New Tampa Neighborhood News, Issue 25, December 5, 2015 by Neighborhood News

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Syrian Restaurant Owner Speaks Out About Fear & Misconceptions By John C. Cotey

Bilal Saleh, wearing black dress slacks and a blue pinstriped dress shirt, sits in a booth at the Zaytoun Mediterranean Grill, the restaurant he owns with his brother Mohammad. Saleh’s voice is soft and his words are thoughtfully chosen. He is troubled. Originally from Damascus, Syria, Bilal (now a U.S. citizen) says he watches television these days, and the sights from his homeland horrify him, as much as the sounds, from talking heads, politicians, presidential candidates and so-called experts, mostly calling for the United States and other countries to turn away refugees fleeing a war that has dragged on for almost five years now and has left more than 200,000 of his people dead. Plans to let refugees into the U.S. have been facing stiff resistance. The terrorist killings in Paris on Nov. 13, and unofficial reports of a discovery of a Syrian passport — later deemed a fake — next to one of the terrorists, quickly turned much of the country against the refugees, conflating the Syrian people themselves with the terrorist group commonly known as ISIS. “It’s just amazing how within the span of a week, the Syrian people have turned from victims to a threat (in people’s eyes),’’ Bilal says. “The Syrian people have been bombarded, killed, raped and tortured for four years. That really hurts, when you see how suddenly (it happens)….yesterday you

Bilal Saleh, the owner of Zaytoun Mediterranean Grill on Cross Creek Blvd. at Morris Bridge Rd. is a U.S. citizen who was born and raised in Syria. Bilal wants the people of New Tampa to know that the vast majority of Syrians living here are productive members of U.S. society.

were a victim; today, you are now a threat.” Bilal is quick to condemn ISIS and the terrorist attacks in Paris and other places. “We vehemently disagree with all that is going on. It is definitely against Islam and against the teaching of the Prophet (Mohammed),” he says. It angers him, because as a result, antiMuslim fears and threats are at an all-time high in this country, according to the Council of American-Islamic Relations. Mosques are on high alert, Islam is being protested,

violence has been threatened. Bilal says he himself hasn’t been threatened specifically, but the Masjid Daarus Salaam (which translates to “house of peace”) mosque on Morris Bridge Rd. a couple of miles south of his restaurant, where he and his family worship, has received threatening phone calls and hate emails. Facebook comments have been harsh. The vitriol in the public square has definitely been heating up. “If I compared the reaction after the Paris attacks to the reaction after 9-11, I see

By John C. Cotey hands. The decision comes down to either siding with commissioners Kevin Beckner Republican Victor Crist (photo) is facing (D), Ken Hagan (R) and Les Miller (D), who one of the biggest decisions of his political ca- all back a tax referendum (as does Tampa reer in the coming months, as an interesting Mayor Bob Buckhorn) to finance Go Hillsnew year awaits the District 2 Hillsborough borough’s plans for road, bridge and transit County Commissioner. improvements, or going the route Crist’s Comm. Crist is in the middle of a con- fellow Republican commissioners Al Higgintentious debate over a possible referendum botham, Sandy Murman and Stacy White fathat would put a half-cent sales tax to a vote vor, which is finding other ways to pay for the and raise $117-million for Go Hillsborough’s project that won’t involve voters. list of transportation projects. Crist says he therefore may end up being He appears to hold the fate of the Go the commissioner breaking what is believed Hillsborough transportation initiative in his to be a 3-3 stalemate to push the referendum

to a public vote sometime early next year. “I’m going to make a decision not from emotion or politics,’’ says Crist, who also serves as the chairman of the Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission (PTC). “This is going to be a tough one either way I go. No matter what, half the world is going to be angry at me. It’s one of those things, you’re darned if you do and darned if you don’t.’’

this reaction as much more, I don’t know how to describe it...enormous,” Bilal says. To a degree, Bilal says he can understand the fears and concerns. It didn’t feel great, he says, when he traveled internationally on business in his years working for MCI Telecommunications and was held for a search every time, or how he was suspiciously viewed after 9-11. “We lost over 3,000 people (on 9-11),’’ he says. “I understand.” Those fires burned out. But now, even larger, hotter flames are being stoked. “I am a little worried,’’ Bilal says. “I’m worried about a crazy person coming to the mosque on a Friday where we have 500 people. It’s highly unlikely but it is possible…. we’ve gotten some (safety) recommendations from the (U.S.) Dept. of Homeland Security. We haven’t done anything. Maybe we should, I don’t know.” Most disappointing, perhaps, is what Bilal says is a pattern of troubling disinformation espoused by some of the Republican presidential candidates. Ben Carson, for example, compared Syrian refugees to “rabid dogs.” Others have called the refugees terrorists and accused Muslims of celebrating after 9-11. “For the average person watching CNN and FOX News, I really sympathize with them,’’ he says. “I see where they are coming from. If I were them, I would have the same feelings. There is a very credible See “Syria’ on page 17.

Comm. Crist Caught In A Crossfire On ‘Go Hillsborough’ Referendum

Also Inside This Issue!

Local News, Business & Education Updates

Neighborhood Magazine

Montelione To Challenge Shawn Harrison, Traffic Relief For S.R. 56 Not Coming Soon Enough, Local Chess Kids Off To Nationals & Lots Of Local Business Features!

‘Symphony’ Returns To The Wiregrass Mall, New Barbershop Mixes Old & New, Little Italy’s Real Italian Cuisine & More Neighborhood Nibbles & Business Bytes!

Pages 3-38

Pages 39-60

The New Tampa Effect?

How does this situation affect New Tampa? Crist says the Go Hillsborough initiative calls for “significant” improvements to Skipper Rd. in the USF area just south of Tampa Palms, from Skipper’s intersection with 42nd and 46th Sts. and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. south to 46th St. at Fletcher Ave. (a $5.7-million project), as well as $4.4 million in intersection improvements on BBD from just south of Bearss Ave. southbound to in front of USF. In addition, among the $10 million in intersection improvements the City of Tampa could fund in the first ten years if the referen-

dum passes are the intersections of BBD with Cross Creek Blvd. and Tampa Palms Blvd. at Compton Dr. He said bottlenecks on BBD between Bearss and Fowler could be alleviated, and extensive resurfacing throughout See ‘Crist’ on page 16.

We’ll Show You Ours (Distribution Numbers) If They Show You Theirs An editorial by Gary Nager On page 17 of this issue, we have a cute (at least I think it is) 1/4-page advertisement that tells our readers (many of whom own businesses that want to get the most for their money in our only two distribution markets, New Tampa & Wesley Chapel) that “We’ll Show You Ours If They Show You Theirs.” Although the ad makes a lighthearted joke about it, we are deadly serious when it comes to distribution figures. Because both of our publications are distributed by direct mail through the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), we can’t “audit” our circulation figures through an independent agency (none of the accredited circulation auditors will audit direct-mail publications, and we don’t really need them to because, in order to receive the special Bulk Mail rate publications like ours receive, we have to give the Post Office enough copies to put one in at least 95 percent of every mailbox in every postal carrier route we serve or the Post Office will not deliver any of them!). But, we think our postal receipts are an even better proof of how many households (not people; more on this below) receive our publications in their mailboxes (not thrown on their driveways in the rain) and therefore offer the most possible people in both zip code 33647 (New Tampa) and zips 33543, 33544 & 33545 (Wesley Chapel) the opportunity to read them. As most of our readers in both markets already know (because you tell us so every day), when you have the best, most informative content of any local media outlet as well as the largest circulation, our advertisers

New Tampa Neighborhood News Address: 29157 Chapel Park Dr., Suite B Wesley Chapel, FL 33543

Phone: (813) 910-2575 Advertising E-mail: Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Editorial E-mail: EditorialDept@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Publisher & Editor Gary Nager Advertising Sales & Office Manager Mary Dorey Billing Manager Jillian Reilly Assistant Editor / Photographer John C. Cotey Editorial & Office Assistant Celeste McLaughlin Correspondents Anu Varma Panchal • Andy Warrener Graphic Designers Georgia Carmichael • Amanda Rankin Nothing that appears in New Tampa Neighborhood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, without permission. Opinions expressed by New Tampa Neighborhood News writers are their own and do not reflect the publisher’s opinion. The deadline for outside editorial submissions and advertisements for Volume 24, Issue 1, of New Tampa Neighborhood News is Friday, December 18, 2015. New Tampa Neighborhood News will consider previously non-published outside editorial submissions if they are double spaced, typed and less than 500 words. New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit and/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makes no guarantees regarding publication dates. New Tampa Neighborhood News will not return unsolicited editorial materials. New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit &/or reject any advertising. New Tampa Neighborhood News is not responsible for errors in advertising beyond the actual cost of the advertising space itself, nor for the validity of any claims made by its advertisers.

can rest easy that there will be more eyeballs reading our words and checking out their ads than any other local medium. And, the number of those eyeballs keeps on growing, especially in Wesley Chapel, where we have added more than 5,000 additional direct-mail households since the economic bubble hit in 2008, all at our own expense and without any significant rise in our advertising rates! But, my primary reason for writing this piece today is to tell you that, thanks to input from readers in New Tampa (specifically living in one carrier route in Cross Creek and one in Heritage Isles) who suddenly didn’t receive one or both of our last two issues in their mailboxes, we have recently added two routes and more than 1,000 additional households in zip code 33647, bringing our all-direct-mail circulation to 26,200+ households in New Tampa. With an average of just about three people living in every household in our area (yes, many have both more and less than three, but that is the average), that means we have nearly 80,000 potential readers in New Tampa (including one carrier route in Lake Forest, which is a Lutz address, but located along Bruce B. Downs Blvd., just south of Tampa Palms) alone! When you add the nearly 21,000 households (also unmatched in the marketplace) we direct mail to in our three Wesley Chapel zip codes, the total number of people who have ongoing direct-mail access to our publications is nearly 150,000 every four weeks (we publish 26 issues, 13 in New Tampa and 13 in Wesley Chapel, every year). Here’s an explanation you can check with the Post Office as to why we felt we had to add two more carrier routes in New Tampa. Whenever new communities, like KBar Ranch, begin building in an already-established area, the Post Office will wait until there are enough households in that new development or subdivision before adding another route. That means the new households in those just-developing areas will simply be added to existing carrier routes located near that new neighborhood until there are enough households in the new community itself to warrant a new route. All ongoing direct-mail businesses are required by the Post Office to get updated

carrier route numbers, but only every 90 days (three months), so until we get our updated counts again, some of the households along those now-larger existing routes may not receive their Neighborhood News until we get our next route count update. The Post Office has even been known to change existing routes to make it easier for the postal carriers to make sure everyone they serve receives all of their mail — and, as a federal government-funded entity, the USPS isn’t required to tell anyone about those changes (go figure). Therefore, it’s up to you, faithful readers, to tell us if you suddenly aren’t receiving your Neighborhood News in your mailbox, so I’m always grateful when you do. I can (and I’m always happy to) prove exactly how many copies we print and distribute in each

of our two markets, but I can assure you (because I always know how much we spend to mail our publications to you), that if any other local medium claims to have higher numbers of homes, apartments, businesses or readers in either market than we do, all you have to do is ask them to prove it and they’ll likely back off their claim.

Correction From Last Issue

My apologies to former Bostonian Hair Salon owner (and current Hillsborough School Board candidate) Joseph Caetano. A story in our last issue said that Joseph closed both of his salons due to bankruptcy in 2008, but Joseph actually sold his salon in the New Tampa Center plaza (now called Bella Mia Salon) in 2007. We apologize for any inconvenience the error caused.

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Table of Contents Local News Updates....................4-23

Montelione Ready To Challenge Harrison Again.......4 Improvements To S.R. 56/I-75 Coming Sooner......8 New Tampa & Wesley Chapel News Briefs......10 Great American Teach-In A Winner For Students.......12 Indoor Sports Facility Coming To Wiregrass...........14 New Tampa Groups Help Feed The Needy.....................18 New Tampa Community Calendar.............................20

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Local Business Updates.............24-33

Edward Jones — Stocks, Financial Services & More..24 Family Of Christ Christian School......................26 LaRusa, LLC, Can Help With ‘Obamacare’............30

Local Sports Updates.................34-38 Wharton Girls Cross Country Team Eyeing Spring...34 Three Wharton Volleyballers To Play In College...........35 Chess Kids Look Forward To U.S. Nationals................36

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Holiday Season In Full Swing At Wiregrass Mall.....39 VIP Elite Barbershop Can Give You A New Look...42 Little Italy’s Family Restaurant & Catering...........46 Our 2015 Dining Survey & Contest Results!.......49 ‘Neighborhood Nibbles & Business Bytes’.........52 NEW TAMPA COLOR CLASSIFIEDS.........56 @NTWCNews

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Two-term Tampa City Council member Lisa Montelione (D) filed paperwork Wednesday morning to run in 2016 for State House District 63, the seat currently held by incumbent Shawn Harrison (R-New Tampa). Montelione, who ran unopposed in her last City Council race in March, winning her second four-year term in District 7, posted a prepared statement on her Facebook page. “The issues facing our city and the entire Tampa Bay region are too big for us to continue waiting for the current dysfunctional Legislature to solve,” she wrote. “Throughout my time on the Tampa City Council, I’ve always sought to find solutions by bringing us together around common ground, rather than allow gridlock on an issue. I will take that same approach in Tallahassee in order to move our community forward and provide the leadership we so desperately need.” Montelione has been an advocate for things like road repairs, commuter rail and more advanced forms of transit for the Tampa Bay area. She is the second Democrat to file to challenge Harrison, joining Mike Reedy. Harrison has already raised $58,100 for the 2016 race, according to the Florida Department of State Division of Elections website, while Reedy, a 24-year-old Tampa native and statewide business organizer for the LGBT activist group Equality Florida, has raised $15,061.

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Faster Plan To Improve S.R. 56/I-75 Interchange Not Fast Enough? By John C. Cotey

Folks tired of pulling their hair out during frustrating morning and evening drives through and near the I-75 and S.R. 56 interchange got some good news recently when the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) said it will be speeding up construction to help alleviate the congestion, but that it likely not soon enough to make local drivers happy. FDOT will be adding the construction of a diverging diamond interchange (DDI) to its current five-year work plan. Construction on the interchange should begin in 2020 — instead of in 2024, as previously announced. FDOT is banking on the DDI to relieve the traffic flow. There is an entire website (DivergingDiamond.com) devoted to explaining why the DDI is better and safer than other diamondshaped interchanges and it touts benefits like almost half as many conflict points as conventional diamond interchanges, better sight distance at turns and positive response from the public. To see a video of how it works, read the online version of this story at NTNeighborhoodNews. com. Florida is building its first diverging diamond at the I-75 and University Pkwy. interchange in Sarasota. Is 2020 soon enough to placate many of the 55,000 drivers daily that pass through the I-75/S.R. 56 interchange from the east, or the 45,000 coming from the west? District 2 Pasco County Board of County Commissioners member Mike Moore was happy to see FDOT adjust the construction timetable, but says he is still not as happy as he would like to be. “Obviously, the future is now. The traffic is here now,’’ said Commissioner Moore. “It got moved up, but I’d like to see the design phase happening in 2017 or so, with the construction phase in 2019 or 2020.” FDOT, however, is saying the design of the project will not begin until 2020. It presented its new plan, which has a price tag of $8-10-million (according to Moore), to Pasco commissioners at a Pasco Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) meeting in Dade City on November 9.

