New Tampa Neighborhood News, Volume 30, Issue 23, November 15, 2022

LIBERTY APA IS TOPS!

Liberty Middle School’s Angela Brown is named Assistant Principal of the Year.

CHAMPA CHICKEN Authentic Syrian-style chicken takes many forms at this Fowler Ave. eatery!

Photo by Charmaine George

Do You Remember When Wharton & Benito First Opened? I Do!

By GARY NAGER Editorial

For those of you who weren’t living in the New Tampa area when Paul R. Wharton High and Louis Benito Middle School opened in August of 1997, you may be unaware that high schoolaged kids living in New Tam pa in the mid-1990s were originally bused to King High on N. 50th St., a 10-mile trip for kids living in Tampa Palms and a 12-mile trek for those, like my family, who were living in Hunter’s Green — the two largest communi ties in the New Tampa area at the time.

I remember attending Hillsborough School Board meetings in 1996, trying to find out when High School BBB and Middle School AA (as they were first known) would open in the New Tampa area.

Once it was determined that both schools would open for the start of the 199798 school year, the School Board accepted input from the community to help name the two schools. But, despite the best efforts of yours truly and other local activists at the time, neither school would be named for the area in which they were located.

In fact, “New Tampa High” never made it to what the School Board said were its top-four choices for the school ultimately named for former School Dis trict administrator Paul R. Wharton (photo), although “Northeast High” was the fourth highest vote-getter.

As for Benito, “New Tampa Middle School” did make the School Board members’ final four, but ulti mately finished fourth in their strange pointtallying system. Instead, the school was named for Louis Benito, the former owner of one of the Tampa Bay area’s largest advertising agen cies and popular civic activist who had passed away a few years earlier.

I also attended the School Board meet ing in December 1996, when long-time Ben Hill Middle School principal Mitch Muley was named as the first-ever principal at Wharton and former Eisenhower Middle School teach er and assistant principal Lewis Brinson was named the opening day principal at Benito.

These were exciting times for me, as having a local high school and middle school meant that my sons, who were both at Hunter’s Green Elementary at the time, would be able to walk to Benito from our Hunter’s Green home and would be living less than two miles up Bruce B. Downs Blvd. from their high school.

I remember touring both schools shortly before they opened and visiting them on the first day of school and feeling nothing but happiness and pride. I believed that having the schools in our area would help New Tampa continue to grow, would help increase our property values and would provide me, as the owner and editor of the Neighborhood News, with new sources of news for my still-young

(I had only owned it for 3-1/2 years at the time), but growing publication — and all of those things did (thankfully) come true.

Considering that high school football wasn’t a big deal where I grew up in Long Island, NY (especially because my high school team was so bad), I could picture being part of the big crowds for Florida’s famous “Fri day Night Lights,” at the packed gym for not only boys but girls basketball (which I never had growing up), pep rallies and so much more — all of which also came to fruition.

And, even though there also definitely were some growing pains, especially at Whar ton, which opened with a super-high percent age of kids on free and reduced lunch because

of desegregation-forced busing, for me, the school has been a consistent source of pride for the last quarter of a century.

And, although this issue primarily focus es on Wharton, it’s not because Benito wasn’t also very good to my sons and our com munity — because it was and still is — it’s because we got invited to (and were happy to attend) the 25th anniversary celebration held at Wharton on Nov. 4 (see pgs. 4-5), but heard nothing about a similar event at Benito. If we somehow missed such a celebration, or if one is still coming up, please email me at ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com and we will try to show New Tampa’s original middle school some love, too.

Page 1 of our September 1997 issue proudly proclaimed that “Wharton High & Benito Middle Schools Open To Rave Reviews” and showed stu dents checking out New Tampa’s new high school.

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Celebrating The 25th Anniversary Of Paul R. Wharton High School!

By JOHN C. COTEY John@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Darren Glover made the move in 1997 from Eisenhower Middle School in Gibsonton to a brand new high school opening in New Tampa.

A quarter of a century later, he’s still a Wharton Wildcat and has no plans to ever leave. He was one of more than 200 current and former Wildcats who gath ered Nov. 5 in the school’s cafeteria to celebrate the school’s 25th anniversary.

Glover is one of just five teachers at the school that opened the school and has remained there, along with parapro fessional Sherry Hargin, guidance coun selor Cindy Rogers and English teacher Merrill Connor.

Others, like current principal Mike Rowan, assistant principal Eddie Hen derson and guidance counselor Tommy Tonelli, were at Wharton in 1997, but left for other jobs before coming back to stay at the school.

While Glover may not have expected to spend the next two-plus decades at Wharton, he confesses to having loved every minute of it.

He met his wife Elizabeth, a social studies teacher, at the school (well, tech nically, at happy hour at Durango Steak House, which is now Hungry Crab Juicy Seafood). They had two sons – Riley, who graduated from Wharton in 2021, and Aubrey, who is currently a senior.

“I built a family here. It has been really great,” says Glover, a driver’s educa tion teacher and athletic department busi ness manager. When the school organized the 25th anniversary gathering, he was eager to reconnect with past Wildcats.

The celebration included the school’s first principal Mitch Muley and assistant principal (AP) Carmen Aguero (top left photo on next page), plus the four other principals who have led the school — George Gaffney, Brad Woods, Scott Fritz and current principal Mike Rowan, who was an original teacher at the school (all of whom are shown on page 1).

Also on hand were original staff ers and athletic coaches Marcie Scholl, David Mitchell (2nd photo from left on next page), Henderson and Tonelli (both in far right pics on next page). The celebration was held prior to Wharton’s football game against Hillsborough High, and many of the dignitaries stuck around for the 27-7 win, as the ‘Cats head into the playoffs. Many of the origi nal staffers were recognized on the field during halftime.

“I was really looking forward to seeing everyone,” Glover said.. “They weren’t coming back for a free ham burger (or, in this case, Mediterranean food from The Little Greek); they were coming back for a reason. — to see their old high school, to be a part of it again. It’s a great thing.”

During the pre-game meal, not only did the 200+ people in attendance hear from Muley and Rowan, but current Wharton math teacher Carlos Rosaly read a number of recollections of the early days of the school written by those original staffers:

“From Carmen Aguero,” Rosaly

read, “one day there was a huge squirrel that climbed up the build ing outside the cafeteria and Mitch yelled to Junior (former head custodian Tirso ‘Junior’ Cintron), ‘Get the pres sure washer and shoot that thing. So, Junior did exactly that. Mean while, the bell rang and out from the cafeteria came 200 children who all of a sudden were getting showered on.”

Rosaly also read an anecdote from former Wharton AP Pam Peralta, “Some of Pam’s favorite memories are coach ing swim team with Marcie Scholl and winning Districts in our first year, and attending sporting events and watch ing Wharton’s finest cheerleaders at the spring pep rally that first year.”

Rosaly said Aguero also recalled when interviews were being conducted in the trailers on BBD and Muley was upset about something and “started spewing profani

ties...in front of a visiting parent. Carmen said to the parent about Muley, ‘Man, you never know what you’re getting into with these construction workers.’”

Starting Out...

In December 1996, Mitchell Muley was named Wharton’s first principal. He had already opened Ben Hill Junior High on Ehrlich Rd. 10 years earlier, and he had a good relationship with long-time Hillsborough County Schools adminis trator Paul R. Wharton, for whom the

(Above) Members of the original staff (from 1997) at Paul R. Wharton High pose for a group shot during the school’s 25th anniversary celebra tion on Nov. 4. (Below) The cake says it all! (Photos by Charmaine George)

school was named. Muley, then 49, was the perfect fit.

He worked out of a trailer on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. near where the school was being built.

Muley spent his first six months or dering equipment, interviewing potential teachers and visiting potential students at junior high/middle schools like Van Buren and Buchanan that weren’t really close (Benito Middle School, which also opened in ‘97, provided a much closer option for New Tampa kids, too), and King, Chamberlain and Hillsborough high schools.

He put together a committee of those students who, in March, picked a school mascot — as the Wildcats beat out the Wolves.

In April, the school’s colors were se lected – navy blue and white, with black trim – and the school hired its first head football coach, Dan Acosta.

The first football team had to prac tice that spring at Greco Middle School on Fowler Ave. They had to practice without equipment.

That was followed by selecting cheerleaders, a band director, a fight song and an alma mater song, as well as more coaches and teachers.

On August 17, 1997, Paul R. Wharton High swung its doors open for the first time. The traffic light on BBD across from the entrance to what is now Live Oak Preserve hadn’t yet been installed. Fences and walkways weren’t quite completed. Some painting still had to be done. The auditorium wouldn’t be ready until Oct. 1.

“We were still trying to get our certificate of occupancy two days before opening,” Muley recalls. “Just trying to get everything ready, to get it open, is what I’ll remember from that first year.”

Wharton is now the neighbor hood school, but communities like West Meadows and Cross Creek were fairly new, so many of its original 1,400 students were driven or bused in from previously attended far-away schools like Hillsborough and Chamberlain.

“What I remember was the diver sity,” says Kedric Harris, currently an as sistant principal at Gaither who attended Wharton that first year. “It was the first time being at a school that had a real world atmosphere. We had no seniors, but it was an interesting mix of white, Black and Hispanic students.”

Harris dove right in. He loved being at a new school. He ran for, and was

elected, treasurer of the student govern ment, and played on the basketball team that won 20 games.

