Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News, Volume 26, Issue 3, Jan. 12, 2018 by Neighborhood News

Volume 26 Issue 2

Inside: ‘Gary’s Favorite New Restaurants Of 2017!”

January 12, 2018

In Neighborhood Magazine!

Check Out Everything You May Have Missed On WCNT-tv In 2017 (see pages 24-25)! The Direct-Mail News Magazines Serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Since 1993! For the complete list of neighborhoods that receive this publication by direct mail in Wesley Chapel (zip codes 33543, 33544 & 33545), see page 46!

The Ballad of Wild Bill The Trials & Tribulations of Wesley Chapel’s Karaoke Legend

By GARY NAGER

HEN I first met the man I now know as “Wild Bill” Peterseim, he was singing a medley of Elvis tunes at what was then City Grill (it’s now O’Brien’s) in the Wesley Chapel Village Market on S.R. 54. I was just minding my own business, waiting for my turn to sing, when this slim, 70+-year-old man dropped to the floor and banged out at least 40 pushups during a 45-second musical interlude. From that point forward, Wild Bill and an impressed Linda and Bill Peterseim less than a year before she certain publisher and editor passed away, after 46 years of marriage. became friendly, as we are both part of a crowd of regulars who go to O’Brien’s as many Wednesday and Thursday nights as possible to get our regular karaoke fix. Flash forward at least two years. Wild Bill sought me out to tell me that he had a similar experience as something he read about in the Neighborhood News. “I read that story about the lifeguard who saved that girl’s life at the New Tampa YMCA,” he said. “I saved someone’s life the same way last year.” The girl Wild Bill was referring to was an experienced, but young synchronized swimmer who swam so far underwater she lost consciousness. The New Tampa Y lifeguard noticed the girl’s leg twitching uncharacteristically, and just as she started to go down, jumped in and saved her life.

See “Wild Bill” on page 4.

INSIDE

News:

Our Readers Sound Off On The Kinnan-Mansfield Debate Page 15

Business:

A Look At Beach House Assisted Living & Memory Care Pages 20-21

Magazine:

A Recap Of Some Of Our Area’s Interesting People Of 2017 Page 37

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 2 • January 12, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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Florida Orthopaedic Institute Is Our 2017 ‘Advertiser Of The Year!’

An editorial by Gary Nager We have so many wonderful advertisers who continue to support the New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News that I decided a couple of years ago we should name an “Advertiser of the Year” each year. Last year’s winner, Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (see pg. 19) is still throwing lots of support behind both WCNT-tv (more on that below) and our publications, especially our Wesley Chapel edition, and the Florida Hospital Physician Group (see pg. 36) has taken full-page ads in both editions since 2016. My friend Kristy Darragh of Florida Executive Realty hasn’t been off our back page in New Tampa for about 20 years (and Kristy also takes the two-page center spread in New Tampa a couple of times each year) and GL Homes has been promoting its The Ridge at Wiregrass Ranch community in full-page ads in these pages since the community began pre-selling homes in 2015. The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC)’s Board Member of the Year, Karen Tillman-Gosselin of Smith & Associates Realty has been on pg. 2 of every New Tampa issue since March. The Dimmitt Automotive Group has promoted its new Audi Wesley Chapel (pg. 48) dealership in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel for several months before the dealership opened...and the list goes on and on. And, while it’s been hard to pick an Advertiser of the Year who hasn’t been buying full-page ads with us, we are thrilled that most of the assisted living facilities in our area are all buying half-pages — including Discovery Village at Tampa Palms (New Tampa only), The Beach House at Wiregrass Ranch (pg. 31),

Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News Address: 29157 Chapel Park Dr., Suite B Wesley Chapel, FL 33543 Phone: (813) 910-2575 Advertising E-mail: Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Editorial E-mail: EditorialDept@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Publisher & Editor Gary Nager Advertising/Marketing Rep Tom Damico Advertising Sales & Office Assistant Jannah McDonald Assistant Editor / Photographer John C. Cotey Staff Writer Celeste McLaughlin Correspondents Brad Stager • Andy Warrener WCNT-tv Video Production Gavin Olsen • Giuliano Ferrara Graphic Designers Bill Ramsey • Georgia Carmichael Nothing that appears in Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, without permission. Opinions expressed by Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News writers are their own and do not reflect the publisher’s opinion. The deadline for outside editorial submissions and advertisements for Volume 26, Issue 4, of Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News is Monday, January 29. Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News will consider previously non-published outside editorial submissions if they are double spaced, typed and less than 500 words. Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit and/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makes no guarantees regarding publication dates. Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News will not return unsolicited editorial materials. Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit &/or reject any advertising. Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News is not responsible for errors in advertising beyond the actual cost of the advertising space itself, nor for the validity of any claims made by its advertisers.

Specialized Care Available In Wesley Chapel At Florida Orthopaedic Institute SPECIAL TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

It’s been two years since the newest office of Florida Orthopaedic Institute opened in the Shoppes of Wesley Chapel on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., directly across from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC). The staff and doctors at the office are meeting the increasing demand for specialized orthopaedic care that can help the residents of Wesley Chapel, New Tampa and nearby communities stay active. The Board-certified doctors and surgeons at Florida Orthopaedic Institute have been recognized globally for their expertise. Headquartered in North Tampa, the Wesley Chapel office is the tenth for the practice, which has been open for 27 years and now serves patients in or near Bloomingdale, Brandon, Citrus Park, Northdale, Oak Hill/Brooksville, Palm Harbor, South Tampa, Sun City Center, Temple Terrace and Wesley Chapel/New Tampa. The Wesley Chapel office offers physician services, physical therapy and X-rays, with three Board-certified physicians on staff: • Christopher Baker, M.D., a fellowship-trained specialist in sports medicine and shoulder reconstruction; • Brian Palumbo, M.D., who specializes in hip and knee replacement surgery, with a focus on diagnosing and treating hip and knee arthritis, and • Timothy Epting, D.O., orthopaedic foot & ankle surgeon, who focuses on injuries and disorders of the foot and ankle and general orthopaedic conditions. To maintain the highest level of orthopaedic skill, Florida Orthopaedic Institute only employs doctors who have had fellowship training. “This additional training is just part of what sets us apart,” says Dr. Baker, “especially when the sophisticated work of joints is involved. In order to keep our patients active, the precision of the treatment is paramount to success.” Dr. Baker, a partner at Florida Orthopaedic Institute, has been with the group for four years and has practiced in the area for seven. He graduated cum laude with his M.D. degree from the University of Florida in Gainesville and completed his residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. His fellowship at the Steadman Hawkins Clinic of the Carolinas (in Spartanburg, SC) gave him an

You’ll find orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Christopher Baker at Florida Orthopaedic Institute’s Wesley Chapel Office on BBD Blvd., across from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel. extra year of study in sports medicine and shoulder reconstruction, making him the only fellowship-trained shoulder specialist in eastern Pasco County. He also has been very influential in high school athletics, since he assisted in opening the sports medicine programs at Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills high schools. Dr. Baker continues to serve as the team physician for several schools in both Pasco and Hillsborough Counties. He also treats professional athletes and has served as the orthopaedic and sports medicine physician for the Tampa Bay Storm Arena Football League team. In addition to caring for athletes, he also treats patients who have shoulder pain stemming from aging or injury. Many patients avoid shoulder treatment because they are afraid they will need surgery or because of the misconception that pain is a normal part of aging, but Dr. Baker always informs his patients about all available alternatives. “There are a lot of options other than surgery, like physical therapy or cortisone injections,’’ he says. “Our mission is to do what is best for the individual patient.” Even when surgery is necessary, Dr. Baker says he does not go straight to invasive surgical techniques. He uses the latest technologies and says that many repairs are done with an arthroscope to minimize in-

cisions, pain and recovery time. The other doctors at Florida Orthopaedic Institute, like Dr. Palumbo, also believe that minimizing surgical trauma and muscle damage should be a high priority for any surgeon. Speaking of Dr. Palumbo, he served in the Special Operations Command for the U.S. Air Force. He later earned his M.D. degree from the University of South Florida in Tampa, where he also served as a resident in USF’s Department of Orthopedics & Sports Medicine. After that, he

attended Harvard Medical School’s Hip & Knee reconstruction surgical fellowship for one year at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA. Dr. Palumbo specializes in hip and knee arthritis management, joint replacement surgery and the treatment of failed or painful hip and knee joint replacements. He is Board-certified by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, a member of the American Association of Hip & Knee Surgeons, and serves as an assistant professor for the University of South Florida’s Orthopaedic Residency Program. There are several unique aspects to Dr. Palumbo’s orthopaedic practice. He is a proponent of the direct anterior approach (DAA), also known as the frontal approach, for hip replacements. He says this technique minimizes surgical trauma and allows for faster recovery and decreased pain. He explains that, “Rather than cutting through or damaging muscles (with the DAA approach), you’re simply spreading certain muscles to the side, using their natural tissue planes. It’s like opening a window versus breaking through it.” His approach to joint replacement surgery also includes a technique for total knee replacements called Kinematic Knee Alignment. This technique is unique in that the goal of the surgery is to restore the natural position and dynamics of the knee joint, rather than implanting it in an alignment that the surgeon believes is correct. “Conventional total knee arthroplasty implants the knee where the surgeon thinks it belongs, while kinematic alignment implants the knee replacement in a way

Promise Pointe at Tampa Oaks (pg. 26) and The Legacy at Highwoods Preserve (pg. 42). To state the obvious, we have a lot of amazing advertising advertisers, including one who has been advertising in the Neighborhood News since before I took over in 1994 — dentist Dr. Michael Green (pg. 12) — and another, pediatric dentist Dr. Paul Duga (pg. 34) who has been with us for more than 20 years. We’re also always appreciative of our newest advertisers, including (in this issue) Jane Crabtree of Coldwell Banker Real Estate (below), Market Technologies (pg. 19), the North Tampa Law Group (pg. 22), and John S. Wood, CPA (pg. 23); and for returning advertisers who have been out of the publications for a while, like The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce’s annual Kumquat Festival (pg. 17). But this year, I am thrilled to say that the Florida Orthopaedic Institute (FOI) is our 2017 Advertiser of the Year! In addition to running full-page ads in 13 issues every year since 2014 (switching off between our New Tampa and Wesley Chapel issues), FOI (in 2017) added half-page ads in the issues that the fullpage ads haven’t run in to promote the amazing orthopaedic surgeons at the practice’s Wesley Chapel office. We wrote another feature story about those doctors that appeared in our last issue (photo above). And, FOI just renewed its commitment to us for 2018! For more information about Florida Orthopaedic Institute (2653 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Suite 201 (upstairs), visit FloridaOrtho.com, call (813) 305-7775 or see the ad on page 5 and please tell them that you read about them in the Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News! 24

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 25, Issue 25 • December 1, 2017 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

I Miss You, Doug!

I was so saddened to learn of the passing of my long-time friend and New Tampa Players (NTP) theatre troupe co-founder Doug Wall, who lost his ninemonth battle with pancreatic cancer on November 25. I met Doug for lunch shortly after he learned he contracted the disease, but he was so positive and happy about the possibility of his long-awaited New Tampa Cultural Center finally coming to fruition and about NTP’s recent successes that I was certain he was going to beat his illness. I’m heartbroken for his family, and for myself, to have to say I was wrong. Rest in Peace, Doug.

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WCNT-tv Surpasses 500,000 Views & 1 Million Reach!

Fresh off the heels of our recent News Desk segments about a volunteer group helping provide supplies to Puerto Rico (as reported last issue), WCNT-tv — Wesley Chapel & New Tampa Television — has surpassed a total Facebook reach of 1 million people and has now surpassed 500,000 total views on Facebook and YouTube combined. And, to build on that success, we now have

Table of Contents

Local News Updates.....................3-15

Meadow Pointe II Fighting Proposed 7-Eleven......6 First Crystal Lagoon Is Topped Off.........................8 2017 Year In Review: Top New Stories................9 2017 Year In Review: Top Development Stories....10 2017 Year In Review: FHCI Makes Big Impact.....11 2017 Year In Review: Top Traffic Stories..........14 Readers Sound Off Kinnan-Mansfield.................15 Wesley Chapel Community Calendar......................16

Local Business Updates..............20-30

Beach House A First For Wesley Chapel..........20 Small World Pediatrics’ Unique Team Of Doctors...22 Samantha Taylor Helps Women Look Their Best!..26 Spotlight: Fast Track Urgent Care Center.......27 Berkshire Hathaway Understands The Market.........28

Local School & Sports Updates...30-33 2017 Year In Review: Top School Stories................30 2017 Year In Review: Top Development Stories....32

Neighborhood Magazine

Year In Review: The WC’s Interesting People....37, 46 Year In Review: A Banner Year For New Eateries...38 ‘Neighborhood Nibbles & Business Bytes’.........42 New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Classifieds..........44 @NTWCNews

a new Rate Card for not only WCNT-tv, but for combining WCNT-tv and advertising in the Neighborhood News (and on NTNeighborhoodNews.com). In other words, if you’d like to promote your business to the most New Tampa & Wesley Chapel residents, call our sales rep, Tom Damico, at 813.910.2575 or email Tom@ NTNeighborhoodNews.com and ask for our 2018 Neighborhood News & WCNTtv Media Kit and Rate Card. And, please remember to View, Like & Share every episode of WCNT-tv on YouTube and Facebook and to check out our daily news updates on our “Neighborhood News” page on Facebook! Also, see the ad on pgs. 24-25 of this issue, which recaps more than 50 WCNT-tv segments we released in 2017, including viewership!

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 2 • January 12, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

‘Wild Bill’

Continued from page 1

In Bill’s story, a large, 50-something man from India who was visiting a family member in Lexington Oaks — where Bill and his wife Linda (more on her below) have lived since 2013 — in the fall of 2016, also started having body spasms while swimming in one of the community clubhouse’s two conjoined pools. “I don’t think either he or his wife really understood English, but I started calling out to him because I could see he was panicking and now, I could hear him choking,” Bill recalls. “He was in the deep end, but finally got close enough to the wall that I could reach him from behind and even though he outweighed me by at least 50 pounds, I was able to pull him out of the water in one motion.” And, although one or two other people saw him accomplish this heroic feat, Bill attributes what he did to God. A man of great faith, he explained that he was planning to swim his usual at least one mile in the pool that day, but he decided instead to go for his personal record in chin-ups on the monkey bars in the children’s play area at the clubhouse. “If I had gone swimming, I would have been done and out of there long before that man started drowning and he might have died that day,” Bill told me. “But, because I set my personal best of 320 chinups (in an hour and six minutes) that day instead, it took me a lot longer and I just happened to be walking by as the man started flailing. God guided me to put me in just the right place at the right time.”

Heroic From The Start...

