New Tampa Neighborhood News, Volume 29, Issue 9, April 27, 2021 by Neighborhood News

Volume 29 Issue 9 April 27, 2021

NT PAC

Will The Show Go On At The PAC? By John C. Cotey • John@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

The New Tampa Performing Arts Center (labeled “NT PAC” in the photo above) is planned to go on the currently unbuilt tract of land behind The Village at Hunter’s Lake plaza and in front of The Trails at Hunter’s Lake apartments. (Drone photo: Charmaine George)

Despite the fact a majority of Hillsborough County commissioners declined to vote to award a $7.3-million construction contract for the long-awaited New Tampa Performing Arts Center (PAC), District 2 Commissioner Ken Hagan says the show must go on, despite still another intermission. But, Hagan believes that once all of the county commissioners’ concerns are addressed by staff, he is confident it will. “I’m not really concerned,” Comm. Hagan told the Neighborhood News. “I think once staff fully describes and explains not only the history of the project but the operational plan, I think the individual Board members will be comfortable with it.” Hagan’s motion to execute the construction contract with Bandes Construction Company was seconded by Dist. 4’s Stacy White but received no other support. It was withdrawn after some debate, and deferred to the next BOCC meeting on May 5. The opposition, mostly due to concerns over money and the company that will be managing the facility, raised a few eyebrows in New Tampa, but Hagan says the project, which is located directly across Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from the Hunter’s Green community in The Village at Hunter’s Lake, is not in any danger. The pad for the PAC is already in place (see photo), built by the developer, Harrison Bennett Properties, LLC. Roughly $8 million in funding to complete the project was set aside in 2019 via a bond issue. The New Tampa PAC — which for almost all of its history had been referred to as the New Tampa Cultural Center — will be a 350-seat venue with four dance studios. The seats in the auditorium will be retractable, allowing the space See “Performing Arts Center” on pg. 4

We’re Telling You The Truth About New Places Set To Open! For the latest local dining & drinking updates, see page 34!

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

The Ever-Changing Face Of Our Neighborhood News Online Videos An editorial by Gary Nager date, been viewed by more than 32,000 people with a Facebook When I first started what reach of more than 53,000. We was then called WCNT-TV also have had decent viewership (Wesley Chapel New Tampa of videos about New Tampa’s Television) with a partner in new Fresh Kitchen and others. 2016, my intent was to create To that end, our plan is something of a hyperlocal TV news station that would one day to greatly expand our focus on dining and new business opening become a 24-hour “channel” videos for the rest of 2021. So, featuring news and informational content solely if you or someone you know has about New Tampa and Wesley Chapel. a new business or one opening A couple of years later, not only had I taken soon in either of our distribution over complete control of our online content from areas, please email me at ads@ that former partner, we began focusing on short ntneighborhoodnews.com. news and informational videos about the people, Thanks for watching! businesses and restaurants in our communities. That same year, as I was re-branding our online video content as NeighborhoodNewsOnline. net, with the help of a former producer, I applied for — and was stunned to receive — one of only 86 grants worldwide (and one of only 23 in the U.S.) from Google to expand that video content, as part of the online giant’s attempt to combat the growing proliferation of “fake news” online. I was told by Google that even though our Neighborhood News print editions were only about two tiny (but growing) markets, a big reason we received a grant was because we had been in the business of providing real news to and for the residents and businesses of these two small submarkets of the Tampa Bay area for 26 years. And, that grant money from Google did help us expand our online presence from an average of one video release every two weeks to more than two releases each week of 2019. Unfortunately, Google didn’t see fit to provide us with another grant for 2020 in order to keep that momentum going the following year, which then ended up also being the year that Covid-19 changed everybody’s business. Thanks to a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, however, I was able to retain and continue paying all of our employees, including videographer/video producer Charmaine George, but with most people not venturing out of their homes, and working mainly from home from March through much of the summer last year, it was harder for us to continue putting out the same amount of content and even harder to create and release content that people wanted to watch, despite having so much less to do outside. Even so, we were still able to put out more than two video releases per week, with 74 total releases for 2020, which were viewed nearly 200,000 times, with a Facebook (search “Neighborhood News”) reach of more than 300,000, bringing our overall viewership to close to 2 million through our first five years. Our ten most-viewed videos of 2020 (all of which were viewed more than 5,000 times each, reaching an average of 12,000+ people each on Facebook) were primarily about new business and restaurant openings, especially Aldi, the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County (which had three of our top-10), The Grove, Aussie Grill, Main Event and Pasta di Guy. Our pace for new video releases has slowed somewhat in 2021, and fewer of you have been watching them, although we also have been encouraged by the fact that our most-watched video ever was our exclusive sneak peek of the all-new Grove Theater (photo) in January, which has, to Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

INSIDE:

Budget cuts hit home for local teachers and administrators.

Page 6

Let Leiva’s Jewelry help you deliver on Mother’s Day.

Pages 20-21

Fish Fiesta is one of several new New Tampa eateries we had previously missed.

Page 34

New Tampa Neighborhood News

OUR NEW ADDRESS: 28949 State Road 54 Wesley Chapel, FL 33543 Phone: (813) 910-2575 Advertising E-mail: Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Editorial E-mail: EditorialDept@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Publisher & Editor /Ad Sales Gary Nager Managing Editor / Photographer John C. Cotey Correspondents Celeste McLaughlin • Rodney Page • Mike Camunas Lead Video Producer/Multimedia Specialist Charmaine George Graphic Designers Georgia Carmichael • Valerie Wegener Billing Assistant Jannah Nager Office Assistant Benjamin Hobe 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 advertisement reservations for Volume 29, Issue 11, of New Tampa Neighborhood News is Monday, May 10, 2021. New Tampa Neighborhood News will consider previously non-published outside editorial submissions if they are double spaced, typed and less than 500 words. New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit and/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makes no guarantees regarding publication dates. New Tampa Neighborhood News will not return unsolicited editorial materials. New Tampa Neighborhood News also 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.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Performing Arts Center: County votes ‘no’ on facility construction Continued from page 1.

to be converted into a multi-purpose room for event receptions. The 20,000-sq.-ft. building is adaptable to accommodate various needs when it comes to space. There also are plans to add a second story in the future to accommodate additional dance studios and community spaces. Commissioners Mariella Smith, Kimberly Overman, Gwen Myers and Harry Cohen shared many of the same concerns, mostly centering around questions regarding the company that will manage the facility — the Florida Cultural Group (FCG). Formerly known as The Manatee Players, Inc., the FCG is an umbrella organization that operates the Manatee Performing Arts Center, and the Manatee Players community theater. Smith questioned why the operations would be handled by a Manateebased company, as opposed to the local New Tampa Players (NTP). But NTP, which would make its home at the new PAC, is a much smaller organization that has never handled the management of a theater. It currently operates out of its recently completed Uptown Stage location in the University Mall on E. Fowler Ave. “I just have a concern about the county putting $8 million into a 20,000-sq.-ft. edifice somewhere where there’s not more local community control,” Smith said, while also voicing concern that the City of Tampa was not contributing to the construction when the facility is located in Tampa. However, as Hagan pointed out, the PAC is just as close to residents in the unincorporated area of New Tampa as it is to those in the area living within city limits. Overman said with so many of the county’s capital improvement projects

For the foreseeable future, the empty plot of land on page 1 and this artist’s rendering is all there is of the planned New Tampa Performing Arts Center, which is still awaiting funding from the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners.

having to be deferred in these cashstrapped times, she was not necessarily opposed but, “the timing just feels wrong…..I just can’t support moving this forward right now.” Cohen also had concerns about the arrangement with FCG. “I don’t think money was the issue, but the main misunderstanding was with the Florida Cultural Group and their role,” says Hagan of the group that will receive nearly $1.5 million to run the PAC through 2025. “A couple of commissioners didn’t understand their history. Our staff has worked on this for a couple of years. They feel extremely confident this will be a very successful partnership and they (FCG) will be able to bring in major national acts and fundraise.” As for the City of Tampa contributing, District 7 City Council member Luis Viera motioned at the Council’s April 15 meeting to request Mayor Jane Castor’s administration meet with the county to make an arrangement on helping to finance maintenance, to the tune of maybe $50,000-$75,000 a year.

The previous administration under Bob Buckhorn declined to help, Viera says he was told. Viera told his fellow Council members that the project was a long-time coming and of much importance to the New Tampa area, and that he was ready to fight for it. Viera’s motion passed unanimously. How much that helps get the project over the final hurdle remains to be seen.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

The PAC has been in the works for 20 years, beginning in 2001 when a Connecticut firm was paid $27,000 by the City for a study that determined New Tampa could support a cultural center. The project fizzled out in 2005, but was revived in 2007, when Hagan and former fellow Commissioner Victor Crist pushed to keep it alive. In 2014, the Village at Hunter’s Lake project, of which the New Tampa PAC is a central part, was initially approved. Hagan said he has sat through at least 15 different votes on the PAC throughout the years and, at different times over they years, we reported that it was expected to be completed by 2019, 2020 and 2021. Even that latest projection isn’t going to happen, however. “I’m extremely frustrated that it’s taken this long to execute the (PAC’s) construction contract,” Hagan says. “We should be cutting the ribbon now, not awarding the construction contract. I mean, we designated the funding in 2019. We really should have been up and running by now. That part is very, very frustrating.”