A diverging diamond interchange in Springfield, Missouri. With one being built down the road in Sarasota, Florida Department of Transporttation officials hope it can alleviate traffic in Wesley Chapel, too. (Photo from Missouri Department of Transportation)

The S.R. 56/I -75 interchange continues to be a bone of contention for those in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area, and the 2.3-mile-long northbound exit ramp routinely experiences back-ups of a mile or more, sometimes even reaching the I-275 apex at the Pasco County line. With the opening of the Tampa Premium Outlets on S.R. 56 west of I-75, that traffic is expected to worsen during the holiday shopping season. The S.R. 56/75 interchange was opened over a decade ago, and in 2011 a new ramp was constructed to ease congestion, to the delight of many in the community. However, the two-lane exit is plagued by long lines of vehicles waiting to exit left or right (west or east) onto S.R. 56. According to FDOT, 26,500 vehicles use the northbound exit onto S.R. 56 daily. Comparatively, only 18,000 vehicles each day are using the Bruce B. Downs exit a few miles south, and 11,000 are using the S.R. 54 exit a few miles to the north. For Steven Domonkos, those numbers make it clear that 2020 is not soon enough to make the needed changes. “I’m just kind of surprised that FDOT is so far behind the 8-ball on this,’’ said Domonkos, the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) Economic Development Com-

mittee chairman. “It’s not like we didn’t know the outlets and (Shops at Wiregrass) mall were coming to the area. Not addressing the traffic situation until now is just sort of confusing.” Domonkos is part of a new threeperson transportation task force recently formed by the WCCC. He said the goal of the task force is to gather information and concerns from residents and to, “make sure we have a seat at the table” so those concerns can reach FDOT. Domonkos, who also is the specialty leasing manager for the Shops at Wiregrass, says he is disappointed at

the negative effects he says traffic at the interchange — and in general, all around the Wesley Chapel and New Tampa area — is having on local businesses. “We’re getting complaints and we feel like it’s hurting (local) businesses,’’ Domonkos said. “We definitely plan to make our presence known.” Domonkos is open to the idea of a DDI. Otherwise, he’s not sure what the solution to this problem should be. “I’m not sure there is an answer at this point,’’ he said. “I think the (DDI) will work, but now it’s just a matter of getting FDOT to move (up) the timetable on that (even more).” Moore said he also is not done pushing for a more immediate timetable. “We’ve had a number of citizen complaints about (the interchange),’’ Moore says. “People need relief in this area. We did express to FDOT we would like the project accelerated.” Moore said District 38 State Rep. Danny Burgess (R-San Antonio) also is pressing the issue, and both are in constant contact with other members of the state legislature to attract allies for future discussions. “The (DDI) concept is really cool,’’ Moore said. “But, one of the things we don’t want to do (when it comes to funding) is be detrimental to the other projects that have (already) been on the plan. We don’t want to hinder those. But, we need this sooner than later.”

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Florida Hospital Tampa Murder-Suicide

Steven Reynolds, 70, shot his stepdaughter to death Nov. 23 before turning the gun on himself and committing suicide at Florida Hospital Tampa near the USF campus at 3100 E. Fletcher Ave. Reynolds shot 41-year-old Alonna Tedesco (photo) just after 7 a.m. Monday morning on the hospital’s third floor, according to Hillsborough County Office Sheriff’s (HCSO) spokesperson Donna Lusczynski. Reynolds died at the scene. Tedesco initially survived the shooting, but after deputies transported her to an emergency room, the efforts to save her failed. Officials said they were unsure of the motive. Investigators were looking at hospital security footage as we went to press. The shooting was contained to the hospital room, and the hospital continued normal operations after the incident. Tedesco was at the hospital visiting her mother Mary Reynolds, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. She recently wrote on her Facebook page beneath a photo of her mother, “All I have to say is Alzheimer’s is a horrible disease! This wonderful woman at the age of 67 looks like the epitome of health! Her body is in great shape yet her mind is so ill! I wish I knew how to cure this disease, I miss my mom!” According to reports, Tedesco was married to prominent Land O’Lakes physician Dr. John Tedesco. They lived in the Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club neighborhood of Dade City. Alonna has worked as the school nurse at Hudson Middle & High schools since August. “As much as this tragedy saddens the Pasco County Schools family, it also affects Mrs. Browning and me personally,” said superintendent of schools Kurt S. Browning in a prepared statement. “We have known Alonna for many years and are shocked

News Briefs

to learn of her horrific passing. She was a good friend and a talented professional. Our thoughts and prayers are with her friends and family.”

Twistee Treat Gets Unexpected Visitor

Cameron Blake Jackson has given new meaning to the term the “drive-through” as he drove his vehicle smack dab into the Twistee Treat on the corner of New Tampa Blvd. and BBD on Nov. 23. And for a tip, he left his car. Jackson originally rammed into the front of the Twistee Treat around 5 a.m. in the morning, and fled the scene on foot. Around 10 a.m. Jackson contacted the police to say his vehicle had been stolen. The information he provided about his vehicle matched the description of the vehicle police had impounded earlier that morning. Questioned by police, Jackson, who was here on business from Texas, admitted to crashing the car into the Twistee Treat and walking two hours back to his hotel. Jackson was issued a criminal citation for hit and run.

Car Thieves Thwarted

Early in the morning on Nov. 2 a stolen car was identified by a Tampa police officer in New Tampa, and after a two-county pursuit, ended in south St. Petersburg with seven people detained by the St. Petersburg Police Department (SPPD). According to TPD, at approximately 3:39 a.m., Sgt. O. Rosa was on Tampa Palms Blvd. at Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., when he discovered the car ahead of him at a traffic light had been reported stolen. Rose initiated a pursuit, which he eventually backed off of as it was picked up by a TPD helicopter, which tracked the car all the way to 15th Avenue S. and 7th Street S. in St. Petersburg. Several of the suspects in the car jumped out and ran into the house, which was quickly surrounded by Tampa and St. Petersburg police officers. Seven people were detained and transported to the St. Pete Police Department for interviews. There were no injuries or crashes reported in the pursuit. The joint effort between Hillsborough and Pinellas law enforcement began on

The Twistee Treat on BBD at New Tampa Blvd. had to be patched up after a vehicle plowed into the drivethrough ice cream shop on Nov. 23.

Aug. 14, with SPPD Chief Anthony Holloway saying at a news conference that: “We recognize that although our jurisdictions are defined by geographical borders, crime is not. In order to address this type of crime pattern and fight the rising number of auto thefts more effectively, we recognize that there is a need for an ongoing, collective enforcement effort.” Comparing Jan. to June figures in 2014 with 2015, TPD reported a 47.4-percent increase in motor vehicle thefts. St. Petersburg police reported a 23 percent increase, while the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office had a 31 percent increase. The majority of the stolen vehicles, it should be noted, were unlocked. The Auto Theft Task Force reported 62 arrests (36 adult and 26 juvenile offend-

ers) resulting in 171 charges, including 37 for grand theft auto, in its first five weeks of operation.

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Taking Pride In Another Successful Great American Teach-In By John C. Cotey The Great American Teach-In (GATI) isn’t just a day Dr. Richard F. Pride Elementary principal Cindy Land uses to squeeze in a few speakers for students to listen to and gawk at, or just a day for the Pride Lions to see the uniforms their parents wear to work or to pet a few animals. For Land, it’s always been about something bigger. “I think it excites the kids about their future careers,” Land said, “and it’s just a great way to get your community involved.” That may explain why Pride rolled out the red carpet on Nov. 19 with a hot breakfast and a catered lunch for its GATI guests, which this year numbered more than 100. From firemen to artists, television anchors to local politicians — with a good number of furry critters thrown in between — the Great American Teach-In appears to have been another success not only at Pride, but all around New Tampa. For example, at Chiles Elementary in Tampa Palms, the guests who came speak to students about their careers included photographers, cooks, physical therapists, hair stylists, authors, experts on Chinese culture and USF cross country head coach Dena Reif. At Liberty Middle School, also in Tampa Palms, the USF Sun Dolls appeared, along with a comic book artist, commercial pilot and others. Meanwhile, back at Pride, there seemed to be almost every job imaginable represented, including Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan, who has participated

Students at Richard F. Pride Elementary got to pet alligators (above), drink healthy smoothies (top right), quiz mounted police (middle right) and learn about owls at the Great American Teach-In.

at Pride for ten consecutive years. “The 5th grade kids do really well with that, because government is what they are learning right now,’’ Land said. There were also nurses, doctors, hot air balloons and the always-popular animal rescue programs, as well as certified therapy dogs. Julie Van Acker, who works for Organicgirl, made healthy green smoothies for the kids in her class, while Kristen Gefre from Busch Gardens showed her kids a screech owl named Emmett and a baby American alligator named River. The three-page handout with all of

the guests and their teaching times was like a treasure map for the Pride students, who have been treated to a number of famous guests in recent years, including former Tampa Bay Bucs coach Tony Dungy. The Teach-In keeps getting bigger and bigger every year at Pride, Land said. “It’s one of our largest events that we hold here at Pride,’’ Land said. “We contact everyone the prior spring, and any contacts we make throughout the year, we are consistently sending emails to them. We kind of eyeball the date we expect it to be and go from there. We love to have the community involved.”

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 23, Issue 25 • December 5, 2015 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Indoor Sports Facility Could Increase Tourism In Wesley Chapel By John C. Cotey After three failed attempts since 2001 to build tennis, baseball and outdoor sports facilities, Pasco County commissioners are poised to make another run at a sports center in Wiregrass Ranch, this time an indoor complex on 8-10 of the 80 available acres just east of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC) donated by the Porter family. The county also is discussing the possibility of the Porter family building and operating outdoor fields and green space adjacent to the indoor facility, which could be used to help with events like the Dick’s Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions lacrosse tournament and rugby, soccer and other outdoor sporting events. The commissioners are in the process of preparing a request seeking partners in a private/public partnership to build the indoor facility. Pasco County will contribute $8.5 million to the project in monies raised through its Tourist Development Tax. The cost to build similar facilities in Tennessee, Texas, Alabama and South Carolina ranged from $12-million to $25 million, according to an 88-page feasibility study put together by Johnson Consulting of Chicago at the request of the Pasco County Commission. “Initially, the feasibility study came back and I was a little surprised by the focus on an indoor facility,’’ said District 2

county commissioner Mike Moore, who lives in Wesley Chapel. When the Porter family offered to build an adjoining outdoor facility that would be more available to the public at no costs, he was sold. “That got me really excited,’’ Moore said. “With what the Porter family has proposed, it really gives us the best of both worlds.” According to Johnson Consulting, the outdoor facility market is saturated but there is a need for indoor facilities. In Florida, there are 25 tournament-quality outdoor facilities. On the other hand, the Wiregrass location would be just the eighth major indoor facility. The complex would go beyond just serving Pasco County residents, said county tourism manager Ed Caum, who sees it as a future hub for surrounding areas looking for a place for youth tournaments. “This is a very specific complex that will meet the needs of Central Florida, not just Pasco County, and that’s what makes it unique,’’ Caum said, adding he hopes to see the facility eventually host major regional and national tournaments. The commission held a workshop on Oct. 27 at the Pasco Government Center in New Port Richey, where Johnson Consulting presented its study and made its recommendations. Johnson Consulting suggests a three-phase project, with the first phase a multi-purpose indoor complex of 85,000-100,000 square feet on 5-7 acres.

Wiregrass Ranch could be home to something similar to the Round Rock Sports Center in Texas.

The facility would have 6-8 basketball courts, which could be converted to 12-16 volleyball courts, elevated seating for 500-750, concession stands, 4-6 multipurpose rooms and a sports orthopaedic and healthcare partnership. The county is negotiating with the Porter family to control the final two phases of the 80-acre site. Phase 2 of the project (on 5-15 acres) would include 3-4 outdoor rectangular multi-purpose fields (two with lights), a Championship area, an interactive playground and splash pads. Phase 3 (on 10-15 acres) would incorporate an alternative entertainment zone, indoor skydiving, zip lines, ropes course and driving range. The remaining 35-40 acres would be for hotel development, themed retail, a community center, active and passive green space for the community, and trails for walking, running and biking. “Pasco has many key characteristics and requirements to support a multi-use sports complex – namely solid population growth, access to regional, national and international transportation and county household incomes projected to increase at an above-average rate,” the report concluded. Johnson Consulting, based on the average of other similar facilities in the United States, conservatively estimates that more than 100,000 participants would use the facility annually. The re-

port projects deficits the first four years, but starting in year six, the facility is projected to bring in more than $200,000 a year in net profit. One concern for commissioners is the small number of hotels rooms in the area, which will likely result in tournament participants spending their money in Hillsborough County. According to Johnson Consulting, there are 3,474 hotel rooms within at least 11 miles of the proposed location (it wasn’t known at our press time if New Tampa’s La Quinta Inn, SpringHill Suites or Holiday Inn Express were included in the list of hotels located within eleven miles of the proposed complex), although 800 of those are at Saddlebrook Resort and only 322 are in Wesley Chapel “proper.” Caum, however, said that another Holiday Inn Express is scheduled to open in January off S.R. 56, adding 75 rooms and 12 suites, and two other hotels slated for the 54/56 corridor are in the permitting process. And according to the Urban Land Institute, over the next five years, Pasco will add 75-100 hotel rooms annually. Moore thinks despite past failures, the latest proposal has an excellent chance to succeed. “This is the perfect scenario,’’ he said. “We are going to make sure when we are accepting these bids that the funding is available. I’m confident it will work, and everyone seems pretty excited.”

