Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News, Volume 30, Issue 24, November 29, 2022

CHAMBER AWARDS!

Wesley Chapel-based businesses grab multiple honors at NTBC’s awards banquet.

CHAMPA CHICKEN!

North Tampa-based eatery offers a variety of unique Middle Eastern-style chicken options!

Once Again Thanking You For Proving That ‘Print Isn’t Dead!’

By GARY NAGER Editorial

Almost every day, someone tells me, “Oh, I don’t read anything in print anymore. I get all of my news and information from online sources (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) only. Haven’t you heard that print is dead?”

I’ve written about this before, but after the whirlwind pre-holiday rush of new ads — and literally dozens of new requests for our advertising information — I’ve had over the past several months and, especially, the last two weeks, if print really is dead, my question is, why the seemingly neverending, and even increasing, requests for ads in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News?

Among the good news, for us, is that so many of the people opening new businesses in either of our distribution areas also live in those areas. So many of the people who have called, emailed or requested advertising info on our website recently have told me that not only do they read us, they look upon us as what I have long been calling us — the pri mary source of “real” news and information for and about the residents and businesses in and near New Tampa and Wesley Chapel.

Others requesting our information who don’t necessarily live in one of our distribu tion areas have been told by their friends or business associates who do live in one of those areas that ours are the ONLY publications they receive at their homes that they actu ally read, and that they trust the veracity of our news and the responsible reporting we provide about our areas more than any other source — print, broadcast or online.

Speaking of online sources — I would be lying if I said that we don’t utilize local Facebook communities and other online media sources as sources of some of the stories we ul timately put in print. The difference, however, is that we don’t just look stuff up online or offer our mean-spirited opinions without actu ally speaking with the sources of those stories (or, in many cases, attending or watching the government meetings regarding those stories).

Managing editor John Cotey and I are not online “trolls” — we’re not looking to make obnoxious comments about anyone’s honest requests for information or to rip into a business because we see ourselves as “anony mous.” To the contrary, we’re both trained journalists with decades of combined experi ence who put our names on everything we write and publish, whether in print or online.

Likewise, our freelance writers, particu larly correspondent Celeste McLaughlin, also have years of working with us, so they know that if they make claims on behalf of our clients in the Business Features we publish (in every issue and online) that don’t ring true or need to be clarified, that I, as the editor, will make sure those questions and concerns are answered to my satisfaction and/or clarified properly.

This completely-hands-on approach to editing isn’t easy, but it is both my responsibil ity and pleasure to make sure that when we tell you about the businesses who are seeking your

business, that the stories we publish about them are true, to the very best of our ability to verify that information. And, the fact that so many of our advertisers always have (for the past 29 years) and continue to tell us every day that the stories we’ve published about them have brought them in more response and more new customers than any other medium is proof that our approach continues to work.

So, if you want to continue to believe that “print is dead,” that’s your prerogative, but if you appreciate journalism that is based on facts and solid research, and opinion pieces (like this one and my dining reviews) that present viewpoints that arise out of years of knowledge and experience, as well as research,

I hope you’ll not only continue to read us but also tell your friends and neighbors about us. And, most important of all, please tell any of the dozens of businesses that spend money to advertise with us that you heard about them because, as a reader of the Neighborhood News, you know that “Print ISN’T dead!”

Speaking of new advertisers, here is a listing of the businesses in this issue who only recently began buying ads with us. We hope you’ll spend your hard-earned money with them (and our longer-term advertisers) and feel free to let us know that you did — even (or perhaps, especially) if those businesses fall short of your expectations, rather than go on line to criticize them without at least giving me

(and them) the opportunity to makes things right with you, if at all possible.

Here are those new (and relatively new) advertisers who would love to hear from you that “Print isn’t dead!”

Bloomin’ Blinds — pg. 8

Cafe Zorba — pg. 37

Champa Chicken — (pgs. 32-33 & 37)

Darlin Lash & Beauty Bar — pg. 4

Edward Jones Zephyrhills — pg. 5

Florida Heritage Insurance — pg. 24 GrassWorks — pg. 38

Newsom Eye — pg. 7

Oriental Rug Care — pg. 9

Peak TRT and Wellness — pg. 4 Happy Holidays from the Neighborhood News!

Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News

PLEASE NOTE OUR NEW ADDRESS! 2604 Cypress Ridge Blvd., Suite 102D Wesley Chapel, FL 33544 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

Correspondent Celeste McLaughlin

Lead Video Producer/Multimedia Specialist Charmaine George

Graphic Designers Morgan Conlin Valerie Wegener

Billing Assistant Jannah Nager

Nothing that appears in Wesley Chapel Neigh borhood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, without permission. Opinions expressed by Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the pub lisher’s opinion.

The deadline for outside editorial submis sions and advertisement reservations for Vol ume 30, Issue 26, of Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News is Monday, December 12, 2022.

Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News will con sider previously non-published outside editorial submissions if they are double spaced, typed and less than 500 words. Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit and/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makes no guar antees regarding publication dates. Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News will not return unsolicited ed itorial materials.

Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit &/or reject any advertising. Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News is not responsible for errors in advertising beyond the actual cost of the advertising space itself, nor for the validity of any claims made by its advertisers.

2022 JM2 Communications, Inc.

RADDSports Fights Back Against Pasco County’s Default Claim

By JOHN C. COTEY John@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Pasco County is looking to take over the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, but the company that currently runs it, RADDSports, is claiming that Pasco — pri marily Florida Sports Coast director Adam Thomas — has used bogus claims to force RADD out or into a reduced role.

The two sides are at odds over how the facility, which opened in July of 2020 but officially opened in January 2021, is being run and the results of those early efforts.

The county’s Board of Commission ers (BOC) approved a Notice of Default, originally written by Thomas, as part of its Consent Agenda at the BOC’s Oct. 25th meeting, without any discussion. Included was the okay to pay Tampa law firm Carlton Fields up to $200,000 to handle the default case, as well as more than $2.8 million to cover the potential cost of the takeover plan.

