New Tampa Neighborhood News, Volume 26, Issue 7, March 23, 2018 by Neighborhood News

Volume 26 Issue 7 March 23, 2018

Inside:

Can Wharton High Repair Its Image? See Page 4!

Remember To View, Like & Share Every Episode Of WCNT-tv On YouTube & Facebook! The Direct-Mail News Magazines Serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Since 1993! For the complete list of the neighborhoods that receive this publication by direct mail in New Tampa (zip code 33647), see page 54!

Don’t Miss The 2018 Taste Of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel! At Florida Hospital Center Ice, This Sunday, March 25, Noon-4 p.m.! Bring The Family To New Tampa & Wesley Chapel’s Premier Tasting Event In Just 2 Days, As 45 Local Food & Beverage Providers Will Serve Thousands Of $1-$3 Samples To Raise Money For Local Nonprofit Groups! BY GARY NAGER

Among those returning for the 2018 Taste are The Cake Girl (above) & Texas Roadhouse (right)

2017 NN Taste of New Tampa File Photos

Our Exclusive Taste Of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Preview Section! See Pages 40-45! Inside

INSIDE Also INSIDE

OW, THIS ONE WILL BE FUN! Considering that we estimated the crowd at the 2017 Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel at just about 2,000 people total, I know a lot of you missed last year’s event. But, that’s OK. Those of you who did miss it but know someone who attended are probably thinking you should be there this time around. And you’d be correct. Yes, the premier tasting event in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel returns to the cool (but not at all cold, somehow), comfortable confines of Florida Hospital Center Ice on Sunday, March 25, noon-4 p.m., as the Rotary Club of New Tampa takes its second stab at hosting the Taste. The only difference is that this year, New Tampa’s original Rotary Club (which has been meeting at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club for more than 20 years) is hosting the event in conjunction with the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce (the new name of the former Greater Wesley Chapel Camber). The event itself, which will again have around 45 restaurants and food and beverage providers, will again raise funds to benefit the Rotary Club’s own Foundation, which donates thousands of dollars to about two dozen charitable nonprofits each year, as well as the Chamber’s high school scholarship fund. As you’re reading this, you can ONLY buy $1 Taste tickets in $25 packs at the door, but visit TasteofNewTampa.org for more info and check out our tasty preview of the Taste on pages 3 and 40-45! Don’t kick yourself for missing it this year!

8 1 3 6 2 9 1 5 0 2

R E AL T OR®

K T GOS S E L I N@S MI T HANDAS S OI CI AT E S . COM • F I NE HOME S OF T AMP A. COM

My Personal Take On Gun Violence; Plus, The Taste Returns In Two Days! 17,000-sq.-ft., NHL-sized rinks. Gametime indoor An editorial by Gary Nager

As a parent, I’m happy that both of my sons have graduated from both high school and college, because the threat of continuing gun violence, especially towards young people, seems to loom ever larger in this country. I can’t imagine how the families of the murdered students and staff at Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland are feeling. I don’t want to imagine it. But, I also can’t hide my head in the sand and only pray that it somehow all goes away. Children shouldn’t have to be afraid to go to school. Schools shouldn’t have to have metal detectors and beefed-up security, but they do. I’ve never been a gun owner and the few times I’ve shot a gun of any kind, I could feel the death — whether accidental or intended — in my hands...and wanted no part of it. Even so, I’ve also always had an open mind about both hunting and the need some people I have been close to have felt to have a gun (or guns) in their home in order to feel safe. The one thing I could never understand was why anyone would own a military-style automatic weapon, other than maybe as a keepsake of someone’s time in the military. If you hunters out there are using AR-15s or AK-47s or even bump stocks to shoot deer, wild boar or even gators, I’m guessing that’s against the rules. But, if it’s not, shouldn’t it be? Even though these weapons can get off multiple shots in seconds, are they really the weapon of choice for home protection? Aren’t they, when legally kept, supposed to be unloaded and locked up when not in use and therefore harder to load and fire quickly at an intruder? But, I certainly agree that the guns themselves are not the problem. People are. I therefore think that, in addition to trying to ban these types of weapons, anyone who wants to buy one should have to be evaluated by one or more licensed mental health professionals before they can do so. I

New Tampa Neighborhood News Address: 29157 Chapel Park Dr., Suite B Wesley Chapel, FL 33543 Phone: (813) 910-2575 Advertising E-mail: Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Editorial E-mail: EditorialDept@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Publisher & Editor Gary Nager Marketing/Advertising Representative Tom Damico Advertising Sales & Office Assistant Jannah McDonald Assistant Editor / Photographer John C. Cotey Staff Writer Celeste McLaughlin Correspondents Brad Stager • Andy Warrener WCNT-tv Video Producers/Editors Gavin Olsen • Giuliano Ferrara Graphic Designers Georgia Carmichael • Stephanie Vokes Flischel Office Assistant “Wild Bill” Peterseim

Nothing that appears in New Tampa Neighborhood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, without permission. Opinions expressed by New Tampa Neighborhood News writers are their own and do not reflect the publisher’s opinion. The deadline for outside editorial submissions and advertisements for Volume 26, Issue 9, of New Tampa Neighborhood News is Monday, April 9, 2018. New Tampa Neighborhood News will consider previously nonpublished outside editorial submissions if they are double spaced, typed and less than 500 words. New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit and/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makes no guarantees regarding publication dates. New Tampa Neighborhood News will not return unsolicited editorial materials. New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit &/or reject any advertising. New Tampa Neighborhood News is not responsible for errors in advertising beyond the actual cost of the advertising space itself, nor for the validity of any claims made by its advertisers.

also think that the penalties for not only using, but possessing, these types of weapons would also need to be tougher. And finally, I honestly think that in order to get the most people to be willing to give up these guns of mass destruction, they should be paid to give them back. Pennies on the dollar, but it’s better than having them confiscated or having to illegally hide them if they ever are banned. Even if our government had to buy back every military-style weapon and bump stock in this country, wouldn’t the monetary cost alone, much less the cost in human life and suffering, be less than what we’ve seen in mass shooting after mass shooting? I honestly believe that if anyone is going to finally bring about change with regards to guns in this country, those surviving students and families from Parkland have the best chance of actually getting it done. I truly hope they succeed because, sadly, we never know whose children (or parents or siblings) could be next.

Taste 2018 Preview Section!

At our press time on March 16, it is 9 days before the Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel is set to return to the (surprisingly) warm and friendly confines of Florida Hospital Center Ice (FHCI) and I know it’s going to be bigger and better than last year. The Taste, presented by the Rotary Club of New Tampa, in conjunction with the North Tampa Bay (formerly the Greater Wesley Chapel) Chamber of Commerce, will return to FHCI on Sunday, March 25, noon-4 p.m., or literally two days after you received this issue in your mailbox! As the restaurant coordinator for the event both years, I will say that, at our press time, we had two fewer restaurants and beverage providers signed up — 44 this year, compared with 46 last year — but several of those that participated last year who don’t appear in our Taste preview section on pages 41-44 said they were going to return, we just hadn’t received their paperwork by Mar. 16. In short, I will be stunned if we don’t at least match last year’s 46 food and beverage providers and I won’t be surprised at all if the number ends up at 50 or more. Please note that this year’s “People’s Choice” winners will have to keep selling tickets past 3 p.m., because the total weight of each food/beverage vendors’ tickets will...um...carry a lot of weight. The New Tampa Players will return with new performances and guitar aficionado Shaun Hopper (photo above) will be the day’s entertainment headliner, known for his “fingerstyle” and percussive technique. I give big kudos to FHCI owners Gordie Zimmermann and George Mitchell for welcoming the Taste back to the largest skating complex south of New York state, with an amazing custom-built, insulated floor covering one of the complex’s

temp? Right around 72 degrees (F.). Seriously! I also congratulate New Tampa Rotary president Karen Frashier, her awesome team of “JCs” — James Carner and Jason Contino — who have brought in thousands more in sponsorship dollars for the event this year than last, logistics guru Matt Palmer, our beer & wine license expert (and Private Chef) Peter Gambacorta, entertainment chair Bob Thompson, volunteer coordinator Dr. Colin Beach, marketing whiz Craig Miller, the always-helpful Lesley Zajac, Debby Amon and new Taste committee member Nikki Smith.

I’m also proud that Lisa Hickey, from the Rotary Club of New Tampa Noon that I actually belong to, will help our club benefit from the Taste, by managing the volunteers (many of whom are from our club) taking money and giving out packs of tickets during this year’s event. For more info about the 2018 Taste, including the latest restaurant additions, visit

TasteofNewTampa.org. And, check out our Taste Preview Section (pgs. 40-44). I also hope you’ll check out our exclusive WCNT-tv Taste preview segments airing now on YouTube and Photo: SixStringStrength.com Facebook.

‘Cycling For Vets!’

I also hope you’ll help my Rotary Club of New Tampa Noon raise money to help local military veterans and first responders when the “Cycling for Vets” bike ride returns to the BBD entrance to Flatwoods Park on Sat., Apr. 14. For details, see the ad on pg. 21 of this issue!

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Table of Contents

Local News Updates.....................3-20

Wharton Community Looks To Fix School’s Image...4 County Looking For Kinnan-Mansfield Solutions....6 Viera Files To Run For Re-Election.....................7 Goat Yoga A Hit At FHWC.............................10 Hotels Set To Spring Up Around Our Area..........12 City Of Tampa Gets Ready To Build NT Projects...14 Will The Next “Idol” Be From Wesley Chapel?.......16 New Tampa YMCA Picks Its Volunteer Of Year.......18 New Tampa Community Calendar...............................20

Local Business Updates..............24-34

North Tampa Law Group.......................................24 Let Edward Jones Help With Retirement...............26 GL Homes Making Mark In The Ridge...................28 The Bowman Institute For Skin Cancer Surgery.......30 Allergists Drs. Lockey, Ledford, Glaum & Cho........32

Local School & Sports Updates...36-40

New Tampa Christian Academy Coming Soon.......36 U.S. Women Give Golden Goodbye To WC............38 New Tampa Resident Sets More 3-Pt. Records........39

Neighborhood Magazine

Our Taste Of New Tampa Preview Section!...41-44 New Tampa Players To Present “Legally Blonde!”....36 Neighborhood Nibbles & Business Bytes’.........50 New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Classifieds..........52 @NTWCNews

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Wharton High Community Trying To Clean Up The School’s Image By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

sive.” Describing the most recent incident

celeste@ntneighborhoodnews.com at the school, he explains, “Two girls had a A slew of negative press — following reports of rampant fighting that has led to 67 arrests at New Tampa’s Wharton High this school year — has Hillsborough School District officials and Wharton’s staff, as well as parents, fighting back. Wharton held a meeting in the school’s auditorium on February 19, drawing hundreds of concerned parents and local residents. A team of experts from the district is trying to determine the root causes of the problems – and find solutions. The school’s image has taken a hit. “It’s frustrating,” admits principal Brad Woods, who has led the school since 2008, “because it’s not an accurate picture of what Wharton is. It skews the general perception that things are out of control here on campus, and that’s not the case. We’ve got kids in class, kids learning, kids doing great things.” Wharton’s proverbial black eye comes from widespread media reports of fights, some fueled by an Instagram account called “Wharton Fights,” which has since been taken down. On February 8, a phone call from Woods to parents indicated the fights were the result of “a small number of students causing a disruption” and “neighborhood issues or posts on social media.” While a large number of fights broke out on the campus in early February, it has been relatively calm the last few weeks. Since the community meeting on Feb. 19, Woods says, “We’ve had three (minor) altercations.” He says all of the incidents were isolated and often happened because “kids are impul-

three-second conversation, one girl tried to walk away and the other grabbed her. It happened about 15 feet from [Wharton’s school resource officer] Deputy Williams. It’s not a lack of supervision.” While Woods believes that media reports make Wharton look worse than it is, he is quick to ask, “Are there things we need to do better and improve?,” and just as quick to answer, “Yes.”

Making Changes

“We as a district are there, in full force,” says Dr. Anna Brown, Area 3 superintendent, who oversees Wharton and all of the New Tampa-area public schools. Over the last several weeks, she and a team of district employees have been listening to students, parents and teachers to get to the root of the problem. While she won’t name the experts, she says they are all district employees — including principals of other schools — who are investing in Wharton in addition to their regular day jobs. Each team member focuses on a certain aspect — including student safety, stakeholder engagement, student relationships and data monitoring, teacher leaders/professional development and administrative leadership. “These are people I have asked to join me (so we can) ‘turn the ship’ at Wharton,” she says. “They are doing double duty, (some) principals spending time away from their (own) schools and district employees finishing their jobs at night at home.” She says the team members are seeing common trends and are implementing short-

Fresh Faces for

Upcoming Wharton High Community Meetings

Parents & community members are invited to attend a meeting at 6 p.m. in the school cafeteria at any one the following locations, which will include updates from the Wharton High administration and Hillsborough School District staff, along with time for audience participation. To help or stay up to date, join “Wharton High School Betterment” on Facebook.

Wednesday, April 4 Thursday, April 5 Monday, April 9 Tuesday, April 10 Wednesday, April 11

Hunter’s Green Elementary Van Buren Middle School Heritage Elementary Turner Bartels K-8 School Benito Middle School

term solutions, such as facility maintenance and beautification, overall communication, restroom availability and cleanliness, scheduling adjustments (such as at lunch), increased adult/student interaction, and ensuring parking lot gates are closed and locked. According to Brown, these and other short-term fixes set the groundwork for more long-term solutions, such as improving the school culture, engaging every student, providing rigorous content, and continuing to discuss zoning and boundaries. “When I’m at Wharton, and I walk the campus and sit with kids at lunch, I don’t see a chaotic environment or horrific behaviors,” Brown says. “What I see are things that need to be fixed, such as overall school pride. I also see a supportive student body who want students who care about the school to stay focused and others to be dealt with by administrators.” She also points her finger at another cause: “Kids got caught up in social media.” Social media, however, is one way some parents have tried to combat some of the negativity surrounding the school. Kristie Scism, whose son and daughter

attend Wharton, says that when news of the arrests began to spread among parents, many other parents reached out to her with their questions. She thought an easy way to communicate with the group of parents would be through Facebook, so she started a group through the website. “People invited people who invited more people,” she says, “and it quickly grew to more than 400 members. I thought about deleting the group, but instead I’ve been trying to think about how to keep the momentum rolling. I learn so much from this page.” Over the past few weeks, the Facebook group, now called “Wharton High School Betterment,” has been used to spread the word about positive things happening at the school, such as members of the wrestling team qualifying for the State tournament, students on the speech and debate team qualifying for a national competition and the school’s LSA Theatre Troupe qualifying for the State level competition. “Wharton Betterment” also been used for requesting volunteers from the community for help with the school’s beautification club, and

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showed off some before-and-after photos from the beautification club’s efforts. This may support one area Woods hopes to improve — for more Wharton students to feel ownership and connection to the school. “We have students from all parts of our attendance boundaries that don’t feel a sense of connection,” Woods says. “There are kids who live here in New Tampa and kids who live in the Busch Gardens area who have great relationships with teachers, and others who struggle to connect.” Woods says a primary goal is to ensure all students feel safe on campus. “There are things we need to do better to create a better sense of community in our school for kids to know this is a safe place for them,” he says, “and that violence/physical altercation is not the solution.” This includes an effort to be sure students know about peer mediation and who to go to if they have a problem. Many Wharton parents hope these efforts will lead to lasting change. “In my years, I’ve seen that there are seasons where there are a bunch of fights, then they get a handle on it and it’s quiet,” says Scism. “In terms of the fights, there’s kind of a crescendo. I don’t think we’ll see a lot of fights for the rest of the year because it reached its eruption phase.” Scism is disheartened that it feels like her kids and other students are desensitized to the fighting, but says her children have never felt targeted or afraid. “Right now neither of my kids are affected by it,” she says, “but if we continue to have major fights every year, someone eventually is going to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Holly Garemore is another mom who says she stays on top of what’s happening at Wharton by participating in the school’s Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA), and

that, “my kids both feel safe there, and say it’s completely blown out of proportion, so I listen to them, too.” Her younger son, Max, a freshman, was involved in an altercation this school year that she says was unprovoked, “and I was impressed with how the administration handled it. The student who hit him was arrested, even though it was her first time being in trouble at the school.”