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 23, Issue 25 • December 5, 2015 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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‘Crist’

Continued from pg. 1

the New Tampa area is included on the project list as well. “I’m still studying the plan, and the funding of it, and the community’s attitudes towards it,’’ Crist says. “We’re mapping out all of the proposed improvements within our district to take a look at, what they are and what they do to see if they will be effective. “I’m really doing my best to get my arms around this thing and understand it top to bottom,” he adds. “I plan to make a decision based on rational information, and the assessment of that rational information.” Crist, who served in the State Legislature for 18 years representing both New Tampa and the “USF area,” says there is not enough money in the current budget to do the volume of transportation work that needs to be done in the next 20 years. “There’s $6-8 billion worth of work on the table now and only $50-60 million a year to put towards it,’’ he said. First, Crist says he wants to determine if they are voting on a good plan, and he added that he thinks at least 80 percent of it will provide solid improvements and make a significant change. He wants to know where the projects are projected to be in 30 years and who will benefit from it and to eliminate any “pork,” or what he calls “fluff,” from it. Secondly, he wants to know what the most effective funding source will be. “There’s a variety of different funding sources, so we can use one, or all, or a combination,’’ Crist says. And third (and most importantly, he says), is to find out how the public feels

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about the plan. If it’s a loser as an issue, Crist said that would weigh heavily on whether he would vote “yes” to pursue a Go Hillsborough referendum. Transit referendums have not done well in the Tampa Bay area recently. In 2010, a 1-cent sales tax referendum in Hillsborough County was defeated, as 58 percent of the public voted against it in a non-presidential election year and, in 2014, Pinellas County’s Greenlight Pinellas referendum was opposed by 62 percent of voters. However, transportation continues to be a major issue throughout the Tampa Bay area (see story on page 8), an issue so important to voters and politicians alike, that some governmental leaders insist is keeping Hillsborough County from developing and thriving as it should. Despite that recent history, Crist says this referendum is only a half-cent, and the past failures seemed to focus only on defeating funding for high-speed rail. “This one is a complete plan, mapped out with strategic projects,’’ he said, adding that a painstaking process involving 18 months of research with more than 100 meetings to generate ideas and hear what people want done have helped shape this latest effort. Crist freely admits the referendum isn’t something he thinks his constituents in the USF and New Tampa areas would even support, but he wants to make sure voters understand that this isn’t a high-speed rail vote. “New Tampa could care less about light rail,’’ Crist says. “It’s not important to us up here, or in Carrollwood or Cheval or Temple Terrace or Thonotosassa. And you know what, none of the dollars in the existing proposals from those areas will go to it. The idea

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that New Tampa is going to pay for light rail in south Tampa is baloney.” Crist isn’t tipping his hand, but whatever he decides will be with an eye on the future, no matter how much heat he receives from fellow Republicans and Tea Partiers. “At his point in my life, I’m doing the right thing regardless of the heat,’’ Crist says. “I’m at the point where I’m not afraid of the fire. What I’m afraid of is making the wrong the decision. I have a 3-and-a-half year old daughter. I want her to be able to walk to school safely, ride her bike to the shopping center or her friend’s house safely. When she climbs behind wheel of car at 16, (I hope) she can drive safely and if she decided to work here in Tampa Bay, can get to and from her job in a reasonable amount of time.” A decision to place a referendum on the

2016 ballot would need to be registered with the Division of Elections by May, and while Crist doesn’t plan on using all of that time to decide, he says he will only do so after he has all the facts, probably sometime in January. He is fully aware that his decision could make his future in local politics perilous. While Tampa Tea Party co-founder Sharon Calvert — the Republican Crist defeated in a primary to win his current seat in 2012 — has declared in reports that there is no “appetite” (among the general public) for a tax, Crist sees the current debate being more about letting the voters decide. “There is a lot of meanness and ugliness out there on this issue,’’ he said. “There’s been a lot of fights the last two weeks on both sides. If it costs me, it’s not the end of the world. I’ll go out smiling.”

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 23, Issue 25 • December 5, 2015 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

‘Syria’

Continued from pg. 1

story with pictures with experts talking, and they are instilling fear. I would be concerned. I really feel sorry for them, I would like to reach out to them and explain to them at the same time. But, for politicians, leaders, to spread this misconception, I don’t understand. They are playing on (public) fears. It is not American. Everyone is an expert, but no one lets us talk.” Bilal left Syria in 1978 as a 17-year-old, when his father took a job in Saudi Arabia as a professor. A violent uprising in Syria around that same time made it unsafe to return. He came to the U.S. as a student, and attended Eastern Tennessee State University in Johnson City. He holds a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Electronics Engineering, a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Computer Science and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Chicago. He also holds three U.S. patents. His four daughters are all college graduates. Two are currently in law school. The process for Bilal was far easier than it is for political refugees today, who have to pass through a rigorous 13-step process, which can take two years. In the last year, just over 100 Syrians have settled in Florida, with 36 of them making Hillsborough County home. Bilal says there are just a handful of

Syrian families in New Tampa, but they are productive members of society and take pride in their achievements, and certainly don’t deserve to be a singled out for the atrocities being committed overseas. “If you look at the Muslim community, and the Syrian community in particular, we are engineers, physicians, lawyers, business people, innovators, technologists,’’ he says. “Chances are, talking to your readers, one of you or someone you know has been treated by a Syrian physician. The bridge you drove on, designed by Syrian engineer. I myself hold three U.S. patents, I have contributed to the technology industry. We are people who are providers, who are contributors. We’re not freeloaders, we’re part of the fabric of this society.” That fabric, however, may be fraying, as anti-Islamic violence pops up across the country. Still, Bilal looks around, and while the hatred and anger towards Muslims is disconcerting, it has not changed his view about America. He still thinks it is a wonderful place and a beautiful country and he is still proud to be a U.S. citizen. And, even when darkness seems to be descending, he says there is always seems to be a ray of hope. “One of the my customers, he called me over and he said I came here for two reasons — the second reason is because you have good food,’’ Bilal says. “But the first reason is to make a statement that I support you. I disagree with what’s being said. I told him people like you make me love this country even more.”

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 23, Issue 25 • December 5, 2015 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

St. Vincent de Paul & St. Mark’s Team Up To Feed & Help The Hungry By Celeste McLaughlin Thanks to a number of New Tampaarea volunteers, 1,700 local families that could have gone without a good meal on Thanksgiving were treated to all the food necessary to enjoy a great holiday. Pam Smith, a resident of Cross Creek, is the president of the St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. The nonprofit organization is based at St. Mark’s, which is located on Cross Creek Blvd. and is New Tampa’s largest churches, serving more than 3,000 families. Smith oversees the annual Thanksgiving food drive, now in its 17th year. She has been part of those efforts for the last 10 years. “St. Vincent de Paul is a standalone, nonprofit organization that helps people in need with food, shelter, clothes and utilities,” Smith explains. It is not a ministry of the church, but is a separate organization made up of Catholic men and women who want to serve the needy and people who are suffering in their community. The organization started in France in the 1830s, and was established in the U.S. in St. Louis, MO, in 1845. The Conference at St. Mark’s is one of 10 in the West Hillsborough District. All are based out of local churches. “We run a year-round food pantry serving New Tampa, Wesley Chapel, and some surrounding areas,” explains Pam. At Thanksgiving each year, St. Vincent de Paul expands to work with dozens of organizations throughout Tampa

and beyond to identify groups and individuals who don’t have the means to buy their own Thanksgiving dinners. Smith explains she works with outreach groups, such as local Catholic churches, New Life Ministries Outreach, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Advisory Council and many others, along with 16 local schools, to identify families in need. Several groups picked up a total of 1,300 prepared boxes of food to distribute to the families who need them. This year, St. Vincent de Paul volunteer drivers made an additional 408 home deliveries to families in New Tampa, Wesley Chapel and other parts of Tampa and other surrounding communities. “People don’t think there’s a lot of need in our area,” says Smith, “but that’s because it’s hidden. Our ZIP code (33647) actually has the least food resources available, compared to the number of hungry people. We who are fortunate may not think this need is present in our community, but it is.” Smith and dozens of volunteers spent three weeks collecting food, sorting it and boxing it up. The organization receives food donations and financial support from the people of St. Mark’s, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Tampa Palms and other local churches. Plus, the social workers and guidance counselors at many area schools identify children in need and also hold drives to collect food for the effort. Smith says Boy Scout Troop 148 (based at St. Mark’s), the National Honor Society at Paul R. Wharton High on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) club at Freedom High in Tampa Palms are among the organizations that provided the resources and manpower to make the colossal project happen again this year. “It’s not just an effort of St. Vincent de Paul,” Pam says. “It truly takes a whole conglomeration of community groups to make this happen.” Steve Channels is Pam Smith’s neighbor in Cross Creek, and he’s also a Freedom High teacher and advisor for the school’s FBLA group, as well as a leader with Boy Scout Troop 180 and Cub Scout Pack 360, both of which are located in Tampa Palms. He says he has participated in the Thanksgiving food

Freedom High FBLA students pose after sorting, lifting and filling trucks at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church on Cross Creek Blvd. to help the St. Vincent de Paul nonprofit organization feed the hungry in our area for Thanksgiving. (Photo: Steve Channels) receive the Thanksgiving box that’s been drive at St. Mark’s for eight or nine years prepared for them, and that’s “grateful.” now, encouraging the groups he leads “The folks we deliver food to are to collect food, and bring volunteers out very vulnerable,” she explains. “Just to help. He says this year, he and about yesterday, I delivered a box to a family in 40 Freedom students sorted food and a motel. Another family had just moved packed nearly 700 of the 1,300 boxes into an apartment, and it had literally that were filled for families. nothing in it. No couches, nothing in the “Students get community service kitchen, no TV. It’s sobering when you hours, but that’s not why they’re there,” Channels says. “Most of them really want go to them. But, they are super grateful, because now, at least they have food.” to be here because they enjoy being a She says she followed up with the part of what this is all about.” family in the apartment so St. Vincent de Smith adds, “People are very generPaul can help them get the basic things ous. She explains that the Thanksgiving the mom, dad, and three children need. outreach takes about $35,000 — in adAnd while the Thanksgiving food dition to the food donations that are coldistribution has just wrapped up, this lected — and countless volunteer hours. weekend (Dec. 5) is the first weekend She says each family receives enough of collecting toys which will be given to non-perishable food items for a complete children in need for Christmas. Thanksgiving meal, including stuffing, “We provide toys to kids, and also potatoes, rice, beans, corn, yams, gravy, socks, shoes and pajamas to children of cranberries and even cake mix and frostmigrant workers, who prefer those gifts ing. This year, the families also received at Christmas,” Smith says. And, a “giving a box of Bisquick and a loaf of bread, as tree” has been set up at St. Mark’s for the well as a gift card to buy a turkey. church members and larger community “We used to distribute turkeys, but to share their generosity. logistically, it’s difficult. Plus, the week If you would like to support the before Thanksgiving, the price of turkey efforts of St. Vincent de Paul at St. is much less than we can purchase in Mark’s, you can drop off or mail doadvance, so we give a gift card, which nations to St. Vincent de Paul, in care allows the families to purchase their own of St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic turkeys at a lower cost, and allows us to Church at 9724 Cross Creek Blvd. serve more people.” To volunteer, email Smith at SVDP@ Smith says there’s one word to stmarktampa.org. describe how people feel when they

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 •Volume 23, Issue 25 • December 5, 2015• NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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DECEMBER 2015 Monday - December 7 - 6:30 PM

Community Acupuncture & Discussion Group - A Monday night community acupuncture and discussion group is meeting at Ion Medi-Spa (8903 Regents Park Dr., Suite 130), 6:30 p.m. Topics include needle-free acupuncture, facial rejuvenation, plus stop-smoking & customized weight-loss programs. For more info, call 960-8833 or visit IonMediSpa.com.

Tuesday - December 8 - 5-9 PM

GFWC New Tampa Junior Woman’s Club - Will be wrapping gifts at The Shops at Wiregass to help raise money for its club. The money raised will be used to fund upcoming community and international projects. For more information, email pr@gfwcnewtampajuniors.org or visit the website at gfwcnewtampajuniors.com.

Tuesday - December 8 - 7:30 AM

Business Networking International Wesley Chapel - A new BNI group is starting up and will meet at 7:30 a.m. at Hunter’s Green Country Club (18101 Longwater Run Dr.) to help business owners generate more referrals, income and grow their businesses in the Wesley Chapel area. For info, call Bill Sullivan at 994-1143.

Tuesday - December 8 - 7:30 AM

Thursday - December 10 - 7:30 AM

Christian Business Connections (CBC) - The Christian Business Connections (CBC) networking group meets every Thur. at 7:30 a.m. at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church (5338 Primrose Lake Cir., off Commerce Park Blvd. in Tampa Palms). For more info, email Shawn@TPACorp.com.

Friday - December 11 - 7:15 AM

New Tampa Rotary Club - A discussion on the Syrian Refugee Crisis will be led by guest speaker Fona Erdem. The original New Tampa Rotary Club meets every Friday for breakfast at 7 a.m. at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club (TPGCC, 5811 Tampa Palms Blvd.). For more information, contact Kim Payne at 388-6299 or visit NewTampaRotary.org.

Friday - December 11 - 2:00 PM

NAMI: Mental Health Support Group - NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) of Pasco has a new support group for adults in Pasco County living with a mental illness and in recovery. The new “Connections” group meets the 2nd & 4th Friday each month from 2-3 p.m. at Atonement Lutheran Church (29617 S.R. 54). For more info, visit namipasco.com.

Sunday - December 13 - 10:00 AM

Zen Meditation Group - Looking for a new way to relax? Check out the FREE Zen Meditation Group that meets Sundays at 10 a.m. in the Arbor Greene Community Center (18000 Arbor Greene Dr., off Cross Creek Blvd.) Aerobics Room. People of all faiths are welcome. For info, call Jeremy at 528-6285.

New Tampa Tri Club - The New Tampa Tri Club is open to runners, swimmers, cyclists & triathletes across the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area. The club hosts group bike rides/runs leaving from Flatwoods Wilderness Park (13330 Morris Sunday - December 13 - 6:00 PM Bridge Rd.; not from the BBD entrance) every Tues., Thur. & Sat., 7:30 a.m. For more info, join the Facebook group or e-mail NewTampaTriClub@gmail.com. Tampa Palms Women’s Club - Is holding its annual Winter Ball at Tampa Palms Golf and Country Club. Social hour begin at 6 p.m., and dinner and dancing is Tuesday - December 8 - 9:30 AM from 7-10 p.m. The event is open to the public, and is $35 per person. For more English As A Second Language (ESL) - The ESL group meets Tuesdays information, email Mary Field at mary2erf@msn.com. at Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church (19911 BBD Blvd.), 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Classes are taught by a native English The cost is $40 each semester for the Monday - December 14 - 6:30 PM GFWC New Tampa Junior Woman’s Club - The GFWC New Tampa Junior workbook & class materials. For more info, call Heather at 753-8567. Woman’s Club meets the second Monday of every month at the New Tampa YMCA at 16221 Compton Drive. For more information, email pr@gfwcTuesday - December 8 - 6:30 PM newtampajuniors.org or visit the website at gfwcnewtampajuniors.com. GriefShare Support Group - This video-seminar support group is for anyone Saturday - December 19 - 4-6 PM who is grieving the death of a loved one. The cost is $20 for a workbook & 13 sessions (but you may begin any week) to find healing & hope. The group meets Hanaq Prana Yoga - Come join the group and experience zen and meditation at 10323 Cross Creek Blvd., Suite E in New Tampa. Free to the community, but Tues., 6:30 p.m., at Lake Magdalene Methodist Church (2902 W. Fletcher Ave., zen and meditation experience required. Interested participants can register at Rm. 310). For more information, call 892-2191. hanaqprananayoga.com.

Wednesday - December 9 - 7:15 AM

BNI Millionaire Makers - The BNI Millionaire Makers chapter meets every Wednesday at Heritage Isles Country Club (10630 Plantation Bay Dr.) at 7:15 a.m. The $13 meeting fee includes a hot breakfast. Call Lisa Jordan at 621-6015 for info.

Wednesday - December 9 - 7:30 AM

Business Networking International (BNI) - BNI, a group of business pros dedicated to helping their member businesses grow through qualified referrals, meets every Wed. morning, 7:30 a.m., at the Cory Lake Isles Beach Club clubhouse (18630 Plantation Bay Dr., off Morris Bridge Rd.). Call Steve Hopper at 918-8609.

