New Tampa Neighborhood News, Volume 30, Issue 3, February 8, 2022 by Neighborhood News

Volume 30 Issue 3 February 8, 2022

GARY’S 2021 NEW TAMPA FAVORITES! You had your vote, now it’s Gary’s turn. See his faves on pages 27-36!

EDITORIAL

Presenting a non-political argument in favor of Covid vaccines. See page 3

A WIN FOR INCLUSIVITY Sensory & Autism Friendly Park to break ground on Feb. 14! See page 6

BACK PAIN BEGONE!

Tampa Bay Physical Therapy can help relieve your aches and pains. See page 16

HE’S A FIGHTER

Wharton’s Justin Scott perseveres and makes it to the pitch! See page 24

Treble Makers Repeats As Gary’s Wesley Chapel Favorite! See story on page 36! 1

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Why I’m Glad I Took The Covid Vaccine — A Non-Political View By GARY NAGER entirely different symptoms than I had on the or fourth day after my positive test. She Editorial third started with a low-grade fever and body aches,

Before I get into my own whys and wherefores, I just want to say that even though I disagree with those who refuse to get vaccinated against Covid-19, I still defend your right not to take the “jab.” While I’m not over age 65, I am in my 60s, still somewhat overweight and I’m on daily medicine to control my blood pressure, so as soon as I became eligible to receive the vaccine, I took my chances and got my two doses of the Moderna vaccine in February and March of 2021. Eight months later (in November of 2021), I got the Moderna booster and will plan to continue to get boosted whenever the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) says I should or that it’s OK for me to do so. Why? The primary reason I chose to do so, and why Jannah did as well (also having received her two original Moderna doses and her booster a little less than a month after I did), is because we love to go out to eat, to have a few drinks, go to sing karaoke, see concerts and attend Lightning and Bucs games and we believed that being vaccinated was a safer way for us to continue to do those things than choosing not to. While we wore our masks whenever we went shopping or to local Chamber, Rotary and other public meetings, we certainly didn’t wear them when we went out to eat or to watch the Bolts at Amalie Arena. To those who say we’re crazy, that we don’t know what’s really in those shots or how they will affect us long term, for us — as older adults (although Jannah’s almost eight years younger than me) who aren’t concerned about how the vaccinations will affect our reproductive systems — the choice was easy for us and now, we’re both even happier that we made the decision we did. After still basically doing all the things we love and never having tested positive for Covid in the nearly two years since the pandemic first hit (despite taking multiple rapid and PCR tests during that time)*, I first got a mild cough in mid-January, and I thought it might even just be a cold or allergies because I never ran a fever and never had body aches or major fatigue. And, although my cough did get a little worse, I still didn’t think I had Covid until my son called me a couple of days into my symptoms (and a week after we had all celebrated mine and my mom’s birthdays together) to say he had tested positive and that he was having a major sore throat issue. The sore throat — which we heard was a major indicator that we had caught the Omicron variant — finally kicked in for me the following day and got so bad over the next two days that no matter how much hot tea with honey, zinc, vitamin C, Airborne, cough drops and other over-the-counter medications I took, it got so bad I couldn’t sleep for two nights. I actually went and had myself swabbed for strep at a local Urgent Care center, just to make sure I didn’t have two illnesses happening at the same time. But, I tested negative for strep and was told to increase my Ibuprofen doses and within a day or so after, the sore throat started to subside and while I was still coughing up phlegm, it no longer hurt to do so. Two days after that, I again tested negative for Covid. Meanwhile, Jannah tested negative when I first tested positive but began experiencing Neighborhood News

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which progressed into a minor cough with a minor sore throat a couple of days later, but all of her symptoms went away within a few days and, almost exactly a week after her positive test, she also tested negative for Covid. Now, people tell me that Omicron, while apparently more contagious than previous variants, generally had less severe symptoms than Delta and other earlier forms of the disease, even for the unvaccinated. Even so, I could only imagine how much worse my symptoms could have gotten and that the possibility of being hospitalized, at least for me, seemed all too frighteningly real.

So, while I fully expect to receive the usual string of nasty emails and requests not to deliver the paper to those who are anti-vax and anti-mask, I still felt that I wanted to share my Covid story — not necessarily to change anyone’s mind, but just to say that knowing that people in my age, weight and general health categories are still dying from even the Omicron variant, I’m still glad that I weighed my options and felt that “taking the jabs” was less risky than just allowing my immune system to fight off this scourge. And, considering that I’m getting ready to have both of my knees replaced over the next few months, I’m glad that, at least for now, I can worry a little less about Covid and more about my post-surgical recovery.

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Publisher & Editor /Ad Sales Gary Nager Managing Editor / Photographer John C. Cotey Correspondents Celeste McLaughlin Lead Video Producer/Multimedia Specialist Charmaine George Graphic Designers Morgan Conlin • Valerie Wegener Billing Assistant Jannah Nager Office Assistant MJ Martinez 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 necessarily reflect the publisher’s opinion. The deadline for outside editorial submissions and advertisement reservations for Volume 30, Issue 5, of New Tampa Neighborhood News is Friday, February 25, 2022. 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. © 2022 JM2 Communications, Inc. For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 30, Issue 3 • February 8, 2022 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Our Top 5 Things To Look Forward To In 2022! By JOHN C. COTEY

Treble Makers and the Falabella Family Bistro (see pg. 36), the Double Branch Artisanal Ales craft brewery, The Grove movie theater (and home of Side Splitters comedy club) and a new mini-golf course (see below) will make The Grove arguably the top entertainment destination hub in Pasco County, if not all of Tampa Bay.

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Wesley Chapel and New Tampa have been on a great run of fun and interesting projects, and 2022 should be no different. Here are the five we’re most looking forward to this year. 1. KRATE Container Park The long-awaited KRATE container park at The Grove at Wesley Chapel is expected to be fully open by summer 2022 — which is great news for local residents in the quickly expanding S.R 54 corridor looking for more shopping and dining options. There are so many cool things coming to Wesley Chapel this year, but KRATE ranks as No. 1, thanks to the unique nature of the project and the anticipation that has built up because it has taken much longer than many expected, due in no small part to a variety of Covidrelated issues. KRATE was the jewel of developer Mark Gold’s plans when his company, Mishorim Gold Properties, bought The Grove — then a moribund 250-acre parcel anchored by a shopping center — for $64 million in September 2019. Gold has invested an additional $20 million in the KRATE, which he claims will be the

2. New Tampa PAC If we didn’t like shopping and desserts so much, this would be our No. 1. Regardless, the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC; photo, left) will provide a cultural boost to the area with its promise of music, dance and theatrical performances. The area already has an acting troupe, the New Tampa Players (NTP), that will call the PAC home and be one of what we hope are hundreds of The New Tampa Performing Arts Center is coming along nicely and should be ready to open groups to bring productions to the 350later this year. (Photo: John C Cotey) seat theater. When was the last time you had to largest container park in the U.S. and Shake-A-Salad — were already open. get dressed up to attend anything in New something that will draw visitors from Once the others are ready, the KRATE is Tampa proper? around the state to Wesley Chapel. expected to cash in on what is likely to be Our only gripe — it would have been The seven-acre KRATE project a welcome experience in these Covid-ridnice to see the NTPAC fronting Bruce B. will feature 55 businesses in converted den times — walking an open-air market Downs Blvd. in all its glory, lit up at night shipping containers, each with their own featuring restaurants, retail shops and as drivers-by gawked, as opposed to being product-centric mural painted on the side even a stage that will host concerts and tucked out of view between an apartment by artist Whitney Holbourn of Colorado. other performances. complex and a grocery store. At our press time, only two stores Its proximity to The Grove’s big box But, after a nearly 20-year battle to — Provisions Coffee & Kitchen and stores, and its popular restaurants like

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get the place built, who’s complaining? 3. Lotte Market This, very quietly, might be the coolest thing to open anywhere in 2022, because if you know, you know. While we haven’t had any updates in a while on the plans for the new market, and no official announcement at all, we’re guessing Lotte Market will fill the 55,000-sq.ft. former Sweetbay Market with hard-to-find Korean, Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese food items, as well what is likely to be the largest selection of fresh — and, dare we say, unique — seafood, fruits and vegetables in the area. The only other Lotte Market in Florida is located in Orlando, and that store, like most of its others located in Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia, have a handful of Asian restaurants or a food court. Lotte has already been approved by the city to put restaurants in the market, and we can’t wait to see which ones they will be. 4. Mini-Golf Squared Remember a few years ago, when the major complaint about the area was that there was nothing to do? Well, since 2016, we’ve added an Urban Air Adventure Park in Tampa Palms, and in Wesley Chapel we now have the Advent Health Center Ice facility, the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County, an indoor recreation center and outdoor roller hockey rink at the Wesley Chapel District Park and the Main Event bowling alley and game center on S.R. 56. As if that’s not enough, in 2022, Tiger Woods PopStroke Entertainment, a mini-golf and restaurant concept the golf superstar owns with entrepreneur Greg Bartoli, is coming to Wesley Chapel’s Cypress Creek Town Center on the north side of S.R. 56. The project officially broke ground on Feb. 2 and should be ready by the beginning of summer, if not sooner. Builders describe the place as an “experiential golf and casual dining concept merging a dynamic, technologically advanced competitive golf environment

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with food and beverages.” Sign us up! And while we’re at it, please also reserve us a spot at the new Grove MiniGolf, which is expected to open in March. While PopStroke skips all the bells and whistles associated with a traditional minigolf course, Grove Mini-Golf is leaning into them with plenty of holes requiring tricky shots — one hole you shoot over a river, another into a river (you’ll see), and there’s even a figure-8 hole and lots of hills and rocks to accentuate a rich, tropical oasis experience. And, nighttime neon lighting and fire will give it a fun, festive feel. All of the holes will be illuminated with neon lights and glow-in-the-dark flags and balls. Very cool! 5. Diverging Diamond Interchange If navigating castles, rocks and water on a mini-golf course doesn’t get you excited, how about navigating the soonto-be-completed (no, we’re not kidding) Diverging Diamond Interchange at the S.R. 56 and I-75 intersection? We’re not sure if it will be easier figuring out the DDI or, say, shooting par, but the folks building it promise the new intersection is less confusing than it looks. That would be great for those who want to venture out to that area but don’t because, well, ugh...that traffic. But, the DDI is supposed to eliminate all those conflict points and make for a safer interchange, using free flowing lanes — sometimes taking you to the other side of the road (relax, it’ll be fun!). Just to be safe, though, we’d suggest hitting up YouTube to watch a few videos. And...While these are our top 5, they aren’t the only cool things happening in our area in 2022, like the completion of the S.R. 54 widening project, Wesley Chapel’s second lagoon at Mirada — which, at 15 acres, is twice as large as the one in Epperson — new restaurants like The Living Room, and we might even see a few surprises. (We’re looking at you, empty Best Buy building on BBD).

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K-Bar Ranch Connection To Wesley Chapel Nearly Complete By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com K-Bar Ranch is tucked away in the northeasternmost part of Hillsborough County, with pretty much only one way in and one way out. However, another option is finally on the way. This July, a road connecting K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. to Wesley Chapel’s Meadow Pointe Blvd. is expected to be complete and open to travelers. K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. is an east-west road that runs through K-Bar Ranch, from Kinnan St. to, eventually, Morris Bridge Rd. City of Tampa chief traffic management engineer and head of the Smart Mobility Division Vik Bhide confirmed during a Tampa City Council workshop that construction on the final stage of the Pasco County side of the planned connector road will begin soon. “The developer (M/I Homes) has already secured permits from Pasco County for that work and will be moving forward with it,” Bhide said. “We are coordinating with Pasco County (its planning and engineering departments).” City Council member Luis Viera, who represents K-Bar Ranch and the rest of the city’s New Tampa area as part of his District 7, called for the workshop last year in light of mobility and safety concerns, as well as fire response times, all of which were raised at the meeting. Of most interest to K-Bar residents is the connection to Pasco County, which will allow easier travel north to the S.R. 56 corridor, which includes shopping, restaurants and the Shops at Wiregrass. Currently, residents of the western portion of K-Bar Ranch would have to take Kinnan St. south to Cross Creek Blvd., then west to Bruce B. Downs Blvd., then north towards Wesley Chapel. When K-Bar Ranch was planned, Bhide says four northbound access points to Pasco County were envisioned. The connection to Meadow Pointe Blvd. would be only be the second one to actually be completed, along with a connection at Kinnan St. and Mansfield Blvd. However, that Kinnan connection to Mansfield Blvd. is only available to the public via walking or biking. Otherwise, a safety arm monitored by Pasco allows only emergency vehicles through.