Wild Bill — who was nicknamed that by a friend during his early karaoke days, in the 2000s, not his years in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War (he enlisted in the Air Force in 1963) — has a 140+ IQ and was gifted in science at a young age. In fact, he was a 19-yearold civilian Federal Communications Commission (FCC)-certified radar operator who was working at a civilian Top Secret project in rural Maryland in September 1961, shortly after Bill’s 20th birthday and a few months after the Bay of Pigs incident in Cuba (which happened April 17 of that year). It was there that he became the radar operator who was the first to “witness” a Soviet nuclear test that took place in Siberia — literally thousands of miles from that unnamed base. At that time, the range of military radar was known to only be about 250 miles. The amazing thing was — as he says he once told a retired Air Force General — “We were using low-frequency radar, reflecting off multiple layers of the ionosphere, over the north pole and over the central Siberian area, ranging 10 or 11,000 miles. And, the retired general’s jaw just dropped. He had never even heard (that radar could do that).” It was during his time at this base that he was given his Top Secret clearance by the government (very rare for a U.S. civilian) and was watching the radar, when all of a sudden, “I see a single anomaly I had never seen before,” Bill says. “Within a minute, my boss, the radar project manager, and I were on the phone with the President (John F. Kennedy). He said, ‘Mr. President, we have verified that the Russians have just violated the nuclear test moratorium.’ And the last big nuclear arms race was on, until the last major treaty — the new test ban treaty of 1963 — that Kennedy signed before he was assassinated.” Bill then worked with one-megaton nuclear missiles during his time in the Air Force and was thankful they weren’t used during his stint. 4

There’s Always A Girl...

Bill freely admits that he was ten years older than Linda, his beloved wife of 46 years, and he was 30 and she was 20 when they got married. Bill says he was actually neighbors with Linda’s best friend Marilyn when Bill was 24 and Linda was only 14. They only met once at that age, when Bill walked into in his family’s RCA TV store, but Linda told her mother and Marilyn later that day that, “I just met the man I’m going to marry someday.” Bill and Linda shared their strong Christian faith (she read thousands of books by Christian authors), but he also admits he wasn’t sure if 20-year-old Linda was “the one”...“Until the (Left) The newly wedded Bill & Linda Peterseim. (Right) ‘Wild Bill’ is famous at O’Brien’s for his first time I saw her in a bikini.” But, with their shared faith, “and the fact weekly sets of karaoke push-ups. (The left photo on this page and those on pg. 1 were provided by Bill Peterseim.) she took the wedding vows so seriously — good have her right eye removed three years earlier. lengthy musical interlude, but also for his voice, times and bad — she was always there for me. “But, it seemed like they got it, because his personality and his showmanship. I just love her to pieces...and look forward to she was fine for almost three more years,” Bill So, he’s been an American hero, a successseeing her again.” says, “when she started having pressure in her ful real estate guy, a broadcaster, a Ponzi scheme Bill had multiple long-term careers — in- abdomen, which turned out to be her liver hav- victim, a widower and a proud, faithful Chriscluding owning and running one of the largest ing grown to three times its normal size, due to tian who unsuccessfully hoped his savior would Century 21 real estate brokerage firms in the the recurrence of the cancer. She passed away on save his beloved wife. I’m hoping he’ll be able Cleveland area in the 1970s and selling insur- November 16, only six weeks later. to negotiate a deal where he gets to stay in the ance, mutual funds, stocks — that kept the blissI only met Linda once that I can recall home that he and Linda bought together, but ful couple in their native Ohio until the early — for Bill’s 75th birthday in 2016 — but he could be forced to sell it shortly after this 2000s, when they moved to Orlando. even though Bill says she couldn’t handle issue sees print. Either way, Wild Bill, it’s been a wild ride so how loud it is at most karaoke bars, including O’Brien’s, Jannah and I would see Bill, and far and the final chapter won’t be written until you Karaoke...Meet Ponzi Bill also became a Certified Financial Plan- our other O’Brien’s karaoke friends — Der- and your beloved Linda meet again. In the meanner and a sometime Christian broadcaster when rell, Jay W, Emil, PJ and John, to name a few time, keep singing and doing those pushups. I’m sorry I didn’t write this before Linda passed. he and Linda lived in Orlando, and he started — pretty much at least one day every week. Bill and Derrell (the professional Elvis If anyone can help keep Bill — who is singing karaoke at the original Avalon Park development. That’s where he first met a very impersonator who also works at Costco) both writing a book about his life — in his home charismatic younger man named Chris Maguire, sing a lot of Elvis and 1960s-era rock, while I or wants to hire a truly great guy, please although the two weren’t involved in business skew more to 1970s icons like Billy Joel, Spring- email me at GaryN44@yahoo.com. And, look for an announcement about together until years later, when Bill and Linda steen and the late, great Tom Petty. But, Bill had moved to a rented home in Meadow Pointe. always attracts attention from people of all ages, an upcoming (possibly late January) fund Bill says that despite all of his experience, not only when he drops and gives everyone on raiser for Bill at O’Brien’s on our “Neighafter the bottom dropped out of the real estate hand anywhere from 30-55 pushups during any borhood News” Facebook page. market here in Florida in 2007, he was having trouble finding work. Maguire offered him the opportunity to handle the accounting for his “proof of funds letters” transactions in 2012. “I looked it up on-line and asked friends in the corporate world who said it’s a legitimate thing,” he says. “It just wasn’t legitimate with this guy.” He adds that Maguire, “came with all kinds of credentials, and everything worked great for about a year and a half. And, I encouraged people — many of whom sought me out when they heard I was involved — to take money out of the investment. But of course, if you’re going to be a con man...a Ponzi scheme guy, you’re not going to be somebody that people hate.” It wasn’t long after Bill got involved with Maguire that we met at City Grill. Despite his outgoing nature, Bill never mentioned anything to me about being bilked in a Ponzi scheme, but now, years later, he is still fighting the aftereffects of being taken in by the man who is now serving 10 years in federal prison. “He’s no Bernie Madoff, but he’s the same kind of guy,” Bill says. “A few people who got out early made money, but dozens of people lost millions of dollars to this guy.” And, after buying their home in Lexington Oaks in 2013, Bill found out just how much of a victim he had been. After years of negotiating with the government, because Bill actually originally made money on Maguire’s scheme, he and Linda found out in mid-2017 that they would have to sell their $300,000 home in Lexington Oaks in order to pay back what the federal government told him that they owed.

And Then...Tragedy

It wasn’t long after the Peterseims found out that they could lose their home that Linda was diagnosed with a recurrence of the rare form of ocular melanoma that caused her to

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 2 • January 12, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 2 • January 12, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

Meadow Pointe II Residents Fighting Proposed 7-Eleven On Mansfield Blvd. By JOHN C. COTEY Wesley Chapel may be developing at breakneck speed, but hundreds of Meadow Pointe residents think there are still lines that need not be crossed. One of those lines is at the southwest corner of Mansfield Blvd. and County Line Rd., where developers are hoping to build a 3,010-sq.-ft. 7-Eleven gas station and convenience store — adjacent to the Kids R Kids Learning Academy of Meadow Pointe (see map). A petition started by Meadow Pointe II resident Chris Dillinger was quickly approaching 1,000 signatures last week, as residents expressed concern about having a 16-pump gas station located so close to a preschool. “That is our No. 1 concern,” said Dillinger, a 39-year-old high school counselor at Sunlake High in Land O’Lakes. “The way the school is set back off of (Mansfield Blvd.), it will basically be blocked in by 16 fuel pumps. It’s not a good set-up. It makes the school less safe.” Dillinger and other Meadow Pointe II residents have been in contact with Pasco County governmental officials, voicing their concerns. Trout Creek Properties, Inc., is either making a request for a special exception to sell gas under its current C-1 (neighborhood commercial) zoning, or asking to be granted a Substantial Modification Request to have the 5.32acre parcel rezoned from C1 to C-2, which is general commercial. Trout Creek’s first meeting with the county’s Development Review Committee (DRC) in December was first continued to Jan. 11 but Pasco County senior planner Corelynn Howell said that meeting would be continued as well, to a date to be determined.

According to Howell, the developers will need to re-notice the development, which involves mailing notices to all of the property owners abutting the proposed development, as well as re-posting signs. “The county has concerns about it, so we’re going back and forth with the applicant, negotiating the issues on both sides,” Howell says. “Everyone needs to get their ducks in a row.” Howell did say the county is leaning away from granting a re-zoning to C-2, because it prefers the property remain residential commercial. In that case, a special exception appears to be the way forward for Trout Creek. Meadow Pointe II has an ally in Pasco County District 2 commissioner Mike Moore, who represents the area on the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BCC). Moore told organizers that if the re-zoning request made it past the DRC to the BCC — which he chairs — he would vote against it. “I agree with them,’’ Moore said. “This is a terrible location for these gas pumps. With a daycare center right behind it, it’s just not compatible with the area, in my opinion.” Another proposed 7-Eleven is currently working its way through the permitting process, near yet another preschool. Developers are looking to build a 2,988-sq.-ft. 7-Eleven at the corner of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and Vanguard St., in front of the existing Goddard School (see ad on pg. 34) and the new Premier Heart & Vascular Center (see ad on pg. 43). The developers had their pre-application meeting with county planners in October. For more information about the Meadow Pointe II petition, visit http://bit. ly/2CvXWYw.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 2 • January 12, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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Fill ‘Er Up! North America’s First Crystal Lagoon Has Been Topped Off! By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com It was the second week in November when Metro Development Group president Greg Singleton surveyed the nation’s first Crystal Lagoon at Epperson. There were pools of water in the lagoon, but the inner lining hadn’t even been completely stretched. Singleton told the assembled media that the water — about 16 million gallons of it — would start flowing into the lagoon that day Six weeks later, it was full. Metro announced on Dec. 26 that the much-anticipated Crystal Lagoon is now filled. Yes, those are actual photos of the lagoon to the right, not computerized renderings. “Metro Development Group is excited to be the first to bring this amazing amenity to the U.S.,” Singleton said, in a press release. “We have celebrated many milestones with Crystal Lagoons over the past two years and we are proud to have earned the distinction of being the first developer to inaugurate a Crystal Lagoons’ amenity in the U.S.” Unfortunately, Metro’s scheduled ribboncutting and official unveiling of the filled lagoon had to be postponed last week when freezing temperatures rolled through the area. But, many of the photos taken beforehand are breathtaking, as the promised clarity of the water lives up to its billing. While filled with water — maintained by ultra-sonic technology that uses sensors to monitor the quality of the crystal-clear water, and uses 100 times less chemicals than a traditional swimming pool and 50 times less energy than conventional pool filtration systems — work

continues on the 7.5-acre lagoon at Epperson. As you can tell by the pictures, some palm trees and beach land are in place, but still to come: a water slide, private cabanas, in-water obstacle platform, swim-up bar, tidal pool, restaurant, family beach, yoga lawn, an entertainment plaza, an area for special events and more. The amenity is expected to make Epperson, and the connected city (of which it is Part 1), one of the country’s most advanced and hottest spots to live. One if Epperson’s first residents, Jennifer Rose, told the Neighborhood News in a story last month that it was “swimming in bottled water that piqued my interest.” Metro is planning an official Grand Opening celebration in early spring 2018, where Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps is scheduled to appear.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 2 • January 12, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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TOP STORIES OF 2017

NEWS EVENTS

Hurricane Irma, The Curtis Reeves Trial & ‘American Idol’ Made Headlines! By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com From development to new businesses to the Curtis Reeves trial garnering national interest, there was no shortage of news in Wesley Chapel in 2017. However, Category 5 Hurricane Irma stole the show. News of her impending arrival set off a frenzy unlike any other Wesley Chapel has experienced in recent memory. A week before she even touched ground in Florida, water and plywood (to board up windows) became the area’s hottest commodities, flying off the shelves of local stores. Many, quite literally, fled, clogging roads with evacuees heading for higher ground or, as the storm got closer, local shelters. Gasoline was sparse from Miami to Atlanta, GA. In Pasco County, 24,000 residents spent the night in one of 26 shelters. “We were scared. Everyone was scared,’’ Meadow Pointe III’s Inelia Semonick told us afterwards. When the storm cut a path up the middle of Florida and bore down on Wesley Chapel, she, and many others, took to their closets. Fortunately for Wesley Chapel and the rest of Tampa Bay, Irma didn’t deliver a knockout punch, just a gentle slap upside the head. Or, in the case of those who lost power in Pasco County — 217,382 out of 261,000 total addresses, or 83 percent — more like two slaps upside the head. At Cat 5 strength, Irma devastated parts of south Florida, but hit the Tampa Bay area as a Category 2 hurricane, still enough to uproot smaller trees and scatter large branches. There was flooding in parts of Wesley Chapel, and many pool cages and fences did not survive unscathed. Clean-up, however, took weeks. Among the other news making national headlines happened in Pasco County court, where, nearly four years after Curtis Reeves Jr. shot Chad Oulson, 43, to death in the Cobb Grove 16 movie theater, Pasco judge Susan Bar-

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thle ruled that Reeves could not use the “stand your ground” defense. Reeves had hoped to use the argument that he was defending himself when he shot Oulson in January 2014. He is appealing Barthle’s ruling. In happier news in 2017, the area attracted two significant sports stories, which you can read about on page 32 — the women’s tennis Federation Cup at Saddlebrook and the U.S. Olympic women’s hockey team, which prepared for the 2018 Winter Games in Wesley Chapel. Speaking of that gold-medal favorite women’s hockey team, their home ice since September has been Florida Hospital Center Ice (FHCI), which opened its doors in January (see page 11). FHCI also has opened the way for a number of notable events to be held, including the Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel. The long-running Taste — which will be held for the 22nd time this year on Sunday, March 25, noon-4 p.m. — attracted nearly 2,000 people who got to sample the wares of nearly 50 local food and beverage vendors, and raised $11,000 for the charities supported by the event’s organizer, the Rotary Club of New Tampa and its partner, the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce. “American Idol,” which is making a comeback and will air on ABC-TV this year, held tryouts at FHCI in August, attracting 400 hopefuls. While no one has been officially reported as making it past the following stage, which was held in Orlando, some locals did make it at least that far (see pg. 37). And, on pages 11 and 38, check out 2017’s explosion of local businesses in Wesley Chapel, as restaurants like Noble Crust, Irish 31 and Ford’s Garage opened, to name a few, as well as at least a dozen other new businesses, including two more luxury auto dealerships (Audi and Lexus), as the area continued to be one of the hottest in all of Florida for growth and expansion.

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(Top) The Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel attracted about 2,000 people in its first year at Florida Hospital Center Ice; (above) Curtis Reeves Jr. was denied a “stand your ground” defense; (right) Hurricane Irma spared most of Wesley Chapel, but definitely did not leave Pasco County completely unscathed.