What he remembers most is that while the school’s colors were blue, white and black, the school itself looked laven der and purple when he first arrived.

Harris was likely the first Wharton student to ever return to the school as a teacher. After graduating from Florida A&M, he became an English teacher at Wharton from 2004-11, and then an administrative resource teacher before moving to Gaither.

Tonelli, who retired as the supersuccessful boys basketball coach but continues as a guidance counselor at Wharton, says there is always something special about a new school, and you could feel it in 1997.

“It’s the excitement of everything being the first,” Tonelli says. “You are helping to establish the tradition, helping set the pride and create the enthusiasm for the school. That was an exciting time.”

Tough Times, Too...

There were tough times early. More than $19,000 of video equipment (76 VCRs and 14 camcorders) were stolen the weekend before the school opened,

and a fight between students the first semester captured a significant amount of media attention.

The fight helped tarnish Wharton’s image, and other similar issues over the years have helped prevent the school from shaking it.

“Wharton, from the beginning, because of some of the fights, got a bad rap and a bad name,” Tonelli says. “But, a lot of really good things have gone on at Wharton the last 25 years. It has been unbelievable, really — really successful in so many areas. Academically, we’ve had some unbelievable kids that have gone on to do great things. From the school paper, the culinary program, the yearbook, the athletics, we’ve had a lot of really good things happen and a lot of good things continue to happen.”

Glover agrees, which is why it meant a lot for the past students, teachers and administrators to gather to celebrate 25 years of wonderful moments, he says

“I think Wharton bound the (New Tampa) area together,” he says. “We’ve had some bumpy times, but it’s a great school. We have some great families here, and there are some great things always happening. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

All Abilities Park Progressing Towards Opening

By JOHN C. COTEY john@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

The New Tampa All Abili ties Park, which has been in the works since 2018, could be open by the end of this year.

Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera, who represents New Tampa in District 7, says that although he hasn’t yet heard of an official opening date, he is hoping the park — which will cater to children with autism and other sensory and cognitive challenges, can open sometime next month.

The city broke ground back on the park on Feb. 14.

“The All Abilities Park is coming along great,” says Viera, who excitedly posted these pictures on his Facebook page recently. Viera has spearheaded the park’s development since first winning office in 2016. His older brother Juan is on the autistic spectrum.

The full-fledged autism/ sensory park will be the first of its kind in Tampa. Tens of thou sands of kids in the New Tampa

area and beyond are projected to use the park once it opens.

The 10,000-sq.-ft. park will include play pieces that are wheelchair accessible and geared towards those with sensory challenges. Other sensory areas and colorful murals highlight a nature theme.

The park, which will cost roughly $2 million, paid for by the city and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) federal funding, will be available to everyone.

“I am grateful for the hard work of our city staff,” says Vi

era, a New Tampa resident. “I have worked for five years to get this park created and it is wonderful to see how beautiful it is. More than anything, this park is a symbol to families raising children with special needs that they do have a place at the table in our city.”

County Breaks Ground On Branchton Park Upgrades

By JOHN C. COTEY john@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

When Hillsborough County Com missioner Ken Hagan tossed his shovel of dirt at the groundbreaking of the new and improved Branchton Regional Park last month, he did so with one thing in mind — this is going to be more than just a park. It’s going to be a destination.

Work has begun on the area’s latest county park project, bringing a host of activities to 43 acres just off the southwest corner of Morris Bridge Rd. and Cross Creek Blvd.

The current Branchton Park — a large patch of na ture with a trail, basketball court and small playground — is being re-created just south of its current location.

“Currently, it’s a very beautiful, picturesque park,” Hagan said, “but really, it only has a small playground and basketball court, with a shelter. We’re going to turn it into a destination.”

That will involve a larger play ground, four pickleball courts, all-sports courts for basketball, volleyball and

other sports, a splash pad and walking trails, to name a few of the amenities.

And, that’s just the start.

“It gets even better, because that’s only Phase 1,” Hagan said. “The next phase will have a dog park for both large and small dogs, an event pavilion, additional walking trails with a boardwalk, and a really cool…zipline, which will be the first one in Hillsborough County.”

The zipline is ex pected to be a privatepublic venture, and Hagan said he hopes to add more privatebacked amenities in the future.

Hagan also has broached the idea of adding a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office substa tion to the area. He says he has already secured the $6 million needed to complete the first phase of the park’s upgrades, which could be completed by sometime in 2023.

Two years ago, the county polled

local residents about their preferred amenities. More than 500 people re sponded online to the survey, and the county has incorporated many of those requests into the new park’s design.

“When we build this park, there will

be something here for everyone,” said Rick Valdez, director of the county’s Parks & Recreation Department. “From birth to 90 years old, there’s going to be something that you can come out and enjoy at this park.”

The upgrades to Branchton Regional Park have begun, and include a new playground, pickleball courts and walking trails, to name just a few of the planned park’s new amenities.

Commissioner Ken Hagan

NTPAC Cuts A Ribbon, Plans For Shows In ‘23

By JOHN C. COTEY john@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

The New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC) isn’t quite open for business yet, but the ribbon at the new facility has been cut.

A gathering of roughly 50 local dig nitaries, residents and politicians gathered on Oct. 17 to snip the ribbon and get a peek at the new facility.

There wasn’t too much to see — some of the classroom areas are close to completion and the stage has taken shape, but there are no seats and no orchestra pit just yet — although after using little more than their respective imaginations for more than 20 years, it was a pleasant sight for those involved in the decades-long at tempts to build the center.

The NTPAC dates back to 2001, when Hunter’s Green resident Graeme Woodbrook formed a committee of those involved in the New Tampa arts scene to pursue the idea. The vision was grand — a 50,000-, or even 65,000-sq.-ft. cultural center that would put New Tampa on the map and be the area’s anchor.

The current NTPAC is 20,000 sq. ft., but is expandable to 30,000 sq. ft.

Woodbrook and his group eventually formed a nonprofit organization called the New Tampa Cultural Arts Center, but at tempts to find a home for the center, and the support they sought, fizzled by 2005 and the nonprofit dissolved.

However, Doug Wall, who founded the still-vibrant New Tampa Players thea tre troupe and served on that nonprofit commit tee, continued the fight.

Woodbrook was on hand at the ribbon cut ting, along with former Tampa City Councilman Shawn Harrison, District 2 County Commission er Ken Hagan and former District 2 Commis sioner (and State Sen.) Victor Crist, all of whom played vital roles in keeping the dream alive for so many years.

Wall passed away from cancer in 2017. With out Wall and Woodbrook, the NTPAC would have never come to fruition, according to Hagan.

Nora Paine, the current producing artistic di rector of the New Tampa Players, said the opening of the NTPAC for the troupe’s first performance, likely sometime in early 2023, will usher in the vi sion of the original theatre pioneers, and be a haven for those interested in the arts.

“For 20 years, we have made progress in building the New Tampa arts community,” Paine said. “I cannot wait for us all of us to see how the New Tampa Players and the whole New Tampa arts community will be able to flourish with an affordable, reliable and permanent home, here at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center.”

Local residents & dignitaries get their first look at the new New Tampa Performing Arts Cent er, which was the brainchild of a number of New Tampa leaders, like Graeme Woodbrook (above)

Wharton To Present ‘Little Shop Of Horrors’ This Weekend!

If you’re looking for something fun to do this weekend, check out the Wharton (High) Theatre Co. (WTC)’s performances of the award-winning OffBroadway and Broadway smash hit musical “Little Shop of Horrors.”

Speaking of awards, the WTC is fresh off an all-Superior-rating at the District 9 IE Festival, which means the troupe will be performing at the Florida Theatre Festival in downtown Tampa in March of 2023, under the direction of first-year artistic director Trevor Dallas Mikell.

“Little Shop,” of course, is the story of Audrey, who works in a flower shop on Skid Row and is the object of her nerdy co-worker Seymour’s secret affections. During a total eclipse, Seymour discovers an unusual plant he names the Audrey II that just happens to thirst for human flesh and blood and grows in size (and blood lust) throughout the play.

The show, which will be performed at Wharton Thursday-Saturday, Novem ber 17-19, features memorable songs like the “Little Shop of Horrors Prologue,” “Dentist” and “Suddenly Seymour” and promises to be an evening of fun for all.

For “Little Shop” tickets and more information about WTC, visit instagram.com/wharton_theatre_ co?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= — GN

Talented Wharton Theatre Co. perform ers (above) Rebecca Coby, (below, l.-r.) Slightly Shoemaker & Dimitri Ware at rehearsals for “Little Shop of Horrors.”

Publix in Hollybrook Plaza Not Going Anywhere

By JOHN C. COTEY John@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

As we’ve reported before, Wesley Chapel is getting a new Publix off S.R. 54, right across Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. from the Wesley Chapel Walmart.

But, guess where the old Publix, which is just a skip, jump and a hop away in the nearby Hollybrook Plaza on S.R. 54 and Bruce B. Downs Blvd., is headed?

Nowhere.

In fact, starting next year, the Hollybrook Plaza Publix will be beginning renovations.

That will probably be news to you, and a good many others, including us. After years of being told, and dutifully reporting, that the Hollybrook Publix would be “moving” or “relocated” to make way for the new store, we, well, stand corrected.

