New Tampa Neighborhood News, Volume 28. Issue 23, November 10, 2020 by Neighborhood News

Volume 28 Issue 23 November 10, 2020

Inside:

New Dining Options Now Open On S.R. 56! See page 34!

DON’T PANIC!

STORY BY JOHN C. COTEY * PHOTOS: JACK DYTRYCH PHOTOGRAPHER

crolling through Kelsey Darragh’s popular YouTube channel, one thing is for certain — she has no filter. Some of the titles and topics of her videos may make you blush (don’t ask), while others you will irresistibly click (we said don’t ask!), but Kelsey is both sassy and serious, and most often both at the same time. However, you don’t have to dig deep into her YouTube channel to find Darragh — a 2008 Freedom High graduate now living in a Los Angeles apartment with a view of the famous Hollywood sign — tackling more serious issues dealing with gay, lesbian and trans issues, being in an abusive relationship, battling chronic pain, getting sober and even living with mental illness. Darragh, who proudly says she is a three-time college dropout — Auburn University, the New York Film Academy and Los Angeles City College — used her edgy sense of

What We Love About Florida Ave. Brewing & Rock & Brews! See the stories on pages 34-35!

humor to burst onto the YouTube scene in 2010, and started working for Buzzfeed in 2015. One of her favorite videos was about being chained to her mother Kristy Darragh, well-known local realtor, for 24 hours. And, while mom may blush at some of the titles on her daughter’s YouTube page, Kristy has appeared in a few of Kelsey’s videos herself. Kristy knew that Kelsey had struggled her entire life with anxiety, panic and depression. But, while she was at Buzzfeed, Kelsey bravely revealed it to the whole world, in video form of course. The reaction transformed her life, and her mission. “My parents will tell you that I’m the most dramatic child that ever existed,” Kelsey says. “It’s no surprise that I’m using my voice for (both) entertainment and mental health activism. It was just kind of written in the stars for me.” See our Q-n-A with Kelsey on page 4!

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We Have Moved Again, Thanks To All Of These Businesses! An editorial by Gary Nager When you stay in business for 27 years and have had to move more than one or two times, you definitely dread having to do it again. Well, I will be celebrating my 27th anniversary of owning and publishing the New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News in a new location (more on exactly where that is below) in February, which will be our sixth office location in all that time. I doubt that anybody can name all five of our previous office locations, but rather than make a contest out of it, I’ll tell you all of them at the end of this editorial. (if even I can remember them). This would definitely have been the worst and hardest move, business or residence, of my entire life, if not for the help of several of the advertisers who appear in this publication and one Rotarian I greatly admire. I don’t consider myself to be a “hoarder,” per se, but those of us in the news business are supposed to save records for at least a certain period of time and I may have taken that to something of an extreme in my nearly three decades of serving the same distribution areas. In addition, there was a time when we would order many hundreds (500-600 or more) of extra copies of each issue, so that we could, by leaving copies around the community, provide more people with all of the information they couldn’t get anywhere else. But, not only did that never benefit the business financially, it left us with hundreds of extra copies of hundreds of issues of the paper. Do the math. That’s literally “crap-tons” of paper! We started ordering and saving fewer extra copies a few years ago — and we’ve always thrown out/recycled hundreds of copies each year, but all I knew was that we couldn’t (and shouldn’t) take it all with us to our slightly smaller new office, located less than a half-mile west on S.R. 54 from the office we were leaving, both of which are very close to Saddlebrook Resort.

Correction From Last Issue

See “Making Our Move!” on page 38!

The Sikh Gurdwara of Tampa Bay provides food for anyone in need.

Pages 12-13

The Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Center opens in grand style in Zephyrhills.

Page 26

New Tampa Yard Greetings (813) 910-0000

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CELEBRATING ALL OCCASIONS Birthdays, Retirements, Birth Announcements, Anniversaries’ and more. Let us make every moment a special one with you!

The wait is over! Rock & Brews is now open on S.R. 56!

Page 34

New Tampa Neighborhood News

Shred (360) Your Troubles Away!

Our NEW Address:

So first, I called on Cam Caudle, a U.S. Army veteran and member of the Rotary Club of New Tampa (the club that has been meeting on Friday mornings at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club for almost as long as I’ve been in business). Cam also is a recent (2015) “Franchisee of the Year” of Shred360, an incredible mobile document destruction company. So, whether you have years of no-longerneeded financial and other records that you want to safely dispose of, or thousands of copies of publications that you’ll never need (or both), Cam will send his mobile unit to your home or office and will shred all that paper, on-site which will then be recycled. (Note - The Neighborhood News is and always has been printed on 100% recycled paper, no matter which stock we’ve been using.) In our case, Cam’s guy Ed (photo above) pulled the truck up to our office, and we dropped those thousands of copies into a rolling bin from our second floor stairs. The bin then got loaded into the truck (several times) and I was able to watch, on a small monitor, 27 years of my memories literally being torn to shreds...in a good way. Got a large or small shredding job for Shred 360? Cam does some shredding events for charity throughout the year, but his prices are very fair and his people are as excellent at their jobs as Cam is funny. Call Cam at (813) 944-2223 or visit Shred360.com and tell him I sent you (and told you to watch his stand-up comedy debut. Really funny stuff, but not suitable for kids!) Neighborhood News

In the story about the new Treble Makers Dueling Piano Restaurant & Bar last issue, I cited incorrect open hours on Sunday, and I wanted to set things right. Treble Makers is actually open for lunch every day, beginning at 11 a.m., so if you want to have a great meal while watching NFL football on Sunday afternoons, you can (and probably should). I apologize for the error and for any inconvenience it may have caused, especially since Treble Makers is fast becoming a local favorite of mine for both delicious food and great music.— GN

INSIDE:

28949 S.R. 54 Wesley Chapel, FL 33543 Phone: (813) 910-2575 Advertising E-mail: Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Editorial E-mail: EditorialDept@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Publisher & Editor /Ad Sales Gary Nager Managing Editor / Photographer John C. Cotey Correspondents Mike Camunas • Celeste McLaughlin • Eric Vician Lead Video Producer/Multimedia Specialist Charmaine George Graphic Designers Georgia Carmichael • Valerie Wegener Billing Assistant Jannah Nager Office Assistant Benjamin Hobe Nothing that appears in New Tampa Neighborhood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, without permission. Opinions expressed by New Tampa Neighborhood News writers are their own and do not reflect the publisher’s opinion. The deadline for outside editorial submissions and advertisement reservations for Volume 28, Issue 25, of New Tampa Neighborhood News is Friday, November 20, 2020. New Tampa Neighborhood News will consider previously nonpublished outside editorial submissions if they are double spaced, typed and less than 500 words. New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit and/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makes no guarantees regarding publication dates. New Tampa Neighborhood News will not return unsolicited editorial materials. New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit &/or reject any advertising. New Tampa Neighborhood News is not responsible for errors in advertising beyond the actual cost of the advertising space itself, nor for the validity of any claims made by its advertisers.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 28, Issue 23 • November 10, 2020 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Kelsey Darragh’s first book is now available for presale and will be out for the holidays. Coming forward with her own mental health struggles has led to a career of helping others. We recently caught up with her to chat about making her life, well, an open book.

NN: KD:

You’re an author! How surprised will the people you went to school with in New Tampa be when they see your first book? Never in a million years would anyone think I would write a book, especially a workbook about mental health. But I love books. I was obsessed with the language arts programs at Tampa Palms Elementary. I was always in that library. I can see it right now in my head, I knew every corner of that library. Definitely a book lover, but never in a milion years did I think I had anything important to say or any stories to write about that anyone would give a sh-t about until this book. I still can’t believe it.

NN: KD:

KELSEY DARRAGH * Longtime New Tampa resident now living in Los Angeles. * Can be seen on E!’s “Dating: No Filter.” * First went viral on YouTube ten years ago with her video “Sh-t Girlfriends Say.” She began to attract more followers and started a web series on her channel, which has more than 116,000 subscribers. With an average viewership of 14+ million, Darragh tackles topics like sex, beauty, and mental health. * Began making digital content for Buzzfeed like “Ladies’ Room” and “Adult Sh-t.” * Created a top-tier show for Comcast’s “Watchable” called “Am I Doing This Right?” * In 2019, was selected as a Sundance New Voice writer for her dark comedy series “Where We Are.” * Is also a passionate member and supporter of the LGBTQ community as she says she identifies as queer and bisexual. * Currently directing a documentary on Saraya Rees, a 14-year-old in Oregon battling mental illness, who was sentenced to 11 years in juvenile prison.

relatable because every book out there that I could find about mental health was so boring.

NN:

It’s not a traditional mental health book written by a doctor. In fact, that’s what you think will appeal to those who might benefit from its contents? It was important to create a workbook, and not a traditional read-it-and-toss-it book. All the pages have exercises or games or different methods of managing mental health. I want people to carry it in their pocket like a little mental health Bible (laughs).

KD:

NN: KD:

There’re probably no greater thrill than seeing your book for the first time. The first thing I did when we confirmed the cover, I printed it out at the exact size and the dimensions and taped it on top of another book I have, and set it on my desk. I wanted to see how it looked amongst my other books. And, I studied the way Barnes & Noble marketed and laid out books in their stores. That’s why the book is bright neon yellow with giant bold letters that say ‘Don’t F*cking Panic.’ I want people to see this book.