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DEVELOPMENT NEWS

TOP STORIES OF 2017

Connected City, Sports Complex & Quail Hollow Kept The BCC Busy In 2017 By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com We could probably dedicate all 48 pages of this issue to Wesley Chapel’s rapid growth in 2017. It was just that crazy busy. In fact, one could argue it was the busiest year on record in Wesley Chapel, with massive projects either gaining approval, moving ground or sprouting up in almost every corner of the area. Let’s focus here, however, on what was approved in 2017 and coming down the road, and save what actually opened its doors for our story on 2017’s best new businesses. The biggest project, the 7,800acre “connected city,” was approved by the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) in February by a 5-0 vote, which is expected to help create something no other city in America has — a built-from-the-ground-up gigabit community. District 2 Pasco commissioner Mike Moore, who represents much of Wesley Chapel, said after the vote, “We actually made history today.” After nearly two years of studies and planning, the BCC’s green light has already triggered major development in the connected city sector, which includes the area running north from Overpass Rd. in Wesley Chapel to S.R. 52 in San Antonio, and west from I-75 to Curley Rd. Metro Development owns roughly 35 percent of the land, and has already begun, well...connecting. Metro’s Epperson development has its first residents (as we reported last issue) and the first-ever Crystal Lagoon is already filled (see page 8). Still to come — another Crystal Lagoon in the nearby Mirada development, more homes, schools and business, alternative transportation along integrated roadways and, potentially,

jobs as developers and planners have touted the connected city as a futuristic economic engine. While Wesley Chapel is jumping into the high-tech community pool headfirst, it also is looking to take a piece of the $15-billion a year pie that is youth sports. A large sports complex with adjoining hotel was also approved by the BCC in the spring by a 5-0 vote, which later agreed to double the county’s Tourist Development Tax (TDT), or bed tax, in order to help finance it. The $44-million project will be built on part of a 224-acre parcel located northeast of the Shops of Wiregrass in the Wiregrass Ranch Development of Regional Impact (DRI). The parcel is owned by the county and has had a history of failed efforts to build something sports-related on it. While the project is currently only in the planning stages, RADD Sports, which will develop it, says it is shooting for a spring 2019 opening. In conjunction with Mainsail Development, the sports complex will have one of the first full-service Marriott-branded Residence Inns, a 120-room hotel that will be L-shaped to create a courtyard at the entrance to the sports complex — which also will have an amphitheater for concerts, a trail system, seven soccer fields and a 98,000-sq.ft. indoor facility expected to attract the top youth sports tournaments and athletes from around the country, with thousands of visitors expected to make an economic impact on the area. And, residents who live near Quail Hollow Country Club lost a long fight with the course’s owners and developers, who received approval in June to replace the golf course with homes. Andres Carollo and his Pasco Office Park LLC received a zoning change, by a 3-2 vote, which allows him to build 400 single-family homes,

Roughly 100 Quail Hollow residents filled the Historic Pasco County Courthouse in Dade City in Feb. to try and save the golf course that has been the centerpiece of their community. (Photo: John C. Cotey)

30,000-sq.-ft. of office and retail space and a 10,000-sq.-ft. daycare center on the former golf course property. Hundreds of Quail Hollow residents attended a handful of BCC and other meetings to make their voices heard, and successfully delayed approval of the project for months. All around Wesley Chapel, new businesses started construction. A slew

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of restaurants — including a muchawaited Bahama Breeze on S.R. 56 — and boutique or green grocery stores are planned to begin building on or near S.R.s 54 and 56 in 2018. Will 2018 be as busy? Wiregrass Ranch’s J.D. Porter recently hinted at some more major developments coming this year, so our guess would be: Buckle up!

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TOP STORIES OF 2017

The puck drop that officially opened Florida Hospital Center Ice.

TOP BUSINESS

Center Ice Transforms Wesley Chapel By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com There are many businesses that excite, fill a need in and make an impact on a community. Very few, however, could be called “transformational.” In 2017, Florida Hospital Center Ice was truly transformational. “I think that’s the right word,’’ said Hope Allen, the CEO of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce. “It has made such an important impact on our community. It has really changed the landscape.” After officially opening on January 25, FHCI’s impact was felt immediately. The first night attracted 300 skaters, the weekend drew more than 600, and nearly 400 signed up for Learn To Skate classes. That was just the beginning. From hockey tournaments and leagues to figure skating to corporate outings, the $28-million, 150,500-sq.-ft. FHCI made nearly every weekend in 2017 a big one. By the end of the year, roughly a million visitors had passed through the doors of FHCI, located just northeast of the S.R. 56 and I-75 interchange. “Definitely the demographics are good, the population is ripe for what we do,” says Gordie Zimmerman, managing partner of FHCI developer ZMitch, LLC. “The community is just totally excited about the facility. We have been blown away by the response and turnout. It’s been great.” FHCI is the largest ice skating and hockey facility south of New York. Zimmerman estimates that more than 1,500 local kids have enrolled in various hockey and ice skating programs at FHCI, including a youth travel hockey program that was expected to start with four or five teams, but instead has nine. There is curling on Saturday nights, and FHCI’s adult hockey league has 46 teams, and grows every 12 weeks when Neighborhood News

the next new season begins. In July, a roller hockey tournament attracted 120 teams, and is already scheduled for a return. There have been figure skating competitions and exhibitions as well, and FHCI hosted the Statewide Amateur Hockey of Florida (SAHOF) high school championships, where Wiregrass Ranch High, coached by Zimmerman, finished as the runner-up. But FHCI, which is expected to deliver an economic impact of roughly $20 million a year, is more than just an ice rink, “which is kind of our slogan,” Zimmerman says. To that end, it hosted events like the Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel (which returns March 25), “American Idol” auditions and dozens and dozens of corporate events and things like holiday parties in 2017. “It has become a facility for many in terms of sports and corporate, and the two blend very nicely together,’’ Zimmerman says, adding that 71 corporate outings and meetings are already on the books for 2018. Zimmerman says that to pick his 2017 highlight is a difficult task. “There have been a bunch of them,” he says. “Every weekend, there was something happening.” But, while FHCI has already scored a number of coups leading to national exposure, the biggest “get” for the new facility was landing the U.S. Women’s Olympic Hockey team. Since September, the team has trained at FHCI in preparation for the 2018 Winter Games next month in Pyeongchang County, South Korea. Wesley Chapel is mentioned prominently in practically every article written about the team, and their presence has helped ignite an interest in developing women’s hockey in Florida. The U.S. beat Canada 4-1 at FHCI in a Four Nations Cup exhibition in November, and tickets sold out. @NTWCNews

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TOP STORIES OF 2017

The gap between Kinnan St. in New Tampa and Mansfield Blvd. in Meadow Pointe II is less than 100 feet, but the gap between Pasco and Hillsborough counties on the subject keeps growing larger.

ROADS

Roads Busier, But Help Is Coming By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com Name a road in Wesley Chapel, and you can probably also name a problem with it. S.R. 54 isn’t wide enough. S.R. 56 has I-75, making for one of the area’s worst junctions. And Bruce B. Downs Blvd….well, don’t get us started on BBD. And those are just the big roads. All across Wesley Chapel, the quick speed of development left a lot area residents complaining about crowding roads that are already, well, crowded. The good news in 2017, however, was that help seemed to be on the way, as most of the hotspots — and by hot we mean causing tempers to flare — are being addressed by the county, although all of these projects will require some patience. In 2017, wheels started turning for S.R. 56, which is practically getting a complete makeover. On the west end, it was announced that the brutal S.R. 56 and I-75 intersection, which turns simple chores — like going to the Tampa Premium Outlets or even just coming home from work and trying to get through the northbound off ramp — into seemingly endless expeditions, should begin work this year on a $24.1-million Diverging Diamond Interchange project that will, presumably, fix some of the junction’s major problems. The news of a 2018 groundbreaking was welcomed, considering how much better it was than the original 2024 and 2020 start dates. At the east end of S.R. 56, work kicked off on extending the road all the way to from Meadow Pointe Blvd. 14

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to U.S. Hwy. 301/S.R. 41 and into Zephyrhills, expected to be a boon for area businesses. Originally planned to be two lanes, the $65-million project will now be four lanes. On S.R. 54, Wesley Chapel Blvd. was widened to the south and, to the east, work started in November on widening S.R. 54 from Curley Rd. to U.S. 301. As for BBD, we don’t want to give you any spoilers, but for our “Best Of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel” issue coming out next month, we asked for your opinion on the worst intersection in our distribution areas (New Tampa and Wesley Chapel), and 11 BBD intersections from Tampa Palms all the way through Wesley Chapel were cited. Yes, 11. And a number of smaller roads — Old Pasco Rd., Meadow Pointe Blvd., Curley Rd. — also can be thorns in the side of drivers, but the one that drew the most attention was the potential connection of Pasco County’s Mansfield Blvd. to Hillsborough County’s Kinnan St. There were three major developments in 2017: Pasco County commissioned a study of the connection (along with two other possible connections to New Tampa) in April, a public meeting was held in May at Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC)’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch to solicit responses, and the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners pledged $250,000 in September to help make the connection happen. Will it? Not without a big fight. And, that battle will begin in earnest this year. Check out some of the reader responses to the Kinnan-Mansfield debate on page 15.

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TOP STORIES OF 2017 HOT TOPICS

Kinnan-Mansfield Debate Will Continue Into 2018 I have lived in Meadow Pointe II since 2000 and my subdivision straddles Mansfield Blvd. and County Line Road right behind Meadow Pointe II Clubhouse and I beg to differ with your analysis of our opposition to connecting Kinnan St. to Mansfield Blvd. What you find is B. S. really are the problems of connecting the two roads. Traffic studies (and there have been numerous ones over the years that have shown and proved it would cause traffic bottlenecks at the three intersections and thru the school zones as well as safety issues at the schools. I believe what is a waste of money is another traffic study when Mansfield and County Line Roads are in such bad shape! Money should be spent repaving roads period. Meadow Pointe Blvd. has the expandability to be four-laned and there are no schools until after intersection SR 56. and not that far from Kinnan street. I find reading your paper that you basically take Hillsborough’s side and provide no voice for the people who have to live with this harassment every two to three years. Pasco County Commissioners should put an end to this idea once and for all.

Ray Kobasko Meadow Pointe ll Long Leaf (at MP) Resident Mr. Nagel: Reference is made to your editorial concerning the objections to the connecting of Kinnan St. to Mansfield Blvd. Firstly I am not a resident of Meadow Pointe II but of Meadow Pointe III and I object to the connection you so much desire. Using your same description of why MP II objects to the connection your claim that the traffic will only increase during the evenings and on weekends is, as you said

before, BS. As soon as the connection is made, and trust me as soon as enough financial arrangements are made to the benefit of those in power, the connection will be made, those residing in the so called “New Tampa Area” will start using Mansfield to 56 as their home to work to home route therefore increasing, the already overloaded route, with additional traffic, to think otherwise is at least identical to the use of smoke and mirrors. The dream that residents from Cross Creek/Live Oak would travel down Mansfield and then would turn left (eastward) on Beardsley can only be described as the unreachable dream once you have reached that point why would you desire to take a longer route, such an action is not to be expected from the American humanoid unless forced by physical barriers. Furthermore those who reside adjacent to Beardsley lived for many years with the expectancy that once the constructions, due to the lengthening of 56, would cease peace and quiet would reign in Beardsley where many master bedrooms are less than 10 feet from the roadway and now you and those of Cross Creek want to return the noise and excessive speed, speed limit in Beardsley is posted at 35 MPH, a speed limit that will not be observed since Pasco County’s Sherriff will have many other problems to tend to. But your routing from Kinnan to Mansfield north and an easterly turning from Mansfield thru Beardsley will take you to Meadow Pointe Blvd, which has the space and was planned to eventually become a four lane route, why them planners cannot reroute Kinnan to connect with Meadow Pointe Blvd. is beyond my understanding. If Pasco County is offering that alternative get the engineers back to

the drawing board and have them reroute the traffic from the Cross Creek/ Live Oak area to connect with Meadow Pointe Blvd, it seems to me as a logical, economical and fastest solution and beneficial to all parties concerned. Sincerely,

Rafael Rivera MP III resident. Gary — The idiots who oppose the connection live in the same area that don’t want to share their clubhouse with the other communities, (Meadow Pointe II). I’m tired of these folks trying to hold the rest of us hostage because they are stuck up and don’t want progress. I have been living in Meadow Pointe I way before any of those houses were even built, but they want to slow progress. They do not own the whole area! Not to mention those schools have different start times and is no different than any other morning traffic. As far as the two lane/ four lane non issue, they can merge the 4 lanes into 2 with those permanent barriers that you see on roads. More connections mean more access to businesses on both sides of the line. I’m pretty sure CVS and the Mall wouldn’t be opposed to that road opening. It only makes sense! It’s time! MPII can’t hold us hostage any longer!

Thanks, Warren Mr. Gary Nager, You are wrong in getting involved with something that does not involved you. You can’t even get the Streets involved correct. Kennan is the four lane road that will dump excessive traffic into a development were the narrow two lane cannot be widen due the already villages along Mansfield. You don’t seem to understand that there are three schools plus a college already

established on Mansfield. I live in the village of Lettingwell which has a very limited visibility to traffic approaching from the left as we try to exit. We have already had a serious accident at this intersection. When school traffic is using Mansfield in the morning, it is almost impossible to make a left turn to go to County Line Road. I do not believe you are getting any positive feedback for residents of Meadow Point 2. As a concerned resident of Lettingwell, I am a 100% Disable American Veteran who is very concerned about your unauthorized involvement in this situation. Dick Arens dickarens@verizon.net Editor’s note-I do so love a spirited debate, but the fact is that when the idea of connecting Kinnan (not Kennan) to Mansfield was first discussed probably 15 years ago, it was Hillsborough County officials who opposed it... and I was not only there, I told those folks they were wrong back then, too. I have seen many (but not all) of the traffic studies for this area, but I’ve never seen anything in those studies, at least not to date, to support not connecting roadways that have always been planned to do so. I probably take the concerns of Mr. Arens, a disabled U.S. vet, to heart the most of any of these commentaries, but as someone who has given his personal health to protect all of our liberties, I’m surprised to hear him talk about my “unauthorized involvement” in this situation. As a free American and as the only member of the local media who has lived and/or worked in and reported the news of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel for 24 years (as of next month), I stand by my words and hope that Mr. Arens and everyone else who disagrees with me still stands behind my right to voice my opinion, as I stand behind their right to be “heard” disagreeing with me...in these pages. — Gary Nager (not Nagel)

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JANUARY 2018 Friday, January 12

Mental Health Support Group - NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) of Pasco is a support group for adults in Pasco County living with mental illness or in recovery. The group meets the 2nd & 4th Friday of each month, 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. at Atonement Lutheran Church (29617 S.R. 54). For info, visit NAMIPasco.org.

Monday, January 15

Professional Business Connections (PBC) - PBC meets Mondays at 7:45 a.m. at The Happy Hangar Cafe (at Tampa North Aero Park, 4241 Birdsong Blvd., off S.R. 54, Lutz). For info, call Matt Archbold at (813) 782-1777. Wesley Chapel Speaks - The Wesley Chapel Toastmasters meets every Monday at 6 p.m. for networking, 6:30 pm for public speaking, at Wesley Chapel Nissan (28519 State Rd 54). For more info, call Martin at (813) 693-0969. East Pasco Democratic Club - Meets 3rd Monday of each month at Omari’s Grill, Scotland Yards Golf Club, 9424 U.S. 301, Dade City, from 6:30-8 p.m. For more info, visit www.eastpascodems.com.

Wednesday, January 17

Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel - The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel (Noon) now meets Weds., at noon at Lexington Oaks Golf Club (26133 Lexington Oaks Blvd.). First-time guests attend for free. For info, call (813) 862-8989 or (813) 391-3895.