“You (wrote) that the current location was closing,” says Hannah Herring, the marketing manager for Publix Supermarkets Inc., “and that is actually not happening. We’re keeping that one (in Hollybrook) open, and we’re opening another.”

That is definitely new news. We reported in Septem ber that the new Wiregrass Ranch Publix had filed plans with Pasco County for a new 60,548-sq.-ft. center, which would be anchored by a 48,848-sq.-ft. grocery store, all of which is correct.

But, the opening of the new store does not mean the end of the larger (60,632-sq.-ft.) Hollybrook loca tion, which was built in 1997.

The store closing was something we had reported many times over the years. In 2015, we were told by

developers at an old Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC)’s Economic Development Briefing that the Hollybrook Publix would be “relocating.” It has been repeated and reported a few times since.

“That was the story,” says Hope Kennedy, the CEO of the old WCCC and now of the North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC). “That was my understanding.”

Heck, there was even a rumor floating around that

the whole plaza might be razed once Publix was gone in an effort to design an intersection at S.R. 54 and BBD that actually works and would decongest traffic.

Instead, it appears that S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel will be home to two of the closest Publix grocery stores (to each other) anywhere. According to Google Maps, there’s only about a half mile between the two grocery stores if you take the roads, or a 10-minute walk.

“As it stands, we’ll have two locations, and one is going to be fairly close to the other one,” Herring says. “I’m not sure if it’s the closest, but we do have some locations that are really close to each in some areas.”

New Tampa, for example, has three Publix stores of its own. The New Tampa Blvd. location on BBD is less than five miles from both the Morris Bridge Rd. and Tampa Palms locations.

And, according to the Publix website, there are 15 Publix stores within 12 miles of the 33544 zip code in Wesley Chapel. Considering that Publix has 836 loca tions in Florida and is known almost as much for its level of saturation as is Starbucks, it does make sense.

Jim Hoff, who owns the Sonny’s BBQ just in front of the Hollybrook Plaza (on the BBD side), said he al ways thought the day would come that the Publix behind his restaurant would be replaced by the newer Publix once it was built.

He’s glad to hear that is not the case.

“This is the first I’m hearing that it is staying,” says Hoff. “We’re pretty established where we are, but would it have hurt a little? Yes. Publix is Publix. Having it there can only help us.”

Despite the proximity of the Hollybrook Plaza Publix (above) to the new Publix planned for S.R. 54 at Wiregrass Ranch Blvd., Publix says it has no plans to move the older location. (Photo by John C. Cotey)

Influx Of Apartments Good News For Job Seekers?

By JOHN C. COTEY John@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

When District 2 Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore argued for his apartment moratorium, he promised people that there already were more than enough multi-family projects coming. He was opposed to land zoned for commercial and retail uses being turned into land slated for sprawling apartment complexes, saying there were plenty of entitlements for multifamily projects already in existence.

Moore may have had a point.

At the moment, there are more than 20 apartment complexes, ranging from the usual to those promising “luxury” and even “elegant” living locations in Wesley Chapel’s three zip codes — 33543, 33544 & 33545 (see map on pg. 15), that are either making their way through permitting, under construction or recently completed.

If you count other projects just out side the border of the Wesley Chapel area, that number grows. There are apartments coming to the Zephyrhills side of Eiland Blvd., just across the street from Wesley Chapel. In Land O’Lakes, Zephyrhills and San Antonio, that number exceeds 30 rental communities.

All in all, Wesley Chapel could be home to nearly 10,000 apartment dwell

ings in the next two years, if not sooner.

And, there are more projects not even in permitting yet — large multifamily communities headed to Wiregrass Ranch, the Two Rivers area on S.R. 56 and Epperson.

“The message I was attempting to send is justified by the number we’ve seen either come out of the ground or that are already (in permitting),” Moore says. “And there’s a ton more parcels that

already have the multi-family zoning. There’s people holding out or not ready to develop and are holding on to those entitlements. That’s a lot more.”

While Moore continues to worry about apartment oversaturation, the debate still goes on within the County Commission. As recently as Oct. 11, members sparred over whether apart ments were more important than jobs.

District

3 Commissioner Kathryn

Starkey argued that the county has “hun dreds of thousands of jobs coming...these people will need someplace to live.” Dis trict 1 Commissioner Ron Oakley, who represents the northern and easternmost parts of Wesley Chapel, agreed.

Eric Garduño, the government affairs director for the Bay Area Apartment Asso ciation, says Pasco County has always been near the bottom of statistics when it came to apartments per person. And, the Tampa Bay area in general has always adopted zoning ordinances that favored single-fam ily home developments over apartments.

“I think that’s starting to change in the sense that you can’t build singlefamily and single-family only to meet the housing needs as a community and a nation,” Garduño says.

The Wesley Chapel Blvd. area, which has expansion plans, is home to a number of large incoming complexes. The area around the bustling Grove entertainment area has close to 1,000 units on tap, in cluding many that are already taking lease applications, and the corridors on S.R. 54 and 56 towards Zephyrhills have already attracted a number of projects.

“I think, generally speaking, policy makers really need to look at attracting jobs, and how that goes hand-in-hand with housing,” Garduño says. “You are starting to see it in a lot of places.”

The Silverslaw Apartments (above) are being built just north of the Hyatt Place Wesley Chapel on the north side of S.R. 56 near I-75, and are among the many large rental complexes sched uled to be built in the Wesley Chapel area over the nest 2-3 years. (Photo by John C. Cotey)

New & Future Multi-Family Complexes In & Around Wesley Chapel

Neighborhood News map by John C. Cotey & Valerie Wegener © 2022 JM2 Communication, Inc.

Business Notes — GOLFTEC & New Townhomes Coming Soon!

By JOHN C. COTEY John@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

The game of golf received a boost during the pandemic, as more people took up the game, especially at places like Heritage Isles and Hunter’s Green Country Clubs.

So, it makes perfect sense that a golf store & hi-tech training facility would open nearby.

According to City of Tampa permit ting records, GOLFTEC will be moving into part of the space formerly occupied by Pier 1 Imports in Highwoods Pre

serve off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.

GOLFTEC (photo, right), founded in 1995, will be taking over a portion of former home goods store, on the end closest to Westshore Pizza.

GOLFTEC offers golf lessons, golf instruction and custom club fittings in what it calls a state-of-the-art Training Center. It uses certified coaches and technology to help improve your golf game. For $125, locations offer 60-min ute swing evaluations, where motion measurement sensors are attached to the student’s shoulders, arms and hips. The results are evaluated by coaches using hi-

def video and other tech and if desired, a lesson plan is formed.

GOLFTEC has 15 locations in the U.S., as well as locations in Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan and Singa pore. Nearby, there are locations in Car rollwood and on Boy Scout Rd. in the Westshore business district.

NEW RESIDENCES: Cross Creek Blvd. is getting some of its first building projects in years, as dirt is being moved in two different spots for new townhomes.

We reported in February of last year

that both projects had been approved after some debate. Combined, the two townhome projects, towards the eastern end of Cross Creek Blvd., will bring 95 total new residences to the area.

One parcel is located at 10801 Cross Creek Blvd, east of the New Tampa Dance Theatre, and directly across the street from the entrance to the Heritage Isles community. It will have nine buildings and 60 attached single-family residences.

Further east, a second parcel will consist of six buildings and 35 singlefamily residences.

Cooling Real Estate Market Is Still Hot – Just Ask Kristy Darragh

By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN Correspondent

The last time the housing market in the Tampa Bay area was “normal,” according to long-time Realtor Kristy Darragh of Florida Executive Realty, was in the early months of 2020, be fore the Covid-19 pandemic hit.

While that set off a chain of events that resulted in the local housing mar ket swinging wildly in favor of sellers, the correction that has happened this year so far is bringing our area back toward normalcy.

But, it’s definitely not headed for any kind of crash, says Kristy, who has built her decades-long career by study ing real estate data and trends, and what they mean for buyers and sellers.

“A year ago, we were experienc ing a continued surge and didn’t know where it was going to end,” she says. “The Federal Reserve was saying they would initiate a series of interest rate hikes, so we knew it was coming.”

At the time, Kristy recalls that everyone in the real estate industry was saying that both selling prices and the market’s pace were ridiculous and not sustainable.

Thankfully, the market recently has begun correcting itself. She says in ret

rospect, the peak happened during the first and second quarter of this year, at least in the New Tampa area.

In 2022, there were only about 20 homes for sale at any time in the entire 33647 zip code, but those inventory numbers began to rise in April and May, due to concern over rising inter est rates.

“It all happened the week after Memorial Day,” Kristy says, “Within two weeks, New Tampa put 80 brand new listings on the market.”

She says it was a perfect storm as summer approached — when home sales are the busiest — and created something of a mob mentality, where people saw their neighbors getting

crazy high sale prices for their houses and decided to list, too. So, dozens of people throughout the zip code all decided to sell at the same time.

That, combined with interest rates inching up, finally cooled off the redhot local market.

Which brings us to where we are now, with the local residential real estate market decidedly less crazy. Even so, Kristy says all of the data points to the fact that it’s still very much a sell ers’ market.

“Instead of spending just three days on the market, homes are on the market about 15-30 days now,” she says, “but a healthy and balanced mar ket should have homes on the market for 117 days.”

She says there are a lot of price reductions happening now, but that’s because so many of the prices had been so artificially inflated. People have priced their homes about 30 percent above what the values were pre-pandemic, but now they are add ing another 30 percent above that, and those prices are too high for the market to bear.