Sometime soon, there will be a connection for vehicular traffic from Meadow Pointe Blvd. (above) in Wesley Chapel to K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. in New Tampa. (Photo: Charmaine George) A third connection, further east at Wyndfields Blvd. in Pasco, and a fourth connection when K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. is completed all the way to Morris Bridge Rd., won’t be ready for at least two more years, according to Bhide. But, with K-Bar Ranch residents clamoring for relief, the Meadow Pointe Blvd. connection is a needed addition, according to the City of Tampa. “Our recommendation, in light of the access needs in this area, is to open that up for traffic,” Bhide said. “The reason is….we feel the more access, the better. After hearing neighborhood concerns about public access and mobility, this would be the right thing to do.” Viera, who has had multiple meetings with K-Bar Ranch residents, said he hasn’t ever met anyone living there who didn’t want the connection to Meadow Pointe Blvd. to be made. “Now, we’ll schedule a community meeting to let them talk about the pros and cons,” Viera said. One of those cons will be additional traffic into K-Bar Ranch. “It will increase traffic,” Bhide said. “However, we think it will be a two-way benefit.” Bhide also discussed some of the safety measures already put into place on K-Bar Ranch Pkwy., but added that speeding in the area remains a major concern. There have been two fatal crashes on K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. in five years, and the community has made numerous complaints about the speeding. The city also is studying the intersection at Bassett Creek and Kinnan, in front of Pride Elementary, due to traffic concerns. “We are doing a deep dive on the safety concerns,” Bhide said.

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As for fire rescue response times, which have not been good in New Tampa (and in K-Bar Ranch in particular) according to the most recent reports published last year, City of Tampa Fire Chief Barbara Tripp said her department is working on better ways to access K-Bar Ranch area in order to decrease response times. While K-Bar is on the schedule to receive a new Tampa Fire Rescue station, sometime during the next few years, Tripp suggested a satellite station or maybe increasing units at the existing stations until then.

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Sensory & Autism Friendly

Park To Break Ground Feb. 14 By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com

District 7 City Council member Luis Viera has championed building a sensory park in New Tampa since he first took office in 2016. The inspiration for the idea is personal — Viera’s older brother Juan has autism. It’s somewhat fitting, then, that Viera’s labor-of-love — the New Tampa Sensory & Autism Friendly Park — will officially break ground on at 9 a.m. on Valentine’s Day (Monday, February 14), at the New Tampa Community Park in Tampa Palms. “There have been some delays, like Covid, but it is a great day for New Tampa that this park is finally going to be built,” says Viera. “It’s going to be a big deal for a lot of people.” While the city has made a number of improvements in recent years with playground equipment that has made its existing parks more accessible to children with autism, including the New Tampa Community Park, this full-fledged autism/sensory park will be the first of its kind in the city. Proponents of the park have said that as many as 40,000 children in and around the New Tampa area are likely to use the park each year. Viera said the lack of such facilities has always been a pet peeve of his. One year after being elected in 2016, he says he pulled the previous City of Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn aside and they had a long discussion on the importance of possibly building a sensory-friendly park for those on the autism spectrum. Viera requested $90,000 be allocated in the 2018 budget for the design, and that the park be located in New Tampa. He jokes that he told Buckhorn he would wrestle with whoever the next mayor was for the construction money to build the park. Fortunately, it didn’t require too much wrestling. In 2020, current Tampa Mayor Jane Castor passed a $1.3-billion budget for Fiscal Year 2021, which included $1.7 million to build the park (rendering above). Neighborhood News

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The park, which was originally earmarked to be built on five acres of land behind the BJ’s Wholesale Club on Commerce Palms Dr. in Tampa Palms., is for children with a wide range of physical, cognitive, sensory and socio-emotional abilities. It will include multiple play pieces that are wheelchair accessible, a sensory area geared towards children with autism or other sensory or cognitive challenges, a new art mural based on a ‘Fantastic Florida Nature’ theme, and more, all built on 10,000 sq. ft. Those identified as having Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) generally do not process information from their five senses as everyone else does, and can become overwhelmed and unable to communicate and interact because they are overcome with anxiety. The park will benefit families with children and adults with ASD (and other similar disorders) and focus more on soothing and serene activities. Everyone, however, will be allowed to use the park. Viera says the hope is that all children will be able to play together. With ASD numbers growing, from one in 150 children in a 2007 report to one in 44 children — according to the most recent data provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — sensory parks (and increased sensitivity to those afflicted with ASD) are becoming more prevalent across the country. Most recently, the Wesley Chapel District Park, located 20-25 minutes north of New Tampa, opened a universally inclusive 7,000-sq.-ft. playground in 2019. “I think this will be symbolic,” Viera says. “This tells parents raising kids with sensory issues that they are a priority, and that we care (about) and stand with them.” To further his cause, which includes putting playground equipment for the disabled in every city park, Viera says he is looking to plan a handful of townhalls across Tampa — including one in New Tampa — to discuss other special needs concerns and how communities can help.

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Fund Raiser Concert At St. James Feb. 15!

More than 800 students have received free guitars and lessons through Gary Brosch (third from left) and his No Fret Guitar Camps over the last five years. (Photo courtesy of Gary Brosch)

By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com

Anderson is the first woman to win the National Fingerpicking Guitar Championship, and her 2013 CD, Nightlight Daylight, was chosen as one of the top-10 CDs of the decade by Guitar Player magazine. The fund raiser also will feature a silent auction and the event’s proceeds will

Gary Brosch, a West Meadows retiree who runs the No Fret Guitar Camp, was at a music conference in Nashville when he first met guitarist and harp guitarist Muriel Anderson. They became friends. He asked her for a plug on her Facebook page and has followed her career ever since. He was still surprised, however, when Anderson called recently to tell him she was going on tour and would be in Florida. And, she was offering something even better than a social media plug — “She wanted to do a fund raiser for us,” Brosch says. “It was a very pleasant surprise.” Brosch’s last, and only, Muriel Anderson and her harp guitar. fund raiser for his guitar camps benefit the No Fret Guitar camp, which was in 2019, before Covid got in the way. has provided more than $320,000 of free “I hadn’t really even thought of this year’s guitars and lessons in five years for 800 fund raiser yet,” he says, but now, just a students. Any church or organization can month after her phone call, it is scheduled. contact Brosch about hosting one of the On Tuesday, February 15, at 7 p.m., camps, which are limited to six students Anderson will headline a free concert at each. No Fret students each receive a guitar St. James United Methodist Church to and two-hour lessons for five days, with the benefit the No Fret Guitar Camp, Brosch’s focus on teaching basic chords and playing nonprofit that gives underserved teens free songs, rather than reading music. guitars and free lessons. While Covid may have forced some The concert also will feature Skip changes and wiped out his fund raisers the Frye, Sr., who played at the first No Fret past two years, it also helped Brosch realize fund raiser in 2019 and was a big hit. The the impact the camps have had on many Hall of Fame blues artist also has been an former students. He says he has heard from instructor at two of the No Fret camps. a number of parents that while their children While Frye played his own songs as were confined inside at various times during well as hits by other artists that were familthe pandemic, they were able to turn to their iar to the audience at the first fund raiser, guitars instead of their computers, which also Anderson’s performance is likely to offer helped with anxiety and depression. a unique sound, touching on genres like “That’s really been exciting for us,” folk, bluegrass, classical and pop, played Brosch says. “We really have a life-changing on a unique instrument — a harp guitar impact, and music can do that.” (photo), which combines your typical guiSt. James United Methodist tar strings with open, harp-like strings that Church is located at 16202 Bruce B. allow for plucking. Downs Blvd. in Tampa Palms. To reHer show is a multimedia spectacle, serve a free VIP table, call or text Gary with a backdrop of visuals projected onto a Brosch at (813) 597-1925. screen behind her. 8

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NerdsToGo Is On The Move For Small Businesses By JOHN C. COTEY john@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Michael Varnadore is a nerd, and he’s proud of it. He says he’s been a nerd since the 1980s, when he first laid his eyes on an Apple IIe computer, bought his first Commodore 64 and got his first Information Technology (IT) gig in 1986, when the U.S. Air Force started using the new Zenith Z-100. What a decade that was. The computer world has changed a lot since then, and Varnadore has changed along with it. Now, he directs an entire team of nerds at NerdsToGo Computer Services, located in the Pebble Creek Collection shopping plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. Varnadore’s nerds can come to you and solve your computing needs. “First and foremost, we want to be known as the guys you can trust with your IT, with your business, and with your data,” says Varnadore. “All of my nerds are certified, backgroundchecked and drug-tested. Everybody here is a professional IT specialist of one type or another.” NerdsToGo offers a slew of services, ranging from replacing a cracked screen on an iPhone to serving as an

Michael Varnadore (white shirt) and his team of nerds at NerdsToGo in the Pebble Creek Collection can solve almost any consumer or business computer problem.(Photos courtesy of NerdsToGo)

on-demand mobile IT department for your small business. “We basically do everything,” says Varnadore, who opened his NerdsToGo franchise in 2019. “Our motto is ‘We Make IT Work.’” NerdsToGo was founded in 2003

in Guilford, CT by David Colella to provide computer service for residential and small business users, long before computers were ubiquitous. The concept hasn’t changed, and there are now 25 locations nationwide, mostly along the east coast but as far west as Seattle.

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On the consumer side, Varnadore’s franchise does hardware repair, and can even replace the back glass on an iPhone (and other phones) with its new laser machine. In many cases, they can have your cell phone or laptop with a cracked screen back to you within a few hours. And, they will never put business ahead of honesty. “This was my first time visiting NerdsToGo, but definitely will not be my last,” wrote one of the customers on Google, where the New Tampa NerdsToGo franchise has a 4.9 rating. “All of the staff here were super knowledgeable and pleasant. They were upfront and honest, did not try to haggle me for business. In my case, I had numerous devices to repair and they were very honest and told me which ones were not repairable. For the items that were repairable I received same day service.” Varnadore says home networking, mostly involving setting up mesh networks to improve the WiFi range in homes, is popular, as well as options like setting up a new computer and transferring data off an old one, setting up printers, installing certain applications, removing malware and other issues with cyber security. All of these are even more impor-

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tant issues now, in a Covid world, than they were before, because so many more people are working from their homes. There are enough computer conundrums to keep NerdsToGo busy. One of the most common complaints from consumers? “My computer is too slow.” NerdsToGo specializes in tuning up your device by offering solid state drive (SSD) bundles, where they swap out an old hard disk drive (HDD) for a newer SSD, while transferring all your data to the new drive. HDDs have moving parts, like a spinning “platter,” which can be broken when dropped or bumped, while an SSD is more like a large memory chip. The difference in speed can be like trading in a station wagon with side paneling for a Porsche. “The slowest thing on a computer these days is the hard drive,” Varnadore says. “Data is read and written to the disk so many times, people don’t realize how much that it slows everything else down. Now, with new solid state technology, there’s no moving parts. It’s very fast. You put (an SSD) in, it turns that slow computer into something running better than the day they bought it. People are amazed at the difference in speed, and that can save them hundreds, even thousands of dollars.” NerdsToGo also is bolstering and emphasizing its local and small business offerings for those who can’t afford a full-time IT employee or don’t want to invest in expensive managed service companies to monitor their networks. Through its NerdAssure program, NerdsToGo can manage the IT services for small businesses, supporting anywhere from one to hundreds of computers. “From the day we opened our doors, we’ve always provided services to small business,” Varnadore says. “The new NerdAssure is a new branded capability we are rolling out that can do stuff in the background.” The service monitors more than 3,000 different elements of the business computer hardware and software to make sure it’s running effectively, and if there’s a problem, NerdAssure is alerted so it can take action. Varnadore says that NerdAssure also provides a real-time antivirus, “that not only looks for bad guys’ signatures but actually has a security operations center watching for any events that might be taking place.”

