25-11 by Neighborhood News

Volume 19 Issue 25

Inside: Check Out Our Holiday Gift & Dining Guide!

December 3, 2011

See pages 32-33!

The Direct-Mail News Magazines Serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Since 1993! THIS INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY NEWS MAGAZINE IS DIRECTLY MAILED TO: NEW TAMPA: Arbor Greene • Cory Lake Isles • Cross Creek • Easton Park • Grand Hampton • Heritage Isles • Hunter’s Green • Hunter’s Key • K-Bar Ranch • Lake Forest • Live Oak Preserve • Pebble Creek • Richmond Place • Tampa Palms • The Hammocks • West Meadows WESLEY CHAPEL: Aberdeen • Belle Chase • Brookside • Chapel Pines • Country Walk • Lexington Oaks • Meadow Pointe • New River • Northwood • Pinewalk • Pine Ridge • Saddlebrook • Saddleridge Estates • Saddlewood • Seven Oaks • The Lakes at Northwood • The Villages of Wesley Chapel • Wesley Pointe • Westbrook Estates • Williamsburg

‘Welcome Home To Grand Hampton,’ Sgt. Joel Tavera & Family! An editorial by Gary Nager Congratulations to U.S. Army Sgt. Joel Tavera and his family, who recently became the recipients of the ninth home given away to wounded veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars by “Building Homes for Heroes” (HFH), a nonprofit organization whose mission is as amazing to me as the stories of the wounded soldiers and their families. I feel fortunate to have been one of more than 1,000 people who gathered on November 19 in a still-beingdeveloped subdivision in the beautiful Grand Hampton community along County Line Rd. to see Sgt. Tavera, his mother Maritza and his father José be led inside their finished 4,200-sq.ft. William Ryan Homes home for the first time. I arrived at Grand Hampton about a half hour before the Taveras did and I saw magnificent new houses in a pristine neighborhood where, for the event, there were American flags

(Left) Homes For Heroes (HFH) mission leader Kelly Hallman (left) and HFH founder Andy Pujol were proud to take U.S. Army Sgt. Joel Tavera and his mother and father on a tour of the family’s new home in Grand Hampton, the ninth HFH home dedicated to a wounded member of the U.S. armed forces since 2004. Chapel Neighborhood News, that some shedding a few tears and I certainly literally every ten feet or so, with not causes make you realize that there is so was no exception. I felt the first tears only outside visitors like me, but also much more we all can do, whether to well up as I waited for Joel and his the residents of the subdivision lining help sick children, battered wives, family to arrive, thinking to myself the streets to give a true American hero a true hero’s welcome. that although I believe I do try to help injured soldiers and so many others. people as much as possible with what I I don’t know how anyone who See “Heroes” on page 41. do with the New Tampa & Wesley attended got through the day without

Lawton Chiles Elementary Celebrates Ten Years In Tampa Palms

NEIGHBORHOOD MAGAZINE!

New Tampa Teen Commits Suicide, New Fire Station Opening Soon In New Tampa, I-75/BBD Overpass Updates & Lots Of Local Business News!

Getting (Very) Pampered At Magnolia Spa, Our Annual Holiday Gift & Dining Guide, A Visit To Acropolis Greek Taverna & So Much More!

See pages 3-30!

See pages 31-56!

See “Chiles” on page 27.

ECRWSS

LOCAL NEWS, BUSINESS, SPORTS & EDUCATION

Postal Customer

Also Inside This Issue!

“You are what makes our school so special,” said Pietsch to the crowd of teachers and community members. “And, such a wonderful place for children to learn.” Other speakers at the ceremony included District 3 Hillsborough School Board member Jack Lamb, as well as HCPS Area 3 director, George Gaffney, who oversees all of the public schools (L. to r.) Former Lawton Chiles Elementary in the New Tampa area. principals Shari Beaubien and Tom Dessey Chiles assistant principal joined current principal Kim Pietsch at the Mary Booth also commended the school’s 10th anniversary event on Nov. 3. school for its consistent achievement. Since opening its doors ten years ago, Chiles has been awarded the distinction of being an “A” school PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID TAMPA FL PERMIT 2801

cipals Tom Dessey and Shari Beaubien retell the story of the school’s beginning years and highlight the people who helped it grow. Other notable speakers included Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) superintendent MaryEllen Elia and current Chiles principal Kim Pietsch, who emphasized the impact the community has had on the school’s success.

Dated Material Please Rush!

Lawton Chiles Elementary in Tampa Palms is finally as old as some of its fourth graders. On November 3, Chiles celebrated “a decade of excellence” with a rededication ceremony to honor the school’s success in the Tampa Palms community for the past 10 years. Parents, teachers and staff members from years past reunited to hear former prin-

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 â&#x20AC;˘ Volume 19, Issue 25 â&#x20AC;˘ December 3, 2011 â&#x20AC;˘ www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

More About What You’re Missing On Our Website & More! I am genuinely excited about the additional attention our website — NTNeighborhoodNews.com — has been attracting since we first started promoting it in this space and since many more of you have been checking it out for all of its exclusive, new information and content. First of all, senior news reporter Sean Bowes has done a great job of breaking several news stories on our website that occurred between the times we went to press with an issue, including filing the first report on an overturned truck near our office on Amberly Dr., breaking the news that the I-75 widening project had begun around the intersection of the interstate and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (see updated story on page 6) and filing some of the first reports on the arrest of a Freedom High student who made a bomb threat and the even more recent apparent suicide of a New Tampa teen (see page 10). Sean continues to work on and file new on-line news reports virtually every day, so it’s always worth a quick glance. I’ve also enjoyed commenting and reporting on some between-issue events myself in “Gary’s Neighborhood Blog,” which has featured everything from an opportunity to challenge me in “Words With Friends” on Facebook to win great prizes to a recap of the recent Wesley Chapel Health & Wellness Festival (see page 38), which was held the day after we went to press with our last Wesley Chapel issue.

New Tampa Neighborhood News 15345 Amberly Dr., Tampa, FL 33647 Phone: (813) 910-2575 Fax: 910-2483 Adv. E-mail: Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com Editorial E-mail: NTNNEdit@yahoo.com

Publisher & Editor Gary Nager Senior News Reporter Sean Bowes Correspondents Camille Gillies • Sheryl Young

Art Director Marketing Director Tony Sica Ashley Knoblach Advertising Customer Service Manager Nikki Bennett Nothing that appears in New Tampa Neighborhood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, without permission. Opinions expressed by New Tampa Neighborhood News writers are their own and do not reflect the publisher’s opinion. The deadline for outside editorial submissions and advertisements for Volume 20, Issue 1, of New Tampa Neighborhood News is Monday, December 19, 2011. New Tampa Neighborhood News will consider previously non-published outside editorial submissions if they are double spaced, typed and less than 500 words. New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit and/or reject all outside editorial submissions and makes no guarantees regarding publication dates. New Tampa Neighborhood News will not return unsolicited editorial materials. New Tampa Neighborhood News reserves the right to edit &/or reject any advertising. New Tampa Neighborhood News is not responsible for errors in advertising beyond the actual cost of the advertising space itself, not for the validity of any claims made by its advertisers. © 2011 JM2 Communications, Inc.

An editorial by Gary Nager In other words,, if you wanted to know how the Festival turned out, you would have had to wait until 2-4 (depending upon which of our issues you receive in your mailbox) weeks before you would have seen anything on it in print if you didn’t visit our website and see the much larger gallery of pictures we are able to include online than we ever are in a printed issue of the publication, where space is at such a premium. As you may realize, there are no limits as to how much “space” a story can take up in cyberspace. And, thanks to marketing and website director Ashley Knoblach, we have even included several web-only contests, where you can win great free dining and spa/salon prizes, but only if you visit our website! Since we’re on the subject of winning, this issue was supposed to be where we named our winning restaurants and our readers who won prizes in our annual Dining Survey & Contest. But, due to an unexpected surge in entries the last week of the contest (it ended Thanksgiving weekend), we will first post those winners on-line, rather than do so in this very-packed issue. But, by around the time you receive this issue, we should be able to post all of the winning restaurants AND all of the readers selected at random from among all of the correctly-filledout entries we received (more than 300!) at NTNeighborhoodNews.com. Of course, those Dining Survey & Contest results also will appear in our December 17 Wesley Chapel issue and our January 3, 2012, New Tampa edition. Any readers named as prize winners can expect their prizes mailed to

them by around the time the January 3 issue hits mailboxes in zip code 33647. You also can still expect to see a big expansion of our dining coverage on-line, as I will begin featuring many of my favorite restaurants located outside of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel on the website, with the intent of creating a unique Tampa Bay area dining and entertainment guide. Look for it — and more opportunities to win great dining prizes — in early 2012! In this issue, you’ll also find our Holiday Gift & Dining Guide (pages 32-33), which will not only run again in our december 17 Wesley Chapel edi-

tion, but will also appear on our website right up until Saturday, December 24. Of course, the Guide includes only those wonderful business who advertise with us and sent us information for it, but we can still add businesses to our on-line edition for a flat fee of $25. Call Nikki at 910-2575 to get your business included today! Nikki also has been working on a guide to things to do for New Year’s Eve in our area, but at our press time, most of our restaurants and bars had not yet set their plans for brining in the new year. But, you can look for an on-line guide on our website!

Table of Contents LOCAL NEWS, BUSINESS, EDUCATION & SPORTS UPDATES....................Pages 1-32 Big Changes In Store For The I-75 Overpass Bridge.............6 New Fire Station To Open In February...................................8 New Tampa & Wesley Chapel News Briefs ..............10-11 Local Teen’s Death An Apparent Suicide Wesley Chapel Man Connected To Strange Death New Tampa Community Calendar.................12-13

Local Business Updates............................14-23 New Tampa Chamber Newsletter.......................14 A Spotless Home For The Holidays By Babysoft......16 Stylish Cuts By New Identities.................................18 CPR Can Repair Cell Phones & More!....................20 New Tampa Business Briefs.....................................24

Local Education Updates.........................26-27 PHCC Porter Campus Coming Along Nicely............26 Chiles Elementary Turns 10 (cont. from page 1)........27

Neighborhood Magazine

Getting Pampered At Magnolia Spa....................33, 50 Getting Boot Camp Fit At Euro Pilates....................34 Funny Divas Rock The Back 9 Café!........................36 Wesley Chapel Health & Wellness. Festival Recap....38 Congratulations, Dr. Rachel Haviland!.....................39 Recapping The Fisher House Golf Classic!...............40 Homes For Heroes (cont. from pg.1)......................41 Some Things Never Change At Acropolis Taverna...44 ‘Neighborhood Nibbles’..........................................46

NEW TAMPA COLOR CLASSIFIEDS..............54

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

I-75 Widening Will Include Changes To Bridges Over BBD By Sean Bowes Over the next several months, residents will see even more temporary traffic shifts on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., in addition to new work on the entrance and exit ramps for I-75, as part of the widening of the interstate between Fowler Ave. and S.R. 54 in Pasco County. Also, new traffic signals, drainage construction and utility work will also be taking place between Commerce Palms Dr. and Dona Michelle Dr., which could mean temporary lane closures (at night) near the interstate. During the improvements in the area of the I-75 overpass, drivers will notice a new temporary on ramp onto I-75 southbound from BBD, as well as a traffic shift on the current northbound I-75 exit ramp. New bike lanes and pedestrian walkways are being constructed on the east side of BBD under I-75. After the pedestrian lanes are completed, which should be sometime in the third week of December, drivers will see a shift in traffic to temporary pavement on the south side of BBD for construction work in the median. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is handling all of the construction for the BBD widening project between Commerce Palms Dr. in Tampa Palms and Dona Michelle Dr. The widening of that section is included in FDOT’s $95 million budget to widen I-75 from four to six and/or eight lanes from Fowler Ave. in Tampa to north of S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel. The project also includes a new I-75 overpass bridge over BBD. The widening of this 11.4-mile stretch of the interstate should be completed by the spring of 2016. The demolition of the current

overpass bridge from BBD southbound onto I-75 southbound also is a part of the BBD widening project. The reconstruction of the northbound and southbound I-75 bridges over BBD will mean some big changes for drivers traveling over BBD. The new bridge will be about 8 ft. higher than the current overpass, with a 6-ft. and 8-ft. shoulder in each direction. According to FDOT public information officer John McShaffery,, the new bridge will be higher than the current overpass in order to allow for the possi- In this screen shot from a video on the Florida Department of Transportation’s website, you can see the separate north- and soutbound bridges over Bruce B. Downs Blvd., as bility of light-rail transwell as the bridge from BBD southbound onto I-75 southbound. portation service along BBD in the future. weather conditions. Once the south I-75 bridge is McShaffery says, “In In order to keep traffic flowing complete, southbound traffic will be order to facilitate the on I-75 with the new Acrow bridge, shifted onto the Acrow Bridge and southbound I-75 traffic will be shiftthe existing northbound bridge will replacement (of the current overed onto the existing northbound be used for northbound I-75 traffic. pass), a temporary steel bridge, manlanes and northbound traffic will use Once both the new north- and ufactured by the Acrow company, the Acrow bridge. The southbound southbound I-75 bridges over BBD will be constructed.” I-75 lanes over BBD will be the first are completed, the Acrow bridge will The two-lane Acrow bridge will to be demolished. be removed. be erected on the east side of the existing northbound I-75 lanes. Delivery of the Acrow bridge components is expected in January 2012 and it should take approximately 30 days to assemble. The contractors for the project (Prince Contracting Company) are planning on shifting the interstate traffic onto the new Acrow bridge in the spring of 2012. The temporary bridge is expected to be in place for a little less than two years, with both widened sections of I-75 opening in early 2014, although McShaffery stresses that the dates are approximate and can be affected by any number of changes in