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Wharton’s Warren Among District’s Budget Casualties By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com This is not how Jas Warren, Wharton High’s theatre teacher and director, expected the curtain to close on his long career. Warren, who has been at the school since it opened in 1997 and helped lead the theatre department to dozens of awards and State competition appearances, is one of many teachers caught in the crosshairs after budget cuts were announced last week by Hillsborough County Superintendent of Schools Addison Davis in an effort to chop down a $100-million deficit. The cuts mean that more than 1,200 positions in the country’s seventh-largest school district are being eliminated. In New Tampa, Warren was far from the only teacher to be affected, but was one of the most senior among teachers who found their positions eliminated as the District continues to struggle with finances. Wharton’s theatre program has been one of the District’s best for many years. “I guess I’m kind of a little bit sad, a little bit angry and kind of surprised,” says Warren. “I’ve done nothing but exemplary work for 31 years. I thought that meant something. I’ve been at Wharton for 24 straight years; I stood here when it was nothing but a dirt floor, and we’ve had award-winning theater productions, won at the District level and went on to the State level where we have received superior ratings. But, I guess that doesn’t seem to matter much.” It does matter to parent Kelly Miller, whose daughter went through Warren’s program and whose son also attends the school. Miller says she was disappointed to see the program lose its founder. “The school is known for its awardwinning theater programs,” Miller says. “I’m very shocked at this. Without him, the program will collapse.” Warren, like many of those who have seen their positions eliminated in the most recent round of cuts, was moved into the teacher’s pool — where he could land another job, although there will be few theatre positions available — because there were fewer students to teach these days. A Hall of Fame inductee for the international Educational Theatre Association, Warren says he has been told he was being let go because he didn’t have enough students — although he still has about 50 kids in his program now, which is down from 110-120 pre-Covid. 6

Jas Warren (front right), teaches a recent theatre class at Wharton, where he has been since the school opened. The School District’s budget cuts could end his career. (Photo: Charmaine George)

He says he has been overwhelmed with the level of support and outrage from former students and parents, and will keep on fighting “until there is nothing to fight for.” The theatre program will go on at Wharton, under the direction of a new teacher who also teaches other classes. The same goes for the band program at Benito Middle school, where 10-year veteran Staisy Kibart was told she no longer would run the program (but would be guaranteed a job somewhere else in the District) and it would be taken over, presumably, by another teacher. Kibart says that when cuts were made last fall, she was told something was coming down. This time, she says she was caught off guard. “We were told something could happen in the fall when cuts were coming in October, but that conversation was never had this time around,” Kibart says. “I was pulled in Wednesday afternoon (April 14) and the bomb was dropped. They said we have to let a music teacher go, and it’s you.” Benito will have a net loss of 8.08 positions, while Liberty Middle School will lose 6.88. Turner-Bartels K-8 School, however, is losing 16 positions, including five positions in grades 1-4, three Exceptional Student Education (ESE) positions and a music teacher, believed to be chorus. At the high schools, Wharton actually gained some key positions (including two in reading) and will suffer a net loss of only 3.48 positions, while Freedom High will lose 12.32 positions. However, Freedom principal Kevin Stephenson says those numbers don’t equal teachers. When vacancies that will go unfilled are unaccounted for, he “only” expects to lose 5-6 teachers.

Stephenson says the cuts will hurt everyone, but are needed. “It’s something our District really needs to do to get into alignment financially,” he says. “There are challenges, but we have those every year. You have to make payroll, and that means doing things that are really tough.”

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

The cuts come after dozens of meetings between Davis, the School Board and principals and assistant principals this year. District 3 School Board member Jessica Vaughn, a Tampa Palms resident, says the cuts are hard on so many but she feels Davis and his staff tried to be as thoughtful as they could, by including school administrators in the process. But, in order to avoid a state takeover of the District for not meeting certain thresholds in the county reserves, as well as payroll, Vaughn said the action had to be taken. “I don’t see any way around the cuts to avoid the State taking us over,” she says. “We have to stay out of receivership. I don’t trust the intentions of the State when it comes to doing what’s best for the District.” Instead of directing her ire at Davis, Vaughn pointed a finger at the State legislature, which she says has continued to vote against providing more money for education and has instead focused on charter school expansion. Necessary or not, “I think that these cuts drastically, drastically hurt our School District, and that we will feel it for a long time to come.”

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

K-Bar Ranch Residents Voice Safety Concerns By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com Public safety continues to be one of Tampa City Council member Luis Viera’s primary concerns in District 7, the area he represents that includes all of the communities within the city limits in New Tampa. And, while his primary focus may be on some of the struggling fire stations south of our area, a fire station that has yet to be funded built in K-Bar Ranch almost always makes its way into any conversation with Viera. When he met with a smattering of K-Bar residents last month at the community’s amenity center — with staff from the Tampa Police (TPD), Parks & Recreation and Mobility departments in tow — public safety was at the forefront of much of the conversation. Viera assured the residents in attendance that he was fighting to make sure the planned fire station in K-Bar Ranch comes to fruition, which would help reduce the below-average response times in that part of New Tampa. Because there remains only two entrances into western K-Bar — the main entrance at K-Bar Ranch Pkwy., and the less convenient way via Basset Creek Dr. past Pride Elementary — a fire station for a community that will have more than 2,000 homes with little access makes sense, Viera said. (Note: Easton Park has an entrance/exit off Morris Ridge Rd., but K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. currently does not connect the east and west sides of the community.) Another access point, however, also would improve public safety response, although it is unclear other than planned connections at Meadow Pointe Blvd. and Wyndfields Blvd. leading into Pasco

Residents of K-Bar Ranch met with City Council member Luis Viera last month to discuss a number of community issues, many related to public safety.

County, where those access roads could be constructed. When leaving the growing New Tampa community, K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. and Bassett Creek Dr. both funnel into Kinnan St., so some residents argue that really, the only way in or out of K-Bar is through Kinnan. And, in the case of any fender bender on Kinnan St., “People literally cannot get out of this neighborhood,” says Cindy Gustavel, who lives in K-Bar’s Heron Preserve subdivision. There also were concerns expressed over speeding down both Kinnan St. and K-Bar Ranch Pkwy., a wide open stretch of road running east-west that was completed in 2019. Speed bumps aren’t a popular option to slow speeders, and police jurisdiction (K-Bar Ranch is right on the boundary between the City of Tampa and unincorporated Hillsborough

County) is confusing for residents when deciding who to call to complain. Also, there are no bike lanes painted on the new road “You are taking your life into your own hands on that road (K-Bar Ranch

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Pkwy.),” says resident John Bowersox, who is hoping residents can be surveyed to figured out a solution. Residents in attendance at the meeting also expressed concern about construction truck traffic on roads like Bassett Creek Dr. and Wild Tamarind Dr. — where children, bicyclists and pedestrians are more likely to be — and would prefer a sign directing those trucks to K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. A proposed park in K-Bar Ranch on roughly 55 acres of land (including the possibility of additional acreage from the county in Live Oak Preserve) which has been discussed for years, remains in limbo, Viera said. Originally planned to be a partnership between the city, which would maintain and run the park, and Hillsborough County, which would pay to build it, the discussion seems to have hit an impasse over what purpose the park would actually serve, in terms of whether it should focus on athletic fields or green space and trails. Viera told residents that resolving the issue and getting the park built has become one of his goals.

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

YMCA’s Volunteer Of The Year Has Caught The Coaching Bug By RODNEY PAGE For the past five years, Zach Karikas has been a fixture at the New Tampa Family YMCA in Tampa Palms. If there was a youth league basketball game going on, Karikas was almost definitely there. Prior to the Coronavirus outbreak, he was a volunteer coach for four different teams in the league, which included the 7-8, 9-10, 11-12 and 13-15 age groups. When the gym at the New Tampa Y opened again for limited 3-on-3 leagues in the fall, Karikas continued coaching. The 5-on-5 leagues finally started up again in January. Karikas, 28, was recognized for his dedication when he was awarded the 2021 New Tampa Family YMCA Volunteer of the Year award. He received the honor from Sports Director Eamonn O’Sullivan in a virtual ceremony held in late March. “I didn’t even know the Y did a Volunteer of the Year,’’ said a surprised Karikas, who adds that he has always loved basketball, even if he wasn’t particularly good at it. A 2011 graduate of Freedom High, also in Tampa Palms, he said he tried out for the basketball team all four years and was cut every year. He went off to Marshall University in West Virginia to pursue a degree in athletic training. When that didn’t work out, Karikas left Marshall in 2013 to return to Wesley Chapel. A few years later, he wanted to apply for a college scholarship and one requirement was community service hours. That’s when he started volunteer coaching at the YMCA despite not having any kids of his own. At first, he coached just one team. But, that quickly became four teams. “I just fell in love with it,’’ he says. He currently is enrolled at PascoHernando State College and his full-time job right now is installing shower doors. Ultimately, Karikas says he would like to earn a degree in sports management and coach basketball at either the high school or middle school level. It’s a passion he discovered five years ago at the New Tampa Family YMCA. “I caught the coaching bug,’’ Karikas says. “I really enjoy coaching the youth, both on and off the court, showing them that you don’t have to 10

Zach Karikas, a Freedom High grad, receives his award from New Tampa YMCA sports and teen program director Eamonn O’Sullivan. (Photo provided by the YMCA)

be Lebron James to succeed on or off the court. It’s not always going to be sunshine and rainbows — there are ups and downs. You just have to keep going with whatever you want to do. Being a positive role model is a good feeling. Right when I walk into that gym I’ve got like five kids coming up to me and saying ‘Hey, coach Zach.’ I love the ability to give back to the younger generation.’’ For more information about the New Tampa Family YMCA, located at 16221 Compton Dr., call (813) 8669622 or visit TampaYMCA.org.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

New Satellite Rotary Club

Inducts 12 Charter Members!