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NerdsToGo does most repairs in its office, but sometimes a trip to your home or business is all it takes.(Photos courtesy of NerdsToGo).

One of the most valuable services is backing up the business’ data. “If you lose critical data you can be out of business,” Varnadore says. “Everything else can be replaced. But your intellectual property can’t. We can protect that.” NerdAssure provides hosting for a Microsoft 365 environment and takes care of email issues while offering other IT administrative support as well. And, when problems do arise, NerdsToGo can be onsite the same day to fix them. “We want to be the small business’ IT company,” Varnadore says. “When they need us, we are there, and we can be there onsite and they are only paying for the time that they need us there. When they don’t need us, NerdAssure is monitoring and securing their network in the background.” And when you do need NerdsToGo, Varnadore says you won’t be passed through to a call center somewhere else. The New Tampa location phone is answered by a customer specialist, one of the technicians or even by Varnadore himself. Give your local nerds a call for a free technology evaluation. NerdsToGo is located at 19651 Bruce B Downs Blvd., Suite C6. The store is open Monday-Friday, 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m., and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, visit NerdsToGo.com, call (813) 321-1700 or see the ad on page 23.

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Murtha & Murtha, LLC, Takes The Confusion Out Of Tax Season By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN Correspondent It seems like taxes get more complicated every year, and the Covid-19 pandemic has caused more confusion than ever. Patrick Murtha, the managing partner of the accounting firm of Murtha & Murtha, LLC, says, “There is an abundance of changes the IRS is sending our way.” Patrick, his father Tom, and Kyle Flischel run Murtha & Murtha in the Seven Oaks Professional Park off S.R. 56 (across from Sam’s Club) in Wesley Chapel. While Kyle has served as the firm’s long-time senior accountant, he recently became a full managing partner of the business. The trio has more than 60 years of combined experience in handling taxes on behalf of their accounting clients. One of the biggest changes parents will see on their taxes this year is in the child tax credit. In past years, people have gotten a credit on their annual taxes — and often a refund — for each child in their care, but this year, that money has already been paid to those parents in quarterly payments. “People are used to getting that refunded,” Patrick says, “but it won’t be like that this year because they already got it.” While that may cause confusion —

Kyle Flischel (left) and Patrick Murtha are part of the accounting team at Murtha & Murtha, LLC, on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel. (Photo: Charmaine George) and some people may be upset that they won’t get as large a refund as they are used to, or may end up owing money — Murtha & Murtha promises that if you have the firm prepare your taxes, you will always understand the issues and exactly why you owe what you owe. “It’s really important for us to under-

stand every single thing that goes on the tax return so we are able to make sure our clients understand it, too,” he says. “Some just say, ‘Tell me what I owe,’ but others want to know why they owe, so we make sure they understand exactly what happened and why, and what we can do to make sure future outcomes are not that way.”

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Patrick says people are still dealing with stimulus issues, too. But, whatever your situation, the accountants at Murtha & Murtha are up to date on all of the tax code changes and can help you file your taxes easily and correctly. “We’re experts, we’re prepared and we’re well-learned,” Patrick says, “so we’re able to confidently handle all of that.” Bobbie Smith is a small business owner who came to Murtha & Murtha a couple of years ago when she needed help with taxes, both business and personal. As the owner of the Wesley Chapelbased Interior Design By Bobbie, she lives in Meadow Pointe III. “They do everything for me,” she says, “I am so impressed with them, their knowledge, their expertise, and their response back to me. Every time I have a question, they are quick to reply to me.” Patrick says that’s intentional. He says communication is the top priority at Murtha & Murtha, and while mistakes can sometimes happen because of human error, not returning a client phone call in a timely manner is “unforgiveable.” And, he says, while some tax firms have a strategy where CPAs meet with clients face-to-face but hire seasonal tax preparers to actually complete the client’s tax forms, that’s not how Murtha & Murtha does it.

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“Whoever you meet with is who is going to actually be doing your tax return,” he explains. “If I meet with you and learn about your situation and tax circumstances, I’m going to remember that and it will play a role in making sure I remember to catch things. That doesn’t translate.” Tax season is Murtha & Murtha’s busiest time of year, but it’s just part of the services the firm provides. Patrick says Murtha & Murtha’s “CFO Retainer Package” continues to attract new clients. With this package, the firm helps businesses and people who are self-employed do monthly accounting and bookkeeping, but also helps with budgeting, and act when clients have questions about tax planning, mitigating tax bills, or about offering health insurance or retirement plans, for example. “It’s almost as if you hired a CFO (Chief Financial Officer), but you’re not paying a six-figure salary,” explains Patrick. “We come up with a plan as to how you’re going to grow your business and mitigate your tax bill, so that the tax return should just be a formality. Most people are just looking at their bank account, and it’s impossible to really manage a business effectively that way.” Patrick understands that most business owners are too busy worrying about their primary business to really step back and look at the big picture, so Murtha &

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Murtha provides its clients with an extra layer of financial planning and analysis for their business.

Background

Tom Murtha, CPA, earned his Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Management from Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY, in 1976, and his M.B.A. (Master of Business Administration) degree in Accounting from St. John’s University in Queens, NY, in 1981. He has been doing mergers, acquisitions and business valuations since the 1990s. Patrick, who grew up around tax codes at his father’s business, graduated from the University of South Florida in 2009 with B.S. degrees in both Finance and Accounting. He joined his father in opening a firm in Tampa in 2010, focusing on mergers and acquisitions. Meanwhile, Kyle Flischel, CPA, is practically family, having gone to school with Patrick at USF. The Murthas merged with another accounting office in Zephyrhills a couple years ago, and that location is now called Henson & Murtha, CPAs. It is located at 5315 8th Ave. Murtha & Murtha, LLC, is located at 2236 Ashley Oaks Cir., Suite 101. For more info, visit TampaTaxFirm.com or see the ad on pg. 19. To schedule a free consultation, call (813) 991-1120.

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Tampa Bay Physical Therapy Can Help Relieve Your Pain, Too! By JOHN C. COTEY

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Michele Patterson says she spends a good portion of her time as a Realtor sitting in her car, driving to and from houses, getting in and getting out. Her job has taken a toll on her lower back, and for years, and after dozens of visits to massage therapists and chiropractors, her pain never went away. She said her blood pressure had spiked due to the pain and spasms. “My quality of life was horrible,” Michele says. “I was afraid to get into a bath tub because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to get out.” Then she met Kelly Pearce Baez, Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), who, along with her husband Joel, runs Tampa Bay Physical Therapy off E. Fletcher Ave. in the Tampa Telecom Park in Temple Terrace. Michele was initially skeptical, then relieved…literally. “Instant relief,” she says, calling it a miracle. She completed 12 sessions with Kelly, who she says is practically a family friend now. “I mean, I am telling you I can’t say enough,” Michele says. “She has saved my life. And that’s not even a cliché. Having that 1-on-1 with someone who

Dr. Kelly Pearce Baez works on Michele Patterson, who says the pain relief she has received at Tampa Bay Physical Therapy in Temple Terrace has been a “miracle.” (Photos by Charmaine George)

really cares about your whole life, and not just your injury, was holistic.” Michele was actually Dr. Kelly’s first patient — Tampa Bay Physical Therapy has only been open since October, and last week celebrated its official ribbon cutting (photo on next page). Michele says the new business already has the art of customer satisfaction down, due primarily to the way Dr. Kelly invests her time in her patients.

Dr. Kelly says the 1-on-1 nature of her job is one of the best things about it, along with being able to help people recover from injuries and find relief from debilitating pain. She originally went to school to be a teacher, but changed course and got her health science degree (with a concentration in biology) from USF and her D.P.T degree from Nova Southeastern University. After working for a year at BayCare,

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she decided to open her own practice. “I really enjoy making a difference in people’s lives, and helping my patients become independent, functional and able to do the things they love,” Kelly says. Joel, who runs the business and marketing side of the practice, says the most important thing about Tampa Bay Physical Therapy is that, “you get Kelly.” That’s a big deal for many patients, who have plenty of options in the area to choose from but, Joel says, few that don’t put up a wall between the doctor and the patient. And, Kelly also is fluent in Spanish, which is not always easy to find. “It’s like a personalized, tailored experience for our patients,” he says. Tampa Bay Physical Therapy offers a wide range of services. Dr. Kelly treats weekend warriors and their sports injuries, and helps others who may have impaired movement of certain joints following, or prior to, surgery. She can align your back and then, through exercises and stretches, activate the proper muscles to hold that alignment. She also offers soft tissue massages. Dr. Kelly employs the latest exercise machines, as well as electrotherapy systems like the Vectra Neo and the Richmar HydraTherm, a heat therapy unit, to provide strength and relief.

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Dr. Kelly and her husband Joel (both holding the scissors) opened their location in October, but celebrated their official Uptown Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting on Jan. 27.

Her office has a special room to treat those with neurological disorders involving issues like stroke, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis and Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Dr. Kelly offers the LSVR BIG program, an intensive 1-on-1 treatment created for PD and other neurological conditions to help with walking, balance and things we take for granted, like buttoning a shirt when we get dressed. She also treats those with vestibular disorders like vertigo, motion sickness or concussion symptoms.

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“You would be surprised how many people suffer with vertigo,” Dr. Kelly says. Factor in pediatric rehabilitation and a wellness program — designed to build core strength, prevent injuries and help with weight loss through exercise — the practice offers, and you have a wide array of services, which is by design. Instead of specializing in one thing, Dr. Kelly says she took on multiple therapies, “so I can help everyone.” When you visit Tampa Bay Physical Therapy, Dr. Kelly will give you an examination, test for mobility and strength,

try to find the root cause of any pain and design a treatment plan. The length of any plan will vary, depending upon the severity of the pain or injury. Dr. Kelly says she helped a woman suffering from an ear issue in one day, but an Achilles rehabilitation or neurological issues will take much longer. Tampa Bay Physical Therapy accepts some insurance plans, like Medicare, Aetna, Cigna and Humana (as well as a few others) and is adding more as quickly as possible. The office also offers a sliding fee scale in an effort to help those who need it the most. “I’m very different,” Dr. Kelly says. “I got into this because I really wanted to help people. Yeah, I understood that you can make money, too, but that’s not what drove me. What drove me was the ability to make a difference in people’s lives.” Michele can attest to that. Now that her 12-week program has ended and her back pain is under control, she will begin another regimen to help fix a bothersome shoulder that she thinks may be the root cause of her back pain. As anyone who has gone through any physical therapy knows, it is a twoway street, and Dr. Kelly always sends you home with a variety of stretching exercises to quicken your recovery. “Sometimes, you have to teach people how to walk again, or teach people

how to do tasks as simple as sitting and standing,” says Dr. Kelly. “The point of this is, I examine you, I teach you, I give you home exercises, I make you independent and functional and I send you on your way. My goal is to help you learn how to stay healthy, not to keep you (coming back) forever. The endgame is that you don’t need me anymore. My job is to get you better, and in the event that anything else happens, I’m here for you. Otherwise, I just wave to you in the street.” Dr. Kelly and Joel also are eager to serve and be part of the New Tampa community, where they live in Live Oak. They will be offering free alignments and massage at the Chargers Soccer Club’s matches at Benito Middle School on Saturday, February 26, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., and free 15-minute massages March 25-27 at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club during the golf tournament being played there that day. Tampa Bay Physical Therapy is located at 13328 Telecom Dr. in Temple Terrace, and is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., and on Saturdays by appointment. The office currently is offering a free 20-minute consultation and free 15-minute massage with your first paid treatment. For more information, visit TampaBayPT. health, call (813) 771-0777 or see the ad on page 34.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 30, Issue 3 • February 8, 2022 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Holistic Care At The Salt Room Wesley Chapel! By JOHN C. COTEY

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Monica Crabtree says she has suffered from terrible asthma and allergies her entire life. Even into her 30s, she was a slave to nebulizers and inhalers, four different allergy medicines and constant disruptions of her life. Knowing this, a friend of Monica’s suggested she give the Salt Room Wesley Chapel a try. Now, four years later, not only is Monica an employee of owner Danielle Howard’s Salt Room Wesley Chapel, which is located right off Bruce B. Downs in the Windfair Professional Center behind Florida Orthopaedic Institute, she also is one of its top evangelists. “We don’t want to oversell it,” she says, “but it changed my life.” Salt therapy, also known as halotherapy, is essentially breathing in salt particles, which is supposed to help with several maladies. Salt therapy can treat upper and lower respiratory conditions like colds and flu, allergies, asthma, bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, sinus infections, hay fever and emphysema. The anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of salt, according to the Salt Therapy Association, have been shown to help treat eczema, dermatitis and psoriasis.