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

New Fire Station No. 22 Coming Soon To Cross Creek Blvd. By Sean Bowes The construction of New Tampa’s newest home for local fire fighters is currently under way and if all goes according to plan, Tampa Fire Rescue (TFR) Station No. 22 will roll out its top-of-the-line Advanced Life Support (ALS) truck sometime in mid-February 2012. Residents may have noticed the walls of the new station going up at 10817 Cross Creek Blvd., a previously undeveloped eight-acre plot of land located just east of the BP gas station on Cross Creek Blvd., less than a mile west of Morris Bridge Rd., which began construction on March 20 of this year. Pillar Construction Group was contracted to build the firehouse on Cross Creek Blvd. for about $2 million, which includes labor, materials and equipment. The project was originally scheduled to take 240 days to complete, however, it looks as if the completion is behind schedule by about two months at our press time. According to Nick Locicero, Tampa Fire Rescue (TFR) assistant chief of administration and rescue, the new firehouse was built to improve response times for stations No. 21, located almost 3 miles west on Cross Creek Blvd, and Station No. 20, on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Tampa Palms, which is 7.3 miles away. “Station 22 is going to shorten response times for calls in New Tampa,” says Locicero. “You have an entire area (the eastern side of Cross Creek Blvd. and north of that area on Morris Bridge Rd.) closer to the county line that it takes too long for us to get to.” The new station will, at first, have only one ALS truck with a 12-person team of fire fighters and paramedics serving the station’s surrounding areas, which include Arbor Greene, Cory Lake Isles, Heritage Isles and KBar Ranch/Easton Park. The team

(L. to r.) Driver/engineer Danny Herrerd was joined by firefighters Jacqueline Bennett, Erick Cribbs and Brian Sawyer during a recent visit to the under-construction Station No. 22 on Cross Creek Blvd. will work in three shifts around-theout wasting energy. Also, the landclock, with at least four members scaping in the area will feature native ready to jump in the truck at any Florida plants. time. There is room for another truck Most of the funding for Station and more firefighters at the station, No. 22 comes from a $1.6-million too, Locicero says, but TFR will have grant from U.S. President Barrack to see how the budgeting looks in the Obama’s American Recovery & Reinfuture. The new station currently vestment Act in 2009.The City of houses three bays for emergency vehiTampa purchased the lot two years cles and equipment. before Tampa won the recovery grant for the for the under-construction staGenerally, response times have tion in 2007 for $750,000. been good for the current station The last fire station that was built (No. 21) on Cross Creek Blvd. in the New Tampa area was station According to published reports, the station typically arrives on scene within No. 21 in 2001 on a 3-acre plot of land donated by Markborough Florisix minutes of receiving a call. If there are two calls taking place at the same time, however, the response nears 15 minutes. TFR Capt. Lonnie Benniefield said that he will be relieved when the new station opens and is able to better serve the northeast section of New Tampa and is able to assist the two other fire houses in the area. The 8,660-sq.-ft. facility was built as “green as can be,” says Locicero. Contractors were encouraged to use earth-friendly environmental building materials to construct the energy-efficient station. A metal roof, central chiller air-conditioning system and no carpet in the entire building are all efforts to keep the station cool with-

da, the developers at Hunter’s Green. On November 23, Danny Herrerd, a driver/engineer for Station 21, took a walk around the under-construction firehouse with some New Tampa firefighters and said he was impressed with how the new firehouse is coming along. “It looks similar to our station on the outside and it’s about the same size,” Herrerd said. “But, you can tell the layout will be different on the inside. I’m looking forward to seeing it when it’s finished.” The City of Tampa also owns 2.2 acres of property on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. near County Line Rd., which will eventually be home to TFR Station 23, New Tampa’s next fire station, to serve communities and businesses in New Tampa which border Wesley Chapel, such as Grand Hampton, The Hammocks and Live Oak Preserve. However, there is not yet any money budgeted for the construction of that firehouse. There will likely be a ribbon cutting, which the community is invited to attend, at TFR Station No. 22 on Cross Creek Blvd. in mid-February, when the construction is expected to be completed, says Locicero.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

N EW T AMPA Missing New Tampa Teen's Death Ruled A Suicide The death of New Tampa resident Noah Kushner, 16, has been ruled a suicide by the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office, after he was found lifeless on Nov. 15, near the UniNoah Kushner versity of South Florida (USF), just one day after he was reported missing by his parents, Beatrice and Bruce Kushner. According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO), Noah Kushner was found between a basketball court and a vacant apartment complex formerly known as Fontana Hall, at 13605 E. Fletcher Ave., at 7 a.m. on November 15. Sometime after his parents filed a missing person report, Kushner went to the 13-floor empty apartment building, which is currently closed for renovations, and tragically ended his life, said a HCSO report. According to HCSO public information officer Larry McKinnon, the construction site for the apartment building is fenced off; however it could easily be scaled over.

News Briefs Once Kushner entered the property, he walked up the steps of the emergency staircase on the northeast side of the building before leaping to his death; it is unknown from which floor he jumped. Kushner was last seen alive riding his silver-and-blue Gary Fisher road bike on the 18000 block of Cozumel Dr. near his parents’ home on Martinque Isle Dr. in Cory Lake Isles. Noah was a junior at C. Leon King High, where he attended the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. His peers described him as a funny, bright and sociable student who you could easily point out in a crowd with his wild curly hair, thick glasses and a toolbox in his hand that he carried with him daily. On the day of his death, Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) sent out the Crisis Intervention Team, a group of specially trained psychologists, social workers and health nurses, to King to help students cope with the loss. Team members provide short-term assistance to schools when school administrators request it. The team is dispatched to public schools for crises, which may include events such as the death of a student or staff member, natural disasters and other traumatic events

that impact the school community. Many students at King also have been sharing their grief over Noah’s pasing through social networking sites like Tumblr and Facebook, says HCPS spokesperson Linda Cobbe. “Noah Kushner was King’s sunshine,” one student wrote on her blog. “He was the kind of kid that wore capes to celebrate holidays no one even knew existed. He was the kid that held the door open for everyone in the hallway because he didn’t want to close it on someone. Noah was a quirky, sweet, smart boy no one really understood, but everyone laughed along with.” More than one student mentioned that Kushner suffered from seizures as well as depression.

2nd Body Found On Fletcher Kushner’s body was found just eight hours after a clerk at the BP gas station at 2230 E. Fletcher Ave. found the body of Huayvez Gomez-Mejia, 25, of Tampa, who was reportedly robbed for $8 and a cell phone. According to HCSO, Brandon Dewayne Jones, 27, confronted Gomez-Mejia at the gas station and punched him in the side of the head with his fist before robbing him. The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office performed an autopsy and ruled Gomez-Mejia’s death was due to blunt force trauma to the head.

Jones was arrested around 10:30 p.m. on November 15, at 13618 N 22nd St., which he has listed as his home. He is being held at the Hillsborough County Jail, without bail, on first degree murder and robbery charges.

Wesley Chapel Man Arrested After Bizarre Death At our press time, Tampa Police Department (TPD) detectives were still trying to unravel the details of what has been called the “suspicious death” of Henry Hilliard Shell, III, 79, a Tampa-based insurance company owner and real estate developer. On November 15, Kirby Mack, a convicted drug dealer, borrowed a 2006 gold Grand Marquis from James Monroe Sheets II, 35, of Henry Hilliard 4433 Chase Dr. in Shell, III Wesley Chapel. Police say this same 2006 Marquis was registered to Shell, who was reported missing a day earlier by his co-workers, who were worried when their boss didn’t show up for work that Monday morning at Shell Henry Realty & Insurance in downtown Tampa. Mack told police he drove the car south until he smelled a “a foul odor coming from the trunk of the vehicle.”

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Mack stopped the car, popped the trunk and found a body inside. He then called 911 and drove to the District 3 TPD James Sheets office at 3808 N. 22nd St. The human remains were then taken to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office, where it was confirmed, through dental records, that the person inside the trunk was indeed Shell. Shell was last seen alive on November 12 at 6 p.m. at his insurance office. He was with Sheets at that time, according to a TPD report. Shell, a widower since 2002, reportedly kept to himself. His wife, Joann Hixon Shell, was the daughter of former Tampa mayor, Curtis Hixon, who has a downtown Tampa city park named after him.. “(Shell) would often reach out and hire homeless people,” TPD spokesperson Janelle McGregor says. Detectives are still working to determine the relationship between the victim and Sheets, a TPD report said. They believe the pair traveled in the victim’s car that night sometime between 6:20 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. to the Wesley Chapel area. Detectives identified Sheets as a

suspect in Shell’s death on the same day Mack drove the car to the police station. Sheets was then arrested at the Shaw Motel at 1509 E. Hillsborough Ave. At our press time, he was still in the Hillsborough County Jail, without bond, on a charge of grand theft auto, possession of a controlled substance (Xanax) without a prescription and possession of drug paraphernalia. Sheets was previously released from Florida State Prison on May 13 after serving 14 months for battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest with violence. The Medical Examiner’s Office has yet to determine the cause of death for Shell; however, the findings from a recent toxicology report may shed some light on the case, which has been called “suspicious” in the upcoming weeks. One recent report said that Shell’s body had been in the trunk for several days. Public records show that Sheets has previously been arrested for crimes in Hillsborough County, some of which have been violent offenses, 19 times since 1997. Mack’s record is no better, with at least 20 arrests, mostly for cocaine possession, since 1996. Police have named Mack a witness in the death and Sheets as suspect. Any person who saw the victim, his vehicle or the suspect is asked to call TPD at 231-6130.— Sean Bowes

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

N EW T AMPA

Community Calendar

Ladies ‘Foodie’ Club Of New Tampa/Wesley Chapel

A new club for women in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas who enjoy socializing, trying out new restaurants and cooking ideas, sharing recipes and other food-related activities is now forming. For more information, send an email to Eileen.jones@yahoo.com.

MOMS Club Of New Tampa The MOMS (Moms Offering Moms Support) club of New Tampa, which offers a variety of activities for stay-at-home mothers, is looking for new members. The club boundaries include all of the New Tampa area, except for Tampa Palms, Grand Hampton and Live Oak Preserve. For info, call 991-0406 or visit MomsClubNewTampa.webs.com.

Breakfast With Santa

Saturday, December 3, 9:0011:30 a.m. - St. Mark’s Youth Ministry’s “Elves” are busy making plans for their annual breakfast with Saint Nick. Santa will be there to listen to your Christmas wishes, the Knights of Columbus will be preparing pancakes and sausages for guests and Mrs. Claus will be rocking away in her favorite

chair, while she reads Christmas stories to all the boys and girls!.The Columbiettes will hold a Secret Santa Shop to allow children to shop for their family and friends secretly so that all their gifts will be a surprise. It will be a morning of joy and laughter for all, no matter what your age! St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church is located at 9724 Cross Creek Blvd. For more information, call 907-7746.

American Cancer Society Seeks New Tampa Volunteers Tuesday, December 6, 6:30 p.m. — The American Cancer Society is seeking volunteers and teams for the New Tampa Relay For Life. The Kick-Off Party for the event will be held at Hunter’s Green Country Club . The goal is to engage volunteers in recruiting and assembling teams, seeking community support, coordinating logistics, securing donated refreshments and prizes, planning entertainment and lending their support in any way. Call Bill Holster at 994-1512.