The first Rotary Club chartered for New Tampa or Wesley Chapel — the Rotary Club of New Tampa (RCNT), which has met on Friday mornings at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club for 25 years, now has a satellite club. On April 7, twelve Charter (11 new and one returning) members of the Rotary Satellite Club of New Tampa After Hours were introduced by Rotary District 6890 Governor Mark Skolnick and After Hours chair Bob Thompson and inducted by RCNT president Walter Oles at Florida Ave. Brewing Co. on S.R. 56 (photo). Although the club is a Satellite Club of the RCNT, Thompson, After Hours Sergeant-at-Arms Cam Caudle and membership chair Jason Contino say that the new club will meet in person only once each month (at least for now) on the first Wednesday of each month at locations throughout New Tampa and Wesley Chapel. “We’re also planning to have a Zoom meeting on the third Wednesday of each month,” Thompson said, “and

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

begin working on service projects right away.” The new satellite club’s first service project was a recent painting event at the Friends of the Joshua House Foundation, Inc. (FJHF), painting and prepping the residences of the abused and neglected children who live there for an upcoming Grand Re-Opening event. The painting party was part of the After Hours Club’s promise to its Apr. 7 guest speaker, DeDe Grundel — the executive director of the FJHF — when Thompson announced that the Joshua House will be the first charity of focus for the new Satellite club. Contino says, “The Satellite club appeals to those who found Rotary attractive but couldn’t or didn’t want to meet at 7 a.m.” The Rotary Satellite Club of New Tampa After Hours’ next meeting — which is open to prospective members and guests — will be held on Wednesday, May 5, at 7 p.m., at Double Branch Artisanal Ales in The Grove at Wesley Chapel. — GN

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Blue Heron Senior Living To Host Open House Apr. 28! ing room and 22 studio apartments featuring a front-porch-cottage theme, also is on the first floor. The upper floors are home to Blue Heron’s 73 one- and two-bedroom assisted living apartments, all of which are beautifully designed, with their own kitchens, washer and dryers and easy-access showers. And, perhaps best of all, Blue Heron is a true rental community, with no buy-in required. “Our residents are free from longterm financial commitments,” Sarah says, “and have the flexibility to manage their own assets and investments.”

By GARY NAGER Whether you’re a senior citizen considering assisted living yourself or you need memory care for an aging parent, I hope you’ll take advantage of the opportunity to check out the Blue Heron Senior Living & Memory Care getting ready to open off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. south of S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel, which will be the first in our area that also will provide on-site skilled nursing and rehabilitation services in either of our distribution areas. Blue Heron, which is being developed by TLC Management, is hosting an incredible Open House celebration on Wednesday, April 28, 1 p.m.-3 p.m., so if you or someone you love is considering moving to an assisted living facility, you should definitely visit that event (or call the number at the end of this story to arrange a tour if you can’t make it that day). The Open House event will include a variety of foods prepared by Blue Heron’s inhouse chef, refreshments, live music and tours of this beautiful new addition to the Wesley Chapel community. Blue Heron’s community relations director Sarah Dymond and executive director Kimberly Lehigh took the Neighborhood News on a recent sneak preview tour of the 159,000-sq.-ft. facility and we definitely came away impressed. The place, which is visible from I-75, looks huge from the outside (see drone photo), but actually is laid out so that it still feels cozy, comfortable and homey. The entrance lobby is warm and inviting, with comfortable seating and a gas-fired fireplace where residents and visitors can sit and enjoy each other’s company. Directly behind the lobby is the equally attractive main dining area, while to your right is an open kitchen area called The Bistro, where residents can enjoy grab-and-go snacks, coffee drinks and other beverages (there’s even wine on tap) and watch TV as they enjoy their snacks and beverages.

Skilled Nursing & Rehab, Too

The apartments (below) at the new Blue Heron Senior Living in Wesley Chapel are cozy and comfortable. Come check out the facility’s Open House on Apr. 28. (Photos by Charmaine George)

Behind the main dining room is a beautiful outdoor patio, complete with a gas grill, a putting green and plenty of umbrella-covered seating, all overlooking a sizable pond. The outdoor area also will feature live music events for residents.

The first floor also features a great workout facility/wellness center, as well as an art studio/gallery, spa/salon and a life enrichment center. The separate and secure Memory Care area, which has its own lobby, its own din-

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

As mentioned earlier, Blue Heron is the only assisted living facility in either of our distribution areas that also offers both short-term rehabilitation services and skilled nursing care on-site. For residents who require 24-hour nursing care, Blue Heron has private suites in its health & rehabilitation center, where each resident will enjoy consistent care delivered by a dedicated team of professional, licensed specialists. Offering short-term rehab in Florida’s newest state-of-the-art therapy center, Blue Heron’s health and rehabilitation blends the comforts of a luxury hotel with advanced therapies and facilities in a unique “Return to Home” program that includes private suites, advanced therapy equipment, physical, occupational and speech therapies, virtual reality workouts and neighborhood amenities. “There’s really nothing like us in this community,” Lehigh says. “Our leadership team is super-excited. I believe we’ve hired the best of the best.” For more information about the Apr. 28 Open House at Blue Heron Senior Living (5085 Eagleston Blvd.) or to arrange a private tour, call (813) 4540513, visit SeniorLivingatBlueHeron. com or see the ad on pg. 21 of this issue.

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

GEICO’s Wesley Chapel Office Offers Great Service From Local Agents By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com

GEICO Insurance is known not only for its humorous TV commercials, but also for its online service, thanks to a mobile app that makes it easy to have control over all of your accounts. Need to add a driver? Need to change a car? Need to change your plan? Well, there’s an app for that when it comes to having your insurance with GEICO. However, not everyone is proficient with their cell phones, nor do they prefer doing business online. To that end, customers in the Wesley Chapel area can now meet with GEICO agents face-to-face, thanks to the new office opened by Jaime Bryant in the North Woods Shopping Center (anchored by the Super Target, just north of County Line Rd.). Although GEICO has had offices for years, including one in Tampa for 40 years, as well as others in Clearwater and New Port Richey, Bryant’s new location, which features an aquarium with — you guessed it — a real gecko lizard, is the first even close to New Tampa or Wesley Chapel. That is a surprise to many, due to GEI-

Earlier this year, Jaime Bryant cut the ribbon at the first-ever GEICO Insurance office to be located in Wesley Chapel, which has been open since December 2020. (Photos: Charmaine George)

CO’s strong TV and online presence. “A lot of people don’t expect a local office because most people think of GEICO as a digital company,” Bryant says. “So, they

are surprised to find us in this shopping center. But, we’ve been in the Neighborhood News, and people find us online as well, so they are noticing.”

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

That may not sound like a big deal in today’s tech-crazy society, and a good many people still prefer the convenience of using a web browser, mobile app or even a 1-800 number to do their insurance business. There are, however, benefits to going into the office for New Tampa residents. Bryant, who has six agents working at his location, says many customers like talking to the same person every time. Others just prefer dealing with a human being. Although known mostly for its auto insurance (insuring more than 30 million vehicles), GEICO also offers motorcycle, RV, boat, condo and renter’s insurance, as well as life and umbrella policies, which provide extended liability for those with a lot of assets. Coming to the office won’t get your rates any cheaper than those of someone using the online platforms, but Bryant says it provides a comfort level for many — especially customers who have multiple things insured by GEICO. “We can handle almost all of the products they have (online),” Bryant says, “where if they call the 1-800 number, they might talk to three different people for three different products. We can sell auto,

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

renter’s, RV, we can do all of that. And, you can have the convenience of one person handling everything.” On Google, Bryant and his staff have yet to receive a negative review. They have been praised for explaining the different types of auto coverages, making the process easy and, of course, finding the cheapest rates possible. However, the online game remains one that GEICO is still winning, thanks to the 24/7 access to your account and the easyto-use, multiple-award-winning mobile app. “You can do it online or do it with an agent,” Bryant says. “It’s really every way you can possibly do business, you can do it with GEICO.”

A Little History...

GEICO was founded in 1936 by Leo Goodwin and his wife Lillian to provide auto insurance directly to federal government employees and their families. Bryant says very few people know that GEICO is actually an acronym for Government Employees Insurance COmpany. Bryant says GEICO was the first insurance company that he can recall that began selling insurance directly to customers, as opposed to working only through agents. That has helped GEICO, headquartered in Maryland, become the second-largest auto

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

Jaime Bryant and his wife Shannon pose with the costumed GEICO gecko at the office’s grand opening, while a real gecko (right) says hi from his aquarium, where he greet visitors to the new location.

insurer in the U.S., behind State Farm, as well as the largest auto insurer here in the state of Florida. Bryant says that’s because GEICO offers two very important things for those looking for insurance: its competitive rates and discounts, and its customer service. “It’s like you are paying a discounted

rate for a high-quality product,” he says. GEICO also has done a masterful job of marketing itself in a competitive field where NFL quarterbacks and fictional characters like Flo have become familiar standards in today’s pop culture. GEICO currently is still repped by its beloved “spokes-lizard,” a gold dust day

gecko with a cockney accent that is familiar to almost everyone. Along with the charming lizard, GEICO has used the Cavemen, Maxwell the piggy, and a humorous campaign comparing how easy it is to use GEICO with things that are not easy, as well as others. Almost every campaign has left a lasting impression. Bryant has lived in the Tampa Bay area for roughly 20 years, and is a University of South Florida graduate, with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. He worked for GEICO in Lakeland for 16 years, the last few while driving a long commute from his family home in Live Oak Preserve in New Tampa, which he shares with his wife of six years, Shannon. When GEICO decided to open an office in Wesley Chapel, Bryant says he jumped at the chance. “You want to be your own boss and have that freedom.” Bryant says. “But, we love it here, too. We plan on retiring here, and we plan on having this office in Wesley Chapel for many, many years.” The GEICO-Wesley Chapel local office is located at 1227 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. It is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m., and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, visit Geico.com/wesley-chapel-bryant, call (813) 953-4200 or see the ad on page 29.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