When you visit The Salt Room in the Windfair Professional Center off Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Wesley Chapel, you’ll meet (l.-r.) master esthetician Regina Motter, manager Lana Foti, owner Danielle Howard and manager Monica Crabtree. At The Salt Room Wesley Chapel, there are explanations on the backs of cards explaining how the salt therapy can help with each of these issues. Monica says the idea is not so different than other ways of taking advantage of salt’s holistic healing properties, like gargling with warm salt water to help ease a sore throat or breathing in the salty air near

a beach, which has long been considered to be beneficial for your air passages even if it’s not medically proven. In Monica’s case, salt therapy helped with her asthma and allergies. Although she was skeptical, she did one session and experienced some nasal drainage, prompting her to try another session. After experiencing the same results, Monica signed

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up for a one-month unlimited membership and began visiting the Salt Room four days a week. She says by the third week, she noticed she was not using her inhaler as much, where before, she had been using it multiple times a day. She stopped taking Claritin D every day. Her nebulizer and other medications were no longer such a big part of her daily routine. “Salt therapy isn’t a treatment for asthma,” Monica says, “and it’s not going to get rid of asthma or allergies, but it’s a complement to what you’re already doing.” Asthma and allergies are barely a part of Monica’s life anymore. As one example, she doesn’t have to vacuum the house wearing an N95 mask with the doors open. When she does feel a little stuffy, she says a therapy session will help flush her out. “I’m now 34 years old, and I love going to the doctor and finally being able to write “N/A” under what medications I am using,” she says. Stories like Monica’s are the reason Danielle opened the Salt Room nearly five years ago. She recently sold her second Salt Room location, located at the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Center, but is opening a third Salt Room in Citrus Park sometime this month.

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Before opening her original location, Danielle had been driving her young son to The Salt Room Orlando for salt therapy and was thrilled with the results. She says her son has never been on antibiotics and has never had an ear infection. A big believer in using what the earth provides — she also co-owns Lüfka, a refillable, zero-waste store that operates under the same all-natural premise — Danielle says there are plenty of natural alternatives to many of the medications provided by doctors. There is a time and place for medications, she says, but adds that they can be overused and often abused. One of The Salt Room’s clients, an 88-year-old military veteran, had suffered for decades with sinus issues. After several salt therapy sessions, he said he could taste his coffee and smell his fresh-cut grass for the first time in 40 years. “There are success stories that will make you cry,” Danielle says.

Relaxation & Results

The Salt Room Wesley Chapel strives to be a relaxing and therapeutic oasis. It has two salt therapy rooms, each with three tons of natural rock salt covering the floors and walls. Clients can sit or lay in the room and relax as soft “spa”music plays in the background. A top-of-the-line halogenerator also pulverizes pharmaceutical grade salt into small particles that are pumped into the room and inhaled. Each room, which can be set to a variety of moods (see above) can accommodate multiple people and is even used for salt therapy yoga classes. A children’s room (photo, right), with more than a ton of salt, also is popular. Children can enjoy books and toys while playing on salt that is providing potential health benefits. While it is mostly known for its salt therapy, The Salt Room Wesley Chapel also offers other wellness services. Dr. Stephen DellJones, a Doctor of Oriental Medicine (DOM) and a Florida Health Department-licensed Acupuncturist, offers acupuncture and cupping, while master esthetician Regina Motter offers holistic salt room faNeighborhood News

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cials as well as other specialty facials, and Star Ryan offers organic hair coloring. Danielle says Covid has helped place an emphasis on respiratory care and selfcare. While the spread of the virus initially shut her business down for six weeks in 2020, this past year has been like a slingshot effect, making it her most successful yet. Clients are seeking her out for what they believe are the physical benefits of salt therapy, as well for the reduced stress and anxiety she says it helps promote. “This is a passion,” she says. “It’s not a fad, it’s not going to come and go. We just want to educate people on the benefits of salt therapy, and the more people that try it the more they stay with it.” The Salt Room offers individual 45-minute salt therapy sessions for $45, or you can buy monthly and yearly memberships for the therapy, as well as for the variety of other wellness services offered. If you mention this article, you can get a monthly unlimited salt therapy membership for just $99 per month (the regular price is $249). The Salt Room Wesley Chapel is located at 2718 Windguard Cir., Suite 102. It is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; 2 p.m.-6 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday; and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, visit SaltRoomWesleyChapel.com, call (813) 501-8578 or see the Lüfka/Salt Room ad on page 31.

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This Just In: Justin Scott Can Play! By JOHN C. COTEY

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Wharton senior Justin Scott took in every high five, every pat on the back and every hug on the most glorious night of his life. The doctors who birthed him wouldn’t have believed it. His first teachers would be floored. Most anyone who knows anyone with cerebral palsy would be flabbergasted. This kid can play. Overcoming the greatest of odds, Justin held his head high as he walked off the field towards the locker room, still talking about the game, a 2-0 Wildcats win over Durant, a victory he started and played almost all 80 minutes of, like it was a dream he hoped would never end. “I was told I would never walk, I would never walk, and I was told I was going to die before I was two year old,” Justin said. “Now look where I am — playing soccer for my high school team.” On Jan. 14, 18-year-old Justin started at forward for the Wharton boys soccer team, a surprise reward for his years of perseverance, his positivity and his commitment to his teammates. Justin says soccer has long been his passion. He once had a hat trick in a league game at the YMCA and, in limited action at Turner-Bartels K-8, he was a goaltender who never allowed a shot past him. But, in high school, as the players get bigger and stronger, Justin was outmatched. He didn’t try out for the soccer team as a freshman, because he was too nervous. He was cut as a sophomore but, instead of giving up, he accepted a spot as the team’s manager and promised he would try out again. He again was cut junior and senior years. “I really thought this year I had

Wharton senior Justin Scott celebrated Senior Night (top right) by being announced as a starter for the school’s soccer team, to the delight of his teammates (bottom right) and then diving right into the action and mixing it up with the Durant Cougars. (Photos: Karl Greeson and Charmaine George).

a chance,” Justin said. His chance did finally come, on Senior Night, where friends, teachers and family — his mother Michelle and her husband Rob, his father Michael Scott and his wife Jennifer, and grandmother Blannie Whalen — gathered while waving cutouts of Justin’s head on a stick, to celebrate the young man who just wouldn’t quit. When he was introduced as part of Wharton’s starting lineup, he trotted out to the middle of the field where his smiling teammates high-fived him. When the first whistle blew, he took off like a bolt, chasing down the opponent, and blocking a long pass at-

tempt by jumping in front of the ball, the thud sending a shiver down his mother’s spine. “I was pretty nervous,” Michele said, “but I was also so full of pride. He played so well. He was fearless.” Justin was born prematurely, a childbirth during which Michelle had an allergic reaction “to a penicillintype drug” and went into anaphylactic shock. Justin was born with brain damage and, sometime around the age of 1, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. He learned how to walk, which wasn’t supposed to happen, and learned how to talk, too. Eventually, he

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was running and jumping around and fell in love with soccer, and grew into a popular kid that teachers and classmates rallied around. While cerebral palsy had stripped Justin of many of the motor skills and coordination needed to play, he never stopped once he started, not only playing but learning how to be a linesman and refereeing games and helping to coach his old middle school team. And, of course, he was a great manager, always there, always encouraging, so eager to be part of the team. But of course, his dream was to play. And Wharton coach Scott Ware finally

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‘Mom, this isn’t just about me. I just want people with disabilities not to give up on themselves.’ —

Wharton High senior Justin Scott

gave him his opportunity. “He deserved it,” Ware said. “He’s definitely earned it.” Justin called his mom when he first heard it might happen and, when it became official, he brought home his kit (uniform) and proudly tried it on for her. “He told me, ‘Mom, this isn’t just about me, I just want people with disabilities not to give up on themselves,’” Michelle said. “That’s how he is.” The next day, Justin, who has been accepted into a number of colleges but is really hoping to attend the University of Florida, wore his kit to school, and later that night played in it: No. 14. And Justin played hard, as hard as he could, eager to make the most of the moment. He chased down opposing players who had the ball, mixed it up in the box with others trying to jostle for a shot, actually had a few potential goals go awry and even had a header. Every time he came close to a ball near the goal, his teammates on the bench would lean forward, and in unison yell “Justin” in anticipation of a miracle. “We were all excited for him that he was playing,” said senior Christian

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Lundblad. “If he had scored, I would have stormed the field. I might have gotten in trouble for it, but I would have done it. We were all rooting for him tonight.” At halftime, he was asked if he was tired. “I could keep going for another two days,” he said. In the second half, a ball was played into the box from the far side. The ball miraculously found its way through four players and the keeper, right to the feet of Justin. He was surprised it got to him, and reacted as quickly as he could, sliding and poking the shot just wide of the open net. It was agonizingly close. “Nine times out of 10 the goalkeeper stops that ball,” Justin said. “That’s why I missed it. That will haunt me for days and years.” But, it didn’t stop him from smiling afterwards. Just playing in the game was a dream come true. Justin said he doubts his coach even knows just how much it meant to him. He was proud, and grateful beyond words for an opportunity he thought would never come. “I just never gave up,” he said. “It’s the story of my life.”