Griefshare Recovery Support Group

Tuesday December 6, 6:30 p.m.8:30 p.m. This group meets every

‘Casino Night’ A Big Finale For Little Jan’s Campaign! Tuesday, December 6, 6 p.m.- 10 p.m., at Pebble Creek Country Club (10550 Regents Park Dr., across BBD from WalMart) — Come join Little Jan Roberts as she celebrates the end of a fabulous Honorary Mayor of Wesley Chapel campaign with a Casino Night that promises fun for everyone, including: • $300 in “funny money” to play six different casino games, plus six Vegas-style slot machines. • Food prepared by Dash of Salt & Pepper, Roadhouse Grill and Sweet Melissa’s cupcakes!

• DJ entertainment from World Class MultiMedia, for those who want to dance the night away. • Raffle prizes included in the admission price. • A fantastic array of gifts that will be sold via live and silent auctions. Tickets are $30 each or $50 for a couple (discounts are available for business groups of 10 or more) and can be purchased by contacting Jan Roberts at jan.roberts@bbbsfl.org or Elisabeth Butterfield at merchantsrvcs @aol.com or Loran Tripp at Lorant@iernaair.com.

Tuesday for those grieving the death of someone close. Meet others who understand the pain of loss. The program is conducted at Lake Magdalene United Methodist Church, 2902 W. Fletcher Ave., Room 307. For more info, call 963-1254, or Email A.King4104@verizon.net.

New Tampa Noon Rotary

Business Networking Int'l

Wednesday, December 7, 7:30 a.m.- BNI, a group of business professionals dedicated to helping their respective businesses grow through qualified referrals, meets every Wednesday morning at the Cory Lake Isles Country Club clubhouse (18630 Plantation Bay Dr.). For more information, call Jal Irani at 451-8229.

Wednesday, December 7, noon The New Tampa Noon Rotary Club meets every Wednesday for lunch at Hunter’s Green Country Club (18101 Longwater Run Dr., inside the gates of the Hunter’s Green subdivision).

New Tampa Evening Rotary Club Wednesday, December 7, 6:15 p.m. - The New Tampa Evening Rotary Club meets every Thursday evening at Hunter’s Green Country Club, inside Hunter’s Green subdivision. New members are welcome and please note that the club’s meetings are now on Wednesdays. Call Liz DeAmbrose at 956-

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

6487 or email: homenet@gte.net.

Tampa Toastmasters Wednesday, December 7, 7 p.m. - Great speeches & great topics. Come hone your public speaking skills. Tampa Toastmasters meets every Wednesday evening at Pebble Creek Golf Club, located at 10550 Regents Park Dr., off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. New guests are always welcome. For more info, call 428-6356.

NE Tampa Women In Business – Holiday Dinner Thursday, December 8, 6 p.m.8:30 p.m. Please join the North East Tampa Women in Business for their holiday dinner at Hunter’s Green Country Club (18101 Longwater Run Dr.)! Guests are welcome for this special event and there will be no featured speaker this month. Instead, each member and guest is asked to bring a $10 gift card to their favorite store, restaurant, or business for a gift card exchange. Attendees will enjoy an elegant full-course dinner and professional networking. The cost to attend is $25 for members and $28 for guests. RSVP at Netwib.org or call 364-2174.

CBC Networking Thursday, December 8, 8 p.m. -

Come together with like-minded professionals at the Christian Business Connections (CBC) Networking group. The CBC Networking group meets every Thursday at Heritage Church at 1854 Oak Grove Blvd. in Lutz (off S.R. 54, behind Organic Life Coffeehouse). Call 300-7511 for more info.

Nutcracker Performance Friday-Sunday, December 16-18 - Dance Theatre of Tampa Celebrates its 12th annual community holiday production of “The Nutcracker” at the USF College of the Arts, Theatre I. Showtimes are: December 16, 7 p.m., December 17, 2 & 7 p.m., and December 18, 2 p.m. Tickets are available online for $18-$25 at TickeMaster.com or by calling 745-3000. New guests are always welcome. For more info, call 428-6356.

“Toys For Tots” will also be collected. For info, call Bob at 273-8521.

‘A Night in Bethlehem’ Christmas Event Saturday, December 17, 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m. Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church is proud to host its annual free Christmas event, “A Night in Bethlehem. The public is invited to come on a journey through a re-creation of first century Bethlehem to discover the secret of Christmas. Tours will depart every 10 minutes. Free refreshments and an ornament workshop will also be offered. The church is located at 19911 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

For more info, call 973-2484.

Holocaust Speaker Tuesday, January 10 - Betty Grebenschikoff, a nationally recognized speaker, will discuss her family experiences related to the Holocaust at Temple Ohev Shalom, 6460 Tampa Palms Blvd.. Her book, Once My Name Was Sarah, will be available for purchase. This event is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted and all proceeds will go the the Tampa Bay Holocaust Museum in downtown St. Petersburg in Mrs. Grebenschikoff's name. For full details, call 632-9900.

Seven Oaks Community Food & Toy Drive Saturday, December 17, 9 a.m. 3 p.m. - Metropolitan Ministries is working to collect more than 750,000 pounds of food at the Seven Oaks Clubhouse at 2910 Sportscore Cir. in Wesley Chapel to help needy families in the area over the holidays. Specific items needed are cereal, dessert mixes, yams and cranberry sauce. New toys for

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

New Tampa Chamber of Commerce, Inc.

2011-12 NTCC Board of Directors President-Rachel Haviland

Board Members:

15310 Amberly Dr., Suite 250 Tampa, FL 33647 Information: (813) 293-2464 Fax: (813) 388-4408

Website: NewTampaChamber.Org

Officers

Non-Officers

VP-Connie Bladon Treasurer-Lesley Zajac Secretary-Chuck Ward

Regina Ramalheira Said Iravani Earl Meyer Lee Hoffman Joyce Gunter

Celebrate The Holidays With The New Tampa Chamber Of Commerce! All-Chamber Holiday Mixer At Splitsville Dec. 6!

Join the New Tampa Chamber of Commerce as it again takes part in the annual All Chamber Holiday Mixer with other area Chambers and community organizations on Tuesday, December 6, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Complimentary drink and hors d'oeuvres will be served at Splitsville Bowling Lanes in the Channelside District, while you network with members of various local groups. This is a huge Holiday Party not to be missed and is a FREE event for New Tampa Chamber members! The cost for non-members to attend is $15. RSVPs are required by Friday, December 2, but submit your info to NewTampaChamber.org to see if RSVPs will still be accepted by Monday, December 5.

Holiday Networking Lunch At Stonewood Dec. 12!

Join the New Tampa Chamber for an awesome Holiday Networking Luncheon at Stonewood Grill on Monday, December 12, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Join us for a Holiday feast whilst networking with your fellow Chamber members and guests. Please RSVP at NewTampaChamber.org. The cost to

pre-register is $15 or $20 after Friday, December 2. Please also note that there will be no Networking Connections Happy Hour event at Stonewood in Dec ember.

Member Spotlight: Gunter & Gunter Insurance

Joyce and Gary Gunter enjoy working together. They enjoy being together so much that they decided last year to combine Gary’s 15 years of insurance experience with Joyce’s 25 years of small community banking experience and purchased several insurance agencies. Joyce really knows customer service — a key benefit that a small community bank can offer. Gary knows insurance — he started out as a consumer advocate with the Florida Insurance Commissioner’s office in Tallahassee. Together, they believe they are the right team to do an important job — protect what is important to you and your family. Joyce and Gary also believe that they have the best staff in the state of Florida. Every single staff member in the Allstate offices they purchased stayed, and each of them has extensive insurance experience. Together, Joyce, Gary and their team of professionals

have more than 70 years of combined experience in the insurance business. Gary cites the key reasons to do business with Gunter & Gunter: The size and strength of the largest public personal lines insurance company they represent; the best personal service available at two (L. to r.) New Tampa Chamber pres. Rachel Haviland, convenient locations; homeowners insurance from “A”- Gary & Joyce Gunter & Board member Said Iravani. day mornings for breakfast at Tampa rated companies; comprehensive busiPalms Golf & Country Club and which ness insurance; auto insurance; and supports 34 local charities and schools. other important coverages such as renters, motorcycle, and boat insurance. Joyce is currently a member of the Rotary Club of New Tampa Board of The Gunters also have agreed to Directors as the Chair of Public Relaoffer a special benefit program to New tions. She was also just elected to the Tampa Chamber of Commerce members, which is available on the Chamber Board of the New Tampa Chamber of Commerce for the first time. website (click on the banner ad at the At the 2011 Annual Chamber top of the homepage at NewTampa Business Expo, the Chamber recently Chamber.org). honored Gary and Joyce with their top Joyce and Gary are both also business award, the Frank Margarella proud to be Rotarians. Rotary is the largest service organization in the world Award, for their outstanding and longstanding service to the New Tampa — you may know it from its efforts to Chamber of Commerce and to the wipe out polio worldwide. They sinNew Tampa community. cerely believe in the Rotary motto, Visit Gunter & Gunter Insur“Service Above Self.” Gary is the immediate Past President of the Rotary ance online at InsureThePeople.com, or call toll-free at (888) 749-4547. Club of New Tampa, which meets Fri-

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

WELCOME TO FAMILY & COSMETIC DENTISTRY

Dr. Neeraja Jasthi • Cleanings (Ages 4 and up) • Crowns, Bridges and Implant Crowns • Veneers • Zoom & Take Home Whitening • Root Canals & Extractions

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Dr. Neeraja Jasthi, DMD

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Get Styled By The Best At New Identities Hair Studios! Sheryl Young New Identities hair Studios founder Kelly Rockquemore started her 20-year career as a hair salon owner in a tiny space on Fowler Ave. in Tampa. But Kelly says she always wanted, one day, for her beauty business to stand out from the thousands of salons in the Tampa Bay area. Today, there are New Identities Hair Studios: the original location in the Shoppes at Amberly in Tampa Palms and the other on Big Bend Rd. in the Apollo Beach/Riverview area now becoming known as South Shore. Both are full-service salons with a total of 40 employees providing all types of hair styling, color and highlighting treatments, bridal party hair and makeup, waxing services, friendly front desk operations and much more. And, the enterprise definitely does stand out, both in the accolades the salons have received and the work they do in the community. Together, the two New Identities shops are the Official Styling Salons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders, have been named in Salon Today magazine’s “Top 200 Salons in the USA” for 2011 and their stylists have been featured on TV shows like The

Learning Channel’s “A Wedding Story.” But, that’s just the tip of the New Identities iceberg. Although Kelly retired her styling chair to care for her now-eight-year-old son, Dax, and practices at being a gourmet chef, she still plays an important role in guiding husband Marc Rockquemore, who is the CEO and business manager for the two salons. Rockquemore, a former financial consultant, says he never dreamed of spending his days in a beauty salon, but now loves it and has been involved in the business since 2000. “If you had told me this years ago, I wouldn’t have believed it,” he says. “But where we’ve taken the studios, and how we’ve become involved in giving back to the New Tampa and Riverview communities has left me feeling both humbled and blessed.” The original salon is well-known in the New Tampa area for being customer care conscious, employee-friendly and community-driven. In 2005, the Tampa Bay Business Journal named New Identities as the Small Business of the Year. They also have been named among Redken Hair Products’ “Top 20 Salons in Florida.” There is a specific method, Rockquemore explains, that’s gotten New

When you visit the original New Identities Hair Studio in the Shoppes of Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms, among those you’ll meet are stylist Lauren Welch, store manager Amy Finch and receptionist Jessica White. Identities to its current level of recognition. “We like to take stylists fresh out of school,” he says. “We train them through a series of levels, where they develop their techniques, build their own client base and become part of our family. Every new employee is made aware that we love participating in charity events, donating our profits and time back to those causes. It’s very much a heart thing.” Store manager Amy Finch, who splits her time between the two locations to keep things running smoothly, says both salons offer customers some

unique perks. “We have a referral program,” she says. “A new customer can get $20 off their first appointment. And, if a client refers a friend, we give the client a $15 coupon to apply to services or products. Plus, if you prebook three appointments, you can have a running 10-percent discount.” Finch also described some of New Identities’ charity work, including a recent event for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. “It was an after-hours event, during which we donated hair, make-up and waxing services and asked the cus-

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

The cheerleaders also get a few free appointments at the salons.