AllergyTampa.com Provides Old-Fashioned Care & Cutting-Edge Research By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN When Richard Lockey, M.D., founded his allergy and immunology practice in 1984, he brought in and trained Roger Fox, M.D., and Dennis Ledford, M.D. While Dr. Fox and Dr. Ledford have both recently retired, Dr. Lockey has no plans to slow down. He has always struck a balance between old-fashioned good practices and cutting-edge technology. “I have no plans to retire,” Dr. Lockey says. “I like medicine, and I like what I do.” And, while a new generation of doctors comes up behind him, his practice continues to move forward and grow, with Drs. Glaum, Cho and Pepper, all of whom have been part of the practice for several years. The doctors are a team of Board-certified allergists and immunologists found online at AllergyTampa.com. They treat patients in private practice and also conduct research at the University of South Florida (USF) Division of Allergy & Immunology Clinical Research Unit (CRU). The private practice office and CRU make up the top floor of a medical building near the corner of Fletcher Ave. and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd, just south of New Tampa. “We all want to be in academics to push the window forward,” says Dr. Lockey, who says he has written 800 papers and 50 books. “We want to be innovative and learn, and participate in studies.” He says that there’s nothing wrong with a doctor who chooses only to focus on seeing patients, but that physicians join his team because they want more than that. “We also want to do academic research and teaching,” he says. “All of the doctors here are fantastically excellent at that.” Drs. Lockey, Glaum, Cho and Pepper manage a variety of disorders related to allergies, asthma and immunology, including food allergies, rhinitis (inflammation and swelling of the mucous membrane of the nose, often referred to as hay fever), cough,

Dr. Richard Lockey, shown here with patient Sadie Hurley & her mother Belinda, has been one of the top allergy specialists in the Tampa Bay area for more than two decades, by caring for the whole person, not just the allergy symptoms of his patients, at his office in Tampa. (Photos: Charmaine George)

laryngitis, headaches and immune disorders. These specialists also treat allergic reactions and immune responses resulting in rashes and dermatitis. As members of the USF Division of Allergy & Immunology, they meet weekly via conference call with about 30 members of the division, all of whom are experts in their field. “We all have our areas of specialty and interest,” Dr. Lockey explains. “That’s what makes us so powerful.” For example, he says, Amber Pepper, M.D., is an expert on food allergies. All the physicians within the division know to call on her when they have questions about their patients struggling with food allergies. “It’s shared knowledge,” Dr. Lockey says, “Know what you know, know what you don’t know, and know who to know. That’s the secret to being a good doctor.”

medicine has changed over the past several decades, and that’s not always a good thing. While the doctors in his practice are committed to research that keeps them on the cutting edge of advancement in their field, they also adhere to some old-fashioned techniques that are forgotten at some other practices.

“I always take a new patient’s history and do a physical,” explains Dr. Lockey. He gets frustrated to hear that patients are shuffled from doctor to doctor, being given a test and then referred to the next doctor. He says that there are some conditions that can only be diagnosed through spending time talking with a patient. He says it’s a problem within his specialty that physicians aren’t paid for their time, but for procedures they perform. As a result, they often order a test and move on, when what a patient really needs is someone to listen to them. When Dr. Lockey trains physicians, he says he always tells them to treat patients like they are their own next of kin. “If it was your mother, father, sister, brother, son or daughter,” he says, “what would you do?”

Covid Repercussions

He also says that there have been repercussions of Covid-19 that many people don’t realize. “Covid has caused so much anxiety and upheaval,” he says. “There’s been a lot of weight gain, and patients delaying seeing their doctors.” In fact, some of Dr. Lockey’s patients

Decades Of Quality Care

Dr. Lockey says that the practice of

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

were so fearful, they wouldn’t come in to see him. One had pneumonia and died from that, rather than from Covid. Dr. Lockey says he protects himself by wearing a mask, but never considered not working, even though many people told him he was at-risk and shouldn’t see patients. “I was more scared in the 1980s when we were dealing with HIV patients,” he says. “As immunologists, we set up a clinic. We were afraid because we didn’t know how (HIV) was transmitted and it was universally deadly. If you survived during the first 10 years, it was an enigma. We thought it was viral, and knew it was sexually transmitted, but we didn’t know if it was transmitted other ways, too.” He says he treated patients and worked to advance medicine through research despite the risks, and will continue to do so. “As long as I am physically and mentally capable, I will practice medicine,” he says. “We’re doctors. That’s what we do.”

About The Doctors...

Richard Lockey, M.D., founded the practice in 1984 as Academic Associates in Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. He earned his Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) 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

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

The doctors of AllergyTampa.com include (left to right) Dr. Amber Pepper, Dr. Richard Lockey, Dr. Mark Glaum and Dr. Seong Cho. In addition to seeing patients, all four also participate in clinical research and teach at the University of South Florida.

of the USF (now the 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 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.

Mark Glaum, M.D., Ph.D., earned his M.D. at Hahnemann University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. He completed a fellowship in allergy and clinical immunology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, also in Philadelphia. His areas of interest include how the body responds to substances that cause allergic reactions and advancing diagnostic techniques, such as rhinoscopies (examining nasal passages with specialized instruments). Seong Cho, M.D., received his M.D. degree as an otolaryngologist — an ear, nose and throat doctor — from Kyung Hee University School of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea. His allergy and immunology training was completed at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, IL. Amber Pepper, M.D., joined the practice in 2018. Dr. Pepper earned her M.D. from USF in 2013, then completed her residency in internal medicine in 2016 also at USF, where she was in a once-weekly rotation at the practice. She then completed a fellowship at the practice through USF’s Division of Allergy & Immunology. To learn more about Drs. Lockey, Glaum, Cho and Pepper, visit AllergyTampa.com, call (813) 971-9743, or see the ad on page 27. The office is located at 13801 BBD Blvd., Ste. 502, Tampa 33613.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Family Bonds Drive Growth At Family Of Christ By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com

When Covid-19 first hit in March of 2020, the mad scramble was on at area schools. Administrators and teachers were harried as they looked for solutions and the Hillsborough County School Board struggled to fund solutions. That’s when New Tampa’s Sarah Combs decided the indecision was unhealthy for her soon-to-be 3rd grader, and started exploring her options. Right before school was set to begin this past fall, she discovered Family of Christ (FoC) Christian School, located off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Tampa Palms. It was during a visit that she says she found the school environment to be warm and welcoming, not cold and confused. She liked the idea of instilling the value of the Bible and saying the pledge of allegiance, “all the things that are missing in schools today.” Combs says it was an easy decision. “I think it’s the best-kept secret in New Tampa,” she says. Combs shares the same view as many of the parents at Family of Christ, which has a monument sign showing its entrance on BBD, just south of Tampa Fire Rescue Station No. 20. “It really is a family here,” said Catherine Walton, the school’s operations director and business manager. “We’ve had almost all of the same teachers for 17 years, and they are happy. The students are happy. I think we do a really good job here.” The roots of the Family of Christ (FoC) Christian School were planted in 1999, when Family of Christ Lutheran Church started a popular Pre-K and kindergarten class, which would later become the church’s Child Development Center (CDC). Proceeding gradually by adding one class per year, Family of Christ grew into New Tampa’s only K-8 Christian school, offering core academic subjects like math, science and language, as well as art, music and technology courses as well. Principal Jennifer Snow says the school isn’t overly focused on test scores, like most public schools are, but in challenging students in a wide range of subjects. It is more important, says Snow, to nurture students, to have parents involved in the education of their kids 20

Family of Christ Christian School in Tampa Palms continues to grow, and will add four more classrooms next fall and a gymnasium after that. (Photo: John C. Cotey) have stayed through middle school — but and provide an environment that is continues to have to turn many families conducive to learning. away due to a lack of space. FoC parent Joyce Hapscher says she, “just had a feeling when we walked But, FoC is addressing its growth. in the place that we were meant to be By the start of the new school year, here” when she visited the school for the first time. She says the curriculum has been challenging for her 4th and 6th grade daughters. Hapscher notes that she did check out other middle schools when her daughter was old enough. “We toured some middle schools to do a comparison and, in the end, saw that the things our daughters had been learning were more advanced than what they would get at a different school,” Hapscher says. “We decided to stay put.” FoC is fully accredited by the National Lutheran Schools Association (NLSA) and by the district of the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod. The school was recently accredited, a process it undertakes every five years. The school also complies with and, according to its website, “exceeds the Florida Sunshine State Standards as well as the Hillsborough County Benchmarks for each grade level.” All teachers hold and maintain a Professional Educator’s Certificate. It’s important to note that despite its Lutheran Christian roots, students of all religious denominations are welcome at FoC. Snow, who became principal in 2005, says the school now has 175 students — many of whom started out in pre-K and

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

there will be four new learning modules added behind the school, making room for 100 more students, primarily fifth and sixth graders, as the school tries to create more classroom space in the post-Covid world. “We don’t want to have to turn anyone away,” says Walton, who adds that half the money has already been raised for the new modules. Walton also says the school will soon begin a fund-raising campaign to build a gymnasium in the next few years, which will serve as home for FoC’s athletic teams, provide space for recitals and other performances and host the school’s annual “Night of Knights” fund raiser. Right now, FoC has to rent space for its athletic teams from the nearby New Tampa Family YMCA for its basketball and volleyball teams, which was difficult during Covid, due to the Y’s limited access. After the gymnasium, there are plans to add 11 more classrooms and, well down the road, there are even visions of eventually building a high school on the campus, which currently

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

Safety measures like the shields above have helped Family of Christ navigate the Covid-19 pandemic seamlessly, says principal Jennifer Snow. (Photo: John C. Cotey) is shared by the CDC, the school and the church. “I always said no to the idea of a high school,” Snow says, “but after seeing what Covid did and seeing the number of families that would like so much more, deep down in my heart there’s a possibility. It’s a long-range goal. This is the place it can happen.” While Covid hurt the CDC, dropping its enrollment from more than 100 to around a dozen students, the school retained all of its students and teachers. Snow and another teacher drew up an emergency guide, and the principal says everyone simply followed the rules. The school purchased plastic shields to put between desks, but paid a little more so they would be “framed.” Now, when the younger students look at each other from their desks, it’s like looking through a window and doesn’t scream “germ protection” like plain floppy plastic sheets. The school also invested in air scrubbers for its AC system. While Covid may hopefully be getting behind us, Walton says the school will continue with its Covid regimen until an all-clear is issued by the experts. Not only has FoC returned 99 percent of the teachers and students it had before Covid, it also held its annual Night of Knights fund raiser virtually, and raised more than $100,000. That is a testament, Snow says, to the strength of the families and the community at her school. Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

“Everybody was buying in,” she says. “I think the parents see what we do for the kids, the nurturing and making them our No. 1 priority. In return, they have been supportive, kind and loyal. We love our families.”