Thursday, January 18

BNI Networking Meeting - Business professionals are invited to attend this networking organization’s meetings on Thursdays, 7:30 a.m., at Savannah Church (3758 Maryweather Lane, off BBD Blvd., behind Dunkin’ Donuts). For more info, call Kyle Flischel at (813) 815-0250. RGA Network Weekly Meeting - The RGA Networking Group meets weekly for networking at GrillSmith at the Shops at Wiregrass mall. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; lunch is noon-1 p.m. For more info, visit RGANetwork.net. Celebrate Recovery - Meeting Thursdays at 7 p.m. at Bridgeway Church (30660 Wells Rd.), the purpose of Celebrate Recovery is to bring freedom from dysfunctional, compulsive & addictive behaviors through biblically-based principles. Dinner & free childcare available. For more information, call (813) 907-1313.

Saturday, January 20

FEBRUARY 2018 Friday, February 2

Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Sunrise - The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Sunrise meets the 1st & 3rd Fridays of each month, 7:15 a.m., at Happy Hangar Cafe, 4241 Birdsong Blvd. For info, call Kathy Schenck at (813) 956-4436.

Tuesday, February 6

GFWC Pasco Junior Woman’s Club - Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Lexington Oaks Clubhouse, 26304 Lexington Oaks Blvd. Visit GFWCPascoJWC.blogspot.com or Facebook.com/ GFWCPascoJuniors for info. NAMI Friends & Family: Mental Health Support Group - NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) of Pasco support group for friends & family of those with mental illness. The group meets the 1st & 3rd Tues. of each month, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m., at Atonement Lutheran Church (29617 S.R. 54). For more information, visit NAMIPasco.com. Getting Down to the Bare Bones - Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel hosts a Q&A session with a board-certified orthopedic surgeon from 12:30-1 p.m. Bring your questions about shoulder, hip or knee pain. No cost to attend. More info at www. FloridaHospital.com/wesley-chapel/events.

Visit WCNeighborhoodNews.com to add your upcoming events to our online calendar. With enough advanced notice, events that happen in our readership areas may also appear in print, as space allows.

24th Annual Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation Tampa Bay Charity Golf Tournament

Suncoast Arts Festival - The 13th Annual Suncoast Arts Fest will be held at the

Monday, March 19, 2018

Shops at Wiregrass on Saturday & Sunday, January 20 & 21. Features more than 125 fine artist and craftsmen, live entertainment, street painting, kids art projects and more. For more info, visit www.SuncoastArtsFest.com.

EmpowerHER Conference - Samantha Taylor hosts a daylong conference for women, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn Suncoast. See story about Samantha Taylor Fitness with more info on page 26. Light Up The Night To Raise Awareness Of Human Trafficking - See story and ad on next page.

Honoring Marines by Educating Their Children

Tuesday, January 23

Wesley Chapel Lions Club - The Wesley Chapel Lions Club meets every 4th Tues., 6:30 p.m., at the Lexington Oaks Community Center (26304 Lexington Oaks Blvd.). For info about volunteering, community efforts, meetings, helping the vision impaired & more, visit WesleyChapelLionsClub.com or the club’s page on Facebook. East Pasco Networking Group - Meets the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month at 7:30 a.m. at IHOP, 13100 US 301, Dade City. For info, contact Nils Lenz, 813782-9491 or nilslenz@gmail.com.

Saturday, January 27

Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce’s 22nd Annual Kumquat Festival - See ad on next page.

Tuesday, January 30

Thyroid Issue Discussion - Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel hosts an information session with Dr. Mia Fronteras, Board-certified in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism. 12-1 p.m. No cost to attend. More info at www.FloridaHospital.com/ wesley-chapel/events. 16

13903 Clubhouse Drive Tampa, Florida 33618 Registration Begins Lunch, by Bonefish Grill Carrollwood Colors Ceremony Shotgun Start Dinner and Awards Ceremony Live & Silent Auctions To register go to https://www.mcsf.org/event/tampa-bay-golf-tournament For more information email tampagolf@mcsf.org

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‘Light Up The Night’ To Fight Human Trafficking In Wesley Chapel Jan. 20 The Pasco Sheriff’s Office (PSO), community businesses leaders and concerned citizens are coming together on Saturday, January 20, for the third annual “Light Up the Night” event to focus a spotlight on Human Trafficking, which is the exploitation of human beings for commercial sex, forced labor or other involuntary servitude. Human Trafficking is the second largest criminal enterprise worldwide — ranking only behind illegal drugs. It nets billions of dollars annually, and it’s happening right here in the Tampa Bay area. Sponsored by the David Maus (of Maus Nissan) Foundation, Light Up the Night will feature a 5K Race/Walk at Pasco Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, followed by an event at the upper level parking deck at The Shops at Wiregrass, featuring live music with Shalyah, Word of Life and Jennifer McGill, as well as educational materials, vendors, a kids zone and more. Sponsorships are available, and

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proceeds will benefit six local nonprofits dedicated to the recovery of trafficked individuals. “Many people think we don’t have this crime in our community,” says PSO Corporal Alan Wilkett, who is the commander of the Pasco County Human Trafficking Task Force. “But we investigate complaints in every community. It knows no boundaries, it’s widespread, and no one is exempt.” He says Light Up The Night is held every year during the national Human Trafficking Awareness month of January to raise both awareness of the crime and funds to help those organizations that are out there helping victims recover from their ordeals. “The greatest enemy of darkness is the light,” says Cpl. Wilkett, “so we are bringing human trafficking into the light.” The race begins at 4:30 p.m., with the live concert at 6 p.m. For more info, see the ad below or, to register for the race, visit Light UpTheNightTampaBay.com.

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The Beach House At Wiregrass Ranch For Assisted Living & Memory Care Mena refers to the lifestyle offered at Beach House as “resort-style senior living.” Assisted living amenities include outstanding group and private dining options, arts and crafts, a movie theater, wellness programs, grooming/haircuts and fireplaces. Memory care amenities include a variety of personal and social dining settings and dietary options to choose from, as well as activities that focus on the patient’s remaining physical abilities, memories and capability to enjoy them throughout what Mena calls, “the attrition of life.” There also is a secure outdoor area for memory care residents. That means assisting a wide range of residents. “We go from an independent resident to end-of-life needs,” Mena says.

By BRAD STAGER

Wesley Chapel families who want to live near their aging loved ones who require more health and daily living support than can be provided at home will have a new option when Beach House Assisted Living & Memory Care at Wiregrass Ranch holds its Grand Opening next month. Even though it’s at least an hour from the nearest beach, the name Beach House is intended to evoke memories of the many splendid summers experienced over a lifetime. The new 93,000-sq.-ft. facility includes 100 residential units, with 67 of them available for seniors looking for assisted living accommodations and 33 suites dedicated to residents who need memory care, such as Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. Housing options for assisted living residents range from alcove-style units (basically a studio apartment with a partitioned-off area) ranging from 450-480 sq. ft. to two-bedroom/two-bath floor plans ranging from 782–796 sq. ft. As the first full-service assisted living and memory care facility located in Wesley Chapel, the Beach House offers a number of levels of accommodations and services to its residents, ranging from assisted living (where the Beach House staff provides help with a variety of daily activities, such as shopping and medication management) to memory care programs to support memory function, including discussion groups centered on reminiscing about the past, discussing current events and studying languages and cultures. The Wesley Chapel location joins two

The Full Spectrum Of Care

The Beach House Assisted Living & Memory Care at Wiregrass Ranch administrative team: (from left) business office manager Chelsea Rice, director of community relations Callie Sears, and executive director Linda Mena. existing Beach House facilities in JacksonHouse at Wiregrass Ranch’s daily operations ville and Naples, FL. They are all owned is executive director Linda Mena, who brings by the Dallas, TX-based Prevarian Senior to her position more than 25 years of experiLiving, LP, which has Assisted Living and ence working in senior housing. Memory Care communities in Texas, FloriMena earned her Bachelor of Health da, Oklahoma, and Arizona. Care Administration (BHA) from the UniverDay-to-day operations at the Beach sity of Phoenix, AZ. In 2015, Mena received House are managed by employees of Life her Master of Business Administration (MBA) Care Services, a Los Angeles, CA-based degree, with a focus on Health Care Adminiscompany serving the needs of more than tration, from the University of Central Florida 33,000 senior citizens at facilities throughin Orlando. Prior to assuming her role in Wesout the U.S. ley Chapel, Mena was the executive director of Overseeing all aspects of the Beach the Beach House facility in Naples, FL.

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To deliver services to that wide range of residents, Beach House is licensed as an Extended Congregate Care (ECC) facility, which according to the Florida Department of Elder Affairs website (ElderAffairs.state. fl.us) certifies Beach House’s ability to cover the spectrum of needed care, from limited assistance to total help with many basic needs. According to Mena, Beach House will be staffed to provide 24/7 nursing care. “They truly can age in place in our community and that’s important to residents,” Mena says. “With the attrition of life, their needs become much greater and they don’t want to have to move or make a transition at that frail part of their lives.” Mena notes that 85 percent of the people she and her administrative staff will work with are adult children of prospective residents. She recognizes that many of them are knowledge-

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able about the process and options available, but family members also provide a clear picture of their loved one’s character and history to help in meeting daily needs and creating a meaningful program of activities for them. “It’s really important that we listen when they come in,” says Mena, who adds that knowing as much as possible about the residents, especially those in memory care, helps the staff engage with them more Coming soon to S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel: The Beach House at effectively. As part of those conversations with residents Wiregrass Ranch Assisted Living & Memory Care. and family members, Mena accept payments directly from the insurance makes a commitment on behalf of her Beach companies, If residents or their families have House staff to those they serve at what can be long-term care insurance, it will, as a courtesy, a very rough time of their lives. send the insurance company billing informa“There are a lot of mentoring, assisting, tion so the families can be reimbursed by the and bonding relationships established because insurance company. it’s the trust factor that makes this transition, if Mena says costs will vary, depending you want to say, ‘smoother,’ for this caregivupon the specific support needs of each paer,” says Mena. “My guiding principle is to tient, which are evaluated annually. just be very transparent, honest and forthright With a location that’s convenient to many with them.” of Wesley Chapel’s commercial and cultural She adds that the goal for herself and her activities, such as the Shops at Wiregrass mall staff of Beach House is clear. only 2.5 miles to the west on S.R. 56, a Beach “Making sure the needs of the residents House residency means families can easily are met in every aspect,” Mena says, ‘from embark on multi-generational excursions with the clinical to the dining experience to life their loved ones residing there. enrichment; really addressing the needs of each resident as a whole.” Temporary Assistance, Too Beach House is a private pay operation, The Beach House lifestyle also is available which means they do not accept insurance plan on a temporary basis for what is known as coverage, and the cost is borne by residents “respite care,” which according to the Beach or their families. Medicaid payments are House website, “is a temporary stay at a senior not accepted. While Beach House does not living community.”

Senior patients recovering from surgery or illness may find temporary support helpful in their recovery. Caregivers of people normally residing outside of Beach House may also find that respite care is a way to manage vacations or just get a helping hand with assisted living and memory care levels of support. Respite residents at the Beach House will have access to the same services as other longer-term residents with whom social interaction also is part of the routine. Whether seniors are residing at Beach House for a short respite or to “age in place,” meals are an important part of daily living and socializing as well as supporting a healthy lifestyle. According to the Beach House website, the chef-created recipes use “fresh, seasonal, local ingredients” and “accommodate any special dietary requirements.”

Beach House not only brings new housing and health care options to Wesley Chapel, it’s also creating jobs, especially in the areas of patient care at the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) level, as well as housekeeping and dietary workers. Mena says the response from the Wesley Chapel area has been tremendously positive and that 30 percent of the units had deposits paid on them at our press time. If you’re looking for assisted living for yourself or a loved one, arrange a tour at the new Beach House at Wiregrass Ranch (30070 S.R. 56). For more info, call (813) 508-6677, see the ad on pg. 31 or visit BeachHouseWiregrass.com. Beach House’s official Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce Grand Opening is Wednesday, February 21, 11 a.m., with the ribbon cutting scheduled for noon.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 2• January 12, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

Let The Husband-&-Wife Doctors At Small World Pediatrics Care For Your Kids By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

celeste@ntneighborhoodnews.com Together, José Jiménez, M.D., and Nancy Silva, M.D., are two local pediatricians who care for many young patients at Small World Pediatrics in Wesley Chapel. More than just partners in practice, they’re partners in life, too — as husband and wife, and Dad and Mom to two kids, ages 12 and three. They’re part of this community, as Meadow Pointe residents for 15 years, with their kids attending local schools. They think that’s part of what makes Small World Pediatrics special. “It’s much more personal here,” says Dr. Silva. “We have fun. Our patients know our staff, and know us. We run into people in the community and see our patients at Publix.” Dr. Jiménez earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida in Gainesville in 1992, after transferring from prestigious Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. He earned a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree from the University of South Florida (USF) College of Medicine in Tampa in 1996, and completed his pediatric residency at USF in 2000. Dr. Silva earned her M.D. degree from the State University of New York (SUNY) Health Science Center in Brooklyn in 1997, after earning a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in an Honors B.S./M.D. program at City University

of New York (CUNY) Brooklyn College in 1993. Like Dr. Jiménez, she also completed her residency at USF in 2000. Small World Pediatrics is located in the Windguard Professional Center across Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC). Dr. Jiménez first opened Small World Pediatrics in 2003 in the Northwoods plaza on BBD in Wesley Chapel, near Target, and moved it to its current location in 2010. Dr. Silva joined the practice in 2014, after the couple’s second child was born. She had been practicing with a group in Brandon for 14 years, Let Dr. José Jiménez & Dr. Nancy Silva of Small World Pediatrics in but — with two small Wesley Chapel care for your children as though they were their kids, too. kids — wanted a job they’re really getting a ‘2-for-1 deal’ closer to home and when they come here,” Dr. Silva says. with more flexibility than working full“We bounce ideas off each other. We can time somewhere else. give (each other) a second opinion.” She and her husband have been They also share a philosophy to working together ever since. provide personal service. “Most patients don’t realize it, but

“Some people want to get in and get out and get their antibiotics and be on their way in five minutes,” says Dr. Silva. “But, for those people who want more of a parent/child connection, and don’t want to feel like a number, those are the patients who should come to us.” Dr. Silva says her best medical advice for your children is to get annual physicals. “Even if your kid is fine, please get an annual physical,” she says. “We recently had a seven-year-old patient we had only seen for sick visits since he was two, and we found he had undescended testicles. We discover so much in those physicals, from vision problems to scoliosis.” While it does take a little time, the annual check-up likely won’t cost you any money. “It’s very rare to see a co-pay on a well check these days,” says Dr. Jiménez. At Small World Pediatrics, caring for children and their parents is always the highest priority. “We try to do our absolute best for our patients,” explains Dr. Jiménez. “When there are tough decisions to make, we try to always do what’s right for the child, and we always take time for the parents.” For example, the office doesn’t have an answering service. “All after-hours calls are forwarded to my cell phone, where patients may leave a message,” says Dr. Jiménez. “I return all calls personally.”