Although RADDSports’ lawyers were under the impression that the two sides would be able to meet before the default notice was sent, it was delivered on Nov. 4 by attorney Dane Blunt of Carlton Fields.

“The notice claims that RADDSports is in default of a handful of sections of the contract the two sides originally signed,” said Blunt’s letter.

However, the letter stated that it is the county’s option to allow RADDSports to con

tinue operating the sports campus and that, “RADDSports is in full control of the future” provided it undergo a ‘radical shift in (its) cur rent operations, promotion, and marketing’ to attain compliance with the contract.”

Anthony Homer, the chief operat ing officer for RADDSports, told county commissioners at the Oct. 25 meeting that he and his company were eager to come to the table and work out any differences, and appeared to be blindsided by the delivery of the Nov. 4 Notice of Default letter.

Homer also attended the Nov. 15 BOC meeting and delivered RADDSports’ refuta tion of the Notice of Default in person.

Commissioners voted unanimously to allow it into record, but again, with no discussion

He told the commissioners they had been misled and that some data had been misrepresented at the Oct. 25 meeting, and that they approved a Notice of Default “for which the county had no support.”

Homer said he was told by the county’s attorneys after the Oct. 25 meeting that the notice of default would not be issued and, instead, discussions would be held to settle the matter.

“Since then, the county has refused to engage in any substantive discussion,” Homer said. “It has not provided any

data upon which it based its claims to put RADDSports in default and, despite saying otherwise, on Nov. 4, the county’s attorneys issued (RADD) a Notice of Default.”

The Nov. 4 notice, says Homer, was different than the one the commissioners voted on at the Oct. 25 meeting, as specific data was removed after RADD supplied the correct data. And, in RADD’s letter of refutation given to the BOC, more data was provided to prove the county had been us ing incorrect information to make its case.

In fact, Homer said, when it comes to the county’s claims that RADDSports has focused on local residents and events and hasn’t appealed to tourists, the county paid $30,000 to Zartico, a data intelligence com pany that focuses on the visitor economy, to do a custom analysis of the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus visitor-to-resident ratio.

“(Zartico’s report) actually confirmed the data we had previously provided,” Homer said. “So, it’s now obvious that the county has no support for its claim that RADDSports is in default and is asserting its claims in bad faith.”

Homer said the claims made by the county were unfairly damaging the reputation of RADDSports and were making it harder to book events. He asked that the BOC vote to immediately revoke the Notice of Default.

He didn’t get the vote he requested, but Homer and RADDSports will still be getting a chance to make their case.

RADDSports chief operating officer Anthony Homer appeared at the Nov. 15 Pasco County Com mission meeting to ask the commissioners to vote to overturn their previous decision to hold RADD in default. The commissioners refused without discussion. (Screenshot from Pasco Television)

Claim #1 — RADD has not continuously operated the Sports Park Property to ensure that 90% of the 80% annual average of participants and non-participants….are non-County residents.

RADD’s Response — RADD President and CEO Richard Blalock said in his company’s refutation letter that the county has no support ing data for this claim, and that RADDSports has provided data from a “credible, billion dollar, national 3rd party data provider” to Thomas that shows RADDSports has exceeded those targets and is not in default.

Claim #2 — RADDSports’ events have resulted in hotel stays that are “well short” of what is needed.

RADD’s Response — RADDSports says it is not to blame for Covid restrictions (as well as the number of people not ready to return to traveling) in 2020 and 2021, but regardless, had 74,400 non-county visits in 2021 (3.7 times more than required) and 59,000 non-county visits through three quarters of 2022 (2.8 times more than required). Blalock calls this claim “particularly egregious” considering the data Pasco received from Zartico (which it also says Florida Sports Coast never told them about) shows the number of out-of-county visitors has increased every year and 83 percent of those visitors required overnight stays.

Claim #3 — RADDSports has failed to promote and market the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus as it relates to promoting tourism, based on a review of RADDSports’ Facebook and Instagram posts and newsletters.

RADD’s Response — RADDSports claims that the county is misreading the contract, which states that it is Pasco County’s responsibil ity to market the facility, and other than obligating RADDSports to “provide marketing information and material to the Pasco County Office of Tourism,” does not place any obligations on RADDSports. In fact, RADDSports argues that it is Florida Sports Coast that was in default of that part of the contract. As of September 12 of this year, the Florida Sports Coast website still referred to the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus as a “proposed 8 court indoor sports facility.” Even after asking Thomas to update it, it took more than a month for the changes to be made.

Claim #4 — RADDSports is not cooperating with the Residence Inn by Marriott hotel when it comes to marketing opportunities, claiming that the hotel operator also has expressed concern about the way RADDSports is operating and has asked the County to step in.

RADD’s Response — In their response to the county, RADDSports insists the operator of the Residence Inn has not made such claims, and that the county’s lawyers “affirmatively asked the (Residence Inn) operator to make such claims, and even went so far as to draft a letter for him they asked him to sign making (those) claims….The operator refused to sign the letter drafted by the County’s Lawyers.”

Claim #5 — That RADDSports also has heard from “multiple sources” that they were rudely rebuffed when trying to book events, and failed to timely respond to inquiries while prioritizing local events.

RADD’s Response — According to data from RADDSports, in 2021, the facility hosted 52 events, when it was projected to host only 38, and brought in 30 organizations, 26,000 athletes and 60,000 spectators. So far this year, the campus has hosted 44 events and will host 62 by year’s end, bringing in 15,000 athletes, 38,000 spectators and $5.5 million in economic impact, and already has 48 events booked for 2023, and 86% are returning events. “We believe this speaks to the professionalism and support (we give to) all event organizers that we are privileged to host at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County,” Blalock wrote.

Claim #6 — That RADDSports is in default of Section 9.03 because it has failed to provide the required annual financial audit for the year ending December 31, 2021.