Unique Employee Training & Promotion Opportunities

New Identities CEO and business manager Marc Rockquemore tomers to make minimum donations to the Komen Foundation.” The two studios have also done events for Locks of Love, Metropolitan Ministries, many children’s charities and The Spring of Tampa Bay. Rockquemore says his family has been touched by breast cancer, and he also has strong convictions to spread knowledge about domestic abuse. He feels that by embracing the Tampa Bay community, the community has embraced the salons back. Finch also described how being the official salon of the Bucs Cheerleaders works: Four stylists attend each game, about two hours before kickoff, to style the girls’ hair. These duties are shared between the stylists from both salons, who get to stay at the games for free.

We went to the Amberly Dr. location, where Amy, along with stylist Katie Abbott (who’s been with New Identities for four years), explained the training program the Rockquemores have established. “The stylists become associates at ‘Level 1’ then graduate to various levels as they gain experience in their techniques and establish a client base,” Amy says. “Each Level 1 associate is placed with a more experienced stylist.” Katie started right after cosmetology school and says she has loved being at New Identities. “I was paired with another stylist and we worked alongside each other until I was ready to work alone,” Katie says. “The ongoing training is exciting. We have classes in color and cutting every year with national and international Redken artists. All of the stylists from both salons get together to take the classes.” And, Rockquemore assures there is no glass ceiling for employees at New Identities. “The training program includes incentive levels, not one-for-all flat pay,” he says. “Our stylists can be on a 12-year path to become educators for the salons, and shareholders in the

company, like Cindy Walters.” Walters, a New Identities stylist, has appeared on FOX-TV’s “Ambush Makeover” and is a resident Guest Artist at several hair training schools including Paul Mitchell The School.

High Employee Satisfaction = Happy Customers Customer Joan Moore says she has been using her stylist, Cori Norton, for three to four years. “I come in two or three times a week, just for blowouts,” Moore says. “Cori gives my hair control and volume. I’ve been a regular here for quite some time, have utilized several New Identities stylists and landed with Cori.” Cori started as a receptionist, as have many New Identities stylists. She’s getting ready for promotion to Level 3. “I went through the associate program and have been a stylist here for five years,” Cori says. “I love it. We’re really a team, with good camaraderie. And, Marc and Kelly are great owners, whose system allows room to grow.” Current receptionist Jessica White recently graduated cosmetology school. “I’ll begin associate training here soon,” she says. We also spoke with “the two Heathers” – stylist Heather Linero and her customer, Heather Borum. Linero has been at New Identities for 6-1/2 years. Borum found her two years ago

Stylist Cori Norton is customer Joan Moore’s favorite at New Identities. while looking for a great hair straightening treatment. “But now I come even just whenever I need a cut,” she says. Rockquemore is careful to point out that while some customers choose one stylist, he has many customers who use several different New Identities hairdressers on a regular basis. “This prevents negative energy between the workers, and promotes a family, synergetic feeling.” The original New Identities Hair Studio is located at 15307 Amberly Dr., in the Shoppes of Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms (same plaza as Lifestyle Fitness). For appointments and more info, call 979-0760. For the South Shore location, call 741.1177. Or, visit NewIdentitiesSalon.com.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

CPR Cell Phone Repair Can Fix Your Broken Electronics! By Gary Nager Considering a statistic I have heard quoted recently (in ads for a local cable TV company) that the average U.S. family now has at least four internetconnected devices (and still growing), you would think a business like the new CPR Cell Phone Repair in the same plaza as Verizon Wireless just off Bruce B. Downs Blvd. near I-75 would be an instant hit. Local CPR franchise co-owner Brian Kirk, who has a degree in electrical engineering but was looking a for a new career after being laid off (after 12 years) by Ford Motor Credit less than two years ago (when the U.S. economy tanked), thought so, too. So, he and his wife Marinella opened New Tampa’s only CPR location (there are 88 stores across the U.S., including two in Orlando and one coming soon to Brandon) in July of this year and the business is starting to attract some attention. “Our location is a natural,” Brian says. “We get a lot of Verizon customers whose phones are either out of warranty or the owners don’t have insurance or even if they do, the deductible on their insurance policy is so high, they will come to us to see if they can’t get a better deal.” Although the Verizon store does employ repair technicians, Kirk says that most of the time, he and his team of electronics “techies” can usually repair most any problem with not only cell phones, but also all of the top video game systems, laptop and other computers and even broken cameras. “We had one lady whose cell phone fell into a lake, but we brought it back to life for her,” says Kirk. “We were able to get it working again a week later, too, after she dropped the same phone in a swimming pool.” Kirk notes that whether your smartphone is an iPhone, LG, Blackberry or any other make or model, whether it has 3G or even 4GS speed or your service is with Verizon, Sprint

(Above) Even if your cell phone looks like this, CPR Cell Phone Repair, located next to the new Tijuana Flats, in the same plaza as Verizon Wireless, can make it look and work like new. The store also sells a variety of top name-brand phones (right), including HTC, Blackberry and more. or another carrier, “It doesn’t matter to us. We usually can fix it in short order.”

Buy, Sell Or Trade, Too!

Kirk notes that customers also appreciate the fact that if his technicians can’t fix a problem with your phone, CPR also is able to buy, sell and trade top makes and models, with phones on sale at the store from as little as $70 to top-of-the-line options costing as much as $250. Video game system repairs also are a big part of CPR’s business. “Game systems like Nintendo, Xbox and Sony PS3 collect a lot of dust, which is what causes the most problems with them,” he says. “We have made quite a few kids happy to be able to walk out with a working system again, usually while you wait!” CPR can even repair iPods, iPads (and other tablet-style computers), as well as digital and film cameras, laptop and desktop computers. “We don’t see too many tablets yet, but because most of the tablet screens are secured with glue, it’s really important that you don’t try to fix those yourself. They’re really easy to break.” “We offer a six-month warranty on all repairs,” he says. “And right now, we’re offering 10-percent-off all repairs, as well as 10-percent-off all phones and accessories we have for sale, if you mention the Neighborhood News.” Kirk also notes that, as part of

CPR’s “green” approach to business, cell phones that can’t be repaired are donated to the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children, which can at least make “dead” phones able to dial 911. CPR Cell Phone Repair is located (Above left) CPR Cell Phone Repair coat 17501 Preserve Walk Ln, Suite owner Brian Kirk and his outstanding #104. For more info, call 972-0585 technicians, like Jaime (above), can repair or visit CPR-Tampa.com. your video game systems, too.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Business Briefs — The Soap Factory & Kirkland’s Now Open! The Handcrafted Soap Factory is located at 17024 Palm Pointe Dr., in the plaza behind Olive Garden and Red Lobster in Tampa Palms. For more information, call 971-1511 or visit ShopSoapFactory.com.

By Gary Nager It’s amazing how many new businesses keep opening in our area, considering the state of the local and national economies, but the Business Beat goes on in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel, and we’re still pumping up the volume on the new and revived businesses in our distribution areas.

The Soap Factory Opens Next To Coffee Beanery If you’re like me, you probably never thought of soap making as a possible hobby. But, after visiting the new Handcrafted Soap Factory, located in The Shoppes at The Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms, I have to admit that I’m intrigued. Owners Dina and Michael Good are long-time Tampa Palms residents who decided to open this unique business, which specializes in offering custom-designed soap-making parties for children and adults, as well as selling “slices” and “loaves” of soap. “Our soap is 100-percent natural, hypo-allergenic, detergent-free and is all handmade on-site here,” Dina says. “It’s wonderful soap with great fra-

Kirkland’s Now Open In Northwood Plaza At the Soap Factory in Tampa Palms, you can buy soap by the “loaf” or the “slice” or have a fun soap-making party. grances and making your own soap is a lot of fun.” The all-natural soaps at the Soap Factory are made from glycerin, goats milk, olive oil, hemp seed, shea butter or cocoa butter as a base. You can step up to the “Soap Bar” as an individual or throw an awesome soap-making party for a birthday party, bridal shower, girls night out, parent groups, graduation and holiday parties. If you enjoy working with your hands while keeping them soft and smooth, you will want to visit the Handcrafted Soap Factory, you’re going to become a regular customer because, as Dina says, “It’s Soap Much Fun!”

Local Author Jamie Elizabeth Tingen’s Butterfly Messages! Jamie Elizabeth Tingen, the author of a novel entitled Butterfly Messages, has played lead roles in little theater and won the Fine Arts Award in Drama from the Florida Federation of Women’s Clubs for a skit she wrote, which was produced and directed for the Tampa Lakes Junior Women’s Club. An avid and award winning photographer, Tingen has twice won the Kodak International Newspaper Snapshot award, and her work has been published in a coffee-table book, Reflections Of Tampa Bay. Her working life has been filled

hood and excited to see faces of customers that I haven't seen in years!” The new store’s Grand Opening weekend will be the weekend this issue reaches your mailbox (December 3-4). “We will be having special events that include a raffle, a designer in store from noon-4, as well as other exciting games & specials,” says Bennett, who has been with Kirkland’s for 13 years and is a Corporate Trainer as well as the local store manager. The new Kirkland’s store is located at 1269 Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and is open seven days a week. For more info, call 994-0667 or visit Kirklands.com.

Kirkland’s, which today has more than 300 stores across the U.S. (including one in Carrollwood), has opened in the Super Target-anchored Northwood Plaza just north of County Line Rd. Co-founded in 1966 by the company’s current Chairman Emeritus Carl Kirkland, the first store was (and the company’s headquarters is still) located in Jackson, TN, and the chain of decor & more stores has grown steadily thereafter. Kirkland’s became a publicly traded company in 2002. There was a Kirkland’s at University Mall that Wesley Chapel store manager Carmelle Bennett managed for seven years before it ended up closing four years ago. “We have been trying to find the right location ever since and we believe The new Kirkland’s store in the targetthat we’ve found it,” she says. “We are anchored Northwood Plaza wants to get you so happy to be back in the neighborand your home ready for the holidays.

with professional modeling for television and print media, and a career in real estate sales. Having grown up in Ashland, SC, she now resides in Tampa. Tingen says that while the book is primarily a love story, secrets abound, making the book an emotionally suspenseful read. Visit ButterflyMessages.weebly. com, where you can read an excerpt from the book, contact the author or purchase the book online. It’s avail. in soft cover or ebook Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Dr. Nicole Mitchell Celebrates 1st Year! I wanted to thank local family, implant and cosmetic dentist Dr. Nicole Mitchell, DMD, for inviting me and the entire New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News crew to join her and her crew on Nov. 7 at The Palms Lounge at Peabody’s to celebrate the oneyear anniversary of Dr. Mitchell’s dental office in Highwoods Preserve in New Tampa. The party itself was awesome. The Palms is a spacious, but still cozy, locale for any type of private event, from birthday parties to Jets Club gatherings to comedy nights to dental office anniversary celebrations. And, with Peabody’s owner Bryan Peabody on hand, Dr. Mitchell (3rd from left in photo) and her associates — Kristen, Laura & Michelle — treated about 30 or 40 guests to two different types of Peabody's awesome wings and true NY-style pizza, plus Cuban sandwiches, crudité, fruit and cheese platters and more, including an awesome video of the office’s first-year highlights that was shared with the attendees. Considering that Kristen and Laura used to work with the Neighborhood News’ own Ashley Knoblach and Nikki Bennett at Peabody’s, and the

fact that our office is right next door -oh, and the additional fact Dr. Mitchell and her crew all give the Neighborhood News so much credit for her success in her first year — helped make the celebration a must-attend event for us. Congrats, Doc. And thanks for including all of us in such a great party. The dental office of Dr. Nicole Mitchell, DMD, is located at 18043 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy., in The Walk at Highwoods Preserve plaza, next to Westshore Pizza. For appointments and more information, call 957-5887 or visit NicoleMitchellDMD.com. Peabody’s & The Palms lounge are located at 15333 Amberly Dr. in Tampa Palms. For catering, party and other information, call 972-1725 or visit PeabodysBilliards.com. — GN

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Construction Begins On PHCC’s Porter Campus At Wiregrass By Sean Bowes Construction has started on the new Pasco-Hernando Community College (PHCC) full-service site, to be called the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch. The school is scheduled to open and hold classes by the spring semester of 2014. Since June, workers have been relocating gopher tortoises that lived within the 110,534 square-foot area on which the campus will be built. Currently, contractors have been clearing and grading the land to lay the foundation for the facility as well as laying down the underground utilities. A spokesperson for PHCC says that the new campus will offer the latest hightech trends in higher education with a traditional focus on teaching and learning. And, at least two floors of the main classroom building will be dedicated to health programs. “PHCC is very excited about opening the Porter Campus in Wesley Chapel in January 2014,” says Lucy Miller, PHCC’s executive director of marketing and public relations. “The enthusiasm for the new campus, expressed by the business area and the residents of this growing community, underscores the need for providing higher education and training services in this area of our two-county district.” The campus should be holding classes approximately one year after the opening of Raymond James Financial opens its campus and two years after the Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel has opened its doors to patients. Both the hospital and Raymond James Financial should benefit from the close proximity to the Porter Campus, which will primarily focus on its business and health care programs, in addition to providing many general education classes. “Currently we have articulation agreements with Florida Hospital for health programs and look forward to our continued partnership as we open

Ground has just been broken on the “Porter Campus” of Pasco-Hernando Community College, but it will look like this artist’s rendition by 2014. the Porter Campus,” says Miller. “PHCC is always open to forming new partnership agreements to provide educational and training opportunities to benefit residents in our area.” District 2 county commissioner Pat Mulieri, whose district includes all of Wesley Chapel, says she is excited about the introduction of a PHCC campus in the Wiregrass area, which was previously a 5,000-plus-acre cattle ranch nicknamed “Gatorville.” “Wesley Chapel is definitely an economic engine for Pasco and New Tampa,” says Mulieri, a retired former PHCC professor. “The campus will be a catalyst for growth and development. Businesses need an educated workforce and PHCC can definitely play an important part in providing this.” The Porter Campus was originally scheduled to open in August of 2013, but was pushed back five months, mostly due to a veto by Florida Governor Rick Scott on May 26 for the fifth and final installment of $6.9 million of state funding for the last stages of construction for the campus. However, $45 million already has been secured from the state, which should bring the campus to near completion. PHCC officials have said that they plan to seek the remaining balance for the campus which, when finished, will have cost a total of $52 million, from their normal

budget process in the upcoming years.