Wednesday - December 9 - 12:00 PM

New Tampa Noon Rotary Club - The New Tampa Noon Rotary Club meets every Wed. for lunch at noon at Café Olé (10020 Cross Creek Blvd., in the Cross Creek Center plaza, behind the Shell gas station). Guests are always welcome. 20

If your organization is sponsoring an event that is open to the general public — whether it’s free to attend or not — please submit your info (with photos in any digital format) at least 3-4 weeks in advance to: EditorialDept@NTNeighborhoodNews.com.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 •Volume 23, Issue 25 • December 5, 2015• NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 23, Issue 25 • December 5, 2015 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 •Volume 23, Issue 25 • December 5, 2015 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Edward Jones Financial Services Can Help You Get Retirement-Ready By Celeste McLaughlin

Financial advisor William Morales, AAMS (Accredited Asset Management Specialist), and longtime branch office administrator Nancy Carazo make up the Edward Jones Financial Services team in the Windfair Professional Center, located across Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC). Morales and Carazo have been serving clients in this location since 2012, when they closed their Tampa Palms office and moved it to Wesley Chapel. Morales had joined the company in 2009, while Carazo celebrated her 21st anniversary with Edward Jones this fall. “I always wanted a Wesley Chapel branch,” says Morales, who lives in Meadow Pointe with his wife and two daughters, both of whom attend the Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch. Carazo also lives in Meadow Pointe, making the Wesley Chapel office a convenient locale for the pair to serve their neighbors and community. “We are a full-service agency, and I wear many different hats,” explains Morales. “When I work with clients, I may serve as their stock broker, insurance agent and bond dealer. At its core, my work is as a financial planner.” He explains that he helps his clients in any of five different core areas, depending upon each client’s stage of life and their individual needs: • Planning for a comfortable retire-

He says this “select group” of both working families and retirees is limited not by “In 1922, Edward Jones, Sr., founded any particular criteria, but the firm, which he passed on to his son, Ted,” explains Morales. “When Ted passed, because he he left the company to the employees, mak- limits himself to maintaining it the only financial services firm of its ing a small size that is held privately.” group of Morales explains that this means clients so that Edward Jones is unique in the industry, as he can manit is not a publicly traded company itself, age all of their and has no Board of Directors and no shareholders, so his singular focus can be on needs well. William Morales of Edward Jones Financial Services, located across Bruce B. “If we pleasing his clients. Edward Jones branches Downs Blvd. from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel can help you with your reget too big, are independently owned and small, but tirement and other financial planning needs...and much more. they are not franchises. All 11,500 branch- we lose that drops, so they want to sell, rather than buy.” es throughout the U.S. and Canada are held personal touch,” he says. “(It makes it) In other words, he adds, “to meet your by Edward Jones, which is headquartered in tough to deliver the same level of service.” long-term goals, don’t let your emotions Morales says the most important St. Louis, MO. get you off track.” Morales works with his clients through thing to do when you’re looking for a Morales also says that many people financial advisor is to find someone you a five-step process, starting with “Where am see the stock market in their daily lives but can trust and can hopefully work with for I today?” and “Where would I like to be?” don’t know what it actually is or how it Then, he says, the next steps — “Can I get the rest of your life. affects them. For example, you may hear a “The person has to be someone you there?” and “How do I get there?” — are like;, someone who makes you feel comfort- change in the Dow Jones Industrial Average his job. Once he’s worked with his clients reported on the nightly news. But, the Dow able,” he says. through those steps, Morales says he conAnother piece of advice he gives is this: only tracks the price of 30 large companies, tinues to advise them to determine, “How he explains. If you don’t own any stock in “Don’t let your emotions drive your financan I stay on track?” those companies, what happens with the cial decisions. For example, if your favorite “I take care of financial affairs for a Dow is less relevant to you. “It’s much select group of families in our area,” he store has a 50 percent off sale, you’d probmore important to understand what finansays, “with about half of my clients working ably run to go shopping. Yet, with stocks, cial products you’re invested in,” he says. families, and the other half already retired.” many people get scared when the price ment (for those who are currently working) • Enjoying retirement (for those who have already retired) • Paying for education • Preparing for the unexpected • Saving money on taxes

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And, educating his clients about those companies (and financial products) is a big part of what Morales does every day. In addition to equity investments, such as stocks, Morales also offers his expertise regarding annuities, retirement plans, estate considerations, education savings, fixed-income investments such as bonds and certificates of deposit, individual retirement accounts, life insurance, mutual funds, as well as saving, spending and borrowing solutions.

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Roy and Jane Spencer first encountered Morales when they moved two years ago to the Wesley Chapel subdivision of Watergrass from Arizona. They were working with a financial planner there, but say they weren’t happy with the service they were getting. They had a life insurance policy managed by Edward Jones, so Morales reached out to them, asked them a few questions about the policy, and invited them in to talk. The Spencers agreed to meet with him, but thought they might be setting themselves up for little more than a sales pitch. They were soon thrilled to find out that they were completely wrong. “William isn’t a sales guy,” says Spencer. “I’m in sales, so I know when someone’s trying to sell me something. Sitting with him really feels like chatting in someone’s living room. He knows his stuff, and he really cares. ” Spencer says he left that initial meeting saying to his wife, “This is the type of (customer) service we’ve been missing.” He continues, “The stuff William knows is crazy. I try to do some research on my own, but after I spend an hour with him, I feel

smarter and a lot more confident about the future.” He says his entire experience with Morales has been positive, and unlike anything he’s had experienced in the past. “I used to think I needed to have millions of dollars to get this kind of advice,” he says. “To have access to this level of service with a more middle income is amazing. And it’s important, because my future is in his hands.” Morales concurs. “My job is relationship driven. I have to do the ‘nerd work’ and crunch the numbers, but most of what I do is serve my clients, and there’s no cost for advice.” Morales explains a first-time appointment with him is similar to visiting a new doctor. “I’m going to ask you a lot of personal questions, so I can really understand what’s going on with you financially,” adding that he uses financial questionnaires and conversation to help determine his clients’ needs. Once someone becomes Morales’ customer, they can choose to pay a flat annual fee for Edward Jones to manage all their assets or the more traditional method, where Morales receives his payment from the mutual funds, insurance policies and other investments he sells. “One thing that makes us unique from our competition is that there are no Edward Jones investments to sell,” says Morales. “We sell the products of all the other companies, such as Fidelity, for the same cost to you as if you bought directly from them.” Morales recommends working with a large firm, such as Edward Jones, “because the big firms have oversight. Unlike inde-

pendent financial planners who don’t work for a larger company, Edward Jones has measures in place to watch what I do.” Before joining Edward Jones, Morales was president of a mortgage company in New Tampa and served six years in the U.S. Army Ordinance Corps, spending four years stationed in and around Kuwait. Originally from New York City, Morales and his family moved to Tampa, where he graduated from Chamberlain High. For more information, call branch office administrator Nancy Carazo at 991-7034, and she’ll schedule your appointment with Morales at the Edward Jones office in Wesley Chapel. You can also stop by the office at 2748 Windguard Circle, Suite 101 (in the office plaza behind The Hungry Greek).

Morales and office administrator Nancy Carazo previously worked together at the Edward Jones office in Tampa Palms before moving to their current Wesley Chapel location.

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Family Of Christ Christian School — A Great Place To Educate! Story and photos by Andy Warrener

New Tampa was a vastly different place in the early 1990s, home to more wildlife than people, more trees than homes and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. was a twolane, eight-mile “road to nowhere.” As we all know, that changed quickly. From 1990-2000, the population in New Tampa increased by 273 percent, from 7,145 residents to 26,634, according to the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Division. Getting in on the ground floor of the population boom was a tiny Lutheran Church with big ideas. In November of 1999, Family of Christ Christian School (FoCCS), part of Family of Christ Lutheran Church, led by Pastor Dave Haara, purchased 31 acres of land in Tampa Palms. At the time, all Haara and his followers had was a church, a Pre-K and Kindergarten class and a mission. “Our goal was to add one grade every year,” FoCCS principal Jennifer Snow says. “We are looking to be a light that stands out in the community.” Family of Christ has stayed the course. The school has continued to add grades, and today, FoCCS includes kindergarten through eighth grade. “God has blessed us more than anything I could have imagined,” Snow says. “It’s like a family here.” When Snow arrived in 2005, after helping establish Grace Episcopal PreSchool in New Tampa, there were already 79 students ranging from Kindergarten

through fifth grade at FoCCS. The school now educates 177 children, more than doubling the student population under Snow’s watch. “It’s been a tremendous amount of growth,” Snow says. Snow also notes that 95 percent of the staff that was present when she took over in 2005 is still at the school today. “There hasn’t been a day that I don’t want to come in here and see these faces,” Snow says with a smile. The school couples community service with academic achievement. Parents of FoCCS students are asked to put in 20 hours of volunteer work annually for the school. Those hours can be logged in the classroom, at open house events or during any of the many fund-raising events the school participates in each year. “(Volunteer hours) are an integral part of the school’s success,” Snow says. “Most (families) do more (than the 20 hours), some go way beyond and are always searching for opportunities to serve others in the community.” In addition to helping at the school itself, FoCCS parents, students and administrators participate in community outreach programs, including partnering with Metropolitan Ministries in central Tampa to help feed the homeless. “(Our) parents are the first ones to go out in the community,” Snow says. “Those are the people (who) allow God’s love to show through them.” Academic achievement is another ingredient in the school’s success. FoCCS

is fully accredited by the National Lutheran Schools Association (NLSA). The school also complies with and exceeds the Florida Sunshine State Standards as well as the Hillsborough County Benchmarks set for each of FoCCS’s nine grade levels. The school is an active participant in the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS); in fact, Snow estimates that 80-90 percent of her students are members of the NJHS. FoCCS also offers three high school credits — in Science, Spanish I and Algebra I — and Snow estimates that 98 percent of the students who graduate the eighth grade leave with all three credits. “We take what’s really working out there and use it to educate (our) students,” Snow says. The results are encouraging. FoCCS participates in the Science Olympics at MOSI, and recently, first-grader Spence Palmer was one of the award winners. Students also take standardized tests like the SAT and ACT, and most feed into local public and private schools like Wharton, Wesley Chapel, Freedom, Cambridge Christian and Tampa Catholic. Some students have fed into the International Baccalaureate (IB) programs at King and Hillsborough high schools. Many are now attending state universities like the University of Florida in Gainesville and Florida State University in Tallahassee, and even nationally-recognized technology institutes like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge. MA. Athletics also is a big part of the FoC-

Family of Christ Christian School principal Jennifer Snow (r.), with Kelli Tully, the director of Pure Hearts Rescue of New Tampa, on Great American Teach-In day at the school.

CS experience. Volleyball, cross country, soccer, flag football, golf and basketball are all offered at the school and students participate in a 14-school Tampa Bay Christian Athletic League. Getting into FoCCS isn’t automatic, but it’s far from impossible. There’s a screening process every applicant must go through and there is mandatory, annual tuition along with the volunteer commitment. Class sizes range from 18 to 22 students per class and, according to Snow, FoCCS is at capacity but is always looking forward to new applicants. “It’s hard to turn great families away,” she says. The school has a number of ways to help with tuition once a student is accepted. First, FoCCS participates in the

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Family of Christ Christian School has 177 students in kindergarten through 5th grade, which is more than double the number of students on campus when Jennifer Snow arrived in 2005.

state-approved “Step Up for Students” program, a non-profit organization that provides scholarship funding. There also is a school scholarship fund aimed at retaining students whose families endure economic hardships. “When there’s a need within the school and the family has attended and started with us, then if there’s a job loss or a death in the family, we try to keep the continuity for the kids,” Snow says. “We try to keep tuition down; it’s up to families (to give) what they are capable of giving.” Tuition is not the only source of funding for FoCCS, and that’s where the school takes participation to a new level. In order to fund its nearly constant expansion,

FoCCS offers a litany of community fundraising events. The school’s “Night of Knights” event, started in 2006, has raised more than $380,000 since its inception. In 2015, the Night of Knights featured a casino theme with a silent auction, a live auction and other casino gaming activities. Auction items included beach weekends, sports memorabilia, and the chance to be principal of FoCCS for a day. The school’s walkathon takes place every February and targets specific needs — in 2016, Snow says the goal will be to build a new basketball court on campus. FoCCS also hosts an annual Octoberfest, an event open to the public with a

live DJ. The first week back from Christmas break, the school hosts an Epiphany bonfire, also open to the public. Even small events like pumpkin carving contests and auctions for decorated Christmas baskets keep the school moving and growing and the community is always welcome to attend all of them. “We want everyone to feel welcome (at the events),” Snow says. The week before Thanksgiving break, FoCCS participated in the Great American Teach-In and had 35 speakers come in. Among them were Florida Highway Patrolman Eric Madill, Kelli Tully (director of Pure Hearts Rescue of New Tampa) and USF Assistant Professor of Anthropology Rosie Bongiovanni. Even if your child does not attend

FoCCS, there are opportunities at the church’s Child Development Center (CDC) where full-time childcare is offered 7 a.m.-6 p.m. every weekday. Buses from FoCCS travel to public schools in the area and escort children to the CDC. “When you can give a tour and not have to sell anything, when you see parents all smiles and having fun, when you see the kids learning but still having fun,’’ Snow says, “it makes you think you must be doing something right.” Family of Christ Christian School & Church are located at 16190 BBD Blvd. in Tampa Palms For more info, call 558-9343 or visit EdLine.net/pages/FamilyofChristCS. To see FoCCS’s list of donors and sponsors, see the ad on pg. 32 of this issue.

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La Rusa, LLC — Your ‘Obamacare’ & Tax Preparation Specialists! By Anu Varma Panchal Many people toy with the idea of learning a foreign language, particularly when it’s beneficial for business or work. Some go as far as investing in the Rosetta Stone or maybe taking a few classes online. But, when St. Petersburg, Russia, native Elina Linderman began seeing huge numbers of Spanish-speaking clients at her La Rusa, LLC (now located in the same plaza as the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce office in front of The Grove shopping center off Oakley Blvd., across from TJ Maxx), she enrolled at the University of South Florida and obtained a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Spanish Studies two years ago, adding that to her 1997 Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in accounting. “I like to study; I like to go to college,” says Linderman with her full-on Russian accent and infectious laugh. “What can I say?” That over-the-top level of commitment may explain why La Rusa, Linderman’s fullservice accounting firm, has shown almost exponential growth, thanks in part to the referrals of her clients who have been with her for years. Linderman is registered as a tax return preparer with the Internal Revenue Service, which means she is licensed to prepare income tax returns for individuals, couples, families and businesses. She has completed rigorous training and also must complete continuing education every single year in order to remain licensed and up to date on all new tax laws, state and federal. In addition to her tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll services, Linderman’s office in The Grove also is a prime destination for health insurance seekers looking for someone to walk them through enrolling in “Obamacare,” also known as the “Affordable Care Act.” Obamacare first kicked off in January 2014, and mandates that all U.S. citizens and legal residents must obtain health insurance for themselves and their dependents, or obtain an exemption from doing so. Anyone who doesn’t either get insurance or an exemption will most likely have to pay a penalty while filing their tax return. This penalty, according to Linderman’s web site, can range from about $325 to $975 or about 2 percent of the yearly household income above the tax filing threshold. You have to reapply for Obamacare every year, based on your estimated income for the upcoming year. If you do not resubmit your application, you will be automati-

cally re-enrolled by the Health Insurance Marketplace, and Linderman explains that you may end up in a less advantageous plan because the marketplace is not privy to the most current and updated information about your income. To enroll in one of the plans offered under the Affordable Care Act, you can call or go online to the government’s Health Insurance Marketplace by yourself and find a plan in which to register, but Linderman says the marketplace can be bewildering, and it’s all too easy to make mistakes that will cost you money. At La Rusa, a team of experts with a unique blend of experience in tax accounting and health insurance will help clients enroll in Obamacare for 2016 — free of charge. Linderman and her colleagues will help you apply for a subsidy, complete all the paperwork for you and figure out the right income to report. “When an estimate is not done correctly, people will estimate one thing but the reality will be different,” says Linderman, who explains that estimates for 2016 income are used to apply in 2015. “[For example], if they estimate an income of $30,000, but only make $25,000, they get money back. But, if they estimate $30,000 but end up making $40,000, they have to pay back [the IRS]. A lot of times people overlook income they think is irrelevant.” Linderman also can help those who may mistakenly think they do not qualify for Obamacare. If you do not make a certain income, you have to apply for Medicaid, which Linderman says may not be the best option because clients may have to pay deductibles. She helps people go through their finances and notices deductions they may not have otherwise known about in order to qualify for Obamacare.

p s

R a m m i c w m

s (L.-r.) Owner Elina Linderman (left) and her friendly staffers Iryna, Maria and Julie (not pictured) at La Rusa, LLC, can handle all of your ‘Obamacare’ and tax preparation needs. ing in auditing and accounting positions for various firms, Linderman says she began doing tax returns for friends and family on nights and weekends. For one friend, Linderman was able to spot a mistake in her former accountant’s work and amend three years of tax returns, garnering her friend $10,000 back from the IRS. That first year, Linderman prepared 48 tax returns. The following year, due to referrals and word of mouth from satisfied clients, that number rose to 400. Six years ago, she decided to take a risk

and quit her job. “I was making six figures,” she says. “Everybody thought I was nuts.” But, the gamble paid off. Linderman was soon preparing around 1,000 tax returns from home annually, and that was before Obamacare took effect. “Clients were calling me in a panic,” she says. “They didn’t know how to report income on their tax returns. They were scared. I helped one client; then helped another… a lot more clients needed help. So, I got licensed.”