Same Fights But More Arrests?

Some say that might be the cause of the high number of arrests. “I don’t know what other schools do,” says Woods, “but a few years ago, we made a decision that a five-day suspension is not a strong enough consequence for fighting.” He explains that there is some leeway between schools and law enforcement to decide when to arrest students. At Wharton, he says, when students break the law, they will be arrested. Brown agrees. “I do believe that the larger number of arrests at this school are related to a desire to squelch anything that’s going on,” she says. “There have been things that students have been arrested for, that kids are not arrested for at another site.” She says that of the 67 arrests, 15 students were arrested at one fight. All 67 students have been recommended for a change in placement, so that they do not return to Wharton for at least one semester or one year. Many times, she explains, if students successfully complete the process, they return to a public school other than the one they left. Although 67 is a concerning number, both Brown and Woods emphasize it’s just a small portion of a school that has more than 2,400 students. “We’re way too focused on a small population when there’s a large population that is having amazing high school careers,” says Brown.

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Hagan Looks To Press Kinnan-Mansfield Connection By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com

Hillsborough County commissioner Ken Hagan says the infamous 50-foot space between Kinnan St. in New Tampa and Mansfield Blvd. in Pasco County needs to be connected. Now. So, at the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting on Feb. 21, Hagan put forth a motion directing the county attorney’s office to look into all possibilities, which passed by a unanimous vote. “We are directing the (attorneys) to explore all legal options, including eminent domain, to force the connection to be made,” Hagan says. The county is taking a hard look at records from the Pasco and Hillsborough Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) for Transportation, the City of Tampa and M/I Homes, the developer of K-Bar Ranch, to determine what agreements are in place. According to Hagan, the KinnanMansfield connection was already approved in the original developer’s agreements for K-Bar Ranch. “Basically, and I’ve said it before, the original agreement was once the road to Wiregrass was opened, then Pasco County would connect KinnanMansfield,” Hagan says. “It is absolutely absurd the roads aren’t connected.”

Hagan says the county’s attorneys also will be looking for similar cases involving disputes between two counties, to see if there are any precedents for legal action, including eminent domain, to force the issue. Hagan says the connection of the roads will provide a north-south alternative to Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. that would provide for both counties, as well as benefit the public good, he adds, by improving police and fire response times and relieving congestion. Once the attorneys complete their research, a course of action will be presented to the BOCC for a vote. Hagan is confident he has the commission votes to pursue any recommendation, considering that the Hillsborough County Commission unanimously approved his motion to explore legal action, as well as a vote in September 2017 to put $250,000 towards funding a potential connection. “Nothing will ever get done, I’m convinced,” Hagan says. “It’s not the money, right?” Hagan believes the fear of political backlash from Meadow Pointe (especially Meadow Pointe II & III) residents who live near the proposed connection, many who are opposed to it cite safety concerns, which has stalled the efforts by Pasco County to make a decision. Pasco’s District 2 commissioner Mike Moore, whose district includes all

of Meadow Pointe, scoffs at Hagan’s notion. He says the county is still waiting for the results of the Pasco Roadway Connections study to determine whether or not the connection should be made, and if there might be better connection points, including one between Meadow Pointe Blvd. and K-Bar Ranch Blvd., a planned east-west road currently under construction in K-Bar Ranch. Any talk of eminent domain, Moore says, is “ridiculous.” That connections study, though, was announced in May and, at the time, Moore said he expected it would take 6-7 months, or by the end of 2017. “Now we’re in March (of 2018) and I’m hearing it could be May or June,” Hagan says. “It seems they (Pasco) are looking for any reason not to make this connection.”

The Political Football

Moore is running for re-election this year, which Hagan suggests is paralyzing the commissioner from taking swifter action. “Pasco County residents use our parks, our libraries, and they preach connectivity between the counties,” Hagan says. “There’s no valid reason not to make the connection other than fear of political fallout.” To be fair, Hagan also will be busy this upcoming election season. Currently the countywide District 5 commissioner, Hagan is running for his original District

2 seat that represents New Tampa, where residents generally seem in favor of a connected for Kinnan-Mansfield. But, as a former New Tampa resident and the District 2 commissioner from 2002-10,, Hagan says the Kinnan-Mansfield conundrum is a long-standing issue that he has been trying to resolve for years. “There’s always going to be another excuse, whether its an election or a transportation study,” He says. “There’s always another reason (for Pasco) not to move forward.”

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Viera Files For Re-Election By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com

Luis Viera (photo) is only a little more than a year removed from his first political campaign, and is already looking forward to his second one. Viera, who represents District 7 (which includes the portions of New Tampa within Tampa’s city limits) on the Tampa City Council, has officially thrown his hat in the ring for the March 2019 City Council election. Viera, who defeated fellow New Tampa resident Jim Davison by only 65 votes in a runoff election on Dec. 6, 2016, filed his re-election papers with the city on March 1. “We have an election about a year away, and I wanted to get started,” Viera says. “I’m very optimistic and very proud of our accomplishments for District 7. We’ve done a lot in a short time.” Viera cited his work organizing both the North Tampa Veterans Association and the New Tampa Council, as well as his partnerships with community leaders when it came to Tampa city budget issues involving the New Tampa Recreation Center and his pet project — a proposed autism park in Tampa Palms. “I think those are the some of the greatest things we can be proud of in the last one-and-a-half years,” Viera says. “We’ve worked hard on the rebirth of civic engagement in New Tampa, and I

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think we’ve seen results. It’s one of the things I want to continue to champion.” Viera says that Gene Siudut, Orlando Gudes and Arbor Greene’s Avis Harrison, all opponents in the 2016 primaries, have already endorsed his reelection efforts. BIG START FOR DRISKELL: Tampa attorney Fentrice Driskell, who has filed to run against incumbent Shawn Harrison for his State House District 63 seat (as we reported last issue), raised $40,805.18 in the first 22 days after announcing her bid. Driskell says that total is from more than 200 donors. “I truly appreciate the outpouring of community support,” Driskell says. “We are focused on common-sense solutions to the challenges we face every day in Hillsborough County and throughout Florida, from investing in education and transportation, to protecting our children with sensible gun laws.”

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Goat Outta Here! Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel Introduces Goat Yoga By ANDY WARRENER

There are several different disciplines of yoga, from Anada to Yin and many others in between. But, with apologies to Bikram Yoga, or hot yoga, the hottest thing out there — and definitely the cutest — might just be goat yoga. Yes, goat yoga. It is as you might expect — yoga and goats, in harmony, and recently, at the Wellness Center at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC). “I’ve taken regular (yoga) classes in the past and when I saw the chance to do this one, I thought, ‘Yeah, I’m in,’” Wesley Chapel resident Tammy Knoll-Anderson said after finishing class. “It’s fun to be around and interact with the animals and it’s nice being outside.” Indeed, modern aficionados have incorporated animals into their yoga practices. Cat and puppy yoga gained popularity for a time, but have been superseded by goat yoga, a craze that is sweeping the country. It has been featured nationally on ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN, and USA Today profiled goat yoga in places like Colorado, Florida, New Jersey and Oregon, the latter of which, the article said, was the birthplace of goat yoga. Obviously, the goats are not demonstrating or performing a Bharadvaja’s Twist or downward dogs, but they are offering support in the form of their calm nature, and maybe a few kisses along the way. According to GoatYoga.net, goat yoga is a form of Animal-Assisted Therapy in the context of an instructor-led yoga session. Obviously, the aim is for an outdoor session and the goats don’t participate in the

exercises so much as provide ambiance. FHWC just happened to have all the right ingredients available — land (most important) and a desire to be creative, in order to offer a goat yoga class, the morning of Feb. 24. “At the fitness center, we talk about thinking outside the box and engaging the community,” FHWC director of community wellness Barbara Morris says. “The hospital said we could use the pavilion behind the building, and the pieces began to fall in place.” Morris looked for an instructor willing to teach the class. She found FHWC Wellness Center yoga instructor Rachel Jimenez a willing participant. The goats themselves came from Fortune Teller Farms in Bushnell. Jeff Bogue, who is the program manager of ambulance services for the hospital, and his wife Amy have operated the farm since 2013. The Bogues followed their dream, and now own and operate an all-natural, grass-fed beef and pasture-raised pork farm. The nine goats they have are all rescues, and while they do try to harvest milk from some of them, for the most part, they are pets. When Jeff heard about the goat yoga notion from Barbara, the wheels were set into motion. “I remember when I first mentioned it to Amy, she laughed, thinking I was joking with her,” Jeff says. “The next thing I know, I’m in Barbara’s office working on an ad for the class.” Under the shade of the pavilion located behind the main building, the very first goat yoga class was hosted at FHWC on Feb. 24, with roughly 30 participants who enjoyed interacting with a handful of the Bogue family’s

goats during the session. The Bogues, with help from Morris and fitness program coordinator Linda Harris, put up temporary, plastic fencing around the pavilion to contain the animals, and placed small piles of feed near the yoga participants to encourage the goats to physically interact. The goats needed little persuasion as they nibbled at clothing, some even jumping up on top of students’ backs or bellies. Two-week old Chief was one of the more popular goats, easily perching on students as they negotiated different poses. Jimenez says she was eager to try teaching her first goat yoga class. “I have taken goat yoga but I had never taught it before,” Jimenez says. “The goats offer some humor and lightness to a session. There’s a seriousness to yoga and goats kind of balance that out.” Wesley Chapel’s Tammy Knoll-Anderson invents a new yoga pose — Goats also have a curious The Cuddle — with Chief. Tammy was one of roughly 30 participants nature and while they’ll eat just in the first-ever goat yoga class at FHWC. (Photo by: Andy Warrener) about anything, Jeff says they could mean the return of Chief and his friends make good candidates for inter— the Wellness Center is already planning for a action with a yoga class. “The goats are ideal for this,” he says. second class at the end of April. For more info, call (813) 929-5252 or “They’re calm, they like to interact with people visit FloridaHospital.com/Wesley-Chapel and they’re clean, for the most part.” The nice turnout for the goat yoga class and search “Health & Wellness Center.”

(L.-r.) Barbara Morris, Jeff Bogue, Amy Bogue, Emma Bogue & Linda Harris at the Feb. 24 goat yoga class at the FHWC Wellness Center.

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Three New Hotels Add Heat To Wesley Chapel’s Business Climate By JOHN C. COTEY

what we wanted to do; we were just waiting for the right time.” Kanji said his company also eyed the Shops at Wiregrass mall and Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel areas in Wiregrass, as well as the area near FHCI (where the Holiday Inn Express is today). “There’s been the potential (for a hotel) in the area, but the place we always wanted to be was on that (the west) side of the interstate,” he said.

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com For years, Pasco County has grappled with attracting tourists and giving them a place to stay, lamenting the fact that all those tourist dollars were going to places like SpringHill Suites, Holiday Inn Express and La Quinta hotels in New Tampa, which, for years, have been among the only quality hotels nearby. In a few months, a long-standing problem of keeping those heads in beds in Wesley Chapel will be solved. During the months of June and July, Wesley Chapel expects to see three new hotels open along the burgeoning S.R. 56 corridor, joining the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites that opened last year next to Florida Hospital Center Ice (FHCI) and the Hampton Inn & Suites, which has been open for many years. “The two industries (tourism and hospitality) go hand in hand,” says Hope Allen, the CEO of the North Tampa Bay (formerly Great Wesley Chapel) Chamber of Commerce. “It’s almost like you can’t have one without the other.” Barring any weather delays, a sixstory, 125-room Hilton Garden Inn on Silver Maple Pkwy. (across S.R. 56 from FHCI), is scheduled to open in June, a 92-room Fairfield Inn & Suites

A Little History...

Dilip Kanji (top) of Impact Properties is building a Hyatt Place Hotel & Conference Center in the Cypress Creek Town Center North development. The 132-room hotel is set to open in July.

is expected to open in June or July a few miles to the east (in the Wiregrass Ranch development), and the six-story, 132room Hyatt Place Hotel & Convention Center will open in July at the Cypress Creek Town Center, across from the Tampa Premium Outlets (TPO). The newest hotels have all been planned since late 2015. Impact Properties is building the Hyatt Place, and hosted a “topping off” event in February to show off its progress. Impact just began building the $24-million hotel last summer. The Hyatt Place will share the north side of S.R. 56 with a host of new restaurants and retailers. The Hyatt Place’s conference

center fills another Wesley Chapel/New Tampa need. Impact president Dilip Kanji said he has had his eyes on the Cypress Creek location for years, patiently waiting for the right moment. “I’ve been looking at Wesley Chapel since 2012,” Kanji says, citing the Cypress Creek Town Center’s permitting woes dating back to 2007. “If you remember, (our interest) goes back to the days when the mall was going to go there, the problems with the wetlands and the Army Corps of Engineers, all that stuff, so we just kept looking. But, Wesley Chapel has arrived, Pasco County has arrived, everyone wants to be here. We had an idea for

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Impact Properties was founded in 1981, two years after Kanji, a biochemist at the time, visited San Francisco and stayed at a family-run hotel. He fell in love with the quaint hotel and decided, without the benefit of any business schooling or real estate courses, to enter the business. “I never stepped in a lab again, and never looked back,” said Kanji, who works closely with brother and VP Nash Kanji, whom he describes as a construction “whiz.” They started with a small motel in Gainesville that Kanji says his attorney at the time joked was known as a “no-tell motel.” Since then, Impact Properties has grown into an award-winning development company, owning and managing more than 25 hotels, and was awarded