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Gary’s Favorite New Tampa Restaurants Of 2021 — Stonewood Is Still #1! Local Dining Opinions by Gary Nager

Every year, in the issue after we report the results of our annual Reader Dining Survey & Contest, I always feel compelled to give you my dining favorites, including all of the restaurants that opened in (or very near) Wesley Chapel and New Tampa the previous year. As someone who remembers when Good Fellas, The Boston Cooker, The Ultimate Bagel and Joy-O-Wok in Tampa Palms were the only restaurant options in New Tampa — and who has sampled every new place to eat since then — I do feel uniquely qualified to provide you with my annual list of favorites in both of our distribution areas. And, even though quite a few new eateries opened in our distribution areas in 2021 after the reader voting ended, my top-25 “survey” lists aren’t quite as different from the readers’ lists this year as they have been in previous years, especially in Wesley Chapel. And, I’m excited to say that this year, both Stonewood Grill & Tavern and Treble Makers Dueling Piano Bar & Restaurant have both repeated as my Favorite Restaurant in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel, respectively, which is a pretty big accomplishment, considering all of the new competition that opened in 2021 in both of our distribution areas. On pages 28-32, you’ll find short write-ups about my 25 favorite restaurants (new and existing) in New Tampa for 2021, and on pg. 36, you’ll see an expanded writeup on Treble Makers and the rest of my top-25 favorites in Wesley Chapel. There’s also alphabetical listings of my #s 26-50 favorites in both markets — of the nearly 100 eateries I sampled in 2021 in Wesley Chapel and more than 80 I sampled in New Tampa — as well as top-10 lists of my Favorite New Restaurants, Favorite Pizza Places, Asian/Mediterranean and Latin eateries, Dessert places and Bars in and around New Tampa and Wesley Chapel. Enjoy! And, try to remember that, as it says above, these opinions about local restaurants are mine alone, so I don’t expect you to agree with me about everything (or anything). Feel free to let me know (see pg. 3) when you agree or disagree! I also congratulate Epperson resident Kevin Ullery (photo, right), who won a $100 gift card to Moschella’s Italian Eatery & Market in Wesley Chapel. I still have three winners who have not yet told me what restaurant they choose for their gift cards — Jane Worden of Tampa Palms ($60), April Parrish of Lexington Oaks ($35) & Toni Lawrence of The Ridge ($25). If you know any of these winners, please have them email me at ads@ ntneighborhoodnews.com to claim their prizes! Check out the rest of Gary’s 2021 Favorite Restaurants in New Tampa on pgs. 28-32!

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STONEWOOD GRILL & TAVERN

Stonewood Grill & Tavern has the best filet mignon (above) and the best ahi tuna appetizer (below), making it the #1 restaurant in New Tampa, according to our editor and readers.

can understand why it has repeated as my favorite restaurant in New Tampa this year (as it has been with our readers every year but one since 2015) and has long been in my top 5.

FRAMMI

17631 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (813) 523-5075

efore 2021, this restaurant was still called “Oakley’s Grille” and featured some of New Tampa’s best hamburgers, chicken sandwiches and a few Italian specialties from new owner Luca Ammirati, who took over a couple of years earlier. But, when Luca decided to add an entire additional menu of his native Italian specialties and rename his restaurant Frammi (see ad on pg. 39) early last year, it catapulted all the way up my list of favorites, with an outstanding black angus beef ragu, pasta pesto Genovese, a semispicy sausage ragu, a spicier arrabiata red sauce and the savory pasta vongole (clams) pictured above. Yes, Frammi still has those great burgers, fajitas, chicken and pressed sandwiches on his expanded American menu, but it is his new and extensive (without being expensive) Italian menu that keeps me coming back for more.

VIA ITALIA

ACROPOLIS

17050 Palm Pointe Dr., Tampa Palms (813) 978-0388

espite the fact that a number of new restaurants have opened in New Tampa the last two years, it was still too hard for me to disagree with our readers as to which restaurant in New Tampa is my #1 favorite for 2021 — Stonewood Grill & Tavern! There is no doubt that despite the fact that all seven of my top New Tampa favorites on this page are good enough, in my opinion, to one day challenge for New Tampa’s #1 restaurant, Stonewood still has the best (and best variety of) steak, the best ahi tuna appetizer and some of the best fresh fish options, and those have always been the most important choices for yours truly. Stonewood also has delicious bruschetta, an outstanding sweet tea brined pork chop, an excellent blackened chicken pasta, super-tasty Tuscan chicken and great new crafted bowls with ahi tuna, southwest chicken or salmon, plus an incredible “two hand” chicken club sandwich with bacon and Swiss. When you throw in the fact that Stonewood also is mine and Jannah’s favorite bar in New Tampa, with superlative service and fair drink prices, and you

8644 Hunter’s Village Rd. The Village at Hunter’s Lake (813) 475-4857

lthough I still prefer it for pasta moreso than for its amazing variety of pizzas, the reason Via Italia ranks as my #2 favorite restaurant in New Tampa is because those pasta dishes are all so authentic and delicious it’s hard for me to go very long without them. A lot of places in our area have good pasta with pesto sauce, but Via Italia’s pesto Genovese is the best and also is the only place that serves authentic pasta pesto Siciliana (photo). And, add in delicious bruschetta, meatballs, oven-baked chicken wings, lasagne, cavatelli with broccolini and sweet Italian sausage and the “intensely flavored” linguine alle vongole (clams) and you have one of New Tampa’s best. If owner/chef Roberto Maganuco ever adds fresh fish and/or grilled steaks and chops, it could easily be my #1.

hen I first heard that a new, upscale restaurant was coming to the space previously occupied by Beef O’Brady’s and a couple of failed Italian restaurants in the Cross Creek Plaza, I was excited about the possibilities. Once I got to sample the new Grill at Morris Bridge (see ad on pg. 24) opened in Dec. by brothers Frank and James Gouveia and Executive Chef Daniel Friley, I was even happier. No, The Grill isn’t cheap, but it has excellent steaks, delicious fresh fish, the best Caesar salad in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel, great crab cakes, authentic New England clam chowder, a tasty dry aged pork chop and a wonderful rigatoni with chicken and baby broccolini, plus New Tampa’s best wine list and amazing bar food and drink specials.

ven though Acropolis Greek Taverna (see ad on pg. 24) isn’t new, it was taken over by new owners Eddie Nasr and Stacy Esposito in 2021 and has definitely returned to its former top-5 glory with both yours truly and our readers. My favorite dishes are the saganaki (fried cheese) appetizer, the lamb lollipop chops and the amazing Athenian fish pictured above, although there are many other Greek specialties I enjoy, too — including the mini-gyro trio (lamb, pork and chicken), the pastitsio (Greekstyle lasagne), the chicken Rhodes (in garlic parmesan wine sauce) and the pasta Santorini (in a creamy lemon wine sauce), to name a few — to keep me coming back for more. And, while the “Acropolis dressing” on the Greek salad isn’t a traditional Greek vinaigrette, it’s pretty yummy.

THE GRILL AT FAT RABBIT PUB MORRIS BRIDGE 16029 Tampa Palms Blvd. 10920 Cross Creek Blvd. (813) 388-5353

14947 Bruce B Downs Blvd. Oak Ramble Plaza (813) 971-1787

City Plaza at Tampa Palms (813) 252-3004

ven though the Fat Rabbit Pub could have dropped a little more in my personal rankings when it stopped offering a fresh fish special every week, the fact is that this is still one of New Tampa’s best restaurants with one of its most creative, better-than-sports-bar-food menus in our area. The Fat Rabbit serves the best blackened wings, plus delicious burgers, an amazing blackened chicken roll appetizer, delicious street tacos (with pork, shrimp or short ribs) and new rice bowls like chicken tortilla and the tasty and tender short rib bowl shown above, plus blackened chicken, Tampa Palms cheese steak, Key West grilled chicken and other unique sandwiches, and the area’s best tater tots, all coupled with an ultra-premium liquor bar and craft beers.

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LIMA PERUVIAN 19056 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. New Tampa Center (813) 304-0205

ou may not have known that Peruvian food has long been considered the best of the Latin cuisines, but if you try owner Oscar Escudero’s Lima Rotisserie Chicken & Peruvian Cuisine, you’ll understand why it’s true. Yes, the rotisserie chicken is outstanding, but I love Lima for its fresh fish ceviche (available with one or a trio of unique sauces), lomo saltado Lima (beef tenderloin tips or diced chicken breast woksautéed with soy sauce, onions and tomatoes) and tallarin saltado with flamed tenderloin tips, a variety of shellfish or diced chicken (photo) with lo mein-style noodles, pescado a la chorrilana (fried fresh fish filet), Peruvian-style fried rice and some of the best black beans and rice in our area. And, you can top it off with a Cusqueña Peruvian beer. Neighborhood News

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CALI

BAYSCAPE BISTRO

FRESH KITCHEN

LAS PALMAS

17004 Palm Pointe Dr. Shoppes at The Pointe (813) 975-1222

10630 Plantation Bay Dr. @ Heritage Isles Golf Club (813) 994-3445

t seems that virtually every restaurant in our area now serves some sort of bowls, but Cali (formerly Ciccio Cali) was undoubtedly the first local restaurant to focus on the nowpopular bowl culture. Cali also serves great wrap sandwiches (like the California club wrap with bacon and char chicken), unique baked pizzas and of course, those epic bowls. The bowls at Cali are all available with seared ahi tuna, char or blackened chicken, grilled steak and a variety of veggies proteins (like lentil bites) and bases, but my favorites are the Hot & Crunchy bowl with seared ahi tuna, the Lean & Clean bowl with char chicken, roasted broccoli and cauliflower and the grilled steak fajita bowl.

or good, old fashioned American cuisine with a variety of other options, owner/chef Eddie Bujarski’s Bayscape Bistro offers breakfast all day (try the brioche French toast, meat lover’s hash or the Breakfast in Hand), smaller plates like delicious battered and fried grouper baskets, wings and chicken strips, a fresh grilled mahi and other sandwiches, hot dogs and burgers, and wonderful signature dishes like mojo pork loin, a 12-oz. ribeye steak, a pasta garden with roasted veggies, roast half chicken and a really delicious country fried chicken (photo). Yes, even though it’s located at a golf course, Bayscape is open to the public and also features karaoke on Friday nights and $25 family of four takeout meals.

y third favorite new restaurant to open in New Tampa in 2021, Fresh Kitchen is a Florida-based mini-chain with 15 locations either already open or opening soon, and it has some of the best options for your freshly made bowl of any restaurant. My favorite proteins are the grilled steak, the almond-baked chicken planks (both shown in the bowl above), grilled citrus or BBQ chicken and even Caprese tofu. My favorite bases are the baby kale Caesar and kale slaw, but Jannah loves the sweet potato noodles and spinach salad bases. We both enjoy the parmesan broccoli and sesame green beans, as well as the creamy white ginger and herb balsamic vinaigrette sauces.

17515 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (813) 978-1225

lthough Liang’s has always ranked higher with our readers than it has with me, there are a few facts that I can’t deny — 1) Liang’s is the only quality sit-down Chinese/Asian fusion restaurant in our area, 2) it has great signature dishes like crispy fish, teriyaki chicken, sizzling teriyaki or Shanghai steak and 3) the best Chinese appetizers in our area. My favorites are the house-made crispy egg rolls, the marinated chicken skewers, the pork or chicken dumplings and the NY-style Liang’s BBQ ribs, which are usually more lightly sauced than what’s shown in the photo above (the way I prefer them), but are always tender and tasty. I also truly enjoy the wok classics (especially the wok-tossed mixed or the Korean BBQ veggies with chicken or beef, and the Chinese-style fried rice. @NTWCNews

sually, when a restaurant drops multiple places in my rankings, it’s because the place either reduced its food quality or deleted items from its menu that I loved. Well, Las Palmas owner/chef Ramses Garcia didn’t reduce his quality at all, despite the fact he had to close his storefront restaurant because of a fire in 2021 and open a cool food truck in the parking lot of the same plaza later that year, but he did have to reduce his menu because of the truck’s much smaller kitchen. Among the casualties was perhaps my favorite Las Palmas dish — the merluza a la Russe (fried white fish in Russian sauce). Even so, Las Palmas still ranks among the best in New Tampa, with a perfect roasted pork entrée, vaca frita (stir-fried beef, above) and grilled chicken entrées, plus Ramses’ award-winning Cubans.