What spurred your interest in mental health? At Buzzfeed, we were going to post videos every day that pertain to mental health education (during mental health month) and So, you scheduled a book about make them entertaining so people didn’t roll their eyes anxiety that is coming out in at the science-y nature of a year that has been what we were posting. In plagued by coronavirus, the brainstorm, I had the lockdowns, job losses and idea to tell my mental health the most nerve-wracking journey through a video uselection season ever. Are ing stop motion effects and you just lucky, or an evil all of the props used in the marketing genius? video were replicas of all the Launchpills I had been prescribed ing my over the years. first book in the middle So, I would make the of a pandemic and before pills into different stop moan election season was tion art and words and fignot anything I imagined ures and told my story over happening, but in a weird (L.-r.) Kristy, Mike, Megan & Kelsey Darragh voiceover through the very way something beautiful short film. When I posted it that has come of this panthrough Buzzfeed’s platform, it went completely viral. demic is people are paying attention to their menHundreds of thousands of comments, millions of views, tal health now more than ever. They are foreced I was getting messages by the 1000s every day. People to come to terms with their struggles. I think the struggling with the same thing. Two people even got collective response has just been this book is so quotes from the video as tatoos on their bodies... just needed right now. the deep ernd into cold water. opening that door for conversation caused the floodWe have floaties and hot life guards here. gates to open. Your mom (well-known local Which led to a second life as an activRealtor Kristy Darragh of Florida ist? Executive Realty) and occasional video co-star I always say I kind of became an accimust be thrilled. dental activist. Once I realized oh (crap) She is such a successful staple in people really want more of this content, I needed to be New Tampa and I always saw her a voice for people to have access to information. It’s so as a very strong, independent woman in a menso funny to think of it as a passion, because for so many tor position. To have something as incredible and years it was the bane of my existence. crazy as a book coming out with my name on it, I know she is so proud for me to be breaking And now, you are putting it in book stigmas and talking about things people don’t talk form. about. Maybe this wasn’t the plan that they had I had been doing videos, more menfor their daughter, to have their book debut with tal health content, public speaking, a giant ‘F bomb’ in the middle of it, but they have interviews….I realized it’s very hard to cover the enbeen nothing but supportive. My mom ordered tirety of it in one article or one video. I wanted to share like 10 books. Maybe she’s leaving it on the coffee the information in a way that was understandable and table in the houses she’s selling. (laughs).

NN:

KD:

NN: KD:

NN:

KD:

NN: KD:

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 28, Issue 23 • November 10, 2020 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

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Tampa Best Buy already empty Romano’s Macaroni Grill restaurant 9 Address how taxes impact Social Security and Medicare shelves by October 10 and were Plan when to tap has beenInclosed since af- vary widely over the years retirement, your2017, tax rate may different 9 tax strategy(which You need a retirement that will: accounts so you don’t overpay taxes blocked off, while some aisles were still ter two failed attempts based on the order in which you use different at timing beingand revived of taxes you face at variousworkshop stages 9 Identify Attend thiswill complimentary and you will sources of money to pay for your living expenses. You want selling open box items the at atypes 15-20-peras a Mexican restaurant) on learn: the west Address how taxes9 impact Social Security and Medicare 9 to the apply the tax code in an organized and efficient way. The critical taxside question you must answer BEFORE cent discount. of BBD and Pier 1retirement Imports know how tax planning changes when to tap different accountsthat so you don’t overpay taxes more expensive 9 ifPlan often make retirement It is unclear the effects of 9 The surprises (currently closing) on the east side. Do you You need a retirement tax strategy that the will:four stages of retirement? It’s through Covid-19 had aAttend handthis in complimentary the closing, Social Security “tax trap” isTheater, and how you can avoid it to The AMC which had 9 What the workshop and you will learn: harder than you think and it needs careful Identify the types of taxes you will face at various stages 9 can although it had9been rumored Whyyou tapping assets inBEFORE the wrong order trigger higherproject postpone aretirement major renovation 9before The critical tax question must answer planning. Find out how! Addressby how taxes impacthow Socialtax Security and Medicare Medicare premiums the pandemic that the big box elecand more has been hit9hard Covid-19, Do you know planning changes expensive 9 The surprises that often make retirement Plan when to tap different accounts so you overpay taxes you need and to manage taxes even9 before you retire tronics giant’s New Tampa location through the four stages of don’t retirement? It’s theyou former Ruby Tuesday restau9 Why“tax trap” is and how can avoid it 9 What the Social Security Presented by: harder than you think and it needs careful had been struggling. The four stagesrant, of retirement and important tax actions which will be replaced by Aldi, 9 and you will learn: Why tapping assets in the wrong order can trigger higher Attend this complimentary workshop James each stage, including planning. Find out how!B. 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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 28, Issue 23 • November 10, 2020 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

TPOST Residents Share Concerns About New Apartments By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com More apartments are coming to the Tampa Palms area, and Kevin Hawley knows there is little he can do to stop them. But, the Tuscany at Tampa Palms Homeowners Association (HOAw) president is still going to try. On Oct. 28, he organized a meeting — socially distant, of course — in a cul-de-sac in Tuscany in the hopes of formulating a plan to convince developer Warren Kinsler of New Tampa Inc. to not build 400 apartment units at 7970 Tampa Palms Blvd., just west and across the street from the Emerald Pointe Townhomes. However, New Tampa Inc., which bought the property in the Tampa Palms Open Space & Transportation (TPOST Community Development District in 1994, already has the entitlements to build them, going back to 1985, when the property was first annexed into the city. Still, Hawley’s meeting, which included Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera (who represents District 7, which includes most of New Tampa) and various HOA board members from neighboring communities Chelsea, Buckingham and Stafford, stirred the debate. Hawley said more than 30 residents attended. “Our concern is that it (the apartments) will have a negative impact on Tampa Palms Elementary, which is already beyond capacity, and a negative impact on traffic, where we already have problems on Tampa Palms Blvd.” Hawley says. “There also is concern about the possible impact on property values, and some also voiced concerns about environmental impacts.” A City of Tampa Variance Review Board meeting for the property had been scheduled for Oct. 13, creating the stir. However, that meeting did not need to be held because the planned development has an allowance for 40 percent tree retention, and “they actually have 50 percent retention,” according to Abbye Feeley,

Tampa City Council member Luis Viera (center, pink shirt) meets with Tampa Palms-area residents who are concerned about a new apartment complex slated to be built near their homes in the TPOST CDD/Tampa Palms Area 3.

the Director of Tampa’s Development & Growth Management Department (formerly known as the Planning and Development department). “The notices (for the variance meeting) went out prematurely,” she added. Feeley said the area has already gone through the first round review to ensure that it is compliant with all of the codes that govern it, and the city is waiting for the developers’ resubmission. Feeley says little can be done to stop Kinsler from building the apartments. “Unfortunately, the builders of these villages (like Tuscany, Chelsea and Buckingham) never properly briefed their buyers about the developer’s rights and plans for the whole area,” said Maggie Wilson, the vice-president of the Tampa Palms Owners Association (TPOA). The TPOA represents the owners and residents of 3,000 single family homes and 1,500 apartments in Tampa Palms. TPOST 3, which was once part of the Tampa Palms DRI before being purchased by Kinsler, already has more than 1,000 homes in its various villages and apartment communities. When asked by Hawley to join him in opposing the apartment project, the TPOA declined. “They are the big dog,” Hawley says

of the TPOA. “I reached out to them, and they said this has been zoned this way for a long time and they decided as a board not to oppose it,” says Hawley, a USF faculty member and Tampa Palms resident for 18 years. With no way to stop the project, Hawley is hoping for at least some traffic mitigation from the developer, or some way to “soften the impact.” Hawley doesn’t think that entitlements and plans developed two decades ago necessarily still make sense today, and would like to see other things considered

for the property that better meet the needs of the area. He even has his own suggestion — instead of yet another apartment complex, why not build something for older residents in their 60s and 70s? “That way, there will be less impact on the schools,” he says, “but it would still bring in more residents to support local businesses and restaurants.” Viera said he will meet with Hawley and the residents in a few weeks, and intends on bringing some planning officials from the city to also participate.

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Kinnan-Mansfield Connection Is Just For Emergencies By JOHN C. COTEY The longstanding debate between government officials from Pasco and Hillsborough counties over Kinnan St. in New Tampa and Mansfield Blvd. in Wesley Chapel has reached the end of the roads….and the two counties did finally connect them. Not for everyone, however. The formerly famous 40-foot patch of dirt, bushes and trees that has kept the two roads from connecting for years (and cars from commuting from one side to the other,) has been paved over, and a mechanical arm has been installed to make sure only emergency service vehicles can get by — as well as a sidewalk for pedestrians and a dedicated lane for bicyclists. The contentious connection is expected to finally become functional for emergency vehicles only sometime this month, after a number of technical delays. Representatives from the two counties had their final walkthrough last week. Citing concerns due to the glitches, however, Pasco County, at our press time, had not taken over ownership of the gate, which is located on Pasco County property, as expected. Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan expects things to officially be handed over in the next few weeks. Hillsborough County paid for the gate, while Pasco will own and operate it. Hagan says the cost of installing the gate and paving the connection was roughly $200,000, from the money he got the county to put in the budget in 2017, though he was hoping for a connection that served everyone. The deal was struck after decades of arguing. City of Tampa and Hillsborough County politicians, as well as many K-Bar Ranch, Live Oak and Cross Creek residents, wanted Kinnan-Mansfield connected to help relieve congestion on