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the key to the City of Tampa by then-Mayor Dick Greco for developing the Hilton Garden Inn in Ybor City, the first hotel to be built in the historic district in more than 100 years. Impact Properties currently owns a hotel in Gainesville, two in Jacksonville and two in Tampa, including The Westin on Westshore Blvd. The company also is developing a hotel in Treasure Island, FL, in addition to the Wesley Chapel location, which The Hilton Garden Inn (top) on S.R. 56 is projected to open Kanji says is one of the most in July, around the same time as the Fairfield Inn & Suites a few miles to the east (above). A hotel boom in Wesley Chapel coveted areas around. could see as many as six new hotels over the next 2-3 years. Speaking Of Hot... 54/Wesley Chapel Blvd. has stated plans Kanji says people have asked him if from 2016 to build an unnamed hotel with he’s building his next hotel in downtown up to 150 rooms on that site. Tampa or St. Petersburg, and when he Also, plans were filed with the county tells them no, they ask why, because those in August for a proposed, also-unnamed are the supposedly “hot” areas. 160,000-sq.-ft. hotel to be located be“I don’t even go where it’s already hind the Walgreens at the S.R. 54 and hot,” Kanji says. “We identify an emerg- Bruce B. Downs Blvd. intersection. ing area, growth areas that are going to A report in 2016 by consultants be hot. And, we get there first.” analyzing the potential for a sports comHe says that was his plan when he plex in Wesley Chapel pointed out the built a hotel in Brandon years ago, the lack of hotel rooms in the area. And, first he says to do so on the old I-75 by- while it still made a sizable economic pass. “The interchange wasn’t even work- impact (estimated at $3-million a year), ing,” he says. “We identified where Bran- it has been believed that one of the main don was going — it was the bedroom beneficiaries of the DICK’s National community of Tampa — and we identi- Lacrosse Championships held at Wesfied that area as hot. We got there first. ley Chapel District Park the last several There were growing pains. We did not hit years were nearby Hillsborough County our numbers the first year or two. But, we hotels, especially those in New Tampa, said we will control the market.” which took in 60-75 percent of the In the case of Wesley Chapel, how- tournament’s teams and visitors. ever, Impact Properties will be entering a While saturation may become an ismarket that is already considered hot, and sue, the new hotels are anticipated to help growing crowded quickly — landowner the county’s tourism efforts and fill tax Bob Sierra said at the “topping” event coffers. The county approved doubling that if the Hyatt Place is successful, Kanji its tourist tax, or bed tax, from 2 percent has an option to build a second in the Cy- to 4 percent last year. press Creek Town Center DRI. “What you’re seeing in Pasco CounIn addition to the three hotels set to ty is quality,” said Pasco District 2 county open this summer, the RADD Sports Wire- commissioner Mike Moore. “There is a grass Ranch Sports Complex – which could lot of time and effort put into these proopen in spring of 2019 — will have a 120- jects. We’ll be getting rooms filled, heads room Marriott-branded Residence Inn on in beds...and we appreciate the help. It site, and the Brightwork Crossing develop- helps us grow, and helps us bring in adment north of S.R. 54/56 and west of C.R. ditional profits to the county.” Neighborhood News

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City Of Tampa Hires Designers For Rec Center Expansion & Sensory Park By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com After years of being the bridesmaid and never the bride when it came to expanding the New Tampa Recreation Center in Tampa Palms, the Tampa City Council seems to have finally brought the project to the altar. At its meeting on March 15, the city issued a resolution approving a work order to officially begin designing the NTRC expansion. According to the resolution, the City of Tampa will pay FleischmanGarcia Architects and Planners, A.I.A., P.A. $99,800 “for professional services in connection with the New Tampa Recreation Center addition.” It also issued another resolution to pay $49,400 to David Conner & Associates, Inc., to begin similar work on the proposed 5-acre sensory-friendly park in Tampa Palms. “It was a good day for New Tampa,’’ said District 7 councilman Luis Viera, who rallied community support for both projects, helping get them in the city budget that was passed by Tampa mayor Bob Buckhorn. Plans to expand the NTRC had been in previous budgets before, but were somehow removed from those budgets before they were passed.

FleischmanGarcia Architects & Planners will begin work on designing the longawaited expansion of the New Tampa Recreation Center, which has a waiting list for its popular gymnastics and dance programs. (Photo: City of Tampa)

“In years past, we’ve gotten through some of the steps in the process, but this is the furthest we’ve gotten,” Viera said. “I’m happy to see the ball is rolling.” The $1.7-million expansion project is expected to ease the overburdened and popular gymnastics and dance programs at the NTRC, which have more than 800 students participating and just as many on waiting lists.

The difficulties area parents have faced in getting their children into the program spurred much of the civic involvement this past year in the city’s budget process. According to the proposal from Kevin Smith, senior vice president at FleischmanGarcia, his firm plans to utilize as much as 90 percent of the construction documents from the original planned addition in 2012, as well as

using many of the same engineers from that project. The project will be a 1-story addition to the existing rec center, of roughly 5,000-8,500-sq.-ft., depending upon budget limitations. That space will include areas for gymnastics, two multipurpose areas, restrooms, storage, a staff office and an HVAC upgrade to the chiller system. The NTRC currently has nearly 20,000 sq. ft. of space, with 14,000 of that dedicated to its gymnastics area. As for the sensory-friendly park — which will be located behind the B.J.’s Wholesale Club on Commerce Palms Dr. in Tampa Palms — $90,000 was allocated in the city budget for Phase 1, which is Design & Development. More than half of that will go to David Connor & Associates, which is proposing designing the park to perhaps include an inclusive playground with Autism-focused elements, a dog park, picnic shelter and other site furnishings. The design firm says it will conduct its due diligence on any environmental issues, and then hold a community design meeting to gain input from residents. After coming up with some preliminary designs, another community design meeting will be held before a final design concept is submitted, along with preliminary cost estimates.

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Is This Your Next AMERICAN IDOL? By JOHN C. COTEY

For years, Wesley Chapel’s Zach D’Onofrio was just a squeaky-voiced kid who sang quietly in the church chorus, who ran the lights at his family’s Dreamhouse Theatre, a kid who was happy to work behind the scenes in the midst of his song-happy family of performers. Now he’s the one who’s famous. On the season debut of the re-booted “American Idol” on ABC-TV on March 11, it was Zach’s spot that stole the show. He sang the Frank Sinatra classic “The Way You Look Tonight,” bringing celebrity judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan to their feet. He danced with the other judge, pop princess Katy Perry. His mother, Darci, fidgeted with delight as she listened outside of the audition room. Watching the show the night it premiered, Darci squealed all over again as Zach got his golden ticket to travel to Hollywood for the next round. “I thought it was a really good segment,” Zach says. After holding on to his secret for months, the Zach is now out of the bag. His first day back at Wiregrass Ranch High, where he is a junior, was surreal, Zach says. “Random people came up to me, asked to take pictures, it was pretty weird,” he says, with a soft chuckle. “Mainly, people just stared at me.” He took selfies with some of his fellow students. He saw others taking his picture on the sly. And, he even signed a pair of pink socks with mustaches on them. Socks -- the more different the

(Right) Zach dances with celebrity judge Katy Perry during the season premiere of “American Idol.”

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better — are kind of Zach’s thing. The second day of school was crazier, he says, as students continued to give him the double take -- “Is that the kid who was on ‘American Idol?’” The day after that, Zach earned a superior at the Florida State Thespian Competition, singing “If I Can’t Love Her” from “Beauty and the Beast.” Hundreds of high school thespians from all over the state descended upon the Tampa Convention Center for the competition. “A lot of them asked me if I was the dude from ‘American Idol,’” Zach says. Indeed, he is that dude. So after years of keeping his musical talent to himself, where did Zach come from? The living room of his family’s Seven Oaks home, actually, where he was standing two years ago when he asked his family to come listen to something. Sensing something dramatic was about to happen, Darci, his mother, pulled out her phone and started recording. Zach started singing “The Way You Look Tonight.” Everyone’s world changed that night. “When I heard his voice like that, I started bawling, just crying,” Darci says. His sister Taylor, who was in her room, heard her brother sing and started screaming, and came rushing into the living room. “It was like, whaaaaaaat?,” says Bryan, his father. Zach has always been afraid of what people would say if he sang for them. He told his parents he wasn’t sure he should share his voice. “You need to share this with the world,” Darci tearfully told him. And he has, from one “American Idol” audition to the next, from Wesley Chapel to Orlando to New York, and now, to Hollywood. Zach was one of the hundreds to audition for “Idol” at Florida Hospital Center Ice in Wesley Chapel back in August 2017. He was one of 25 to continue on to auditions in Orlando two weeks later. And, he also was one of 16 who flew to New York City in October for a chance to sing in front of this season’s “Idol” judges. He was sworn to secrecy by the show’s producers, telling friends only that he was on the show. “Some kids sitting next to me in classes (didn’t) know. People (didn’t) know that I danced with Katy Perry.” They certainly all know now. His father just shakes his head and smiles. It only took 10 seconds of “The Way You Look Tonight” to drop open the jaws of the judges, and anNeighborhood News

other 10 seconds after that, Perry was dancing her way towards Zach. Zach maintained his poise, and continued singing, even as he and Perry danced together. “I just kept going,” he says. “We were dancing. I twirled her, I dipped her, things like that. Kept singing.” “Dipped her,” says Zach’s dad, shaking his head and beaming proudly, with maybe a tinge of jealousy. “My man!”

Darci thought Bryan was a wonderful singer. When it was her turn to sing later that day, she was nervous thinking he might be watching. She wrote him a letter afterward, he wrote back, and one year later, they were married. Zach and Taylor were born into music. Taylor embraced it, performing and singing at a young age, and Zach remembers singing “Oh, Holy Night” with his family at a Christmas church service when he was eight. But, for the most part, he hung back and mostly played youth soccer, even making the junior varsity team at Wiregrass Ranch High. Four years ago, his parents, who both work full-time at North Tampa Behavioral Health on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel, started the Dreamhouse Theatre. They performed shows at various locales before settling at their current location in Lutz. Zach was working the lights for a production of the “Little Shop of Horrors” in October 2016, when he was struck by how much fun all the performers seemed to be having. He

decided afterward he would surprise his family with a Frank Sinatra song in the living room that night. After that, Zach took his first role as Benjamin in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Bryan played Joseph, and Darci and Taylor also were in the production. The next production for the Dreamhouse Theatre is “An Evening of Culture – Faith County 2 / Romeo & Juliet…Sort Of.” The show is scheduled for April 6, 7, 13, 14 and 15. Zach will be doing the pre-show. The night Zach appeared on “Idol,” he invited his closest friends and family to his home to watch – in the same living room where you could say it all started. Darci, squealing with delight every time Zach appeared on the television screen, livestreamed the whole thing on Facebook live. And now, Zach is back to his vow of secrecy. All he can say now is that he expects to appear again during the show’s “Hollywood Week,” sometime around the end of March, or early in April. Until then, he will enjoy his newfound notoriety. “It’s been really surreal,” he says. “I never expected any of this. People now recognize me in public. It’s kind of a cool feeling.”

And Yes, Sox Appeal, Too!

If it wasn’t his voice that prompted Perry to dance with Zach, maybe it was his “sox appeal.” He has a collection of 50 pairs or so of uniquely designed socks and brought pairs for each judge — American flag socks for show host Ryan Seacrest, skulls for Richie, roosters for Bryan. For Perry, the socks Zach gave her depicted cats sitting on rainbows shooting lasers from their eyes, which sounds like a description of some of her videos. It was, Zach says, the perfect choice, and she wore them on her hands while she danced with him. “It broke the ice,” Zach says. “It definitely made things easier.” It is only natural that Zach would discover his talent for singing. Bryan and Darci met at a concert at the Happy Gospel Center in Bradenton. Bryan was in a band with other family members called Southern Praise, and they were the headliners that day. He was the eligible bachelor of the group, and his sister joked to the crowd that, “if you can feed him, you can have him.” @NTWCNews

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New Tampa YMCA Picks Top Volunteer Local Girl Scout Donates 4,000 Books By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

Volunteer youth basketball coach Brigid Merenda has been named the New Tampa Family YMCA Volunteer of the Year. At the New Tampa Y in Tampa Palms, Brigid uses her skills and experience as a college basketball player for the University of South Florida (1993-97) to teach the next generation of players the sport she loves. “I have the ability and the skills to coach, and I had a lot of volunteer coaches in my life, so I want to give back,” says Brigid, who — in addition to her “day job” as a lawyer — also is a Coach Brigid Merenda is congratulated for being named color commentator for radio broadcasts the New Tampa Family YMCA Volunteer of the Year. of the USF women’s basketball home Brigid says she and her husband, Jason, games. (Our congratulations go out to have been members of the New Tampa the team, which is making its fifth NCAA Y since about 2003. She began coaching tournament appearance in the last six seaat the Y about three years ago, when her sons, all under the leadership of head coach daughter, Sophia, who was five at the time, and New Tampa resident José Fernandez.) wanted to play basketball. Now, Brigid’s Among the many volunteers at the Y, son, Charlie, is five, and will start playing Brigid stands out. basketball this summer. “Brigid has been heavily involved in “If you see a coach running around growing the girls’ basketball program with high-fiving everyone,” Cosentino says, a unique talent to teach a group of young girls in a fun, but competitive way,” explains “then you are probably watching Brigid coach. She has as much fun as the kids!” Michael Cosentino, executive director of Brigid received the award at the Tamthe New Tampa Y. “Brigid is always on pa Metropolitan Area YMCA’s Communithe court, active and involved in teaching ty Impact Dinner on Feb. 27, at TPepin’s the game. Coach Brigid realizes that if you teach skills in a fun way, your team will learn Hospitality Centre on N. 50th St. in Tampa, where more than 500 guests were about the game and be successful, even at a in attendance. young age.”

New Tampa resident and Liberty Middle School seventh grade student Elaine Feaster wanted to get books into the hands of kids who may not have them, as a project for her Girl Scout Silver Award. Now, after dedicating 60 hours to her initiative, she has donated a total of 4,000 books, thanks to the generosity of the New Tampa community. On February 22, Elaine wrapped up her community service project by donating more than 1,700 books to Edison Elementary in North Tampa, in memory of her great aunt Linda Jones, who was a teacher at the school Elaine Feaster (center) donated 1,700 books to Edison for many years and who championed Elementary in Tampa as part of her Girl Scout Silver literacy. Award. She’s pictured here with (l.-r.) Hillsborough Over the 10 months of her projCounty assistant superintendent Dr. Larry Sykes, Judy ect, Elaine received and donated: O’Connoll (Elaine’s great aunt, who is the sister of Linda • 1,500 books to Foster Elem. Jones, a former teacher at the school), Edison principal • 1,700 to Edison Elem. Marc Gaillard and secretary Barbara Williams. • 200 to the Salvation Army Jane Feaster, “so the community support (cookbooks, religious materials, books has been very overwhelming.” for adults, etc.) To earn her Silver Award, Elaine had to • 60 brand new books to Metropolspend at least 50 community service hours itan Ministries at Christmas on a project that will have a lasting impact • 50 middle-school level books to on the community. her own school, Liberty The Cadette in Troop 1247, which • 400 books to the Parents & meets at St. James Church on Bruce B. Children Advance Together (PCAT) family Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Tampa Palms, says literacy program she was inspired by the Girl Scout Law. “It “When she was beginning to plan the says to make the world a better place, and I project in January 2017, she only expected want to do that for kids in need.” to collect 500 books,” says Elaine’s mom,

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 7 • March 23, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

Audi Wesley Chapel is now open with a new state of the art facility. Come in and check out our new deals for March on brand new 2018 models and enjoy an elite advantage with every vehicle purchased. The complimentary Advantage program includes benefits valued up to $5000 for 12 months or 12,000 miles, on every vehicle purchased.

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AudiWesleyChapel.com

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MARCH 2018 Saturday, March 24

Bay Chapel Food Pantry - Free food for needy families. Open every Saturday from 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m., behind Christian Brothers Automotive at 20300 Trout Creek Dr. (off BBD). For more info, visit BayChapel.com/foodpantry.