Dealing With Growth

With the school year winding down, FoC is preparing for its popular summer camps. Last year, Covid led to extremely restrictive camps, but Walton hopes they are able to return closer to normal this summer. There are three summer camps offered — one for students entering 1st and 2nd grade, another for students entering 3rd, 4th and 5th grades, and a camp for students entering 6th, 7th and 8th grade. They all begin Monday, June 7, and run five days a week from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. for eight weeks through July 30 (at a cost of $195 a week), and feature cooking and movie days and field trips to places like Urban Air Adventures, Main Event and Lettuce Lake Park. There also is a Vacation Bible School June 21-June 2, from 9 a.m.noon each day. You can learn more about the camps and Family of Christ Christian School by calling (813) 5589343 to register or to arrange a tour of the school and its campus, located at 16190 BBD Blvd. For more information, see the ad on pg. 31 of this issue or visit FOC-Knights.com. For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Dr. Teena Hughes Pediatrics Adds Dr. Roger Hughes & Celebrates 20 Years! By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN For two decades now, Teena Hughes, M.D., has treated children at her private practice in the University Medical Park at E. Fletcher Ave. and N. 46th St., about five minutes south of Tampa Palms. As her practice celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2021, Dr. Hughes is excited to welcome her son, Roger Hughes, III, D.O., to Teena Hughes, M.D., P.A., Pediatrics. For now, the name remains unchanged, but both doctors agree the partnership reflects exciting growth. Caregivers bring their children for routine care and well checks, including free prenatal consultations for momsto-be. School and sports physicals are offered, as are vaccines. The providers also treat illnesses and injuries in children, and the doctors also are on staff at AdventHealth Tampa. Dr. Teena Hughes is a Boardcertified pediatrician who earned her M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) degree from the University of South Florida

Dr. Teena Hughes (red shirt), Dr. Roger Hughes, III, and the staff at Teena Hughes, M.D., P.A. Pediatrics on E. Fletcher Ave. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Teena Hughes) (now known as the Morsani) College of Medicine, followed by a three-year residency at All Children’s Hospital in St.

Petersburg. She then spent seven years practicing in a health care group before launching her own private practice.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Dr. Roger Hughes, III, joined the practice last July after completing a three-year pediatric residency through the University of Florida at Sacred Heart hospital in Pensacola, FL. Prior to that, he earned a Bachelor of Science in microbiology from the University of Florida in Gainesville in 2013. He then earned a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Bradenton, FL, in 2017. “Initially I went to medical school thinking I would see adults, but in the third year you do rotations and I did pediatrics here in Tampa,” he says. “I loved it, so from there, it just kind of worked out.” While Dr. Teena doesn’t expect it to happen anytime soon, the long-term plan is for Dr. Roger to eventually run the practice when the time comes for her to retire. “The patients are excited and thrilled to meet him,” she says. “They’ve all heard about him over the years, and it’s nice to have someone to learn the ropes and get to know all the patients.” In addition to helping with hospital

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

rounds at AdventHealth Tampa and sharing the after-hours phone calls, Dr. Roger brings an influx of fresh ideas to the practice. “It’s nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of and ask questions to,” says Dr. Teena. She also says that some patients prefer to see a man, so she’s glad that he is now available to those patients. Because she’s been in practice for more than two decades, Dr. Teena now sees the children of people who were her patients when they were kids. “You have to be flattered,” she says, “It’s nice to see everybody grow up.” In addition to the two doctors, patients also may see the practice’s two nurse practitioners, Kelsy Overton, APRN, and Ashleigh Mader, APRN. As a private practice, Dr. Teena says she and the other practitioners offer more individualized service and have a better rapport than found at some of the big groups. For example, when her patients call after hours, she knows exactly who she’s talking to. That’s different than the big groups, where doctors have to see patients from several different offices. Dr. Teena Hughes Pediatrics offers benefits typically associated with a larger practice, such as extended hours. Currently, the office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.--6 p.m., and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. She plans to increase those hours to 8 p.m. on weekdays as soon as possible. “We want to be more available for working parents,” she says, “and prevent emergency room visits.” Jennifer Statz is a mom of three kids who moved to Westchase, but wouldn’t even consider finding a new pediatrician. “I love them so much that I happily drive 30 minutes,” she says. “They’ve seen my kids grow up, and they’re almost like friends to me.” While her kids have been cared for by Dr. Teena since her oldest child was born, they have seen Dr. Roger, too. “I feel equally comfortable with them both,” she says. “I love seeing Dr. [Teena] Hughes, but it’s great to have both of them there. She’s got the experience and he’s full of all this new knowledge.” Jennifer says that all of the practitioners at the office — and the staff members, too — are warm and genuine, and make her feel at ease, especially when her kids are anxious about vacNeighborhood News

@NTWCNews

cines or seeing the doctor in general. “I always feel like they listen to my concerns, address them appropriately, and do whatever it takes to help me understand why they’re recommending a particular medicine or whatever it might be,” she explains. “I always leave there with everything I need.”

Covid Testing & Vaccines

While the office never closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Hughes says there were many less patients over the past year, who would usually be seen for school physicals, sports physicals, and to be treated for illnesses they may have picked up at school. “It’s now ramping back up,” she says, while the office continues to follow all protocols and guidelines recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) & Prevention. The office also offers Covid-19 testing, which does take a couple of days to get results from the lab. The Moderna Covid-19 vaccine also is available to anyone ages 18 and older. “You do not have to be a patient to come in for the vaccine,” Dr. Teena says. The practice also has ramped up its partnerships with manufacturers and companies looking to improve their products, offering research trials to patients, if they want to participate. For example, a current study gives new parents six months of free infant formula plus incentives to participate. “Formula companies are always doing research to improve,” Dr. Teena says. “It’s great for a new mom who needs formula. These are tried-and-true companies, so it’s not experimental.” She says the current projects have created an entire research department at her practice, which now includes five people. Active projects include vaccine trials for meningitis and pneumococcal pneumonia. Dr. Teena says rapid Covid testing should begin soon, and she’s also hoping to start Covid vaccine trials for children. “It’s completely voluntary and if people don’t feel comfortable, they don’t have to participate,” she says. “We participate because it helps medicine to be new and innovative and helps patients.” Teena Hughes, M.D., P.A., Pediatrics is located at 4444 E. Fletcher Ave. at N. 46th St. in Tampa. For appointments and more information, call (813) 903-0060, visit TeenaHughesPediatrics.com or see the ad on page 32. For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Honesty & Integrity Make Leiva’s Jewelry Sparkle Even Brighter ed into a pendant to be worn around the neck, as an example. Even old engagement and wedding rings can be transformed into shiny new pieces, altered and refurbished for a new look or simply resized. “Jewelry is usually very sentimental, so whether you’re getting it repaired or making something different from it, it’s important it’s done right,” Jonathan says. “Everyone has that special necklace or special ring.”

By JOHN C. COTEY

john@ntneighborhoodnews.com There are a number of jewelry stores where Pebble Creek resident Larry Savage can bring in a watch to be repaired, or to buy a nice bracelet or ring for his girlfriend. However, he says, there really is only one place he trusts for those things — Leiva’s Jewelry. Located a few doors down from the Publix in the New Tampa Center plaza at the corner of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and New Tampa Blvd., Jonathan Leiva and his father Transito have run Leiva’s Jewelry since 2012, and have developed a large base of loyal customers who enjoy the Leivas’ friendly and honest approach. “I’ve always been a champion of him and his business,” says Savage, who refers to Jonathan as Johnny. “Ever since I started going there, I feel like I am talked to in a straight manner and with honesty. That’s a big deal to me.” Transito, who goes mostly by just “Leiva,” has been a master jeweler for more than 40 years, often bringing Jonathan along to work and showing him the ropes. “That’s when I fell in love with the business,” Jonathan says. At Leiva’s Jewelry, a wide selection of jewelry is offered, as well as a number of

Don’t Forget Mom!

Jonathan (left) and Transito Leiva have made honesty and quality workmanship the cornerstones of Leiva’s Jewelry since it opened in the New Tampa Center plaza in 2012. (Photos: Charmaine George)

services for those who already own pieces, like repairing expensive watches or custom designs of family heirlooms. Custom jewelry is a big part of Leiva’s Jewelry’s business. Jonathan and Transito can help design something for you or, if you have a design in mind, they can make it a reality. They use computer-aided design (CAD) to help create 2D or 3D models that allows customers to view their jewelry

designs before they are created. “If you have an idea to design something, we can do it,” Jonathan says. Because jewelry, especially heirloom pieces, have such sentimental value, some customers like to have them converted into something more current or meaningful that they can wear. A gemstone in an outdated piece of jewelry also can be re-featured in a newer, more modern-looking ring, or convert-

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

And, if they don’t, Mother’s Day is the perfect time to pick up something special for those looking for a gift for their wife or mom. Next to Christmas, Jonathan says Mother’s Day is the biggest holiday for jewelry buying. And, while most jewelry stores seem to have one price range — expensive! — Leiva’s Jewelry offers both pricey and more affordable options, and everything in between. Jonathan showed some of his favorite pieces as Mother’s Day suggestions, including (top photo on the next page) a custom opal and diamond pendant and (lower photo) a sapphire and diamond ring. Each piece is set in 14 karat gold. The Leivas just about do it all. They can check the stones on any ring to make sure they