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And, they don’t just send patients to the emergency room, either. The doctors will call ahead to notify the hospital that a patient is coming and make sure the medical records are transferred appropriately. They also invite their patients to call them if they’re not sure whether they should head to the emergency room – or which one to go to. “It may be that you should go to St. Joseph’s, where they have pediatric ER doctors and surgeons on call, or you might need to go to Florida Hospital, which is a lot closer,” Dr. Silva says. “Just call us and we’ll guide you.”

As for his personal care, he says. “I’m proud and honored that patients have stayed with me and many have been here since the beginning.” Dr. Jiménez and Dr. Silva are involved in the community they serve. Dr. Silva recently became a Boy Scout leader with their son’s troop. Previously, both doctors were Cub Scout leaders, and Dr. Silva was active with the Sand Pine Elementary PTA. They also are advocates for wearing seatbelts, which began with a very personal story, as Dr. Silva lost a patient due to an automobile accident in 2006. Dr. Jiménez and Dr. Silva began “The Battle of the Belts” in Pasco County in 2009, partnering with Pasco Safe Kids, a seatbelt awareness campaign involving all of the high schools

Happy Patients...Happy Parents

Christina M’Gaha is a Wesley Chapel mom with four children and one more on the way. She has been taking her kids to Small World Pediatrics for 11 years, since her oldest was just six months old. “What I love is that it’s not just a doctor’s practice,” she says. “They treat you like you’re family.” She explains, “They remember your name. If they see you in the store, they call you by name. They ask about my husband even though he’s not usually there (at the appointments). They get to know the whole family.” Christina says Dr. Jiménez and Dr. Silva have both gone above and beyond for her family, such as the time she called Dr. Jiménez after hours and he met her

Neighborhood News

in Pasco County each spring. Schools compete to effectively deliver the message to students. Small World Pediatrics is the sole sponsor of the event this year. The doctors also have worked to help pass seatbelt laws in both 2009 and 2014. All of their efforts in the community, to raise their family, and to take excellent care of their patients are things they do together. “We trade off with both kids and work, and I like it,” says Dr. Silva. “I like that someone always has my back, and in this case, it’s my husband.” Small World Pediatrics is located is at 2527 Windguard Cir., Suite 102, and is open Mon.–Fri., 9 a.m.–5 p.m. For more information, visit SmallWorldPediatrics.com, see the ad on page 41 or call (813) 907-8001.

at the office 15 minutes later, rather than sending her to an urgent care facility. Another time, Christina says Dr. Silva made a house call when a plumbing issue closed the Small World Pediatrics office temporarily. “I used to think it was just me they treated like family,” says Christina. “Now I see that they really care about all their patients.” Dr. Jiménez says that’s the way he wants it to be. “I’m a small town guy, so I like seeing people I know at the supermarket,” he says. As a pediatrician in this community for 14 years now, that happens pretty often.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 2 • January 12, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

What you mis Featured Business: Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (01-06)

News: Center Ice, Costco & Irish 31 (01-07)

Events: Light Up The Night & Taste of New Tampa ’17 (01-08)

Join WCNT-tv’s Gary Nager & Florida WCNT-tv’s Gary Nager & Susanna The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office Hospital Wesley Chapel’sTracy Clouser, Martinez have news about the status of presents “Light Up The Night,” a 5K road in this exclusive sneak peek at hospital’s Irish 31 at the Shops at Wiregrass & the race & concert event dedicated to the recent expansion. opening of Florida Hospital Center Ice. fight against human trafficking.

Views: 3,370 • Reach: 7,618

Views: 3,809 • Reach: 10,889

Views: 2,741 • Reach: 6,694

Dining News: Vuelo Mexican Grill Spotlight (02-08)

Dining News: Tampa’s Greatest Steak Houses (02-11)

Dining News: Gulfport Restaurants (02-13)

WCNT-tv’s Gary Nager & Mollyana Ward interview Celebrity Chef Mark Estee, who was the chef consultant at the new Vuelo Mexican Grill.

WCNT-tv anchor & dining critic Gary Nager discusses three of his favorite Steak Houses located throughout the Tampa Bay area.

Find out why the quaint waterfront town of Gulfport is famous for its variety of unique dining experiences, with WCNT-tv’s Gary Nager.

Dining News: Ford’s Garage Opening (04-12)

News: Virtual Map of New SR-56 Locations! (04-12)

Views: 3,761 • Reach: 8,226

Views: 3,148 • Reach: 6,901

WCNT-tv was at Ford’s Garage, the WCNT-tv Co-Anchors Gary Nager & Prime Burger & Craft Beer restaurant, Susanna Martinez highlight the most which is now open off SR 56 across from noteworthy restaurants and storefronts the Tampa Premium Outlets! opening on SR 56.

Views: 10,060 • Reach: 20,335

Views: 9,809 • Reach: 21,288

Dining News - Fushia Asian Bistro (06-08)

News: Diverging Diamond Interchange Hands-On (06-22)

Join Gary as he visits Fushia Asian Bistro & Fushia Hot Pot Buffet, which are located in the Shops at Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms.

The Diverging Diamond Interchange scheduled to be built at I-75’s SR-56 Exit is discussed by WCNT-tv’s Gary Nager and Susanna Martinez.

Stories: American Idol Comes to Wesley Chapel (08-07)

Dining News: Wiregrass’s Noble Crust & Irish 31 (08-15)

Views: 1,580 • Reach: 12,704

Views: 5,730 • Reach: 31,717

More than 400 Wesley Chapel and New The Shops at Wiregrass is now home to Tampa singers signed up for a chance two more delicious restaurants and bars, to perform on the newest edition of so check out Gary’s special report about “American Idol” these new eateries!

Views: 6,457 • Reach: 16,673

Views: 3,218 • Reach: 16,416

Views: 2,434 • Reach: 5,210

Dining News: Top Restaurants in Wesley Chapel (01-09)

Dining News: Taste of New Tampa 2017 (01-20)

WCNT-tv’s Gary Nager reveals the top three Favorite Restaurants in Wesley Chapel, as voted by more than 500 Neighborhood News readers!

On Saturday, March 18, more than 40 restaurants & beverage providers will gather inside Florida Hospital Center Ice for the 2017 Taste of New Tampa!

News: Crystal Lagoons, Costco’s Opening (02-17)

Dining News: Taste of New Tampa 2017 is Coming! (02-18)

Views: 5,375 • Reach: 13,440

Views: 6,296 • Reach: 10,764

Featuring Epperson Ranch’s Crystal The Taste of New Tampa will be in full Lagoon, the newly opened Costco & the swing as more than 40 restaurants will newest restaurants coming to the Wesley gather inside Florida Hospital Center Chapel and New Tampa areas. Ice following a four-year hiatus.

Views: 2,473 • Reach: 17,457

Views: 3,598 • Reach: 8,912

News: WC Area Restaurants On the Horizon (04-25)

News: Wesley Chapel Aldi Location Changed! (04-26)

News: Popeyes Opens on SR 54 (04-27)

Irish 31, Mellow Mushroom, Newk’s & several more restaurants are getting ready to open or begin building in Wesley Chapel.

Join WCNT-tv’s Gary Nager & Susanna Martinez as they reveal the newly announced new site for the Wesley Chapel Aldi grocery store.

News: Diverging Diamond Construction Dates (06-22)

Facebook Live ‘WCNT-tv One Year Anniversary’ (06-27)

Views: 3,415 • Reach: 6,966

Views: 4,951 • Reach: 10,811

In this second report, Gary & Susanna A special Facebook Live concert event discuss the planned construction timeline featuring Little Silvio & the Disciples of of the Diverging Diamond Interchange off Restless Soul helps us celebrate the I-75 at SR 56. One Year Anniversary of WCNT-tv.

Views: 2,717 • Reach: 13,347

Views: 1,537 • Reach: 9,375

Special Report - Remembering the Late Tom Petty (10-06)

Entertainment: Breast Cancer Awareness Walk (10-13)

Views: 2,830 • Reach: 5,288

WCNT-tv’s Gary Nager Martinez help the commu for Florida Hospital Cente Opening “Puck Drop,”

Views: 4,656 • Reac

Dining News: Best Be In The Bay Area (0

WCNT-tv’s Gary Nager te his favorite Beach Bars in Bay area in this classic N Dining News segm

Views: 3,369 • Reac

Dining News: Little Monstah Calzone (

Gary sits down with own Viewers are raving about the new Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen on SR 54, but Jessica Meyers of Little It Restaurant in Lutz to sh is the eatery’s new location causing traffic restaurant’s “gone viral” ca problems getting off I-75?

Views: 2,488 • Reach: 5,660 One Year Anniversary & A Special Proposal (06-30)

WCNT-tv’s One Year Anniversary Concert features a Special Surprise Marriage Proposal. Congratulations to Gary and Jannah!

Views: 2,033 • Reach: 6,949 Entertainment Report Wesley Chapel Jazz Festival (10-16)

WCNT-tv’s Gary Nager takes a few Two charitable organizations left their Smooth jazz, local vendors, and food! moments to remember the late, great mark in Wesley Chapel this past fall, with All this & more were available at the 5th Tom Petty, as well as the victims of our two great events to raise awareness of annual Wesley Chapel Jazz Festival!... nation’s tragic Las Vegas shooting. their respective causes. and WCNT-tv is there!

Views: 4,709 • Reach: 8,660

News: Center Ice “Pu Cost-Co Opening (

Views: 4,567 • Reach:10,195

Views: 3,947 • Reac

Highlights & Bloope Year of WCNT-tv! (

After the first 12 months o news segments & exclu interviews, the WCNT-tv fa to celebrate by having a

Views: 1,853 • Reac

Fashion Focus: Mich Plum for Fall (10

The first in a series of cu made in partnership with Premium Outlets, to inform the latest fall fashion

Views: 5,750 • Reac

missed in 2017

nter Ice “Puck Drop,” o Opening (01-21)

Gary Nager & Susanna p the community prepare ospital Center Ice’s Grand “Puck Drop,” & more!

656 • Reach: 33,179

ws: Best Beach Bars Bay Area (02-22)

Calendar: Exciting January Festivals (01-22)

The Suncoast Music & Art Festival is returning to the Shops at Wiregrass & WCNT-tv’s Gary Nager & Susanna Martinez have all the details.

Views: 3,485 • Reach: 9,010

News: Mosque Arson, Movie Theater Shooter on Trial (03-06)

Featured Business: Fl. Hospital Wesley Chapel Pt. 2 (01-23)

For advertising information, call Tom Damico at 813.910.2575 News: Fl. Hospital Center Ice Open & Ribbon Cutting (02-03)

News: Little Italy’s ah Calzone (05-02)

own with owners Carl & ers of Little Italy’s Family in Lutz to show you the gone viral” calzone video.

947 • Reach: 9,163

Views: 2,461 • Reach: 5,768

Views: 2,921 • Reach: 7,148

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Dining News: Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel (03-06)

Special Report: Seminole Heights at the Taste! (03-28)

Special Report: Taste of NT & WC ‘Noble Crust’ (03-29)

Featured Business: Jennifer Cofini/Parks Motors (04-11)

ts & Bloopers: One f WCNT-tv! (07-05)

12 months of informative ments & exclusive local e WCNT-tv family is proud e by having a little fun!

853 • Reach: 6,962

Focus: Michael Kors m for Fall (10-20)

a series of custom videos tnership with the Tampa tlets, to inform viewers of st fall fashion trends.

750 • Reach: 11,816

Views: 2,434 • Reach: 6,075

Views: 3,074 • Reach: 7,538

Views: 2,625 • Reach: 5,153

Commentary: Hailey Acierno New Tampa Remembers (05-09)

News: Wiregrass Ranch Expands (05-11)

News: Wiregrass Sports Complex & More! (05-12)

New Tampa remembers Hailey Acierno, a 17-year-old Wharton High junior whose body was found in Flatwoods Park on April 7th.

The Wiregrass Ranch development is expanding, with multiple residential projects, in Wesley Chapel’s fastestgrowing community.

News: Chick-Fil-A & Starbucks Coming Soon to SR-54 (07-11)

News: Wiregrass Update - Audi, Road Extension & More! (07-14)

Views: 3,564 • Reach: 11,353

WCNT-tv’s Gary Nager and Susanna Martinez discuss everything currently under construction on Wesley Chapel’s portion of SR 54.

Views: 4,006 • Reach: 20,935 Entertainment Report: Wesley Chapel Fall Festival (10-25)

Views: 3,895 • Reach: 14,443

Noble Crust owner TJ Thielbar tells Gary WCNT-tv’s Mollyana Ward sits down about the Ricotta Gnocchi served at the with Jennifer Cofini, the Marketing Taste, as well as the upcoming Shops at Coordinator for Parks Motor Group, as Wiregrass location of Noble Crust. this episode’s WCCC Featured Business.

Views: 8,605 • Reach: 17,307

Views: 2,587 • Reach: 5,669

News: Burn Ban Remains in Effect (05-22)

Special Report: Bryan Blue Show (05-30)

RADDsports will be developing a new A burn ban remains in effect for all of Inspired to facilitate debate, the indoor & outdoor athletic complex, in Pasco County, as emergency r conservative-minded Bryan Blue and his partnership with Pasco County, near The esponders successfully control liberal-leaning co-host, Jamie Knight, Shops at Wiregrass. wildfires in New Tampa’s Flatwoods Park. explain the origins of their relationship.

Views: 3,762 • Reach: 15,372

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Views: 1,859 • Reach: 7,095

News: Lexus of Wesley Chapel In First Gear! (07-17)

Noble Crust Wiregrass - Entrée Spotlight (07-21)

Story: Zammy Pup, Shriners Hospitals for Children (07-28)

Zammy the Sheepadoodle and his A new Audi dealership, new road The Williams Automotive Group’s Patrick Featuring traditional Italian Dishes with a extensions and an apartment complex Abbad reveals new information regarding Southern twist, check out Gary’s favorite successful career as a therapy dog at built in the Wiregrass Ranch DRI are the Lexus of Wesley Chapel coming soon dishes from Noble Crust’s current menu Shriners Hospital for Children Tampa are specials and more! covered in this Special Report. discussed in this episode. to SR 54.

Views: 2,616 • Reach: 12,007

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Fashion Focus: Mimmic Jewelry & Travel Bags (10-27)

Fashion Focus : Fall Accessories! (11-09)

Crystal Lagoon Grand Opening Reveal (11-17)

View, Like & Share Every Episode of WCNT-tv on YuTube & Facebook!

A quick run-down of the activities and WCNT-tv’s Mollyanna Ward & Sarah The third installment in a series of custom The Crystal Lagoon being constructed in events that took place at the 13th annual Rasheid of the Tampa Premium Outlets videos made in partnership with Tampa the Epperson development has begun Wesley Chapel Fall Festival at The give you the inside scoop on what to Premium Outlets, a Simon center, being filled with water and WCNT-tv Grove shppping plaza! wear for the fall season! about Fall Fashions! gives you a first-hand look!