RADD’s Response — RADD claims it cannot control the timing of the audit, and due to “significant personal issues” it had been delayed. Regardless, the contract doesn’t state a deadline for delivery and, last week, RADD said the audit was completed and delivered to Thomas.

In the Nov. 4 default letter, Blunt wrote that, “At this time, the County believes it is in the best interest of both par ties’ to mediate their disputes pursuant to the Agreement.”

A mediation with retired Judge Gregory Holder has been scheduled for Nov. 28 (after this issue went to press), and Blunt said the county plans to participate.

“We ask that RADDSports come to mediation prepared to share with the county its detailed, written plan for future compli ance with the Agreement,” Blunt said.

RADD will make its defense that most of the claims in the Notice of Default are false (see box), as it already has in multiple letters to the county and to Carlton Fields.

If the contract between the county and RADDSports, which has 18 years remaining on it, is terminated by Pasco, it likely will result in an expensive legal battle.

RADD president & CEO Richard Blalock said he hopes it doesn’t come to that.

“RADDSports remains willing to work with the County and all stakeholders,” Blalock wrote. “The cloud of a bogus Notice of Default will not help those discussions, but will lead to litigation that will be expensive to both parties and hinder the mutually beneficial resolution of the County’s perceived issues.”

And, in his Nov. 14 letter to the commis sioners, Homer said, “That the county would allocate $2.8M to take over operations of a facility RADDSports operates at no cost (to the county) is simply mind boggling. We can only imagine there are areas in the County which would be delighted to see that invested in additional parks and recreation offerings.”

Here are the portions of the contract between RADDSports & Pasco County that the county claims RADDSports has defaulted on & RADD’s responses to each claim:

Weightman Ready To Start Job On County Commission

By JOHN C. COTEY John@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

For the first time in eight years, Wes ley Chapel’s District 2 has a new Pasco County Commissioner.

While Ron Oakley remains on the Pasco Board of Commissioners (BOC) for District 1, which covers the northern part of Wesley Chapel, newcomer Seth Weightman takes over for Mike Moore in District 2, which includes the rest of Wes ley Chapel (and parts of Land O’Lakes).

Weightman was sworn in on Nov. 20 at the Dade City Courthouse.

“I’m looking forward to getting started,” he says. “I have big shoes to fill.”

Married to Jessica and the father of two children, Weightman may be a firsttime commissioner but he has deep roots and connections in the county.

“I’m a born-and-bred Pasco guy,” says Weightman, whose great uncle Thomas is the former Pasco Superinten dent of Schools for whom Weightman Middle School was named. “My family has been here a long time. I’ve seen all the changes over the years. Knowing the county’s history and being involved in the community for so long, I think I have a really good understanding of the identity of Pasco County.”

Moore served two terms in District 2, during a time when Wesley Chapel experienced unprecedented growth and change. He spearheaded efforts to speed up construction of the diverging diamond interchange at S.R. 56 and I-75 and the Overpass Rd. interchange, championed parks and recreation projects (includ ing a new indoor recreation center and a universal abilities park at Wesley Chapel District Park), put a focus on public safety, worked to make this area the crown jewel

Newly sworn-in District 2 Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman has taken over for Mike Moore in the district that includes much of Wesley Chapel. (Photo by Charmaine George). of the county’s sports tourism efforts and took a pro-business stance when it came to development.

Weightman says he plans to pick up where Moore left off.

“I hope to kind of follow Mike’s same path,” Weightman says. “We think very similarly, and have very similar values. We’re both business-minded and family men. Mike’s done a terrific job in repre senting Pasco County the last eight years. He set the bar high. I’m competitive, and

I know I have work to do, and want to do it as well as he did, if not better.”

Weightman says he has been receiving a crash course in being a county commis sioner the past few months, and is eager to start working on some of the goals for his first term.

While he may be new to the county commission, Weightman is far from a political neophyte.

He has served on the Southwest Florida Water Management District (aka Swiftmud) Board, after being appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in November 2019, and is on the Boards of the Pasco-Her nando State College Foundation and the AdventHealth Foundation.

He also has worked as an aide to former Florida Speaker of the House Will Weatherford, and has a number of strong relationships with Republicans around the state. He says that experience will benefit the county when it comes to negotiating for state funds.

“What the county has done really well is work well with our state delegation, and it has been able to receive a significant amount of road and infrastructure funding,” Weight man says.

“That’s been a huge feather in the county’s cap. I have built strong relation ships, not just with the Pasco delegation

but those in the Florida House and Florida Senate. Those are genuine friendships and working relationships that will be a benefit to me as a commissioner when it comes to advocating for the county.”

Weightman will inherit some projects that are already under way. During his term, big developments like Downtown Avalon Park and the Wiregrass Ranch Town Center will unfold, while the Ep person area continues to boom.

And, while many of the major road projects that began with Moore as commis sioner are winding down, the widening of Old Pasco Rd. is only in the early stages.

“When Seth comes in, that’ll be one of the things we wanna make sure that he stays on,” Moore says. “It’s definitely very important for that area, especially with the schools that are there and the new (Over pass Rd.) interchange that’s there.”

With development, however, comes displacement, and not every area resident is enthralled by the growth.

Weightman, 35, says that as a Pasco native who grew up in the area long be fore homes and businesses had spread, he

understands there needs to be a balance.

“That’s the elephant in the room,” he says. “How do we do this? What’s the happy medium?”

Weightman says that while he is probusiness, he also is a big proponent of the county’s Environmental Lands Acquisition and Management Program (ELAMP), which was created in 2004 and is respon sible for purchasing environmentally sensi tive lands to protect them.

Moore was the first person to endorse Weightman when he announced his plans to run for the District 2 seat earlier this year. Weightman held off primary chal lenges from Christie Zimmer and Troy Stevenson, effectively winning the seat.