“As a Realtor,” she says, “You have to know what normal is and how to explain it to your clients so they know

Realtor Kristy Darragh (far left) and her team (l.-r.) Toni Osborn, Jace Haitz and Kristy’s daughter Megan. (Photo by Charmaine George)

how to think about this market.”

She says the good news for homeowners in New Tampa is that you’re going to get to keep the appreciation that has happened.

That’s because prices of homes in Tampa are still lower per square foot than in cities such as Miami, San Francisco, Seattle and Atlanta.

“Tampa used to be the best-kept secret, but the door opened and there’s no closing it,” Kristy says. “We’re a coastal city, and a destination city, and our prices are still a deal.”

She says that’s good news for buy ers, too, because there’s still room for appreciation in this market. For buyers who want to try to time their pur chases to get the best deal, Kristy says buy during the holidays. A week before Christmas, you’re going to have the most negotiating room.

“These cycles have been right on track,” Kristy says. “August let up, just like it does every year. There’s a let up for midterm elections, then after Thanksgiving, there will be a rush for two weeks by all the people who want to close by the end of the year.”

She says her love for data is one big reason why people call her. She knows the patterns, and she can tell you what is happening in the market because she enjoys studying it and has done so for so many years.

That’s why Tampa Palms resident Saima Siddiqui says she has worked with Kristy for more than 10 years, buying and selling three homes during that time.

As an accountant, Saima says that data that is important to her, too. She has found Kristy to be informed, aware of market trends and extremely customer-focused.

“What strikes me about Kristy is how sharp she is,” she says, “She has great people skills. She always under stands what I’m looking for, and if it’s not available, she’s not pushing some thing else on me.”

When Saima wanted to buy a new home and sell her current home last spring, she was nervous about the mar ket and the timing of the sales.

“I needed someone like Kristy be cause I bought at a time when no one knew what was going to happen next,” says Saima. “She always gives great, reliable advice. With interest rates go ing up, having her as my Realtor was helpful for sure.”

Kristy’s Team

Kristy holds licenses as both a Realtor and Broker. She joined Florida Executive Realty (FER) in 1994 and became partners with Doug Loyd in the Tampa Palms location of FER in 2003. Loyd owns five other offices of Florida Executive Realty located in and around the Tampa Bay area.

While she prefers to be hands-on with all of her clients, Kristy works with three full-time assistants who help her provide exceptional customer service.

Kristy’s daughter Megan began working with her in October 2020, after previously working as the office man ager for the Westchase branch of FER. Megan is a licensed Realtor with her own clients, too. Kristy’s other assistants are Jace Haitz and Toni Osborn.

Kristy says she used to have about 20 listings at a time, but right now, homes are selling so quickly she’s only keeping about three listings at a time.

“If you price it right, your house will still sell within two or three weeks,” Kristy says. “I know how to price your house and how to decipher the indicators and cut through the noise and the politicians, the stock market swings and how all of these things add up to affect the market.”

While she says it’s okay if your home is dated, the most important thing is that your home is clean and landscaped nicely, and that your roof and air conditioning are fairly new.

“It’s so hard to get insurance in Florida,” she says. “If your roof is 18 years old, just put a new roof on. It will translate to a better price and fewer days on the market.”

The Tampa Palms office of Florida Executive Realty is located at 15802 Amberly Dr. For more information about Kristy Darragh, visit RealEstateNewTampa.com, call (813) 931-6700, or see the ad on page 48 (back cover) of this issue.

Homes like this one at 17818 Osprey Pointe Pl. in Hunter’s Green can still be had by buyers but rising interest rates have cooled off the market. Kristy Darragh says that it’s still a hot market, however, and more homes are available now than have been for a few years.

Law Office Of Elizabeth Devolder — Compassionate Help For Families

By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN Correspondent

Attorney Elizabeth Devolder says that these days, she’s seeing a lot of families who have suffered through the pandemic — and even the stress of hav ing to prepare for Hurricane Ian — and are thinking about what would happen if they or someone they love were to pass away or become incapacitated.

The Law Office of Elizabeth Devolder, which she launched in January 2021, is ready to help. The boutique firm is located in the Tampa Palms Profes sional Center, near the Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. exit of I-75 in Tampa Palms.

Devolder earned her law degree at the Tampa campus of the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Riverview in 2016 after a successful career in ad vertising and sales management. She had previously earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Corporate Communications from the College of Charleston, SC, in 1997. For five years, she worked jointly with her ex-husband Bryan Devolder at their Devolder Law Firm.

Associate attorney Rachael Alexander was previ ously a case manager, working closely with Elizabeth while going to law school and helping her found the new firm.

In her new firm, Devolder — with support from Rachael and a growing staff, including a legal assis tant and case manager — continues to handle estate planning and probate matters, and Devolder’s clients say she is both smart and compassionate.

When her husband died four years ago, Chris

tine Smith says she hired Devolder to help her.

“It was really overwhelming,” Smith explains, “but she asked me things gently and slowly and spent so much time with me at one of the worst times of my life.”

Smith says Devolder’s compassion is only half of the reason she is so pleased with her experience with the firm.

“She’s also probably the smartest person I’ve

ever met in real life,” says Christine Smith. “She’s really sharp.”

After working out her own estate plan, Smith brought her young adult son in, too, to set up docu ments that would allow her to make medical deci sions for him if he were to ever become temporarily or permanently incapacitated. Devolder recommends a number of documents — such as a Power of At torney and others that may apply to your unique situation — for everyone, so that someone you choose has the authority to care for you if something unexpected happens.

Christine then introduced her 91-year-old father to Elizabeth, who handled his documents, as well. “We’re multigenerational clients,” she says.

Devolder says she helps many families like Christine’s, who are experiencing the crunch of what she calls the “sandwich generation,” where children are becoming adults but still need a lot of support from their parents, while their older parents also are becoming increasingly needy.

“You have a lot of people depending on you,” Devolder says.

Another multigenerational client is JoAnne Tucker, a Hunter’s Green resident who first hired Devolder to help her handle her brother’s estate when he began showing signs of dementia and ulti mately passed away.

“The entire process can be so confusing,” Tucker says. “But, sitting down with Elizabeth was very comfortable. She and Rachael always answered

See “Devolder” on pg. 22

Attorney Elizabeth Devolder of the Law Firm of Elizabeth Devolder in the Tampa Palms Professional Center

all of my questions — no matter how many times I asked — and helped me to be confident that I had all of the information I needed and knew exactly what to do next.”

Later, Tucker went back to De volder to prepare her own documents. Then, her mother and sister worked with Elizabeth, as well.

Devolder says you shouldn’t do what you heard your neighbor did, or take a friend’s generic advice.

“My job is to take what I know about the law and apply it to a spe cific set of facts,” Devolder explains, “because the documents you might need depends upon the makeup of your family — such as how many kids you have, if your family is blended, if there is conflict in the family, and the makeup of your assets.”

Devolder says that the entire Baby Boomer generation will be age 65 by 2030, and that 75 percent of people over age 65 will need some type of longterm care. She can help plan for that care to help families avoid spending too much of their resources on that care.

While many people don’t want to think about the possible need for longterm care — which is required when someone needs help bathing, feeding, dressing or going to the bathroom — Devolder says that now is the time to start planning for it.

“When it was time for your kids to go to college, you didn’t first start looking at colleges the week before they were supposed to start classes,” she says. “The time to plan for that is well in advance. It’s the same with long-term care.”

The Legacy Studio

Devolder’s desire to help fami lies goes beyond just preserving their financial assets and planning for the fu ture. She says she has a passion to help people protect their entire respective legacies, including their memories.

To that end, she is opening up a second business located inside the law office that will allow families to preserve their older generation’s most precious recollections.

She says the idea came to her when a client told her he thought he knew the stories his grandmother told, but after she passed away, they were lost.

Attorney Elizabeth Devolder is pictured here with her grandfather Harry Constantine Dem osthenes and great aunt Electra Demosthenes Kageorge (both now deceased). Elizabeth’s new business venture, The Legacy Studio, will be a video studio located inside her law firm that will help families capture and preserve the sto ries of their older generations.

Then the client’s mother passed away, and he realized her stories were lost, as well. He told Elizabeth he wanted to write his own stories down for future generations, so that those precious memories would be preserved.

The idea of preserving people’s memories resonated with Devolder, but she realized that technology allows us to do much better than just writing things down.

“How you tell the story is part of the story,” she says, adding that video is the ideal medium for preserving these legacies.

She says her clients have welcomed the idea and that the studio website will be up and running soon at www. LeaveYourLegacyStudio.com, although Devolder says she doesn’t yet have a scheduled grand opening date.

She is hoping The Legacy Studio will bring families together, and allow grandparents and parents to leave their stories as a legacy for their children.

The Law Office of Elizabeth Devolder is located at 5383 Prim rose Lake Cir., Suite C, in the Tampa Palms Professional Center. It is open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.–6 p.m. For more information or to make an appointment, call (813) 319-4550, visit Elizabeth DevolderLaw.com or see the ad on page 29 of this issue.

Dr. Duga & Dr. Feeney Keep Kids’ Smiles Coming…And Bright!

By NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Young, older, excited, scared — local pediatric dentist Dr. Paul Duga, D.D.S., and his dentistry partner Shawna Adams-Feeney, D.M.D., take on all comers when it comes to caring for your kids’ teeth.