Views: 3,624 • Reach: 7,661

Dining News: Taste of New Tampa 2017 Update! (02-05)

WCNT-tv’s Gary Nager & Florida Hospital The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber WCNT-tv’s Gary Nager attended FHCI’s Check out our preview, as dozens of Wesley Chapel’sTracy Clouser are of Commerce has been busy welcoming Grand Opening ‘Puck Drop’ and has the restaurants will be gathering inside back in Part II of our inside look at the exciting new businesses to the Wesley inside scoop on the exciting services the Florida Hospital Center Ice for the 2017 hospital’s recent expansion. Chapel & New Tampa areas! ice skating facility plans to provide. Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel!

ary Nager tells you about Join WCNT-tv Co-Anchors Gary Nager Join 50 great restaurants & beverage WCNT-tv’s Gary Nager was live at The Beach Bars in the Tampa & Susanna Martinez for this informative providers for the 2017 Taste of New Taste of New Tampa, talking about all his classic Neighborhood WCNT-tv News Update about an arson at Tampa & Wesley Chapel in this of the local eateries that participated, g News segment! the New Tampa Mosque. installment of Neighborhood Dining News. including two in Seminole Heights.

369 • Reach: 6,616

Featured Business: Florida Hospital Center Ice (02-04)

Views: 2,436 • Reach: 5,180

Views: 2,700 • Reach: 5,073

Views: 6,599 • Reach: 14,057

Samantha Taylor Helps Women Get In The Best Shape Of Their Lives By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

celeste@ntneighborhoodnews.com A year ago, Judy McFarland (photos on this page) was in her early sixties, working out five days a week for at least an hour a day. The problem was that she wasn’t seeing the results she wanted. Two years ago, Kate Green — also in her early sixties — had never worked out. Earlier in her life, she had lost 50 pounds by dieting, then put the weight back on — twice. She had put 50 pounds on again and wanted to find a way to get that unwanted weight off and keep it off, for good this time. Now, both women say Samantha Taylor Fitness has changed their lives. Judy lost 31 pounds and 36 inches in just four-and-a-half months. Kate lost the 50 pounds she wanted to lose… and then kept losing. Kate says she has dropped from 170 pounds to 110. “Samantha completely turned my life around,” says Kate. “I was on the verge of being an ill-tempered old woman, but now I’m having a blast – horseback riding, zip lining, and off-roading in my new Jeep.” The Wesley Chapel location of Samantha Taylor Fitness is across the street from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC) in the Shoppes of Wesley Chapel plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd, above The Hungry Greek and OTB Café. Wesley Chapel is one of Samantha’s five fitness studios, including her first location in nearby Land O’Lakes, plus the location she opened about a year ago in Carrollwood, a

new location in Westchase, and a location in Palm Harbor that will open in February. In 2018, Samantha (right) says she plans to open a new Wesley Chapel location, behind Buffalo Wild Wings on S.R. 56, near I-75. The current Wesley Chapel studio will move to the new location. As the company continues to grow, Samantha says that translates into more women like Kate and Judy whose lives are being transformed. “We’re saying that 65 is the new 40,” Samantha says. “We’re teaching women a way to eat that they love. It’s not a diet, not a pill, not shots; just understanding how to eat, how to work out their muscles for tone, and develop a healthy lifestyle they can keep for life.” While many women in their 60s think they have to accept that their bodies will decline because they’re getting older, Samantha says that’s just not true. At all locations, Samantha offers both personal training and Fit Body Boot Camp programs. Programs include fitness training and nutritional counseling for women only, helping them to “age backwards,” as Samantha likes to say. “I feel like I’ve found this fountain of youth,” says Kate, “and I’m having so much fun. I wake up in the morning with more energy than I know what to do with, I work out and come back energized for the rest of the day.”

Judy agrees, “I feel like I’ve got the energy of a teenager and I just turned 62 a few days ago. I’ve had such a transformation – people think I’m 35 years old.”

Personal Training Or Boot Camp?

Whether a client wants personal training – the most customized and private option — or boot camp classes, both programs start with a completely free, no-obligation consultation called a “Body Transformation Analysis” to determine goals and plan a fitness program. Personal training can be done in one-on-one, semi-private, or small group sessions. In addition to personal training sessions, each client also meets with an assigned results coach monthly, to be sure they’re progressing. Clients can choose regular or beginner Fit Body Boot Camp sessions, which vary in cardiovascular intensity levels. Several classes are offered every day, and most clients attend three or more sessions per week. “We are getting women in amazing shape,” says Samantha, who is a Certified Personal Trainer who began her career 25 years ago and launched her own business 18 years ago. During that time, she estimates that she has trained 6,000 local women. Samantha uses her experience as a personal trainer, seeing

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what works and what doesn’t with her many clients, and her years of intensely studying the human body to coach women in fitness and healthy eating. “Most of the people who come to us have done all the diets,” says Samantha. “The shakes, pills, protein diets and calorie deprivation diets. They’re shocked they can eat the way I show them, they love the food, and they lose weight.”

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Kate agrees. “Her eating plan is the best I’ve ever been on. I can have bacon and eggs and cheese – things I couldn’t have on other diets I was on,” she explains. “I can maintain(this program) long term.” Judy also enjoys the food and doesn’t mind the adjustments she’s made to her nutrition. “I don’t feel like I’m on a diet,” she says. “I feel like I’m just eating better – high protein, moderate fat and low carbs.” Samantha says many of her clients see more than just weight loss — they’re getting healthier as well. “They are preventing diseases such as heart disease and diabetes,” she says. “Some women no longer have to take cholesterol or blood pressure medication, and no longer suffer from muscle pains and aches.”

Judy’s Story

Judy (before & after photos on this page) says she went from working out eight or nine hours each week to just three 30-minute sessions at Samantha Taylor Studios. So, how is it that she lost 31 pounds by working out less? “The nutrition adjustment made a big difference,” she says, “plus the quality of training and the intensity of the workouts. After 30 minutes, my body is burning but feels so energized.” She credits the trainers at Samantha Taylor Fitness Studios, who she says are equipped and experienced to help people succeed. “Any of us can do what we set our mind to do, and what seems to be impossible is very possible,” says Judy, “especially with the kind of support and resources that Samantha’s organization provides.

The Six-Week Challenge

Beginning on Monday, January 29, Samantha will start her next six-week “Body Transformation Challenge,” where she gives away thousands of dollars in prizes, including a Grand Prize of a cruise for two for the woman who loses the most weight (as a percentage of her total body weight). Participants in Samantha’s last 6-week challenge lost a combined total of 1,215 pounds and Samantha says she always hosts a big party to celebrate. To register, or for more information, go to 6weekBTC.com. Samantha also does a regular segment on “Tampa Bay’s Morning Blend,” which airs on WFTS-TV, the local ABC affiliate. She brings guests on the show, sometimes clients, and shares delicious, nutritious recipes. For recipes and to view segments of the show, including Kate’s story in her own words from when she was Samantha’s guest on “Tampa Bay’s Morning Blend,” visit SamanthaTaylorFitness.com. Or, go to SamanthaTaylorSeminars.com to learn about upcoming programs, including a full-day seminar called “EmpowerHER,” which will be held on Saturday, January 20, at the Hilton Garden Inn Suncoast (2155 Northpointe Pkwy., Lutz). Samantha herself will be the keynote speaker and the day will feature other experts to focus on getting healthy in 2018. The seminar is free, but please register . The Wesley Chapel Samantha Taylor Fitness studio is located is at 2653 BBD Blvd., Suite 205 (second floor). For more information, visit SamanthaTaylorFitness.com, see the ad on page 21 of this issue or call (813) 377-3739.

SPOTLIGHT ON...Fast Track Urgent Care Center! Fast Track Urgent Care Center, which has a Wesley Chapel location on S.R. 54 west of I-75, is part of a growing company that added one new location in the Tampa Bay area in the past year, is opening two locations in Pinellas County this month, and has a downtown Tampa location planned for this fall. In addition to its center in Wesley Chapel, which opened about two years ago, Fast Track has offices in South Tampa, Westchase, Carrollwood and Riverview. “We started in 2005 with one location and a couple of patients a day,” says Paul Nanda, M.D., Fast Track’s medical director. “Now, with more than 60,000 patient visits this year, we are really starting to impact the health and well being of the (Tampa Bay) community.” Dr. Nanda says that fact matters to Fast Track owner and Tampa native Daron G. Diecidue, M.D. “Being locally owned and operated, we truly care about our patients, because they are our friends and neighbors,” says Dr. Nanda. “And, because doctors run the facility, not business people, we are focused on patients, not dollar signs.” He also explains that Fast Track Urgent Care is available when you don’t need an emergency room, but need more services or expanded hours, compared with a typical primary care doctor’s office. The staff at Fast Track includes more than a dozen Board-certified physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants, who routinely see patients who need physicals and drug tests, or have issues such as cough, sore throat, nausea, ear infections,

rashes, eye problems, and more. They also conduct flu tests, treat burns, do X-rays, provide breathing treatments, and many other procedures. This team of experienced medical professionals rotates among the company’s locations. “Our goal is to get you in and out within 30-60 minutes,” says Dr. Nanda. “We know you didn’t wake up that morning with plans to go to urgent care, so we want to make you better and get you back to your life as soon as possible.” Dr. Nanda also emphasizes that you can go to Fast Track Urgent Care Center anytime you need treatment, including for injuries related to workers’ compensation and motor vehicle injuries. Fast Track Urgent Care Center of Wesley Chapel is located at 5504 Gateway Blvd. and is open seven days a week, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. To make an online appointment reservation (not required but available for quicker service once you arrive), for information about the medical providers, or for addresses of all the Fast Track locations, go to FastTrackUrgentCare.com. You can also call (813) 925-1903 or see the ad on page 28 for more info.

Wishing You a Happy and Healthy 2018!

RICHARD F. LOCKEY, M.D.

ROGER W. FOX, M.D.

DENNIS K. LEDFORD, M.D.

MARK C. GLAUM, M.D.

SEONG H. CHO, M.D.

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Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Offers Global Service With A Local Touch By BRAD STAGER

A drive through New Tampa and Wesley Chapel pretty much tells the story about how popular our communities are as places to live and raise a family. A crowded commute is one clue, but a look around reveals a lot of new housing construction adding to the existing high-quality home inventory and brand new shopping centers on prime commercial properties. There’s a lot going on real estate-wise and at the center of much it are the professionals at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Properties Group’s New Tampa Market office, located In the Publix-anchored The Shoppes at New Tampa in Wesley Chapel, on the southeast corner of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and S.R. 56. Berkshire Hathaway’s New Tampa office is run by president and managing Broker Otis Bass, Jr., who joined the company in 2014 after a stint at Charles Rutenberg Realty. Bass says his team is ready to handle just about any kind of transaction that serves a client’s real estate needs. “We are full service,” Bass says. “So we’re doing residential, luxury, commercial, and we even do property management.” Bass also includes helping landlords find tenants as a service the firm’s property management team provides. Berkshire Hathaway’s online portal for rental properties

When they aren’t solving their clients real estate questions, the folks at Berkshire Hathaway are active in the community, like when they delivered food and toys to Metropolitan Ministries on Dec. 15.

is RentAHomeWithUs.com, which is the site to browse for rental properties and for tenants and owners to conduct business for everything from making payments to reporting maintenance needs. “We help our clients get what they need in real estate, be it insurance, or a mortgage, or anything along those lines,” Bass says. “We have so many people within our circle we can give to them, so they can shop those services and decide which one is the best fit for them.”

He adds that the vendors Berkshire Hathaway works with share his firm’s commitment to providing high-quality service. “We want to make sure they are client-centric; they put the customer first,” he says. Although located in Wesley Chapel, Bass says that his office has a wide footprint that extends through eastern Pasco County and northern Hillsborough County. The Berkshire Hathaway New Tampa Market office has a staff of more than 80

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sales professionals, including sales associate Kathy Britton. When it came time to buy a new home, and in short order turn around and sell her old one, Charla Harper-Hagen turned to Berkshire Hathaway. She is one client who is happy to attest to the high level of customer service provided by Britton and Berkshire Hathaway. “I honestly can’t say enough good things about Kathy,” says Harper-Hagen. “We had two transactions, inside of a 45day period, (and both) went smoothly.” Harper-Hagen says a big reason her real estate deals went well is that Britton kept her informed throughout the process of buying, and selling, her homes. She said the level of personal service she received was excellent. “Kathy answered all of my questions,” Harper-Hagen says. “She anticipated all of my needs and made sure that, as a buyer, I was comfortable with what I was signing up for and that I understood all the ins and outs of the offers that were presented.” Bass says he honed many of his own current skills working in the mortgage industry for more than a decade. That experience, he says, has provided him additional perspective when it comes to his real estate management job. “Getting into real estate was second nature for me,” he says. “I already understood contracts, titles, appraisals, surveys, and I pretty much knew what I was getting myself into. Once I got into real estate, I was having more fun than I was with mortgages.”

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While the Berkshire Hathaway team has the industry expertise to conduct business, Bass says the ultimate decisions are made by their customers. “What sets us apart is our approach, which is more of a consultative approach,” he says. “We want to help our clients make good decisions for themselves.” Berkshire Hathaway’s role in those good decisions involve, among many things, interpreting market data or deciphering the terms of a contract for clients. “We’re going to help them understand what they are doing,” he says. New Tampa and Wesley Chapel families are probably used to their year-round home in paradise becoming a vacation destination for extended family members living outside of the Sunshine State, so an extra bedroom or other living space is part of a lot of transactions. Bass, who lives in New Tampa, says there’s also a growing popularity in properties that can accommodate more kin than just parents and kids. “It’s quite a good area for multi-generational families, and that’s a lot of what I’m seeing,” he says. “We’re seeing grandparents living with nuclear families, and some of the builders are building multigenerational houses.” CalAtlantic of Estancia, Bass says, is one example of builders specializing in extended-family housing.

A Name You Can Trust Globally

A review of the listings carried by Berkshire Hathaway’s New Tampa Market office shows homes from Odessa to Eustis

in Lake County, but by virtue of Berkshire Hathaway’s corporate relationships, suitable dwellings can be found for moves to anywhere on the globe. Through the company’s international listings, Berkshire Hathaway also can help Floridians market their properties worldwide. In fact, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Property Group’s online presence is a huge resource for information about home listings, as well as tips for buyers and sellers. There are links to Berkshire Hathaway’s YouTube channel, Twitter feed and Facebook page on the company website at BHHSFloridaProperties.com. If the name Berkshire Hathaway seems familiar beyond the real estate business, it’s because it is derived from the holding company Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., which is chaired by billionaire financier Warren Buffett, who also is the company’s CEO. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Properties Group is one of the companies that make up HomeServices of America, Inc., which is owned by Berkshire Hathaway Energy, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. The HomeServices group of companies, of which Florida Properties Group is one, provides all the resources involved in supporting real estate transactions and investments under one roof, such as mortgage originations, title and closing services, insurance, home warranties and even relocation services that span the globe. But, the company remains just as strong locally, as well. The Berkshire Hathaway HomeSer-

Otis Bass Jr. is the president and managing broker of Berkshire Hathaway’s New Tampa Market office in Wesley Chapel. vices Florida Properties Group name went up on The Shoppes of New Tampa signage in early 2014, but the company behind the name has been around since 1959, when Dewey Mitchell and Allen Crumbley opened their real estate business, Tropical Realty. In 1988, they aligned with the Prudential Real Estate Network, which Berkshire Hathaway bought in 2012. There was a two-year transition period between 2012 and 2014 for the change to become complete for the Florida Properties Group. That nearly 60-year period has coincided with the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas evolving from scrub land and

cow pastures into vibrant active communities to live and conduct commerce. Bass, a Florida native, is quite familiar with the market and its transformation. “I grew up in Wesley Chapel before it was Wesley Chapel,” he says. “I’m one of the very few people you will meet who is from the area.” Many, including Bass, feel that growth will continue unabated because of the quality of the area’s schools, access to healthcare and the promised addition of jobs.“The population of Wesley Chapel is really going to grow in the next few years,” he says. As members of the community they are helping to grow through their business, Bass says his Berkshire Hathaway team is committed to taking action to improve the lives of all residents. This past Christmas season, for example, the company’s annual Cabernet Sleigh drive collected more than seven tons of food, $4,000 in gift cards and cash and more than 1,000 gift items gifts that were donated to Metropolitan Ministries in Tampa on Dec. 15. Crumbley and Mitchell headed up the Cabernet Sleigh drive, which gets its names from the cabernet and cream colors the company uses. You can meet the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Properties Group New Tampa Market team at their office, located at 1830 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (between Bealls & Publix), visit online to browse listings at BHHSFloridaProperties.com, see the full-page ad on pg. 47 of this issue or call (813) 907-8200.