Now, Moore thinks his replacement is ready to be a great county commissioner.

“I have all the confidence in the world in Seth,” Moore says. “He understands constituent service. It’s what he did for Will Weatherford, and he understands govern ment. He sat on the (Swiftmud) board so he’s already a policy maker, and he actually cut taxes while on that board. I know he will do well on the county commission.”

Business Notes: More Car Dealerships On The Way & KRATE Award!

By JOHN C. COTEY John@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Wesley Chapel already is known in part for its proliferation of car dealerships, but will soon have even more.

A 36,610-sq.-ft. Subaru dealership is already under construction on S.R. 56, right next to the current Volkswagen of Wesley Chapel on Silver Maple Pkwy. and across S.R. 56 from the new BMW of Wesley Chapel dealership, which already is open but is nearing completion.

On Wesley Chapel Blvd., Hyundai of Wesley Chapel has plans to add 9,860-sq.-ft. of additional space to its existing dealership,

to bring the total square footage to 36,276.

Also, AutoNation is proposing to build a 22,723-sq.-ft. automobile sales and service center off S.R. 56, between Main Event and the Cigars International Super Store.

AutoNation, which sells both new and pre-owned vehicles, was founded by former Blockbuster Video, Miami Dolphins, Florida Panthers and Florida Marlins owner Wayne Huizenga, and has sold more than 14 mil lion vehicles since its founding in 1996.

An additional auto-related business, Avis Car Rental, is coming to The Grove area, between the King of the Coop and Cracker Barrel restaurants.

Congrats, KRATES! The KRATE at The Grove at Wesley Chapel container park was named the Development Project of the Year at the 10th annual Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Tampa Bay Excellence Awards on Nov. 17 (photo). This is the first time a Pasco project has won the award. KRATE, an innovative food and entertainment complex made up of recycled shipping containers, went up against two big Tampa projects: Cora Wa ter Street Tampa and West River. KRATE was a standout for exemplifying a creative design or use in relation to the surrounding community, which resulted in a beneficial

economic or social impact, and was unique in scale, scope, or development challenges.

All Lanes Now Open At The Diverging Diamond

The Florida Department of Trans portation (FDOT) recently announced that, for the first time, all of the lanes at the Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) at S.R. 56 and Exit 275 of I-75 are now open.

According to FDOT, early on Oct. 31, a fourth westbound land on S.R. 56 was opened, along with a third left turn lane from the northbound I-275/I-75 exit ramp onto westbound S.R. 56.

Work is still continuing on the in terchange as crews put the final touches on the $33.6-million project, so FDOT continues to urge caution for travel ers making their way through the new intersection.

The project began construction in Jan. 2019, far ahead of its original schedule, and despite the first construc tion company being dismissed from the project (and later going out of busi ness), the new company, Superior Con struction Company Southeast, LLC, has managed to exceed expectations for finishing the job.

— JCC

A fourth westbound lane on S.R. 56 and a third left turn lane on the northbound I-75 exit ramp has just about completed the Diverging Diamond Interchange at what was once argu ably Wesley Chapel’s most annoying intersection.

The eagerly-anticipated new diamond interchange is expected to open at the new Exit 282 off I-75 at Overpass Rd. by the end of the year, according to Florida Department of Transportation spokesperson John McShaffery. The $64.5-million project is located halfway between the S.R. 54 and S.R. 52 exits of I-75, at the northern end of Wesley Chapel. The project includes a flyover ramp for westbound Overpass Rd access onto southbound I-75. In addition, Overpass Rd. itself has been widened from two to four lanes between the interstate and Old Pasco Rd. and to six lanes between I-75 and Boyette Rd. (Drone photo: Charmaine George)

RADDSports, Junkluggers & WC Rotary Win Chamber Awards

By GARY NAGER

Our hearty congratulations go out to all of the winners of the 2022 North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce (NTBC) Excellence in Business awards, who were presented with their trophies at the NTBC’s annual “Celebrating Excel lence” awards banquet on Nov. 10, at Treble Makers Dueling Piano Bar & Res taurant in The Grove at Wesley Chapel.

Hosted by NTBC Chairman Javan Grant and the Chamber’s president and CEO Hope Kennedy, the Excellence in Business awards event was a super-fun evening of delicious food, beverages, music and festivities, as several Wesley Chapel- and New Tampa-based businesses were finalists for the four awards which, as Kennedy explained, are the four guiding principles of the Chamber — Integrity, Collaboration, Inclusivity and Innovation.

Two businesses located in Wesley Chapel — Junkluggers, which won the Innovation Award, and RADDSports (see this issue’s cover story), which won the In tegrity Award (and also was nominated for the Collaboration Award), ended up taking home top honors, while Wesley Chapelbased Innovation Preparatory School (Innovation), Blue Heron Senior Living (Integrity) and RAW Space Collaborative (Inclusivity) and New Tampa-based Shred

360 (Integrity) all made it to the top-three vote-getters among the NTBC’s Board member judges, but didn’t end up winning their respective awards.

The other award winners, which aren’t located in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel were AmSkills, Inc. (based in Holiday), which won the Collaboration Award, and the Pace Center for Girls in New Port Richey, which took home this year’s Inclusivity Award.

Also honored at the event was Rotary District 6950 (of which the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon is a member club), which took home the Community Hero Award for the District’s efforts to help Hur

ricane Ian victims in Ft. Myers.

District 6950 Governor Troy Willingham accepted the award on behalf of the District, and he was joined on stage by numerous members of the Wesley Chapel club, which helped spearhead the collection of truckloads of much-needed supplies that were brought to Ft. Myers.

Congratulations again to all of the winners, finalists and 93 total nominees!