A Lasting Legacy

The Porter family, for whom the campus is named, donated the land to PHCC on January 22, 2010, after nearly a decade of talking about having a college located in Wiregrass Ranch. The campus is being built at 2727 Mansfield Blvd., just off S.R. 56, next to Wiregrass Ranch High. The Porter Campus will be located less than threemiles from the new Florida Hospital and just a quarter-mile from Raymond James Financial’s planned offices. “We were waiting for the perfect time to start building the campus,” says

J.D. Porter, the treasurer for the Porter Family Trust. In addition to donating the land for the campus, on October 15, the Porter family submitted a Request for Proposal (RFP) to the county and plans to speak to the Pasco Board of County Commissioners (BCC) about a proposed major public park that the family would also like to see built north of the new PHCC campus. “It would be the first park of its kind,” explains Porter. “A park that is run with a private and public relationship that creates a venue for tourism, has great amenities, is well kept and serves a public need.” The Porters donated 40 acres for a park in Wiregrass that they would like to see turned into a multi-purpose sports complex. Porter said that the park is planned to feature well-kept, multi-purpose fields for sports like soccer and lacrosse, in addition to facilities that could bring sports and recreation tournaments to the Wesley Chapel area, which could stimulate more business for local restaurants and hotels. “The new and continued quality development of Wesley Chapel will reshape the mindset of Pasco County's position in both the Tampa Bay region and the state of Florida,” says Porter.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

“Chiles” Continued from page 1 by the State of Florida Department of Education every year. Booth noted that the school has become a cornerstone of the Tampa Palms community. School Board Member April Griffin recapped her personal acquaintance with the former governor and state senator whose name the school proudly bears: Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr., a veteran of the Korean War and the 41st Governor of Florida from 199198. Chiles never lost an election and he died during his second term as governor. Gov. Chiles was nicknamed “Walkin' Lawton” for hiking more than 1,000 miles in 90 days across the state of Florida during his cam-

paign for the U.S. Senate. Chiles recalled that his walk allowed him to see Florida's natural beauty, as well as its problems. His “walking shoes” are permanently on display at the Florida State Capitol. Chiles once said, “I didn't come to stay, I came to make a difference.” This philosophy was reiterated in the heartfelt words of Chiles’ faculty and parents at the rededication ceremony. “I felt so much pride, wandering down memory lane at ‘what was’ and ‘what is now,’” Pietsch’s secretary Janet Wright said. “Looking out at the sea of red and black (Chiles’ school colors) was inspirational. Chiles is like a (second) home (for us). I know the children are blessed to have such wonderful teachers…It has been a wonderful trip these last ten years.”

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

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VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.FLORIDAEXECUTIVEREALTY.COM For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Magnolia Spa & Salon — The 5-Star European Day Spa On S.R. 54! By Gary Nager If you’ve ever driven west on S.R 54, past where it meets up with S.R. 56 and I-75, you’ve probably driven past the amazing Magnolia Spa & Salon, located in the same building as Big Frog T-shirts, next to the Extreme Adventures indoor play place. You say you’ve never seen it, even though it’s been there ten years? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. But, if you’ve never stopped in to check out Magnolia, you’d be surprised at what you’ll find inside — a magnificently elegant, immaculate, authentic European-style day spa and hair and nail salon that rivals anything you’ll find in the finest hotels and resorts. I’m not kidding. I have been to many of the best resort spas in the Tampa Bay area — from Saddlebrook Resort to the Don CeSar and from Innisbrook to the Renaissance Vinoy and many more — and Magnolia truly does rival or surpass them all in terms of cleanliness, the quality of the services offered, the “experience” itself and perhaps most important of all in today’s economy, the value for your money.

uniquely European panache. Gizella, who has been a licensed aesthetician for more than 20 years, actually designed Magnolia’s unique look and interior design for a doctor’s office in Merrick, Long Island, NY, that was being converted into an early version of today’s MedSpas. But, when the Poroslays decided to move to Florida, instead of staying to build that doctor’s MedSpa, Gizella and Adam built the building that is now home to Magnolia, Big Frog and a soon-to-open bakery restaurant, according to Gizella’s specs. The result is a haven of relaxation and pampering for men and women where each room is specifically designed The team of professionals at Magnolia Spa & Salon on S.R. 54 in Lutz (just west of Ifor its own purpose. The pedicure room 75 & S.R. 56) includes (l. to r.) Joanna, Kasey, Gizella, Adam, Gina, Amelia & Kim. is separated from the manicure room, See “Magnolia” on page 50.

Some Background Info...

The husband-and-wife co-owners of Magnolia Spa & Salon are Adam and Gizella Poroslay, who are both Hungarians born in Romania (with delightfully different German-sounding accents). They have more than 30 combined years of experience in the salon and spa business and definitely embody that

Jenny is the female licensed massage therapist at Magnolia Spa & Salon.

(Left) Ashley raved about her manicure, pedicure & new hair style. (Right) Gizella is an expert at “Tropical Delight” Papaya-Pineapple body wraps.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

This year, we hope our annual Holiday Gift Guide is a little more user-friendly than in years past, organized by shopping category, rather than by a simple A-to-Z listing.

To Give The Gift Of Beauty: Tampa Rejuvenation Purchase 20 units of Botox and receive 5 units free (a $50 value)! Botox costs $10/unit. Offer not valid with any other discounts or special rates and expires December 31st. Limit one per person. Tampa Rejuvenation is located at 15303 Amberly Dr., Suite B. For info, visit TampaRejuvenation.com or call 558-9500.

Bella MedSpa Happy Holidays from Bella MedSpa! Buy 1, get 1 FREE on all Chemical Peels (up to $195), on all IPL Treatments for sun spots (a $275 Value) and on all Microderm Treatments (a $125 Value)! Check out BellaTampa.com for December’s 12 days of Christmas Specials! Or, visit Bella MedSpa at 1821 Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd, Suite 120, Wesley Chapel (same plaza as Nutrition S’Mart). Or, call 929-1500.

Artisan Aesthetics Receive $500 OFF any Vaser Liposuction costing $2,500 or more! Restylane,

$450; Juvederm, $500; Radiesse, $550 and Holiday Gift Certificates are available! For more information about Artisan Aesthetics, visit DrCastor.com or call 971-2000.

Studio J Holiday special for the month of December: Purchase a $100 gift certificate for only $80! Call Jan at Studio J (14446 BBD Blvd., Tampa) at 505-5337 or visit StudioJTampa.com.

Pebble Creek Family Dentistry Pebble Creek Family Dentistry (across from McDonald’s on BBD Blvd.) is offering a Free Take Home Teeth Whitening Kit. Crown (d2750), special holiday price for just $689. Call Pebble Creek Family Dentistry: (19007 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.) at 4064947 or visit PebbleCreekFamilyDentsitry.com for further information. We accept most PPO dental insurance plans.

Star’s Organic Spa Group Star’s Organic Spa Group offers gift certificates for that special someone in your life! Everyone would like to have a day at the spa where we “roll out the red carpet and you become our star!” Come and enjoy a chemical-free spa with a waterfront view! For appointments and more info,

call Star’s Organic Spa Group (2136 Ashley Oaks Cir., Ste. 101, off S.R. 56, Wesley Chapel, at 973-8787 or visit Stars OrganicSpa.com.

Bliss Facial Spa Bliss Facial Spa is offering discounted gift certificates for the Holidays. Buy $100, get $20 free. Buy $50, get $10 free. The perfect holiday gift for anyone! Everyone loves a luxurious facial, even the man in your life! For more info, please come to Bliss Facial Spa at 1059 BBD Blvd., Wesley Chapel, in front of the Northwood (Target) shopping center. Questions? Call 428-5991 or visit BlissFacialSpa.com.

V&M organic candles and bath salts, Harry London Chocolates, Christmas cards and Plush. receive 10% off your local order if you mention this Gift Guide. You can place orders by calling 9799453, online (at ASpecialRoseFlorist. com) or stop by and see us at 14546 BBD Blvd. We deliver locally and nationwide. Please support your local florist and “like” us on Facebook.

Peabody’s & The Palms Lounge

Avalon, which is under new ownership and management and has an all-new staff, is offering GM Collins products Spa parties starting at $99.95! Avalon Medical Spa & Laser Center is located at 15347 Amberly Dr., in the Shoppes of Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms. For more info, visit MedicalSpa andLaser.com or call 866-8400.

Happy Holidays! Come in to Peabody’s Bar & Billiards in Tampa Palms and receive a FREE $50 gift certificate with your purchase of $100 worth of Peabody’s gift certificates! Limited time only; offer expires 12/24/11. Certificates must be purchased in one transaction. Don’t forget to join us for our “Ugly Sweater Holiday Party” on Thursday, December 8, 9 p.m.! Show up wearing the night’s ugliest sweater to win a great prize! Visit Peabody’s & The Palms Lounge at 15333 Amberly Dr. , in the Shoppes of Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms, or at PeabodysTampa. com or call 972-1725.

The Perfect Gift For Anyone:

Charles Jewelers

Avalon Medical Spa & Laser Ctr

A Special Rose Florist A Special Rose Florist is featuring Thomas Kinkade Carolers and Lenox Bags collectibles. The shop on BBD also carries

Fine jewelry and watches are always a big hit for gift giving. At Charles Jewelers in Tampa Palms, find brands like Pandora, Michelle, Bulova, Ice, Fendi, and Simon G.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

And, if you need some extra CASH, this is a great time to turn in your old gold into holiday shopping $! Call Charles Jewelers (16053 Tampa Palms Blvd. W., in the City Plaza shopping center) for the store’s holiday hours at 972-4653. Or, visit CharlesJewelersTampa.com or on Facebook for recent promotions!

Acropolis Taverna See the story on page 44 of this issue for Acropolis’ holiday specials!

Ciccio’s/The Lodge Book your holiday party now! Whether you want to have it at Ciccio’s/ The Lodge in Tampa Palms or you want to use the restaurant’s famous catering service, Ciccio’s/The Lodge can accommodate your party needs, large or small! For more info, visit Ciccio’s/The Lodge (16023 Tampa Palms Blvd., in the City Plaza shopping center), call 9751222 or 295-4663 (for catering) or visit CicciosLodge. com.

Sushi Tsu Japanese Steakhouse Try the unique dining experience of Sushi Tsu in Tampa Palms for any holiday party! Call to book today! Receive $10 off any purchase of $50 or more with the coupon featured in this edition! Good for dine-in only and must present coupon. Not valid with any other promotions, discounts, coupons, early bird vouchers or Restaurant. com. Excludes holidays. Expires 12/31/11. Sushi Tsu Japanese Steak & Sushi is located at 15363 Amberly Dr., in the

Shoppes of Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms. For more info, visit SushiTsu.com or call 910-9404.

Back 9 Café Receive 20% off your total food bill at the new Back 9 Café inside Heritage Isles Golf & Country Club with the coupon featured in this edition. Beverages and gratuity not included. Expires 12/31/11. Back 9 Café (10630 Plantation Bay Dr., just off Cross Creek Blvd.) can be reached by phone at 9070267 or visit Back9Cafe.com.