(Above) This mechanical arm will soon allow emergency vehicles through the Kinnan St.-Mansfield Blvd. connection, and bicyclists and pedestrians can cross the county line without having to walk or ride through bushes. (Photo by Charmaine George)

both Cross Creek and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvds. in New Tampa. Kinnan St. is the only way in or out of K-Bar Ranch (unless you live in Easton Park off Morris Bridge Rd.), and the only option for exiting is going south to turn east or west on Cross Creek Blvd. Tampa City Council member Luis Viera, who attended many of the Kinnan-Mansfield meetings, said during the process when the Tampa side was pushing for a full connection, a firefighter named Matthew Kohan called him and suggested “why not just open it for us?” Viera began pushing for the idea. “My vision was always for a full opening, but if we can’t get the home run, and it was looking like we wouldn’t, then I’ll take the double because the double will save lives. I’m proud of the way the city worked with the county to make this happen.” Many agree the compromise was a good move. According to information provided by Hagan’s office, Tampa Fire Rescue

responded to 595 alarms in the New Tampa area between Jan. 1 and Sept 30, with an average response time of six minutes, 58 seconds. Those numbers are likely to improve now that emergency personnel have an additional route they can use. “This connection will save time, which will save lives,” says Jason Penny, the Tampa Fire Rescue public information officer. Tampa Fire Rescue has two fire stations, 21 and 22, on Cross Creek Blvd., and another, 23, on Trout Creek Dr. just south of County Line Rd. The connection, Penny says, makes it easier for fire rescue and ambulances to reach residents in K-Bar Ranch, or to transport people to the nearest hospital — AdventHealth Wesley Chapel on Bruce B. Downs Blvd., north of S.R. 56. Because the City of Tampa also has a mutual assistance agreement with Pasco County, residents in Meadow Pointe will benefit from the agreement as well. “I’m totally satisfied,” says Chris

Dillinger, the Meadow Pointe II resident who helped lead the charge against connecting the roads for everyone because of the potential of increased traffic of New Tampa residents on Mansfield Blvd., which has three schools along it. The fight over the connection produced pointed arguments between county officials on both sides, petitions by residents like Dillinger and even a year-long study looking at other potential connections. Last year, Pasco’s Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) voted unanimously in 2019 to recommend connections at Meadow Pointe Blvd. and Wyndfields Blvd. to K-Bar Ranch Pkwy., the main road running east-west through that massive New Tampa development, while also connecting Kinnan-Mansfield for emergency vehicles only. Work already has begun on extending Meadow Pointe Blvd., which runs north and south, to the county line, where it will then be connected to K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. Dillinger says that while he is happy, others in Meadow Pointe II are not. They feel the paving of the road and the less-than-imposing mechanical arm won’t keep cars out and is just the first step to allowing all traffic to use the connection. “My whole thing was that this will give time for the Meadow Pointe Blvd. connection to be made,” Dillinger says. “That’s really the big picture. We definitely need a connector. It just didn’t need to be at Mansfield.” Hagan doesn’t agree. He thinks this is a good first step to eventually doing what he feels is the right thing. “After fighting for 14 years to connect Kinnan-Mansfield, I’m thrilled we can finally have emergency and pedestrian access,” he says. “But, rest assured, I will continue to fight for a full and unrestrained connection that will benefit residents of both counties.”

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Local Sikh Temple A Haven For The Hungry By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com Tucked between Cross Creek Blvd. and the entrance to Cory Lake Isles on Morris Bridge Rd., the Sikh Gurdwara of Tampa Bay temple, which typically goes about its business in relative anonymity, has become a haven for the hungry. Every Sunday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., almost since the Covid-19 pandemic began, hundreds of families happily receive aluminum, plastic and styrofoam containers filled with hot meals — rice, soups, pastas, curries, veggie burgers and even burritos. What started as a mission to help a few has quickly evolved into a mission feeding hundreds. “When the pandemic started in midMarch, we had to shut down our temples like all the churches, and we were wondering how we could do something to lift the spirits of our congregation,” says Harpartap Singh, one of the temple’s volunteers. The congregants turned to the temple’s langar, the community kitchen of a Gurdwara, which serves meals free of charge to everyone, regardless of religion, gender or ethnicity. “One of the primary things in our religion is that

The Sikh Gurdwara in New Tampa serves nearly 1,000 hot meals every Sunday to those in need. It is open to everyone. (Photos courtesy of the Sikh Gurdwara of Tampa Bay)

everybody is treated equal,” Singh says. The Gurdwara expanded the concept, and reached out beyond its congregation. The members hung banners and posted invitations on social media. On March 18, it began — volunteers made 300 meals, although Singh says they were only expecting 15, or maybe 30 people. The plan was to take whatever was left over to Feeding Tampa Bay, part of the Feeding America network, which provides food to

thousands of families that need it. However, that Sunday, the crowd was overwhelming. More than 250 meals were served. “And we haven’t stopped since,” Singh says. Now, the Sikh Gurdwara of Tampa Bay, which has been at its Morris Bridge location for 27 years, serves nearly 800 meals every Sunday. And, that number continues to grow.

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On the Sunday before we went to press, the main course was split pea curry, prepared as usual by three chefs that Singh says are all excellent. Main courses are typically accompanied by bottled water, fruit, chips and salad. Singh says the “humbling experience” of feeding the hungry has moved his congregation, and inspired the group to do more. “Barely a week goes by that we don’t stand there and cry with somebody,” Singh says. “They tell us it is the best meal they have had all week, and tell us stories about how some of their family members have died and there was nothing they could do. We have fed people who are living in their cars.” The hot meals are just part of the Sikh outreach. Volunteers take food all over Tampa Bay, seeking out the homeless and the needy. At one location, under a bridge in the Mango area, Singh says that 70-80 homeless people now wait for the Gurdwara volunteers to arrive with the food on Sundays. Whether it’s in the downtown areas of Tampa, St. Petersburg or Clearwater, a handful of loyal volunteers fan out to find people on the street to distribute an additional 200-300 meals.

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The Gurdwara members provide groceries for roughly 50 families. They have fed and paid the rent for international students at USF who have lost their jobs and cannot return home. They deliver food to an orphanage in Wesley Chapel that cares for autistic children, as well as first responders and those on the front lines of the Covid-19 battle. The volunteer list at the temple is 400 strong. Tampa City Council member Luis Viera, who has visited the Sunday food drive multiple times, says he will be giving the group a City Council commendation in the coming weeks. “What they do is incredible,” he says. “They are good people.” Most of the expenses are paid by the congregation, which is comprised of many doctors, engineers and business owners throughout the Tampa Bay area. Some sponsors also have stepped forward. In all, Singh says the Gurdwara has been responsible for distributing roughly 19,000 food packages and $60,000 worth of dry groceries since the pandemic began. He says the congregation sees some of the real impacts of the Covid-19 battle up close on a weekly basis. The pain is real. The Gurdwara has enough food to last through February of 2021, and its members have no intention of stopping even if the pandemic passes. They are even looking into

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While meals are handed out at the Sikh Gurdwara, volunteers fill their trunks with food and seek out the homeless and hungry.

becoming a farmshare conduit. “Even though this is a great country, there are so many people who need help,” Singh says. “It has truly touched us and lifted our spirits, and that’s what any religion is about. We are blessed to be able to do this.” The Sikh Gurdwara is located at 15302 Morris Bridge Rd. in Thonotosassa. For more information about the Gurdwara and its food drive, visit TampaGurdwara.com, search for Tampa Gurdwara on Facebook or call (813) 599-1557.

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RADDSports Announces AdventHealth As Top Sponsor!

Other Sponsors Include Olympus Pools, Lifestyle Home Real Estate, Coca-Cola, Hilton Garden Inn & the Neighborhood News By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com AdventHealth is putting its name on another prominent sports facility in Wesley Chapel. The healthcare system, which includes the AdventHealth Tampa and Wesley Chapel hospitals, announced on Oct. 21 that it has agreed to a multiyear sponsorship agreement with RADDSports for the naming rights to the AdventHealth Sports Arena at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County. While the Sports Campus itself hasn’t changed names, the 98,000-sq.-ft. indoor facility will bear the AdventHealth Sports Arena name (see rendering). AdventHealth also has owned the naming rights to the Center Ice facility on S.R. 56 since before the healthcare giant changed its name from Florida Hospital to AdventHealth. “AdventHealth is committed to partnerships that amplify the health and wellness of the communities we serve,” said Erik Wangsness, President and CEO of AdventHealth Wesley Chapel. “We are much more than a hospital and remain focused on empowering our communities to take wellness into their own hands. The AdventHealth Sports Arena will provide a platform for athletes to showcase their skill and talent while working to stay in peak condition.” The Sports Arena is the home for travel tournaments for basketball (the building can be configured as eight regulation-sized courts) and volleyball (up to 16

courts), as well as gymnastics and cheerleading camps and competitions, to name just a few. The Sports Campus also will host soccer tournaments and other sports on its two outdoor fields. The campus also will be home to a 128-room Residence Inn by Marriott, which is being developed by Mainsail Development. The eight-year Advent Health agreement is for $10,000 a month, with an option for more years. “AdventHealth is a quality health care provider and one of the best-known names in the entire state of Florida,” said Richard Blalock, CEO and founder of RADDSports. “We couldn’t have found a better organization to serve as the primary sponsor of the Sports Campus. It means the thousands of athletes from across the country who will participate in basketball, volleyball and cheerleading events every weekend, as well as the local residents who take part in our programs during the week, will associate AdventHealth with a commitment to staying healthy and active.” The Sports Arena opened in August. The first event, a basketball recruiting showcase, was held the last weekend in August. Although the Covid-19 pandemic has slowed

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the travel and youth sports markets down, the facility has something booked “almost every weekend,” between August 2020 and Aug. 2021, according to RADDSports director of marketing Jannah Nager. In addition to AdventHealth, RADDSports has announced a number of its other major sponsors, including Olympus Pools (see ad below), the Lifestyle Home Real Estate Team, Coca-Cola, Hilton Garden Inn-Tampa/Wesley Chapel, New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News, GL Homes, the Shops At Wiregrass, the Fairfield Inn By Marriott and Hampton Inn Wesley Chapel hotels, as well as restaurant partners Bubba’s 33 , Culver’s of Wesley Chapel, Glory Days Grill, Island Fin Poke Co., Noble Crust, Pasta di Guy, Smoothie King and the Urban Air Trampoline & Adventure Park.