ORONZO

KOBE JAPANESE

18027 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. (813) 730-0100

17641 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. KobeSteakhouse.com

CANTINA REAL MEXICAN

LIANG’S BISTRO

6431 E. County Line Rd. (813) 803-3903

Neighborhood News

8648 Hunter’s Village Rd. The Village at Hunter’s Lake (813) 336-3800

HONEST ITALIAN

hile it’s not a “traditional” sit-down Italian restaurant, owner Dan Bavaro’s Oronzo Honest Italian (see ad on pg. 37) is now a two-location fast-casual mini-chain with excellent food at extremely fair prices. Our favorite starters include the tomato basil soup and the trio of meatballs, plus the new chicken parm and meatball parm Italian -style burritos (the grilled chicken Caesar and Caprese burritos are great, too), the delicious protein bowl (with farro, brown rice, spicy soppresata ham, grilled chicken and a pesto drizzle) and the amazing pasta (served in Chinese takeout-style to-go containers) dishes like homemade spaghetti, imported penne or the hand-cut zucchini noodles (shown with pesto sauce in the photo above).

STEAK HOUSE

espite the fact that its location in the Pebble Creek Collection closed towards the end of 2021, the fact is that Kobé has been the best Japanese steakhouse in New Tampa since the day it first opened. We’re hoping to see the location at the new address a mile or so south on BBD (new address shown above; in the former location of Macaroni Grill and two failed Mexican restaurants) open sometime soon, but we still have no word as to when. Kobé not only features a great variety of proteins available on the teppanyaki hibachi table (including both filet mignon, above, and sirloin steak, chicken, scallops and lobster and shrimp that I can’t eat), it also has very good sushi and one of the best (albeit shortest) deals for food during Happy Hour.

10032 Cross Creek Blvd. Cross Creek Center (813) 406-4856

hen it first opened a few years ago, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Cantina, but after a recent quality upgrade, it is now my favorite of the two Mexican restaurants (the other being Don Julio’s) in/near New Tampa. Jannah and I are now fans of the sizzling fajitas (we either get chicken or the chicken & steak combo shown above), and have enjoyed some of the other menu options, too. And, the menu itself is huge, with everything from smothered chicken to stuffed grilled chicken breast (called pechuga rellena), jerk pork chops, carne asada steak, enchiladas, burritos, chimichangas, tamales, flautas and tacos, all of which (at least the ones we’ve sampled) are pretty darn good.

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GARY’S 2021 NEW TAMPA FAVORITES (Continued from pg. 29)

SUSHI CAFE

18015 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. The Walk at Highwoods Preserve (813) 977-7800

ew Tampa has lost a number of really good sushi places, but Sushi Café is still one of the best that remains. Whether you’re looking for a huge variety of unique and fresh sushi rolls (my favorite is the soft shell crab roll), very good appetizers (gyoza dumplings, skewered chicken yakitori or chicken, veggie or soft shell crab tempura) or tasty entrées like the “hibachi from kitchen” (meaning not prepared tableside at a teppanyaki table) entrées like filet mignon, chicken, scallops or veggie (or combos with shrimp and lobster, if you’re not allergic to them), tasty fried chicken katsu, Sushi Café is always a good choice.

WOOD FIRED PIZZA

MICHI RAMEN

LITTLE GREEK

2822 E. Bearss Ave. Palms Connection Plaza (813) 341-2900

18025 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. The Walk at Highwoods Preserve (813) 374-5320

hile most people love it for its thincrust Neapolitan-style wood fired pizzas (which are delicious, by the way), the reason Wood Fired Pizza, Craft Beer & Wine Bar makes my list of favorite restaurants in (and adjacent to) New Tampa is because of its other menu items. The jumbo wood fired wings (photo) always come out crispy and are uniquely seasoned with lemon pepper and topped with caramelized yellow (sweet) onions and rosemary. The wood fired meatballs are baked in a delicious tomato sauce and topped with house-made fresh mozzarella and NY ricotta. I also enjoy the sausage, onions & peppers and the great wine list.

o, I’ve never really jumped on the ramen noodle bandwagon, but Michi Ramen has so much more to offer than just those popular noodle-and-broth bowls. I’m a big fan of Michi Ramen’s fried chicken wings, soft shell crab, tatsuta-age (popcorn-style fried chicken served with spicy mayo) and the pork gyoza dumplings shown above. I also enjoy the braised pork rice bowl (with egg and seaweed and cucumber oshinko, or Japanese pickle, over rice). Because Michi Ramen opened as takeout-only during the pandemic, I’m sure a lot of you have never checked out its beautiful interior, especially the full-liquor bar.

19022 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. New Tampa Center (813) 972-0707

lthough it’s not the same kind of upscale, sit-down place for lunch or dinner as Acropolis, Little Greek Fresh Grill is a great fast and casual way to enjoy some tasty (and popularly priced) Greek and Mediterranean specialties. My favorite starters are the spanakopita (spinach pie) and the fried pita chips with tzatziki sauce. I enjoy both the traditional Greek and Caesar salads. My favorite pita sandwiches are the Greek chicken, gyro and Olympian (chicken and gyro meat combined) pita sandwiches and my favorite entrées are the steak or chicken souvlaki skewers and the perfectly seasoned gyro platter shown above. The French fries and desserts are also pretty yummy.

GLORY DAYS

THAI RUBY

POKE ISLAND PLUS

MAHANA FRESH

17508 Doña Michelle Dr. (813) 513-7550

lory Days Grill is another of mine and Jannah’s go-to locations for tasty food and a watch-every-game sports bar atmosphere. Like so many of our favorite places, Glory Days has done away with many of our favorites — zucchini sticks appetizers, proprietary blend burgers and cauliflower crust flatbread, to name a few, but the remaining menu items, especially at this location, are still great and the service, especially at the fun bar area, is always excellent. We enjoy the All-American cheeseburgers, the comeback chicken (with sundried tomatoes and feta cheese in lemon-butter sauce), fried chicken & waffles, the wine-braised short ribs (and short rib grilled cheese) on the “seasonal special” menu and ranchero chicken wrap shown above are all among our favorites.

15319 Amberly Dr, Shoppes at Amberly (813) 558-0570

hai food is more than just the lesser-known stepchild of Chinese and Japanese cuisine and Thai Ruby has long been among the very best in New Tampa, as well as one of the most beautiful dine-in restaurants. The fried appetizers are all pretty great, including egg rolls, Thai spring rolls and fried wontons. My favorite dishes are the pork in garlic and black pepper sauce (sautéed with mixed veggies), the chicken or beef with ginger sauce and the roast or fancy duck duckling dishes, both of which have crispy skin and are served over a bed of mixed vegetables. Thai Ruby also has my favorite Thai-style fried rice, shown above with chicken. And, like most Thai places, Thai Ruby has a great variety of vegetarian dishes, too.

8636 Hunters Village Rd. The Village at Hunter’s Lake (813) 866-7653

ith New Tampa’s huge number of bowloriented places that have opened over the last 2-3 years, one of the best ways for these places to distinguish themselves from the competition is by offering menu items the others simply don’t have. A case in point is Poké Island Plus, which opened in 2021. Although it does feature a variety of very tasty poké bowls, with tuna, spicy tuna, fried chicken, salmon, steamed shrimp and tofu are extremely popular, Poké Island Plus also offers great sushi and Vietnamese specialties, like the pork, cabbage and onion gyoza dumplings, steamed bao buns and the super-tasty bun noodle bowl shown above with marinated grilled pork.

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17512 Dona Michelle Dr. Big Bear Crossing (727) 238-9967

ne of the things you hear all the time these days is that supply chain shortages and personnel problems have caused a lot of problems for businesses nationwide, especially in the restaurant business. Well, Ryan Mortti, the owner of the Mahana Fresh location in New Tampa, actually had to close for several weeks towards the end of 2021 because of these issues. But, the good news is that Mahana Fresh (see ad on pg. 24), another excellent bowl place, has reopened and still has great bases like basmati rice and my favorite kale crunch salad, awesome veggies like sesame ginger broccoli, honey sriracha Brussels sprouts and garlicky cilantro green beans and delicious proteins like grilled steak, spicy ahi tuna and three types of grilled chicken. Neighborhood News

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BURGER 21

PEABODY’S

20304 Trout Creek Dr. (813) 501-4910

ou have to hand it to burger places like Burger 21, which really only had beef burgers (I prefer the bacon cheeseburger, but not with BBQ sauce) when it first opened in New Tampa but has now expanded to include a variety of grilled and fried chicken sandwiches (from the Monterey, chicken skinny and chicken fajita burgers to the tasty crispy chick), salads and now a spicy Thai shrimp burger that I can’t eat, as well as chicken tenders, a 101 Dog Combo (with two 100% beef hot dogs served on a New England-style roll), plus really good French and sweet potato fries, onion strings (all of the sides are also available in a shareable size) and some of the best hand-dipped milk shakes (the bananas Foster and chocolate peanut butter shakes are way decadent) and floats and chewy chocolate chip and other house-made cookies.

Shoppes at Amberly 15333 Amberly Dr. (813) 972-1725

hen our office was located in the same Shoppes at Amberly plaza as Peabody’s Billiards & Games, I spent an awful lot of time eating and drinking there and shooting the occasional game of pool. The food was always great and even though Jannah and I visit as often, we still enjoy the huge wings, the homemade burgers, the country fried chicken and New Tampa’s best loaded potato skins (photo). The quesadillas, blackened chicken breast, New Tampa Cuban and Philly cheesesteak sandwiches are all pretty good, too. And, while Peabody’s has replaced their true NY-style pizza with a variety of flatbreads that we haven’t sampled yet, it’s still a great place to watch the games, too, with plenty of TVs, a premium full-liquor bar and of course, pool, darts and other on-site games.

GARY’S NEXT 25 NEW TAMPA FAVORITES (in alphabetical order)

All of these restaurants also are pretty good, just not good enough to make my Top-25 in (or adjacent to) New Tampa this year.-GN Al-Sham Palace Bean Bar Co. Bearss Tavern & Tap Cappy’s Pizza Capri Pizza & Pasta Don Julio’s Authentic Mexican First Watch Ginza Gu Wei Noodles & Grill Halal Cafe Ho King Hummingbird Jerk House Hunter’s Green Country Club

Island Fin Poke Co. Juice Factory Koizi Endless Hibachi & Sushi Minerva Indian Restaurant Mint Cocktail Club Mr. Dunderbak’s Precinct Pizza Saffron Indian Cuisine Sake House Taste of NY Pizza Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club The Brunchery

GARY’S FAVORITE RESTAURANTS TO OPEN IN/NEAR NEW TAMPA IN 2021 Considering how the pandemic continued to affect business in our area, a lot of new restaurants still managed to open in (or adjacent to) New Tampa in 2021 and the following were my most welcome newcomers. 1. Frammi 2. The Grill at Morris Bridge 3. Fresh Kitchen 4. Poké Island Plus 5. Bean Bar Co.