So, when Kelsey Metzmeier was looking for a new dentist to take her children too, including her teenage daughter, who has autism, she asked around online and most of the posters in a popular special needs group for parents in Pasco County agreed — Dr. Duga is your guy.

“We were seeing another dentist in Tampa but needed someone new when we moved to Wesley Chapel,” Metzmeier says. “We needed some one who was good with special needs, and we went to his office and he was fantastic.”

Metzmeier’s sentiments have been echoed by other parents for decades now, as Dr. Duga, Dr. Feeney & As sociates Pediatric Dentistry continues to receive rave reviews for its knack for making children feel safe and at ease in its office, located a few minutes south of Wesley Chapel in the Somerset Profes sional Park in Tampa Palms, off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. at Amberly Dr.

“We provide one-on-one, private, patient-driven care,” Dr. Duga says. “We provide dentistry that is safe and healthy, and also non-threatening, so kids don’t grow up with an irrational fear of dentists.”

Metzmeier jokes that her kids still don’t look forward to going to the dentist, but, “it is definitely something they don’t dread.”

Drs. Duga and Feeney both have engaging and outgoing personalities, and mix in a fair amount of fun and humor to take the edge off of any patient’s visit.

Both dentists also are reassuring, important in these heightened safetyfirst days in the wake of a pandemic. Dr. Duga assures parents that their kids, and their teeth, are always in good hands.

“We always try to maintain a spirit of positive-ness,” he says.

About The Doctors

While Dr. Duga established the practice in 1998, he says working with Dr. Feeney — as he has since she joined the practice in 2005 and became his partner in 2009 — gives children the option to choose the dentist with whom they feel more comfortable.

“I really appreciate having Dr. Feeney here,” Dr. Duga says. “If a kid is struggling to connect with me, the next visit, maybe he or she might want to go to Dr. Feeney. We do everything we can to keep the children comfortable.”

Both doctors are Board-certified pediatric dentists.

Dr. Duga earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) degree from the Marquette University School of

Dentistry in Milwaukee, WI, and then worked as a general dentist in Milwau kee. He went on to earn his Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry from the Louisi ana State University School of Dentistry in New Orleans.

He practiced general and adult den tistry from 1984-88, and has practiced pediatric dentistry and orthodontics since 1988.

Dr. Feeney earned her Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry from the Univer sity of Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford, after receiving her Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) degree from the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston.

Many parents like Metzmeier will bring their kids to a dentist at the first sign of teeth. The doctors encourage the parents of their youngest patients (they treat children from age 1 up to about age 18) to bring their kids in every six months to maintain good dental health.

Metzmeier has three children — Kayleigh (14), Hunter (10) and Beckett (4) — and has been bringing them to Dr. Duga for roughly five years.

“There are a lot of dentists in the area, but we definitely wouldn’t want to go anywhere else,” says Metzmeier.

Dr. Paul Duga has been one of the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area’s most popular pediat ric dentists for more than two decades.

Drs. Duga and Feeney provide examinations, cleanings, sealant place ment, tooth repairs (such as fillings and crowns), as well as cosmetic whitening and some orthodontic alignments.

“We do continuous growth evalua tion, bite evaluation, and provide guid ance through early orthodontic care,” explains Dr. Duga.

The practice also offers braces and Invisalign invisible aligners for its patients, although the doctors do also refer some patients to orthodontic offices, when they feel it’s needed.

For a child who has special needs or is too young to cooperate, a parent can choose sedation dentistry. An anesthesiolo gist comes in to safely manage the sedation, so the dentist can focus on fixing the teeth and getting them healthy.

“We do accept dental insurance, but we’re not an insurance-driven office,” says Dr. Duga. “Insurance is a contract for pay ing bills, not health care.”

The staff will gladly help parents of patients and potential new patients under stand their insurance benefits.

Happy Patients

Kids like the perks, too, such as fun in the lobby — including video games and TV screens on the ceiling and head phones in the chair, so they can watch while laying down. Plus, they get to pick the flavor for their toothpaste and receive a coin at the end of each visit, which they can exchange for a small toy.

“I’ve seen kids since they were one or two and now they’re going off to college,” says Dr. Duga. “You get to know these families. It’s been a wonderful thing.”

The feeling is mutual, according to Metzmeier. “He’s just very patient and a very good person,” she says. “He’s upbeat, he talks to them on their level and he has a great personality.”

The pediatric dental office of Dr. Duga, Dr. Feeney & Associates is located at 15293 Amberly Dr. in Tampa Palms. To learn more about the practice, see the ad on page 31, visit DrDugaDrFeeney.com or call (813) 631-1100 to schedule an appointment or to find out more about your insur ance/payment options.

Dr. Shawna Adams-Feeney brings both expertise and an outgoing personality to her dental partnership with Dr. Paul Duga. (Photo: Charmaine George)

Total Air Solutions Continues To Keep You & Your Home Cool

Many of us would agree that the past two years have presented signifi cant challenges to both consumers and businesses. Supply chain shortages have caused delays on many services and projects, and the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (or HVAC) industry has been no exception. Most of us can be annoyed to find our favorite cereal miss ing from the grocery store shelves; but missing critical equipment and compo nents for your HVAC system will have even more irritable consequences.

“There has been an economic failure to meet the demand for HVAC products,” says Total Air Solutions co-founder, Bill Albert. “As a Carrier factory-authorized dealer, we have the first right to these units as they come out of the factory. You can count on us to deliver your repairs or new units faster than many of our competitors — and the last thing you want is to be stuck with no air conditioning and lacking the parts necessary for your repair.”

Total Air Solutions also has taken this opportunity to focus internally on polishing its already exceptional customer service by providing additional training and education for their team to fulfill the needs of Tampa Bay-area homeowners

during these stressful times.

“We’ve always prided ourselves on putting the needs of our customers needs before sales,” Albert says. “Our slogan even states that we strive to be your FRIEND in this business! Now more than ever, homeowners want service from com panies they trust with their home and their budget. Our technicians aren’t trained on sales tactics, they’re trained to provide the best comfort, in reasonable time, at a reasonable price. We value long-term relationships with our customers.”

The Business — From Garage To Greatness

Total Air Solutions started in a

garage as a business idea between Albert and his co-founder Frank DeCarlo. Twenty years later, the business has grown to two locations in Tampa and North Port, FL, with more than 70 fleet vehicles and 100 employees.

“Our growth has been tremendous over the last few years, and it really comes down to staffing the right people who know their stuff and treat our custom ers right,” Albert says. “Everything else eventually falls into place.”

DeCarlo previously worked as VP/ General Manager at a heating and cooling company in North Port for seven years, where he was initially hired as a Service Manager and grew annual sales of that

company fourfold. Prior to that, he was a Service Technician at an air conditioning firm in New York. He brings hands-on ex perience in residential and commercial air conditioning and heating installation and repair as well as working with refrigera tion systems. DeCarlo holds a degree in HVAC Technology from Apex Technical School in New York City, where he gradu ated at the top of his class.

Albert worked for six years as an HVAC Distributor for Carrier Florida, first in Tampa and then in Orlando; he brings vast experience in working with builders, contractors and end users to Total Air Solutions. Prior to working for Carrier Florida, he held positions in a solar hot water heating and installa tion company and a home energy design system firm.

Pretty much his entire career has been focused on creating and design ing comfortable interior environments. Bill holds Associate in Applied Arts & Sciences (AAS) degrees from the State University of New York at Alfred, one in Mechanical Technology and the other in Civil Technology.

When asked about where Total Air Solutions will be in another 20 years, Albert says, “Our plans include growing Total Air Solutions to be the household name in Tampa Bay, North Port, and

Special to the Neighborhood News

all areas in between. When you search ‘reliable A/C company,’ we strive to be at the top of the list. Our mounting positive Google reviews are proving that we are getting closer to that goal with every happy customer we service. What sets us apart is that our only focus is air conditioning and heating systems — and nothing else. From brand-new air con ditioning installation to heating system repair, our team of trained professionals can do it all.”

A recent 5-star Google review from Total Air Solutions customer Steve Strigler states, “I started using Total Air Solutions when I saw an ad in the local paper and I am glad I did. Since then, I used them to perform AC tune ups, install a new system at our rental, and repair our home system. Most recently our AC went out Sunday night. I called Total Air Monday morning at 8 a.m. and, by 10:30, Jacq (HVAC expert/ tech) was at my home troubleshooting my system. Jacq was very polite and explained to me what he was seeing in laymen’s terms. Not only did Jacq solve the issue, he stayed extra because he wanted to ensure there were no other issues with the system so he checked out other parts and cleaned out the drain line so the system ran efficiently. I highly recommend Jacq and the Total Air team and will continue to use them into the future. I have used multiple HVAC vendors in the area, but Total Air has always been responsive, timely, and explained things to me so I under stood (them).”

Breathe Easy — The Best In Indoor Air Quality

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is a spe cific service that has boomed since Covid and interest continues to grow as tech nology improves and significant medical research has been made regarding the importance of quality air in your home.

“There are tons of IAQ products available ‘over the counter’ these days, like single room air purifiers, but nothing beats the true whole-home air quality of an in-

duct system, Albert says. “These products are built to treat the air at the source and assist in eliminating harmful airborne pollutants. Many people rely on an expert to change the oil in their car, and this solu tion also is best left to the experts.”

Giving Back To The Community

Total Air Solutions also sets out to make a positive impact on the local communities of North Port and Tampa. Some of the company’s community efforts have included sponsoring local youth athletic programs, such as the Tampa Bay Cardinals, the YMCA, and the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus. To tal Air also regularly sponsors the annual golf tournaments benefiting the Every day Blessings Foster Home in Lithia.

Total Comfort Year-Round

Total Air has two service plans, the “Healthy Neighbor Plan” and the “Safe & Healthy Neighbor Plan.” The pre mium level plan provides added benefits, like a larger discount on replacement parts, high-efficiency filter upgrades and, most important, your annual dryer vent cleaning. Many companies, according to Albert, charge more than $200 for this dryer vent cleaning service alone. Total Air’s “Safe & Healthy Neighbor Plan” is available for $46.99 per month (for 6 months). Both plans include the informa tive “System Health Report” which gives you valuable insight into the condition of your A/C unit, plus any preventive recommendations to keep your system running at optimal performance. Albert says the maintenance of an air condition ing system, even a new unit, is vital to keeping your house cool.

Total Air Solutions also provides residential and commercial heating and cooling services, including installing new heat pumps and chill water systems, air quality evaluations, and routine system maintenance. The company can even help you finance your new Carrier A/C.

For more information, visit TotalAirFl.com, call (813) 247-2665, follow the company on Facebook and Instagram or see the ad on pg. 30.

When you see the Total Air Solutions van (photo on previous page) pull up in front of your house, you can rest assured than an HVAC expert like Matt (above) will pro vide you with outstanding customer service. (Photos provided by Total Air Solutions)

American Flooring Has A New Name, But With Same Great Service!

By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN Correspondent

American Flooring may have dropped the word “Wood” from its previous name — American Wood Flooring — but owner and CEO Andy Dunning says wood is an increasingly popular choice for customers in his store.

American Flooring has been located in the SuperTarget-anchored Northwoods Plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., north of County Line Rd., since 2008.

Dunning says the word “Wood” was removed to ensure that customers under stand that American Flooring sells and installs all kinds of floors — including tile, carpet, vinyl and laminate. Even so, he says he is seeing more and more people adding wood to their home’s décor these days.

He notes that wood floors are for the homeowner who wants an even more stun ning floor covering than his most popular choice, called luxury vinyl plank, which sometimes is referred to as LVP.

While he’s currently putting in more wood floors than in previous years, “the trends continue toward that vinyl plank because of its durability, the fact that it is waterproof, dent-proof, and super scratchresistant,” Dunning says.

Vinyl plank floors may look like wood, but they aren’t the same product. They are made from a PVC-type mate rial with a tight lock-and-fold system to keep moisture out, even from the attached padding underneath that is made from an anti-microbial melamine material.

The current LVP flooring options also are dent-proof, which Dunning says is an upgrade from when the vinyl planks first arrived on the scene and were made from a wood composite material.

“They’re always coming out with newer, more innovative ways to keep the product getting better and better,” he says.

You can choose the flooring that matches your taste, lifestyle and budget, and the experts at American Flooring can direct you to the materials that will work best for you. Dunning says that some

customers want as little as just one room, while others want to upgrade every room throughout their homes.

Quick Turnaround

While supply delays are normal in all industries these days, Dunning says his crews are typically installing new floors for clients in about a week.

“From order to install is about seven to 10 days out,” Dunning says, although he admits that some materials currently are on back-order, which means that some clients could have back-ordered materials delayed for several months.

That’s not normal, though, and for those who are waiting, it’s not on the installers. Dunning says American Flooring has 12 crews that are kept busy working six days a week with all the families who are remodeling their homes or upgrading their builder flooring, especially at this time.

“We do a lot of new construction,” Dunning says. “Customers are buying new houses with cheap carpet and then come to us. We do the floors before they move in, because builder prices are ridiculous.”

The process normally doesn’t delay move-in day very long. An American Flooring crew starts immediately, as soon as the sale of the house closes. It’s typical

for a crew to install 500-600 square feet of flooring per day.

Dunning says that if you have a mortgage, the builder has to install a floor covering to close. If his company pulls out brand new carpet, he will donate it to the Salvation Army or Habitat For Humanity to be used for another purpose.

For buyers who pay cash for their homes, the builder can leave the subfloor and skip the installation and removal pro cess altogether.

But, it’s not just new construction keep

ing the crews occupied. Dunning says the store has been busier than ever with remod els, especially over the last couple of years.

“A lot of people are working from home and want to get something new in there,” he says.

Tammy Hellman is a repeat client who not only uses American Flooring when she wants to make changes in her home, but as a real estate agent, she refers her clients to the company, as well.

“I’m very particular about who I refer to my customers to,” she says, “and I’ve gotten lots of positive reviews from them.”

Hellman adds that she recommends Andy and his team because they have done an excellent job for her multiple times, and they also did a good job at both her mom’s and her sister’s homes, as well.

“They moved all my furniture with ex treme care,” Hellman says. “They cleaned up well after themselves and did a great job on the flooring. It was a very positive experience, with a good price and great customer service.”

American Flooring also has another location in New Port Richey. Tuhat loca tion was opened first, by Dunning’s dad and stepmom, before he opened the Wesley Chapel location in 2008.

Between the two locations, Ameri can Flooring crews travel far and wide to meet their customers’ needs, covering all

Andy Dunning, the owner & CEO of American Flooring in the SuperTarget-anchored North woods Plaza on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. just north of County Line Rd., can get your new, quality flooring professionally installed quickly. (Photo: Charmaine George)

of the Tampa Bay area and beyond.

American Flooring offers free in-home estimates, and financing through Synchrony Bank is available that allows many customers to pay zero interest for 12 months.

The company also offers a nontransferable lifetime warranty on every installation. “A lot of companies won’t offer a lifetime warranty on the install, but we do,” says Dunning. “Sometimes the transition pieces will pop up or boards get loose, and we’ll fix that for as long as you own the house, as long as it’s an installa tion problem.”

American Flooring’s Wesley Chapel showroom is located at 1285 BBD Blvd. and is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Satur day; and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday. For

more information, call (813) 991-7999, visit FlooringforFlorida.com or see the ad on page 44.

Liberty’s Angela Brown Named Top AP In Hillsborough!

By JOHN C. COTEY John@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

It began as just another ordinary day for Angela Brown.

The Liberty Middle School as sistant principal showed up for work in the morning, helped make sure all of the students were off to class and, after that was done, she headed to the testing room to get things ready for her day.

But then, the day took an extraor dinary and unexpected turn. She got a call from Liberty principal Frank Diaz asking her to report to the media center with literacy coach Corissa Rus sell, who was with her.

When they had just about reached the media center, Russell handed Brown off to Diaz, who led her inside. A band started playing.

“The first person I noticed was (Hillsborough County Public Schools Su perintendent of Schools) Addison Davis, then I saw my boyfriend (Ben Gainer),” Brown said. “Imagine a person who doesn’t like surprises, and likes being in full control all the time. I turned to Mr. Diaz and asked, “What’s going on here?”

What was going on was this: Davis was there to congratulate Brown for being named Hillsborough’s Assistant

Principal of the Year for 2022-23.

“It was definitely a surprise,” she says. “A nice surprise.”

Brown has been at Liberty since the school opened in 2002, and the award is a testament to her skills as as sistant principal of curriculum.

Diaz has only been at Liberty for three months, but it was apparent from his first day that Brown was a gem.

“She’s been a rock here for quite some time,” Diaz says. “Her attention to detail is spectacular. She assures that students are placed in the right classes

with the right teachers. She really looks at the students as individuals and on the basis of what they need.”

Brown’s responsibilities include student safety, overseeing the curricu lum for the school, student schedules, assessments and testing, to name a few.

“A lot of it is just making sure that instruction is happening and our teach ers are equipped with the tools they need to deliver excellent instruction to the students,” Brown says.

And, it often goes beyond that. While being an innovative scheduler, it’s the extra things not in her job descrip tion that makes Brown special. That in cludes sometimes driving kids home, vis iting family homes to make that needed connection and mentoring other assistant principals who are just starting out.

“The one thing I pride myself on is building relationships,” she says.

“It’s all about navigating the world of school every day and keeping a smile on my face, because it definitely is hard work. But every day, I find something to laugh and smile about, and I try to instill that to everyone on campus.”

Brown, who recently turned 52, is a graduate of Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD, which she attended on a track scholarship.

Angela Brown is escorted into the Liberty Middle School media center by principal Frank Diaz, where she is surprised by a band and Hillsborough Superintendent of Schools Addison Davis (photo on next page), who announced that she has been named the Hillsborough County Assistant Princi pal of the Year for 2022-23. (Photos: Hillsborough Schools)

She got her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Education degree, with a concentration in sports administration, but thought she would some day be working for a sports organization.

But, her old principal at East Bay High talked Brown into filling in as a substitute teacher for someone out on maternity leave.

“I was so in love with teaching, from that point on I did everything necessary to be a certified teacher,” Brown said, which included earning her Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale.

Brown started her teaching career at Greco Middle School in 1996, and moved to Liberty in 2002 as a Success Coach, which back then was called Stu dent Intervention Specialist. In 2013, she became an assistant principal.