Sunday, March 25

Meditation Group - All faiths and all levels of meditation experience are welcome at this free meeting at Sanctuary Wellness Center, 8903 Regents Park Dr., Suite 120, 10 a.m-11 a.m. For more info, search “The Sanctuary Wellness Center in New Tampa” on Facebook or “New Tampa Intuitive Development Center” on Meetup. Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel - At Florida Hospital Center Ice, noon-4 p.m. See page 3 & 41-44 for more information.

Monday, March 26 New Tampa Democratic Club - Now meeting at a new time! The New Tampa Democrats meet the 4th Mon. of every month at the New Tampa Regional Library (10001 Cross Creek Blvd.) from 7-8:30 p.m. Guest speakers are featured at every meeting. For more information, email newtampademocraticclub@gmail.com or call (813) 563-0845. Tuesday, March 27 Keep It Local - This seat-specific networking group emphasizes small, local businesses every Tues., 11:30 a.m., at GrillSmith at The Shops at Wiregrass. For info, call Marino Cecchi at (813) 513-9001.

information, visit TheShopsAtWiregrass.com/events.

Saturday, April 7

Tampa Palms Community Yard and Bake Sale - The Tampa Palms Women’s Club hosts a yard and bake sale in the Compton Park parking lot from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. To reserve your spot or to volunteer, contact Elvea at tpwcfl@gmail.com. For more info, visit TampaPalmsWomensClub.com.

Saturday, April 14 Rotary Club Of New Tampa Noon Hosts “Cycling For Vets” - See the ad on the next page. Golf Fore Guts Tournament - See story, next page. Thursday, April 19 “Hats Off To Spring” - Tampa Palms Women’s Club hosts its annual fashion show

at the Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club. Doors open at 10:15 a.m., a live auction to benefit OASIS Network begins at 11, fashion show starts at 11:30, and luncheon is held at noon. Tickets are $30. For more info, email tpwcfl@gmail.com or go to TampaPalmsWomensClub.com.

Visit NTNeighborhoodNews.com to add your upcoming events to our online calendar. With enough advanced notice, events that are held in our readership areas may also appear in print, as space allows.

Food Allergies Cooking Demo - Learn to create easy and tasty food options without the foods that cause 90% of all food-related allergic reactions (milk, eggs, peanuts, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, wheat and soy) from Chef Jerry Dzialo and Registered Dietitian Carlos Urriola. 6-7:30 p.m. No cost to attend. More info at FloridaHospital.com/wesley-chapel/events. Wednesday, March 28

English As A Second Language (ESL) - The ESL group meets Wednesdays at Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church (19911 BBD Blvd. in Pebble Creek), 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Classes are taught by native English speakers. The cost is $40 each semester for the workbook & class materials. For info, call Holly at (813) 360-2077. BNI Millionaire Makers - The BNI Millionaire Makers chapter meets Weds. at Heritage Isles Country Club (10630 Plantation Bay Dr.), at 7:15 am. The cost is $13 to attend, which includes a hot breakfast. Call Lisa Jordan at (813) 621-6015 for info. Business Networking International (BNI) - BNI meets every Wed., 7:30 a.m., at Mulligans inside Pebble Creek Golf Club (10550 Regents Park Dr.). Call Rob Montgomery at (813) 679-6446. Partners In Network (PIN) - Partners In Network is a group of professionals, one specializing in each area of business. Meets Weds. for lunch at (TPGCC, 5811 Tampa Palms Blvd.), 11:30 am. Call Georgianna Strickland (813-477-7306) or Ken Fernandez (813334-6000) or email georgianna@strategicmarketingarts.com. Rotary Club Of New Tampa Noon - The New Tampa Noon Rotary Club meets Wednesdays at noon at Mulligan’s Irish Pub (in the Pebble Creek Golf Club). Guests are always welcome. For more info, search “New Tampa Noon Rotary” on Facebook.

Thursday, March 29 North Tampa Veterans meeting - All armed forces veterans are invited to weekly lighthearted Dutch-treat breakfast at Steak and Shake just off BBD Blvd. (17509 North Palms Village Place) every Thursday at 8:00 am. Get acquainted and your tell tales, new and old. Bring your spouse and your brag sheet.

Friday, March 30

Rotary Club of New Tampa - The New Tampa Rotary Club meets every Friday for breakfast at 7 a.m. at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club. For more info, including the speaker schedule, contact David Lanigan at (813) 760-6548 or dave@davidlanigan. com or visit NewTampa Rotary.org.

APRIL 2018

St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church Holy Week Mass Times and Services

Palm Sunday - March 25th

Holy Saturday - March 31st

Holy Thursday - March 29th

Easter Mass Celebrations

Saturday March 24th Vigil Mass: 4:00PM Sunday Masses: 8:30AM, 10:30AM, 12:30PM (Spanish), 5:30PM 10:00AM Prayer Service, Lord’s Supper 7:30PM Mass of the Lord

Good Friday - March 30th

10:00AM Prayer Services, 3:00PM Mass

Saturday March 31st Easter Vigil Mass: 8:15PM Easter Sunday Masses - April 1st The Resurrection of the Lord Masses: 6:45AM, 8:30AM, 10:30AM, 10:40AM (in The Venetian), 12:30PM (Spanish)

www.stmarktampa.org ~ 813-907-7746 ~ 9724 Cross Creek Blvd.

Wednesday, April 4

Wiregrass Ranchers Kids Club - Free entertainment for kids, featuring Mr. Tommy, the first Wednesday of every month at The Shops at Wiregrass, 10 a.m.-11 a.m. For more 20

10:00AM Prayer Service (Blessing of Easter Baskets after Prayer Service)

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 7 • March 23, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

ALL ARE WELCOME!

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

Saddlebrook Teen Hosts ‘Golf Fore Guts’ By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN celeste@ntneighborhoodnews.com

In some ways, Parker James is a typical high school senior — visiting colleges, awaiting acceptance letters and hoping for great scholarship offers, while spending his days at school and playing sports. Parker’s sport of choice these days is golf, and he works hard at it — training every day after classes at Saddlebrook Preparatory School inside Saddlebrook Resort Tampa off S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel. Parker (pictured with his golf coach, Nick Dunn) also is getting ready to do something most teenagers don’t — he will host a golf tournament to raise awareness for a health condition he suffers from, Crohn’s disease. “Crohn’s has shaped my fighter mentality,” says Parker, explaining that fighting his disease has prepared him for the mental challenges of golf. “In golf, you can go out on the course and lose every day. You can always do better, and you have to overcome that.” He says he’s always loved playing sports, and as a child played baseball, basketball, football, soccer, lacrosse, golf, tennis, even skateboarding and wakeboarding. His diagnosis at 10 years old with Crohn’s disease changed things for Parker. Crohn’s is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) characterized by inflammation of the digestive tract. Since then, an ankle injury and a new diagnosis — this time of rheumatoid arthritis — further limited his ability to play most of the sports he loves. But, Parker found a way to keep his ath-

Neighborhood News

New Tampa Noon Rotary Presents

‘Cycling For Vets & First Responders’

PROCEEDS DIRECTLY SUPPORTING

SATURDAY | April 14th, 2018 | 8:30 AM FLATWODS WILDERNESS PARK

Registration is in Chilis Parking Lot [NEW TAMPA - Bruce B. Downs Entrance] $30 | Early Registration $25 [Before March 30] on site registration $30

letic dreams alive, by playing sports that are less strenuous on his joints, especially golf. And now, he wants to raise awareness about the many people who suffer from Crohn’s, especially those who, like him, are diagnosed as kids. “I want to inspire other young people to never feel defeated by their illnesses,” Parker says. “Don’t let it hold you back in any shape or form.” The golf tournament Parker is organizing will be held on Saturday, April 14, at Saddlebrook Resort. All proceeds will benefit the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. Players can register a foursome, or sign up to play in a group with an academy student. To learn more about sponsoring the tournament, to donate or sign up to play, visit GolfForeGuts.com.

@NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 7 • March 23, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Celebrate

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 7 • March 23, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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The North Tampa Law Group Offers Legal Help For Your Family time if an attorney is reviewing a transaction and finds a potential problem. “We see it right away and get working on it,” he says, adding that using North Tampa Law Group to handle a real estate closing does not necessarily increase the cost of a transaction. “Our fees are very competitive compared to a standard title agent.”

By BRAD STAGER

Dealing with routine legal issues, such as creating a will or selling a home, is part of daily life and the attorneys of North Tampa Law Group, located in the Cypress Glen Professional Park, about one mile east of the I-75 exit at S.R. 56 (behind MINI of Wesley Chapel), are ready to help clients seeking legal assistance. The firm was established in 2014 and attorneys Brian Arrighi (the managing partner) and Laurel Ackley each possess a decade or more of legal experience in areas that routinely affect families, such as real estate transactions, estate planning, probate proceedings, divorce, bankruptcy and other family law cases. Arrighi says, however, that the North Tampa Law Group does not handle criminal or personal injury cases. Ackley and Arrighi each earned their Juris Doctor (J.D.) degrees from Stetson University College of Law in St. Petersburg, after earning undergraduate degrees from the University of Florida in Gainesville. Both lawyers are licensed to practice in the courts of the State of Florida and the U.S. District Court, Southern and Middle Districts of Florida. Ackley also is licensed to practice in North Carolina. With the active real estate market in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area, there are lots of deals being made, includ-

Estate Planning

Attorney Brian Arrighi is the managing partner of the NorthTampa Law & Family Law Group, located in the Cypress Glen Professional Park in Wesley Chapel. Estate planning is a legal area where ing a lot of “For Sale By Owner” transacit can be beneficial to pay attention to tions. Arrighi says that having an attorney the different options so that assets can be involved can be a worthwhile expense. managed and distributed according to the “The misconception is that it’s more client’s wishes — all with minimal cost. expensive to get a lawyer involved and A will is the basic document many that’s not always the case,” he says. “There people use to direct the distribution of are a lot of issues that can arise during a their assets, but it involves a sometimes transaction.” lengthy and expensive court process known One of the problems Arrighi cites is as “probate.” North Tampa Law Group the inability to clear a property’s title, due handles probate cases and Arrighi says it’s to an existing judgment against a seller, something that can sometimes be negotiat- a good idea to consider all of the options available to minimize court involvement. ed to a lower settlement price to clear the “For estate planning, your goal when title if a lawyer is involved in the process. you’re working with a client is to avoid He also says that it can save valuable

the probate process entirely,” he says. “If you have a proper estate plan, you can have it set up using something like a trust to automatically pass the assets to your beneficiaries.” In addition to asset distribution, Arrighi says considering real-life factors, like long-term health care and guardianship, also can be part of estate planning. Sometimes life presents challenges with legal consequences, such as financial problems that result in a need to consider bankruptcy or a marriage that may be trending towards divorce. The North Tampa Law Group can help you work through what can be difficult, related legal processes involving issues like child custody, enforcement actions and even domestic violence injunctions. Arrighi says that the breadth of services North Tampa Law Group provides offers convenience to the firm’s clients, whose legal needs may encompass more than one practice area. “We’re really an all-inclusive kind of place for your typical family in the New Tampa area,” Arrighi says. “There’s really a lot we can help you with. A lot of our clients are very relieved to find out it was not as expensive a process as they thought and it wasn’t as difficult as they thought.” Clients who have expressed their satisfaction with services they received from North Tampa Law Group include Scott Radtke, who awarded 5 stars on a Google online review.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 7 • March 23, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

“I have not Legal Group can always had the best assist in these cases, luck dealing with too, also reducing attorneys, but Brian your legal costs. made the experi“We do offer ence great,” Radtke services that are the wrote. “The staff nuts and bolts of was courteous legal advice that can and professional. really help with the He was knowlprocess, without edgeable of the spending too much subject matter and money,” he says, answered all of our adding that the questions. He was initial free consultaArrighi and partner Laurel Ackley can handle a tion is a good way very reasonably wide range of legal issues for your family. prospective clients priced and was also willing to do some right on time for of the legal “lifting” themselves can begin my appointment. I am extremely pleased the process of getting their day in court. with the North Tampa Law Group. They A law firm is operated much like any are my new go-to attorneys!” other business and Arrighi says the North Arrighi says that communicating Tampa Law Group’s move to Wesley effectively with clients is an important part Chapel from the Tampa Palms Professionof the firm’s success. “I think we do a really great job of explaining things in simple terms al Center more than three years ago was and making the complicated simple to under- influenced by a need to be accessible to a stand,” he says. growing client base. “We work with a lot of homeowners and deal with personal legal issues,” he Document Preparation, Too says. “With the growth in Wesley Chapel One way the North Tampa Law and Land O’ Lakes, it’s more convenient Group helps people who may not be able to afford the full legal representation that to be in that area.” The North Tampa Law Group is retaining a lawyer provides is by offerlocated at 26852 Tanic Dr., Suite 102, in ing some services — such as document Wesley Chapel. To et an online evaluation preparation— without coming on as of your case, visit NorthTampaLawattorney of record. Arrighi says there are a lot of resources Group.com or make an appointment for a free initial consultation at (813) 518available for people who want to be their 7411. Also, see the ad on pg. 39. own legal advocate, and that North Tampa

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SPOTLIGHT ON....QVita Health & Wellness!! Peggy Demetriou, ANRP, FNP-BC, is the owner and CEO of QVita Health & Wellness, which provides both primary care and medical cosmetic services and is located across Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC) in the Windfair Professional Center. Peggy is an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP), as well as a Family Nurse Practitioner who is Board-certified (FNP-BC). She graduated in 1998 from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Nursing (BSN). She worked as a nurse for five years, and then graduated from Concordia University of Wisconsin (in Mequon) in 2002 with a Master’s degree in Science Nursing with a specialty in Family Practice. She became Board-certified that year, too. At QVita, she sees people ages five and older for all primary care needs, including physicals for school and work and managing chronic and complex healthcare needs, such as for people who have diabetes or hypertension. “We have a strong focus on providing excellent customer service,” says Peggy, “and we go the extra mile for our patients and clients.” She is currently accepting new patients and says she can usually see them on the same day if they’re sick. Her office accepts all major health insurance plans, along with Medicare and Medicaid. “As a nurse practitioner-owned practice, our approach is different,” Peggy explains. “We focus on the whole person and on spending time with people.” Peggy also provides cosmetic services for

. . . . . .

anyone looking to maintain healthy skin and a youthful appearance. “We offer Botox and a variety of fillers, including Juvederm, Restylane, Radiesse and other major brands,” she says. Peggy Peggy Demetriou, ANRP, FNP-BC says all of her cosmetic services are medical-grade, resultsdriven skincare procedures, including microneedling and plasma rich platelets (PRP), for wrinkles, spots, loose skin, and anti-aging, Ultherapy for skin tightening, and Kybella, a treatment for double chins. She offers a free consultation for anyone interested in QVita’s cosmetic procedures. QVita also sells its own line of vitamins and supplements, which Peggy describes as better alternatives to over-the-counter options. For more information, visit MyQvita.com. QVita Health & Wellness is located at 2734 Windguard Cir., Suite 101. It is open Monday-Friday at 8:30 a.m., closing at 6 p.m. on Mon., 5 p.m. on Tues.–Thur., and at 4 p.m. on Fri. For more information or to book your appointment online, visit QvitaHealthandWellness.com or call (813) 501-4130. Or, see the ad on page 4 of this issue.