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People may choose to see an accountant to file their taxes, or an insurance agent to help obtain health insurance. But, at La Rusa, they get both in one package. Linderman notes, however, that it would be inaccurate to say that she is just an accountant. To her clients, it’s almost as if she functions as a counselor, financial expert, trusted friend and even (sometimes), a business coach. Linderman exemplifies a work ethic and drive she learned early, as an 18-yearold Russian political refugee who arrived in Pennsylvania with her parents, two younger sisters, five suitcases and $100. While work-

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S m h a e

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She obtained her Florida 2-15 Insurance License, which allows her to sell health and life insurance. That expertise in two fields — tax accounting and insurance — makes her uniquely positioned to help clients best juggle their incomes in order to buy the best possible health plans and get the most amount of money back to which they are legally entitled. “I approach it from a whole different perspective,” she says. “First, I decide the subsidy; then I select the insurance.” There are other differences between La Rusa and other firms — both accounting and insurance. For one thing, there is the multicultural, multi-ethnic vibe, with voicemail messages in English, Russian and Spanish. In fact, Linderman got the name of her company from her Spanish-speaking clients, who would refer to her as “La Rusa,” which means “the Russian lady” in Spanish. “My customers invented the brand,” she laughs. She notes that she didn’t just learn Spanish to communicate better; she chose to major in Spanish Studies because that gave her a better insight into the cultural practices and differences between the various different ethnicities of Europe and Latin America. “It’s a very personal business,” Linderman says. “I deal with people’s lives. I have to ask questions that get very personal.” In fact, while many businesses glean information about a client through a standard questionnaire, an initial meeting with Linderman can take as much as a couple of hours of detailed questioning. A box of tissues is not an unusual accompaniment to a meeting with a client. Asking about an illness or a divorce can yield significant financial gains in the long term (for example,

a house remodel to accommodate a new handicap can lead to a deduction), but many are sensitive matters. “I cry with them,” she admits. “I’m also human.” Michelle Chamo, who owns Sliding Door Roller Replacement, Inc., and whose taxes, bookkeeping and payroll Linderman has handled for four years, says, “Elina will text me and say, put aside this amount this week,” says Chamo, who found Linderman when she was looking for someone to go over her previous accountant’s work. After their initial three-hour meeting, Chamo says that not only did Linderman fix the mistakes, she listened to Chamo’s concerns and patiently explained everything to her. “I left that day knowing more about what I should be doing than in five years of owning my own business,” says Chamo, who Linderman still texts every Wednesday to remind her about payroll. “My cell phone number is the worst kept secret in Tampa Bay,” says Linderman wryly. Not only does she have all her clients’ information on her phone, she is routinely invited to clients’ weddings and children’s birthday parties, and is a fixture on their Facebook pages, as they are on her Facebook page as well. Many of them who have been with her for years also have seen her now 16-year-old son growing up. “You can’t get this at H&R Block,” Linderman quips. For more information about the services that La Rusa, LLC, provides individuals and businesses, check out LaRusaTax.com or see the ad on page 33 of this issue. You also can visit the office at 6013 Wesley Grove Blvd., #101. For appointments, call 867-7111 or email info@larusatax.com.

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Wharton’s Cross Country Success Bodes Well For 2016 Track Season Story & Photo by Andy Warrener

A great way to forecast high school spring track season success is to evaluate a school’s success during the fall cross country season. In that regard, the members of the girls cross country team at Paul R. Wharton High on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. have put themselves in a very good position for spring track following a dominant cross country season that concluded Nov. 7 in Tallahassee. Mired in a brutal district (District 4A6), the Wharton cross country team had to cut its teeth by battling all season with 10-time state champion Plant and county powerhouse Newsome. Still, they came out on top in all of Hillsborough County in nearly every instance. First, it was the Hillsborough County Championships, where the Wildcats out-distanced Plant 44-65. Next, it was at the District 4A-6 meet, where the ‘Cats clipped the Panthers 32-41. At the 4A Region 2 meet in Lakeland, the Wharton girls had an off day but still managed third place behind Newsome, 104 to 112. “You always know Coach (Orlando) Greene is going to field a competitive team at Plant and you know you have to be ready to roll and that you can’t count them (Newsome) out,” Wharton coach Anthony Triana said. The Wildcat girls bounced back in a big way, however, in Tallahassee at the State championships, finishing third, the best showing for any Hillsborough County girls team, and a big jump from the previous year when Wharton was 13th. Top cross country runners Alisha Deschenes and Rania Samhouri both placed in the top 30 individually in Tallahassee. Deschenes was the 4A-6 District champion and set a personal best this season with a run of 19 minutes, 31 seconds at the FSU Invitational, as did Samhouri (19.44 at FSU Invitational) and Bryanna Rivers (19:50.9 at the district meet). Samhouri moved up to the No. 2 runner behind Deschenes for Wharton after starting the season at No. 5. Samhouri used a tough finish at state track last season to fuel her cross country season, and she hopes to carry that energy from cross country into the upcoming

track season. “Rania had a tough leg of the 4x800m at States, where she got passed down the final stretch,’’ Triana said, “and it’s fueled her ever since.” Rania told Triana that the ride back from the State meet counted as her break, and she was ready for the next season. “Most kids take a couple of weeks off, Triana said. “That just shows her determination and why she did so well in cross country this season.” Deschenes didn’t even compete for Wharton in track last season, devoting her time to the soccer pitch, but after a solid cross country campaign, she’s now slated to run for the Wildcats this coming season. The Wharton girls started spring conditioning for track on November 23. (L.-r.): Bryanna Rivers, Rachel Lettiero, Mackenzie Willman, Caroline Maggi, Marin James, Alisha De“Anytime you go from States schenes and Rania Samhouri pose with their trophy after winning the Hillsborough County Cross Country Championship meet. The Wharton girls went on to finish third at States, tops in the Tampa Bay area. to the next season, it’s all about keeping the kids hungry,” Triana 2015 State meet. The 4x800m relay was placed sixth in the 100m hurdles at states, said. “These girls have that. We took two third at States, two seconds off the school just missing the 200m finals by 0.08 secweeks off from cross country States and record, and returns all four runners. onds. Top middle distance runner Rivers, we’re already ready to go.” Field events might be the one weak the school record holder in the 800m and According to the FHSAA record sixth-place finisher in the event at the State spot for the 2016 Wildcats, but it’s an area books, no Hillsborough County girls team meet, also is just a junior. Serena Gadson of emphasis with Triana and his assistants has ever won a team track title. The best this offseason. was 13th at States in the 800m and is just finish by any Hillsborough County school a sophomore. Junior Marin James returns “It’s part of the team that we really belongs to the Wildcats in 2008, when need to develop,” Triana said. “Long after placing 13th in the 3200m race. they finished third. jumper Avonti Holt and high jumper Wharton’s 4x400m relay team was It will be no picnic and certainly Sabrena Eye will be key for us.” dominant locally and was seventh at the it will be extremely difficult to unseat 10-time and back-to-back Class 4A state champs St. Thomas Aquinas of Fort Lauderdale, but Triana thinks cracking into the top five with eyes on the runner-up position or even better is possible. “All last year did was give us more confidence that we can compete with anyone,” Triana said. “When that gun goes off we’re going to give it all we can and compete with those people. “Forty or 50 points is likely to get you first or second (in Class 4A) at States. We expect to have 10-12 girls competing at the State track meet this coming season, so I’m pretty sure we can score 40 or 50 points.” Last season, the Wildcat girls GREAT HOLIDAY finished 12th, but return most of the key contributors. PRICING THROUGHOUT Top sprinter Aria Tate, a junior,

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Three Wharton Volleyball Stars Sign With Division I Colleges Story by John C. Cotey

The recent run of success of the volleyball team at Paul R. Wharton High has advanced a talented trio of Wildcats to the top college ranks, as setter Tyler Sroufe, middle blocker Lindsey Schaible and libero Chanelle Hargreaves signed their NCAA letters of intent on Nov. 12. Sroufe signed with Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Schaible is headed to Providence College in Rhode Island, and Hargreaves will play collegiately for the University of Florida in Gainesville. “They have all been a big reason for our success, and to have that many Division I players says a lot about our program,’’ Wharton head coach Eric Barber said earlier this season. Sroufe and Hargreaves helped spur the recent resurgence of the Wildcats volleyball program. Wharton went to the State playoffs from 1998-2003, but have advanced that far just once over the next nine seasons. The arrival of Sroufe and Hargreaves helped get the Wharton volleyball program back on track, and they helped the team to three playoff appearances in four seasons, with an impressive 85-24 record over that span, including 22-6 this season.

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fore advancing to the NCAA Division I Tournament. Hargreaves, a 5-5 defensive standout, had 200 digs and 20 aces this season, and 1,775 digs and 104 aces for her career. Meanwhile, Schaible, a 6-foot-2 force at the net, will become a Friar next season for a Providence team in need of a boost to get into Big East contention. From left to right: Libero Chanelle Hargreaves, middle blocker Schaible had 180 blocks Lindsey Schaible and setter Tyler Sroufe pose for pictures after last season and finished in signing their NCAA letter of intent to play college volleyball the top five in the State in next year. (Photo: Cindy Rogers).

blocks the past two seasons. She also was second on the Wharton team with 229 kills this year (after getting 202 in 2014). “Lindsey’s height and training at the middle blocker position make her a great asset for us,” said Providence coach Margot Royer-Johnson. “We expect her to fit in right away with an experienced returning squad.” A fourth Wharton player, kills leader and junior Kathryn Attar, has already orally committed to University of Colorado in Boulder and will be at or near the top of next year’s volleyball class in the Tampa Bay area.

Sroufe, a 5-foot-7 setter, had her senior season cut short by an ACL injury suffered on Sept. 12 against Plant. Before her injury, she was averaging 25 assists per match and putting up some of the biggest numbers of her career. In 2014, she had 745 assists, and the sure-handed Sroufe made just 32 errors in 1,853 ball-handling attempts. Sroufe will join the VCU Rams, who play in the Atlantic 10 Conference and recently completed a 14-17 season. Hargreaves will join her brother and former Wharton football standout Vernon in Gainesville, where the Lady Gator volleyball team went 21-6 and lost the SEC championship match be-

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Budding Chess Players Hoping To Score A Checkmate At Nationals By John C. Cotey A dozen of New Tampa’s best chess players will be competing this weekend in Orlando, as the United States Chess Federation holds its annual scholastic championships. The 2015 National Scholastic K-12 Championships will be hosted by Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort beginning with the opening ceremony on Friday, December 4, 12:30 p.m, and concluding with the awards ceremony on Sunday, December 6, 5 p.m. Most of the competitors attending are trained by longtime local coaches Mark Ritter and Tania Kranich-Ritter, who will be well represented in Orlando. Almost a dozen players from New Tampa and Wesley Chapel will be among the hundreds at Disney this weekend. They include Aarush Prasad (seventh-grader at Williams IB Middle School) Ojas Kalia (7th, Williams), Truman Hoang (freshman, Middleton High), Aarush Prasad (7th, Williams IB), Shrey Gupta (8th, Williams IB), Kelvin Ng (8th, John Long Middle School), Parth Upadhyaya (5th, Lawton Chiles Elementary), Melvin Uppgard (3rd, Chiles), Jonathon Cotey (7th, Williams IB) and Khoi Cotey (5th, Richard F. Pride Elementary). Louis Benito Middle School eighthgrader Lixin Zheng and Harold H. Clark Elementary fourth-grader Teja Katipalli also are registered to compete. The highest rated player in the group

and the player considered to have the best chance at capturing a title is Hoang, one of the top players in the state. Hoang, 15, is on the brink of earning Master status, boasting a 2176 rating (Masters are 2200). He is the second-highestranked among the 633 players from Florida competing. He is ranked in the top 100 in the country in the Under-16 age group. “He puts in the most time and most effort at the board, it’s as simple as that,’’ said Ritter. “He loves the game and puts a lot of effort into it.” While Hoang has a legitimate shot at a title, most of the players attend for the fun and the experience. The tournament has 569 teams registered from 39 states, and more than 1,570 players will compete in more than 60 classes, ranging from players rated anywhere from beginner to more than 2000. “The experience is just tremendous,’’ said Ritter, who will stop by Saturday and go over the first and second round games with some of his students. “For one weekend, a gigantic hotel is taken over by chess players. Unfortunately, there is a prevalent attitude that being smart and good on an intellectual level is not cool. Suddenly, these kids are in an environment where everyone is doing the same thing they love to do.” “It is inspirational,’’ said KranichRitter, who has coached a handful of teams to nationals championships, including the 2006 Tampa Palms Elementary fifthgrade team. “You see so many children

W nder

there — and you’re talking about more than 1,000 — and it’s the best in the country coming in to compete. You see that your sport, chess, that you love, is actually embraced by so many states and so many players. It’s inspirational to see so many of them under one roof. It’s the ultimate.” New Tampa-based chess coach Mark Ritter goes over an earlier game with Ritter and a student at last year’s National Scholastic Championships in Orlando. Kranich-Ritter have been running touropen tournaments monthly, most at the naments and clubs in the New Tampa area Kumon Math & Reading Center of New for 11 years, with club teams from around Tampa. He also coaches after-school clubs the area driving in to compete. Kranichat Pride and Chiles elementary schools, as Ritter, who was the 1983 women’s state well as an invitation-only Champions Club champion in New York, is the more serious that has 28 members, including most of the one of the coaching combo, running local students listed above. tournaments like a fine-tuned machine. Kranich-Ritter says she is looking Ritter can sometimes be found forward to watching the players perform comparing the talents of the 1971 New following this weekend. Often, she says, York Knicks or NBA Hall of Famers Bob the big tournaments are an impetus for a Cousy and Bob Petit with, say, today’s Los player’s speedy progress. Angeles Lakers and LeBron James with one “I believe that chess is the matrix of of the player’s dads. everything,’’ Kranich-Ritter says. “It’s abAn internationally-rated chess master, stract, more than mathematics, more than Ritter is one of only five Level 5-rated geometry and art and painting, but it is all coaches in the country, the highest level of the above. The lessons you learn can be one can reach in chess. He has tutored five retrofitted to their professions one day. It is individual national champions, and runs the blueprint for everything.”