“I’m so blessed to be able to stay and see all the different families come, all of the siblings of siblings, students who are now parents and have kids at Liberty,” Brown says. “It’s definitely been amazing.”

Diaz says students continuously come back to the school to talk to her.

“She remembers the names of students from 10-12 years ago,” an im

pressed Diaz says. “That’s nice.”

Brown says it’s all about changing lives and providing direction. She recalls one of her students, back in 2006, having a tough time of it. Brown had to continu ally suspend him, and told him, “If I have to keep suspending you for you to get it, that’s what I’m going to do.”

He got it. In 2008, that student, Nelson Agholor, was named Hillsbor ough County’s Turnaround Student of the Year and went on to earn a football scholarship to the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles and is currently a wide receiver with the New England Patriots who still visits Liberty and “Auntie Angela” each year.

“It’s very rewarding when you see certain kids (who) always seem to find me or always seem to reach out to me and stop by the school,” Brown says. “One of the good things about being at same school is they always know how to find you 15 years later, just to say thank you and tell you how grateful they are. Honestly, that’s what keeps me going from year to year, knowing that somehow I made a difference with someone.”

Judging by her recent accolades, Brown’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed.

The school district’s Assistant Principal of the Year Angela Brown receives a gift basket from Hills borough’s Superintendent of Schools Addison Davis.

Wharton High Drum Line Wins Lion’s Pride Competition

By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN Correspondent

Wharton High’s drum line has brought home the “W” in a local battle for the best, held on Oct. 15 as part of the King High School Lion’s Pride Marching Festival.

While the festival, established in 1997, primarily helps high school bands sharpen their skills on the, ah, march to the height of the season, it allows drum lines the opportunity to choreograph a performance to show off their talents, too, in the Lion’s Pride Battle of the Drum Lines.

When the Wharton students asked director Marques Rudd if they could plan a routine for the competition, he signed them up. They did the rest.

Percussion captain Josh Benalcazar and other percussion leaders — includ ing AJ Coveyou, Clara Riusech and Jeya Williams — came up with music, visuals, and choreography. Then, they planned rehearsals for all 18 members of the school’s drum line.

In addition to playing rhythm and cadences on snares, tenors, bass drums and cymbals, they created choreography to determine their placement on the

field, and added visuals such as dancing, swaying, and moving in eye-catching and fun ways.

Wharton won the Lion’s Pride Bat tle for the first time ever. The Wildcats stunned five-time defending champion Strawberry Crest in the semifinals, and then were chosen as the best drum line in the finale against Spoto.

“It was crazy to me that we were

able to put this together entirely student-led,” Benalcazar says proudly. “We had to really think outside the box and be creative.”

Rudd agrees that the students’ creativity is what propelled them to take home the competition’s bragging rights.

“Their interaction with the crowd was awesome,” he says. “They even threw in some cartwheels and something from the Cha Cha Slide.”

Rudd says he’s proud of the students and the fact that they came to gether to create something they weren’t required to do as a class assignment. He noticed their hard work, and it paid off for them.

“It was surreal when we won and they called our name,” says Josh. “It took a minute for it to process in my brain. It was a dream for me to be able to win such a big competition.”

Your Last Chance To Win Free Dining!

Whether or not you’ve already entered our 2022 Neighborhood News Reader Dining Survey & Contest, you still have time to enter again. We realized, as soon as our first New Tampa entries began coming in, that we didn’t give some of you enough information to properly provide answers to some of the categories in order to enter — and win free dining prizes in — this year’s contest.

The first problem was that we asked you to name your Three Favorite Restaurants in New Tampa (NT) and Wesley Chapel (WC). But, we assumed logic would dictate that one restaurant can not be your favorite, 2nd favorite and/or 3rd favorite place to eat. Even if a restaurant has locations in both of our distribution areas (for example, The Brunchery), that restaurant still can only be named as one of your three favorites and will only be counted as one vote for that restau rant, so please name three different res taurants as your number 1, 2 and 3 favorite places to eat in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel.

Two other categories that caused confu sion were that we asked you for your Fa vorite Dish and Favorite Appetizer in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel. We wrongfully (again) assumed that our readers would real ize that we were asking you to name not only your favorite dish, but also the restaurant that serves your favorite version of that dish.

Of the first 300 entries we’ve received, however, at least 60 or 70 of them just answered “coconut grouper” as their favorite dish or “onion rings” as their favorite ap

petizer, without telling us which restaurant actually serves their favorite grouper or onion rings. Yeesh.

And, considering that this is a Dining Survey, we didn’t think anyone would write in non-dining options when we asked you for your Favorite KRATE at The Grove. Al though we enjoy Katie Beth’s Boutique and MaeBerry Co. as much as the next guy (or girl), these are clearly not places to eat, which is what we are looking for in a Dining Survey.

Check The New Entry Address!

And finally, although we are happy about our move, we regret the timing — in the mid dle of this year’s contest — of us leaving our old address on S.R. 54 to move to our new location at the Medallion Corporate Park, also in Wesley Chapel. We moved to our new address — 2604 Cypress Ridge Blvd., Suite 102D, Wesley Chapel, FL 33544 — on Oct. 1. Therefore, even though we have given the U.S. Post Office our change of address (which means that all mail received at our old location should be forwarded to us), in order to guarantee that your mailed entry will reach us on time, please use the new address (which does also now appear on the entry form on pg. 39).

Of course, the new mailing address doesn’t affect the entries you’ve made on our website — NeighborhoodNewsOnline. net — but if you know you got any of the categories mentioned above wrong, feel free to send us a second entry anyway. — GN

NEW YEAR, NEW RULES!

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

Three winners will be drawn at random from all correct entries, whether you enter by mail or at NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net by no later than Wednes day, November 23, to win a $100, $60 or $35 gift card to the restaurant of your choice. Mail-in entries must have all requested personal info (right) & be mailed to our NEW address: Neighborhood News 2022 Dining Survey & Contest, 2604 Cypress Ridge Blvd., Suite 102-D, Wesley Chapel, FL 33544. — GN

Champa Chicken — Authentic Recipes, All Made With Love!

By Gary Nager

When Ihab Elyafe first moved from his native Syria to Dallas, TX, seven or so years ago, he worked for several years for Enterprise Rent-A-Car before moving to Tampa to be closer to family. He got some experience working for a number of restaurants locally but always felt he was missing something — a restaurant that served food with the unique flavors of his homeland.

Ihab and his partner Samer El Dahala began scouting locations more than a year ago and ultimately found a 2,800-sq.-ft. space on E. Fowler Ave. across from University Mall. They opened Champa Chicken earlier this year and for Ihab, it’s obvious that the restaurant is a true labor of love.

“I wanted to open a restaurant that focused mainly on the different kinds of chicken I grew up on in Syria,” he says. “And I wanted it to be a casual restau rant with great prices for food that you might expect to find in a fine-dining establishment.”

If you already enjoy Middle East ern or Mediterranean-style food, you’ll feel right at home at Champa Chicken. Even if you’re not already a fan, if you’re in the mood for chicken with different flavors than what you might normally be used to, Ihab, his wife Sherry and their daughter Sara serve always fresh, deli cious chicken several different ways.

The fried chicken shown at the top of this page has a delicate, nicely spiced coating and is pressure cooked until it is super-crisp on the outside and juicy and tender inside. Individual pieces of the fried chicken are available, as well as two-, four- and eight-piece meals served with a side of crispy fries or creamy cole slaw and a fountain drink.

Champa Chicken also offers fall-offthe-bone-tender baked chicken with a savory red pepper sauce, and a variety of rotisserie-grilled chicken options, includ ing rosemary, lemon garlic and spicy grilled. All of these are sold as half or full

chickens with a huge side of uniquely spiced rice or cole slaw. Ihab recom mends the authentic Mediterranean garlic sauce for dipping with any of the chicken options.

Is that not enough options for you? There also are three-, four-, five- and ten-piece crispy chicken tender options (served with fries or slaw with a foun tain drink), as well as six- and 12-piece fried hot or mild Buffalo-style, fried garlic parmesan and grilled lemon garlic or spicy wings available. Photographer

Charmaine George enjoyed the mild Buffalo wings and I

the flavor of the garlic parmesan wings.

Ihab says that a couple of sandwich options are coming soon, including a chicken tawook (kebabs marinated in yogurt, citrus, garlic and spices) and yes, even a Philly-style cheesesteak sandwich, both served on hoagie-style bread.

“I know that not everyone loves chicken as much as I do,” Ihab says. “We may even add more non-chicken options in the future, too.”

For Starters...

Although the varieties of chicken are definitely the stars of the show at Champa Chicken, there also are some other options on the menu.

Starters include truly homemade, super-creamy hummus, freshly-made Mediterranean-style and Caesar salads (the Caesar is available with grilled chicken, too) and some of the best fried mozzarella sticks I’ve had in years, served with a differently spiced, thick tomato dipping sauce.

(Above left) The Syrian-spiced fried chicken at Champa Chicken, located on E. Fowler Ave, across from University Mall. (Above right) Champa Chicken co-owner Ihab Elyafe. (Below left) Champa Chicken’s delicious mozzarella sticks are served with a unique tomato sauce. (Below right) The homemade hummus, like everything at Champa Chicken, is made with love. (All photos on these pages by Charmaine George)

definitely savored

“The fries and the mozzarella sticks are the only items that start out frozen,” Ihab says, pointing to the small freezer at the front of the kitchen. “Everything else here starts out fresh and we mari nate all of the chicken ourselves.”