6. Mint Cocktail Club 7. First Watch 8. Provisions Coffee & Kitchen 9. Halal Café 10. Windy City Pizza (Closed)

For more of Gary’s 2021 Favorites, see pg. 32! Neighborhood News

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GARY’S 10 FAVORITE PIZZA PLACES in NEW TAMPA

Although not all of the places listed below serve the true New York-style pizza I love most, they are all pretty decent places. For me, taste of NY is #1 because it has the best NY-style in New Tampa, but Via Italia has the best variety of pizza types, Capri, Westshore & Precinct all have good NY-style, while the sadly out-of-business Windy City & Cappy’s had/have authentic Chicago-style and Woodfired, Cali & Oronzo are all cracker-thin crust favorites. — GN 1. Taste of NY 6. Cali 2. Via Italia 7. Oronzo Honest Italian 3. Capri Pizza & Pasta 8. Cappy’s Pizza 4. Woodfired Pizza (Bearss) 9. Westshore Pizza 5. Windy City Pizza (OOB) 10. Precinct Pizza

GARY’S 10 FAVORITE ASIAN/MEDITERRANEAN

RESTAURANTS in NEW TAMPA

Although both New Tampa and Wesley Chapel still have limited numbers of Mediterranean places, I still think I will go back to not including Mediterranean/Greek/Middle Eastern places in the same category as the much more populous Chinese, Japanese, Korean & Thai options. Acropolis and Little Greek are both Greek favorites, Liang’s has my favorite Chinese appetizers, Kobé is a quality Japanese steakhouse, Sushi Café and Sake House are reliable sushi spots, Thai Ruby & Thai Lanna are quality Thai places and Michi Ramen and the new Poké Island Plus both have tasty Japanese/Vietnamese appetizers that keep them on my list. — GN 1. Acropolis Greek Taverna 6. Little Greek 2. Liang’s Bistro 7. Thai Ruby 3. Kobé Japanese Steakhouse 8. Poké Island Plus 4. Sushi Café 9. Sake House 5. Michi Ramen 10. Thai Lanna

GARY’S 4 FAVORITE LATIN RESTAURANTS in NEW TAMPA

Considering how many popular local Latin restaurants have gone out of business in our area, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I could only bring myself to vote for four local latin eateries, but all four of these are pretty good. Las Palmas closed its restaurant location in 2021, but also opened the excellent Las Palmas food truck in the parking lot of the same plaza, but without being able to serve its full menu, I couldn’t put it ahead of the amazing Lima, with its authentic Peruvian chicken, fresh fish ceviche and multiple other outstanding dishes. Cantina definitely improved its quality to make it a solid third choice & Don Julio’s also is pretty good.— GN 1. Lima Peruvian Cuisine 2. Las Palmas

3. Cantina Real Mexican 4. Don Julio’s Authentic Mexican

GARY’S 10 FAVORITE DESSERT PLACES in NEW TAMPA

This is always a tough category for me because 1) I love dessert so much and 2) can’t enjoy it as often as I would like because I’m fat, but the top five listed here are all outstanding, while the second five are still good enough to merit attention. Bruster’s is still my favorite ice cream, but only narrowly over Ice SSScreamin’. I love Smallcakes’ cupcakes and ice cream The Cake Shop’s variety of cakes, too. Twistee Treat’s soft serve is about as good as it gets. — GN 1. Bruster’s Real Ice Cream 6. Sprinkles Ice Cream Parlor 2. Ice SSScreamin’ 7. Ice Spice Café 3. Smallcakes Cupcakery 8. Baskin-Robbins 4. The Cake Shop 9. Starbucks 5. Twistee Treat 10. Dunkin’ Donuts

GARY’S 10 FAVORITE BARS in NEW TAMPA

Sorry, Mr. Dunderbak’s fans, but Jannah and I are not beer drinkers, and prefer hard alcohol to wine when we go out, so places without full-liquor bars can’t crack my top ten when these are all pretty great. Stonewood has the best New Tampa “vibe,” while Fat Rabbit, the Grill at Morris Bridge and Bayscape are all close behind — and the Grill’s wine list is #1 when we want to enjoy wine with our meal. Peabody’s has pool tables, darts and always blaring music, but skews a little younger, as does Mint, because of their proximity to USF. Via Italia’s bar is small, but offers ultra-premium cocktails at very fair prices. Glory Days is up there with Peabody’s as the best place to watch all the games. PJ Dolan’s has karaoke and live music and Hunter’s Green CC ranks just ahead of Tampa Palms G&CC as a fun destination. — GN 1. Stonewood Grill & Tavern 6. Via Italia 2. Fat Rabbit Pub 7. Mint Cocktail Club 3. Grill at Morris Bridge 8. Glory Days Grill 4. Bayscape Bistro 9. PJ Dolan’s 5. Peabody’s Billiards & Games 10. Hunter’s Green Country Club 32

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GARY’S 2021 WESLEY CHAPEL FAVORITES

TREBLE MAKERS 6034 Wesley Grove Blvd. The Grove at Wesley Chapel (813) 406-4371

ven though a number of local chain restaurants made it to my top-25 list of Gary’s Favorites in Wesley Chapel for 2021, I am still someone who most appreciates great mom-&-pop eateries. And, as someone who has been observing, enjoying and writing about the local dining scene for 28 years next month, I just have to say that of all the mom-&-pop places that have opened in Wesley Chapel and New Tampa (at least those that are still in business) since I bought the Neighborhood News in 1994, Treble Makers Dueling Piano Bar & Restaurant (see ad on pg. 39) truly is my #1 favorite — now for two years in a row! In order to be at the top of my Favorites list, a restaurant has to specialize in the items that I appreciate most when Jannah and I go out to eat, whether for lunch or dinner. First of all, we love sharing a great steak (Jannah prefers filet, but I also love a NY strip and the lollipop lamb chops on this page). Second, our favorite places always have to have great fresh fish on the menu, too. You can keep us coming back for more with grouper, snapper, mahi-mahi or the amazing wahoo bianco shown on this page — it’s my favorite new dish in Wesley Chapel for 2021 — so thanks to Treble Makers Executive Chef Kevin Maggard for staying creative. Co-owners Jamie and his brother Joe Hess and Lee Bevan also are to be commended for sticking to their guns with providing an affordable, yet upscale, fine

2. Grillsmith 3. Falabella Family Bistro 4. Zukku-San Sushi 5. Florida Ave. Brewing Co. 6. Noble Crust 7. BlueFin Japanese

dining experience with great food, located in Wesley Chapel proper, despite all of those chain restaurants and having to fight through the worst pandemic our lifetimes. And, while Treble Makers is still also an entertainment destination, especially on weekend evenings, you owe it to yourself to check it out during the day or any night other than Friday or Saturday — when Jamie admits that the service can be slower due to the sold-out nature of most of those dueling piano shows. Jannah and I have enjoyed those shows, but most of the time, we just visit for a great meal. My favorite appetizers are the sesame-crusted seared ahi tuna appetizer (right), the potato gnocchi with smokey Alfredo sauce and the sweet & spicy fried calamari. In addition to the delicious, tender steaks and the wahoo (bottom pic), our favorite entrées are the coconut curry grouper (center left) which doesn’t really taste like curry at all; I told Kevin and Jamie they should just rename it coconut grouper), the savory penne alla vodka (to which we add the most tender grilled chicken) and my new favorite grilled double lollipop lamb chops (top). All are amazing. I also really enjoy the diver scallops and bruschetta chicken entrées, but it’s hard to sample everything on the menu because we love all of these items so much. I don’t think we’ve had any of the hand-

8. Omari’s Grill 9. Top Shelf Sports Lounge 10. Chuck Lager 11. Longhorn Steakhouse 12. The Hungry Greek 13. Bonefish Grill

helds on the menu other than the brisket/chuck blend cheeseburger and the blackened chicken sandwich, which also are among the reduced number of menu items available on the lunch menu at reduced prices. Our favorite sides are the Brussels sprouts, the parsnip purée served with the wahoo and the garlic mashed potatoes. In other words, Treble Makers is my back-to-back Favorite restaurant in Wesley Chapel for good reason. Treble Makers Dueling Piano Bar & Restaurant is open every day for lunch and dinner. For dinner & show

reservations or more info, call (813) 406-4371, visit TrebleMakersofWC. com or see the ad on pg. 39. — GN

14. Bubba’s 33 15. Glory Days Grill 16. Outback Steakhouse 17. Vallarta’s Mexican 18. Umu Japanese & Thai 19. Arroy Thai

20. Rice-N-Beans 21. 900º Woodfired Pizza 22. Amici Pizza 23. Capital Tacos 24. Texas Roadhouse 25. Brooklyn Water Bagel

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 30, Issue 3 • February 8, 2022 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

The Liquor Shoppe Is New Tampa’s New Neighborhood Liquor Store! When you think of people who might own your neighborhood liquor store, you probably weren’t thinking about an accountant and a clinical pharmacist, but that’s exactly the story of Dev Swaly and his wife Shejal Parmar, the owners of the new The Liquor Shoppe, which opened a few months ago in the former location of Café Olé in the Cross Creek Center plaza on Cross Creek Blvd. at Kinnan St. Dev (the accountant who owns Ameriken Consulting) and Shejal (the head of the pharmacy residency program at AdventHealth Tampa) are long-time New Tampa residents who saw a need for a new liquor store in the area and have made it clear that they are not only happy to have opened the store, but also promise to provide whatever members of the community want their neighborhood liquor store to provide. “We already have lots of unique bottles here you won’t find anywhere else,” says Dev, pointing to the shelves behind the cash register, where everything from Lamborghini champagne to 14- and 15-year old bottles of Red Perfection bourbon (bottom right photo) are proudly displayed. “If there’s a special bottle you haven’t been able

to find at other area liquor stores, I’m happy to find and order it for you.” They also promise to offer unique gift ideas for many occasions, such as the bouquet of miniature Tequila Rose bottle roses shown top right on this page — a perfect Valentine’s Day gift for your favorite tequila lover — to amazing Dalmore Cigar Malt Scotch gift baskets (right) and more. Dev says Shejal creates the gift baskets herself and trust us, they’re pretty awesome. And yes, there are also plenty of unique red, white and sparkling wine and imported, domestic and micro-brewed beers available, plus hand-rolled cigars and, perhaps best of all, free tastings of different beers, wines and spirits every other weekend, including a free tasting of Tequila Rose the weekend before Valentine’s Day (Feb. 12-13). “As New Tampa residents, we’re big believers in the power of the Neighborhood News,” says Shejal. “We’ve already had quite a few customers tell us they’ve seen our ads, so keep looking for more announcements in the future.”

The Liquor Shoppe (10020 Cross Creek Blvd.) is open every day, 11 a.m.-10 p.m, and until midnight on Fri. & Sat.. For more info, see the ad below, call (813) 388-2164 or visit LiquorShoppe.us. — GN

Miller’s Ale House Opens Wesley Chapel Location! Congratulations to general manager John French and his team on the opening of the new Miller’s Ale House at 25624 S.R. 54 (across from Zaxby’s, at the Wesley Chapel Blvd. extension) in Lutz. The restaurant officially opened to the public on Jan. 17 (the day after we went to press with this issue), but we were on hand for the Friends & Family preview on Jan. 15 — and we’re excited. If you’ve ever visited any of the previous 111 locations (including the 26-year-old Brandon location), don’t be confused by the name Miller’s Ale House. The chain, which was started by Jack and Claire Miller in Jupiter, FL, 33 years ago, used to just name each Ale House for its location, but with the growth of the chain, changed to the name “Miller’s Ale House,” because, according to

All photos on this page by Charmaine George

regional manager Doug Smith, “there were Ale Houses that weren’t ours everywhere and it was too hard to protect the brand.” Smith calls the chain, “The firendliest place on the street” and says that while it is a sports bar, “it’s really so much more, with

menu items like a fall-off-the-bone pork osso bucco (shank).” Smith also says that you can get a slab of equally tender BBQ baby back ribs on Monday nights for just $14.99 ($6 off) and Thursday is $15.99 prime rib night. We enjoyed a sampling of the menu, with

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 30, Issue 3 • February 8, 2022 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

everyone giving high marks to the burger, chicken Philly, mahi-mahi tacos and fettuccine Alfredo with chicken. Considering that Jannah and I live basically across the street, you can expect to see us there a lot. For more info, visit MillersAleHouse.com. — GN

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 30, Issue 3 • February 8, 2022 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