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A ‘Chaotic Symphony’ & A ‘Wobble’ At The Shops At Wiregrass! By Gary Nager

I’m actually writing this on “Black Friday,” which for me was a deadline day, while trying to finish the December 5 issue of New Tampa Neighborhood News. No, I didn’t even try to brave the (somewhat smaller than expected, based on what I’ve heard) crowds at either the new Tampa Premium Outlets or Shops at Wiregrass the day after Thanksgiving, but I did spend a little time at the Wiregrass mall the night before Turkey Day. I was on hand for the “Symphony in Lights” Presented by Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel — the every-hour-on-thehour (between 6 p.m.-9 p.m.) tree-light- (Above) They don’t look at all wobbly, do they? Many of the area’s top runners were ing-set-to-music” event at Wiregrass — on among the hundreds on hand at the third annual Wiregrass Wobble Turkey Trot 5K at the Shops at Wiregrass Thanksgiving morning. Photo by Craig Miller. Nov. 25, when the Tampa based kid band (its oldest member is 11-year-old Max, the group’s lead singer) known as “Beyond Chaotic” (see pg. 58) performed three sets of (Far left): Max, the lead singer in the New Tampa-based kid — if you can believe it band ‘Beyond Chaotic,’ sings ‘Radioactive’ by the Imagine — alternative rock music Dragons. (Left) “This counts as a makeup for a missed Rotary — between each of the meeting, right?” New Tampa Rotary Club members (2nd-5th 10-minute tree-lighting from left) Connie Bladon, David Lanigan, Lesley Zajac and events. I’m not the bigDebby Amon were joined by Wesley Chapel Rotary Club memgest fan of Trans-Siberian bers Jennifer Cofini (far left), Jannah McDonald & a certain Orchestra, but between publisher at the ‘Symphony in Lights’ (above) on Nov. 25. synthetic ice skating on Rotary phoho by Lauren McDonald. Piazza Ave., and music the original New Tampa (which has been we’ll have a recap in our next issue) and in need at Atonement Lutheran Church every night through meeting at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Wesley Chapel (our area’s largest current on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel the following December 31, the Shops Club on Friday mornings for 20 years, the club, which meets Wednesdays at noon at morning, a number of NT “Breakfast” is still a cool place to shop, with multiple oldest Rotary in either of our distribution Stage Left Bar & Kitchen in Lutz) Rotary Rotary members also were on hand at the restaurants that sell alcohol and provide areas; we’ll have pics from the club’s 20th Clubs. Fun. Shops the following morning for the third additional entertainment. anniversary, which was celebrated on Black While many of those same WC Roannual “Wiregrass Wobble 5K,” of which I was at the Shops that night as part Friday Night, the night I went to press, but tarians were serving meals to 500 people of an informal gathering of Rotarians from See “Chaotic” on page 58!

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VIP Elite Barber Shop For The Latest Styles & ‘Old School’ Service Story and photos by John C. Cotey Joanne Rivera is a whirlwind of activity. On a tour of the VIP Elite Barbershop on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., in front of Live Oak Preserve (next to Marco’s Pizza), which she owns with her husband and Master Barber Omar, she is grinning widely and excitedly talking about the new place. Joanne thinks VIP Elite is the best place in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel to get your hair cut, and she’ll tell you why, while handing you a small stack of the shop’s business cards to hand out to your friends. She rattles off the special services and perks, like online booking, and takes you on a tour of the VIP area in the back that even has a Hollywood-style backdrop. “Take your picture, feel like a star,’’ she says, which is what VIP Elite is all about. She pulls out her cellphone, proudly showing off the shop’s Instagram and Facebook accounts. Joanne is a social media maven, firing off post after post, many with deals for clients. Omar, on the other hand, is calm, cool and collected as he watches from the front of the store. He explains everything he does and why he does it in a soothing, matter-offact manner. “I love cutting hair; I love giving people a great experience,” he says as he meticulously tends to the client in his chair, leaning in for a closer look at his handiwork, then giving one more buzz-by with his razor. “The most important thing in cutting hair is the details,” Omar says. “The lines have to perfect.’’ This is how it works at the VIP Elite Barber Shop. Joanne is the frenetic energy behind the scenes, a marketing hurricane taking her storm to social media to attract and keep clients; Omar is the quiet artist, intent on making sure those who sit in his chair leave happy, and return later. Fire and Ice. “She is my nitro,’’ Omar says. “It works,” Joanne says, laughing.

Working Toward A Common Goal

When Omar and Joanne opened VIP Elite Barber Shop in August of this year, they had one goal — to have the classiest, most classic barber shop in town, with exquisite modern touches — a mix of old school and new school. When you walk into the place, your

first impulse is to grab a seat on the comfortable brown leather loveseats in the lobby. There’s even a bar and VIP area in the back — built by Omar himself and nicknamed the “Man Cave” — where you can grab a cup of coffee or tea. Magazines are spread on a table. The TV is on. The whole place has a warm feel, with subtle, masculine touches. The floor has a brown faux marble finish, the barber chairs are a rich chocolate color, the lights are soft, and the music is just the right amount of funky. For a split second, you almost forget you are there to get your hair cut. “When we designed it,’’ Omar says, “we wanted it to feel like home.” Once in the barber’s chair, there are a myriad of services in which you can indulge. A regular haircut will run you $20, and it includes a complimentary hair wash if you want it. For kids, it’s just $15. If you follow Joanne on Instagram or Facebook, you might even be able to catch a deal, like the occasional “$10 Tuesday” special. Edges and shape-ups are $7, and the same goes for beard trims. Mustache and eyebrow trims are $5, or get it all with the VIP Ultimate package for $35. And, you’ll also get something you won’t find just anywhere — a hot towel, straight-razor shave for $15 that can take 45 minutes and will leave your face feeling fresh and clean. It starts with a hot warming cream, followed by a hot towel. Omar will then lay down some shaving cream, using a little bit of the foamy stuff and some of the slick stuff. With a straight razor and a steam machine keeping your face moist and warm (and the pores open), Omar delivers a tight shave, then a cold towel, which he says tightens the skin and properly closes the pores. After some moisturizer and a facial massage, if you haven’t fallen asleep in the chair, you may wonder why you ever shaved yourself in the first place. “That’s just one of the added touches that we think puts us ahead of the other places,’’ Omar says. “I moved here from New York and was looking for a place, and this is what makes this barbershop unique, you can come here and relax,’’ said Matthew Arriage, one of VIP Elite’s regulars. “It’s nice when you find a barber shop you really like. Other places I’ve been to, they aren’t interested in talking, they just want your get your money

Omar and Joanne Rivera of VIP Elite Barbershop on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. next to Marco’s Pizza invite you to enjoy an old-school “Epic Grooming Experience” with the latest hair styles. and get you out of there.” Omar is from Manhattan, and Joanne is from Brooklyn. But, believe it or not, they actually met in Ocala as teenagers. It was love at first sight, Omar says, when as a freshman he bravely walked up to Joanne (a junior) and asked her for a date. They were married in Ocala in 1995, and settled afterwards in Linden, NJ. Joanne went to school to earn her MBA, and Omar took jobs in retail management at Modell’s Sporting Goods, Sears and Home Depot. He never stopped cutting hair, though.

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His son Israel would bring friends over, and he’d cut their hair on the back patio. He also cut the hair of friends and family. He got licensed to be a barber but until moving back to Florida last year, never thought about opening his own place. But, tired of the retail grind and with the long hours that he said took him away from his family and left him depressed during holidays, Omar did decide to open his own business. He studied plans, conceptualized what he wanted, and decided, “I wanted a classy spot. And, little by little,

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things started falling in place.” No one was happier than Joanne, who also works at Citigroup in Tampa. “He always had such a good eye for it,’’ she said. “He wanted a nice gentlemen’s place, and he wanted to do what he loves.” Omar built the front counter and the Man Cave himself and the Riveras attended an Orlando salon trade show and after lots of testing, decided on El Patron and Billy Jealousy skin and hair products for their clients. Israel, 19, got his license recently and also works in the salon with his dad. Israel also has picked up his mom’s touch for marketing, suggesting some beard oil and conditioner to a pair of customers following their haircuts. Since opening VIP Elite, Joanne and Omar say business has been good, and getting better through word of mouth. She says they have 350 clients in their system already,

and are working hard to retain them and attract others. Joanne believes she and Omar have something special, something she is happy to trumpet daily on social media. She works to keep Omar and his staff of five barber stylists busy, and their job is to deliver on the promise to give customers an experience worth repeating — and a look they will want to keep. It’s a simple formula, Joanne says. “We’re not here to be average.” VIP Elite Barbershop is located at 20309 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. You can follow Joanne and Omar on Facebook or on Instagram at vip_elite_barbershop. Online, find them at vipelitebarbershop. com or reach them by phone at 9944057. You also can get 15-percent-off your next “Epic Grooming Experience” with the coupon from the ad on page 39 of this issue.

Omar Rivera built the “Man Cave” so patrons could enjoy a complimentary drink and feel comfortable at VIP Elite Barbershop. The steam shave (right) is another added perk.

1928 Highland Oaks Blvd., Lutz, FL 33559

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11/16/15 4:19 PM

Little Italy’s — Great Italian Food Just Minutes From New Tampa!

Photos by John C. Cotey & Gary Nager

By Gary Nager

HERE do you go in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel for great Italian food? It’s not a trick question. I know we have a lot of good pizza places in Wesley Chapel proper, but since D’Alessio, Ciao! Italian Bistro and even Primadonna have opened and closed in either New Tampa or Wesley Chapel, there really is no place for authentic Italian cuisine in either of our distribution areas. However, there is a great little place that we’ve helped create something of a stir about (admittedly, with a lot of help from the Wesley Chapel Community on Facebook.com) that’s located just a couple of miles west of the Tampa Premium Outlets (TPO) mall, in the same space that used to be occupied by Bosco’s Pizza. We may have helped stirred things up for them, but Little Italy’s Family Restaurant

& Catering owners Carl and Chef Jessica Meyers have kept the sauce pot simmering nicely ever since with Jessica’s amazing recipes and the happy couple’s no-B.S. northeastern attitude and homemade Italian food “like mama used to make.” Jessica is originally from Canarsie, a tough part of Brooklyn, New York, where she learned real Italian cooking, especially from her grandmother. This reporter is particularly happy that Jessica learned everything she needs to know about making the perfect red sauce, which most Italian food lovers (like yours truly) can’t live without. First, let me say that although Little Italy is in no way fancy, it’s really a misnomer to call it a “pizza place — even though Jessica does offer amazing true Sicilian-style thickcrust pizza with a variety of great toppings, or try the “I Did It My Way” where the first three toppings are “on us.” I’m not holding it against her that there’s no round New York thin-crust pizza

Meatball Parmigiana Grinda

at Little Italy’s, but I hope that when they expand into a larger location — which the Meyers are already trying to do — maybe they’ll add the thin-crust ‘za, too. In the meantime, Jessica says, “I use the best ingredients and make everything here, except for the actual dough for the pizza crust and the real Italian bread we make our ‘grindas’ with. That, we import from New York.” “New Jersey,” Carl, who met Jessica in his native Rhode Island, chimes back. “Somewhere up there anyway,” she laughs. “The best Italian bread I‘ve found.” My favorite dish so far has to be the meatball parmigiana grinda ($9) pictured above. Jessica’s big, homemade meatballs are literally too much to contain, even for the crispiest, most perfect Italian hoagie roll I’ve had in the Tampa Bay area, swaddled in a thick, red marinara. That bread also is no slouch when wrapped around Little Italy’s tender, but

thick cut of chicken breast parmigiana ($9 grinda, $14 with spaghetti). And those todie-for meatballs are also available in some of the best spaghetti and meatballs around ($13). All of these dishes make a great meal for two hungry people who both crave this kind of “comfort food.” Other traditional Italian pasta favorites (all $12-$15 for a huge portion) on the menu are baked lasagna, eggplant rollatini or parmigiana, fettuccini Alfredo or bolognese (meat sauce) and some properly pillowy ravioli. I bet if enough of you ask nicely, Carl will even give the OK to adding his linguine with a loaded with clams zesty white clam butter sauce I’ve never tasted before sampled (but wasn’t allowed to photograph; just kidding) on my most recent visit. I’m so thankful that I’ve yet to get my shellfish reaction from clams, ‘cause I love ‘em and this was a dish worth risking it on, ya know?. For starters, if your family loves any kind of cheese sticks, you have to try the mozza-

Located 1 Mile West of the new Outlet Mall! • 24400 State Road 54, Lutz, FL 33559 (813) 949-4334 • www.StageLeftTampa.com • Facebook/StageLeftTampa

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 23, Issue 25 • December 5, 2015 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Sicilian-Style Pizza Photo by Janet Elaine Kirby

Traditional Calzone

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The Godfather Burger

Caprese Salad rella “half-moons,” which literally are so big more than two people can share them (for just $6!). Other of our office’s favorites to date are a great bruschetta appetizer ($6), an even better caprese salad with a beautiful balsamic finish and an excellent house salad. Other big-portion starters (all $5-$8) on the menu are Jessica’s own “smashed potatoes,” French fry and onion ring baskets and garlic and cheesy garlic bread.

‘Give Me That Calzone...”