Ihab also is rightfully proud of how clean his restaurant is — and he’s will ing to take anyone who asks on a tour of the kitchen to prove it. He says it is

all part of how much he loves his food — and his customers.

“I don’t know why anyone would want to eat at a dirty restaurant,” he says.

“I want you to know that when you eat at Champa Chicken, our restaurant will be clean and your food will always be fresh.”

He adds, “When your number one ingredient is love, it shows in everything you do. “I love our food and how it is

made. I think if you come in and see how we take care of our restaurant, our food and our customers, you will defi nitely want to come back.”

I almost forgot to mention, because I haven’t yet sampled either one of them, that Champa Chicken also serves a rustic triple berry tart and chocolate lava cake for dessert. In addition to a soda fountain with Pepsi products,

there’s also a machine serving a variety of iced tea flavors, including a supertasty Yumberry Pomegranate.

Champa Chicken is located at 2311 E. Fowler Ave. and is open every day (except it is closed on Wednesday) from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. For more information, call (813) 4434200, visit ChampaChicken.com, or see the ad on page 45 of this issue.

(Top row,) The fall-off-the-bone-tender baked chicken (left) is served with a huge side of savory yellow rice. The rotisserie chicken is served in a variety of flavors, including the rosemary chicken above. (Bottom row) Our editor enjoyed the garlic parmesan wings. Salad lovers will enjoy the Mediterranean house (left) and Caesar salads.

The Brunchery Serving Breakfast & Lunch In Wesley Chapel & New Tampa!

By GARY NAGER

Photos by Holly K Photography

Since opening the second local loca tion (the other is on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in New Tampa) of The Brunchery Breakfast & Lunch on S.R. 56 in March of this year, owner Alket (Al) Marku says he is thrilled with the way the Wesley Chapel community has already embraced the former long-time location of Wolf’s Den.

Despite having some competition nearby, Al says, “Our Wesley Chapel location is actually beating our sales in New Tampa, which is kind of amazing to me.”

Al, who was originally a partner in the New Tampa location when it opened in 2019, bought it outright from his former busi ness partner in 2021. He and his wife Erinda Kostandini will open their third Brunchery location in the Lithia area sometime later this month and will open a fourth location in Riverview in the summer of 2023. “We plan to open many more locations,” Al, 37, says. “We think we have a great variety of menu items that will be welcome wherever we open.”

Unmatched Breakfast Options!

Breakfast at The Brunchery definitely offers a little something for everyone. My fa vorite is what is known as the “Breakfast Fea ture,” which features two eggs any style, with your choice of bacon or sausage, seasoned home fries and a homemade biscuit, which I sub out for The Brunchery’s tasty marble rye toast. Oh, and although you can sub grits for the potatoes, I add a side of grits because it’s so worth having all of it!

But, if you don’t “just” want eggs for breakfast, The Brunchery more than has you covered. There are nine different Benedicts,

including smoked salmon, corned beef hash, crab cake and chorizo sau sage Benedicts. There also are four different skillet breakfasts, including Al’s favorite chorizo skillet.

Need something sweet? There are four varieties of French toast, in cluding plain, orange pecan, loaded (with strawberries, blueberries and bananas) and the awesome stuffed strawberry French toast shown on this page.

There also are homemade muf fins, breakfast crepes, three different pancake and three waffle options, including excellent crispy fried chicken & waffles.

“Our sweet breakfast items may be our most popular,”

Al says, although he says items like avocado toast, fluffy omelettes (including heart-healthy egg white omelettes) and bagel & lox breakfasts also are popular. And, even the coffee is deli cious, and there are specialty and iced coffee drinks avail able, too.

What About Lunch?

Although Al says that the majority of people who

(Above left) Our editor’s favorite “Breakfast Feature” at The Brunchery (photo by Gary Nager). Other breakfast favorites at The Brunchery locations on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel and BBD Blvd. in New Tampa include (above right) stuffed strawberry French toast, (below left) loaded pancakes, (below right) chicken & waffles, (bottom, l.-r.) bagels & lox, Brunchery skillet & full crepes. (All other photos on these pages by Holly K Photography)

visit The Brunchery at lunch time still order breakfast items, Jannah and I really enjoy his smaller lunch menu, too.

My favorite lunch item is the grilled chicken melt with crispy bacon and Swiss cheese on a Kaiser roll. Jannah raves about the chicken salad croissant and I also am partial to the Reuben sandwich (corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss on grilled marble rye with thousand island dressing). Also on the menu are a BLT avocado wrap, chicken Estrada (grilled chicken breast, spinach, mushrooms, feta and Swiss cheese and may) and even a half-pound cheeseburger.

Please note that while The Brunchery’s New Tampa location serves wine-based cock tails like mimosas and peach mango sangria, Al says they aren’t yet available at Wesley Chapel, but should be within the next few months.

Special Thanks Go Out To...

Al, who is originally from Albania, says that his entrepreneurial spirit was instilled in him by his family, especially his father Alexan der. However, he says his training in (and love of) the restaurant business was provided by the man he calls his mentor, Anthony Moissis, who still owns Anthony’s Family Restaurant in

Eastlake, OH, where Al first moved when he was just 15 years old. “It was a great learning experience for me,” Al says, “Anthony taught me everything I know about the restaurant business, especially how to take care of not only my customers, but also my employees. My parents were still back home in Albania, so An thony’s family became my family in the U.S.”

About three years later, Al and his broth er Alphonse opened Alexander’s Restaurant in Ohio. Years later, when Al and Erinda (who are expecting their first child in a month or so) decided to move to Florida, he brought those experiences with him to The Brunchery.

“I love this community,” Al says. “I ap preciate all of the customers who support us.”

Speaking of support, Al says he and Erinda would appreciate your vote when you enter the Neighborhood News Reader Dining Survey & Contest (see pg. 33).

Both Brunchery Breakfast & Lunch locations — 27607 S.R. 56, Unit 110, and 17507 Preserve Walk Ln., New Tampa — are open 8 a.m.-2 p.m. every day. For more info, call (813) 994-9666 (WC) or (813) 533-7271 (NT), visit LoveBrunchery.com or see the ad on pg. 37.

Among our editor’s favorite lunch items at The Brunchery include (top) the chicken salad croissant and grilled chicken melt sandwiches (above).

Café Zorba Completes Phase I At The KRATEs!

Congratulations to my friends Stacy Es posito and Eddie Nasr, as their new venture, Café Zorba, finally opened on Oct. 7 in the KRATE Container Park at The Grove.

The opening of Café Zorba, which features Greek and Middle Eastern food, completes Phase I at the KRATES, which now has 29 restaurants with a multitude of cuisine types and 17 retail shops.

Our favorites so far at Café Zorba are the lamb gyro wrap (left photo), the chicken sou vlaki platter (right), the pan-fried crispy fish sliders (with garlic aioli) and the house-made spanakopita (spinach pies), but everything from the Zeus burger and homemade mous saka to appetizers like lightly fried calamari, dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) and shrimp

Leonidas Chocolates Now Open At Wiregrass Mall!

Congratulations also go out to coowners Mary and Eleni Caravellos, who officially opened the new Leonidas Belgian Chocolates & Cafe store in the Shops at Wiregrass on Oct. 6, with a North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon-cutting event.

According to the store’s website, Leo nidas Kestekides opened his original praline store in Belgium more than 100 years ago. Four generations later, the brand is now an international favorite, with more than 1,300 locations, including the Wiregrass store, and all of the hand-crafted chocolates are still made in Belgium. Today, Leonidas is improving the living and working conditions of more than 2,000 cocoa-growing families mainly in Africa.

The chocolate itself, whether you choose the hand-crafted truffles and other confec tions (in 50+ flavors) or prepackaged bars (and everything in between) is made from 100% pure cocoa butter and is amazing, but so are the tiramisu, espresso brulée and torta Nicola. Perhaps best of all, the Wesley Chapel Leonidas store sells chocolate, vanilla and twist soft-serve ice cream with 14 different chocolate-dip toppings — everything from

skewers have been drawing critical raves from Café Zorba’s early visitors.

For more info about Café Zorba

(5804 Grand Oro Ln., #102), call (813) 606-6666 or visit CafeZorba.com and please tell them I sent you! — GN

my favorite milk chocolate banana and salty caramel to dark sea salt, pistachio and more.

In short, Leonidas is pure decadence.

For more info about Leonidas Chocolates & Café (28163 Paseo Dr., Unit 105), call (813) 388-9653 or visit LeonidasWesleyChapel.com. — GN

The Living Room At Wiregrass Mall Celebrates Its Official Grand Opening!

Still more congrats go out to owners Christina & Zach Feinstein (holding scissors in left photo) of The Feinstein Group and The Living Room, which has been open in the Shops at Wiregrass for a few months, but which also celebrated the official Grand Opening of this second location on Oct. 12.

In addition to a North Tampa Bay Cham ber ribbon cutting, the Grand Opening event included free samples of many of The Living Room’s great menu items on a day blessed with perfect weather. Congrats!

For more info about The Living Room, call (813) 934-7911, visit TLR. restaurant or see the ad on pg. 38. — GN, photos by Charmaine George

___

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POOL SERVICES (Cont.) _

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.