Give The Gift Of Relaxation: Swiss Spirit Massage

expires: 12/24/11. For additional information, visit Book Swap of New Tampa at 1946 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., call 929-7490 or visit online at BookSwapFl.com.

Quest Martial Arts The Quest Martial Arts Center on BBD south of Tampa Palms is mostly an adult student body offering classes exclusively in practical and sensible self-defense. The training also involves an extensive program of personal development and life management. We are happy to enroll children who take the program seriously and offer family discounts. Quest’s Holiday Trial Program gets you started for just $29. The Quest Martial Arts Center (15049 BBD Blvd., just north of Acrop-

olis) can be reached at 971-5545 or visit TampaQuestMA.com.

Rock “n” Body Pole Studio Know someone who is looking to spice up their fitness routine or try something new? Rock “n” Body Pole Studio in Lutz is now offering holiday gift packages! Call now to find out more! Rock “n” Body, where getting fit is sexy! Rock “n” Body Pole Studio is located at 1850 Oak Grove Blvd., Lutz. For more info, call 317-5094 or visit rocknbodypoleparties.com. These Holiday Gift Guide entries will continue to appear on our website (NTNeighborhoodNews.com) until Friday, December 24.

Holiday special! Buy three one- hour massages at Swiss Spirit Massage, get one 30-minute massage free! It’s a great way to treat yourself while buying for others! Must present the coupon featured in this edition. Not valid with any other offers or with Marlen. Expires 12/31/11. For more information, visit Swiss Spirit Massage at 10323 Cross Creek Blvd., Suite B, or at Swiss-SpiritMassage.com or call 325-1296.

And Some Unique Gift Ideas: Book Swap Of New Tampa The perfect gift for the hard-to-get reader! Purchase a $50 gift certificate at Book Swap in the Shoppes at New Tampa of Wesley Chapel plaza and receive $10 in store credit to use on your next visit. Offer

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Euro Pilates Helps Tanya With Her ‘Pursuit Of The Suit!’ By Tanya Burroughs Every woman should have a little black dress that makes her feel fierce. In the world of business, you also need a go-to suit that makes you fearless. This is the story of my “Pursuit of the Suit.” In 2010, I started a new job and I knew it meant lots of hard work and dedication to my career and family, with little time for me. After some time in the position, I decided to focus on my health and well-being. I started Pilates at Euro Pilates on Bryce B. Downs Blvd. in New Tampa because two of my girlfriends had started taking classes there and they both looked absolutely amazing. Plain and simple, my jealously kicked in! My first class at Euro Pilates was March 28, and I quickly completed my private lessons and signed up for owner Maria Ivanova’s Pilates “Boot Camp,” which I started on April 4. I thought Maria Ivanova was literally going to kill me! Thankfully, I was in a class with amazing women, which made it easier to deal with the pain my neglected body was feeling. I was not alone! During this same time, my company asked me to film a “how to” video on our sales model. I was flown to Kansas City to make the video that

would be aired at our National Sales Meeting in May. Feeling good about my work, my family and my workouts, I got ready that morning with enthusiasm. I felt like everything was aligning just right. I took my black suit from the closet, where I had carefully hung it the night before, and attempted to slip into the impeccablly pressed pants. They glided easily over my calf, slid past my knee, reached a little resistance at my thighs, and hit a slightly tougher obstacle at my backside and then it happened — a complete and undeniable barricade at the button. Staring in the mirror at my perfect suit straining at every seam, I lost my confidence and my excitement over making the video. It was heartbreaking for me to see the pockets bulging out, the zipper stretched beyond recognition, knowing that even with Spanx, I couldn’t get them closed. How did this happen? I knew I had put on some weight since starting the job but not until putting on my suit did I realize how much. I fought back tears and called my husband and told him that things had to change immediately. I knew there was nothing I could do at that moment, so I regained my composure and put on the cotton skirt I had planned to wear on the plane ride

home and set out to the studio to film. I returned to my Pilates classes and told the ladies my story. Maria encouraged me to weigh in for the next Boot Camp. She saw the changes in my body in just the short time I had been working out, and the ladies all agreed. However, Tanya Burroughs (front) had trouble fitting into her still smarting from favorite power suit before becoming a regular at Euro Kansas City, I Pilates on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in New Tampa. couldn’t face the number on the day when I attended the national sales scale. Over the next week, Maria was meeting where my video aired with relentless about weighing me in. On great success. I started weighing myself the final day of my first Boot Camp ses- on a regular basis to monitor my sion, Maria said I could not come back progress (or lack thereof). All of my if I did not weigh in. I am still not sure hard work paid off when I won the if she meant it but I didn’t want to take weight loss class challenge for the May the chance…so I stepped on the scale. Boot Camp. Even with that success, At that point, I was determined to however, I still couldn’t bring myself to reach two goals — weight loss and get- try on that suit. ting back into my favorite power suit. In June, I decided to add a new I worked extra hard during the goal to my living healthier list, I wanted next Boot Camp session and was very to look my best for our upcoming famimindful of what I was doing and eating ly vacation. This was going to be the during the day. I even worked out every first time my husband’s family and mine

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

had been together since our wedding. This is not as shallow as it sounds, as I had been carrying the emotional baggage of a comment my father had made to me years ago about my weight. I wanted to make sure there was no way he would be able to say anything about my weight other than “you’re so skinny.” Plus, I promised myself I would try my suit on before July, weight loss or not. As July drew closer and closer, I would sit in my closet and stare at my suit. It took me a week before I got the courage to try it on. I pulled the pants on and they glided easily over my calf, slid past my knee, soared past my thighs, shot past my backside, and buttoned with great ease and relief! I immediately walked into the living room with a strut so fierce; I could have taken down the hottest models on a catwalk. By the end of June, I had met the two goals I had set for myself after the Kansas City trip in April. I fit confidently into my power suit and for the second month in a row, I won the

Boot Camp weight loss challenge. I was on a roll and was excited to be on track with my goals. So, I challenged myself further and set a new goal to win the weight loss challenge for the July Pilates boot camp, even though I was taking time out for our family vacation. This month was the toughest and I had some fierce competition from the other ladies in class. The Boot Camp ladies had put a target on my back and wanted to take me out. I can’t say I was confident, especially with my vacation coming up. I enjoy eating and had not starved myself in my prior two victories and was not about to start on my vacation — which ended on Wednesday with our final July weigh-in the following day. I was able to secure my third consecutive Boot Camp weight loss challenge by .03 percent and another showing of my suit. July was my best month! I had won Boot Camp, faced my father’s words with confidence and can now totally ROCK my suit again! Euro Pilates has changed more than my

body, it has provided me with new friendships, a support network and, with Maria’s guidance, it has taught me to face my fears (the scale) and work hard to overcome them. My confidence is back and I am exploring new forms of exercise with the ones I love, thanks to the new Salsa classes also now being offered at Euro Pilates. My journey has taught me that “we are what we repeatedly do.” I often reflect and am motivated by this quote from Aristotle, “Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit’. I do not intend to break this habit of living healthy and exercising, but if I do veer off course, I know Maria and my boot

camp ladies will quickly push me back on the right track. Euro Pilates is located at 20421 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., on the second floor of the Mid Florida Credit Union building, in front of the Live Oak Preserve development. For appointments and more information about the upcoming class schedule, including Boot Camps, Pilatesstick, salsa lessons and licensed massage therapy, call 7564000 or visit Euro-Pilates.com. Tanya Burroughs is a wife, mother and a Sales Manager for PDI Healthcare. She lives in Plant City with her family.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Funny Divas Rock Back 9 Café! If you like to laugh but somehow still have never seen my good friend and New Tampa resident Susan Saiger perform, either as a solo feature act or as part of the Funny Divas comedy troupe, I hope you will remedy that mistake ASAP. In fact, the nearly 100 people who attended the most recent Funny Divas show, held November 19 at the Back 9 Café at Heritage Isles Golf & Country Club off Cross Creek Blvd., will tell you that Susan and her standup comic friends Aniria, Long Island Mary and Robin Savage all have the ability to

“make you pee a little,” as Long Island Mary would say. Back 9 Café co-owner Mark Schwab says he was happy with the turnout and the way the crowd reacted to the Divas. “For our first time trying something like this, I’d have to say yes, it was great,” says Schwab. “We would definitely like to bring the Funny Divas back again!” The Back 9 Café (10630 Plantation Bay Dr.) can be reached at 9070267. For upcoming Funny Divas shows, visit FunnyDivas.com. — GN

The Funny Divas who pscked the house at the Back 9 Café at Heritage Isles Golf & Country Club last month include (l. to r.) Aniria, New Tampa’s own Susan Saiger, Long Ilsand Mary & Robin Savage.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Wesley Chapel Chamber Hosts A Successful Wellness Festival It’s been three years since the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) has hosted a Health & Wellness Festival at The Grove shopping plaza off S.R. 54 at I75, but WCCC marketing director Christine Hope says the event was much better-received this time around. “We know we made some mistakes three years ago,” says Hope. “But, even though we had much more positive feedback (from attendees and exhibitors alike) this time, we’re still going to listen to suggestions about how to keep making it better.” Held only two months after the Chamber’s annual Awards Banquet and only a month after the WCCC’s rousing Fall Festival success, this year’s Health & Wellness Festival featured more than 80 sponsors, exhibitors and business partners, and although there were no hard numbers of attendees available (there was no admission cost or turnstiles) afterward, I personally estimated the crowd at maybe close to 2,000 in attendance, including everyone on hand to showcase their health, wellness, fitness and/or nutrition-oriented businesses , as well as those who came to see the outstanding local entertainment. Although those numbers seem to

be significantly better than three years ago, Hope says a number of the exhibitors told her they would prefer to stage the event on a Saturday, instead of a Sunday. I also suggested a possible move to another part of the year, like maybe shortly after the first of the new year, when most people are at their most healthconscious. For more information about the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, call the Chamber office at 994-9534 or visit WesleyChapelChamber.com. Upcoming events include the final Honorary Mayor of Wesley Chapel Casino Night fund raiser for candidate “Little Jan” Roberts of Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Tampa Bay on Tuesday, December 6 (see page 12 for details), and the announcement of the Honorary Mayor of Wesley Chapel winner on Thursday, Dec. 15. And, for your chance to win a $50 dining or spa gift certificate, identify any of the people in any of

these photos by “tagging” them on our much larger gallery of photos from the Wesley Chapel Health & Wellness Festival on our website (NTNeighborhoodNews.com) and you'll be eligible to win one of at least five drawn-at-random dining or salon/spa gift certificate prizes valued from $20-$50. — GN

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Congratulations, Dr. Haviland! I have to give a shout out to is my long-time friend and colleague Dr. Rachel Haviland, Ph.D. I had known Rachel — who also is the president of the New Tampa Chamber of Commerce (see page 14) and who also owns her own social media marketing company — and her husband Peter Haviland for several years before she became the Chamber president, having actually done some advertising business with Pete before I met her. I was therefore thrilled to be able to attend Rachel’s Ph.D. Party at the Daiquiri Deck on Madeira Beach a few weeks ago. Rachel, who still has her delightful native London accent despite her years in the U.S., is one of the sweetest, smartest, sassiest people I know and she has been working on her doctoral thesis (“Identification of Novel STAT3 Target Genes Associated with Oncogenesis”) for so long (at least, seemingly) that many of her friends over the years have kidded her that perhaps it would never be completed. But, our mutual friend Joyce Gunter of Gunter & Gunter Insurance truly understood why it took Rachel so long to complete her doctorate. Joyce attended Rachel’s defense of her

thesis in front of a panel of USF science professors (there were four committee members, including Rachel’s two mentors — Dr. Richard Jove, Dr. Rachel Director, Beckman Haviland Research Institute & Deputy Director for Basic Research, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duart, CA, and Dr. W. Doug Cress, Associate Professor, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute — as well as her external chairperson, Dr. James Turkson, Professor at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center) and summed up the experience by saying: “I was stunned. We all knew Rachel was smart, but in the first five or ten minutes of her defense, she used about a dozen words I never heard before. By the end of the hour, I was drained, having lost count of all the words I had never heard before, but Rachel was still smiling. And of course, the panel unanimously approved her thesis." Congratulations, Dr. Haviland, from everyone at the New Tampa Neighborhood News. Bravo! — GN