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KAP Medical Group’s Direct Primary Care Eliminates Insurance Headaches! By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN If you’re frustrated with long wait times at your doctor’s office, not being able to get in to see your physician, or constantly being surprised with how much you pay out-of-pocket for medical expenses — even with health insurance — you might want to consider direct primary care. Karina Azank Parilo, M.D., of KAP Medical Group, offers direct primary care, which changes the way patients and their doctor relate to one another by removing dealing with insurance companies altogether. KAP Medical Group, which is open to all ages, is located in the Windfair Professional Park in Wesley Chapel, behind the retail plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. that includes Dickey’s BBQ and The Hungry Greek restaurants. Instead of collecting payment from insurance companies, patients (or “members”) pay a monthly fee, which covers unlimited office visits and virtual visits via phone or video, in-office tests, well checks, sick visits, weight management and management of chronic medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, asthma, arthritis and more. Dr. Parilo is originally from Tampa. She earned her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Biology from Duke University in Durham, NC, then earned her Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree from the University of South Florida in 2005. She completed a residency in family medicine at the University of Massachusetts Family Residency Program in Worcester in 2010. After working in a large private practice in Wesley Chapel for eight years, Dr. Parilo opened KAP Medical

How Direct Primary Care Works

Dr. Parilo says the monthly fee is a transparent, controlled expense, which is affordable for most people. “It’s $54 to $66 per month for an individual,” Dr. Parilo explains, “which is a lot cheaper than most cell phone and cable bills.” She recommends patients still carry health insurance because the monthly fee doesn’t cover expenses outside of routine care, including hospitalizations, surgical procedures, visits to specialists and lab work. However, some in-office procedures are included in the monthly cost, with just a small supply fee charged, and Dr. Parilo says she has negotiated prices with labs, so that you may pay much less for your lab work than you would pay out-ofpocket if you used your insurance with a high deductible. “We recommend our patients have catastrophic insurance or a high deductible plan or something they can fall back on to cap their cost, which is how insurance was originally meant to be,” she explains. “Originally, health insurance was like car insurance. You Dr. Karina Azank Parilo offers direct primary care at her KAP don’t use your car insurance to get your oil changed or Medical Group office off BBD Blvd. in Wesley Chapel, which prom- replace your tires.” ises shorter wait times & fewer insurance headaches than traditionAt KAP Medical Group, you will never be one of al primary care medical offices. (Photos: Charmaine George) thousands of your doctor’s patients, which Dr. Parilo Group in early 2018, bringing along Michelle Diaz, says is common at some large practices. In fact, at her previous practice, Dr. Parilo says she had 2,700 active who is now KAP Medical Group’s Certified Medical patients, and was expected to take on even more. Assistant (CMA) and office manager. The two have But, in the direct primary care model, your worked together since 2010. monthly fee allows your doctor to limit the number of Dr. Parilo and her husband Dane live in Seven patients he or she will see.“We will close the practice Oaks and have a blended family of three grown children and three granddaughters. They met through the when we hit a certain number of patients,” she says. That way, you always have access to your doctor in Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon in 2012 and both the way that works best for you, whether it’s a samehave remained active in the club.

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day or next-day office visit, or a quick text, phone call or video chat. KAP Medical Group uses an app that maintains patient privacy and connects directly with each patient’s electronic medical record.

Covid Care & Precautions

Dr. Parilo says that her direct primary care model was an advantage when the office had to shut down at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Where some practices had to close their doors altogether, KAP Medical Group had a seamless transition to virtual patient care. While the practice has experienced a couple of positive Covid-19 tests, Dr. Parilo says everyone has recovered well, and that KAP Medical Group continues to follow strict guidelines to keep all of its patients safe. “We have frail patients and don’t want anyone getting hurt,” she says. Now, as the pandemic continues to play out, Dr. Parilo and Michelle are in the office three days a week, and doing telehealth the other days. “We have a warm and fuzzy practice, with a coffee machine and a couch,” says Dr. Parilo. “We try not to have you wait, but if you have to wait, it’s a comfy place. But, no one has sat on our couch in seven months, so it’s been different.”

The Patients Love It, Too!

Connie Ceparano, who lives in New Tampa, is a long-time patient who origi-

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Dr. Parilo still sees patients in her office, but says that telehealth has become popular during the Covid-19 pandemic. (Photos: Charmaine George)

nally began seeing Dr. Parilo when her sons, now 27 and 22, were in elementary school. “I chose her to begin with because she saw adults and children,” Ceparano says, “so our family wouldn’t have to go to two different doctors.” Back then, though, when Dr. Parilo was with a larger practice, Ceparano says she was often frustrated with the office staff and the way things are generally done at most other doctor’s offices. If someone in her family was sick, they would offer her an appointment several days down the road. Sometimes, she would have to sit in the waiting room

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an hour or more. Sometimes, there’s even more wait time to see the doctor once you actually get into a room. “I’m not bashing the practice she was with,” says Ceparano, “because they’re all like that.” But, the hassle was worth it, because Ceparano says Dr. Parilo is an excellent doctor who truly cares about her patients, and is extremely thorough and detailed. She also says that when Dr. Parilo started her own practice, she would have followed the doctor anywhere, but she had no idea what to expect from the direct primary care model. As it turns

out, she has been very pleased. “I love this new way of practicing,” Ceparano says. “It really comes down to being very personal. I don’t ever have to worry about seeing a physician’s assistant instead of the doctor herself. Not only do I get in the same day, I always get to see her.” The transition from insurance-based fees to the monthly fees has been a benefit to Ceparano’s family, too. “It’s so well worth it,” she says. “I feel like it pays for itself. If you need to, you can go in 10 times in a month and you’re not paying a $30 or $40 copay each time.” Ceparano adds that she and her husband and her sons won’t go to any other doctor for primary care. “My son’s job takes him out of town a lot, but he doesn’t have to worry about finding a doctor. If he’s in California, for example, he has the app on his phone and he can call, text, or video chat. It really is a great benefit.” KAP Medical Group Direct Primary Care & Family Medicine is located at 2615 Windguard Cir., Suite 101, across Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from AdventHealth Wesley Chapel. The practice is currently open by appointment only. For more information or to make an appointment, see the ad on pg. 27 of this issue, visit KAPMedicalGroup. com or call (813) 536-0050.

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American Wood Flooring Offers New Looks For Old Floors By MIKE CAMUNAS There’s a little tidbit about Andy Dunning that will leave you floored. “Oh, I’ve probably worked on the floors of nearly every house right in this area,” says the owner and CEO of American Wood Flooring, a fixture on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Wesley Chapel (just north of the county line) for more than a dozen years. Dunning says he has added a few more homes during the Covid-19 pandemic. “With more people home, either just in general because of Covid or because they’re working from home for the foreseeable future, lots of them are spending money they would use on, say, a vacation they can’t go on,” says Dunning. “They are re-doing the floors in their homes that they might have been putting off.” It sounds like this may be a good time for an upgrade, and something many homeowners have picked up on. And, that is the silver lining of the pandemic for American Wood Flooring. “Despite all that’s happened this year,” Dunning says, “it’s been a record year for us.” While styles change from year to year, Dunning says LVP, or Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring, has been the most popular choice in 2020: “The resiliency and different looks of LVPs have just taken over everything.” One big reason — in a state where it rains nearly all year, this type of flooring is 100-percent waterproof. “Kind of a necessity around here, don’t you think?,” Dunning asks. In addition to keeping things dry, LVP is durable, in that it’s pet-proof and even also dent-proof. That’s because LVP floors may look like wood, but they aren’t. Dunning says that LVP floor panels are made from a PVC-type material and their tight lock-and-fold system is what keeps the moisture out, even from the attached padding underneath that is made from an anti-microbial melamine material. The LVP also is made with a stone-composite material, which is what Dunning says makes it 100-percent dentproof, adding that is a change from when

American Wood Flooring owner/CEO Andy Dunning says he has been even busier than usual this year, as many local residents have been turning to his store (located on BBD, just north of the county line) for remodeling during the pandemic. (Photos: Mike Camunas) LVPs first arrived on the scene and were made from a wood composite material. That material, however, was susceptible to dents, especially from heavier appliances like refrigerators or washing machines. “They’re always coming out with newer, more innovative ways to keep the product getting better and better,” Dunning says. “The SPC (Stone Plastic Composite) is way better than the WPC (Wood Plastic Composite) and that was the knock on laminates when they first came out.” American Wood Flooring doesn’t just sell and install LVPs, even though Dunning says that’s his best seller. They will still put down wood floors, as well as carpet, tile and laminate. In fact, Dunning says tile is making a comeback of sorts, while noting that many customers don’t know that American Wood Flooring also can install backsplashes. “These things go in cycles, if you ask me,” Dunning says.

