground flr condo in Anand Vihar, a beautiful indpndnt living, gated community in the lovely Wesley Chapel area. Beautiful Clubhouse, with gym, swimming pool, game room, auditorium & dining hall. Lunch or dinner meal plans are available If needed. Contact Dinesh @ 716-830-7260
COMPUTER SERVICES ____
PROF’L TECH SUPPORT in your home or small biz. A+ Cert. computer tech w/25 years of exp. Maint. & Repairs, Upgrades & Tutoring. More affordable than chains! Friendly, personal svc. Tech jargon explained. Remote assistance & refs. avail. Call (813) 957-8342 for a free estimate!
DO YOU HATE YOUR COMPUTER?!? WE CAN HELP YOU! Troubleshooting, Installation, Networking & Virus Removal. WE COME TO YOU! Residences & Businesses, more than 25-Years Experience. Contact Jeffrey Blank at 813-973-4507, visit WSICA.COM or email Wsica@wsica.com.
MISCELLANEOUS
Were you self-employed during 2020 and 2021? If so, the IRS is giving out refunds — get your money in only 2 weeks. It takes only 10 minutes to find out how! Call 813-784-2243.
SHARPENING SERVICE. Knives, Scissors & Garden Tools. Prices/Services & Calendar of venues available @ mmsharpening.com. Every Fri, 9am-4pm, Oct 4, 2024 - March 28, 2025. In front of: CROSS CREEK MOBIL MART (10865 Cross Creek Blvd, Tampa). Contact - M&M SHARPENING - Mark Bertsche518-260-5916.
CNA/HHA & Companion. Will provide private care in your home. 25+ years of exp. References available upon request. Call Rhonda at 850-586-1868.
Prof’l Resume Guru & Consulting Services LLC. Ready to unlock your full career potential? At PRG, we specialize in resumes, cover letters, residency statements, editing & much more! Transform your documents into a powerful tool that gets you noticed! Contact us today @ 813-405-5065 or email resume_guru@outlook.com.
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Hughes School of Music accepting new students! Study Saxophone, Piano, Music Production, Composition or Theory w/a Master of Music. Zoom sessions also avail.! Contact us at 813-748-3216.
MISCELLANEOUS (Cont.)
FOR SALE: Brand New, Complete Boy Scout Uniforms for Sale. Boys clothes size 10-14, shoes, plus new roller skates & ice skates. Dishes & many household articles. A 10x30 shed full of flea market items, will sell all very reasonable. Cartop carrier, professional bicycles, kayak, doggie furniture, crates feeder & much more. Call 607-280-7238.
CLEANING SERVICES
ROSE’S CLEANING SERVICE. We make sure your home will be shiny & clean. Whether you need onetime, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly services, we will customize a plan that accommodates your needs. Residential/offices/airBnB,etc. Call or text Roseli for a free estimate anytime: 813 400.4946. Or, email:rrduar@yahoo.com.
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ANA PARRA HOUSE CLEANING SERVICES. Prof’l House Cleaning — Best prices & quality,.Licensed & Insured. Routine, Deep & Move-In/Move-Out cleaning. Serving New Tampa /Lutz/Wesley Chapel & more. Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or special needs. Avail. Mon-Sat. Refs avail. We supply our own cleaning products & equipmt. Call or text for free est: (305) 338-0981.
PURE SHINE CLEANING Office & House Cleaning Services! Carpet cleaning, too! Free estimates. We use our own supplies. Affordable & Reliable. Family-Owned & Operated. Wesley Chapel Resident. Weekly/Bi-Weekly/1-Time Cleaning/Move-In/ Move-Out & Deep-Cleaning Svcs. Serving Wesley Chapel & New Tampa. Call today for a FREE NoObligation Quote: 813-462-1270.
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 813 790-8715 or email patycleaningservice@hotmail.com. CLEANSWEEP CLEANING CO, LLC. Fully licensed/bonded, 8 years exp, satisfaction guarantd. Prof’l staff. On-time. We can bring our own products or use yours, if you prefer. Christian-based, familyowned company that lives in New Tampa, serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel. Call (813) 340-0908 for a no-obligation free quote. Ask for John.
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