New Tampa & Wesley Chapel HOME IMPROVEMENT

CUSTOM INT. WINDOW COVERINGS! Cust. fabrication of all types of window coverings — plantation & hurricane shutters, vert. blinds, roller, cellular, woven wood & Roman shades, cellular vert., panel tracks, retract. awnings, motorization experts, alum., wood & faux wood blinds & more! FREE installation on orders over $250! Call Henry @ 813-948-6363, email TampaBlindsbyDesign@gmail.com or visit TampaBlindsbyDesign.com. TOM JOSEPH HANDYMAN: FREE ESTIMATES! Serving residents, Realtors & property mgrs. 30+ yrs home construction exp. Move in/out setups & repairs. Repairs for sale/rent. Hang flatscreen TVs. Setup wifi & home theater. Install closet organizers. Cabinets, pullouts, shelving. Gen’l carpentry. Crown molding. Kitchen backsplash. Door install/repair & more! Call 813-751-4998 or email JosephHomesllc@outlook.com AMBLER ENTERPRISES Home Improvement. Call James at 813-385-6402. 30 Years of exp. Specialist in Kitchens & Bathrooms. Referrals upon request. All interior work: Drywall, Texture Paining, Doors, etc. Use us once & you won’t need to look elsewhere. Google us to see pictures: Wesley Chapel Ambler Enterprises. See our display ad at the bottom of this page! JUNK HAULING SERVICE! • We handle all types of furniture removal — bdrm sets, chairs, mattresses & box springs • Hot water heaters & hot tubs - take apart & remove • Construction material • Carpet removal • Estate, eviction, yard, garage & attic clean-outs • Ofc, home & factory • Comm’l/res’l. GorillaJunkremovalExperts.com. For appts, call/text Nigel @ 888-346-5865. WESLEYCHAPELPRESSUREWASHING.COM Soft pressure ext. house cleaning, screen enclosures, pool decks, driveways, sidewalks, fences, roofs, paver sealing & deck staining. We clean everything. No job too big/small. Exp. the difference when you hire a pressure cleaning pro. Licensed & insured. Owner operated. Call for a free estimate or visit our website. 813-433-6015. RAYMOND PAINTING. Ext. & Int. Svcs. Ext: Painting, pressure washing, clean & seal pavers, stucco, roofing, leaks & wood rot repair. Int: Painting, plastering, ceiling & wall repairs & tiles. Licensed & Bonded. References available. Free estimates. Your Neighborhood Arbor Greene Resident! We work 7 days. Call 813-994-5124. CHARLES POPPE ELECTRIC. Electric of all kinds: pools, spas, svc changes, new circuits, low-voltage, repairs, upgrades, changes to existing, troubleshoot’g, GFCI performance testing, generators. We are experts w/40+ years exp. Discount of 50% off labor for senior citizens! Lic’d & Insured Master Electrician (EC 13002399) - free phone estimates. Call 813-477-9068. MILLENNIUM HOME REPAIR. Prof’ Handyman. Cabinet install, dry wall rep, tile install & rep, some plumbing, laminate flooring, light fixtures, int. painting, appliance install, pressure washing, paneling, window rep, awning install, carpentry, garbage disp, fence rep, crown molding, window blinds, seal baths & showers, TV mount & more. Call 813-400-1408 or email TycoonUnion@ yahoo.com.

Classifieds

Think you can write for print? Do you shoot & edit videos? Want to get paid? The Neighborhood News is looking to add freelance writers & /video editors. Email your resumé & no more than one writing or video sample to Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com, Attn: Gary Nager

HOME HEALTH CARE

HOME DIALYSIS PARTNER: Why travel for dialysis? Home Hemodialysis Partner LLC ‘s Cert. Home Health Aide & Phlebotomy Tech will come to you! We attend mandatory training at your clinic, assemble your machine at home, check vitals, start & finish treatment w/you, maintain contact w/an on-call nurse & safely remove you from the machine. Accepting new clients June 21! Email YourDialysisPartner@gmail.com or call 813.841.3754. SENIOR OVERNIGHT COMPANION SITTERS Two kind senior sisters seeking work safeguarding your loved one during the overnight hours. We’ve been working w/the senior population for 10 years & have seen a need for local, English-speaking, backgroundchecked, Covid-tested, dependable companions w/their own transportation. Very reasonable rates. Call Diane or Elisa at 813-938-8614.

COMPUTER & BUSINESS SERVICES

DO YOU HATE YOUR COMPUTER?!? WE CAN HELP YOU! Troubleshooting, Installation, Networking & Virus Removal. WE COME TO YOU! Residences & Businesses, more than 25-Years Experience. Contact Jeffrey Blank at 813-973-4507, visit WSICA.COM or email Wsica@wsica.com. PROF’L TECH SUPPORT in your home or small biz. A+ Cert. computer tech w/20 years exp. Maint. & Repairs, Upgrades & Tutoring. More affordable than large chains! Friendly, personalized svc. Tech jargon explained. Remote assistance & refs. avail. Call (813) 957-8342 for free estimate or see our ad on pg. 41!

CLEANING SERVICES

PATY CLEANING SERVICE. Comm’l or resid’l cleaning service. We have our own supplies & 6 years of exp. Free estimates. Call 813 943 6054 or email patycleaningservice@hotmail.com. A-to-Z CLEANING & ORGANIZING. Home & Ofc Cleaning & Organizing Svcs! We use our own supplies. Affordable & Reliable. Family-Owned & Operated. WC resident. Weekly & Bi-Weekly / Deep Cleaning/ Move-In / Move-Out. Serving WC & NT. Call today for a FREE No-Obligation Quote: 813462-1270. Local references supplied upon request. B CLEANING SERVICES: Over 18 years exp.! Comm’l & Resid’l; Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly; New house & postconstruction clean-up; Window cleaning; Move-in & move-out cleanings; Pressure washing; FREE estimates.; Refs. avail. Call 813-531-0154 or e-mail: bcleanings@hotmail.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

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

POOL SERVICES (Cont.)

MISCELLANEOUS

AUTOS WANTED! Autos/trucks/small campers/small boats wanted! We pay top dollar! Any condition, Free Removal 24/7. For more info, call (813) 461-0062. Want To Buy A Home, Starting With $1,000? I’d Like to be your Realtor & share a list of beautiful homes & loan officers who can get you approved! I’m familiar w/ Down Payment & Closing Cost Assistance! Call/Text (941) 400-2833. Robert Leonard, Future Home Realty (27552 Cashford Cir., #101, WC 33544). Or, send me an email to Robert@HomeSeminar.Info. ELITE RIDES. Private rides in a sanitized 2020 Tesla, plus concierge services. Airport, schools, medical appointments, shopping, etc. Courteous, reliable professional. New Tampa to Tampa Int’l Airport - $40 (one way). Driver vaccinated w/two shots. Cory Lake Isles resident. Call/text 813.765.2037. GET $500 TOWARDS CLOSING COSTS... when you buy a NEW CONSTRUCTION HOME with Florida Homes with Geri at Epperson OR Mirada. Schedule a PRIVATE TOUR of both Communities by a Resident Realtor. Join @LifeAtTheLagoon with @RealtorGeri Call/Text 813-609-0966. Connect with me on Instagram & Facebook.

POOL SERVICES

ALLSTARPOOLSOFTAMPABAY.COM. Pool cleanups, & acid washing of old pool finishes. Marcite, quartz & pebble finishes from $3K. We offer cool decking, Eurocrete & paver decking options. Paver, river rock sealing, leak detection & in-ground vinyl liner replacements avail. Quality salt & ozone generators, pumps, motors & filters. Mention this ad for a $79 pool svc. (restrictions apply). Serving NT & WC since 1990. Call/text 813-244-7077 or visit AllStarPoolsofTampaBay.com. TRANQUILITY POOL SERVICE. New Tampa owned & operated. Great Pricing w/outstanding customer service! LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED. See why we are New Tampa and Wesley Chapel’s #1 Choice!! Call or Text Chris today @ 813-857-5400 or visit TranquilityPoolService.com. New customers get ONE MONTH FREE! AQUATEC POOL SERVICE has been keeping pools clear & swim-safe since 1994. WE DO POOLS RIGHT! Commercial & Residential. CPO #33-303052 Licensed & Insured. Service guarantee. Call 813-312-5694 TODAY and get ONE MONTH OF QUALITY SERVICE FREE. www.aquatecpool.com.

NEIGHBORHOOD POOLS. Wesley Chapel owned & operated since 1999. Weekly service. No long term contracts. Mention this AD for one-month Free service. Call 813-907-7322 for details or text Joe at 813-758-7608.

LAWN & LANDSCAPING____

ALL DIMENSIONS LANDSCAPE & EXTERIORS, LLC. Complete resid’l & comm’l landscape, hardscape & softscape. Mulch & decorative stone. Patios, decks, retaining walls, property maintenance & lawn care. Sod & lawn install’n, artificial turf, fencing, railings, soft & hard pressure washing, painting. We do anything exterior. Call (724) 541-2535 or (813) 485-6661 for a 25% discount on labor & materials. NTLC Property Maintenance. Residential & Commercial lawn maintenance for New Tampa & Wesley Chapel. Sprinkler repairs, tree trimming, mulching, landscaping & clean-ups also available. Licensed & Insured. CALL BILL @ (813) 973-3825. A.T.B. Landscaping & Lawn Service. Lic’d & insured, serving the Tampa Bay area 20+ years. Family owned & operated. Quality work, affordable rates. Gutter clean-outs, screen repairs, pressure washing & sprinkler repairs. Landscaping & property maint., including sod, tree & hedge trimming & clean ups. Other services avail. CALL 813-907-LAWN (5296). Jasmine Landscaping, Inc. Complete lawn maint.: Tree, palm & hedge trimming, planting, mulching, stones, sod replacement. Gutter cleaning, leaf removal & more. Cited by your HOA? Ask about our HOA Compliance Special, our Fall/Spring Special & FREE estimate! Lic’d & insured. Accepting new resid’l & comm’l accounts. Visa, MC, PayPal, Zelle, AmEx. Call or text 813-420-4465. Now hiring FT workers. HEAVY HITTER LAWN CARE: Veteran owned & operated lawn care maint. service, focused on lawn mowing, trimming, edging & blowing (flexible w/extra svcs.). Well maintained & professional laborer ensuring cust. satisfaction & on-time cuts. Rain or shine, quality & schedule will be kept. Lic’d & Insured. Call or text 678-673-7856 for your FREE Estimate.

FITNESS & WELL BEING

YOGA, PERSONAL TRAINING, NUTRITION & PHYSICAL THERAPY w/DR. LAUREN LEIVA, DPT! Phys Ed for everyone, including all children, w/a certified personal trainer who also is a degreed Dr. of Physical Therapy. Ask Dr. Leiva about her PE4ME sliding scale pay program, volunteer opportunities and more! For more info, visit TheExerscienceCenter.com, call 813.464.0313 or see the ad on pg. 28 of this issue.

All Neighborhood News Classified Ads appear in both New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News! 7 issues — $120; 13 issues — $200; or 26 issues (1 year) — $300! To order yours, visit neighborhoodnewsonline.net/Classified Listings

DRY WALL SPECIALIST. Not a handyman. Affordable, Quality Work repairing water damage, ceilings & walls, retexturing, popcorn removal, room addt’ns, cracks, holes, plaster & stucco repair. 26 years exp. WC resident. State Certified. Call Ron for a free estimate: 813-784-5999. TJ’s PRESSURE WASHING LLC. Houses, Fences, Driveways, Lanais & Screened Enclosures. Most resdt’l 2-car driveways & vinyl fences start at $75. House washing starts at $150 /1-story home, $199/2-story home. Need an instant quote? Text me a picture of the job you need done. Call Tj at 727-808-7775.

TREE SERVICE

FITZPATRICK’s TREE SERVICE, INC. 27-yrs of Prof. Service. Licensed & Insured. Free Estimates. Tree Trimming & Tree Removal. Stump Grinding. DeadWood Removal. Affordable Rates. 24-Hour Emergency Storm Service. Free Mulch. Call 813-495-9541 or 813-788-TREE.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 30, Issue 3 • February 8, 2022 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 30, Issue 3 • February 8, 2022 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 30, Issue 3 • February 8, 2022 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

New Tampa Neighborhood News, Volume 30, Issue 3, February 8, 2022

Articles inside

Wharton’s Justin Scott perseveres and makes it to the pitch! See

See

Presenting a non-political argument in favor of Covid vaccines. See

Sensory & Autism Friendly Park to break ground on Feb

See