Even when I lived in New York, I was never a big calzone guy. But, if you even like a traditional (with a unique tomato sauce, Bacio mozzarella and creamy ricotta, $10) or chicken parm, Buffalo chicken or “I Did It My Way” options (all $13). Just try to eat one of these bad boys without at least four other people...six in some cases. Even if youse guys feel like a burger, Little Italy’s has you covered, with the already-legendary-in-our-office Godfather burger. It costs $10, but is an 8-oz. slab of made-toorder ground beef, salami and cappicola ham, encased with melted provolone, then topped with prosciutto ham and a balsamic glaze reduction, all on a garlic toasted bun. Add $3 for a huge portion of great fries or the thick onion rings pictured above. Lil’ Goombas catch a break with smaller portions of those delicious “pa-sketti” and meatballs or cheese ravioli (both $5) or “chicky” fingers and fries for $6. At least try to save some room for dessert because Jessica promises that no matter how busy she gets, she will always come to your table and hand-fill you one or two (or seven) of her crispy cannoli shells (as she is in the photo above) with the best cannoli filling I’ve had since a certain bakery in Elmont, NY, I mentioned in a previous article. And, Jessica promises that she can handle your holiday catering order like nobody else. She and Carl started in Florida with a popular mobile food truck called “Little Italy’s Meatballs, where they served hundreds of people a day. In other words, she means it when she says, “No order too large or too small,” she says. For more info about Little Italy’s Family Restaurant & Catering (24436 S.R. 54, Lutz, next to Walesby Vision), call 909-2122, visit LittleItalyFamilyRestaurant. com or see the ad on pg. 36. It is open Tues.-Sat. at noon for lunch and dinner. Neighborhood News

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Did You Win A Free Cruise In Our 2015 Reader Dining Survey & Contest? Check It Out! We had another great year of reader response to our annual Dining Survey & Contest, as nearly 600 of you took the time to enter the contest and tell us about your favorite places to eat in our two distribution areas. As for this year’s results, our readers’ favorite restaurant in New Tampa was last year’s #2 finisher — Burger 21, located in the Trout Creek area off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., across from Bruster’s Real Ice Cream. Last year’s first-place finisher, Stonewood Grill & Tavern, dropped to second, and the top ten in New Tampa had the same list of restaurants as last year, only in a slightly different order. The biggest jump this year? Cappy’s

Pizza, which, in only its second year on our ballots, rocketed to #12 this year from #24 last year. I’m not going to attribute all of that success to regular advertising in these pages, but I’m sure it didn’t hurt! According to Jessica Meyers, the co-owner of Little Italy’s Family Restaurant & Catering (see story on page 46) our amazing readers really like to support the places they see advertised and reviewed in these pages. Meanwhile, over in Wesley Chapel, GrillSmith retained the top spot, narrowly edging The Hungry Greek, which moved up one spot, from #3 with our readers last year. At #3, Bonsai Sushi saw a great jump, up from #12 with our readers last year. The biggest jump in this year’s Survey

was also the only place I could accuse of ballot-stuffing this time around — Pinchers Crab Shack. Despite my best efforts and warnings on every entry form every year, people still think they’re helping their “favorite” restaurant when they 1) Put it as their favorite in the area in which it isn’t located (e.g., 28 people were disqualified for putting “Pinchers” as their favorite in New Tampa, even though it’s located, and on the ballot, in Wesley Chapel) and 2) Put it as their #1-#5 favorite in the area in which it is located, rather than just selecting it #1. In other words, another 48 entries had to be disqualified from a chance at winning any of our prizes, and all of the votes on those entries (other than their votes for

Your 50 Favorite Restaurants in

1. Burger 212. Burger 21

2. Stonewood Grill & Tavern 3. Kobe Japanese Steakhouse 4. Acropolis Greek Taverna 5. Ciccio’s Cali 6. Liang’s Bistro Asian Cuisine 7. Vallarta’s (Tampa Palms) 8. Mr. Dunderbak’s 9. Koizi Endless Hibachi Grill 10. Oakley’s Grille 11. Little Greek Restaurant 12. Cappy’s Pizza 13. Sushi Café 14. Woodfired Pizza (E. Bearss Ave.) 15. Las Palmas Spanish Café 16. Café Olé 17. Sukhothai 18. China Wok 19. Thai Ruby 20. Mulligan’s Irish Pub 21. Peabody’s Billiards & Games 22. Taste of NY Pizza 23. Zaytoun Mediterranean Grill 24. Casa Ramos 25. Full Circle Pizza

other restaurants) did not count towards Pinchers’ totals. In order to find out which of our readers won our Grand Prize — a FREE 4- or 5-night cruise out of Tampa on Carnival Cruise Lines — and who won our three (one for $200, one for $100 and one for $50, each to the restaurant of your choice in the entire Tampa Bay area!) restaurant gift card prizes (all selected at random from among all of the correctly filled out entry forms we received) you’ll have to turn to pages 50-51, which is also where you’ll find out which restaurants won our 14 other categories, including your favorite Pizza, Chinese, Dessert and other favorite restaurants! Bon appetit! — GN

Your 50 Favorite Restaurants in

26. Biagio’s II 27. Saffron Indian Cuisine 28. Sushi Ko 29. Hunter’s Green CC 30. Lanna Thai 31. Hoosiers Grille 32. Ho King 33. Fushia Asian Bistro 34. Soho Sushi 35. Takara Sushi & Sake 36. Top Thai 37. China City 38. PJ Dolan’s Irish Pub 39. Seasons Fresh Café 40. Cross Creek Deli 41. Hawkeye’s NYS Pizza 42. Big Papa’s Pit 43. Pita’s Republic 44. Olive Garden 45. Glory Days Grill 46. Petra Express Mediterranean 47. Dine or Dash (OOB) 48. Toast Wine & Café 49. Red Lobster 50. Chipotle

GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTERS

1. GrillSmith

2. The Hungry Greek 3. Bonsai Sushi 4. Vallarta’s (WC Village Mkt) 5. Burger Monger 6. Pincher’s Crab Shack 7. PrimeBar 8. Yamato Japanese Steakhouse 9. 900° Woodfired Pizza (Wiregrass) 10. OTB Café 11. Amici Pizza (SR 54 Lutz) 12. PDQ 13. CinéBistro 14. PizzaMania 15. Wolf’s Den 16. Dempsey’s Steak House 17. Asian Buffet 18. Latin Twist Café 19. Best NY Pizza 20. NY NY Pizza 21. 365 Caffe Italiano 22. China Wok (WC Village Mkt) 23. City Grill 24. Hibachi Express 25. La Prima Pizza

26. Bonefish Grill 27. Stage Left Bar & Kitchen (Lutz) 28. Dolce Gelato & Crepes 29. Chick & Peas Grill 30. China Taste 31. Don Pan International Bakery 32. Kwan Ming Bistro 33. Bagelicious & More 34. Cantina Laredo 35. Ho Wok 36. Ciao! Italian Bistro (OOB) 37. Gonna China 38. Woody’s Pizza & Wings 39. Texas Roadhouse 40. Happy Cow Frozen Yogurt 41. Bosco’s Italian To Go 42. Fine Thai Express 43. First Watch 44. Quail Hollow CC 45. Lexington Oaks GC 46. Red Robin 47. 100 Montaditos 48. Dempsey’s Too Lounge 49. Outback Steakhouse 50. Tokyo Grill/Sushi

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 23, Issue 25 • December 5, 2015 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Your Favorite

Restaurants in NT &WC

Your Other 2015 Favorites In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel! So, there are some surprises on this year’s list of our readers’ other favorites. Perhaps biggest among them was 900° Woodfired Pizza in the Wiregrass mall winning as your favorite pizza place for the first time (and neither La Prima Pizza nor Pizza Mania cracking the top five) and Latin Twist Café jumping all the way to #2 (from #7) on your favorite Latin restaurants list. Don’t forget — my list of 2015 favorites will appear next issue! — GN

1. Liang’s Bistro Asian Cuisine 2. China Wok (Village Market) 3. Asian Buffet 4. China Wok (County Line Rd.) 5. Gonna China 6. Fushia Asian Bisto 7. Sushi Ko 8. Kwan Ming Bistro 9. Ho King 10. Ho Wok

1. Thai Ruby

1. Burger 21

2. Sukhothai 3. Top Thai 4. Saffron Indian Cuisine 5. Fine Thai Express 6. Lanna Thai 7. Tabla Indian Cuisine No other Thai restaurants received enough votes to make this list.

2. Burger Monger 3. Oakley’s Grille 4. GrillSmith 5. Mulligan’s Irish Pub 6. City Grill 7. OTB Café 8. Five Guys Burgers & Fries 9. Wolf’s Den 10. (Tie) Peabody’s & Red Robin

Your Favorite

Restaurants in NT &WC

in NT &WC

1. Kobe Japanese Steakhouse

1. 900° Woodfired (Wiregrass)

2. Yamato Japanese Steakhouse 3. Bonsai Sushi 4. Koizi Endless Hibachi Grill 5. Sushi Café 6. Asian Buffet 7. Hibachi Express 8. Sukhothai 9. Sushi Ko 10. Takara Sushi & Sake Lounge

2. Amici Pizza 3. Best NY Pizza 4. NY NY Pizza 5. Woodfired Pizza (Bearss Ave.) 6. Cappy’s Pizza 7. La Prima Pizza 8. PizzaMania 9. Taste of NY Pizza 10. Ciccio’s Cali

Merry ! s a m t s i r Ch

1. Vallarta’s Wesley Chapel

1. PrimeBar

2. Latin Twist Café 3. Vallarta’s Tampa Palms 4. Café Olé 5. Casa Ramos 6. Las Palmas Café 7. Don Pan International Bakery 8. 100 Montaditos 9. Cantina Laredo 10. Dine or Dash (OOB)

2. The Brass Tap 3. GrillSmith 4. Peabody’s Billiards & Games 5. Stonewood Grill & Tavern 6. Ciccio Cali 7. CineBistro 8. Mulligan’s Irish Pub 9. Acropolis 10. City Grill & Stage Left

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 23, Issue 25 • December 5, 2015 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Your Favorite

The Restaurants With The

Restaurants in NT &WC

in NT &WC

Restaurants in NT &WC

In NT &WC

1. The Hungry Greek

2. Acropolis Greek Taverna 3. Little Greek Restaurant 4. Zaytoun Mediterranean Grill 5. Kabob House (OOB) 6. Pita’s Republic 7. Chick & Peas Grill 8. Petra Mediterranean Express No other restaurants received enough votes to make this list.

1. Publix

2. Don Pan International Bakery 3. Panera Bread 4. Dunkin Donuts 5. Ms. Jane’s Cupcakes 6. Stonemill Artisan Bakery & Café 7. Le Macaron 8. Happy Cow Frozen Yogurt 9. Bagelicious & More 10. (Tie) OTB Café & Starbucks

1. Happy Cow Frozen Yogurt 2. Dairy Queen 3. Twistee Treat 4. Coldstone Creamery 5. Bruster’s Real Ice Cream 6. Sprinkles Ice Cream Parlor 7. 365 Caffe Italiano 8. Baskin Robbins 9. Pinchers Crab Shack 10. Frogury

Your Favorite

Restaurants in NT &WC

1. Olive Garden

1. Panera Bread

2. The Hungry Greek 3. First Watch 4. OTB Café 5. GrillSmith 6. Ciccio Cali 7. Vallarta’s (WC Village Mkt) 8. Pincher’s Crab Shack 9. Wolf’s Den 10. (Tie) Chipotle, Koizi & PDQ

Neighborhood News

2. Amici Pizza 3. PizzaMania 4. GrillSmith 5. Biagio’s II Pizza & Pasto 6. Best NY Pizza 7. La Prima Pizza 8. Bonefish Grill 9. Ciccio Cali 10. (Tie) NY NY & 900° Woodfired

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1. Bonefish Grill

2. Chili’s Grill & Bar 3. Pinchers Crab Shack 4. Chick-fil-A 5. Applebees 6. Outback Steak House 7. PDQ 8. GrillSmith 9. Red Robin 10. Texas Roadhouse

1. Stonewood Grill & Bar 2. Pinchers Crab Shack 3. GrillSmith 4. Bonefish Grill 5. Happy Cow Frozen Yogurt 6. Vallarta’s 7. OTB Café 8. First Watch 9. PrimeBar 10. Wolf’s Den

OK, So Who Won? Of course, we always save the best news for last when we can, so here is our list of big winners for this year: Grand Prize - A FREE Carnival Cruise for Two — Sheila Cavender, Tampa Palms $200 Gift Card (to any restaurant in the Tampa Bay area) - Andrea Roscart, Lexington Oaks $100 Gift Card - Ramara Shackleford, Heritage Isles $50 Gift Card - Shelly Jacobs, Citrus Park

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 23, Issue 25 • December 5, 2015 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

The Latest & Greatest News About Dining, Shopping, Retail & More In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel!

Señor T’s Cuts A Ribbon!

Just to update our item in the last issue, I was officially the only member of the local media to attend the Nov. 27 Grand Opening and ribbon cutting ceremony at Señor T’s Mexican Grill & Tequila Bar, located at 17641 Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., in the location previously occupied by Macaroni Grill, right next to Chili’s. My Facebook post about it quickly grabbed the attention of more than 4,000 people, and I believe way more locals are going to be talking about — and sampling — it soon.

I told owner Tom (Señor T himself) Reynolds (with scissors in photo, left) that although I have heard a lot of New Tampa residents say we already have enough Mexican (and Latin) restaurants in our area, I’ve heard just about as many say, “unless a really good one opens.” Well, because I went to press with this issue the same day Señor T’s opened, I’ve only been able to sample one very tasty and unique entrée — the only mahi-mahi fajitas (photo, above) in our area and maybe the best mahi I have had in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel (including Bonefish!). Plus, I already love the whole look and feel (much brighter and more welcoming than the old

Mac Grill) and (go figure) the 75 tequilas, separate tequila “lounge” and the other upscale alcohol and beers at the place, all without...let’s call them “mall prices.” I can’t yet guarantee that Señor T’s will be a big hit, but it is independently owned (Tom has a couple of operations partners, Dewayne and Mike, both of whom previously worked for Don Pablo’s, one of the better Mexican chains), visible from BBD, and located next to an average (at best), supposedly southwestern chain (how did that even happen, right?). And, Señor T’s has a much better menu (there’s even filet mignon and ribeye steaks available, each for less than $20!), live entertainment at least on weekends and a possible Wed. Karaoke Night on the way). In fact, I hope to someday sponsor the first-ever Karaoke Night & Tequila Tasting Party at Señor T’s. We’ll keep you posted! For more info about Señor T’s, call 972-4800 or visit SenorTsMexGrill.com.

Cantina Now Open On Cross Creek Blvd.!

I can tell you that I’m already a little bit of a fan of the steak fajitas (photo, above right) and of my overall experience so far at

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 23, Issue 25 • December 5, 2015 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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our other new south-of-the-border eatery, Cantina (10032 Cross Creek Blvd.) the Mexican place which replaced (maybe two months ago) a Mexican place (the old La Fuente) in the Cross Creek Center plaza on Cross Creek Blvd. at Kinnan St.(behind the Shell gas station and Domino’s). With beer, wine and wine-based mixed drinks only in a much smaller setting than Señor T’s, Cantina has TVs like a sports bar and prices and food similar in quality to (and an equally large menu as) Vallarta’s, which has two locations in our area (one in Tampa Palms and the other in Wesley Chapel) that finished in the top-10 in their respective markets in this year’s Reader Dining Survey & Contest (see below and page 49!).

@NTWCNews

Cantina is located in the same plaza as Café Olé, Saffron Indian Cuisine and Lanna Thai, all of which are successful in a strip center that is building an international portfolio of places to eat. All three places also got at least a little love from our readers in this year’s Dining Survey. And, those of you who wonder how much is too much should also note that two other Mexican places finished in one of our top-20s (Casa Ramos in New Tampa and Cantina Laredo in Wesley Chapel). In other words, we keep getting so many Mexican places because so many of you love big portions and fair prices, especially during the holiday shopping season. For more information about Cantina Mexican Restaurant, call 406-4856.—GN

Tom and Chee Franchisees Looking At Wiregrass Mall!

Wesley Chapel resident Matt Mace is a devoted watcher of the popular ABC-TV show “Shark Tank,” and often, the pitches made by entrepreneurs would speak to him. Sometimes, quite loudly. When he saw founders Drew Quackenbush and Corey Ward pitch Tom and Chee, their new grilled cheese and tomato soup restaurant to the Sharks, Holly says Matt had an epiphany. “He called me right away and said, ‘What are you doing? You have to see this,” Holly says with a laugh. With that Season Four episode began a long and winding journey that has led the Maces to Wesley Chapel, where they hope to soon open their second Tom and Chee franchise location at the Shops of Wiregrass. The Maces, who are among 25,000 (according to the Tom and Chee website) to apply for a franchise, almost had deals to buy

Neighborhood News

franchises in Orlando, Melbourne, Sarasota and Fort Myers. They decided, however, to take an opportunity in Tampa Bay when it opened. They opened their first Tom and Chee franchise in St. Petersburg last month. Their next store, Holly hopes, will be at the Shops of Wiregrass, closer to their home in the Watergrass community off Curlew Rd. in Wesley Chapel. She says they are in lease negotiations with the mall to take a spot near Dillard’s, although Holly says most of their current energy is focused on making sure the St. Petersburg store is a smash hit. While one of the stars of the franchise — whose restaurants have now grossed more than $14-million after starting out in a tent — is the grilled cheese donut (photo above), Holly says Tom and Chee’s healthier and fresh options provide something for everyone. The restaurant in St. Petersburg roasts all of its meats in-house, uses no fryers or microwaves. There are gluten-free breads for the 25+ sandwiches, salads and vegetarian soups, and even the grilled cheese sandwiches are made with vegan butter. “We are super excited about opening our first store,’’ Holly said. “We are really, really interested in opening up at the Wiregrass Mall, too.” For more info, visit TomandChee.com. — JCC

Pollo Tropical To Open?