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Neighborhood News

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 7 • March 23, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Edward Jones Financial Services Can Help You Get Retirement-Ready By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN celeste@ntneighborhoodnews.com

Financial advisor William Morales, AAMS (Accredited Asset Management Specialist), and branch office administrator Beth Ramirez make up the Edward Jones Financial Services team in the Windfair Professional Center, located across Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC). Morales has been serving clients in this location since 2012, when he closed his Tampa Palms office and moved it to Wesley Chapel. He joined Edward Jones in 2008. “I always wanted a Wesley Chapel branch,” says Morales, who has lived in Meadow Pointe with his wife for 20 years, where they raised two daughters, and where he now serves his neighbors. “We are a full-service agency, and I wear many different hats,” he explains. “When I work with clients, I may serve as their stock broker, their insurance agent and their bond dealer. At its core, my work is as a financial planner.” He explains that he helps his clients in any of five different core areas, depending upon each client’s stage of life and their individual needs: • Planning for a comfortable retirement (for those who are currently working) • Enjoying retirement (for those who have already retired) • Paying for education

Branch office administrator Beth Ramirez and financial advisor William Morales are located at the Edward Jones office in the Windfair Professional Center off BBD Blvd. in Wesley Chapel. • Preparing for the unexpected it is not a publicly traded company itself, • Saving money on taxes and has no Board of Directors and no shareholders. Therefore, Morales says, his singular focus can be on serving his cliA Little History Founded in 1922, Edward Jones has ents. All 14,000 Edward Jones branches grown to be the largest financial services throughout the U.S. and Canada are small firm in the industry, with 16,000 finan- offices located in the communities where cial advisors and 14,000 branches, serving the financial advisors live and serve. Morales works with his clients more than 7 million households. Morales explains that Edward Jones, through a five-step process, starting with which is headquartered in St. Louis, MO, “Where am I today?” and “Where would is different than other financial firms, as I like to be?” Then, he says, the next steps

— “Can I get there?” and “How do I get there?” — are his job. Once he’s worked with you through those steps, Morales says he continues to advise each client to determine, “How can I stay on track?” “I take care of financial affairs for a select group of families in our area,” he says, “with about half of my clients working families, and the other half being already retired.” He says this “select group” of both working families and retirees is limited not by any particular criteria, but because he limits himself to maintaining a small group of clients so that he can manage all of their needs well. “If we try to be everything to everyone, we lose that personal touch,” Morales says. “It makes it tough to deliver the same level of service.” He says the most important thing to do when you’re looking for a financial advisor is to find someone you feel confident in that you hopefully will want to work with for the rest of your life. “(Your financial advisor) has to be someone you like, someone who makes you feel comfortable and someone you can trust,” he says.

Satisfied Customers

John and Debbie Engel are Wesley Chapel residents who have been working with Morales for about four years. “Our experience has been fabulous,” says Debbie. “He’s always available. He’s extremely smart, very passionate, very car-

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 7 • March 23, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

ing, and he’s always there(for us).” She adds that Morales never makes her feel rushed, and always spends time answering all of her questions. “Every question my husband and I have ever had has been answered,” Debbie says. “There were issues we didn’t understand, so we asked questions, and he gave us a very explicit explanation. I feel very safe and at-home there, like I could ask him anything.” Debbie also explains that, “Our entire portfolio for retirement is with Edward Jones, including our investments, assets, bonds, annuities, 401ks, IRAs…our whole life, and I feel very comfortable with that.” Morales says the way he approaches his clients is known as the Edward Jones “value proposition.” He says, “There’s nothing more important to us than understanding what’s important to you, using an established process to help you build personalized strategies to achieve your goals, and partnering together with you throughout your life to keep you on track.” Morales explains that a first-time appointment with him is similar to visiting a new doctor. “I’m going to ask you a lot of personal questions, so I can really understand what’s going on with you financially,” he says, adding that he also uses financial questionnaires and conversation to help determine his clients’ needs.

Payment Options

Once someone becomes Morales’ customer, they can choose to pay a flat annual fee for Edward Jones to manage all of their assets. The more traditional method

is where Morales receives his payment from the mutual funds, insurance policies and other investments he sells. “One thing that makes us unique from our competition is that there are no Edward Jones investments to sell,” says Morales. “We sell the products of all the other companies, such as Fidelity, for the same cost to you as if you bought directly from them.” Morales recommends working with a large firm, such as Edward Jones, “because the big firms have oversight. Unlike independent financial planners who don’t work for a larger company, Edward Jones has measures in place to watch what I do.” He adds, “My job is relationshipdriven. I have to do the ‘nerd work’ and crunch the numbers, but most of what I do is serve my clients, and there’s no cost for my advice.” Before joining Edward Jones, Morales was president of a mortgage company in New Tampa and served six years in the U.S. Army Ordinance Corps, spending four years stationed in and around Kuwait. Originally from New York City, he and his family moved to Tampa, where he graduated from Chamberlain High. For more info, call Wesley Chapel Edward Jones branch office administrator Beth Ramirez at (813) 9917034, and she’ll schedule your appointment with Morales at the office located at 2748 Windguard Cir., Suite 101 (in the office plaza behind The Hungry Greek) in Wesley Chapel. Or, see the ad on page 14, or visit EdwardJones. com/William-Morales.

SPOTLIGHT ON...The Joint Chiropractic! If you have chronic back and/or neck pain, regular adjustments from a trained chiropractic physician, like those at The Joint Chiropractic Center, located in the Publixanchored New Tampa Center plaza (near Pizza Hut), may help. A lot. As I’ve mentioned in these pages before, The Joint is a new, much more affordable way to address your chronic pain when compared with most other chiropractic offices. Like some of you, I wasn’t a believer in chiropractic care, in part because I never really suffered from any kind of back or neck pain until I was well into my 50s. I chalked it up to the problems of my sometimes sedentary lifestyle — I spend a lot of hours gazing into a computer, especially during my two deadline weeks per month — combined with trying to continue to do regular physical activity in order to keep my weight down as my body has aged. But today, I am a true believer in not only the power of regular, ongoing chiropractic care, but also in The Joint, because never before has visiting a chiropractor been this affordable. Although other chiropractors also work at The Joint’s New Tampa location — which is owned by Dr. Edward Leonard’s TJ Wesley Chapel PA and managed by my friends Valerie and Alex Pierroutsakos of Valex, Inc. — the chiropractor who sees patients every Monday through Friday is Dr. Barney Bickerton, DC (Doctor of Chiropractic). Dr. Barney and The Joint have been Godsends for both my fiancé Jannah and myself, because we have both been able to visit every week since Alex and Valerie opened The Joint’s New Tampa clinic last summer. The initial fee at The Joint is just $29 and includes a consultation, an exam and an adjustment. Dr. Barney takes the time to find

out where your pain is and when you feel it most often, and if you say you have pain in your neck or back, you don’t even have to show him where it is because he’ll find the source of it with his magic hands within a few seconds. If you’re used to paying $45-$55 or more every time you visit the chiropractor, you’ll probably appreciate the fact that one adjustment per week — four adjustments every month — at The Joint will set its members back only $69, and additional adjustments in the same month, when you need them (like after Jannah and I were in a car accident in November), are just $10 each. The Joint New Tampa recently hosted a Customer Appreciation event where Dr. Barney saw and adjusted 90 people in one day, including yours truly — with minimal wait times. Look for a one-year anniversary celebration announcement in future issues and please tell ‘em I sent you! For more info about The Joint (19014 BBD Blvd.), visit TheJoint.com, call (813) 534-6415 or see the ad on pg. 3! — GN

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 7 • March 23, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

GL Homes Continues To Develop The Ridge At Wiregrass Ranch By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN celeste@ntneighborhoodnews.com

On S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel, a couple of miles east of the Shops at Wiregrass, behind a stunning entrance with an eye-catching waterfall feature, The Ridge at Wiregrass Ranch continues to take shape. Families who want to enjoy the best possible Florida lifestyle in luxurious, custom homes have been moving into the community since 2016. Of the nearly 350 homes that have been sold in The Ridge so far, 216 have been completed. At build-out, The Ridge is expected to include 564 homes. The starting prices for homes in The Ridge range between $310,000 to $640,000, with sizes from just under 2,000 sq. ft. to more than 5,000 sq. ft. Most homes back up to ponds or conservation areas, and the few homes that back up to another home feature deeper lots and more green space between them. The Ridge is being developed, built and sold by Sunrise, FL-based GL Homes, a privately owned company that has been in business for more than 40 years. GL Homes started in Palm Beach and Broward counties and has grown to include communities throughout Florida. The company is different from many community developers, because it also builds the homes. “We purchase the land, work with engineers to create a site plan, go through the approval process, develop each home site and build each home,” says Marisa Lufkin, the project manager for The Ridge. Marisa has been working at The Ridge for more than a year, and has been with GL Homes for 18 years. Previously, she was at Valencia Lakes (the only other GL Homes community in the Tampa Bay area), which is for adults ages 55 and older, located in the Sun City Center area of southern Hillsborough County. She explains that being both the developer and the builder has its advantages. “We control the standard of the overall aesthetics,” Marisa says. “We start with the entrance and follow through with the elevations of the homes. We tie it all together, from the guardhouse to the landscaping, to the exterior of the clubhouse to the homes themselves.” The elevations of the homes in The Ridge all include concrete roof tile, stacked stone exterior details, a covered patio, and brick pavers on driveways, walkways, entries, and covered patios. “These are standard features in all of our homes,” explains Marisa. She adds that the

(Above) An artist’s rendering of an aerial view of the clubhouse and The Ridge at Wiregrass Ranch community, which is being developed by GL Homes along S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel. high-end standard features continue inside, as “We just love it here,” Adaliz says, “espewell, where you won’t need to upgrade to get cially all the amenities.” stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, For example, Adaliz and her family enjoy 42” upper cabinets in the kitchen or luxury the pool. “It’s huge,” she says. “First of all, bathroom finishes. it’s actually three pools because there’s also a That’s one reason Adaliz Aponte and her lap pool and a water slide. The big pool has a family chose to build a home in The Ridge lot of seating, including cabana-style seating, when they relocated from Panama City Beach, so you can sit back and watch the kids. We can FL, last August. cook out or take food.” “Things that are standard here were The community also has a lifestyle an upgrade with our last builder,” she says. program, now in full swing, offering plenty of “The quality of the home is really impresevents for residents. A lifestyle director plans sive. It’s the perfect fit for us, and we’re so happy we’re here.” Marisa adds, “In this community, you really can have it all.”

Clubhouse & Pools

Speaking of having it all, the community’s 11,691-sq.-ft. clubhouse opened in March of last year. It includes a fitness center with 24-hour resident access, aerobics room, indoor sports court, game room, kids room and even an arcade. Outdoors, a resort-style pool is accompanied by a lap pool, kids water play area and a water slide. There also are four tennis courts, a shaded tot lot, a full-size, full-court basketball court, open play field and party pavilion. “There’s nothing else like it in a community this size,” says Marisa. “We’re different for the market, and that’s what attracts buyers to this community.”

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events, which have included a health and wellness expo, Christmas party with Santa, cookies, and crafts, and a “Winter Wonderland” event with food trucks, a snow machine, and a “polar bear plunge” down the waterslide. Adaliz is one of many residents who chose The Ridge in part for its location, which is close to The Shops at Wiregrass, Tampa Premium Outlets, Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and I-75. “It’s close to everything that’s important to us, like doctors, the supermarket and restaurants,” she says. Marisa adds that a wide variety of people are coming to live at The Ridge, “from newlyweds to families with children to empty nesters.” She says many of the buyers are local. “Our community gives people who have outgrown their New Tampa homes an opportunity to build a bigger home in the area,” she says, adding that other local buyers are looking to downsize once they become empty nesters. “Other families just want to live in a brand new home with all the finishing touches and these amazing community amenities.” In addition, she says, “GL Homes offers the whole package. From the multi-million-dollar entry that makes you feel like you’re coming into a truly upscale community, to our many floor plans and hundreds of options for customization, along with the great lifestyle.” The sales center at The Ridge at Wiregrass Ranch is open every day, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. For more information, see the ad on the inside back cover (pg. 55) of this issue, visit GLHomes.com or call (855) 671-1700.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 7 • March 23, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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At The Ridge at Wiregrass Ranch, developed and built by GL Homes, residents and visitors are greeted by this stunning waterfall entrance (above). Inside the community, homes such as this “Sebastian” model (below) can be completely customized, offering a luxurious Florida lifestyle for the community’s residents.

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Informed Patients & Attention To Detail Are Hallmarks Of The Bowman Institute By ANDY WARRENER

The staff at The Bowman Institute, located just off Commerce Park Blvd. in Tampa Palms, wants to make every patient’s experience as informative and easy as possible. Just waiting in the posh lobby, complete with two, large saltwater fish tanks, can be a soothing experience. Dermatologist Paul Bowman, M.D., and his staff strive to give their patients everything they need to make informed decisions with regard to their skin cancer care. “Our main goals are to attain the highest cure rate, and provide the most imperceptible result and an easy process for the patient,” says Dr. Bowman, who graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Medical School and had nine years of residencies and fellowships at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Louisiana State University in Shreveport and New Orleans, the University of California at San Francisco, Saint Louis University in St. Louis, MO, and the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. Dr. Bowman spent two years at Saint Louis University completing an official Fellowship in Mohs Micrographic Surgery and is now a Fellow of the American College of Mohs Surgery (ACMS). In order to attain and maintain a high cure rate for his skin cancer patients, Dr. Bowman specializes in Mohs Micrographic Surgery.

Decades Of Surgical Success

Mohs surgery is a technique first developed by Dr. Frederic Mohs in the 1930s. Dr. Mohs recognized that skin cancer spots often resemble the tip of the iceberg, with more tumor cells growing downward and outward, like the roots of a tree. “Instead of cutting a big area out all at once, we start where the biopsy was done and only remove the cancerous tissue,” Dr. Bowman says. “The goal is to remove all the cancer cells but take as little (healthy) tissue as possible.” Dr. Bowman says that Mohs surgeries have the highest success rate, up to 99 percent. That’s because 100 percent of the excision margins are examined. With standard excisions, less than one percent of the margins are examined. Mohs excisions take a “bowl” of tissue, removing one layer at a time. This allows Dr. Bowman to trace and remove the microscopic “roots” of the cancer while preserving the surrounding normal tissue.

Dermatologist Dr. Paul Bowman (left) and Physician’s Assistant Avni Koschmeder provide outstanding care for skin cancer patients at The Bowman Institute in Tampa Palms near I-75. The high cure rates are dependent upon all aspects of the Mohs procedure being performed very meticulously, Dr. Bowman says. That’s why he spent two years completing a Mohs surgery fellowship with the American College of Mohs Surgery, after he had completed his dermatology residency. “(Mohs surgery) is a very technical and labor-intensive procedure that requires a team of people with special training,” Dr. Bowman says. That team includes the Mohs surgeon, surgical assistants and laboratory personnel, including histotechnologists, that the surgeon directly oversees throughout the process. He adds that this meticulous approach to examining all of the surgical margins leads to more successful surgeries. “A patient could have some excised skin cancer and been considered ‘all clear’ but the next year, the cancer comes back,” Dr. Bowman says. “The margins that were looked at might very well have been clear, but that doesn’t mean all margins are clear.” As you can see in the diagram on the next page, in a standard excision, it is possible for the surgeon to miss part of the cancer and not even know it. In contrast, in Mohs surgery, 100 percent of the actual surgical margins are examined by the surgeon himself.