For membership and other infor mation about the North Tampa Bay

Congratulations to the 2022 North Tampa Bay Chamber award winners: RADDSports (above left), which won this year’s Integrity Award, and Junkluggers (above right), which took home the Innovation Award. NTBC President & CEO Hope Kennedy (far left in Junkluggers pics) & Chair man of the Board Javan Grant (below) hosted the event at Treble Makers. (Most of the photos on these pages provided by GuidetoGreaterTampaBay.com)

Chamber (1868 Highland Oaks Blvd., Suite A, Lutz), call (813) 994-8534, or visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com.

Rotary District 6950 Governor Troy Willingham (at right, with microphone) accepted the NTBC’s Community Hero award on behalf of his District, which includes the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon, for District 6950’s Hurricane Ian relief efforts in Ft. Myers.

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 Devolder launched in January 2021, is ready to help. The boutique firm is located in the Tampa Palms Professional Center, just off the Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. exit of I-75 in Tampa Palms.

Devolder earned her Juris Doctor (J.D.) law degree at the Tampa campus of the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Riverview in 2016, after a successful career in advertising and sales man agement. 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, Elizabeth worked jointly with her ex-husband Bryan Devolder at their Devolder Law Firm.

Associate attorney Rachael Alex ander was previously 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 assistant and case manager — continues to handle estate planning and probate matters, and Devolder’s clients say she is both smart and compassionate.

When Christine Smith’s husband died four years ago, she 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 documents that would allow her to make medical deci sions for him if he were to ever become temporarily or permanently incapaci tated. Devolder recommends a number of documents — such as a Power of Attorney 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 fam ilies like Christine’s, who are experi encing 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 depend ing on you,” Devolder says.

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

“The entire process can be so con

Attorney Elizabeth Devolder (center) and her team at the Law Firm of Elizabeth Devolder, located just off the Bruce B. Downs Blvd. exit off I-75. (Photo provided by Elizabeth Devolder)

fusing,” Tucker says. “But, sitting down with Elizabeth was very com fortable. She and Rachael always answered 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 Devolder to prepare her own docu ments. 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 specific 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 says she can help you plan for that care to help your family avoid spending too much of its 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 families goes beyond just preserving their financial assets and planning for the future. She says she has a passion to help people protect their entire respective lega cies, 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 pre cious 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. Then, the client’s mother also 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 preserv ing these legacies. So, she created The Legacy Studio to provide that oppor tunity for not only her legal clients, but for anyone who wants to preserve their precious memories.

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 Primrose Lake Cir., Suite C, in the Tampa Palms Professional Center. It is open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.–6 p.m. For more info or to make an ap pointment, call (813) 319-4550, visit ElizabethDevolder.com or see the ad on page 29 of this issue. For The Legacy Studio, see the ad below.

Attorney Elizabeth Devolder is pictured here with her grandfather Harry Constantine Demosthenes 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 stories of their older generations.

Gadgets Emergency Room Merges With Computer Emergency Room

By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN Correspondent

The popular Gadgets Emergency Room has expanded to three locations and will soon add a fourth…and has a new name, too.

Brothers and co-owners Jamie Hess and Joe Hess, Jr., have owned a thriv ing business in upstate New York, called Computer Emergency Room, since 1991. When Jamie — who also owns Treble Makers Dueling Piano Bar & Restaurant — moved to Florida in 2018, the pair bought a local tech repair store in the Shoppes at New Tampa located just south and east of the corner of S.R. 56 and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.

Now, they are merging the com pany’s Tampa-area locations with their New York-based business, bringing it all under one umbrella — as Computer Emergency Room.

“Along with changing our name to Computer Emergency Room, we’re expanding our business-to-business sup port division, doing network support, computer repair, cloud backup, remote monitoring – essentially all technical support,” Jamie says.

Jamie adds that whether a busi ness is running high-end servers or just needs technical support for an indi

vidual workstation, Computer Emer gency Room will come out on-site and provide the fix you need.

And, while the name is changing to reflect the emphasis on business services and to merge the brothers’ businesses, Jamie says the retail locations will con tinue offering the services local custom ers have come to depend upon.

For anyone who has a laptop that’s unusually slow, a tablet that stops work ing, or a phone screen that shatters, Computer Emergency Room can offer a quick fix — usually within hours — at a reasonable price.

Over the past year, new locations have opened at the KRATE at The Grove container park in Wesley Chapel

and in the growing Mirada develop ment in San Antonio. A fourth location — at the corner of Livingston Rd. and County Line Rd. in Lutz, where a new Publix just opened — is expected to open by the end of this year.

“Nothing will change at our retail locations,” Jamie explains. “All four loca tions will continue to offer all services.”

Additional technicians are being hired to support the expansion of the number of locations and the business services, and the company has branded vans on the road for technicians who support area businesses.

He says businesses can pay hourly, or sign up for a service contract that offers unlimited support. He says some contracts include weekly preventive maintenance, but most are on call, where businesses dial up Computer Emergency Room whenever they have a problem.

“This is something we’re currently doing,” Jamie says, “and we even go to homes to fix personal computers and connect networks.”

It’s A Family Affair

The family-owned business includes two stores managed by Joe’s sons. Joe Hess III manages the Mirada location, while Josh Hess (photo on next page)

The Computer Emergency Room team: (l.-r.) Co-owner Jamie Hess, KRATE store man ager Josh Hess, co-owner Joe Hess, Bruce B. Downs store manager Alexandra Horne and Mirada store manager Joe Hess III. (Photo: Charmaine George)

manages the KRATE store. Meanwhile, the BBD location is managed by Alex Horne, who has worked there for more than 10 years. While a manager has not yet been hired for the new location on Livingston, the Hesses expect to pro mote from within the company.

Jamie says they expect to expand to more locations, too, and are looking at opening stores in Tampa, Trinity, and even as far south as Bradenton.

And, while the business branches out, the Hess family remains firmly con nected to the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas, with Jamie serving on the Board of Directors for the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce (see story on pg. 12), and they’re excited to have a Computer ER location in the trendy KRATE container park.