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TOP STORIES OF 2017

SPORTS

Hockey, Tennis & Lots Of Firsts For Area High School Teams By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com Wesley Chapel has had the occasional high school team break through. Saddlebrook Resort trains world-renowned tennis players. But, to call our community a sports “mecca” would be an overstatement. That may, however, be changing. Consider in 2017 alone: Wesley Chapel hosted the U.S. Women’s Olympic Hockey team training camp, some of the best professional women’s tennis players in the world competed in the Federation Cup semifinals at Saddlebrook, a new indoor sports facility received approval (and will break ground next year) and even the local kids made a little history at Wiregrass Ranch, Wesley Chapel and Cypress Creek high schools. Not bad for one year. As for ranking what we feel were the top stories, where do we start? * The U.S. Women’s Olympic Hockey team training for the 2018 Winter Olympics was huge news. We wrote about it on page 11. * The RADD Sports indoor sports

The Wiregrass Ranch High football team, seen warming up before its spring game, went 9-3 this year, including the first football playoff victory for any Wesley Chapel high school. To the right, U.S. Women’s Federation Cup team captain Kathy Renaldi celebrates the team’s win over the Czech Republic at Saddlebrook Resort. impact is likely to be significant. complex will break ground in 2018, * The Fed Cup semifinal pitting the and could be open by spring of 2019. While we’re still not sure how much use U.S. against the defending champion Czech Republic at Saddlebrook Resort Wesley Chapel residents will get out of in February put a buzz in the area’s the complex, its overall local economic significant tennis population. Saddlebrook constructed a temporary 3,500-seat stadium around one of the resort’s Har-Tru Classic Green Clay Courts, and it was nearly full on both days of the event, despite temperatures that were blazing. The Fed Cup, started in 1963 as the women’s version of the men’s Davis Cup, is the world’s largest annual international team competition in women’s sports, with roughly 100 teams competing. The semifinals were a good get for Wesley Chapel, and the U.S. delivered an exciting down-to-the-wire 3-2 win as Coco Vandeweghe and Bethanie Mattek-Sands won the final doubles match to clinch it. Many of those who watched from the stands in Saddlebrook that weekend

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were also watching from their couches in November on The Tennis Channel as Vandeweghe (this time with Shelby Rogers) again clinched a 3-2 win in Minsk, Belarus, ending a 17-year Fed Cup championship drought for the Americans. * Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH) became the first team from Wesley Chapel to win a Florida High School Athletic Association football playoff game, despite a few 10-0 seasons back in the early-2000s by Wesley Chapel High (WCH). The Mark Kantor-coached Bulls, led by 1,000-yard rusher Adrian Thomas, managed a school best-ever 9-3 record, and a 17-10 win over Lake Nona in the first round of the Class 7A playoffs (before a loss to state powerhouse Lakeland ended their season). * At WCH, the softball team made some of its own history. Losers of 27 straight games and 43 of 44 over a

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The Wesley Chapel High softball team turned a history of losing into a banner season that included a school-record 19 wins and the school’s first softball playoff appearance, and victory, ever.

three-year span at one point, coach Steve Mumaw and freshman pitcher Jordan Almasy led the Wildcats to their first playoff appearance ever. WCH won a school record 19 games, beat Robinson 4-0 for their first postseason win, and had eventual Class 6A champ Land O’Lakes on the ropes before losing 4-2 in the Regional semifinals. * And, the new kids on the block at Cypress Creek Middle High (CCH) hit the ground running — on August 25, the Coyotes, coached by Mike Johnson,

won the first football game they ever played, beating Gulf 12-0. The closest anyone came to winning a state title in 2017? * The WRH boys tennis team, which already won state titles in 2014 and 2015, fell short in their bid for No. 3 in four years, in April. The Bulls lost to Parkland Stoneman Douglas High 4-1 in the State Class 4A championship match, just the third time in their last 114 matches the Bulls boys have lost a head-to-head battle.

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TOP STORIES OF 2017

PEOPLE

It Was A Busy Year For Locals Making Their Mark From online stars to booming business, from reality competition shows to good old-fashioned game shows, Wesley Chapel saw its share of residents get their 15 minutes of fame in 2017. Back in August, Florida Hospital Center Ice was home to “Tampa Bay Idol,” an audition for the new incarnation of “American Idol,” which will now air on ABC-TV. The local tryout was hosted by Channel 28-WFTS-TV’s “ABC Action News,” and more than 400 people showed up to audition. Over the past 12 months, we have introduced you to Wesley Chapel residents and “Idol” hopefuls Brittany Collins, 28, who is a third-grade teacher at Heritage Elementary in New Tampa, and Caloi Koelndorfer, a 16-year-old junior at Wiregrass Ranch High. “It was awesome,’’ Caloi said of her audition. “I just let it go and tried to have fun.” Those who got the thumbs-up – including both Brittany and Caloi – were awarded a “front-of-the-line” certificate to the next round of tryouts, held in Orlando. Unfortunately, both of their “American Idol” journeys ended there. We’ve heard that one Wesley Chapel resident and two “Tampa Bay Idol” contestants may have made it to the next round of auditions. But, that’s still all we know at this time. The show

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doesn’t air until March, so we’ll keep you posted if a Wesley Chapel resident appears on it. Then, in October, we watched NBC-TV’s “The Voice,” catching glimpses of 16-year-old Wiregrass Ranch High junior Alexandra Joyce. Her audition and subsequent battle round were reduced to montages on the show, so the hit show’s audience didn’t get to really appreciate the full extent of the teen’s talents. After three chairs turned around for Alexandra –— those of Academyand Grammy-award winner Jennifer Hudson, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine and country crooner Blake Shelton — she joined Jennifer’s team. But, Alexandra’s journey on the show ended in her first battle round. “I think it’s definitely been kind of a stepping stone for me,” she says. “I have a single on iTunes; I never in a million years thought I would have a single on iTunes.” Alexandra’s two audition songs, Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams” and Charlie Puth’s “One Call Away” are both still available. In November, Wesley Chapel resident Christopher Moody’s stint on the CBS-TV daytime game show “Let’s Make A Deal” aired. Which was more memorable — that he won $18,000 worth of prizes, including a new dining room set and a 7-day trip for two to Greece, or

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Moody’s spot-on hot dog costume? Moody was offered $1,000 for a box with unknown contents — then $1,400, then $2,000. “I turned it down,” Moody says. “It was just a gut feel. Right from the beginning, I was hoping I’d win a trip, I had a good hunch that is what was going to be in the box.” Turns out he’s glad he followed that hunch. And, we don’t want to forget to mention Zammy, the 100-pound “sheepadoodle” whose picture at the Shops at Wiregrass mall (right) went viral on the social media site reddit. Zammy had about 600 followers on his Instagram account, @ ZammyPup, before his photo hit reddit. After that, his owner, New Tampa resident Todd Pitner, says, “It went from 600 to 1,000 overnight, then 2,000 in a week, then 9,000.” Zammy continues to gain fans. As of the end of 2017, the lovable Sheepadoodle has more than 71,000 followers.

“Zammy’s just a really special dog, with a special personality,” says Todd, “and he brings joy to people.” Something else that brings joy to people is – let’s be honest – doughnuts. Another Wesley Chapel resident we featured in 2017 was Patrick Ruddell See “People” on page 46.

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Fat Rabbit, Wok Chi & Snowrolls On Our List Of Favorite New Eateries In 2017 By GARY NAGER

As part of our “year in review” series of stories in this issue, assistant editor John Cotey and I decided that I should include something about all of the new restaurants that opened in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel in 2017. And of course, since I love to write about new places to eat, I decided to mention a few of my favorites that opened in our area over the past 12 months. Here in Wesley Chapel, my favorite new eatery is Noble Crust, which had its own fulllength dining feature last issue (and has an ad on the next page). But, Noble Crust was far from alone on the list of new places to eat north of the Pasco County line in our distribution area. In The Shops at Wiregrass alone, in addition to Noble Crust, Irish 31, Wok Chi and Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt all opened and all of them were great additions to the dining scene at the Shops. After Noble Crust, Ford’s Garage is definitely my favorite newcomer, with a really good seared tuna appetizer, tender steaks and a great Henry’s Chicken entrée. None of the other new entries around the Tampa Premium Outlets mall make my list, as most are fast food, but my favorite of them is Culver’s See ad below), followed by Pollo Tropical, Starbucks, Panda Express, Wendy’s and Taco Bell. I’m also looking forward to the 2018 opening of both Mellow Mushroom (which is getting close to opening, just east of Wendy’s and Taco Bell) and Bahama Breeze (which just broke ground a little further to the east), both on the north side of S.R. 56, across from TPO. Irish 31 also makes my list of new fa-

vorites, even though the menu has a few too many fried items for my taste. However, the Ploughman’s salad and Farmer’s Fried Chicken, as well as a pretty good ribeye steak keep it near the top of the newbies list for me. I also really enjoy not only the build-ityourself stir-fry dishes at Wok Chi, but also the Chi-Licious pork spareribs, the egg rolls and dumplings and even the hot green tea. I also haven’t yet tried the new Wing Stop, which has been open a few weeks in the Northwoods Plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (next to Target), but I hear good things. Meanwhile, in New Tampa, we didn’t see as many new places to eat open, but The Fat Rabbit in the City Plaza at Tampa Palms shopping center and Precinct Pizza on Cross Creek Blvd. are both pretty good, with Fat Rabbit be-

ing my favorite of the two for its excellent burgers, el conejo chicken burritos (above left) and blackened wings. I also really do enjoy the unique Mexican seafood at El Pescador (see ad below), especially the whole snapper and the steak fajitas (photo on next page). And, although it isn’t truly a restaurant, per se, the new Snowrolls (see photo on this page), ice cream shop in the Pebble Creek Collection on BBD also is pretty incredible. Even though you can now get rolled ice cream in other paces in our area, the quality of the ice cream and the variety of flavors and toppings at Snowrolls is second to none. This first location of a new franchise also has excellent crepes, amazing authentic Italian coffee and coffee drinks, as well as a new choco-

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late gyro that swirls milk chocolate and hazelnut flavors with more to come. It isn’t ice cream, but it’s indescribably smooth chocolate and you can even add toppings to it, too. I’d also like to give a shout out to the new owners of Café Olé Restaurant on Cross Creek Blvd., who have converted a small portion of the existing restaurant (which has long been my favorite in New Tampa) to a Venezuelan bakery and coffee shop with great café con leché and a variety of authentic Latin desserts.

We Lost A Few, Too

Unfortunately, New Tampa and Wesley Chapel also saw a few restaurants close in 2017, including (at the end of December) Amici Pizza on Wesley Chapel Blvd. in the Grand Oaks plaza in Lutz.

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Among our editor’s favorite dishes at his favorite new eateries in 2017 in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel not called Noble Crust were (l.-r. from previous page) the el conejo chicken burritos at The Fat Rabbit, the rolled ice cream at Snowrolls, the Henry’s Chicken at Ford’s Garage, the succulent Chi-licious pork spare ribs at Wok Chi, the steak fajitas at El Pescador and (below) the Farmer’s Fried Chicken at Irish 31. But, thankfully for long-time Amici fans, both the restaurant/pizzeria and the adjacent Salon Tres Anne owned by the Amici family, are both reopening soon in their own free-standing building a little further to the north/east on Wesley Chapel Blvd., on the other side of Compark 75. And, in New Tampa, among the casualties who left the area in 2017 were Vuelo Mexican Grill, Takara Sushi & Sake, Paramount Lebanese Kitchen and Dairy Queen.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 2 • January 12, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 2 • January 12, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 2 • January 12, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

The Latest & Greatest News In Dining, Shopping & Business In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel!

Downtown Avalon Park West Announces First Tenant

New Restaurants & More On The Way On S.R. 56

For those who think we still don’t have enough restaurants in Wesley Chapel, two more that many of us are looking forward to have made some progress in recent weeks. First of all, in the new retail plaza located across S.R. 56 from the Tampa Premium Outlets (east of Taco Bell & Wendy’s), Mellow Mushroom Pie & Spirits appears to be only weeks away from opening, or at least being completed. (Note-At the eastern end of the same plaza, at our press time, Aspen Dental and Mattress One were open, with Noire Nail Bar, Great Clips and Men’s Wearhouse all getting close to opening.) Just east of that plaza, it’s official — Bahama Breeze Island Grille has broken ground (photo above left) and could start going vertical soon. According to what we’ve been told, Bahama Breeze should be open later this year. And, the Hyatt Place hotel, located just east of Bahama Breeze on 56, is shaping up nicely, with an expected opening in May of this year. If you continue east on S.R. 56, past I-75, another hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn, also is nearing completion, which is expected in June of this year.

Look for more updates about these restaurants and businesses not only in future editions of the Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News, but also on WCNT- nificent Lexus vehicles (the $92,000-base priced-2018 Lexus LC sports car is hott!!!), tv — Wesley Chapel & New Tampa Television (see page 3 and pgs. 24-25)! but also a truly immaculate service area, a quiet area, business center, Lexus loaner Lexus Of Wesley Chapel? cars for service customers and a gourmet, Japanese-inspired coffee shop with your In A Word, Wow! choice of coffee drinks, pastries and more. And now, there are three. After “We’re all about a luxury customer Mercedes-Benz of Wesley Chapel had experience,” Olivia told me. “We want a couple of years as the only true luxury every customer and anyone interested in brand auto dealership in Wesley Chapel, test-driving a Lexus to feel special.” Audi Wesley Chapel (see this issue’s back Our congratulations go out to brothcover) opened a few miles east of Mercedes ers David and John Williams, who also own on S.R. 56 in November and one month Wesley Chapel Honda, Tampa Honda later, the Williams Automotive Group was (on N. Florida Ave.) and the Used Superproud to announce the opening of Lexus store on S.R. 54, just west of I-75. of Wesley Chapel, located between I-75 For more information, stop by the and Wesley Chapel Toyota (also a Wildealership at 5350 Eagleston Blvd., visit liams dealership) off S.R. 54 and Bruce B. LexusofWesleyChapel.com or call (813) Downs (BBD) Blvd. 907-5350, and please tell any member of I was given a tour of the new Lexus the sales team that you read about them of Wesley Chapel by Olivia, one of the dealership’s concierges. I saw not only mag- in the Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News!