New Tampa resident Janet Noblett agrees. She had American Wood Flooring rip out the carpet in her master bedroom and the work was so good, well, she decided to do the three other bedrooms. “About a year after we did that, I looked at my husband and said, ‘You know this has to happen now,’ so we went right back to Andy,” Noblett says. “I was really pleased, and I’m the type of person that I usually don’t just choose one company. I had four companies come out and show me different types and pricing and procedures, and grilled them to death. I just felt he really knew his stuff and was the most profes-

sional and on time! A lot of times, people don’t show up or are late — you want to give them your money, but they don’t show up. He showed right up. I would absolutely recommend (AWF) to anyone in my neighborhood or community because I know they will do the best job.” A full recommendation also comes from Murphy, who says he appreciates Dunning’s fair and honest approach. “(Andy)’s just straightforward with cost and the (installers) have been respectful and helpful and solid,’’ Murphy says. “The few times we had a problem with the outcome, they fixed it quickly, so they stand by the work…I have recommended Andy several times, even to my parents.” Dunning notes that his installers are all AWF employees and not outside contractors, “So, we make sure your job is done right!” Despite some restrictions still put in place on stores, Dunning says that his storefront — in the SuperTarget-anchored Northwood Plaza at the corner of BBD and County Line Rd. — continues to be busy. “Probably even busier now, to be honest,” he says. That’s because when it comes to purchasing flooring, customers still want to see and touch samples, not just look at them online. “They want to see the colors and the material with their eyes and hands,”

Satisfied Customers!

And, whenever the cycle changes, American Wood Flooring isn’t without its repeat customers. “We’ve probably used them 6-7 times over the years,” Wesley Chapel resident Patrick Murphy says. “They did our home and then another home that was a rental, and it had to be totally redone once (the tenant) moved out. (Andy) replaced probably 2,500 square feet of floor.”

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American Wood Flooring, located in the Northwood Plaza at the corner of BBD Blvd. & County Line Rd., offers a huge variety of wood, carpet, tile and laminate flooring. Dunning says. “This isn’t like buying a shirt pricing, while still offering a full range of that’s $20 and if you don’t like it, oh well. traditional flooring options. This is a little bit more expensive, a little bit The company also offers Bloomin’ more permanent.” Brands gift cards (good at Outback, BoneKind of like American Wood Flooring fish and Carrabba’s) to clients who refer in the Wesley Chapel community. Certainly friends and family. that’s what Dunning has planned. AWF is currently running a special “We’ll be here — we’re not going any- and offering complete installation of LVP where and, honestly, we’re busy,” he says. flooring for $4.99 per square foot. “Every month this year has been a record American Wood Flooring’s Wesmonth, so I’m sure we’ll be doing plenty ley Chapel showroom is located at more homes even next year.” 1285 BBD Blvd. and is open Mon.American Wood Flooring offers free Fri., 10 a.m.-6 p.m., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. in-home estimates and offers a lifetime war- on Sat., and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sun. ranty on any install. Dunning makes sure to For more info, visit FlooringforFlorida.com, call (813) 991-7999 or use emerging technologies in the industry see the ad on pg. 29 of this issue. and offers first-rate service at premium

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Perfect 6-0 Wharton Keeps Rolling PATRIOTS SWEEP XC DISTRICT MEETS; WILDCATS ADVANCE RUNNERS, TOO The Freedom High boys and girls cross country teams pulled off a team sweep of the races at the Class 3A, District 8 meet in Brandon on Oct. 31. Meanwhile, at the Class 4A-11 meet, the Wharton boys finished second. All three teams advanced to the Nov. 7 Regional meets, which took place after we went to press. The Wildcats earned their fifth straight trip to Regionals (Note-the top three teams and top four individuals who are not members of an advancing team all move on). At the 3A-8 meet, Freedom senior Maria Melara and junior Keira Eckhardt finished 1-2, with Melara’s time of 21 minutes, 50 seconds bettering her teammate by 15 seconds. The Pats’ Katherine Vivas finished seventh. In the boys race, all five Freedom scorers finished in the top 14, with senior Andrew Cory (17:18) leading the with his second-place finish. Senior Owen Smith (17:58) was fifth, followed by junior Brian Gardner in eighth, with a time of 18:24. The Patriots’ girls finished with 26 points (the lower the team’s score, the better) in the three-team competition, while the Freedom boys beat secondplace King 34-74. Wharton senior Jarred Hammill, who set a school record at the Hillsborough County meet the week before, won the 4A-11 meet in 16:37. Junior Alan Meriga finished seventh (17:30), and senior Thomas Walter was 11th in 17:47. The Wharton boys scored 59 points at the district meet, behind the District’s team champion Steinbrenner, which scored 31. The Wharton girls team finished fourth overall, missing out on advancing by just seven points, but the Wildcats’ Brooke Reif and Alex Frye, both juniors, did advance to Regionals. Reif finished second in 19:13, while Frye took eighth in 21:53. 24

Prior to Wharton High’s game says — and shares the same on-field against Plant on Oct. 23, first-year ferocity as his father, a former University head coach Mike Williams was about of Miami linebacker. the only person around the Wildcats’ Junior linebacker Daveon Crouch, football program who could rememarguably the team’s best overall player ber the last time Wharton beat the and a Division I prospect, has a teamPanthers. high nine sacks and regularly delivers a But that’s only because he wallop, forcing six fumbles. played in that game, for Plant, which And, if you can bypass the linebacksuffered a 15-14 loss on that night ers, the Wildcats’ defensive backfield will — way back in 2000. be waiting for you. Well, it doesn’t take such a long “We have elite cover guys,” Wilmemory to remember such things liams says. “In my book, we have the best anymore, because Wharton beat Wilsecondary in the county that nobody is liams’ alma mater 10-0 — even more talking about.” impressive considering that Plant had Junior cornerback Jairon Dorsey scored 40 or more points in the last leads the team with four interceptions, five games between the teams. and has returned two of them for touchThe win improved Wharton’s downs. Junior Fred Jolly has eight passes record to 6-0 on the season, its best defended and returned a punt blocked by start since going 7-0 in 2006. Pickett Jr. for a TD with five minutes left “We expected to have a good to beat Palm Harbor University 7-3. season, but maybe not to this Williams says Junior Jason Cornwell, extent,” says Williams, a former colwho returned his only interception this Wharton cornerback Fred Jolly has been one season 70 yards for a score, and senior lege All-American wide receiver at of the top players this season on the Wildcats’ Markell Dominique are primetime players Southern Cal and first-round NFL fearsome defense. (Photo: Alyssa Cason). draft pick of Detroit. “I knew we had as well. some good players, and some good Wharton, which had its Oct. 30 size, but we also had a bunch of young players competing game against Steinbrenner canceled due to Covid-19 issues for the first time.” related to the Warriors, were scheduled to wrap up the Another thing Williams knew — his defense was going regular season against Durant on Nov. 6, and then will host to be nasty. And it has been. Riverview in the first round of the Class 8A playoffs on The Wildcats have only allowed 23 points in six games. Nov. 13. Only one team — Alonso — has scored a touchdown Williams hopes his offense, directed by quarterback against Wharton, getting two while losing 44-17 to the Emery Floyd, and the 1-2 punch of running backs Keith Wildcats. Wharton has shut out Freedom 50-0, King 14-0, Morris and Johnny Cason, is clicking by then. Along with and Plant. the defense, he thinks something special might be brewing While the offense is still rounding into shape, the ‘Cats off Bruce B. Downs Blvd. have been truly dominant on the other side of the ball. “Even though the program may have been up and Junior linebacker Henry Griffith leads the team with down, Coach Mitchell really had a group that wasn’t afraid 56 tackles, including nine for a loss of yards, and Booker to work hard, wasn’t afraid to be in the weight room,” Pickett Jr. has 50 tackles. Only a freshman, Pickett Jr. is Williams says. “He had good things going. We’re going to already 6’-4”, 200 pounds — “He’s a monster,” Williams keep it going.”

FREEDOM SWIMMERS EYE GOLD AT STATE MEET

The Freedom girls swim team turned in another strong performance at the Class 3A-Region 2 championships, finishing second behind Sunlake by 33.5 points. The performance did qualify six of the Patriots’ swimmers in nine events for the State championships, which were held in Stuart on Nov. 6, after we went to press. “The girls were terrific,” said first-year coach John Olewski. “I couldn’t be prouder of their performance.” Junior Michelle Morgan, who posted an Olympic Trials-qualifying time last year in the 500 yard freestyle, won all three of her events —

the 500 free, 200 individual medley and as the anchor on the 400 free relay team — at the Regional meet and is one of the top contenders for gold at States. Morgan is seeded third at State meet in the 500 free after winning Regionals by 11 seconds with her time of 4:57.78. She also will be seeded third in the 200 IM. Junior Carly Joerin was second in the 200 free and third in the 500 free, while senior Hannah LaBohn was third in the 50 free and 100 free.

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Both swimmers advanced to the State meet in those events. Joerin also swam on the statequalifying 400 free relay that won at Regionals by 11 seconds, along with Morgan, freshman Karis Kraf and junior Alexa Valdez-Velez. The Freedom boys advanced one boys swimmer to States — senior Zachary Kopel, who won both the 200 and 500 free events at Regionals. @NTWCNews

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Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Center’s Grand(est) Opening! By JOHN C. COTEY

There also are two hard courts, eight pickleball courts and four padel courts. Pascal is hoping to make the facility the national headquarters for padel, a game that merges tennis and racquetball and is popular in Spain, Portugal and Argentina. Pascal says Padel is the fastest growing sport in the world, and that pickleball is the fastest growing in the U.S.