“We’re getting a lot of traffic at our KRATE location,” says Jamie. “KRATE is doing a nice job with events to get people there.”

In fact, that’s how Rich Bussey was first introduced to Computer Emer gency Room.

He and his wife, Jenny, own Boba Macs Tea & Eat, a shop in the KRATEs located directly across from Computer Emergency Room.

“We were in the process of opening and our internet service provider didn’t install the line running into the build ing correctly,” Rich says. “I spent three

weeks trying to get them to fix it, argu ing back and forth, and going through a lot of finger pointing.”

Rich said it was a devastating blow. He and Jenny are first-time business own ers, and also work full-time at other jobs, so a three-week delay was “crushing.”

Especially after Covid had pushed their dream business opening back, the Busseys were anxious to get up and running, but there was no way to open their store without a point of sale (POS) system, and that couldn’t be installed without internet.

One day in late August, Rich says the techs “across the way” at (thenGadgets) Emergency Room offered to take a look at the wires Boba Macs’ service provider still hadn’t come out to assess.

“They immediately found the prob lem, fixed it, and my internet was up and running within minutes,” Rich says. “I was able to have someone come out that same day to set up my POS system that had been sitting there gathering dust for three weeks. I was mind blow ing-ly impressed at how proactive they

were at finding a solution and providing phenomenal service.”

Rich says that being in the service industry, he often finds himself hav ing casual conversations with people, and occasionally that talk works its way around to someone’s frustrations with their phone, tablet or laptop.

“I always suggest they pop in across the way and let them take a look,” he says. “Those same people usually come back and thank me, say ing they previously spent hours on the phone with their tech support and got nowhere, but spent five minutes over there and they fixed it.”

Computer Emergency Room (formerly Gadgets Emergency Room) has four locations. Its origi nal shop, at 1750 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., and newest location at 30925 Mirada Blvd. in San Antonio, are both open Mon.-Fri.,10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m., and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Satur days. The Computer ER location at KRATE (5854 Goldview Pkwy.), is open Tues.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m., noon-6 p.m. on Saturday and noon5 p.m. on Sunday. The new store will be opening at the corner of E. Coun ty Line Rd. and Livingston Ave. later this year. For more information, call (813) 939-HELP (4357), visit ComputerEmergencyRoom.com or see the ad on pg. 28.

Total Air Solutions Continues To Keep You & Your Home Cool

ers right,” Albert says. “Everything else eventually falls into place.”

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 irritating 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 custom er service by providing additional train ing and education for their team to fulfill the needs of Tampa Bay-area homeown

When you need air conditioning, heating or refrigeration service, Total Air Solutions will quickly dispatch a uniformed service technician — not a salesperson — to your home or business. (Photos provided by Total Air Solutions)

ers during these stressful times.

“We’ve always prided ourselves on putting the needs of our customers before sales,” Albert says. “Our slogan even states that we strive to be your FRIEND in this business! Now, more than ever, home owners want service from companies 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 a reasonable amount of 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

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

See “Total Air” on pg. 24

Special to the Neighborhood News

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

When you see the Total Air Solutions van pull up in front of your house, you can rest assured than an HVAC expert like Matt (above) will provide you with outstanding customer service.

tion also is best left to the experts.”

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 specific service that has boomed since Covid and interest continues to grow as the 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 induct system,” Albert says. “These products are built to treat the air at the source and assist in eliminating harmful airborne pol lutants. Many people rely on an expert to change the oil in their car, and this solu

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. 27.

Boys High School Soccer Preview: Wiregrass Ranch Rebuilding

By JOHN C. COTEY john@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

In just about every year of its exist ence, the Wiregrass Ranch High boys soccer program has been able to reload. This year, for the first time in a long time, it is rebuilding.

“We haven’t had to do this since, well, our first year,” says head coach Dave Wilson.

However, as the 2022-23 soccer season kicks off, Wilson finds himself dealing with a significant amount of newcomers as he tries to keep the Bulls atop the local boys soccer scene.

Wiregrass Ranch lost 13 of last year’s 19 players to graduation, and 10 of the 17 players on his roster this year are either freshmen or sophomores.

And yet, that hasn’t stopped the Bulls from getting off to a 3-0 start.

“It’s a rebuilding year that we hope to turn into a reloading year,” Wilson says. “It’s basically a whole new team. But, we have the tradition here, that bar has been raised and it makes the guys know what is expected.”

What is expected is a ninth straight Sunshine Athletic Conference East title, a Class 6A, District 9 title and maybe a playoff win or two.

The Bulls have the talent, with

seniors Cole Turner (MF/D), Jeremy Caruso (MF) and Briggs Bent (D/F) leading the way.

Wiregrass Ranch also has been bolstered by the addition of senior forward Alex Rodriguez, playing his first season for the Bulls after playing in the U.S. Academy program the past three years. He scored four goals in the first three games, tied for the team lead with sophomore forward Alexei Leon, who

scored nine times last year as a freshman.

Caruso led the Bulls with 27 assists and already has five early on this season.

Wilson also expects big things from sophomore twins Malachi and Mykall Lewis, whose brothers Malcom and Maurice are former Bulls standouts.

“I think we always expect to be in the hunt for the district title,” Wilson says. “This group is just going to keep on getting better and better.”

‘Cats Look For Repeat

Wesley Chapel, 17-6-1 and District 5A-6 champs last year, must replace its leading scorer, but senior forward Josh Lindo (12 goals, 5 assists) and senior midfielder Lucas Herrera (11 goals, 15 assists) are up for the challenge. Lindo and sophomore midfielder Collin Snead have scored the goals for WCH so far, as the Wildcats have started out 1-0-1.

Coyotes Contending Again

The Cypress Creek High Coyotes are coming off an 11-6-2 season where they finished as the District 5A-6 runners-up behind Wesley Chapel.

At 2-1 so far, the Coyotes return a wealth of talent and should contend for the district title again.