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Dr. Bowman uses Mohs surgery according to established indications for skin cancer — although he says the highest cure rate is possible when it is used as an initial treatment, especially if a cancer is large, aggressive or in “high risk” areas, like the face. In other situations, Mohs surgery is indicated when cancers recur after treatment by other methods.

“Cancers behave differently in different anatomic parts of the body, since there are different tissue planes,” Dr. Bowman says. “For instance, your back has a thick dermis and fat layer that the cancer has to travel through. With your nose, there’s almost no fat and the cancer can quickly extend into the underlying muscle, cartilage and bone.” He adds that he has had patients come to him after trying other procedures first, only to wish they had tried Mohs first, had they known about it. “I had [a] Mohs procedure performed in NJ years ago,” wrote one of his patients. “Very little was explained to me. Dr. Bowman’s explanation was thorough, easy to understand, and he’s very personable, too.” Although Mohs surgery has higher cure rates than any other treatment for skin cancer, Dr. Bowman says there are other “quick and easy,” but less successful, surgical treatments such as standard excisions, or destructive treatments like electrodesiccation and curettage (commonly known as “scraping and burning”). He adds that many patients who had undergone the aforementioned types of surgery had never heard of Mohs surgery, which was originally met with resistance by the medical community. In fact, Dr. Bowman says that when he came to Tampa in 2004, there was only one other fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon in town, although it is now a much more common technique. Dr. Bowman advises patients to seek out “fellowship-trained” Mohs surgeons (meaning, trained in the American College of Mohs

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 7 • March 23, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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Surgery). Most doctors who perform Mohs surgery in Florida have not completed a fellowship, he says. “It’s part of the message and what we try to educate patients about,” Dr. Bowman says.

Complete Care

The Bowman Institute specializes in Mohs surgery, but also performs meticulous skin examinations, skin biopsies, and high-risk tumor follow-up. Dr. Bowman also performs surgical revisions for patients who have had skin cancer surgery elsewhere but did not have good results.

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For example, Dr. Bowman recalls a patient who had to make multiple visits to another practice for recurrences of a skin cancer on their nose. After repair, the patient had difficulty breathing through the nostril where the surgery was performed. When the cancer appeared yet again, the patient came to Dr. Bowman, who successfully removed the cancer with Mohs surgery, and conducted reconstructive surgery, using staged flaps and cartilage grafts taken from the patient’s ear, to rebuild the nostril rim. “We were able to replace a lot of the volume (of the nostril) and now the patient can breathe again,” Dr. Bowman says. “It’s still healing, but the patient now has a right side of their nose.” In Mohs surgery, Dr. Bowman is both the surgeon and the pathologist — one of the key definitions of the procedure. He is the one who looks at the tissue under the microscope to determine if, or where, any cancer cells remain, and if they do, he knows exactly where to go back to follow

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them. “Everything is processed on site, in our own lab,” Dr. Bowman says. “It’s a different standard of processing.” Even if a patient’s needs somehow extend beyond the services The Bowman Institute provides, the practice maintains a network and good relationships with other specialists. In fact, Dr. Bowman recently gave a lecture at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in California on Multidisciplinary Collaboration in the treatment of skin cancer, and how dermatologic surgeons can collaborate with other specialists (plastic surgeons, surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, etc.) to provide the best possible outcome for patients with very complicated and difficult skin cancers.

The practice opened its doors in 2004, and in 2008, Physician’s Assistant Avni Koschmeder came on board. Dr. Bowman performs all of the surgical procedures, but Koschmeder helps evaluate patients prior to surgery and is very much an extension of Dr. Bowman’s approach to customer care. “She (Koschmeder) follows my philosophy of how to treat patients,” Dr. Bowman says. “We want patients to feel like they are a person and not just a number. Avni does a great job with that.” The Bowman Institute is located at 5379 Primrose Lake Cir. in Tampa Palms. No referral is required to make an appointment. For additional information, visit TheBowmanInstitute. com, call (813) 977-2040 or see the ad on page 34 of this issue.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 7 • March 23, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Allergy Specialists Drs. Lockey, Fox, Ledford, Glaum & Cho Open In Wesley Chapel By CELESTE MCLAUGHLIN

ders related to allergy, asthma, and immunology, including rhinitis (inflammation and swelling of the mucous membrane of the nose, often referred to as hay fever), cough, laryngitis, headaches and immune disorders. The specialists also treat allergic reactions and immune responses resulting in rashes and dermatitis.

celeste@ntneighborhoodnews.com At a busy office on the top floor of a medical building near the corner of Fletcher Ave. and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., a team of Board-certified allergists and immunologists both see patients and conduct research at the University of South Florida Division of Allergy & Immunology Clinical Research Unit next door. The practice recently opened an office in Wesley Chapel and now has five locations, including the main office on BBD Blvd. in Tampa, plus locations in South Tampa, Citrus Park and Brooksville. Drs. Lockey, Fox, Ledford, Glaum and Cho make up the group that can be found online at AllergyTampa.com. Richard Lockey, M.D., founded the practice in 1984 as Academic Associates in Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. He earned his medical degree from the Temple University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Lockey served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War, then subsequently joined the faculty of the University of South Florida College of Medicine (now Morsani College of Medicine) as a Professor of Medicine. He currently is the director of USF’s Division of Allergy & Immunology. He also volunteers at the James A. Haley Veterans (VA) Hospital, where he was previously Chief of Allergy & Immunology. Dr. Lockey also has served as a president of the World Allergy Organization and is a past president of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), of which all of the practice’s specialists are members.

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Research Benefits Patients

What sets Drs. Lockey, Fox, Ledford, Glaum and Cho apart from other groups is the relationship the doctors have with USF. With all five doctors also teaching students at USF’s Morsani (L.-r.): Drs. Cho, Ledford, Lockey, Fox and Glaum are Board-certified allergists and immunologists College of Medicine, the patients who recently opened a new office whose services include a unique commitment to academic research and they care for in private practice teaching the next generation of doctors, too. reap the benefits. “There are advantages of beDennis Ledford, M.D., received his of Pennsylvania, also in Philadelphia. His areas ing with physicians who have contact with the M.D. degree from the University of Tennesof interest include how the body responds future in teaching residents,” says Dr. Ledford. see Health Science Center in Memphis. Like to substances that cause allergic reactions “The process of educating makes you better.” Dr. Lockey, he also served as a past president and advancing diagnostic techniques, such as Dr. Ledford explains that all five doctors rhinoscopies (examining nasal passages with of AAAAI. Dr. Ledford is the director of the conduct research at USF’s Division of Allergy Section of Allergy & Immunology at the James specialized instruments). & Immunology Clinical Research, too. As a Seong Cho, M.D., received his mediA. Haley VA Hospital. His published writings researcher, he says, “you’re aware of developfocus on immunology and autoimmune disorcal degree as an otolaryngologist — an ear, ments and where science is progressing.” He nose and throat doctor — from Kyung Hee ders and he has won many leadership awards. adds that his practice’s patients can gain access Dr. Ledford says he loves teaching medical stu- University School of Medicine in Seoul, South to studies when there are new therapeutic trials Korea. His allergy and immunology training dents and educating patients. He was installed being conducted. to the Gold Humanism Honor Society at USF. was completed at Northwestern University, If a study is being conducted that could Feinberg School of Medicine, in Chicago, IL. Mark Glaum, M.D., PhD, earned his help a specific patient, the doctors can send that He recently received a grant from the National medical degree at Hahnemann University patient right down the hall to USF’s Clinical Institutes for Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD, School of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. He Research Unit to participate in the study. Dr. studying pathogens and chronic rhinitis. completed a fellowship in allergy and clinical Ledford says that not only can that benefit the The physicians manage a variety of disorimmunology at the Hospital of the University

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 7 • March 23, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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patient with medicine or techniques that may not be readily available in mainstream medicine, but also, “by participating in the study, our patients are helping to advance the field.” Dr. Ledford explains that one such study is peanut immunotherapy, where extremely precise and tiny doses of peanuts are introduced to patients in a methodical way, to teach the body to tolerate them. For someone who has a life-threatening allergy to peanuts, to be able to tolerate small amounts can relieve the constant fear of accidental contact with peanuts. “It’s quite liberating,” Dr. Ledford says of the results of this technique, which is not yet mainstream but is available through his practice’s research partnership with USF. He adds that this partnership allows his office to provide the convenience of neighborhood medicine, combined with the experience of the academic setting. “It’s unusual,” Dr. Ledford says, “but Dr. Lockey has created a hybrid of a university clinic and a private practice. They complement each other.” Sue Moore is a patient who says she has benefited from this approach. After conventional treatments for her asthma left her still “gasping for breath,” she says Dr. Ledford found a brand new treatment for her — one that has helped her breathe easy so that she no longer struggles with asthma symptoms. “Dr. Ledford went beyond the norm to find a treatment that works,” Sue says. “He stays on top of his profession, continually doing research, and always has his patients at the top of his agenda.”

Sensitive To Pollen?

This is the time of year when seasonal allergies are at their worst.

“March is the peak of allergy season in Florida,” says Dr. Ledford. “In our area, people react to tree allergens — primarily oak and cypress — from about Christmas to Easter.” Dr. Ledford says that for people who have moved to Florida from up north, spring happens much earlier, as trees start pollinating between January and April. So, allergy sufferers will notice that happening much earlier here than in colder climes. To help the doctors assess the environment and know what allergens to test their patients for, “we sample the environment to see what’s there,” explains Dr. Ledford. He says air samples are gathered from the patient’s roof, then Dr. Glaum counts the pollen and other allergens under a microscope. He then provides those counts to the community on the practice’s website, AllergyTampa.com.

Now Open In Wesley Chapel

The Wesley Chapel office is open in the Seven Oaks Professional Park on Thursday mornings, beginning at 7:30 a.m., where patients can see Dr. Cho. While the doctors and staff at the practice have considerable clinical and research experience, as well as access to the latest in treatments and technology, Dr. Lockey expresses a basic principle that guides his team in its work. “We practice the most cost-effective and honest medicine,” he says. “We treat patients like they’re our family members. That’s what all medicine should be about.” To learn more about Drs. Lockey, Fox, Ledford, Glaum and Cho, visit AllergyTampa.com or call (813) 971-9743. The New Tampa office is located at 13801 BBD Blvd., Ste. 502, and the Wesley Chapel office is located at 2106 Ashley Oak Cir., #102. Also, see the ad on page 7.

SPOTLIGHT ON...Florida Orthopaedic Institute! It’s been a little over two years since the newest office of Florida Orthopaedic Institute opened in the Shoppes of Wesley Chapel on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., directly across from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC). The staff and doctors at the office are meeting (L.-r.): Christopher Baker, M.D., Brian Palumbo, M.D. and the increasing demand Timothy Epting, D.O., of Florida Orthopaedic Institute. for specialized orthopaedic care that can help the dic foot & ankle surgeon, who focuses on residents of Wesley Chapel, New Tampa and injuries and disorders of the foot and ankle nearby communities stay active. and general orthopaedic conditions. The Board-certified doctors and surTo maintain the highest level of orthogeons at Florida Orthopaedic Institute have paedic skill, Florida Orthopaedic Institute been recognized globally for their expertise. only employs doctors who have had fellowHeadquartered in North Tampa, the Wesley ship training. “This additional training is just Chapel office is the tenth for the practice, part of what sets us apart,” says Dr. Baker, which has been open for 27 years and now “especially when the sophisticated work serves patients in or near Bloomingdale, of joints is involved. In order to keep our paBrandon, Citrus Park, Northdale, Oak Hill/ tients active, the precision of the treatment is Brooksville, Palm Harbor, South Tampa, paramount to success.” Sun City Center, Temple Terrace and Wesley Educating patients is a core philosophy Chapel/New Tampa. at the Florida Orthopaedic Institute, whose The Wesley Chapel office offers physurgeons encourage patients to seek out sician services, physical therapy and X-rays, options to ensure that they are getting a with three Board-certified physicians on staff: doctor who is experienced in treating their • Christopher Baker, M.D., a fellowparticular type of injury. ship-trained specialist in sports medicine and For more information, stop in at shoulder reconstruction; Florida Orthopaedic Institute’s Wesley • Brian Palumbo, M.D., who specialChapel office at 2653 BBD, visit Florizes in hip and knee replacement surgery, idaOrtho.com or see the ad on page 5 of with a focus on diagnosing and treating hip this issue. The Wesley Chapel location is and knee arthritis, and open Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Call (800) • Timothy Epting, D.O., orthopaeFL-ORTHO for appointments.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 7 • March 23, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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North Tampa Christian Academy To Open With Grades K-12 On County Line Rd. By JOHN C. COTEY

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While the backbone of any good school has always been its curriculum, today’s modern students and parents also desire innovation outside of the classroom. With that in mind, Sandra Doran, Ed.D., has been overseeing the construction of North Tampa Christian Academy (NTCA), located just west of the Grand Hampton community on County Line Rd., just south of Wesley Chapel. Doran, the founding headmaster of the area’s first Christian K-12 school, promises a top-notch curriculum, to be taught on a state-of-the-art campus. “Innovative buildings, innovative furniture, innovative teaching practices,” Doran told an audience of local business leaders gathered Feb. 22 for a North Tampa Chamber of Commerce Economic Development briefing at Hunter’s Green Country Club. The new school is set to open on Aug. 20, with a full complement of grades, including an early childhood center that will take students as young as 2 years old. It is such a lofty goal that even Doran had to take a deep breath and smile when revealing the plans. “Everything opens,” she said. “Early childhood, lower school, middle school. We’re not doing it gradually. Everything opens.” The NTCA, with annual tuition prices ranging from $12,000-$16,000, is the culmination of plans that were hatched in 2012, when the Florida Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists (in concert with Adventist Health System and Florida Hospital West Florida Region) began to work with Tampa Bay-area churches and schools to establish a new campus in our area. On August 17, 2015, the Florida Conference purchased the 43-acre parcel in New Tampa, right on the Hillsborough/ Pasco County line, just south and west of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC). While school officials felt confident the emphasis on project-based learning, academic excellence via innovative teaching and Christian ideals offered by the school would prove attractive for prospective families, they also wanted to be sure it was offered in an attractive, forwardthinking package. The question was, according to Doran, “What kind of school architecture would

promote good learning practices?” The answer was Prakash Nair, of Fielding Nair International, whose company has designed innovative schools all over the world, including Academy of Holy Names in Tampa and Shorecrest Prep in St. Petersburg. Project manager Michael Gilkey reached out to Nair via email, assuming he was in India and getting a timely reply would Sandra Doran (left) is the founding headmaster of the New Tampa Christian Academy, which is set to open on be difficult. County Line Rd. in New Tampa on Aug. 20. Above right is a rendering of the private K-12 Christian-based school. “Lo and behold, Prakash Nair had not you creating beauty or solving a problem? If athletic program like the ones that define only moved to the United States, and had it’s none of the above, its pointless. Think so many private and religion-based schools not only moved to Florida, but moved to about the science fair, when those are over, throughout Florida. Tampa and was at Michael Gilkey’s door what do you do? You throw them (the proWith 43 acres, NTCA will have plenty the next day,” Doran says. Then, with a jects) away, right? And yet, we wonder why of room left over for students and staff chuckle, added, “As people of faith, we our children don’t like doing them.” to explore the woods and trails behind found that very interesting.” There will be a focus on reading skills the classrooms. Doran says the school has Nair discarded the original plans, (her area of expertise, and a personal conavailable capacity for 750 students, and is which he dubbed the “Walmart Model” – a nection as well, as her son has struggled projecting 240 enrollees for the 2018-19 big building with a parking lot in front. with dyslexia), Bible study, challenging school year, plus another 100 children in Instead, Nair devised a collection of math courses and Next Generation Science the early childhood programs. four smaller buildings, each one housing Standards (NGSS), designed to improve “It’s a scary and exhilarating advenabout 150 students, or “separate learning ture,” she says. “Am I a risk taker? Yes.” science education. The NGSS have been communities,” as Doran referred to them. The North Tampa Christian adopted by 19 states, although Florida is The separated structures will house an early not one of them. Academy is now accepting applications childhood center, plus buildings for grades for the 2018-19 school year. For more The school also will have a gymnasium K-2, 3-6 and 7-12. information, visit ThisSchool.com or and a soccer field, and has already hired A hoped-for second phase will include a volleyball coach, although Doran says NorthTampaChristian.org, or call (813) an additional building to break up the older NTCA isn’t looking to develop a high-level 591-0309. grades into 6-8 and 9-12. The design places less emphasis on walls, doors and standard classrooms, and S.T.E.A.M. instead focuses on open spaces that free flow from room to room, with buildings connected by a sun-shielding shade. Doran, who was associate superintendent at the Florida Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists (the second-largest parochial school system in the world, she says), agreed to take on the task of leading the NTCA. At that time, however, she had no idea, before visiting for the first time last July, that she was inheriting a dusty field with a discarded mattress laying on it. As for the curriculum, Doran said that she is excited about what she describes as a project-based learning environment. 7 Weeks of Options “The bottom line is this: we want our June 11 – July 27, 2018 students, when doing their projects, to have an outcome that matters,” she says. “Are