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

are still secure, adjust a watch, clean jewelry and they will even buy any gold and silver you might be looking to get rid of, offering cash. Being family-owned and a small business, Leiva’s Jewelry thrives on trust. Not only do customers want honest prices and recommendations, but when they are dropping off thousands of dollars worth of items to be repaired or something special and irreplaceable, they want peace of mind. It’s not a responsibility Jonathan takes lightly. He says the ability to deliver on that trust is why his customer base continues to grow and Leiva’s customers keep coming back. Sometimes, something as simple as changing a battery in a watch for half the price of other places can be enough to earn a customer for life. Watch repairs — new batteries, replacing links, etc. — are a big part of what the Leivas do and are often the gateway to new lifelong Leiva’s customers. “We have a pretty loyal following,” Jonathan says. “We have people that have been coming here for a while. Sometimes, they just stop by to say hi.” Savage is one of those regulars. He has a horror story for practically every watch repair he has taken elsewhere, including one time when he says his 1966 Rolex GMT was mined for parts by a jeweler who was supposed to be doing a repair, and another time he got the run-around on repairing the bracelet on a different watch that was still under warranty. Since discovering Leiva’s Jewelry, Savage says he has left those annoyances behind. Not only does he get his watches repaired there, but it is now where he makes all of his jewelry purchases. “The repairs I have done there are always done quickly and with excellent quality,” Savage says. “It’s the honesty and integrity that I care most about. When I walk in, I know I’m going to be dealt with in a respectful manner. I’m tired of the way the bigger chains do things.” Leiva’s Jewelry is located at 19020 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in the New Tampa Center. You can reach them at (813) 972-0417, online at LeivasJewelry.com or check out the ad on page 33.

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

SPOTLIGHT ON: Radiance Orthodontics! As Radiance Orthodontics celebrates its fifth anniversary in New Tampa, Dr. Sam Jureyda is grateful for the many opportunities he’s had to help kids, teens and adults get straight, healthy teeth and beautiful smiles. For the past 25 years, Dr. J (as his patients call him; photo) has dedicated his life to the specialty of orthodontics, including teaching graduate-level students at the University of Buffalo, before moving into his own private practice and opening Radiance Orthodontics in 2016. Here are five reasons to consider scheduling a completely free, no-obligation consultation with Radiance Orthodontics: 1. Get a professional opinion from a trusted doctor. Take advantage of Dr. Jureyda’s expertise with an evaluation from an experienced specialist who can help you understand your many options. Want to know what your neighbors think of Dr. J? He invites you to review the more than 120 Google reviews available online, and see that each one is five stars. 2. Appointments and payments are at your convenience. After school, evening and some Saturday appointments are available, and Radiance Orthodontics works with patients to determine orthodontic benefits through dental insurance and provide affordable payment options. 3. Rest assured you’ll be treated with respect and honesty. “My reputation relies solely on how I treat each and every patient,” says Dr. Jureyda. “I take that very seriously.” While Dr. Jureyda prefers to take a proactive approach to treatment, rather than to wait until all teeth come in to deal with problems, it’s because early intervention is typically simpler and smaller than a full treatment later. Dr. J won’t recommend treatment that’s not necessary.

4. Support a local small business that supports the community. Radiance Orthodontics is a business partner or contributor at most of New Tampa’s public schools. “It is my honor and privilege to support the students and educators in New Tampa,” says Dr. J. “The children in our community are its future, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to be in partnership with the schools that are educating them.” 5. You’ve got nothing to lose! Consultations are completely free and no-obligation. Whether it’s to fix a problem, obtain a second opinion or simply satisfy your curiosity, Radiance Orthodontics welcomes you to schedule a free consultation. For more information about Radiance Orthodontics, located at 17427 Bridge Hill Ct., Suite A, in the Tampa Palms Professional Center, please visit www.MyRadianceBraces.com, call or text (813) 972-1100 or see the ad on pg. 7 of this issue. You also can search for Radiance Orthodontics on Facebook or Instagram for photos, giveaways, reviews, and more.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Kids ‘R’ Kids Of Meadow Pointe Continued Serving Families Despite Covid trips, the staff came up with the idea to set up a dramatic play area featuring a campground. The teachers lined the classroom walls with black paper and stars to look like a night sky, then the kids helped fill in the space by making trees, a bonfire, sticks with marshmallows, and a pond complete with fish and lily pads. “The kids did story time in there, and pretended they were camping,” Roxanne explains. “They went into caves and read stories. It was quite an adventure.”

By CELESTE McLAUGHLIN Right before Spring Break last year, the Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academy of Meadow Pointe had 264 students enrolled. With new owner Payel Dutt and director Roxanne Jeffcoat, the school — a licensed childcare facility for children ages six weeks to 12 years — was thriving. Then, all of a sudden, everything changed. As the Covid crisis began and people were told to stay home, public schools closed, and many families pulled their kids out of daycare. “By the end of March in 2020,” says Payel, “we had 12 kids enrolled.” However, Payel and Roxanne were determined to keep the doors open for those 12 kids, who were from families of front-line workers. One such family was the Johnsons, who live in New Tampa. Julie is a nurse and her husband, Desmond, is a nurse anesthetist. Their daughters, Kyah (now 5) and Kenna (now 3), attend Kids ‘R’ Kids. “We have no family here,” explains Julie, “so daycare is our only option. We were very concerned about what we were going to do. So many centers closed.” But, Kids ‘R’ Kids didn’t. That’s what Payel says her school is all about — connecting with families and serving the community, while doing what’s best for kids. “It’s about being here for our children and their parents,” says Payel. “We still paid our teachers. We tried to make sure we were here keeping kids safe.” Over time, as the crisis has waned and families’ needs have changed, the children have started to come back. Many new families have joined the school community, too. The center is growing again, as it is now back up to more than 150 students.

New Ownership

Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academy of Meadow Pointe first opened at its County Line Rd. and Mansfield Blvd. location in 2006. When the original owner retired in August 2019, Payel and her husband, Prabir Das, purchased the local franchise, which has more than 170 locations across the United States. Payel’s previous career was as a financial analyst, but she wanted to own her own business. As a mom of two kids, now 8 and 12, she says she is passionate about helping families who need daycare and wanted to use her experience to be hands-on in running her new business. The following January, in 2020, they hired Roxanne, who has 30 years of experience in childcare. Roxanne lives in Wesley 26

Full-Time, After-School Care & More

Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academy of Meadow Pointe, for children ages six weeks to 12 years, offers both full- and part-time care, and before- and after-school care, including drop-off and pick-up service to and from four local schools. (Photos: Charmaine George).

Chapel, where she started working at a small school which her kids — now 29, 27, and 25 — attended. She continued her career, becoming licensed by the State of Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) as a Director about seven years ago. “She is awesome,” says Payel. “We go hand in hand.” The respect is clearly mutual, as Roxanne says about Payel, “Most owners don’t do the things I’ve seen her do. She’s here every day, and that’s a real big motivator for the staff. We’re not asking anyone to do anything that we’re not doing ourselves.” In fact, Payel used the slower times of the pandemic to also get credentialed as a Director by DCF, so that she can better understand all the nuances of the day-to-day operations of running a school. Payel and Roxanne emphasize that while they are part of a large franchise, which can sometimes get a bad rap, the school is there for one main purpose — to serve the local community. “We’re very family oriented,” says Roxanne. “And we’re all about the kids.”

STEAM teacher who leads the students in activities such as making thermometers, kinetic sand, storm in a jar, snow globes, slime and crystals. Last fall, with restrictions in place that prevented students from going on field

Kids ‘R’ Kids of Meadow Pointe offers flexible scheduling to help families with their child-care needs for its young attendees. The center is open weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., offering both full- and parttime care, and before- and after-school care, including drop-off and pick-up for four local schools. Payel and Roxanne emphasize that they are here for families. Let them know what your family needs, and they will work to accommodate you. For school-age children, care is available during days off from school, and Kids ‘R’ Kids currently is enrolling students for summer camps.

Curriculum/STEAM

One benefit of being part of a franchise is the school’s exclusive curriculum, with learning methods supported by leading educational theories. Its Brain Waves curriculum is designed to stimulate brain development during the most critical years. Kids of all ages use learning stations, math manipulatives, science elements and stimulating visuals, with lots of hands-on learning and Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (aka “STEAM”) activities. In fact, Kids ‘R’ Kids has a dedicated

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

While last year’s summer camps could not have field trips, the camps are designed to be fun and engaging, with lots of indoor and outdoor activities, which include a very large outdoor play area, jungle gym, basketball court and bicycle path. The kids do chalk paint, bubbles, parachute, jump rope, and even have water days with balloons and foam sprayers. The school has a full kitchen serving hot breakfasts and lunches, rotating kid-friendly meals prepared by a professional chef, always carefully served, being mindful of allergies.

Partnerships With Parents

At Kids ‘R’ Kids of Meadow Pointe, it’s a priority for teachers and parents to collaborate with each other for the betterment of the Kids ‘R’ Kids director Roxanne Jeffcoat (left) and owner children. “We are very transparPayel Dutt are ready to care for your children like their ent with parents,” says Payel. “We own. They offer in-person tours of the facility after hours. ensure parents are informed about their child.” give tours to prospective families at the Payel says that she and Roxanne and end of the day, when all of the children all the teachers communicate with parents have left the building. about what their kids do each day, what they “We appreciate all the extra steps,” says are learning, and are always happy to answer Julie Johnson. “It’s an adjustment to drop questions. Conferences also are scheduled. the kids at the door rather than going in They also have cameras in the classevery day and talking with the teachers, but rooms, so parents can have access to view I’ve been very grateful for them to stay open their children at any time during the day. and all the extra steps they went through to Private logins and passwords are provided. make it a safe environment for everybody.” She says the care that Payel, Roxanne Covid Precautions and the teachers offer is evident, and families The school has several precautions in at Kids ‘R’ Kids of Meadow Pointe are very place to keep kids safe, such as a station happy with their choice. where everyone washes their hands as they “I absolutely recommend it,” says come in, and temperature checks at the Julie. “With my oldest being in VPK, I’m door. Staff and teachers wear masks at all hypersensitive to whether she’s going to be times. And, while the school always has prepared for school and where she’s at combeen sanitized and disinfected several times pared with other kids. I’m very happy with throughout the day, Payel says those procethe education my kids are getting.” dures have been enhanced. The Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning AcadeKids ‘R’ Kids of Meadow Pointe also my of Meadow Pointe is located at 1540 does not currently allow any third parties Mansfield Blvd. at the corner of County in the building. So, classes such as robotics Line Rd. For more information, call that used to come in to the school are (813) 994-4525, visit KidsRKidsMeadcurrently paused. Payel and Roxanne now owPointe.com, or see the ad on page 38.