The two players who combined to scored 30 of the team’s 53 goals return — junior striker Jackson Stump and sopho more striker Chase Lasasso.

Stump had 22 goals and four assists last year, and scored five times in the season-opening win against Gulf. Lasasso had eight goals last year and one in the season opener.

Midfielders Nicolas Cifuentes (4), Max Laframboise (3) and Jose Pacheco (3) have supplied the assists so far and keeper Dylan Lolley, who had 142 saves and 2.12 goalsagainst average in 2021-22, is back in net.

Midfielder Jeremy Caruso, who had 27 assists for Wiregrass Ranch High last year, as well as five goals, works on his ball control at a recent practice. (Photo: Charmaine George)

Girls Soccer Preview: Another Banner Year Expected

By JOHN C. COTEY john@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Wesley Chapel High’s Mark Leon ard coaches one of the top girls soccer programs in Pasco County, but he jokes — kind of — that no one seems to agree, at least until the season is over.

In the preseason, though, it always seems that mum’s the word.

“For a few years, it was Pasco High and Nature Coast that were talked about as the best teams, now it’s Cypress Creek and River Ridge,” Leonard says. “But, that’s okay.”

The Wildcats, 13-8-1 last year, have won district titles four of the last five sea sons, including last year when, as the No. 3 seed, they knocked off No. 2 Cypress Creek and No. 1 River Ridge in the Dis trict 5A-6 tournament to advance to the State playoffs. The ‘Cats are in District 5A-7 this year.

There are many secrets to the Wildcats’ success. They have an elite goal scorer in junior forward Tatum Moore, who had 30 last year to go with 12 assists. They also have veterans like seniors Emily Doonan (F), Nemsis Arroyo (MF), Alyssa Roberts (F/MF) and Kiera McFeron (F/ MF), who combined for 32 goals and 21 assists last year.

Senior captain Lexi Mangione is a

steadying force in the middle, and fellow captains Marianna Portillo and Kacey Snead help anchor the defense.

When teams effectively mark Moore, who has verbally commit ted to Division-I Coastal Carolina, youngsters like freshman forward Jessenia Joseph and sophomore midfielder Ali Goines already have stepped up offensively.

So, despite having a talent like Moore on the roster, Leonard says the biggest secret to the Wildcats’ success is turning in a total team effort.

The Wesley Chapel High girls soccer team is off to an 0-1-1 start, but coach Mark Leonard says not to fear, because closing the season strong has been the team’s calling card since he took over the program in 2017.

“They are completely unselfish and there is no sense of entitlement with this group,” Leonard says. “Everyone contributes.”

And, while they may not scare any

one in the preseason, history tells us they will be a force to be reckoned with by the end of the season. Last year, the Wildcats went 4-1 in their last five games. The year before that, after a 5-8-1 start, they finished 5-1 in their last six games.

In 2019-20, they finished 9-1 and in 2018-19 they finished 8-1.

“Right around midseason every year, we really start to click,” Leon ard says.

Coyotes Look To Improve

Cypress Creek, a 3-2 loser to Wesley Chapel in last year’s Class 5A, District 6 final, would like to reverse that trend.

The Coyotes return one of the county’s top 1-2 tandems in jun iors Ashley Souers and Ashley Olds. Souers, a forward, netted 22 goals and six assists last year, while Olds scored 12 times and assisted on five goals in leading Cypress Creek to an 11-7-1 record (it is 2-2 so far this season).

Senior Abigail Pittman, who scored four goals last year, and the Fulop sisters — senior Hannah, junior Jordan and freshman Lindsay – are all expected to be key contributors, as is keeper Alex Capocy, who had 81 saves and a 1.72 goals against average in 2021-22.

Are The Bulls Charging Back?

The top team in Wesley Chapel the past few years has been Wiregrass Ranch High, and while they did suffer some losses on their vaunted defense — allow ing only 10 goals while going 15-3-2 last season — the Bulls are poised to

contend for the playoffs again.

Wiregrass Ranch is already 2-0, and Isabella Maldonado has eight goals after scoring just three all of last season. In fact, last year’s leading scorer only had 10, a mark the senior midfielder seems poised to eclipse.

Junior Sydney Spitzer already has matched her season total of a year ago with three goals, and, in just two games, seven different Bulls have scored, many on assists from Aixa Barrera and Kennedy Bequette, who each have four helpers.

Defense has been the Bulls’ calling card in past seasons, having yielded only 53 goals in their last 89 matches dating back to 2018.

Speedy senior defender Ashtyn Warner, one of the team’s captains, heads up the defense this season, and is also dangerous on the counter attack.

“She is not only an incredible athlete, but an amazing soccer player,” says coach Chloe Marie Mercado. “(Ashtyn) is such a versatile player that can move to different positions and continue to do such a great job on the field. She is able to attack and get forward which is something not a lot of defensive players are capable of doing, so that is fun to watch.”

With keeper Yesenia Aiken (7 shut outs last year) back to anchor the defense, the Bulls appear equipped to make a run at a fifth straight district title.

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 choices 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 definitely savored 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 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)

“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 37 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.

Carrabba’s Hosts A Delicious Grand Opening & Ribbon-Cutting Event!

Carrabba’s Italian Grill, which has been open for a couple of months on S.R. 56, next to Bonefish Grill, held its official Grand Opening and North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce (NTBC) ribboncutting ceremony on Nov 17.

And what a tasty, fun event it was! In addition to a sizable number of NTBC members and Board members, Pasco County commissioners Jack Mariano and Kathryn Starkey, as well as Carrabba’s VP of operations Pat Hafner (a Wesley Chapel resident, by the way; second from left in bottom left picture) and, of course, Wesley Chapel location “proprietario” and GM Mark Kolter (with scissors in top left photo) and his joint venture partner Eric Yeagle (far left in bottom left picture), were all on hand to cut the ribbon and enjoy some delicious food and beverages following the ceremony.