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U.S. Hockey Women Stop By FHCI To Bid A Golden Farewell To Wesley Chapel

wanting to give back to everyone that has supported us along the way, from family to fans, and Wesley Chapel played a huge role in our Wesley Chapel’s version of the Golden development, in getting us ready. We’ve been Girls — the gold-medal-winning U.S. Women’s back in the U.S. for 36 hours, and were already Olympic Hockey team, returned to the place here, so this was certainly was a priority for us.” The team’s performance in South Kothey have called home since September for an rea has been univerimpromptu visit on Feb. sally hailed as one of 28, greeting a small the greatest in U.S. crowd of well wishers at Olympic hockey hisFlorida Hospital Center tory, as Monique Ice (FHCI) and thankLamoureux-Morando ing them for months of tied the game at 2-2 support, before headwith less than seven ing to Amalie Arena minutes remaining in downtown Tampa, to force a scoreless where they were honovertime period that ored before the Tampa led to a nail-biting Bay Lightning game shootout. Still tied against the Buffalo Saafter five shots each bres. in the shootout, The fans at FHCI Jocelyne Lamoureuxthanked the U.S. team Davidson, Monique’s for memories that will last a lifetime. A few doz- Team USA hockey forward Kendall Coyne (above) twin, used three dekes en hockey loyalists, many and her Olympic gold medalist teammates (right) before memorably slipwho watched Team USA celebrated their victory over Canada at FHCI on ping the puck past the Canadian goaltender practices and exhibitions Feb. 28. (Photos: John C. Cotey) Shannon Szabados. at the rink over the past Szabados’ American counterpart, Maddie six months, applauded the U.S. women as they walked through the doors, roughly a week af- Rooney, saved Canada’s next shot attempt (by ter beating Canada in a memorable shootout Meghan Acosta, who had scored during the first in PyeongChang, South Korea, to capture the five shootout rounds, but was stopped by Roonteam’s first Olympic gold since 1998. ey in Round 6) to clinch the gold for the U.S.. “This was a major priority for us,” said “It was amazing,’’ said Wesley Chapel’s team captain and forward Meghan Duggan, a Kristin Folch. “It was so cool that they were Massachusetts native and former University of in Wesley Chapel, where we got to see them, Wisconsin All-American. “We talked a lot about and then on TV. It felt like we were connectBy JOHN C. COTEY

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ed in some way.” Folch took her two young children, Annabella — who is already playing hockey at age 5 — and Anthony to get a picture with the team. Annabella is one of many young girls to be inspired by the U.S. Olympians, according to FHCI general manager Gordie Zimmerman. While the Olympic gold medal winners have put FHCI on the map — a plethora of stories begin with the mention of their journey starting in Wesley Chapel at the rink — he says the impact stretches far wider. The girls hockey program at FHCI already has more than 60 players, with Under-14 and Under-16 travel teams, and a rec program that caters to younger players. Many of the young skaters were able to interact with the gold medalists at camps and practices since September, and Zimmerman says a girls youth league is not too far down the road. “They always seemed to make themselves available,” Zimmerman said. “They inspired a lot of girls in the area and across the nation to play hockey, and they are wonderful people and great ambassadors for the game. It’s good to see we still have that in America.” While the team will now scatter back

north to their frostier hometowns in places like Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and Massachusetts, Duggan says the won’t forget the hospitality and great weather — and even enduring Hurricane Irma — of Wesley Chapel. “I think what we’ll miss about it is the community,” Duggan said. “We’ve been welcomed with open arms since we’ve been here, from the people at the rink, Gordie, his whole staff, Saddlebrook Resort (where the team stayed while training at FHCI) was awesome, everyone was really great. That’ll be the biggest thing we’ll miss. Hopefully, we’ll be able to come back down here at some point and say hey to everyone. They were a huge reason why we were able to be successful.”

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Local Sharp Shooter Still Setting Records New Tampa resident and hoops hotshot Justin Dargahi, the New Tampa Neighborhood News cover boy from June 2016 after a Guinness Book of World Records-worthy performance shooting 3-pointers, has been at it again. Justin, who lives in Grand Hampton, is awaiting confirmation from the folks at the Guinness Book for what would officially be his third entry into their records, this time for making the most 3-pointers in one minute, with 10. While that number may not sound like a lot, Justin’s latest long-range conquest was a one-man, single-ball show — he had to shoot his 3-pointers, retrieve the ball himself, run back to the NBA range line, which is 23-feet, 9-inches from the hoop, and shoot it again, over New Tampa resident Justin Dargahi should and over as quickly and making as many threes soon have a third plaque from the Guinness as he could, for one minute. Book of World Records for shooting 3-pointers. Justin made 10 of the 11 attempts he was able to get off, tying Harlem Globetrotters Cheese Chisholm and Ant Atkinson for the single-ball record. Both Globetrotters got off 12 shots in 60 seconds, making 10. “What stinks is the five times I tried it, I was able to get off 12 shots (but didn’t make 10),” Justin says. “But the last time, I only got off 11.” Justin, who coaches the girls basketball team at Gaither High in Carrollwood, shot his threes from the corner, which he thought gave him a better chance to get off more shots. He tied the record six weeks ago, and is waiting for the official certification from the Guinness Book of World Records. His first entry, which we profiled in 2016, was for making 26 three-pointers from NBA range in one minute (where unlike his latest feat, the balls were fed to him). A year later, Justin teamed up with former Florida Gator guard Teddy Dupay to set the Guinness Book of World Records mark for the most 3-pointers made in a minute by a tandem, with 23. Dupay was the head coach of Cambridge Christian in Tampa, Justin’s alma mater (he says he still shows up every Saturday morning for alumni pick-up basketball games), when the two met. He and Dupay struck up a conversation about shooting and decided to try for the record, which requires the tandem to alternate three-point shots. It took only five minutes to break the record. The previous record holders were Chisholm and Atkinson with 22. And before that? NBA superstars Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Durant, who set the record of 15 at the NBA All-Star weekend in Los Angeles on February 19, 2011. — JCC

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Presenting Our Exclusive 2018 Taste Of New Tampa Preview! Without the amazing, community-oriented sponsors on this page, there would be no 2018 Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel at Florida Hospital Center Ice on Sunday, March 25, noon-4 p.m. (TasteofNewTampa.org). So, we felt it was really important to give special thanks to every sponsor who gave at least $500 for a business booth at this year’s Taste. Take a look at the logos on this page. The next time you need a product or service, I hope you’ll remember how these folks are helping the Rotary Club of New Tampa raise money through the Taste for the outstanding, deserving group of nonprofit organizations the club supports, in association with the North Tampa Bay (formerly Greater Wesley Chapel) Chamber of Commerce, and will again put on a uniquely outstanding tasting event for our local communities. — GN

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 7 • March 23, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Check Out The Outstanding Lineup Of 2018 Taste Of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Restaurants!

Ok, so on the next few pages is the roster of 44 restaurants, caterers, dessert places & adult beverage providers committed to participate in the 2018 Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel — as of the day we went to press with this issue — Friday, March 16. We’re so excited to have newcomers like Acai Brazil, Capital Tacos, Cappy’s Pizza, Chuy’s Tex-Mex, Cinebistro, Fat Rabbit, Gator’s Dockside, O’Brien’s Irish Pub, Jon’s Gourmet Nutrition, Pinchers Crab Shack, McDonald’s, the Zephyrhills Brewing Co., Canterbury Event Hall, The Olive Tree, Main Ingredient Catering, Australian

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The Taste Of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Returns Sun., Mar. 25, Noon - 4 pm @ Florida Hospital Center Ice!

Walkabout Bakery & Café, Top Shelf Sports Lounge, 81 Bay Brewery, Vesh Catering, Snowrolls and Leanne’s Gourmet Cookies, as well as returning favorites like Blondie’s Cookies, Bosco’s Italian to Go, The Brass Tap, Union 72 BBQ, The Cake Girl, Charley’s Philly Steaks, Ciccio Cali, Culver’s WC, First Watch, Glory Days Grill, Happy Cow Frozen Yogurt, Ker’s Wing House, Little Italy’s, Minerva Indian Restaurant, Noble Crust, Nothing Bundt Cakes, PRP Wine, Publix, Texas Roadhouse, Tijuana Flats, Time For Wine, Vom Fass & Wok Chi. Please turn the page! — GN

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Here Are More Of The Food & Beverage Providers You Can Expect At The 2018 Taste Of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel!

In addition to these great eateries, the 2018 Taste also will feature headliner and fingerstyle guitar virtuoso Shaun Hopper (see page 3), a set from the New Tampa Players (see story on page 46) and a great kids area, including a photo booth where you can take a pic with “The Floofiest Dog on Instagram, Zammy the Giant Sheepadoodle (photo bottom right). Follow Zammy’s adventures on Instagram (@ZammyPup) and come see your friends from the Neighborhood News & WCNT-tv! — GN

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Here’s The Layout For The 2018 Taste Of New Tampa! Florida Hospital Center Ice, Sunday, March 25, noon-4 p.m.!

Key To The Layout Above (as of 3/16; Subject to Change) Space # #3 #4 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #16 #17 #18 #19

Name Of Restaurant Snowrolls Publix Wok Chi Vom Fass Vesh Catering Chuy’s Tex Mex Top Shelf Sports Minerva Indian Happy CowFroYo Glory Days Grill Cinebistro Noble Crust Pinchers Crab Shack Union 72 BBQ The Brass Tap

Space # Name Of Restaurant #20 PRP Wine #21 Zephyrhills Brewing #22 Ker’s Wing House #23 Little Italy’s #24 McDonald’s #25 LeAnne’s Cookies #26 Bosco’s Italian #28 The Olive Tree #29 O’Brien’s Irish Pub #30 Culver’s #31 Charley’s Phillys #32 Cappy’s Pizza #33 Capital Tacos #34 Main Ingredient Catering

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#35 #36 #37 #38 #39 #40 #41 #42 #43 #44 #45 #46 #47 #48 #49

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Walkabout Bakery Time For Wine First Watch Fat Rabbit Pub The Cake Girl Ciccio Cali Canterbury Event Hall (Private Chef) Acai Brazil Blondie’s Cookies Gator’s Dockside Jon’s Gourmet Tijuana Flats Texas Roadhouse Nothing Bundt Cakes 81 Bay Brewing

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 7 • March 23, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

NTP Producing ‘Legally Blonde’ Musical Under Emerging Social Context By ANDY WARRENER Chances are, you probably caught at least part of the 2001 film, “Legally Blonde,” starring Reese Witherspoon. The sleeper hit movie, nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture: Musical or Comedy, grossed more than $140 million at the box office. What you might not have known was that the original source material, a book by Amanda Brown, was turned into a musical by Heather Hach, Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin, which debuted on Broadway in February of 2007. “Legally Blonde, The Musical” has made it onto the New Tampa Players’ slate of shows for the current season. “We start with a master list of about 170 shows and then we pare down the list based on shows done by nearby companies, shows not on the Straz Center’s season or shows that just technically can’t be done, like the helicopter in ‘Miss Saigon,’” New Tampa Players president Nora Paine says. Paine took over as president of The New Tampa Players in March 2017 as thenpresident and founder Doug Wall battled pancreatic cancer. Wall succumbed to the disease in December. “He (Wall) was our advocate and cheerleader,” Paine says. “He would scream about New Tampa Players from the rooftops and was very passionate about the arts, (especially) in New Tampa.” Although the decision was made by the Board of the New Tampa Players back in the Spring of 2016 to include ‘Legally Blonde’

in the current season, some key parts of the story’s theme that may have been overlooked in the past happen to coincide with a social awakening of women’s rights and the #MeToo Movement. “I thought about the relevance of the story and how it relates to our society today,” director Nancy Sears says. “Really, it’s nothing new, but things Elle (the main character) goes through are interesting to re-visit at this time. (‘Legally Blonde’) is a high energy musical with a lot of joy and fun, but it also has it’s poignant moments.” In the story, Elle gets dumped by her then-boyfriend Warren, who is headed off to Harvard Law School. She is encouraged by her sorority sisters to follow him, so she studies and posts a near-perfect score on her Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) and also gets herself accepted in Harvard Law. Elle doesn’t win Warren back, but instead earns a prestigious internship at Professor Callahan’s law office. There is a scene near the mid-point of the show where Callahan propositions Elle, and threatens to damage her career when she rebuffs his advances. That scene is barely dealt with in the original movie, and is used mostly to move the story along. But, in light of recent revelations about pervasive sexual harassment, especially with high-ranking members of the entertainment industry, NTP gives that part of the story added significance in its production, giving it weight that the film and early stage productions did not have. “In the past, I might have looked at that scene as just one more thing that happened to Elle on the list of obstacles she faces,” Sears

(Left-right): Piper Allen, Hillary Lusignan, Emily Shumaker, Melissa Doell, Lexi Balestrieri, Reagan Farmer, Britny Cuilty, Melissa Ordeneaux. Center: Chelsie Smith (Elle Woods) says. “But in light of current events, it made me take pause and look at it not just as one more thing but as a big deal and how the audience might react to it today. My intention for the scene is to slow it down and give it that pause there.” The musical number “Legally Blonde” comes at Elle’s lowest point, where she has given up her pursuit of a Harvard law degree and

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resigns herself to going back to Southern California. It’s a female rival for Warren’s affections, Vivienne, who encourages her to stick it out. “Vivienne’s character seems to be the villain, but she ends up standing up for Elle in another powerful moment in the story,” Sears said. “That might not have hit us as strong in years past.” That significance is not lost on Chelsie Smith, the actor portraying Elle in the production. “Unfortunately, I have personal experience that relates to things Elle goes though in the story,” Smith says. “I see Elle as a reflection of myself and the role means more to me than a normal role would. Nancy (Sears) sees that and she wants to help me unfold all the layers of Elle and portray her transformation.” Wesley Chapel resident Diana Diaz, who grew up in New Tampa and went to Benito Middle School, landed a role in the ensemble. Diaz also is the community outreach coordinator at the University Area Community Development Center, where the New Tampa Players rehearse and perform. She says a different light now shines on and adds poignancy to some forgotten scenes. “What’s happening today isn’t so much an awakening as it is an acknowledgement of what’s happening and what’s been happening in society,” Diaz said. “Legally Blonde, The Musical” opens Friday, April 13, at 8 p.m. with performances also scheduled for April 14, 20, 21 and 22 at the University Area Community Development Center (UACDC), located at 14013 North 22nd St. in Tampa. For ticket information, visit NewTampaPlayers.org.