When it comes to pomp and circumstance, Pascal Collard spared little expense for the Grand Opening last month of the Sarah Vande Berg (SVB) Tennis & Wellness Center in Zephyrhills. Collard, a Wesley Chapel resident and the CEO of the facility, danced around excitedly as four skydivers made their landings at SVB, the last skydiver bringA New Local Option ing along a large U.S. flag to kick off the In the past, Saddlebrook Renational anthem. sort was the only local facility with and-coming U.S. star Caty McNally (#120). Tennis legend Nick Bollettieri gave enough tennis courts to host pro events, The tournament is one of the first a short speech, as did a number of other like the Women’s Fed Cup in 2017, and tennis events scheduled in Florida for the local dignitaries, and Hope Kennedy, the various International Tennis Federation new year. CEO of the North Tampa Bay Chamber, (ITF) tournaments on the USTA Pro SVB also is home to the United spoke for many in attendance when she Circuit, which features players trying Global Academy, a private school offerdeclared the SVB event, “the best grand Skydivers gave the crowd a thrill at the Grand Open- to gain the professional ranking points ing athletics and specialized training for opening ever.” ing of the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center they need to compete on the major pro student athletes in and around Zephyrhills. Collard, an avid skydiver himself who in Zephyrhills last month. (Photos by Charmaine George) tours. The Academy offers an academic environjoked that his wife had banned him from However, SVB is now another is provided by Vesh Catering (which also ment for those training in various sports jumping out of planes for the past three option. It has booked its first tournament, catered the Grand Opening and is one of like tennis, months because, “I needed to be alive for the SVB Championships, which will be the top caterers in our area) and features golf and even the Grand Opening,” was overjoyed at the healthy items like quinoa bowls and many held January 25-31, 2021. The field for boxing. turnout at the event, which hosted well the $25,000 USTA Pro Circuit women’s fruit- and vegetable-based dishes. For more over 100 attendees. He shared the emoevent will feature 16 doubles teams and 32 info, or to But, racquet sports are expected to tional story about the long battle to get singles players. put the facility on the map. Named for sign up for a the new facility open, and the many hours USTA Pro Circuit events often attract Sarah Vande Berg, the former Zephmembership, of work put in by his team of 42 employyrhills High tennis player who was killed players ranked in the Top 100 in the world, visit SVBTenees for little to no pay. in a car accident, SVB boasts 9 clay ten- and even some in the top 50. A recent ITF nisCenter. He closed his speech by screaming, tournament in Tyler, TX, attracted U.S. nis courts, including one that can serve com or see the “We did iiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!” as a center court for special events, with standout Shelby Rogers (No. 55 in the ad on pg. 5 of SVB is located in Zephyrhills, just a world), Japan’s Misaki Doi (#81) and upspectator seating. this issue! 20-minute drive up Morris Bridge Rd. from Cross Creek Blvd. The facility offers an elegant boutique-style experience, with an exercise room, yoga and fitness classes, massages and salt therapy and cryotherapy rooms. (Top right) SVB managing partner Andrew Sorrentino (left)& CEO Pascal Collard (right) celebrate the Grand Opening with tennis legend Nick Bollettieri. Pascal says that padel (left) is the The menu fastest-growing sport in the world. (Center) The SVB Tennis & Wellness Center has 8 Har-Tru clay tennis courts, two hard-surface tennis courts, a championship “center court” with stands for specat the SVB Café tators, a grass court that also will be used for soccer training, ,four plexiglass-enclosed padel courts and 8 pickleball courts. (Right) A life-size statue of Sarah Vande Berg was unveiled at the event.

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Fall Into Wellness Another facility opening soon that is not quite as short a drive from New Tampa as the SVB Tennis & Wellness Center (story on previous page), but probably worth the 30-35-minute trip for many locals, is the new Snowcat Ridge Alpine Snow Park in Dade City. Located at 27839 St. Joe Rd., Snowcat Ridge will officially open on Friday, November 20. The park is seasonal and will only be open through March. Tickets are already on sale at SnowCatRidge.com (you also can sign up there to get on an email notification list), and the prices range from $24.95 to $39.95,

depending upon which days you choose to go. All tickets are $5 more if you buy them at the box office. A general admission ticket includes a two-hour snow tubing session on Snowy Slopes, a 60-foot-high hill (photo) that is 400 feet long. It also includes all-day access to the 10,000-sq.-ft. Arctic Igloo, which will have plenty of man-made snow for making snowmen and forts, as well as a bunny slope designed for children ages 3 and under, plus the Alpine Village, which will feature vendors, seating and food and beverages. — JCC.

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Pasta di Guy — Fast, Casual Italian With Homemade Pasta! By GARY NAGER

For anyone who has ever had freshly made pasta, you know there’s literally nothing quite like it. Most Italian places in our area use the same hard, dry pasta that you buy in the grocery store and while there’s nothing “wrong” with it, if you want to taste the difference between fresh, homemade pasta and what most everyone else serves, you now have that opportunity on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Wesley Chapel. Pasta di Guy, which opened a few months ago in the space formerly occupied by the second location of OTB Café on BBD, just south of S.R. 54, has just what you’re looking for to satisfy that craving. It is owned by Guy Carmeli, who received his formal training at the London location of the famed Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. Guy says he first learned about fresh pasta, however, while working as a sous chef at an excellent Italian restaurant located in his native Israel (outside of Tel Aviv). And, even though Cordon Bleu is most famous for French cuisine, Guy says “They actually teach every style of cooking there and they’re very strict. They tell you when you start there that you’re not a chef and probably won’t ever make it.” Even so, Guy excelled — especially at creating sauces — and after working at a number of restaurants for several years in England, he moved to the Tampa Bay area

(Above, left): Adding fresh Italian sausage to Pasta di Guy’s already meaty Bolognese sauce is never a mistake. (Above) Time to make the pasta...every day! (Below) Guy fires up the Italian sausage for the dish shown above left. (Photos on both pages by Charmaine George)

less than two years ago and started the Pasta di Guy food truck, which soon developed an almost cult-like local following. A few weeks before starting his food truck, Guy met his girlfriend Emily Murphy, who has been with him ever since and the two started looking for a location for a brick-and-mortar restaurant. “The food truck did great,” he says, “but the kitchen, of course, was very small, so what we could offer was very limited. Emily and I knew that we could do more.” So, when they found out the former OTB location was available, they acted quickly, signed a lease and started designing the fast-casual Italian restaurant. “We literally re-designed everything, especially in the kitchen, from the floors

MaHANa

to the equipment,” he says. “We ordered a lot of the equipment from Italy and had to wait a while for some of it.” One of those pieces of new equipment was the amazing pasta machine shown on this page, which made Guy happy, even though having it created a lot more work for him and Emily. “We are here every morning, making the pasta for the day,” says Emily, who says that currently, the strozzapreti (which literally means “Priest chokers” in Italian, but they are a longer form of twisted cavatelli pasta and comes out naturally “al denté”) is the only pasta that is made in-house (the penne, although a delicious imported Italian brand, isn’t made at the restaurant). “And the sauces, too,” Guy adds. “We

have to get in early to make all of the sauces for the day, too.” Among those homemade sauces are the Alfredo (which Guy says is his top-seller), the Bolognese (which carries an up-charge; more on that below), traditional marinara, vodka (Alfredo and marinara mixed together), creamy pesto, aglio e olio (garlic & oil) and butter sauce. Guy says that after Alfredo, Bolognese

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is probably the #2 seller, but marinara, vodka and pesto are all close behind.

How To Order

Whether you choose to dine in, take out (with touch-free curbside pickup) or have your order delivered (also no-contact), Pasta di Guy offers a create-your-own pasta bowl. You choose your pasta (strozzapreti, for $9.99, penne, $7.99, or delicious, handcut, gluten-free zucchini noodles, $8.50), your sauce and your favorite add-ons (these are each an extra charge, but so worth it!), including grilled chicken, bacon, Italian sausage, broccoli, cauliflower and mushrooms. All of these pasta dishes are topped with parmesan cheese, fresh herbs and black pepper, unless you specify which ones you don’t want. The fresh basil is literally grown on the counter at the restaurant.

homemade Italian and Caesar dressings), as well as a large market salad ($8), with arugula, fresh raspberries, feta cheese, candied pecans and red onions with a homemade raspberry vinaigrette dressing. You can add grilled chicken to any of the large salads for $2 more. “We buy the freshest local ingredients and produce — including a lot of organic items — we can find,” Guy says. “I’ve had to refuse a lot of the items from the big local suppliers, but we think it’s worth it.” And, save room for dessert because Guy offers two decadent options — cannolis filled with house-made cheesecake cream in crispy shells and an authentic raspberry panna cotta (Italian for “cooked cream”), which is sweetened cream thickened with gelatin and topped with a smooth raspberry glaze. Guy conducted an informal survey on Facebook and the pana cotta won out over tiramisu as the

(Clockwise from top left) Emily Murphy & Guy Carmeli are proud to offer Pasta di Guy’s fried ravioli, hand-cut zucchini noodles with pesto, pasta aglio e olio, with broccoli & bacon and a large market salad.

second dessert option (it was his favorite anyway). And, while he adds that opening just before the pandemic hit has made building a following “a little more challenging,” he and Emily are confident that once you give Pasta di Guy a try, you’ll become another one of

their growing roster of regular customers. Pasta di Guy (4839 BBD) is open every day (except Mon., when it’s closed) for lunch & dinner, 12:30 p.m.-9 p.m. For info, visit PastadiGuy.com, or call (813) 388-6676. Mention this article and receive $5 off your purchase of $25 or more!