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 2 • January 12, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

We couldn’t fit it in our last issue, but the opening of the first downtown building at Avalon Park West has become clearer, as the first tenant has agreed to occupy space. Power Martial Arts has signed a five-year lease to occupy 2,500 square feet of space in Downtown Avalon Park West. That building will break ground in 2018 and is scheduled to open in 2019. “Upon completion, Downtown Avalon Park West will be a gathering place for all of Wesley Chapel,” says Stephanie Lerret, Sr. VP of Marketing & Community Relations, Avalon Park Group. “Companies like Power Martial Arts are excited to be part of the first phase and we have many more exciting potential tenants ready to sign as we get closer.” Avalon Park West, when completed, will have 4,800 residential units, 560,000 square feet of commercial space and 120,000 square feet of office space. Avalon Park Group has built or is currently building 700 single-family homes. Avalon Park West’s Downtown will be well under way with construction beginning on a new amenity, mixed-use building and charter school, all starting in 2018 and are slated to be open in 2019. Currently, Power Martial Arts is operating at the Lake Bernadette Community Center.

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“We’re very excited about getting this place, a permanent home to teach martial arts to the community,” says Master Matthew Brown, co-owner of Power Martial Arts. “To be part of the launch of this great concept will be a great adventure.” For info about Avalon Park West, visit AvalonParkWest.com or call (813) 7831515. For Power Martial Arts, visit PowerMartialArts.com or call (813) 778-2709.

Let Rain & Shine Cleaning Make Your Home Sparkle!

OK, so now that the holidays are over, how’s your home looking? Whether you want an outstanding post-holiday clean-up, or cleaning before you move in or out of a new home, I really hope you’ll call my new friend Irene Joyner of Rain & Shine Residential Cleaning. Irene has been cleaning mine and Jannah’s apartment for about six months and quite honestly, I’ve never seen anyone quite like her and her team. “Everyone who works for me is either a member of my family or someone I’ve known and worked with for years,” Irene says. “We will always make sure your home looks the way you want it to.” Believe her. In addition to making our apartment sparkle and smell clean — not like cleaning chemicals but that fresh clean we can’t get enough of — Irene is always adding personal touches like cleaning the door on our screened-in patio and straightening out our pantry closet, even though we didn’t specifically ask for those things. Irene and her Rain & Shine Cleaning crew are true treasures who are absolutely trustworthy, thorough and can even offer additional services like carpet cleaning,

pressure washing, window cleaning and floor care. I give them six stars out of five and my highest possible recommendation. For more info, call Irene at (813) 451-3042, visit RainandShineClean. com or see the ad on page 45 of this issue and please tell her that I sent you!

Little Rest For The Chamber

After a short holiday break, the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce is in full swing once again, with a number of great events coming up shortly. On Tuesday, January 16, 8 a.m., the Chamber’s free Monthly Coffee Social will again be held at Buttermilk Provisions (which recently added beer and wine and evening entertainment), located at 2653 BBD Blvd., Suite 117, Wesley Chapel. The Chamber’s Economic Development Briefing will be held on Thursday, January 25, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., at Hunter’s Green Country Club (18101 Longwater Run Dr.) and will feature Loren Rhodes of the Rhodes Group, which is developing the Hyatt Place Hotel & Convention Center on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel. The cost to attend is $15 for WCCC members, $20 for non-members. The Chamber also hosts another free Final Friday networking event on Friday, January 26, 4 p.m.-6 p.m., at Primebar in the Shops at Wiregrass mall. For membership and other info about the WCCC, and a complete events calendar, visit WesleyChapelChamber.com or call (813) 994-8534. Also, good luck to the WCCC’s former membership director Jennifer Tussing in her new job with real estate attorney Cristen Martinez Weiner & Martinez Law, P.A.! We miss you, Jen! — GN

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 2 • January 12, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

New Tampa & Wesley Chapel HELP WANTED *LOW STRESS SALES PART TIME* Dan’s Fan City sells ceiling fans in the hottest state in the U.S. and is hiring part-time sales associates (20-25 hours per week) in New Tampa and Carrollwood. We offer: low stress environment, flexible hours, competitive hourly base rate, biweekly commission plus bonus incentives, 401k. Good attitude is a must, experience is a plus, must be willing to work at least one day on weekends. We love Veterans! Apply in person: 19404 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. or 13192 N. Dale Mabry Hwy. HIRING PERSONAL TRAINER. Private Women’s Studio with Boot Camp & Personal Training in Wesley Chapel & Land O’ Lakes owned by Samantha Taylor. Please no phone calls or walk ins.To apply part time: www.lolfitbodybootcamp.com/hire-pt. PHYSICAL THERAPIST (PT). An established New Tampa outpatient clinic is hiring a part-time PT to provide custom, one-on-one care. Fax resume to (813) 994-3080.

COMPUTER/BUSINESS SERVICES PROFESSIONAL TECH SUPPORT in your home or small business. A+, Certified computer tech with 20 years exp. Maintenance & repairs, upgrades & tutoring. More affordable than large chains! Friendly, personalized svc. Technical jargon explained. Remote assistance available. References available. 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 exp. Contact Jeffrey Blank at (813) 973-4507, visit WSICA.COM or email Wsica@wsica.com

POOL SERVICES TRANQUILITY POOL SERVICE. New Tampa owned & operated. Great Pricing with outstanding customer service! LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED. See why we are New Tampa and Wesley Chapel’s #1 Choice!! Call Chris today @ (813) 8575400 or visit TranquilityPoolService.com. New customers get ONE MONTH FREE! AllStarPoolsofTampaBay.com Highest quality salt and ozone generators, pumps, motors, filters. Marcite, quartz and pebble finishes. Pool cleanups and acid washes, paver and river rock sealing. Paver decks and driveways. Mention this ad for $69 pool service. Call or text 813-244-7077. Visit AllStarPoolsofTampaBay.com.

Classifieds

LAWN & LANDSCAPING

JASMINE’S LANDSCAPING. Complete lawn maintenance, Tree, palm and hedge trimming, Planting, mulching, stones, Sod replacement, Pressure washing, Gutter cleaning and more. Cited by your HOA for violations? Need to comply for: Pressure washing, Trimming, Mulching, Sod replacement, Sprinkler repair or Mailbox repair or replacements? Ask about our HOA SPECIAL & FREE ESTIMATE! For more info, call (813) 420-4465. HOMETEAM LAWNCARE LLC High-quality professional Services: Weekly or bi-weekly year-round full-service lawn care starting at $90/month: Mow, edge, trim, blow, mulch-bed maintenance, hedge and low-tree trim. Additional Services: Sod, Mulch, & Rock Placement; Hedge Trimming, & Tree Trimming; Landscape Installation; Fall/Spring Clean-Up. Family Owned & Operated, Licensed & Insured, Background Checked, Call or Text (813) 817-9554.

CLEANING SERVICES B CLEANING SERVICES: Over 16 years experience! Commercial & residential; Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly; New house & post construction clean-up; Window cleaning; Move-in or move-out cleanings; Pressure washing; FREE estimates; References available. Call today: 813-531-0154 or e-mail: bcleanings@hotmail.com D-ULTRA CLEANING SERVICE We have our own supplies and more than 400 clients in New Tampa! For more info, Call 758-9710. SQUEAKY CLEAN HOME SERVICES Residential cleaning company offering weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly services. We also specialize in move-in/ move-out cleanup. All supplies and equipment provided. We are an Owner Operator company with over 20 years experience. “If it Needs to be Clean, We’re your Team! Call us for your free in home estimate today! 813-625-6045 POWER HOUSE CLEANING SERVICES Offering residential cleaning for weekly, bi-weekly, monthly & occasional. One time, deep cleaning, move-in/ move-outs, real estate, holiday and event cleaning. Owner Operator with Personal Touch! Licensed and Insured. To schedule or for a free in-home estimate, call (813) 356-8287 or e-mail powerclean16@ gmail.com. Try Power House Cleaning Services - you will be powerfully pleased!

SPACE AVAILABLE SERENITY SALON & SPA SUITES Wesley Chapel. Booth rental for Stylist available. Can be either full time or part time. Give us a call!: 813-3125247 or 813-997-6302.

HOME IMPROVEMENT WESLEYCHAPELPRESSUREWASHING.COM Soft pressure exterior house cleaning, screen enclosures, pool decks, driveways, sidewalks, fences, roofs, paver sealing and deck staining. We clean everything. No job too big or small. Experience the difference when you hire a pressure cleaning professional. Licensed and insured. Owner operated. Call for a free estimate or visit our website. 813-433-6015. DAVID BRIDGES PRESSURE CLEANING Complete exterior cleaning of your home or business with a professional & personal touch. - Pool decks and screen enclosures - All fencing/ driveways and walkways/roofs - Gutter and downspouts. Find your happiness in a fresh, bright clean home. Your neighbors will love you for it! All work guaranteed. Licensed and insured. Call 813-215-1177. GREG’S PAPERHANGING. For all of your wallpapering needs. Licensed and insured, clean, quick and reasonable. Call 973-2767 for a free estimate. RAYMOND PAINTING. Exterior & Interior Services. Exterior: Painting, pressure washing, clean & seal pavers, stucco, roofing, leaks & wood rot repair. Interior: Painting, plastering, ceiling & wall repairs & tiles. Licensed & Bonded. References avail. Free estimates. Your Neighborhood Arbor Greene Resident! We work 7 days. Call 813-994-5124. DRY WALL SPECIALIST. Not a handyman. Affordable Quality Work repairing water damage, ceilings and walls, retexturing, popcorn removal, room additions, cracks, holes, plaster and stucco repair. 26 Years Experience. Wesley Chapel resident. State Certified. Call Ron for free estimate: 813-7845999. MILLENNIUM HOME REPAIR.Professional Handyman. Cabinet Installation, dry wall repair, tile installation & repair, some plumbing, laminate flooring, light fixtures, interior painting, appliance installation, pressure washing, paneling, window repair, awning installation, carpentry, garbage disposal, fence repair, crown molding, window blinds, seal baths & showers, TV mounting & more. Call 813-400-1408 or email TYCOONUNION@YAHOO.COM.

_ ANTIQUES & MORE FOR SALE! SUSAN’S ANTIQUES, VINTAGE ART, BRICA-BRAC, GLASS & OTHER TREASURES! In Annett’A’s Attic, 2nd Flr, 14136 8th St, Dade City. For more info, see our display ad below.

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COME SEEK OUT YOURS...GREAT PRICES, CREDIT CARDS & LAYAWAY AVAILABLE. IN ANNETT'A'S ATTIC, 2ND FL, 14136 8TH ST., DADE CITY, FL. OPEN MS, 11 A.M4 P.M.

DALE’S HOME MAINTENANCE Pressure washing, screen repairs, garage cleaning and organizing, shelving, re-grout tile and caulking, and more. 813-727-2582.

PIANO LESSONS PIANO LESSONS Children or adults, beginners or advanced. Master’s Degree in Music Composition, SUNY Stony Brook. Over 55 years of piano study. Contact Andre Garneau: studiog.newtampa@ gmail.com

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS WITH MORE THAN 400 CUSTOMERS

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 2 • January 12, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 2 • January 12, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

“People” Continued from page 37 who has made his Mini Doughnut Factory in South Tampa one of Tampa Bay’s hottest spots, with a crowd almost always out the door. Ridell’s second Mini Doughnut Factory just opened in St. Petersburg. At one point this year, Patrick and his wife, Zezura, were on the verge of a deal to open a store in Wesley Chapel on S.R. 56. What they thought was a done deal, however, wasn’t, as they say the leasing company reneged on an agreement. As for opening a store in the com-

Still smoker friendly!

munity where they live, Patrick says, “We want it more than anything.” Here’s hoping 2018 is the year that brings Wesley Chapel its own Mini Doughnut Factory.

New Look! New Website! New Menu Items!

Now Serving Beer, Wine and Grandma’s Homemade Sangria Call us to cater your special event! 24436 SR 54, Lutz | 813-909-2122 | littleitalyfamilyrestaurant.com Open Tues-Sat for Lunch & Dinner at Noon | Sundays Noon-8pm

• Full Liquor Bar! • Watch all the games here! • Karaoke & entertainment

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27429 County Rd 54, Wesley Chapel, FL 33544 Formerly Skinny’s Sports Bar

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 2 • January 12, 2018 • WCNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

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Angela Mora 813-482-1452 This 2 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath, 1 Car garage 1272 sqft. home features a spacious great room floor plan with a large eat in kitchen and added breakfast bar. You'll enjoy relaxing on the patio that overlooks beautiful conservation. Home is move-in ready, complete with all appliances, just waiting for you to add your own personal touch!

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This well maintained 3 bed,2 bath,2 car garage home is on a conservation lot and offers many upgrades. For more information please contact Bob or Debbie Gibson.

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Hablo español también!

WATERGRASS

Kim Hilliker 813-453-5657 Tammy Hellman

Elvira Cardona 813-546-9777 STUNNING and spacious home with 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2CG and BONUS room with 1879SF of living area. Located in one of Wesley Chapel’s most popular communities- Watergrass with an on-site elementary school. ecardona@bhhsflpg.com | ecardonarealestate.com Habla español

LAND O’ LAKES - PRICE REDUCED!

This beautiful home sits on the Golf Course, nestled on a quiet street. This home features 3 bedroom, 2 full bath, 2,058 sf. Interior features a large family room, formal living & dining rooms,inside laundry room, neutral color-upgraded carpeting and tile in the kitchen. Call for an appointment today!

Jimmy Cosentino 813-949-3676 Beautiful Open Floor Plan! 4 Bedroom / 3Full Bath. 2718 Sq Ft. Huge Screened in Lanai. Features Hybrid Heated Pool/ Spa, Built-in Habachi Grill, Auto Awning, 3 Car Garage. No CDD’s! Perfect house to entertain friends and family! jcosentino@bhhsflpg.com | www.JimmyGetsItRight.com

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Ronnie Preusch 813-361-9595 Custom Home on 4.55 acres, gated & fenced. Main House has 3845 sqft, 4Bd, 3.1B, 3+ CG, Office, Pool/Spa. In-Law Suite 1000 sqft, 1Bd, 1B, Carport. Loaded with Upgrades. Offered at $798,000 rpreusch@BHHSflpg.com

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Jennifer Kibiger 813-469-1481 Adorable 4 bedrm, 2 bath home with beautiful kitchen having a large island, granite countertops, upgraded cabinets, and newer stainless steel appliances. Laminate flooring in all living areas. Covered and screened patio, enclosed back yard. Only 3 miles from I-75. jkibiger@BHHSflpg.com | jkibiger@BHHSFloridaProperties.com