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Nibbles & Business Bytes The Latest & Greatest News In Dining, Shopping & Business In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel! Chuy’s & Bahama Breeze Getting Closer To Opening

There’s no doubt that many of us who have visited either Chuy’s Tex-Mex (photo, right) or Bahama Breeze Island Grille in other areas are excited that both are getting closer to opening north of S.R. 56. The new eateries are located due east of the new plaza across from the Tampa Premium Outlets (TPO) that is anchored by the new Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers. The construction of Chuy’s appears to be wrapping up and the restaurant’s website says a “late Spring 2018” opening is expected, although we hope to get a more precise opening date when Chuy’s visits the Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel (see pages 3 & 40-45) on Sunday, March 25! Bahama Breeze, which was unable to participate in this year’s Taste, will likely not open until the summer, but the building has made considerable progress since first going vertical just a few short weeks ago. We’ll keep you posted on both of them.

Congrats, Beach House!

PartyScene Closes; Sweet Party Adds Its Inventory

Sweet Party, located at 20310 Trout Creek Dr., just off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (behind Burger) has acquired the remaining inventory from the PartyScene store in the Pebble Creek Collection. “We are happy to be the largest party store in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel

area,” Sweet Party posted on the Wesley Chapel Community Facebook page. Although Sweet Party is an awesome party store that deserves New Tampa’s support, I was sad to see my friend, Alex De Joseph, close her store after a solid 12-year run in a tough location. Alex says, “The increase in rent, the insane road construction and increased competition from the internet created a perfect storm that made my decision obvious, but still heart-wrenching.” I agree, Alex. For more information about Sweet Party, call (813) 994-4900 or visit SweetPartyTampa.com. And, please tell them that you read about them in the Neighborhood News!

Starbucks Opens On S.R. 54

Congratulations to the management and staff of the new Starbucks, located on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel, directly across from Parks Fiat & Alfa Romeo, just east of Walmart. The spacious new Starbucks, of course, has a drive-through lane, plus some new food items, especially the new breakfast egg bites (at least, they’re new to me) and even though I have a Keurig at the office, there is something to be said for the occasional Caffe Verona and maybe a cookie dough cake pop.

O GR PE A N ND IN G

What a great Grand Opening and North Tampa Bay (formerly Greater Wesley Chapel) Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting event (photo above far right, courtesy of OurTownFla.com) at the new Beach House at Wiregrass Ranch Assisted Living &

Memory Care (see ad on pg. 33) facility on Feb. 21. The Porter family was on hand as Beach House executive director Linda Mena and Prevarian Senior Living’s Allan R. Brown and Dodd Crutcher cut the ribbon. The Grand Opening event was a tasty tour of Europe, with food and beverages from France, Italy and Spain. So, if you’ve never toured the Beach House, you owe it to yourself and perhaps your aging loved ones to check it out — and please tell them the New Tampa Neighborhood News sent you!

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 7 • March 23, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

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Terrace Smiles Wins Temple Terrace Chamber Award

Congratulations to dentist Brian Witt, DMD, and his Terrace Smiles Center for Laser & Cosmetic Dentistry, which was chosen as the 2017 Health & Wellness Business of the Year by the Greater Temple Terrace Chamber of Commerce. Although Dr. Witt (photo, right) received the plaque and banner from the Chamber in late 2017, we neglected to give Terrace Smiles its due for winning the honor...until now. Dr. Witt specializes in laser treatments of the mouth, including laser periodontal surgery to treat gum disease, and he is offering his usual free consultation, as well as $500 off a full-mouth laser treatments to

Neighborhood News

Neighborhood News readers who mention the coupon on page 32 of this issue. Terrace Smiles is located at 13214 Telecom Dr. in the Tampa Telecom Park. For more info, call (813) 9887489 or visit TerraceSmiles.com. — GN

@NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 7 • March 23, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

New Tampa & Wesley Chapel HOME IMPROVEMENT

Classifieds

HELP WANTED

WESLEYCHAPELPRESSUREWASHING.COM Soft pressure exterior house cleaning, screen enclosures, pool decks, driveways, sidewalks, fences, roofs, paver sealing and deck staining. We clean everything. No job too big or small. Experience the difference when you hire a pressure cleaning professional. Licensed and insured. Owner operated. Call for a free estimate or visit our website. 813-433-6015.

SEEKING ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT for a multiple-psychologist private practice 15 - 20 hours/ week. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (verbal and written), time management, general computer skills, and past office experience are required. Seeking mature individual with professional manner. Delightful working environment and co-workers. Salary $10-12/hour, depending on experience. Send resume & letter to: Dr. Peterson at: jp@tbcrp.com.

DAVID BRIDGES PRESSURE CLEANING Complete exterior cleaning of your home or business with a professional & personal touch. - Pool decks and screen enclosures - All fencing/ driveways and walkways/roofs - Gutter and downspouts. Find your happiness in a fresh, bright clean home. Your neighbors will love you for it! All work guaranteed. Licensed and insured. Call 813-215-1177.

CNAs/HHAs NEEDED: Established Senior Homecare Service is seeking CNA’s and Home Health Aids to work with our company. Contact (813) 9851200 for more information.

GREG’S PAPERHANGING. For all of your wallpapering needs. Licensed and insured, clean, quick and reasonable. Call 973-2767 for a free estimate. RAYMOND PAINTING. Exterior & Interior Services. Exterior: Painting, pressure washing, clean & seal pavers, stucco, roofing, leaks & wood rot repair. Interior: Painting, plastering, ceiling & wall repairs & tiles. Licensed & Bonded. References avail. Free estimates. Your Neighborhood Arbor Greene Resident! We work 7 days. Call 813-994-5124. DRY WALL SPECIALIST. Not a handyman. Affordable Quality Work repairing water damage, ceilings and walls, retexturing, popcorn removal, room additions, cracks, holes, plaster and stucco repair. 26 Years Experience. Wesley Chapel resident. State Certified. Call Ron for free estimate: 813-7845999. MILLENNIUM HOME REPAIR.Professional Handyman. Cabinet Installation, dry wall repair, tile installation & repair, some plumbing, laminate flooring, light fixtures, interior painting, appliance installation, pressure washing, paneling, window repair, awning installation, carpentry, garbage disposal, fence repair, crown molding, window blinds, seal baths & showers, TV mounting & more. Call 813-400-1408 or email TYCOONUNION@YAHOO.COM. CONTRACTOR KITCHEN/BATHROOM REMODELING or MAJOR REPAIRS. LICENSED, INSURED & BONDED CALL PABLO (813) 391-9644 LICENSE#CRC 1331258

HIRING PERSONAL TRAINER. Private Women’s Studio with Boot Camp & Personal Training in Wesley Chapel & Land O’ Lakes owned by Samantha Taylor. Please no phone calls or walk ins.To apply part time: www.lolfitbodybootcamp.com/hire-pt. PHYSICAL THERAPIST (PT). An established New Tampa outpatient clinic is hiring a part-time PT to provide custom, one-on-one care. Fax resume to (813) 994-3080.

CLEANING SERVICES B CLEANING SERVICES: Over 16 years experience! Commercial & residential; Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly; New house & post construction clean-up; Window cleaning; Move-in or move-out cleanings; Pressure washing; FREE estimates; References available. Call today: 813-531-0154 or e-mail: bcleanings@hotmail.com

ANTIQUES & MORE FOR SALE! SUSAN’S ANTIQUES, VINTAGE ART, BRICA-BRAC, GLASS & OTHER TREASURES! In Annett’A’s Attic, 2nd Flr, 14136 8th St, Dade City. For more info, see our display ad!

LAWN & LANDSCAPING

JASMINE’S LANDSCAPING. Complete lawn maintenance, Tree, palm and hedge trimming, Planting, mulching, stones, Sod replacement, Pressure washing, Gutter cleaning and more. Cited by your HOA for violations? Need to comply for: Pressure washing, Trimming, Mulching, Sod replacement, Sprinkler repair or Mailbox repair or replacements? Ask about our HOA SPECIAL & FREE ESTIMATE! For more info, call (813) 420-4465. HOMETEAM LAWNCARE LLC High-quality professional Services: Weekly or bi-weekly year-round full-service lawn care starting at $90/month: Mow, edge, trim, blow, mulch-bed maintenance, hedge and low-tree trim. Additional Services: Sod, Mulch, & Rock Placement; Hedge Trimming, & Tree Trimming; Landscape Installation; Fall/Spring Clean-Up. Family Owned & Operated, Licensed & Insured, Background Checked, Call or Text (813) 817-9554. A.T.B. Landscaping & Lawn Service Licensed and insured serving the Tampa Bay area over 20 years. Family owned and operated. Quality work at affordable prices. We provide services in pressure washing and sprinkler repair. Landscaping and property maintenance including: sodding, trimming trees and hedges, and clean ups. Other services are available. CALL 813-907-LAWN (5296).

COMPUTER/BUSINESS SERVICES

PROFESSIONAL TECH SUPPORT in your home or small business. A+, Certified computer tech with 20 years exp. Maintenance & repairs, upgrades & tutor-

ing. More affordable than large chains! Friendly, personalized svc. Technical jargon explained. Remote assistance available. References available. Call (813) 957-8342 for a free estimate. DO YOU HATE YOUR COMPUTER?!? WE CAN HELP YOU! Troubleshooting, installation, networking & virus removal. WE COME TO YOU! Residences & businesses, more than 25 years exp. Contact Jeffrey Blank at (813) 973-4507, visit WSICA.COM or email Wsica@wsica.com

POOL SERVICES TRANQUILITY POOL SERVICE. New Tampa owned & operated. Great Pricing with outstanding customer service! LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED. See why we are New Tampa and Wesley Chapel’s #1 Choice!! Call Chris today @ (813) 8575400 or visit TranquilityPoolService.com. New customers get ONE MONTH FREE! AllStarPoolsofTampaBay.com Highest quality salt and ozone generators, pumps, motors, filters. Marcite, quartz and pebble finishes. Pool cleanups and acid washes, paver and river rock sealing. Paver decks and driveways. Mention this ad for $69 pool service. Call or text 813-244-7077. Visit AllStarPoolsofTampaBay.com NEIGHBORHOOD POOLS Wesley Chapel owned and operated since 1999. Weekly service. No long term contracts. Mention ad for one month free service. Call 813-907-7322 for details or text Joe at 813-758-7608.

To order your classified or display ad, call Tom Damico at (813) 910-2575!

D-ULTRA CLEANING SERVICE We have our own supplies and more than 400 clients in New Tampa! For more info, Call 758-9710. G&E Cleaning Services: Over 15 years experience. Commercial & residential: Weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. New house & post-construction clean-up, move-in or move-out cleanings, pressure washing and window cleaning. Free estimates. References available. Call 813-325-6446 or email Pinheiro.FG@hotmail.com

SPACE AVAILABLE SERENITY SALON & SPA SUITES Wesley Chapel. Booth rental for Stylist available. Can be either full time or part time. Give us a call!: 813-3125247 or 813-997-6302.

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 7 • March 23, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 7 • March 23, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 26, Issue 7 • March 23, 2018 • NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood News

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Portfolio of Fine Homes 20101 Bending Creek Pl.

10218 Waterside Oaks Dr.

17206 Emerald Chase Dr.

17503 Edinburgh Dr.

SOLD IN 6 DAYS JUST LISTED

JUST LISTED

4 Bed | 4 Bath | 3,478 SF | 3 Car Garage | Remodeled Kitchen and Baths, Maple Cabinetry, Granite, High-End Stainless Steel Appliances, Mahogany Wood Floors, New Carpet, Crown Molding, Custom UpLighting | Pool/ Heated Spa Package, New Travertine Lanai Offered for $535,000

15302 Vincent Ct.

9338 Deer Creek Dr.

6314 MacLaurin Dr.

17221 Broadoak Dr.

Beautiful Golf Course Homesite | 5 Bed +Office +Loft | 4 Full, 2 Half Baths 5,099 SF | 3 Car Garage |Custom Upgrades Throughout, 12 Foot Ceilings, Crown Molding, Hardwood Flooring, Rich Wood Cabinetry, Plantation Shutters, Gourmet Kitchen with Upgraded Appliance Package Pool, Heated Spa, Cabana Kitchen | Offered for $899,000

18131 Longwater Run Dr.

9166 Highland Ridge Way

6539 Stonington Dr.

18957 Wood Sage Dr.

4 Bed +Office +Sitting Rm | 4 Bath | 3,574 SF | 3 Car Garage Remodeled Kitchen, High End Stainless Steel Appliances, Granite Counters, New Interior & Exterior Paint, Wood Grain Porcelain Tile, Newer AC & Pool Heater | Over Sized Lot with Pond, Conservation Views, Heated Pool/Spa | Offered for $519,000

9138 Highland Ridge Way

6621 Stonington Dr.

8482 Dunham Station Dr.

17205 Broadoak Dr.

4 Bed +Office +Bonus Rm | 5 Bath | 4,304 SF | 3 Car Garage | Built 2005 Stunning Upgrades Throughout, Custom Millwork, Stainless Steel Appliances, Built In Cabinetry, Coffered Ceilings, Crown Molding Pavered Lanai, Outdoor Kitchen, Custom Pool/Spa Package Conservation, Pond Views | O ffered for $699,000

17727 Grey Eagle Rd.

18130 Longwater Run Dr.

5409 Burchette Rd.

8446 Dunham Station Dr.

SOLD IN 2 WEEKS

SOLD IN 2 DAYS

SALE PENDING

SALE PENDING 4 Bed | 3 Bath | 2,500 SF | 2 Car Garage | New Roof, New AC, New Interior and Exterior Paint, Stainless Steel Appliance Package, Granite Throughout, Travertine and Wood Flooring, Plantation Shutters | Mature Landscaping, Stone Tile Lanai, Screened Pool Offered for $375,000

SALE PENDING

Phone: (813) 931-6700 • KristyD@Realtor.com • RealEstateNewTampa.com