Once inside, free wine and samples of everything from Carrabba’s tasty meatballs (top right picture), garlic bread tower, stuffed mushrooms and shrimp spiedino (middle right photo; which, of course, I couldn’t sample — shellfish allergies are soooo unfair!) to Merry Berry martinis and perfect mini-cannolis (bottom right pic) were passed around by Carrabba’s happy, friendly staff.

Feel free to tell Mark, Eric and the staff we sent you on your next visit to Carrabba’s! — GN

Chicken lovers rejoice — yet another entry into the “fast-casual” chicken tender and sandwich business is ready to start building.

Slim Chickens, a fast-casual chain that specializes in chicken tenders, wings, sandwiches, salads, wraps and chicken & waffles, has now filed its plans to build a 3,065-sq.-ft. restaurant on the southeast corner of Wesley Chapel Blvd. and Old Pasco Rd.

Not only that, but Slim Chickens also has plans to build another location in the Mirada Market on S.R. 52.

Until now, it’s been slim pickins’ for Slim Chickens in the Tampa Bay area.

Black Rifle Coffee Coming To S.R. 56!

With coffee chain powerhouse Star bucks adding two more locations in Wes ley Chapel — one at the new Promenade Business Center on Curley Rd. and the other in front of The Grove off Wesley Chapel Blvd., a lesser-known chain is making plans for a local location.

Black Rifle Coffee Company, founded in 2014 by former U.S. Army Green Beret Evan Hafer, was built upon the mission to serve coffee and culture to people who love America. Popular with conservatives and those in favor of right-wing politics, Black Rifle submitted pre-application plans to the county for a planned 2,659-sq.-ft. retail store and

drive-through immediately east of the Rock & Brews on S.R. 56, a half-mile or less from Starbucks.

Despite Black Rifle’s attempts to dis tance itself from extremists, based upon recent election results and the bright red politics of Pasco County, a Black Rifle café seems like an ideal fit. — JCC

While the restaurant has more than 100 locations in more than 30 states, these will be just the second and third locations in the Tampa Bay area, joining the lone existing Slim Chickens near Macdill Air Force Base.

The new location will create a chickeneat-chicken world of competition along Wesley Chapel Blvd. (see map on the next page), as a Chick’n Fun restaurant is just a short walk east from Slim Chickens, which is just another short walk from King of the Coop, which is another short jaunt from Popeye’s and then Chick-Fil-A, and of course, off S.R. 56 are Zaxby’s and PDQ (not shown on map). — JCC

Hickory Farms Opens At Wiregrass Mall!

Although this issue hits mailboxes after Thanksgiving, it certainly is reaching you long before Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, and our local malls, as they do every year, are adding several new stores — many of which are tempo rary for the holiday season.

Among the newbies at The Shops at Wiregrass is Hickory Farms, which (according to its web site) has “been bringing delight to every occasion since 1951.” Although there also are pre-made baskets available, at right is a picture of Hickory Farms’ four-item special — 1 meat, 1 cheese, 1 sauce & 1 box of crackers for just $24.99. Yum!

For all of the new and coming soon stores and restaurants (including Crazy Sushi!), visit TheShopsatWiregrass.com. — GN

Slim Chickens founders Greg Smart (left) and Tom Gordon. (Photo: SlimChickens.com)

Hungry for some chicken? Before too long

choices could be (l.-r.) Slim Chickens, Chick’n Fun, King of the Coop, Popeyes and Chick-Fil-A. (Graphic by John C. Cotey)

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HOME IMPROVEMENT

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

CUSTOM INT. WINDOW COVERINGS!

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

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

WESLEYCHAPELPRESSUREWASHINGCOM

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

___ LAWN, & LANDSCAPING_____

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

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

HOME IMPROVEMENT (Cont.)

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

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

TREE SERVICES

FITZPATRICK’s TREE SERVICE, INC. 27-yrs of Prof. Service. Licensed & Insured. Free Esti mates. 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.

COMPUTER & BUSINESS SERVICES

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

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

FOR SALE

Holland Lop-Eared Dwarf Baby Bunny Rabbits! Full grown will be in the 3- or 4-pound range. Call 813-407-1990 or visit PattysPetsLLC.com or facebook. com/PattysPetsLLC

CLEANING SERVICES

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

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

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

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

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

HELP WANTED

The New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News is looking to fill the following positions:

• Sales Assistant — 20 hours/week to start; promotion to full-time possible

• Freelance Writers — 1-2 stories per issue (ONE writing sample required)

Experience preferred, but not required. Please email (no phone calls, please) your resumé to Gary at AdsNTNeighborhoodNews.com.

MISCELLANEOUS

Hughes School of Music now accepting new students! Study Saxophone, Piano, Music Production, Composition or Theory with a Master of Music. Zoom sessions also avail able! Contact us at 813-748-3216.

TUTORING. Professional private tutoring avail able in home or online. Retired teacher w/over 25 years of exp. & a proven record of student success. Experienced in multiple subjects across all grade levels. Specializing in MS and HS Math, ACT/SAT prep and Social Sciences. Scheduling before- or after-school times for new clients now. Call (813) 415- 8158 or email gstutor2022@gmail.com.

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

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

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. Quality salt & ozone generators, pumps, motors & filters. Serving NT & WC since 1990. Call/text 813-244-7077 or visit AllStarPoolsofTampaBay.com.

TRANQUILITY POOL SERVICE. New Tampa owned & operated. Great Pricing w/outstand ing customer service! LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED. See why we are New Tampa and Wesley Chapel’s #1 Choice!! Call or Text Chris today @ 813-857-5400 or visit Tran quilityPoolService.com. New customers get ONE MONTH FREE!

All Neighborhood News Classified Ads appear in both New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News! Here are our Classified ad rates: 7 issues — $120 13 issues — $200 26 issues (1 year) — $300!

To order yours, visit neighborhoodnews online.net/Classified Listings

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.