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Although Guy says he still plans to expand the menu (and perhaps open additional locations), Pasta di Guy also offers a great fried ravioli appetizer in marinara ($8.50), crunchy breaded-and-fried zucchini sticks ($6.50) and either two 6” bread sticks ($1.50) or a bread sticks bundle ($5.50), all served with a side of marinara dipping sauce. There’s also delicious, made-in-house salads, including small (both $3.50) and large (both $7) Italian and Caesar salads (with

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Wesley Chapel Fall Festival Puts The Grove’s Future On Display! Congratulations go out to The Grove, the North Tampa Bay Chamber and Florida Penguin Productions for a hugely successful, socially distant 16th edition of the Wesley Chapel Fall Festival. Held Oct. 29-Nov. 1 in a new location at The Grove, on grass (instead of asphalt), with the under-renovation Grove Movie Theater visible to all attendees, this year’s Fall Festival also featured the usual food, rides and vendor booths (all on display here). A new wrinkle was that Florida Penguin Productions upgraded the entertainment and charged attendees to see top local bands like the The Black Honkeys (shown here, bottom right) and the Greg Billings Band. The weather was hot, but beautiful. A great job by all! — GN (with photos by Charmaine George,

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Phone, video or office visits. With us, it’s your call. Your health is too important to put on hold. That’s why AdventHealth Medical Group offers three simple and safe ways to connect with your primary care provider. If you’d like to visit in person, we have taken appropriate steps to provide a safe environment with contactless registration and check-in. If you prefer a video or phone visit, you can schedule one online and see the same doctor you would at the office. So don’t wait to get the care you need, because we’ve made connecting with your doctor easy and convenient. Schedule your appointment today at AHMGTampaBay.com or call 844-DOC-2DAY.

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Rock & Brews, located at 26000 S.R. 56, wasn’t yet open when we were invited to a great Family & Friends preview on Halloween night, but it should be open as you’re reading this. And you and your family should definitely go. The place is huge, with plenty of room for socially distanced dining inside and outside and the food is excellent. And, even though Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of the rock group KISS usually attend the Rock & Brews openings (since they’re also part of the chain’s ownership), Wesley Chapel managing partner Scott Paul said that as soon as the two feel safe enough to allow themselves to be surrounded by the swarms of people who usually greet them at the openings, “their appearance here is on hold. But, rest assured, they will be here!” In the meantime, the new Rock & Brews should definitely be on your must-try list. From a delicious filet (far right), to “sweet heat” chicken (top left) and unique bruschetta (below left), the food is obviously fresh and the atmosphere, according to Paul (and yours truly), “is pure Rock & Roll!” Our Rock & Brews even has a handpainted mural of Tom Petty (top right) and Paul said there are plans to have a live music event honoring Petty’s legacy on Veterans Day. For info, visit RockandBrews.com or call (813) 537-6016 and please tell them I sent you! — GN

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 28, Issue 23 • November 10, 2020 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

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de el!

OUR FIVE FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT THE NEW FLORIDA AVE. BREWING CO. ON S.R. 56!

If you haven’t yet stopped by the new Florida Avenue Brewing Co. (Florida Ave.), located at 2029 Arrowgrass Dr., in the former Sports + Field location on S.R. 56, you’ve been missing a treat — and, from the crowds seen there to date, you may be one of the few locals who hasn’t already given it a try. This nearly 30,000-sq.-ft., two-story building — which was purchased by the Derby family last year, after being vacated back in 2015 — has been completely renovated and re-opened as an outstanding sports bar-style restaurant with somewhat more upscale food. And, although co-owner Anthony Derby says the S.R. 56 location will one day be home to the largest craft brewery in Florida, the beers, ales, hard ciders and seltzers being sold at Wesley Chapel’s Florida Ave. are currently being brewed at the Derbys’ smaller Seminole Heights location and shipped here. And, even though yours truly isn’t much of a beer drinker and isn’t interested in playing corn hole, here are our five favorite things so far about Florida Ave. 5) Seminole Heights’ Cool Makes Its Way To “The Chap” — For everyone who’s with sesame seeds and scallions. I also can’t wait tired of eating at chain restaurants along S.R. 56, there truly is to try the hanger steak and several other appetiznothing quite like Florida Ave. There certainly is nothing else here ers, flatbreads, handhelds and entrées. that has this newcomer’s “vibe.” For more info, 4) The Covered Outdoor Seating Area — Although there call (813) 452-6333 are lots of local eateries that have outdoor seating, very few have or visit FloridaAveany covered areas at all, but Florida Ave.’s is covered, has a few TVs Brewing.com & outside and access to an open courtyard area with corn hole games. please tell the Derbys 3) Private, Indoor Areas For Parties & Events — Florida I sent you! — GN Ave.’s 20,000-sq.-ft. first floor not only has a sizable indoor bar and dining area, it also has arcade games (above left) and some separate indoor “tasting rooms” where you can host your own private parties. 2) The Variety Of Brews, Plus Premium Liquor — The top left photo left is a “flight” of six of Florida Ave.’s variety of brews and although anyone who knows me knows that I’m a whiskey drinker, I actually loved two of the brews shown here (yes, they were only the simple Florida Ave. Lager & Brown Ale, shown 2nd & 3rd from the right, but still) and I also enjoyed a hard (or, get down to business) cider and seltzer, but don’t tell anyone. Jannah even liked the Raspberry Berliner Weisse (far left). 1) THE FOOD! — I haven’t yet sampled the entire menu, but I’ve already loved the spicy, Korean-style bibimbap bowl topped with a fried egg (above, right), the cheeseburger, the Burrata flatbread, the crab cake appetizer, the crispy cheesesteak egg rolls (nice pieces of steak with onions, and cheese) and the classic Caesar with grilled chicken. My favorite so far, however, were the Tampa-Wesley Chapel Chinese sticky ribs shown top right — four 26640 Silver Maple Pkwy Wesley Chapel, FL 33544 fall-off-the-bone black bean and miso pork TampaWesleyChapel.HGI.com ribs with a hoisin BBQ glaze over kimchi slaw

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 28, Issue 23 • November 10, 2020 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

New Tampa & wesley Chapel Classifieds HOME IMPROVEMENT

HOME HEALTH CARE

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.

SENIOR OVERNIGHT COMPANION SITTERS Two kind senior sisters seeking work safeguarding your loved one during the overnight hours. We’ve been working w/the senior population for 10 years & have seen a need for local, English-speaking, background-checked, Covid-tested, dependable companions w/their own transportation. Very reasonable rates. Call Diane or Elisa at 813-938-8614.

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: 813-784-5999.

CARING HEART, LLC. Private duty nursing care. Personal caregiver, personal assistant, post hospital/rehab care, helping hand; medical appointments, shopping, light cooking/cleaning, moving assistance packing/unpacking/ organizing, pet care. For info, call or text 813-361-6439.

TJ’s PRESSURE WASHING LLC. Driveways, Houses, Fences, Lanais and Screened Enclosures. Most residential 2 car driveways or vinyl fences starting at $75. House washing prices start at $150 for a 1 story home and $199 for a 2 story home. Looking for an instant quote? Just text me a picture of the job you need done. Call Tj at 727-808-7775. AMBLER ENTERPRISES Home Improvement. Call James at 813-385-6402. 30 Years Experience. Specialist in Kitchens & Bathrooms. Referrals upon request. All interior work: Drywall, Texture Paining, Doors, etc. Use us once & you won’t need to look elsewhere. Please Google us if you would like to see pictures: Wesley Chapel Ambler Enterprises. 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 available. Free estimates. Your Neighborhood Arbor Greene Resident! We work 7 days. Call 813-994-5124. CHARLES POPPE ELECTRIC. Electric of all kinds pools, spas, service changes, new circuts, low voltage, repairs, upgrades, changes to existing, trouble shooting, GFCI performance testing, generators. Expert in the field - over 40 years experience. Discount 50% off labor for senior citizens! Licensed and Insured Master Electrician EC 13002399 - free phone estimates. Call 813-477-9068. 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.

CNA/HHA available to do private duty care in your home. 30 years of experience. Will attend to all of your daily needs. References upon request. Call Rhonda at 850586-1868.

MISCELLANEOUS

GET $500 TOWARDS CLOSING COSTS... when you buy a NEW CONSTRUCTION HOME with Florida Homes with Geri at Epperson OR Mirada. Schedule a PRIVATE TOUR of both Communities by a Resident Realtor. Join @LifeAtTheLagoon with @RealtorGeri Call/Text 813-609-0966. Connect with me on Instagram & Facebook.

CLEANING SERVICES

A-to-Z CLEANING & ORGANIZING. House & Ofc Cleaning & Organizing Svcs! We use our own supplies. Affordable & Reliable. Family-Owned & Operated. Wesley Chapel Resident. Weekly / Bi-Weekly / Deep Cleaning/ Move-In / Move-Out. Serving Wesley Chapel & New Tampa. Call today for a FREE No-Obligation Quote: 813-462-1270. Local references supplied upon request. CLEAN-IT RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL CLEANING: Following all CDC Guidelines, 18 years cleaning in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel. Licensed & Insured. Call 813.505.0431 or email cleanitmc@gmail.com. B CLEANING SERVICES: Over 18 years experience! Commercial and Residential; Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly; New house and 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 & more than 400 clients in New Tampa! For more information, call 813-758-9710 or see our display ad below right!

COMMERCIAL SPACE AVAILABLE

1,850 sq.ft. Commercial/Medical Space Available to Lease. Address: 24420 SR 54, Lutz (in the MediWeightloss Building). For more info, call 813-293-4377 or email: gwillett@mediweightlossclinics.com.