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Wildcats Putting Last Season In Rearview Mirror By JOHN C. COTEY john@ntneighborhoodnews.com When it comes to all of the 18 baseball teams coach Scott Hoffman has had at Wharton High, last year’s version had the potential to be one of the best. The Wildcats started out 8-1, with every win but one by four runs or more, outscoring their opponents 73-19. It was a great start. But then, Covid took hold, and the season, as well as the Wildcats’ hopes for a State championship, faded away. “When you look back, we thought last year might have been our year,” Hoffman says. However, thanks to this year’s team, the coach hasn’t had to do much lamenting. The Wildcats have picked up right where they left off in 2020 and, heading into this week’s Class 7A, District 7 tournament, are 17-4 (with two additional games played after we went to press). The Wildcats will see if they have a deep playoff run in them. They returned most of the starters from last year’s team, the pitching has been better than expected

Wharton shortstop and Oklahoma State signee Zach Ehrhard is a four-year starter with a .407 career batting average, including .406 this season. (Photos: John C. Cotey)

and three of their four losses — including a 6-5 loss to nationally-ranked Jesuit — have only been by a single run. Although he says his squad still hasn’t put together the perfect game — although it

does have two no-hitters — Hoffman thinks the 2021 Wildcats may be due. He has high hopes for this postseason. “When we’re trying to think of the teams (we’ve had) that have gone on and

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

done something in the postseason, I’d say we’re right about there,” he says. Pitching has been a major key. Junior starters Ryan Fry and Evan Chrest are a combined 11-2 with an ERA under 2.00, while senior Jackson Perkins is 4-0. Last month, Fry, a University of Miami commitment, threw what is believed to be the first seven-inning no-hitter in Wharton history, which also happened to be the second of back-to-back 15-strikeout games for the hard-throwing righty. “Pitching has been the key,” says Hoffman, joking that every Wharton team he thinks will pitch well ends up hitting well, and vice versa. This year is no different, as he thought the hitting would be the team’s primary strength. And, it hasn’t been bad. Hoffman said one hole to fill this year was developing a swing guy who could play multiple positions, and that turned out to be junior David Limbach, a backup catcher who showed more athleticism than Hoffman originally thought he had. In his utility role, Limbach has played in both the infield and outfield and is third on the team with a .368 batting average.

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

That puts him right behind Wharton’s formidable 1-2 punch at the top of the lineup — senior centerfielder and Saint Leo University signee Dylan McDonald and senior shortstop Zach Ehrhard, who is bound for Oklahoma State. McDonald, who bats leadoff, leads the team with a .429 average, 10 doubles, three home runs 29 hits and 21 RBI, while Ehrhard is right behind him, batting .406 with eight doubles three homers and a team-high 20 steals. “I feel like we are definitely a pretty good 1-2 combo,” Dylan McDonald leads the Wildcats in a handful of McDonald says. “When I get on, offensive categories and thinks this team could be a State I know the 2-3-4 guys tend to get championship contender. me in. And, when we start out stretch of offensive consistency that will quick, we seem to do pretty well.” elevate the team to a true playoff contender. In fact, the Wildcats are 12-1 when they If that happens, last year could become a score first, with the only loss coming to Jesuit. distant memory. The Wildcats also have flexed their “We had a really good team last year, muscles this season, with seven different but is this team better?,” asks McDonald. players combining to blast a school record “I think we kind of flip-flop on that every 14 home runs in 21 games. day. We could have won State last year, can In the previous five seasons combined, we win State this year? We have a lot of Wharton hit 16 homers in 111 games. chemistry this year, so it’s possible. Either Although the Wildcats have hit well way, these have been two of the best years in spurts, Hoffman is still looking for that Wharton has ever had.”

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Also Now Open Or Coming Soon!

Double Branch: Finally Cooking!

Pick Of The Week: Fish Fiesta!

So, as I was driving around New Tampa to see what places were new or getting ready to open, I realized that the former Deano’s Pizza & Pasta at 10865 Cross Creek Blvd. (next to the Mobil gas station and the new location of Saffron Indian Cuisine) had been replaced by a new eatery called Fish Fiesta. I was stunned to learn that the place had been open for four months! How did I miss it before? Since I hadn’t yet eaten lunch, I decided to give it a shot and I’m so glad I did! After letting them know about my shellfish allergy, I ordered the fried grouper platter shown above and the fish was crispy outside, flaky inside, and the sautéed veggies and salad were delicious complements to an outstanding lunch. Call (813) 982-0300 or visit FishFiesta.com! More new & coming-soon places are in the last column on this page! — GN

The kitchen at Double Branch Artisanal Ales (DBAA), the first business to sign a lease at the new Village at The Grove development, is finally open. Travis Glenn and his wife Tammi (photo) are renting the space from DBAA co-owner Ryan Clarke and will manage the food side of the micro-brewery, which is called “Omnivorous.” Travis has been a general manager of various restaurants in his 30 years in and out of the business, including eight years at the Dark Horse Brewing Company in Marshall, MI. Travis has been with DBAA since the day it opened, working as a bartender, but when the original kitchen manager backed out, he applied to take over. That’s good news for the pub, which has weathered Covid-19, and the lack of a kitchen, from the day it opened. Travis says you could just see the money floating out the door as patrons stopped by for a beer on their way to dinner somewhere else. “It’s been a huge loss,” he says. “People pop their heads in and ask if we have food. I feel like I’ve turned away 30-35 people a day. It happens all the time.” The menu at Omnivorous features wings, burgers and “good, honest, straightforward bar-type food” with some personal touches, like amazing Brussels sprouts. Everything is made from scratch, his brisket is smoked inhouse, the burgers are smash-style and one of Ryan’s goals is to have the best chicken wings

in the area, with some unique sauces. One of his fryers is dedicated to only vegan and gluten-free options, like French fries and those delicious Brussels sprouts. DBAA has other plans as well. There’s a new brewer, Robert Hunt, who used to work at Tampa Beer Works, in charge of the beers. Ryan says they will continue to produce the wide variety of pilsener, IPA, Hazy and Sour beverages, including a soon-to-be released Grove Gold Florida pilsener, named after Grove developer Mark Gold. Ryan also had added video and board games to the selection of entertainment, and is already hosting events like yoga, where an hour of Sunday yoga is followed by a beer. The first yoga class was held last month, drawing 23 people. And, while Omnivorous isn’t currently open on Sundays, adding brunch on the weekends also is being considered. Ryan also would like to put together a Father’s Day beer festival. “The (Covid) delays have definitely created challenges,” Ryan says. “We’re still very excited about the things coming to The Grove, like the container park, and the new apartments across the street, and looking forward to what this can be.” For more information about Double Branch Artisanal Ales (5956 Wesley Grove Blvd.), call (813) 492-8800 or visit DBAA.com. — JCC

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Just as we missed the opening of Fish Fiesta, we also didn’t know that these two new Indian restaurants, Raaga Indian Kitchen & Bar (in the former Tarek’s Café location in the Shoppes at Amberly plaza) and Dosa Hut Indian Vegetarian (in the Publix-anchored Cross Creek Center plaza at Cross Creek Blvd. at Morris Bridge Rd.) also have both been open for several months. I haven’t had a chance to try either one yet, but I promise I will — and I’ll let you know what I think as soon as I do! Meanwhile, I also found a couple of places that are getting ready to open just south of New Tampa within the next 2-4 weeks. The first, located in the Oak Ramble Plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., south of Tampa Palms (anchored by Acropolis Greek Taverna and Mr. Dunderbak’s), is Ice Sssscreamin’, a new ice cream shop coming soon between Mr. Dunderbak’s and the Twist Vapor & Café. I didn’t get too much detail about the new ice cream place, but I did enjoy a great cappuccino at Twist, which also sells a variety of smoking supplies. Speaking of smoking, I’m really looking forward to the opening of Truth Wine, Beer & Hookah in the Palms Connection plaza on E. Bearss Ave., just west of BBD (anchored by P.J. Dolans Irish Pub). I met with Zaid, the owner, who promises that Truth will feature an outstanding collection of craft beers and fine wines at its spacious bar and beautiful lounge area (featuring super-comfylooking couches and chairs), from high-end to more popularly priced. “People who enjoy hookah (pipes) also love beer and wine,” Zaid told me. “We hope you’ll check us out.” — GN