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

The Fisher House Golf Classic — New Name, Same Great Support! My friend Valerie Casey, the organizer of the “first annual” Fisher House Tampa Golf Classic at Heritage Isles Golf & Country Club on November 18, says she’s happy with the 2011 tournament’s 130+-golfer field, the beautiful weather and the wonderful spirit of everyone who came out to enjoy a fun round of golf, food and entertainment and raise money for a very worthy cause. Actually, the tournament itself isn’t new, only its name has changed. As it has its previous four years, when the event raised a total of nearly $60,000 under its previous name, this year’s Fisher House Golf Classic also raised a hefty sum of money to help the Tampa Fisher House — the amazing residence

which houses the families of the wounded veterans (such as U.S. Army Sgt. Joel Tavera; see page 1) who are cared for at the James A. Haley Veterans Administration Hospital on Bruce B. Downs Blvd, just south of Fletcher Ave. At our press time, Casey and her wonderful team of volunteers did not yet have a fund-raising total for the (Left) Back 9 Café at Heritage Isles Golf & Country Club co-owner Mark Schwab was not only one 2011 event, but Casey says that, in light of the economy, of the event’s hosts, he also served as the auctioneer for the Fisher House Tampa Golf Classic. (Right) Tourney char Valerie Casey (left), with Fisher House Tampa manager Paula Welenc. she isn’t complaining about nearly matching last year’s total of about $25,000 raised. “We still have some donations coming in,” Casey said at our press time. The Fisher House is so important to our wounded service men and women and their families, so it’s important to me that we do what we can to help.” Appreciative Fisher House Tampa manager Paula Welenc says the golf tourney is the Fisher House’s largest fund raiser each year. Fisher House Golf Classic volunteers serve delicious For more info about the food provided by the Meat Monkeys Competitive BBQ Tampa Fisher House, visit Team from St. James United Methodist Church. FisherHouse.org. — GN

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

“Heroes” Continued from page 1 I watched not only regional president Jeff Thorson of William Ryan Homes but also generals, major generals and admirals from all branches of the U.S. military, his own sergeant and an FBI agent all pay tribute to Sgt. Tavera, who was the only survivor of a rocket explosion who has had 73 surgeries, with more scheduled, since he was injured in 2008 at the age of just 21. This sad truth kept coming back to me: while HFH and the home builders who provide these homes are likely doing even more than their fair share to help these wounded warriors, there is still so much more that can be done. Considering how many home foreclosures there are nationwide these days, it makes sense to me that instead of hanging onto these homes, the banking industry — which sorely needs a public relations boost — should

donate every last one of them to members of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and yes, police and fire fighters who need them, free and clear, like Sgt. Tavera’s family now owns their home. It would give those who protect and serve us something of real value for their service and would likely stimulate the U.S. economy more than any spending cut or tax programs and give the banking industry legitimate writeoffs instead of empty homes. What do you think? Write me on here or our website to let me know! For more info, please visit Building HomesForHeroes.org.

(Top right) Sgt. Tavera wasn’t the only wounded American hero attending the event. (Above) A parade any hero would be proud to come home to.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

With All The Changes At Acropolis, Quality Is Still The Key! By Gary Nager I have always been a big fan of Acropolis Greek Taverna since the New Tampa location in the Oak Ramble Plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (just south of Tampa Palms) replaced the Tampa Brickyard in the same space four years ago. Even though he couldn’t call Acropolis a “Greek Taverna” when he first opened because the Louis Pappas Market Café was located at the opposite end of the same plaza at that time, owner Sam Waez served the same outstanding Mediterranean cuisine he did for several years in Ybor City in a casual setting that still allowed New Tampa diners to enjoy a fine dining experience. There have been a lot of changes at Acropolis since then, but the old saying that the more things change, the more they stay the same rings true in the case of one of our area’s favorite restaurants, both among USF students and New Tampa residents. “The most important thing is that the quality of our food and our service have stayed consistent,” Sam says of his four locations. “And we know no one beats our prices for this type of quality.” Acropolis has consistently made menu additions, although many longtime customers still order the same

Mediterranean and Middle eastern starters they have from the beginning, from delicious hummus, grilled Calamari (above) or octopus, Greek salad, anyone? spanakopita and baba ghanouj to a traditional Greek salad (but with a tasty, but non-traditional creamy Greek dressing), tender calamari and the always-wonderful spinach and artichoke dip. Utilizing the same menu (and prices) for lunch and dinner, but always offering wonderful lunch specials starting as low as $6 and dinner specials starting at $9, Acropolis continues to add new dishes to my list of favorites. I love the charbroiled whole snapper and have been told the new seafood pasta, which includes shrimp, mussels and scallops over penne pasta in a creamy red sauce topped with shaved parmesan) is wonderful, too, although I’m sadly allergic to the shrimp. I’m partial to the gyro and souvlaki wrap sandwiches and even the tasty America burger at Acropolis, and my favorite dinner entrées are the chicken,

The friendly bartenders and servers at Acropolis Greek Taverna are always happy to serve you in the recently remodeled bar area, which has more room and more tables. pork tenderloin and filet mignon shish kabobs, awesome grilled lamb chops, the savory filet mignon topped with sautéed onions and mushrooms, the chicken Santorini (in creamy lemon white wine sauce), the mahi plaki (topped with a tomato basil sauce) and my absolute favorite, the Athenian fish, which is pan fried and topped with just a dollop of (although I always ask for more) a zesty, homemade pesto sauce. “We receive shipments of fresh fish five or six days every week,” Sam says. “I know people love our seafood.” You also can’t beat the decadent dessert tray at Acropolis, which features American and Greek specialties, from baklava and rice pudding to a decadent chocolate peanut butter cake.

The Athenian fish is one of our editor’s favorite dishes at Acropolis.

Changes For The Better!

Sam and his New Tampa managers Tarik and Z are rightfully proud of all of the recent changes at Acropolis, which include a newly remodeled bar

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

From dancing servers to wandering minstrels, Acropolis always keeps you entertained!

(Above left) In addition to hummus, gyros and other Greek finger foods, Acropolis also offers an awesome 9-oz. filet mignon. (Right) Enjoying the expanded patio area. area, which is now much more open dinner hour, Acropolis is always enterand spacious, a totally revamped and taining, too. expanded covered hookah (and handAcropolis Greek Taverna is open rolled cigar) patio area, which is both late (including the kitchen) seven heated and cooled, and coming soon, a nights a week, at 14947 BBD. For new wine cellar featuring about 30 more information, call 971-1787 or great Greek wines. visit AcropolisTaverna.com. And, And, with live music seven days a with the coupon from the ad in this week, belly dancing and plate-breaking issue, you can get a $100 Acropolis all weekend and dancing servers every holiday gift card for only $80!

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Neighborhood Nibbles - Updates On Café Olé, Santo’s & Burger Wars! Café Olé Back Under Original Ownership For those who still have never tried Café Olé in the Cross Creek Center plaza on Cross Creek Blvd. at Kinnan St., I encourage you to visit New Tampa’s only restaurant providing a “True Taste of Spain.” Café Olé, already one of my favorite restaurants in our area, is once again owned by Frank Aliaga, who is originally from Spain and still spends a lot of time in his native country. Aliaga, who also was one of the original owners/developers of the Cross Creek Center, has major plans under way to not only re-focus Café Olé’s menu, but also to add a separate formal dining room for private parties (perfect for any holiday bash) and busy nights and bring in a unique beer, wine and liquor store that also will carry Spanish-style packaged foods and more. The new dining room and liquor store are expected to open by Friday, December 16. In addition, Café Olé is offering great new Happy Hour and Ladies Night (on Thursday evenings) specials, in addition to $5 Tapas Tuesdays and a new “Karate Wednesday” special, and will feature music and dancing every Friday and Saturday night. Also, coming soon is an announcement of the

restaurant’s next Flamenco show night. Café Olé is located at 10020 Cross Creek Blvd. and is open every day at 11 a.m. For more information, call 907-5252.

Santo’s Sold; Remington’s Still Open Despite Rumors

Just as we’re concluding this year’s Dining Survey & Contest (see page 3 for details), two of your favorite (and ours) restaurants in Wesley Chapel have been rumored to have closed over the past two weeks, but only one of those rumors is actually true. Santo’s Italian Grill, located in the Pinebrook at The Grove plaza on S.R. 54, has been sold. Owner Ken Santo, who is still also an owner of Skinny’s Sports Bar in the same plaza, couldn’t give us any details about the sale, but Santo’s is closed and will be converted to an entirely new restaurant concept for at least several weeks. Of course, we will provide an update, either on our website (NTNeighborhoodNews.com) or in our next Wesley Chapel issue, or both. Meanwhile, my friend Abe Srour says he wants to dispel the rumors that his Remington’s Steak House on S.R. 54 has closed or is closing. “We are open for now,” Abe says. “And, when we do shut down, it will

be temporarily for renovations only.” All I can tell you is that I have been in Remington’s a couple of times before we went to press, including three days after the restaurant was reportedly closed, and it was packed! Remington’s Steak House is located at 27405 S.R. 54 and is open every day for lunch and dinner. For more info, call 973-1208 or visit RemingtonsSteakhouse.com.

County Line Rd. — A Burger Battleground?

When Five Guys Burgers & Fries first opened a couple of years ago in the Sweetbay/L.A. Fitness-anchored plaza at the corner of County Line Rd. and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and was followed in 2010 by a Red Robin in front of the Shops at Wiregrass mall at the intersection of S.R. 56 and BBD, we had no idea that the pair would be part of a massing of burger-oriented chains north and south of the county line in that area. In addition to Five Guys, Red Robin and Sonic, which already are located within New Tampa and Wesley Chapel’s burger borders, several new burger joints also are joining the fray. Among the newcomers is a justopened Burger King located between Five Guys and Wharton High on BBD.

On the same side of BBD just a little further south, the third link in the Tampa-based Burger 21 chain is expected to open over the next month or two in a new retail plaza a little closer to Wharton than Burger King. And, around the same time frame, just the second location of Burger Monger — which, like Burger 21, also has a Carrollwood store — will open in the space previously occupied by Panchero’s in the same section of the Shops of New Tampa at Wesley Chapel between the county line and 56 as Bonefish Grill. Is all this burger mongering a function of the economy, a sign that people somehow couldn’t get enough of just fast food burgers or both? We will keep you posted on each of the newcomers as they open.

La Cubanita Adds Beer

Another one of my local favorites, La Cubanita Café on BBD at New Tampa Blvd. (behind McDonald’s), recently added ice cold imported and domestic beer and a variety of house wines. La Cubanita also is where you can save 20-percent off your holiday orders, including the restaurant’s beloved mojo roast pork (mmmm!). La Cubanita is located at 19040 BBD. To place an order or for more information, call 632-9100. — GN

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

“Magnolia” Continued from page 31 elegant body, facial and massage treatment rooms, a large salon area, locker rooms for men and women, a truly serene relaxation room and the cleanest bathrooms you’ll find anywhere. “I’m telling you that you could eat off the floor in any room at Magnolia Spa,” says Neighborhood News advertising customer service manager Nikki Bennett. “If we weren’t doing this story, I don’t know if I ever would’ve stopped in, but wow. The place, the people and the services are amazing. It’s a five-star spa, for sure!”

The Spa Services...

Customers of Magnolia Spa have such a huge variety of services available to them that there’s no way I can list them all here. But, your choice of facial services includes everything from a Magnolia Signature Facial to a warm paraffin mask facial and facials designed especially for men and even teens. A wide variety of facials with peels also is on the Magnolia menu. There’s a Kinelift Treatment skin rejuvenation program that utilizes LED light therapy and micro currents, available with or without microdermabrasion. Or, try a Dermalift, which uses microcurrent to revitalize neck and chest muscles. And, there are waxing hair removal services available for every possible area of need. I can personally vouch for the Licensed Massage Therapy services at Magnolia. Although I didn’t utilize Adam’s services, Jenny, the spa’s female massage therapist, gave me a wonderful relaxation massage. I told her that I can’t handle the deeper tissue massages and she definitely took it easy on me, but still worked out all of my problem areas, including a sore muscle in my leg. I am definitely going to try a hot stone massage next time and there are prenatal and postpartum massages, aromatherapy and even foot reflex point therapy.