LAWN & LANDSCAPING

NTLC Property Maintenance. Residential & Commerical lawn maintenance for New Tampa & Wesley Chapel. Sprinkler repairs, tree trimming, mulching, landscaping & clean-ups also available. Licensed & Insured. CALLBILL @ (813) 973-3825. A.T.B. Landscaping & Lawn Service. Licensed and insured serving the Tampa Bay area over 20 years. Family owned and operated. Quality work at affordable prices. We provide services in gutter clean-out, screen repair, pressure washing and sprinkler repair. Landscaping and property maintenance including: sodding, trimming trees and hedges, and clean ups. Other services are available. CALL 813-907-LAWN (5296). Jasmine Landscaping, Inc. Complete lawn maintenance: Tree, palm & hedge trimming, planting, mulching, stones, sod replacement. Gutter cleaning, leaf removal & more. Cited by your HOA? Ask about our HOA Compliance Special, our Fall/Spring Special & FREE ESTIMATE! Licensed & insured. Accepting new residential & commercial accounts. We accept Visa, MC, PayPal, Zelle, AmExp. Call or text 813-420-4465. Now hiring full-time workers. HEAVY HITTER LAWN CARE: Veteran owned and operated lawn care maintenance service, focused on lawn mowing, trimming, edging and blowing (flexible with extra services). Well maintained and professional laborer ensuring customer satisfaction and on-time cuts. Rain or shine, the quality and schedule will be kept. Licensed and Insured. Call or text 678-673-7856 for your FREE ESTIMATE.

COMPUTER/BUSINESS SERVICES

PROFESSIONAL TECH SUPPORT in your home or small business. A+, Certified computer tech w/20 years exp. Maintenance & Repairs, Upgrades & Tutoring. More affordable than large chains! Friendly, personalized service. Technical jargon explained. Remote assistance available. References avail. Call (813) 957-8342 for a free estimate or see our display ad on page 37 (the facing page). DO YOU HATE YOUR COMPUTER?!? WE CAN HELP YOU! Troubleshooting, Installation, Networking & Virus Removal. WE COME TO YOU! Residences & Businesses, more than 25-Years Experience. Contact Jeffrey Blank at 813-973-4507, visit WSICA.COM or email Wsica@wsica.com.

TREE SERVICE

FITZPATRICK’s TREE SERVICE. 25-years of Professional Service. Licensed & Insured. Free Estimates. Tree Trimming & Tree Removal. Stump Grinding. Dead-Wood Removal. Affordable Rates. 24-Hour Emergency Storm Service. Free Mulch. Call 813-495-9541 or 813-788-TREE.

POOL SERVICES

ALLSTARPOOLSOFTAMPABAY.COM. Pool cleanups, & acid washing of old pool finishes. Marcite, quartz & pebble finishes from $3K. We offer cool decking, Eurocrete & paver decking options. Paver, river rock sealing, leak detection & in-ground vinyl liner replacements avail. We sell quality salt & ozone generators, pumps, motors & filters. Mention this ad for a $79 pool service (restrctions apply). Serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel since 1990. Call/text 813244-7077 or visit AllStarPoolsofTampaBay.com. 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 or Text Chris today @ 813-8575400 or visit TranquilityPoolService.com. New customers get ONE MONTH FREE! AQUATEC POOL SERVICE has been keeping pools clear & swim-safe since 1994. WE DO POOLS RIGHT! Commercial & Residential. CPO #33-303052 Licensed & Insured. Service guarantee. Call 813-312-5694 TODAY and get ONE MONTH OF QUALITY SERVICE FREE. www.aquatecpool.com. NEIGHBORHOOD POOLS Wesley Chapel owned & operated since 1999. Weekly service. No long term contracts. Mention this AD for one-month Free service. Call 813-907-7322 for details or text Joe at 813-758-7608.

PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTOGRAPHER AVAILABLE! Retired Professional Photographer (45+ years experience) in the Tampa Bay area. Corporate Events, Personal Occasions, Portraiture, Pets, Commercial Photography & Real Estate. Reasonable rates. Ask me about “Front Porch Portraits,” taken from the safety of your front porch, FREE OF CHARGE! Great for Families, Children, Pets & more! Call or Text (813) 748-3901 or Visit: russellleprephotography.com.

FITNESS & WELL BEING

YOGA, PERSONAL TRAINING, NUTRITION & PHYSICAL THERAPY w/DR. LAUREN LEIVA, DPT! Phys Ed for everyone, including all children, w/a certified personal trainer who also is a degreed Dr. of Physical Therapy. Ask Dr. Leiva about her PE4ME sliding scale pay program! For more info, visit TheExerscienceCenter.com, call 813.464.0313 or see the ad on pg. 14 of this issue.

Break It Down Productions. Customized Private Yoga Sessions w/Susanna Jones. Develop strength & flexibility, while learning how to breathe & relax. I specialize in working w/beginners and those requiring a more gentle approach than most group Yoga classes. I explain everything, and provide variations so that you actually feel good in the stretch instead of strained. Gift certificates available. www. breakitdownproductions.com or Call (813) 802-8393.

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All Classified ads are now run in both of our markets (New Tampa & Wesley Chapel) ONLY: 7 Issues (3 months) - $120; 13 Issues (6 months) - $200; 26 Issues (one year) - $300 No more than eight (8) lines of copy (abbreviations are OK). Must be prepaid (no exceptions!)

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 28, Issue 23 • November 10, 2020 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 28, Issue 23 • November 10, 2020 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

‘Making Our Move!’ Continued from pg. 3 Why Is This Hauler Smiling?

Next, I definitely needed a good junk guy to get rid of...well, everything that wasn’t coming to the new office that wasn’t able to be shredded. And believe me, that was a lot of stuff. We had several old filing cabinets filled with old advertising agreements, office furniture that wasn’t going to be needed in the new office, a safe, and a whole lot more. And, it just so happened that our old friend Don Smith — also known as The Happy Hauler — of Smith’s Clean-Up Service (top left photo) had just started back up advertising with us again. Don’s another hard-working man. I stuffed lots of large, contractor-sized bags of garbage and he carried those bags — and the aforementioned filing cabinets and other garbage — to his waiting trailer and loaded all of it by himself. Don told me that when he receives items he believes will be useful to local charities — like The Children’s Home Foundation of Tampa or the Sunrise of Pasco Hospice — he’ll set those aside and drive them to the organizations. He told me our filing cabinets, the safe and some of the furniture might be useful to those charities. Best of all, he was done in less than an hour and his rates are extremely reasonable. So, for everything from single item pick-ups to yard waste, construction debris, small building tear-downs and yes, office (or home) clean-outs, see the ad on page 36 of this issue and call Don at Smith’s Clean-Up Service at (813) 727-6655. Be sure to tell him that Gary from the Neighborhood News sent you!

chose the company that’s been cleaning our office at the last three or four of our locations and the last at least 10-15 years — D Ultra Cleaning Services. My friends Eduardo and Deborah Ferreira of D Ultra have always been reliable and although some of their cleaning folks don’t speak much English, Eduardo and Deborah are both bilingual in English and Spanish and anytime I’ve had an issue over the years, they’ve always taken care of it right away. They’re good people who also do grout/ceramic cleaning, pressure washing, carpet and window cleaning and house and light commercial cleaning. Call D Ultra Cleaning Services at (813) 758-9710 , visit DUltraCleaningService.com or see the ad on page 36 of this issue. Because both jobs were so big and I had limited time to get them both done, I decided to let my other friend Celly De Freitas of Clean-it (at right in photo below, which was not taken at our new office, by the way) take on the job of getting our new office sparkling clean before we moved into it. Celly came with her outstanding

Who’s Gonna Clean This Mess?

Another aspect of moving out of one office and into another is that the place you’re leaving has to be broom-clean and even though the place you’re moving to should also be broom clean, I wanted both offices to be as clean as possible. For our “move-out” clean-up, I

crew and in less than two hours, made the new office ready for primetime — or at least for us moving in. Clean-it has other excellent references, is licensed and insured and also has been cleaning homes and offices in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel for nearly 20 years. Call (813) 505-0431 for a free quote today or see the ad on page 37 of this issue for more information.

What I Really Need Is A Nerd!

I don’t know about your business, but our office has to have working computers and I still don’t know the difference between a server and a network and had no idea how to make sure we were able to safely move all of our desktop computers to the new office. So, I called my friend Michael Varnadore, the owner of Nerds To Go Computer Service of New Tampa (photo top right), which has a brick-and-mortar location in the Pebble Creek Collection (behind Kobé Steakhouse; one of our former offices was in the same plaza). I have had a service agreement with the New Tampa Nerds to Go for over a year, but I never felt as fortunate to have it as I did as we got ready to move. Mike said to me, “Gary, this is why you hired us. We’ve got you covered.” and dispatched his newest Nerd, Derik Jenkins, to our old office a few days before our move. Derik came to see how things were connected to make sure that we

could move the whole shebang safely, and when he came back, he got it disconnected, reconnected and up and running — and we literally never missed a beat. If this kind of peace of mind is important to you, you should definitely visit Nerds To Go at 19651 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Ste C-6, or call Mike’s awesome sidekick, Maxine, at (813) 321-1700 or visit NerdsToGo.com. Also, check out the ad on pg. 27 of this issue for a great Black Friday special on an Acer Aspire TC865 Desktop PC and other deals. So, there you have it. Our new office is in the Westbrook Professional Park at 28949 S.R. 54, Wesley Chapel 33543. As soon as we get everything put away, we’ll host an Open House/party to show off our new digs. In the meantime, listed below are all five of our previous offices: 1. Gerry Mann Financial Building (11201 N. 56th St., Temple Terrace) 2. Palm Plaza (12108 N. 56th St., Tampa/Temple Terrace) 3. Pebble Creek Collection (19651 BBD Blvd., New Tampa) 4. Shoppes at Amberly (15345 Amberly Dr., Tampa Palms) 5. Brookside Prof. Park (29157 Chapel Park Dr., Suite B, Wesley Chapel) Thanks again to all of our advertisers and friends who helped get us moved in quickly, cleanly and safely.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 28, Issue 23 • November 10, 2020 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

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