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

New Tampa & Wesley Chapel HOME IMPROVEMENT

TOM JOSEPH HANDYMAN: FREE ESTIMATES! Serving residents, Realtors & property mgrs. 30+ yrs home construction exp. Move in/out setups & repairs. Repairs for sale/rent. Hang flatscreen TVs. Setup wifi & home theater. Install closet organizers. Cabinets, pullouts, shelving. Gen’l carpentry. Crown molding. Kitchen backsplash. Door install/repair & more! Call 813-751-4998 or email JosephHomesllc@outlook.com AMBLER ENTERPRISES Home Improvement. Call James at 813-385-6402. 30 Years of exp. Specialist in Kitchens & Bathrooms. Referrals upon request. All interior work: Drywall, Texture Paining, Doors, etc. Use us once & you won’t need to look elsewhere. Google us to see pictures: Wesley Chapel Ambler Enterprises. See our display ad at the bottom of this page! JUNK HAULING SERVICE! • We handle all types of furniture removal — bedroom sets, chairs, mattresses & box springs • Hot water heaters & hot tubs — take apart & remove • Construction material • Carpet removal • Estate, eviction, yard, garage & attic clean-outs • Office, home & factory • Comm’l/resdt’l. GorillaJunkremovalExperts.com. For appts/info, call/text Nigel @ 888-346-5865. WESLEYCHAPELPRESSUREWASHING.COM Soft pressure ext. house cleaning, screen enclosures, pool decks, driveways, sidewalks, fences, roofs, paver sealing & deck staining. We clean everything. No job too big/small. Exp. the difference when you hire a pressure cleaning pro. Licensed & insured. Owner operated. Call for a free estimate or visit our website. 813-433-6015. RAYMOND PAINTING. Ext. & Int. Svcs. Exterior: Painting, pressure washing, clean & seal pavers, stucco, roofing, leaks & wood rot repair. Interior: Painting, plastering, ceiling & wall repairs & tiles. Licensed & Bonded. References available. Free estimates. Your Neighborhood Arbor Greene Resident! We work 7 days. Call 813-994-5124. CHARLES POPPE ELECTRIC. Electric of all kinds: pools, spas, svc changes, new circuits, low-voltage, repairs, upgrades, changes to existing, troubleshoot’g, GFCI performance testing, generators. We are experts w/40+ years exp. Discount of 50% off labor for senior citizens! Lic’d & Insured Master Electrician (EC 13002399) - free phone estimates. Call 813-477-9068. MILLENNIUM HOME REPAIR. Prof’l Handyman. Cabinet install., dry wall repair, tile install. & repair, some plumbing, laminate flooring, light fixtures, int. painting, appliance install., pressure washing, paneling, window repair, awning install., carpentry, garbage disposal, fence repair, crown molding, window blinds, seal baths & showers, TV mounting & more. Call 813-400-1408 or email TycoonUnion@yahoo.com. DRY WALL SPECIALIST. Not a handyman. Affordable, Quality Work repairing water damage, ceilings & walls, re-texturing, popcorn removal, room addt’ns, cracks, holes, plaster & stucco repair. 26 years exp. WC resident. State Certified. Call Ron for a free estimate: 813-784-5999. TJ’s PRESSURE WASHING LLC. Houses, Fences, Driveways, Lanais & Screened Enclosures. Most resdt’l 2-car driveways & vinyl fences start at $75. House washing starts at $150 for 1-story home & $199 for 2-story home. Need an instant quote? Text me a picture of the job you need done. Call Tj at 727-808-7775.

Classifieds HOME HEALTH CARE

HOME DIALYSIS PARTNER: Why travel for dialysis? Cert. Home Health Aide & Phlebotomy Tech Kikélomo Denton will come to you! I attend mandatory training at your dialysis clinic, assemble your machine at home, check vitals, start & finish treatment w/you, maintain contact w/an on-call nurse & safely remove you from the machine. Accepting new clients June 21! Email YourDialysisPartner@gmail.com or call 813.841.3754. CAREGIVER/HOUSEKEEPER URGENTLY NEEDED! This is a live-out position. Work Mon-Thurs, $650/wk. Childcare & light housekeeping. Must be able to interact w/children & speak English. Non-smoker, please! MUST HAVE REFERENCES & BE RESPONSIBLE! If interested, email Linda at flowershop998@gmail.com. CNA/HHA available to do private duty care in your home. 30 years of exp. Will attend to all of your daily needs. References upon request. Call Rhonda at 850-586-1868. SENIOR OVERNIGHT COMPANION SITTERS Two kind senior sisters seeking work safeguarding your loved one during the overnight hours. We’ve been working w/the senior population for 10 years & have seen a need for local, English-speaking, backgroundchecked, Covid-tested, dependable companions w/their own transportation. Very reasonable rates. Call Diane or Elisa at 813-938-8614.

COMPUTER & BUSINESS SERVICES

DO YOU HATE YOUR COMPUTER?!? WE CAN HELP YOU! Troubleshooting, Installation, Networking & Virus Removal. WE COME TO YOU! Residences & Businesses, more than 25-Years Experience. Contact Jeffrey Blank at 813-973-4507, visit WSICA.COM or email Wsica@wsica.com. PROFESSIONAL TECH SUPPORT in your home or small business. A+, Certified computer tech w/20 years exp. Maintenance & Repairs, Upgrades & Tutoring. More affordable than large chains! Friendly, personalized service. Tech jargon explained. Remote assistance & references avail. Call (813) 957-8342 for a free estimate.

MISCELLANEOUS

ELITE RIDES. Private rides in a sanitized 2020 Tesla, plus concierge services. Airport, schools, medical appointments, shopping, etc. Courteous, reliable professional. New Tampa to Tampa Int’l Airport - $35 (one way, 24/7). Driver vaccinated w/two shots. Cory Lake Isles resident. Call/text 813.765.2037. GET $500 TOWARDS CLOSING COSTS... when you buy a NEW CONSTRUCTION HOME with Florida Homes with Geri at Epperson OR Mirada. Schedule a PRIVATE TOUR of both Communities by a Resident Realtor. Join @LifeAtTheLagoon with @RealtorGeri Call/Text 813-609-0966. Connect with me on Instagram & Facebook.

CLEANING SERVICES

PATY CLEANING SERVICE. Comm’l or resid’l cleaning service. We have our own supplies & 6 years of exp. Free estimates. Call 813 943 6054 or email patycleaningservice@hotmail.com. A-to-Z CLEANING & ORGANIZING. Home & Ofc Cleaning & Organizing Svcs! We use our own supplies. Affordable & Reliable. Family-Owned & Operated. WC resident. Weekly & Bi-Weekly / Deep Cleaning/ Move-In / Move-Out. Serving WC & NT. Call today for a FREE No-Obligation Quote: 813-4621270. Local references supplied upon request. CLEAN-IT RESIDENTIAL & COMM’L CLEANING: Following all CDC guidelines, 18 yrs cleaning in NT & WC. Lic’d & Ins’d. Call 813.505.0431 or email cleanitmc@gmail.com.. B CLEANING SERVICES: Over 18 years exp.! Comm’l & Resid’l; Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly; New house & postconstruction clean-up; Window cleaning; Move-in & move-out cleanings; Press. washing; FREE ests.; Refs. avail. Call 813531-0154 or e-mail: bcleanings@hotmail.com D-ULTRA CLEANING SERVICE We have our own supplies & more than 400 clients in New Tampa! For more info, call 813-758-9710 or see our display ad below.

LAWN & LANDSCAPING _

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

POOL SERVICES

ALLSTARPOOLSOFTAMPABAY.COM. Pool cleanups, & acid washing of old pool finishes. Marcite, quartz & pebble finishes from $3K. We offer cool decking, Eurocrete & paver decking options. Paver, river rock sealing, leak detection & inground vinyl liner replacements avail. Quality salt & ozone generators, pumps, motors & filters. Mention this ad for a $79 pool svc. (restrictions apply). Serving NT & WC since 1990. Call/text 813-244-7077 or visit AllStarPoolsofTampaBay.com. TRANQUILITY POOL SERVICE. New Tampa owned & operated. Great Pricing w/outstanding customer service! LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED. See why we are New Tampa and Wesley Chapel’s #1 Choice!! Call or Text Chris today @ 813-857-5400 or visit TranquilityPoolService.com. New customers get ONE MONTH FREE! AQUATEC POOL SERVICE has been keeping pools clear & swim-safe since 1994. WE DO POOLS RIGHT! Commercial & Residential. CPO #33-303052 Licensed & Insured. Service guarantee. Call 813-312-5694 TODAY and get ONE MONTH OF QUALITY SERVICE FREE. www.aquatecpool.com. NEIGHBORHOOD POOLS Wesley Chapel owned & operated since 1999. Weekly service. No long term contracts. Mention this AD for one-month Free service. Call 813-907-7322 for details or text Joe at 813-758-7608.

PHOTOGRAPHY

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

FITNESS & WELL BEING

YOGA, PERSONAL TRAINING, NUTRITION & PHYSICAL THERAPY w/DR. LAUREN LEIVA, DPT! Phys Ed for everyone, including all children, w/a certified personal trainer who also is a degreed Dr. of Physical Therapy. Ask Dr. Leiva about her PE4ME sliding scale pay program! For more info, visit TheExerscienceCenter.com, call 813.464.0313 or see the ad on pg. 19 of this issue.

Break It Down Productions. Customized Private Yoga Sessions w/Susanna Jones. Develop strength & flexibility, while learning how to breathe & relax. I specialize in working w/beginners and those requiring a more gentle approach than most group Yoga classes. I explain everything, and provide variations so that you actually feel good in the stretch instead of strained. Gift certificates available. www.breakitdownproductions.com or Call (813) 802-8393.

Neighborhood News Classified Ads Deliver Results! Our publications are directly mailed to 150,000+ people every 4 weeks! Order yours today at NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net.

TREE SERVICE

FITZPATRICK’s TREE SERVICE. 25-yrs of Prof. Service. Licensed & Insured. Free Estimates. Tree Trimming & Tree Removal. Stump Grinding. Dead-Wood Removal. Affordable Rates. 24-Hour Emergency Storm Service. Free Mulch. Call 813-495-9541 or 813-788-TREE. COMMERCIAL SPACE AVAILABLE_____ 1,850-sq.-ft. Commercial/Medical Space Available to Lease. Address: 24420 SR 54, Lutz (in the Medi-Weightloss Building). For more info, call 813-293-4377 or email: gwillett@mediweightlossclinics.com.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • New Tampa Neighborhood News • Volume 29, Issue 9 • April 27, 2021 • NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net

Neighborhood News

@NTWCNews