Body treatments include everything from a “chocolate fix” to a body polish with aromatherapy sea salt or sugar glow and Gizella’s specialty, the papaya-pineapple cream fraiche wrap. Got cellulite? Magnolia offers a variety of treatments for it. And, the spa doesn’t just offer your basic manicures and pedicures, they offer acrylic and gel nails and a full-treatment spa pedicure, all at prices that are not much more than, but well worth, not having to be overpowered by the smell in most nail salons. Oh, and the nail technician Amelia is very knowledgeable and easy to talk to. Speaking of knowledge, hair stylists and color specialists Joanna, Gina and Kasey are all not only experienced, but true pros who really know hair. “Kasey is like an encyclopedia of knowledge about hair,” said Neighborhood News website/marketing manager Ashley Knoblach after Kasey gave her a whole new look. “And I love what she did with my hair. I think I have to start coming here all the time.” And, best of all with the holidays coming up, you can purchase gift certificates or a huge variety of spa packages for that someone special. See the Magnolia ad on page 39 for some great deals on hair, facial and massage services. Magnolia Spa & Salon is located at 24836 S.R. 54. It is open Tuesday-Saturday. For appointments, hours and more info, visit MagnoliaSpaSalon.com or call 909-4711 and tell our friend Kim the receptionist that we sent you!

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Teena Hughes, M.D., P.A. Pediatrics Board Certified

Solo Practice! Practicing 17 years in Tampa Graduate of UF & USF Residency All Children’s Hospital

• Same Day Appointments We’ve moved to a larger office just next door!

4444 E. Fletcher Ave., Suite C

813-903-0060

Most Medical Insurance Plans Accepted!

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com

NEW TAMPA & WESLEY CHAPEL H E L P

W A N T E D

Join OrthoTechnology’s Winning Team! Ortho Technology, a worldwide distributor of orthodontic products located in New Tampa, is seeking talented energetic candidates for the following positions: Inside Sales: Experienced Telesales reps wanted to manage and grow established territories. Successful Inside Sales exp in a quota-based environment req’d. Competitive base + commission. Qualified candidates should submit resume citing proven sales track record to careers@orthotechnology.com Visit our website at www.orthotechnology.com for additional information and other job opportunities. We provide a great work environment and excellent benefits package. Physical Therapist or PTA – An established New Tampa outpatient clinic is hiring a PT or PTA to provide customized, one-on-one care during afternoon and early evening hours for diverse patient population. Fax resume to 813-994-3080. Experienced Dental Team Member Needed: Tired of the rat race? Come work in our beautiful office where you can make a difference in people’s lives. No HMOs, PPOs, evenings or Saturdays. We emphasize excellence and individualized attention to patients and can offer a generous salary and benefits. If you are an experienced expanded function dental assistant with great communication skills who wants to love coming to work, please email your resume to cosmeticdentist@gmail.com or fax to (813)949-0844. Full time position or experience dental assistant. Must have front office and insurance experience. Please fax resume to 813910-3323. Help Wanted! Looking for an organized, reliable individual to help file, organize, and assist with basic office duties, a few hours, one day a week, possibly more to start. Please contact Brian at blewis816@gmail.com, or 813.973.1417 for more information. Well known European hair salon & spa in Temple Terrace looking for experienced professionals. Positions available:Licensed/Massage therapist, nail technician, hairstylist and skin care professional. Applicants must be experienced, with or without clientele. Two possibilities: Booth rental room/commission. Call 813.786.8510 9 a.m., and 6 to 10 p.m.

Classifıeds

D R Y W A L L R E P A I R Dry Wall Specialist - Not a handyman. Affordable Quality Work repairing water damage, ceilings and walls, retexturing, popcorn removal, room additions, cracks, holes, plaster and stucco repair. 26 Years Experience. Wesley Chapel resident. State Certified. Call Ron for free estimate – 813.784.5999.

HOME

IMPROVEMENT

Need home maintenance? Almost any job, large or small, ext/int, fencing , screening, sm. concrete, sprinklers, painting, repairs, int. doors, locks, sheet rock, windows, paint, caulk, grout, trim, shelving, garages organized. Installations, removals, pressure washing, wood restoration & more. Call Dale’s Home Maintenance @ 9730194 or 727-2582. FLORIDA FLOOR SYSTEMS INC. COLUMBIA LAMINATE from $2.49SF COLUMBIA WOOD from $4.99SF MOHAWK/SHAW CARPET from $1.99SF MATERIAL, LABOR, INSTALLED CALL DAVID 813-943-4772 FLORIDAFLOORSYSTEMS.COM, FREE ESTIMATES Greg’s Paperhanging. For all of your wallpapering needs. Licensed & insured, clean, quick & reasonable. Call 973-2767 for free estimate. RAYMOND PAINTING. Interior & Exterior pressure washing, paper hanging, plaster, stucco, tiles, clean & seal pavers, roofing leaks, etc. Licensed & Bonded. References available. Free Estimates. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD ARBOR GREENE RESIDENT. We work 7 days. Call 994-5124.

CLEANING SERVICES D-ULTRA CLEANING SERVICE. We have our own supplies & more than 200 clients in New Tampa! For more information, call 758-9710. CYD PROFSESSIONAL CLEANING SERVICES Residential & Commercial – Weekly, Bi-Weekly & Monthly Rates - Flexible Scheduling including week-ends. Green Cleaning Solutions available upon request. We provide all cleaning supplies. Quality Cleaning at AFFORDABLE prices/ 5 years experience. You’ll have the same uniformed cleaning professional every time! CALL CATHERINE AT 813-965-4162.

GUITARIST or KEYBOARDIST WANTED Jazz, Blues, Rock to practice with SAXOPHONIST (Professor @ USF) once a week & for occasional gig's in the North Tampa area. Call Glenn @ 813-974-7922.

M.Y. Cleaning Service: Offering Residential cleaning. We offer complete bath & kitchen cleaning, as well as dusting and polishing furniture. We provide our own supplies. Free estimates! Call Mila: (813) 516-3554. Your satisfaction is our priority! With 5 years of experience, we guarantee meticulous cleaning!

COMPUTER SERVICES

L A N D S C A P I N G

Professional Tech Support in your home or small business. A+ certified computer tech with 15 years of exp. Maintenance & repairs, upgrades & tutoring. More affordable than the large chains! Friendly, personalized svc. Technical jargon explained in plain English. References available upon request. Call 957-8342 for free estimate.

Enjoy your time & let A.T.B. Landscaping & Lawn Service do the work for you. We provide landscaping, lawn maintenance, clean-ups, tree & hedge trimming , sodding , sprinkler repair & fertilization. Other services also available. 907-LAWN

MUSICIAN WANTED

WEBSITE DESIGN SOLUTIONS for your Business. For many years, we have been helping small businesses in the Tampa Bay area and beyond with our Website Design, eCommerce, Web Applications, and Search engine Optimization (SEO) services. An effective, professional Internet presence can improve YOUR bottom line! CALL US Today for a FREE QUOTE: (813) 421 9352 or visit us at: www.brixtec.com.

LICENSED MOBILE MASSAGE THERAPIST 9am -9pm, Mon, Tues & Wed. $55 for 1 hour! Types of massage available: Swedish, Deep Tissue, Aroma Therapy, Hot Stone, Corporate Seated, Pregnancy, Sports & Injury Rehab. References available. www.barkdollmassagetherapy.com CALL 727-3726389 Lic # MA47546.

L E G A L

S E RV I C E

ZACARIAS & ASSOCIATES, INC. Coordination of legal services between the US and Central and South America Translation, Apostille Process. (813) 3458558 or rzacarias@zaalaw.com Tampa Bay Area.

D R I V I N G S E RV I C E Don’t Have a Ride? Don’t Want to Leave Your Car? Shouldn’t Drive? We Drive You and Your Car Home! Night Clubs, Corporate Events, Sporting Events, Concerts, Appointments, Airport or Stranded... Call Jay at 813-966-1530.

C L O W N

F O R

H I R E

CLOWNING BY PATTY CAKE THE CLOWN, 16 years experience. Face Painting at Birthdays, Company Picnics, Restaurants, Fairs, Festivals, Pajama and Princess Parties. There’s a little kid in all of us. (813)841-0710 or (813)9070355; pattycaketheclown@yahoo.com.

S E N I O R

C A R E

Home Instead Senior Care in East Pasco Licensed – Bonded – Insured Homemaker/ Companion Services: Caring Companionship • Flexible 24/7 Care • Grocery Shopping • Cooking • Errands • Transportation • Housekeeping • Pet Care • Laundry • Linens • Medication Management and many more services available! Call us today at 813971-7524 8am – 5pm for more information. 29149 Chapel Park Dr. Wesley Chapel, FL 33543. Providing Families with Peace of Mind

P E T

A D O P T I O N

Free to good home- Two beautiful white doves (mated pair). Would make great Christmas present! They coo beautifully and are very gentle. Have hatched four lovely baby doves in the past. Also, one weaned baby dove is available separately. Must be responsible and show an ability to care for them. Please call Mary at (813) 978-1771.

P E T

S I T T I N G

Tampa Cat Lady Professional Cat-Sitting Service. You say goodbye – we say hello. Cats are happiest in their own home, surrounded by familiar sights, sounds, & smells. When you are away, we feed, cuddle, & play with your kitties & clean & dispose of litter. We help deter crime by bringing newspaper/mail & rotating lights/blinds, giving your home that lived-in look. Insured, bonded, & Red-Cross certified in pet first aid/CPR. Call 994-9449 or visit us at www.TampaCatLady.com.

R E A L

E S T A T E

Foreclosure Homes & Bank REO listings by email at www.TampaForeclosuresToday.com. Team Bohannon, Coldwell Banker 813-982-7512

P O O L

S E R V I C E S

ENJOY YOUR POOL, WHILE WE MAINTAIN IT. KJ POOL SERVICE. Servicing pools for over 6 years. FIRST MONTH FREE, PLUS FREE EVALUATION & QUOTE Owner & Operator. LICENSE, BONDED & INSURED. Office: 813.909.9466 Cell: 813.748.9817. kjpoolservice@yahoo.com. Visit our website @ kjpoolonline.com TRANQUILITY POOL SERVICE - New Tampa owned & operated. Great Pricing with outstanding customer service! Licensed, Bonded & Insured. CALL CHRIS TODAY @ 813-857-5400 or visit WWW.TRANQUILITYPOOLSERVICE.COM to see why we are NEW TAMPA’S # 1 CHOICE! New customer’s 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 813-780-8616 TODAY and get 1 MONTH OF QUALITY SERVICE FREE. www.aquatecpool.com

S E L L Y O U R S T U F F Turn your clutter into cash! Garage & estate sales, inventory liquidation,& appraisal services. We'll sell it for you online!We evaluate & appraise your products then get you top dollar. We do the work you get the cash. Ask me how, contact Mary at 813-428-5793

O F F I C E

S P A C E

Office Space for rent. Small private offices in upscale office park located in Tampa Palms area. Very Affordable. Call Jeanette Yates, WEICHERT, REALTORS-Yates & Associates at 813-933-1761.

T A I C H I L E S S O N S Tai Chi Classes open to the public at the Club Tampa Palms. Benefits: Strength, Flexibility, Balance, Focus and reduced stress. New Beginner 6 week courses starting every few months Thursday evening’s 7-8 pm. Space is limited. Also personal instruction in Tai Chi, Kempo Karate, Boot Camp Fitness training and more. With more than 31 years of training and teaching experience. Please contact me for more details or go to: chuan-fa.org. Peter #787-7560 or E-mail chuan-fa@tampabay.rr.com

M I S C E L L A N E O U S NEED EXTRA MONEY... We can turn your unwanted, old or broken gold jewelry into CASH! Take advantage of high gold prices which may not last long. Don't sell to the fly by night companies. Take it to Tampa Palms Hometown Jeweler. Jeweler on staff w/ 35 years experience. Charles Jewelers, 972-4653 (next to Stein Mart on Bruce B. Downs).

BRIDGE PLAYERS WANTED Intermediate level, rubber/party bridge. Join an enjoyable, warm, casual, mixed small group in New Tampa. Once or twice per month for three-hour session in selected homes of members. 1-2 tables maximum. Free. No frills. Daytime. Weekdays. Don't hesitate. Call Harry at 813 907-2541 for details.

OFFICE FURNITURE: CHERRY DESK with matching credenza, desk chair and side chair. $900 or make best offer OFFICE FRAMED WORLD MAPS with gold leaf $10 each or 3 for $20 POTTED PALMS ON PATIO- $50 each or 3 for $125. Contact Judi Beck 813-972-3430.

SPRINKLER REPAIR Sprinkler Repair with FL Waterworks: We’ve been in the sprinkler repair business for over 5 years! All of our work is 100% guaranteed and we offer written warranties on all of our work! Call us today for fast friendly service! We want to earn your business, and be your local Tampa Bay Sprinkler Repair Contractor for Life! CALL NOW (813) 2397345 or visit FlWaterWorksIrrigation.com.

For Advertising Information Call 813-910-2575 • Volume 19, Issue 25 • December 3, 2011 • www.NTNeighborhoodNews.com