Pasco County’s planning staff recently

@NTWCNews

met with project engineers looking into building a Pollo Tropical restaurant at the Cypress Creek Town Center Development of Regional Impact (DRI), across S.R. 56 from the new Tampa Premium Outlets mall, at the northeast corner of S.R. 56 and Wesley Chapel Blvd. (S.R. 54). The permit pre-submittal meeting was Nov. 2. “Right now, it is just conceptual,’’ said project engineer Zach Thornton. The permit proposal is looking at a 3,600-sq.-ft. restaurant and a drive-through lane. A pre-application conference was already held Feb. 18 regarding the site plan but, according to the meeting request form, changes have been made since that meeting. The Pollo Tropical chain was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Kendall in Miami-Dade County, and is best known for its marinated, flame-grilled chicken. The company has more than 180 locations (10

• Sicilian-Style Pizza • Calzones • Grindas • Pastas • Burgers • Sandwiches • Salads • And More! Check our our Lil’ Goombas Menu, too!

in Florida) and more than 3,000 employees mostly across the southern U.S., including the closest existing store at 828 Providence Rd. in Brandon. For more info, visit Pollo Tropical.com. — JCC

Russell’s Western Wear Opens!

Yee-ha! Wesley Chapel may not “officially” have the fashionable Tampa Premium Outlets mall located within its postal confines, but we are now the home of “Cowboy Chic,” as the third Tampa Bay-area Russell’s Western Wear store has opened at 28053 S.R. 54, in the former location of the RaceTrac gas station (next to Wendy’s, just east of I-75). Russell’s is your one-stop shop for cowboy boots, hats, jeans and apparel and is open just in time for the holidays. For more info, visit RussellsWestern Wear.com or call 435-6918. — GN

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 23, Issue 25 • December 5, 2015 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 •Volume 23, Issue 25 • December 5, 2015 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

New Tampa & Wesley Chapel HELP WANTED

PIZZAMAKERS & LINE/PREP COOKS WANTED (exp’d. preferred) at New Tampa’s favorite authentic Chicago-style pizza place. Bring Resume during business hours to Full Circle Chicago Pizza at 19651 BBD Blvd. (in the Pebble Creek Collection). HANAQ PRANA YOGA STUDIO, located in New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area, is looking for RYT Yogis who want to grow and teach our community the vast benefits of Yoga & Meditation. Flat fee plus percentage of attendance. Rates based upon experience, new RYTs are always welcome. Join the movement create conscious about the real Yoga LifeStyle. (813) 333-1026 MEDICAL BILLER Spanish-speaking Medical Biller wanted for New Tampa Medical Equipment Company. Duties: Gathers billing information by reviewing patient records; checking for completeness. Bills insurance carrier by inputting billing info to database; initiating electronic transmissions. Resolves disputed claims by gathering, verifying & providing additional information; following up on claims. Resolves discrepancies by examining and evaluating data; selecting corrective steps. Skills/Qualifications: Data Entry Skills, Microsoft Office Proficiency, Time Management, Organization, Professionalism, Customer service and Attention to Detail. Send resume to Richard.Jones@solarusmedical.com. WING ZONE IS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR POSITIONS Including shift leader, cooks, cashiers and delivery drivers. Wing Zone offers flexible scheduling, competitive pay wages, advancement opportunities and much more. Come join out team of flavorholics and wing lovers at Wing Zone. Applications available at store location: 19062 Bruce B Downs. Corner of Cross Creek in the New Tampa Center. NOW HIRING STYLIST - Upscale hair salon seeks hairstylist. Please inquire within... 6431 Country Line Road, Suite 107 Tampa, FL 33647 Contact (813) 994-9455 ROUTE SALES, MEDICAL Fills customer orders by driving to customer accounts within Florida; unloading and shelving product, inventory verification, order retreival. Increase sales volume by providing customer service and suggestive selling techniques. Fills order by verifying inventory; loading vehicle. Monthly overnight travel requirement 2 nights a month. Retrieves damaged/defective products from customer locations; keeps vehicle operating by following operating instructions; scheduling maintenance and repairs. Send resumes to: richard.jones@solarusmedical.com PHYSICAL THERAPIST (PT) An established New Tampa outpatient clinic is hiring a part-time PT to provide customized, one-on-one care. Fax resume to (813) 994-3080.

Classifieds

AD OF THE MONTH!

TAMPA BAY MATCHMAKERS NOW HIRING part-time Client Service and Marketing Professionals. We are Tampa Bay’s ONLY Certified Matchmaking and Relationship Coaching service, as well as offering Online Dating assistance. For further information, or to send your resume, contact us at info@TampaBayMatchMakers.com Visit our website at: www.TampaBayMatchMakers.com

CLEANING SERVICES

M & Y Cleaning Services Residential & Commercial cleaning Complete cleaning: Dusting, vacuuming,mopping, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, living rooms and more...Weekly, Byweekly, monthly, one time cleaning. References available. 8 years of cleaning experience. We clean your properties like our own. Call us TODAY for a FREE estimate. Mila (813)516-3554. B Cleaning Services: Over fourteen years experience! Commercial & residential; Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly; New house & post construction clean-up; Window cleaning; Move-in or move-out cleanings; Pressure washing; FREE estimates; References available. Call today: 813.531.0154 or e-mail: bcleanings@ hotmail.com D-ULTRA CLEANING SERVICE - We have our own supplies and more than 300 clients in New Tampa! For more info, Call 758-9710.

COMPUTER / BUSINESS SERVICES PROFESSIONAL TECH SUPPORT — in your home or small business. A+, Certified computer tech with 20 years of exp. Maintenance & repairs, upgrades & tutoring. More affordable than the large chains! Friendly, personalized svc. Technical jargon explained in plain English. Remote assistance available. References available upon request. Call (813) 957-8342 for a free estimate.

DO YOU HATE YOUR COMPUTER?!? WE CAN HELP YOU! Troubleshooting, installation, networking & virus removal. WE COME TO YOU! Servicing residences & businesses, w/ more than 25 years of exp. Contact Jeffrey Blank at (813) 973-4507, visit WSICA.COM or send an email to Wsica@wsica.com today!

ERRANDS

PERSONAL

SVCS

GET A RIDE Don’t Have a Ride? Don’t Want to Leave Your Car? Shouldn’t Drive? We Drive You & Your Car Home! Night Clubs, Corporate Events, Sporting Events, Concerts, Appointments, Airport or stranded. Call Jay at (813) 966-1530.

POOL SERVICES

MONSTER POOL CLEANING - Summer MONSTER POOL CLEANING - Summer SpecialSpecial — 50% — your 50%1stofftwo your 1st two months of service. off months of service. Family owned &Family operowned operated. 20+ Years of Experience. Comated. 20+&Years of Experience. Competitive rates! Same service each week.service *Our 15-pt. full service petitivetech rates! Same tech weekly each week. *Our will keepweekly your pool Referyour a customer & get 15-pt. full looking servicegreat! will keep pool looking ONE MONTH Call Today (813)MONTH 489-9967.FREE! great! Refer aFREE! customer & get -ONE Call Today - (813) 489-9967. TRANQUILITY POOL SERVICE – New Tampa owned & operated. Great Pricing with outstanding customer service! LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED. See why we are New Tampa’s #1 Choice!! Call Chris Today @ (813)857-5400 or visit TranquilityPoolService.com New customers get ONE MONTH FREE! ALL-STAR POOL SERVICE & REPAIR- Expert repairs and installations of pumps, motors, filters, timers, salt and ozone generators. Pool refinishing from $2,400. Tile repair and acid washes, paver and river rock sealing, pressure washing and deck repair, paver and eurocote decks. Mention this ad and receive 1 FREE MONTH Pool Service. Call or text 813-244-7077. See our display ad.

LAWN & LANDSCAPING

JASMINE’S LANDSCAPING Complete lawn maintenance, Tree, palm and hedge trimming, Planting, mulching, stones, Sod replacement, Pressure washing, Gutter cleaning and more. Cited by your HOA for violations? Need to comply for: Pressure washing, Trimming, Mulching, Sod replacement, Sprinkler repair or Mailbox repair or replacements? Ask about our HOA SPECIAL & FREE ESTIMATE! For more info, call (813) 420-4465. AMERICAN PRIDE LAWN CARE SERVICE, LLC Our services include weekly lawn maintenance with mulching decks on all mowers, precision edging, string trimming, hedge, shrub, palm, and tree trimming. We also offer landscaping, pruning, and sod replacement. Free estimates. Licensed and Insured. We are an Owner/Operator Company built on service and trust. References available. For more info, call (813) 458-4778. HOMETEAM LAWNCARE LLC: High-Quality Professional Services: Weekly or Bi-Weekly Year-Round Full-Svc LawnCare: mow, edge, trim, blow, mulchbed maintenance, hedge and low-tree trim. Additional Services: Sod, Mulch, & Rock Placement; Hedge Trimming, & Tree Trimming up to 24 feet; Landscape Installation; Fall/Spring Clean-Up. Family Owned & Operated, Licensed & Insured, Background Checked, Call or Text (813) 817-9554

MISCELLANEOUS

DRUMMER WANTED, JAZZ band, faculty/staff USF non-music department, practice weekly for fun & seek monthly gig. We play from the Real Books, ranging from mainstream jazz, bossa, Latin jazz, to funk to some rock. Though we have a typical quintet lineup now (minus drums), we will also consider additional instruments, besides drums. Glenns@usf.edu Glenn 813 693 0507 BUYING QUALITY PIANOS Baby Grands and Uprights only, in excellent shape.Newer is best. Prefer Kawaii or Yamaha. (813)978-1771

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 23, Issue 25 • December 5, 2015 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

PET SERVICES CAT SITTING Tampa Cat Lady Professional Cat-Sitting Service. Cats are happiest in their own home, surrounded by familiar sights, sounds, & smells. When you are away, we feed, cuddle, & play with your kitties & clean & dispose of litter. Insured, bonded, & Red-Cross certified in pet first aid/CPR. You can submit a service inquiry at TampaCatLady.com or call 813-994-9449. IN YOUR HOME CAT SITTING OR IN MY HOME DOG SITTING. Fifteen-year Pet Care Industry Veteran, Pet First Aid Instructor, Licensed, Insured, and Bonded. Justaskjulie.com/Petfirstaidandcpr.com/813-892-9543.

HOME IMPROVEMENT DRY WALL SPECIALIST Not just a ‘handyman.’ Affordable Quality Work repairing water damage, ceilings & walls, retexturing, popcorn removal, room additions, cracks, holes, plaster & stucco repair. 26 years of experience Wesley Chapel resident. StateCertified. Call Ron for a free estimate at 784-5999. GREG’S PAPERHANGING - For all of your wallpapering needs. Licensed and insured, clean, quick and reasonable. Call 973-2767 for a free estimate. RAYMOND PAINTING Exterior & Interior Services. Exterior: Painting, pressure washing, clean & seal pavers, stucco, roofing, leaks & wood rot repair. Interior: Painting, plastering, ceiling & wall repairs & tiles. Licensed & Bonded. References avail. Free estimates. Your Neighborhood Arbor Greene Resident! We work 7 days. Call (813) 994-5124. WEST COAST FLOORING, INC.Carpet and Laminate Flooring. Quality repairs on all floors. Commercial Flooring Install. Licensed and Insured. Free Estimate, Call (813)-215-4817 TAMPA HARDWOOD INSTALLERS We take pride in installing your new hardwood or laminate flooring. We can install any hardwood flooring you have purchased, or we can bring an assortment of flooring samples that best fit your flooring needs. Free estimates! Call 813-690-4789 or check us out on the web at www.TampaHardwoodInstallers.com. Licensed and Insured. DAVID BRIDGES PRESSURE CLEANING Complete exterior cleaning of your home or business with a professional and personal touch. - Pool decks and screen enclosures - All fencing/ driveways and walkways/roofs - Gutter and downspouts. Find your happiness in a fresh, bright clean home. Your neighbors will love you for it! All work guaranteed. Licensed and insured. Call 813-215-1177

@NTWCNews

EDUCATION / BABYSITTING GREAT HOPE PRESCHOOL We offer preschool for ages 6 weeks to 12 years. We accept the ELC - School Readiness program, offer FREE VPREK and offer multi child discounts. New owner and renovated classrooms. Now enrolling all age groups. Infants-Afterschool. Mention this ad and receive 1/2 off enrollment fees. TOUR TODAY!!! 30126 State Road 54 Wesley Chapel, FL 813-9296276 or 813-323-8030. #CO6PA0267 Royal Conservatory of Music Founding School - Lessons 5 through adult/all levels. Award-winning school. All teachers concerttrained. Piano, All types of Strings and Percussion. Read and listen to us at TampaPiano.com 813.978.1771

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Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 •Volume 23, Issue 25 • December 5, 2015 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

‘Chaotic’

Continued from pg. 39 which the New Tampa club has been a major sponsor (along with the New Tampa Family YMCA & the FitNiche store in the Shops) since the event’s inception. I neither attended nor covered this year’s “Wobble,” an event which already has had more than 3,000 participants and raised $45,000 (combined) the previous two years. But, with perfect weather this year, I hear the 5K run was packed again this time around. Since my friend and New Tampa Rotarian (and TV/film director/ producer) Craig Miller of Full Throttle Intermedia (Facebook.com/Full Throttle Intermedia) was there, I “borrowed” a couple of his great pics for this story. I hope to soon update the huge number of runners and funds raised at NTNeighborhoodNews.com and in our next issue.

Truly ‘Beyond Chaotic’

My favorite thing about the mall at this time of year is definitely the entertainment. The group I mentioned on page 39 — Beyond Chaotic — is made up of music students — ranging in age from 8 to no older than 11, no less — at Bigel Music on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (across from Paul R. Wharton High, in the plaza next to MidFlorida Credit Union). If you haven’t seen this too-youngto-be-this-good alternative rock band that performs everything from Imagine Dragons to AC/DC, make sure you like their page at Facebook.com/Beyond Chaotic. If you’re like...well, everyone

(Above) New Tampa Rotarian Brice & Christina Wolford were among the finishers at the third annual Wiregrass Wobble on Thanksgiving morning. Photo above by Craig Miller. Beyond Chaotic & Bigel Music Chorus photos on this page courtesy of Judy Bilek.

who has seen these kids sing and play guitar, bass, drums, violin and keyboards, you’re going to want to check out their upcoming gigs. And you should. And, if you or your children want to explore your own musical talents, I think Beyond Chaotic and the Bigel Music Chorus (below left & right) both speak loudly (yet melodically) about owner Larry Bigel’s Bigel Music. For info, visit BigelMusic.com). There’s lots of other great local entertainers performing every night at the Shops through December 23, too. For more information about synthetic ice skating, Visits with Santa, or your chance to win a “Santa’s Gift Grab” $1,000 shopping spree, visit TheShopsatWiregrass.com.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 23, Issue 25 • December 5, 2015 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews