New Tampa Neighborhood News, Volume 33, Issue 1, January 7, 2025

January 7, 2025

New Tampa Schools Have 4 Education Awards Finalists!

Roxanne Coriell, Adam Wilinsky, Antonyia McCray & Bonnie Walters All Still Vying For Top Honors

By Celeste McLaughlin Neighborhood News Correspondent

Four representatives of New Tampa’s public schools have been announced as finalists for the 2025 Excellence in Education (EIE) Awards.

From more than 13,000 teachers in Hillsborough County, one of five finalists will be named Teacher of the Year at the event, which is hosted by the Hillsborough Education Foundation, in partnership with Hillsborough County Public Schools, on Thursday, January 23, at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Tampa.

Similarly, one of five finalists will be named the Ida S. Baker Diversity Educator of the Year, and one of four finalists will be awarded Instructional Support Employee of the Year honors.

New Tampa is represented in all three of the categories, including two of the Teacher of the Year finalists.

Roxanne (Roxi) Coriell, a kindergarten teacher at Hunter’s Green Elementary, and Adam Wilinsky, a fifth grade math and science teacher at Pride Elementary, are both finalists for Teacher of the Year.

In addition, Antonyia McCray, the success coach at Freedom High, is a finalist for Ida S. Baker Diversity Educator of the Year. And Bonnie Walters, Secretary 4 at

AFTERMATH OF A TRAGEDY

A murder-suicide in New Tampa devastates a family & hits too close to home for our editor.

See page 3

Tampa Palms Elementary, is a finalist for Instructional Support Employee of the Year.

On December 2, the finalists were visited by the “Surprise Patrol,” made up of representatives from the Hillsborough

NEW TAMPA’S HOLIDAY RECAP

Two “Nutcrackers,” plus Christmas & Hanukkah celebrations & more.

See pages 6-7

Education Foundation, Hillsborough County Public Schools and the EIE event sponsors.

Roxi Coriell was visibly shocked as the Surprise Patrol entered her classroom that Monday morning, the first day back after this

55+ COMMUNITIES IN THE CHAP!

Two new home communities & a rental apartment complex attracting active seniors to Wesley Chapel.

See pages 8 & 10-11

year’s Thanksgiving break.“I’m so honored to be the Hunter’s Green Teacher of the Year,” she later said, “and then, every step of the way, has been another complete surprise.”

See “Awards Finalists” on pg. 4

SHAKE SHACK IS OPEN, BUT... Chicken Guy! opening delayed, Winn-Dixie & Aussie Grill close & more local dining news.

See pages 38-45

(L.-r.)

2024 Hillsborough County Teacher of the Year Dr. Clayton Nylund of Blake High, Hillsborough Superintendent of Schools Van Ayres, 2025 Teacher of the Year finalist Roxanne (Roxi) Coriell, School Board chair Jessica Vaughn & Hunter’s Green Elementary principal Nicole Libby. (Photo provided by Hillsborough Public Schools)

‘We Didn’t Lose Our Father. He Was Taken From Us.’

An Editorial by GARY NAGER

On Dec. 18, Gabriel Glantz, who had been living in his mom Marcia’s homeland of Brazil, was staying at his childhood home in Kingshyre at Cross Creek, awaiting the impending birth of his sister Isabel’s baby. Gabe says there was a knock at the door, and since he was making dinner, his father, Steve, went to see who was there.

Seconds later, Gabe heard multiple gunshots fired and minutes later, ambulance and law enforcement vehicles arrived on the scene and sped Steve away to a hospital. But tragically, Steve passed away shortly after reaching the hospital.

Not long after his father had been shot, Gabe, 37, heard one additional shot fired, which was apparently the gunman — the Glantzes’ Kingshyre neighbor Timothy Lobianco, 66 — taking his own life. Gabe says that Lobianco apparently walked back to his own house, told his wife “I did something...and don’t follow me,” before walking back outside and shooting himself.

Although the Glantz family doesn’t fully know why Lobianco killed this beloved husband, father and grandfather, Gabe’s brother Kyle, 34, said that Steve, Lobianco and another longtime Kingshyre neighbor had done quite a bit of motorcycle riding together. But, several years ago, Lobianco suffered a head injury in a serious accident on his bike and his demeanor definitely grew angrier in the years that followed.

“We don’t know why our dad became the focal point of [Lobianco’s] anger,” Kyle told me a week or so after Steve was laid to rest on Dec. 22 at the Gan Shalom Cemetery on County Line Rd. in Lutz. “All we know is that we didn’t lose our father. He was taken from us.” And, as if the shooting wasn’t tragic enough, Steve was killed the same night Isabel, 28, gave birth to a baby girl. Marcia, Steve’s wife of 40 years, was already at the hospital with their daughter when Steve was shot.

Although Steve and I never really “hung out” together much, we became close friends during his several-year stint as the volunteer president of what was then called the New Tampa Little League (NTLL), when we both had sons playing ball at what is now called Eber Field on Kinnan St., just north of Cross Creek Blvd. Steve was completely dedicated to not only running the league, but also expertly handling the inevitable squabbles between parents, as well as always making sure the fields were kept perfectly manicured. He loved the field maintenance so much, he kept handling it long after he was no longer running the league.

Seemingly always smiling, always personable, the one-time All-American high school springboard diver and barefoot waterskier was, “an amazing husband, father and friend,” according to Hazzan Jodi Sered-Lever of Congregation Mekhor Shalom, who presided over Steve’s burial, which was attended by more than 200 people (including yours truly), the vast majority being New Tampa neighbors who came to support and pay their respects to the Glantz family, who buried Steve only four days after he was killed.

Kyle was the first to speak at the funeral. “From our family to everybody here,” he said, “the amount of support, the outpouring of love and prayers and thoughts ...you don’t understand how much it has helped us trying to traverse through these last few days. This crowd is a testament to who our father was and the impact that he left on not only our family but on this entire community, from Little League to running into him at Publix,

I just want to say a most sincere ‘thank you.’ It truly means a lot and it’s just fulfilling to know how much my father meant to so many people.”

To that sentiment, Gabe then added, “I think everyone here will take how [our dad] viewed life with them into the future. He was a wonderful father, but I don’t think we realized just how blessed we really were. He was always there for us, and myself in particular, to where I knew that I could take much larger risks than I should because I knew he was always there, no matter what.”

He added, “Everyone knows he was a community guy...friends with and always keeping up with everyone. He was involved in the Little League for a long time. Even after Kyle and I stopped playing, he stuck around for 5 or 6 more years just because he liked riding around on that lawn mower. He put our grandfather Arnold up in that hot dog truck, selling burgers and hot dogs at the fields on the weekends, just so they could be closer together. I don’t know which he loved more — meeting up with people at Publix or sitting in Section 116 at the Lightning games.”

Gabe also noted, “The last time we went to Publix together was after he picked me up at the airport and he took me to a specific line just to show me off to one of my high school friends’ mothers.”

He then closed by saying, “In light of recent events, just be nice...love thy neighbor...and if you come across anything you find unusual in the community that you think someone needs to know about, don’t hesitate because...you just never know.”

After Steve’s sons were finished speaking, Hazzan Sered-Lever named all of Steve’s relatives and then turned her attention to his passing.

“Tragically, we are all here today because of evil. Evil has touched Steven’s family, his friends and this community and all who knew and loved him.”

She continued, “Why did this destruction

and devastation take place? Where was God? Why didn’t God protect Steven? As painful and as heartbreaking as it is to take in, I submit that God can not stop human acts of evil from happening. The prayers in my prayer book describe God as ‘gracious and compassionate.’ If God could have stopped this, God would have, but God couldn’t. So, where is God in this unmitigated tragedy? God is the source of comfort who is with us as we take the necessary steps to continue living in the face of our heartbreak. And, through this heartbreak, we remember, we honor, and we pay tribute to Steven.”

And finally, Hazzan Shered-Lever said, “Steven was compassionate, dedicated, committed, a hard worker and a planner. He was a people person, which also made him so successful in sales. But, it was never transactional [with him]. It was always [about] relationships. He loved to talk to people and was an extraordinary listener. People would open up to him like magic. He knew everyone’s life story, taking after his dad. He always wanted to help anybody and everybody. His friendship was legendary and he sought to solve any problem someone was experiencing.” (Note-As one of those friends Steve helped back when he was the president of the Little League, I can attest first-hand to the truth of this statement). “He experienced such joy in interacting with people that he was the mayor of wherever he went, including the Little League, and one of the fields was named in his honor.”

Steven was a consummate family man. His family was more important to him than anything else in the world.

“To the entire Glantz family, we can not take away your pain, but we are holding each one of you in our hearts. The love you have for Steven and his love for each one of you endures forever.”

Rest in peace, Steve. You are sorely missed.

New Tampa Neighborhood News

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Nothing that appears in New Tampa Neighborhood News may be reproduced, whether wholly or in part, without permission. Opinions expressed by New Tampa Neighborhood News writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the publisher’s opinion. The deadline for outside editorial submissions and advertisements for Volume 33, Issue 3, of New Tampa Neighborhood News is Thursday, January 23, 2025.

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Steven Alan Glantz August 23, 1957-December 18, 2024

‘Awards Finalists’

HGE principal Nicole Libby says Coriell is an innovator who genuinely deserves the nomination.

“Mrs. Coriell is an exceptional educator who truly embodies the qualities of a dedicated and impactful teacher,” Libby says. “Her ability to create an engaging, nurturing, and inclusive learning environment sets her apart and makes her incredibly deserving of this recognition.”

Meanwhile, at Tampa Palms Elementary, principal Angela Gluth says secretary Bonnie Walters, who has worked at the school for 27 years, is the heartbeat of their campus.

“If she were to win at the District level, it would mean everything to us,” Gluth says. “It would be an opportunity for everyone

to know what we already know about how special and amazing she is. She doesn’t necessarily want the recognition, but I can’t think of a more deserving person.”

Congratulations to all four of the finalists, as well as to all of the teachers and school staff members who were chosen to represent their respective schools as nominees for this year’s EIE awards. That complete list appears below.

New Tampa’s 2025 Hillsborough Education Foundation EIE Awards Nominees

Chiles Elementary Teacher of the Year: Felicia Sell, 2nd Grade Teacher

Ida S. Baker Diversity Educator of the Year: Marie Exantus, Varying Exceptionalities (VE) Teacher

Instructional Support Employee of the

Murillo,

Clark Elementary

Teacher: Brittany Long, 5th Grade Teacher

Ida S. Baker: Donna Clark, ESOL Resource Teacher

Support Employee: Alena Plumb, Secretary 1

Heritage Elementary

Teacher: Heather Leitzke, Access Points Teacher

Ida S. Baker: Lauren Sturlaugson, Media Specialist

Support Employee: Aracely Garcia, Head Custodian

Hunter’s Green Elementary Teacher: *Roxanne Coriell, Kindergarten Teacher

Ida S. Baker: Michelle Lilius, ESOL Resource Teacher

Support Employee: Ivan Vazquez Rico, Custodian

Year: Cristhian Valladares

Night Crew Leader Custodian

(Above, l.-r.) Dr. Clayton Nylund, Jessica Vaughn, 2025 Teacher of the Year finalist Adam Wilinsky, Pride Elementary principal Paulette English, Van Ayres & TPE secretary 4 Bonnie Walters. (Below, l.-r.) School Board member Lynn Gray, Antonyia McCray, Freedom principal Kevin Stephenson & School Board Vice Chair Karen Perez

Pride Elementary

Teacher: *Adam Wilinsky, 5th Grade Teacher

Ida S. Baker: Christine Goff, School Counselor

Support Employee: Alexandria DeJoseph, Principal’s Secretary

Tampa Palms Elementary

Teacher: Elizabeth DaSilva, 3rd Grade Teacher

Ida S. Baker: Lindsay Vizzi, Speech Lang. Pathologist

Support Employee: *Bonnie Walters, Secretary 4

Turner-Bartels K-8 School

Teacher: Elaine Kurtright, Media Specialist

Ida S. Baker: Marelisa Moreno, ESOL Resource Teacher

Support Employee: Sheila Swain, Bookkeeper

Benito Middle School

Teacher: Chris Ellis, English Teacher

Ida S. Baker: Felicia Chalmers, Varying Exceptionalities Teacher

Support Employee: Mili Criswell, Exceptional Student Education Paraprof. 2

Liberty Middle School Teacher: Natalia Maritza Sutton, Math Teacher

Ida S. Baker: Dottie Urbanek-Nash, School Social Worker

Support Employee: Angela J. Gonzalez, Data Processor

Freedom High Teacher: Barrett Biernacki, Phys. Education Teacher

Ida S. Baker: *Antonyia McCray, Student Success Coach

Support Employee: Annmarie McLaughlin, Principal’s Secretary 4

Wharton High Teacher: Christi Atkinson, Science Teacher

Ida S. Baker: Amanda Rizzi, Access Teacher

Support Employee: Ona Miller, Principal’s Secretary

New Tampa’s Holiday Season Includes Two ‘Nutcrackers’ & Much More!

By Gary Nager

As a direct-mail newspaper that only hits mailboxes every four weeks, it’s hard for us to publish some stories because they’re already “old” by the time our next issue reaches you.

For example, by the time this issue reaches you, Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa will all be distant memories and the year 2025 will already be in full swing, as even the kids will be back in school the same day this issue is scheduled to reach you.

Even so, photographer Charmaine George and I attended many of the local holiday-themed events last month — some or even all of which you may have missed — including two different local performances of “The Nutcracker,” the annual New Tampa Christmas tree and Hanukkah menorah lighting events and even the unique second-annual Renaissance-era “Madrigal Dinner” hosted by the Freedom High chorus at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center, which isn’t specifically a holiday event, but which was held on December 5 and included an actual delicious dinner for those who attended.

The top two photos on this page are from the New Tampa Dance Theatre’s “preview” performance on Dec. 7 at the Shops at Wiregrass. Charmaine took these pictures since neither she nor I were available to attend NTDT’s full “Nutcracker” ballet performances at the University of South Florida Dec. 20-22. Charmaine said that the huge crowd of people at the mall was definitely captivated by the ballet.

I took the bottom three photos on this page during one of the Tampa City Ballet (TCB)’s three performances of “The Nutcracker” at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC) Dec. 13-15. Not only were the dancers (adults and children) all amazing, the choreography by TCB’s Paula Nunez, as well as the costumes and sets, were all as impressive as you would see at any big-city ballet company performance of Tchaikovsky’s holiday masterpiece. TCB also performed “The Nutcracker” at USF Dec. 7-10.

I had really hoped to attend Freedom High’s Madrigal Dinner at NTPAC (see the two top left photos on the next page) but Char-

maine said it was super-fun, with great singing, funny skits and a delicious dinner of chicken parmesan and salad, plus tiramisu for dessert.

On Dec. 2, the City of Tampa’s New Tampa Recreation Center and Parks & Recrea-

tion Department hosted the annual Christmas tree lighting event and parade (two top right photos on the next page) and a nice crowd of around 200 people attended to participate and watch the youth dance performances, enjoy

the lighting ceremony and spend a little quality time with Santa Claus himself!

And finally, on Dec. 26 (the second night of Hanukkah), the New Tampa Rec Center also hosted the second annual Hanukkah me-

Wesley Chapel Adding Multiple Communities For Ages 55+!

Esplanade At Wiregrass Ranch, Valencia Ridge & Amberlin Apartments Are Adding

Introduction By Gary Nager

Wesley Chapel is one of the fast est-growing communities in the U.S. and even though it is primarily known for being a haven for young families, portions of the community are being built to accommodate older adults, too.

After nearly a one-year delay, Amber lin Apartments, a 55+ rental community located on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. across from BayCare Wesley Chapel hospital, finally welcomed its first residents on Dec. 10.In addition, two large single-family 55+ communities are taking shape along the extension of Chancey Rd. — one also in Wiregrass Ranch and the other just east of it.

Esplanade at Wiregrass is actually the second 55+ community with a Wesley Chapel address (the built-out Anand Vihar in Meadow Pointe was the first), and the Taylor Morrison Homes community already has homes on 600 of its 800 total lots.

Further to the east on the Chancey Rd. extension is Valencia Ridge, the GL Homes community we told you about months ago but which is just now coming on line with model homes, to the north of its “sister” GL Homes community — Winding Ridge.

Correspondent Joel Provenzano & I will tell you all about Esplanade, Valencia Ridge & Amberlin on pgs. 10-11.

‘Curb Appeal’ For Active

Seniors!

Esplanade At Wiregrass Ranch

This time of year is especially busy for a certain sector of real estate in Florida — the age 55+ community. Florida prides itself on notewor thy 55+ communities like Sun City Center, one of the first master planned retirement communities in the U.S., and The Villages, the largest such 55+ community in the world, with more than 80,000 residents sprawled across multiple Florida counties (and still growing).

Wesley Chapel has recently been getting in on this growing trend, and for good reason — location, location, location! And, were not talking about just the weather, but more like what Wesley Chapel has to offer in regards to extensive access to world-class health care options (including two, and soon to be three, hospitals and a huge variety of medical specialists) and lots of local dining, shopping, entertainment and leisure activities.

Surprisingly, most of these new residents in Wesley Chapel are not seasonal — many just come down “in season” to buy or rent and become permanent residents, and many of them are retired.

Three of the newest communities where builders are still rushing to get a foothold in this age 55+ market are Esplanade at Wiregrass Ranch (by Taylor Morrison), Valencia Ridge (by GL Homes), and the rental apartment community Amberlin at Wiregrass Ranch (by Sparrow Living), although more are on the way.

Esplanade, touted as, “One of Taylor Morrison’s beautiful, 55+ resort lifestyle communities,” has been open for a couple of years now and is being built in phases, with about 600 homes built in four phases so far. With those first phases nearing build-out, the community’s last two phases — 5a and 5b — will add around another 200 lots.

A source familiar with the project, but who asked not to be named, said that Phase 4 took a little longer than expected, due to the project having to extend the main road through the community — Provincale Pkwy. — further to the south, where it will soon intersect with the Chancey Rd. extension at a second gated entry for the Esplanade community.

As you travel north along Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. past the many roundabouts, you come to an all-way stop intersection with Chancey Rd., which serves the communities of Estancia, the Arbors at Wiregrass and Persimmon Park.

Now heading east from that intersection is the new Chancey Rd. extension, which began building in 2023 and “appeared” to be completed earlier this year. But, anyone who has driven past it has noticed the “Road Closed” and “Sidewalk Closed” barriers that have been sitting there for a couple of months now, blocking access to that new 0.7-mile stretch of road.

At the other end of that Chancey Rd. extension is the location for that future second gated entry for Esplanade, which will provide direct access to Phases 5A and 5B, which is why dump trucks have been going down there day after day — they’ve been using it as a construction entrance so as not to drive through the rest of the community.

That part of Chancey Rd. will likely be opened once the new gate is constructed and functional, but it might not be until after all passes are completed, and it is no longer being used as a construction entrance. It’s too early to tell and those details were not yet available at our press time.

At some point in the future, Chancey Rd. will be extended even further east to intersect with Meadow Pointe Blvd, tying in at the existing signal that serves Double Branch Elementary and the Haven at Meadow Pointe subdivision.

gin (or what the pricing for those homes will be), but we were told that the 75’-wide lot option is no longer going to be offered. Ac cording to the community sales map, that means that only 45’-, 52’- and 62’-wide lots would be available in these new phases.

The same person told us that one big difference between Esplanade and the planned Valencia Ridge community (see below) are the lot sizes — noting that while the width options are the same, the lot depths in Esplanade are significantly deeper — with 135’-, 145’- and 155’-ft. depths in Esplanade vs. 110’-, 125’- and 135’-ft. depths at Valencia Ridge (as shown in the Valencia Ridge FAQ sheet) for similar-width lots.

While this may not sound like that big of a deal, the depth differences can mean the difference between having a pool and no yard vs. having a pool and some usable yard left over, or having a pool with an extended patio option, which is a fantastic option Taylor Morrison offers with homes in Esplanade, and with some patios as large as 570 sq ft. (Note-Valencia Ridge does offer similar size patio extensions on some floor plans).

However, our review of the plat for Valencia Ridge on the Pasco property appraiser’s website showed multiple premium oversized lots with depths up to 155’. But, it appears the most common lot depth in Valencia Ridge is 135’.

We also noticed that the lots the future model homes are located on are 145’ or 155’ deep and 63’ wide, which is not typical in Valencia Ridge, so potential buyers always need to be fully aware of the lot size of the model they looked at vs. the lot size of any lot they are interested in purchasing.

Our source with Esplanade said that it’s likely that a total of eight floor plans will be offered in the community, going all the way up to around 3,000 sq. ft., with 3-car garages, 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. The planned designs are a great blend between traditional and modern looks with fantastic exterior detailing. Current base prices in the existing phases in Esplanade (but it’s unknown if this pricing will translate to the new phases) range from $400,000+ to $800,000+.

Esplanade, which was named the 2023 Single-Family Community of the Year by the Tampa Bay Builders Assn., includes a beautiful clubhouse, known as The Venue, with fitness and aerobics, meeting and gathering spaces, a catering kitchen,

lawn, fenced “bark park” and tot lot playground.

Valencia Ridge Update

Meanwhile, the Valencia brand claims to be “Experts in 55+ Living Since 1996,” with Valencia Ridge being the 20th Valencia community since the developer began building, with the others being located all up and down the east and west coasts of Florida.

Although it’s not quite as centrally located in Wesley Chapel as Esplanade (as it is located 3.5 miles further east on (and north of) S.R. 56, Valencia Ridge’s location is still good, nestled on the property just north of Winding Ridge, which also is a GL Homes community, but which is not age-restricted. Valencia Ridge will be built in three phases, totaling 517 lots, with the initial first and second phases (being built together) having 395 homesites between them.

The Valencia Ridge sales team members, like Tim Nelson, have been operating out of a model in the built-out Winding Ridge community, but are getting very close to moving to the north in an actual Valencia Ridge model. These planned models can be seen as renderings in the packet that’s available at the Valencia Ridge sales office in Winding Ridge. The move won’t happen until the portion of Two Ridges Rd from S.R. 56 to Valencia Ridge has been completed. Tim says they were hopeful the road would have been done in time to move the sales office into the Valencia property last month, with the models opening after the holidays, ideally around or on January 18. He says that all depends upon when the road can be opened to traffic, something he is eagerly awaiting.

In our article about Wyndfields Blvd. (the road with many names) in July 2024, we mentioned that Two Ridges Rd. would be aligning with Wyndfields Blvd at S.R. 56 (and will be

That portion of Two Ridges Rd. has been under construction since 2019, but is getting very close to finally receiving pavement.

Even more exciting is that we had previously mentioned that the northern 0.4 miles to connect to S.R. 54 (at the signal with River Glen Blvd) would be done at a later date, but that appears to be happening now! We saw earth movers and excavators in full force between the entrance of Valencia Ridge and S.R. 54, making way for the rest of Two Ridges Rd. to be completed from S.R. 56 all the way to SR 54.

In the portion of this story about Esplanade, we discussed the difference in lot sizes and how that (according to our source) could affect the ability to have pools and usable yards.

We wanted to mention here that the FAQs for Valencia Ridge state that pools are being offered, “as an available option for purchase, and many home sites can accommodate a pool. However, our Signature Collection Homes [with 110’ lot depths] will not accommodate pools.”

The extension of Chancey Rd. will provide access to Phases 5A & 5B of Esplanade (map above right). ; Please note that the Phase 5A & 5B label locations are approximate & are not to scale)

When the models do open early next year, there will be at least one model for each of the available nine floor plans, ranging from the 1,674- sq.-ft. Camelia model, with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a 2-car garage, to the 3,139-sq.-ft. Emerald model, with 4 bed rooms, 4.5 bathrooms and a 3-car garage. Like Esplanade, current pricing in Valencia Ridge is within the $400,000+-$800,000+ range.

Tim also said that one important difference between Valencia Ridge and Esplanade is that, of all things, Valencia Ridge will allow all yards to be fully fenced-in with black metal bar fences, but that Esplanade does not allow that, which could be a potential deal killer, especially for some pet owners.

When we asked our unnamed source with Esplanade if this was true, we were told, “Yes.... at least partially true. We won’t allow rear fences on lots that are on ponds, but if your lot backs up to conservation [or something other than a pond] it can be fully fenced-in.” This was due, they said, to wanting to fully preserve the water views for all residents who pay lot premiums for those views.

According to its website, Valencia Ridge will boast a world-class clubhouse with multiple pools, pickleball courts, tennis courts, an expansive gym, restaurant and bar, sports lounge and large event hall. These amenities are the hallmark of the Valencia communities throughout Florida.

So, we guess it’s going to be up to each future owner’s preference as to which amenities and restrictions are more important, among all the other things each community offers. — These updates written by Joel Provenzano

Amberlin Apartments Now Open!

Of course, not everyone wants to own a home and have to deal with the headaches that

That’s why “maintenance-free” 55+ rental communities like Amberlin at Wiregrass Ranch by Sparrow Living also are popping up across Florida.

As Wesley Chapel’s only 55+ rental community, Amberlin had been hotly anticipated in Wesley Chapel, but numerous construction delays caused a lot of people who had applications in and deposits down with plans to move in (including the Nagers) to decide they couldn’t wait any longer, especially with the huge proliferation of rental apartments in and around the three Wesley Chapel zip codes — even though none of those other communities are restricted to ages 55+.

Jannah and I were among the group of Amberlin renters originally told that the apartments would become available sometime in January 2024. But, we kept receiving news of delay upon delay that caused us to look elsewhere and eventually (in June of this year) move into another rental community that started building after Amberlin. However, Amberlin’s management continued to host its future residents at various locations

finally move into their respective apartments. That news finally came earlier this month, when dozens of Amberlin renters were finally given access to their apartments on Dec. 10, although only one building was ready for move-ins at our press time. And, although the Amberlin clubhouse was completed (top right photo), its interior furnishings and amenities, including what looks like it will be a beautiful resort-style pool and the much-anticipated pickleball court, were not yet completed.

Amberlin sales specialist Kylie Ward, who Jannah and I call “Smiley Kylie,” and her co-workers have somehow kept their wits about them amidst a growing chorus of concern among Amberlin’s current and future residents.

“It hasn’t been easy,” Kylie admitted to us on Dec. 12, “but we are excited to finally have residents moving in and getting settled. We hope to have the interior of the clubhouse, the pool and

Lott (see photo on page 8), who has been living in a local hotel for the last few months because she had already sold her villa in Seven Oaks, says that what Amberlin has to offer has been worth the wait.

“I’ve already met and become friends with so many wonderful fellow tenants here,” Fran told us while directing her movers where to place her furniture, art and books. “Amberlin already has been providing me with a wonderful social life and that’s really the main reason I wanted to move in here in the first place.”

So, even though most of the 204 total units are not yet complete and the entire community is still something of a construction site, it does appear that Amberlin at Wiregrass Ranch has at least turned the corner.

For more information about Amberlin at Wiregrass Ranch and its free Open House on Thursday, January 16, 2 p.m.-5 p.m., call (813) 669-0391 or visit SparrowLiving.com. — GN

New Driving Range The First Of Many Improvements At Saddlebrook!

By Gary Nager

by Charmaine George & GN

Since Mast Capital purchased Saddlebrook Resort & Spa from the resort’s late founder and owner Tom Dempsey back in 2022, the Wesley Chapel community has been anxiously waiting to see what Mast was going to do to update and upgrade what was once the jewel of Wesley Chapel.

To that end, on Dec. 11, Saddlebrook and Mast unveiled the resort’s newly relocated golf driving range with a “first drive” ceremony, a champagne toast and a great party that thunder, lightning and the possibility of heavy rain cut short.

With Saddlebrook’s former driving range along S.R. 54 being replaced with apartments, the range was relocated to a portion of the former Palmer Course, one of two Arnold Palmer-designed 18-hole courses at the resort. But, Mast decided to do away with nine of the Palmer Course’s 18 holes and the new driving range takes up about six of the other nine holes.

When the renovations are complete, Saddlebrook will be left with 27 holes of championship golf.

Mast Capital chief investment officer Jordan Kornberg promised that the new driv ing range “is just the beginning. We will be returning Saddlebrook to its former glory.”

Among those joining Kornberg for the ceremonial first drive (complete with exploding golf balls) were the resort’s managing director Raj Mohan, District 1 Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano and Florida Sports Coast executive director Adam Thomas.

Mohan said he was looking forward to the community seeing the changes now in motion at Saddlebrook and Mariano also expressed excitement for the future of the resort.

Attendees were treated to a picnic-style lunch with fried chicken, beef brisket and curried pork with all the trimmings, as well as enough umbrellas for everyone in attendance, as heavy showers were a looming possibility.

For more information about Saddlebrook Resort, visit Saddlebrook.com or call (813) 973-1111.

(Top, l.-r.) Jordan Kornberg of Mast Capital, Pasco County Comm. Jack Mariano & Florida Sports Coast exec. director Adam Thomas were among those who took the first swings on the new driving range at Saddlebrook Resort on Dec. 11. (Above, l.-r.) Saddlebrook managing director Raj Mohan, Kornberg & Mariano all spoke at the event.

Photos

Baseball & Softball Are For Everyone At The North Tampa Athletic Association!

By Celeste McLaughlin Neighborhood News Correspondent

When Duncan Pastore was growing up in New Tampa, he played recreational baseball with what is now the North Tampa Athletic As sociation (NTAA), dreaming of one day playing Major League Baseball.

Duncan became a Wharton High standout who recently signed with the New York Yankees and, at age 24, is currently playing for its Sin gle-A affiliate, the Yankees’ Florida State League (Single A) affiliate, the Tampa Tarpons.

Back in Duncan’s NTAA days, his father Lou was one of the league’s volunteers, ensuring his son and others in the community had a thriving league for youth baseball and softball, even serving as league president.

“Duncan playing with the Yankees is a dream come true,” Lou says. “It’s every kid’s dream to play professional baseball and eventu ally [make it to] the big leagues. As you move up the ladder from high school to college, the chances of you making it one step further is less each time. The fact that he was able to do it makes me, his mom, and everyone who knows him extremely proud of him.”

And to think, it all started on the fields in New Tampa.

This spring, hundreds of boys and girls will have their opportunity to work on their dreams their dreams to follow in Duncan’s footsteps, while others will play just to get outside, have fun and develop skills such as teamwork and sportsmanship in the NTAA.

right in the heart of New Tampa, and a lot of people don’t know about it,” Robert says.

While the NTAA had more than 450 players last season, Robert says an ideal size would be closer to 600-700 playing baseball and softball. “The more teams there are, the more competitive it is,” Robert explains. “I’d rather have 10 teams in each division instead of three. It’s more fun.”

That’s why he and others from the entirely

nan St., and the other is Live Oak Park, located behind Turner Bartels K-8 School.

“Every night the parks are bustling,” Robert says. “If you drive by Eber Field on a Tuesday night, you’ll see games on two fields, concessions are open, families are everywhere,” he says. “You can go hang out and feel the sense of community.”

Registration for the Spring 2025 NTAA season will remain open until mid-January.

That’s vastly different than at the nearby Wesley Chapel Athletic Association (WCAA), where registration filled within minutes of opening.

Some parents have asked why NTAA is open for registration while WCAA is completely full. What’s the difference?

According to Robert, it all comes down to capacity.

With the ongoing explosive growth of Wesley Chapel (vs. the nearly-built-out community in New Tampa), there’s simply more demand for WCAA youth baseball and softball than there is space for players.

Because WCAA and NTAA are both part of the Babe Ruth League, there are flexible geographic boundaries, unlike with Little League Baseball programs. So, WCAA’s capacity is crunched by both tremendous growth in its “home” area, and kids from Dade City and Zephyrhills who want to play in Wesley Chapel.

Meanwhile, NTAA’s geographic location makes it sandwiched in between other areas where New Tampa kids can go to play, such as Lutz or Wesley Chapel.

That means there’s still room in the NTAA for kids in nearby Wesley Chapel to be part of a league that is this year celebrating 10 years since switching from Little League Baseball to the Babe Ruth League, which provides more flexibility for players who don’t live in the 33647 zip code.

“It’s a great outlet to have fun,” Lou says of participation in NTAA. “Sports can teach kids a lot about how to grow up and mature and become great leaders and teammates. At the same

time, kids can just go out and play and not have to worry about clean ing their room or all the things they have to do.”

Lou says NTAA taught his son to be a role model for other kids, which started with Duncan looking up to the older players, and then wanting to be like them.

“Duncan wanted to break the park’s home run record,” Lou explains, “and then, when he was 12, he did it. The younger kids looking on went chasing for that home run ball as if (Yankees star) Aaron Judge himself had hit it over the fence. They ran it back to the dugout and Duncan signed it and gave it back to them. He learned to be a role model at such a young age, and that’s a big part of who he is today.”

Lou currently actually works for the Yankees as a groundskeeper for George Steinbrenner Field, where the Tampa Tarpons play, and still also maintains the fields for NTAA.

“I have now taken care of every field Duncan has played on since he started playing baseball,” Lou says, adding that he also takes a lot of pride in maintaining the fields so NTAA kids have an outstanding place to play.

In January, Duncan will return to his childhood baseball fields to host a one-day

NTAA ‘Youth Day With The Pros’

The NTAA will host “Youth Day with the Pros,” a one-day baseball camp, on Saturday, January 11, at the baseball fields at Live Oak. Current professional baseball players, including NTAA alum Duncan Pastore, will put on a one-day camp for young players, ages 5-12.

Youth Day with the Pros is for players of any skill level who wants to prepare for the upcoming Spring 2025 baseball season by training with professionals.

To register, visit NT-AA.com

camp for young players, ages 5 to 12, whether or not they are registered to play with NTAA. He will be joined by other professional baseball players who want to give back to their community and mentor young people who want to sharpen their skills.

“Youth Day with the Pros” will be held on Saturday, January 11, at the Live Oak baseball complex. To register, go to NT-AA.com.

Registration for NTAA’s spring baseball and softball season is open now through mid-January. Players must be at least three years old on April 30, 2025, and no older than 16 on that date. Practices, which begin in early February (the season runs through May) are held at Live Oak Park (behind Turner Bartels K-8 School) and Eber Field (at the corner of Cross Creek Blvd. and Kinnan St.). For more information, see the ad below. To register, go to NT-AA.com.

Duncan Pastore (Source: Nova SE University)

Tuesday, January 7, 6 p.m. — New Tampa Community Crime Update. At New Tampa Recreation Center. Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera & the Tampa Police Dept. will update New Tampa on crime statistics & trends.

Saturday, January 11, 9:30 a.m. –3 p.m. — North Tampa Athletic Assn. “Youth Day With The Pros. To register & for more info, visit NTAA.com or see the story & ad on pgs. 14-15.

Sunday, January 12, 3 p.m.-5 p.m.– “New Tampa Unplugged,” featuring Daniella Mass. At New Tampa Performing Arts Center (8550 Hunters Village Rd.). Daniella Mass, “The Liri Pop Princess,” is a composer and young coloratura soprano from Colombia who was featured on “America’s Got Talent.” Tickets cost $15 for a theater seat, $20 for a table seat. To purchase tickets & get more info, call (813) 829-2760 or visit NewTampaArtsCenter.org/events.

Monday, January 13, 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. – “New Tampa Unplugged,” featuring the Reflections Chamber Ensemble’s “O King.” At New Tampa Performing Arts Center (8550 Hunters Village Rd.). A celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, featuring music by AfricanAmerican composers. Tickets cost $15 for a theater seat, $20 for a table seat. To purchase tickets & get more info, call (813) 829-2760 or visit NewTampaArtsCenter.org/events.

Wednesday, January 15, 9 a.m. – North Tampa Bay Chamber Coffee Social. At the new Chamber office, Shops at Wiregrass (28329 Paseo Dr., Ste. 195). Wake up and celebrate the new year. Free to attend. For more info, call (813) 994-8534

or visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com/events.

Thursday, January 16, 2 p.m.-5 p.m. –

Amberlin Wiregrass Ranch Open House. At Amberlin Wiregrass Ranch (28355 Sparrows Edge Cir.). Explore the resort-style amenities, tour the different apartments and experience Active Adult living for ages 55+ first-hand. There will be live music and refreshments. Free to attend. For info & to RSVP (by Jan. 8), call (813)669-0391, or see the story on pg. 8.

Thursday, January 16, 6 p.m. – North Tampa Bay Chamber “Celebrating Excellence” Awards. At Pasco Hernando State College Instructional Performing Arts Center (8657 Old Pasco Rd.). The cost to attend is $60 per person. To register or for more info, call (813) 994-8534, visit NorthTampaBayChamber. com/events or see the story on pg. 18.

Thursday, January 16, 7 p.m.-9 p.m.The Motowners, “A Tribute to Motown.” At The Shops at Wiregrass, Center Stage. Enjoy the sounds of the Motowners’ “A Tribute to Motown” show (photo above; source: TheMotowners. com) is a fantastic tribute to the many artists and great songs from the classic Motown years. Grab your lawn chair and get ready to dance. Family-

friendly & free to attend. For more info, visit TheShopsatWiregrass.com/events.

Friday, January 17, 8 p.m.-10 p.m. – “New Tampa Unplugged,” featuring Alexis Carra. At New Tampa Performing Arts Center (8550 Hunters Village Rd.). NTPAC presents Tampa’s own Alexis Carra in concert. Her career has taken her from Tampa to Broadway (“Wicked,” “Sweet Charity”) to Hollywood (“Mixology,” “Two & a Half Men,” and more). Tickets cost $15 for a theater seat, $20 for a table seat. To purchase tickets & get more info, call (813) 829-2760 or visit NewTampaArtsCenter.org/events.

Monday, January 20, 7 p.m. – New Tampa Democratic Club Monthly Meeting. At New Tampa Regional Library (10001 Cross Creek Blvd., Tampa). Join us for our monthly meeting.

For more info, visit NewTampaDemocrats.com, see us on Facebook at Facebook.com/NewTampaDemocrats or see our ad below.

Saturday, January 25, 4 p.m.-7 p.m. –Sean Bartell Foundation Charity Bingo. At Cypress Creek High (8701 Old Pasco Rd., Wesley Chapel) cafeteria. Donation to play is $20 in advance or $25 at the door to win some great donated prizes! For more information, email SPBFoundation@hotmail.com.

Thursday, January 30, 7 p.m.-9 p.m. - The Caribbean Chillers Present “A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett.” At The Shops at Wiregrass, Center Stage. The Caribbean Chillers’ tribute to Jimmy Buffet is an authentic recreation of what you’d hear at a “live” Jimmy Buffett concert. Grab your lawn chair and get ready to dance, family friendly and free to attend. For more info, visit TheShopsatWiregrass.com/events.

Friday, January 31, 4 p.m.-6 p.m. – North Tampa Bay Chamber Final Friday. At Top Shelf Sports Lounge (3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd., Wesley Chapel, at AdventHealth Center Ice). Free to attend. For more info, call (813) 994-8534 or visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com/events.

New Tampa Democratic Club

Monthly Meeting (4th Monday of the month) Monday, January 20th, 7 p.m. at New Tampa Regional Library 10001 Cross Creek Blvd. newtampademocrats.com https://www.facebook.com/NewTampaDemocrats

Board Introduced, Moore & Hess Win Awards At Chamber’s Annual Breakfast

By Gary Nager

Photos by Charmaine George

Every year, the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce (NTBC) hosts an annual breakfast event where the Chamber thanks it outgoing Board of Directors for a job well done — and names a few award winners among those outgoing Board members — and introduces its new Board for the upcoming year.

On Dec. 3, Chamber president & CEO Hope Kennedy thanked and gave her “Distinguished Leadership” award to the 2024 Board chairman, Roberto Hiller of Signarama New Tampa, and named Board member (and 2025 Board treasurer) Jamie Hess of Computer Emergency Room (right) as her “President’s Award” winner for, “Going above and beyond for the organization, sitting by me during every major decision I had to make, and for helping negotiate the sweet, sweet deal we got on our new office space, and helping install the new TVs at that new space” in the Shops at Wiregrass. The Chamber office moved from the Signature Workspace at the mall.

“For the last ten years,” Hope said, “the Board has heard me talk about wanting our own office where it finally is now. We have wanted this space (where the Amberlin Apartments and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office before that were located, next to Dillard’s, at 28329 Paseo Dr., Suite 195) and I kept telling the Shops, ‘If that space ever comes open, we want it.’ And now, we have our own office, our own doors, our own boardroom table and we are so excited to be able to welcome all of you to it in January (at the Chamber’s monthly Coffee Social on Wednesday, January 15, at 9 a.m.).”

Hiller, who said that 132 new members joined the Chamber during 2024, also spoke of the challenges this year of two hurricanes, the need to assist the Greater Pasco Chamber and others. He then gave out his “Chairman’s Award” to Board member (and vice-chair of Membership) Lisa Moore (center photo) of the Hilton Garden Inn & Hampton Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel, for, “contributions that have been exceptional. (Lisa) has attended every event, every Board meeting and been part of every important decision.” Hiller then passed his Chairman’s gavel to new Board chair Angelique Lenox (bottom photo).

Hope also welcomed Orlando Health, which is building a new hospital in Wiregrass Ranch, to her “President’s Circle” sponsorship level, which is the highest level of sponsorship for the NTBC. She noted that it costs the Chamber more money per member than the cost to be a member, “So it’s those investments from our larger companies, our Executive and President’s Circle members, that allow us to do what we do.”

She also thanked her 2024 Board for, “allowing me to jump into a situation to help the Greater Pasco Chamber, which had a transition in leadership, to be able to serve as both the CEO of my Chamber and the interim CEO of their Chamber to help them through a lot of foundational changes. They lost their building to the hurricane. So, through a lot of things we didn’t plan on happening, my Board has stood by and lifted me up to prop up our organization so we could have a great relationship with the Greater Pasco Chamber and we look forward to that continuing as we go into 2025.”

Next, Hope thanked outgoing Board members Michael Berthelette (a former Board chair) of Platinum Salon and Connie Bladon of Advent-

Health Wesley Chapel, both of whom served full six-year terms on the Board.

Hope then said that the new Board actually had three vacancies because Bimal Bhojani of Raining Berries gave up his seat after serving three years of his six-year term.

“The Board approved this slate at its Nov. 19 meeting,” she said, and asked 2022 Board chair and attorney Javan Grant to handle the swearing in of

the new Board (above). The remaining three years on Bhojani’s six-year term are being served by Ryan Fink of Volkswagen of Wesley Chapel. Hiller then passed his gavel to new Board chair Angelique Lenox of Tampa Family Health Centers, who said that, “It is with immense honor and great sense of responsibility that I stand before you today as the newly appointed chairwoman of this esteemed Board. I am deeply grateful for the trust and confidence you have placed in me and I am thrilled to embark upon this exciting journey with all of you. I am filled with pride to become the first Black woman to chair the North Tampa Bay Chamber. This milestone is not just a personal achievement, but a testament to our collective commitment to Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity and Access, which spells ‘IDEA.’ These principles are the cornerstone of our mission and the driving force behind our success. By embracing ‘IDEA,’ we

ensure that every voice is heard, every perspective is valued and every individual has the opportunity to contribute and thrive.”

Lenox also said one of her goals is to, “bring more nonprofits into our Chamber to work alongside the small businesses and larger corporations that are within our community. Nonprofits play a crucial role in addressing social issues, providing essential services and enhancing the quality of life in our community.”

The Chamber will again honor its member businesses at the annual “Celebrating Excellence” awards banquet, which will be held Thursday, January 16, 6 p.m., at Pasco Hernando State College’s Instructional Performing Arts Center (8657 Old Pasco Rd., Wesley Chapel). The cost to attend is $60/person. To register or for more info (including the list of finalists), call (813) 994-8534 or visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com/events.

photo above) of Shields Accounting Services cut a North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC) ribbon at the Chamber’s newly opened office at 28329 Paseo Dr., Suite 195 (the former location of the office for Amberlin Apartments; see separate story on pg. 8), next to Dillard’s

Jason, an Illinois native who provides accounting services in not only his home state and in Florida, but also in California and Texas, is able to meet a wide range of both corporate and personal accounting needs.

“Our clients are our number one priority,” he says. “No matter how big or small your needs

care — usually at a much more affordable cost than you’ll find with large accounting firms.” And, for the first time ever, Jason is offering up to $1,000 in tax refund advances to approved clients!

Jason also owns other businesses and you may recognize his on-screen persona as an independent pro wrestling manager currently working for Fight the World Wrestling. He also has been affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance.

For more information about Shields Accounting Services, call (309) 648-8177, visit ShieldsAccountingServices.com or see the ad on pg. 5 of this issue. — GN

Dr. Edward McNamara Of McNamara Health & Wellness Has Got Your Back!

By Jannah Nager

If you looking for a chiropractor who re ally cares about his patients and takes the time to get to know them and their health issues, then Dr. Edward McNamara at McNamara Health & Wellness in the Summergate Profes sional Center (behind Sam’s Club, on the north side of S.R. 56) in Wesley Chapel is who you want to see.

Dr. McNamara, or “Dr. Mac” as many of his patients and friends refer to him, has been a practicing chiropractor for more than 23 years. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree from Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, Dr. Mac obtained his Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) degree from Life University in Marietta, GA, in 1999. He worked in the Destin and Orlando areas first, before coming to practice in Wesley Chapel in 2015.

“Trust is a big part of my job,” states Dr. Mac. “It’s a touchy-feely business, so if you’re not comfortable with me, you are not going to be receptive to my care. If you want to keep things quick, I can, but I am hands-on and I listen well. Generally, I spend time getting to know all about my patients and they end up hearing everything about me as well.”

while he’s taking care of you.

Spend five minutes talking to Dr. Mac and you’ll hear some great stories. From originally hailing from Buffalo, NY, to serving for ten years in the U.S. Air Force to working in the ceremonial honor guard at the White House during former President Ronald Reagan’s

“I believe in being personable, effective, affordable, and family-oriented,” Dr. Mac says. To that end, he is always happy to accommodate patients with evening, weekend, holiday, emergency and same-day appointments, over and above his regular office hours.

In addition to providing full spinal adjustments, Dr. Mac is familiar with a variety of active release and massage therapies as well as exercise rehabilitation. He believes strongly in

“Human beings were not born with too many parts and not enough pills,” says Dr. Mac. “Surgery and medications can help for a while, but then the body can become reliant on them. It’s better to help the body heal itself.”

Some common conditions that Dr. Mac can help with include back, neck and musculoskeletal pain, headaches and migraines, sinus pain, jaw pain (such as temporomandibular joint, or TMJ) pain, whiplash injuries from car accidents, work-related injuries such as carpal

tunnel syndrome and a variety of sports injuries. Dr. Mac will do everything he can to help you with your chiropractic needs,, but if you are having issues outside of his scope, he has a wide network of doctors and medical clinics that he can refer you to for further testing, such as X-rays or MRIs, without having to wait three months for an appointment.

Caring For Patients Of All Ages & The Community

Dr. Mac says he first got interested in chiropractic therapy in his youth after getting hurt while playing rugby. He now assists athletes, weightlifters, gymnasts, cheerleaders, dancers and more heal from their injuries faster and can even help increase their athletic performance. He says chiropractic care can improve anyone’s range of motion, flexibility, balance, coordination, reaction times and speed.

Patient Peggy D’Alessandro recalls a positive experience when bringing her daughter to the office.

“So thankful for Dr. McNamara!,” Peggy said in her 5-star review. “My daughter hurt her back while cheerleading. After a few days, I began to worry because she was still in pain, so I brought her in to see Dr. Mac. Her pain was relieved in minutes and completely gone by the next day! It was her first time seeing a chiropractor so she was a little bit nervous, but he was so nice, made her laugh and really put her at ease. We both couldn’t have been happier!”

In addition to adults and athletes, Dr. Mac

has patients of all ages — from babies to age 80.

“Being born can be pretty traumatic for babies,” Dr. Mac says. “I help infants with reflux, colic and infant adjustments, which are very different than the adjustments that I per form for adults. School-aged children also need help with pain from those heavy backpacks, ‘cell phone neck,’ minor sports injuries, scoliosis and allergies (sinuses). I’m also available to give sports physicals to students.”

He adds, “Pregnant women often suffer aches and pains and chiropractic care before de livery can help reduce labor time. Seniors come to get relief from basic arthritic conditions.”

Patient Lauren Cione, who was suffering from back pain during her pregnancy, says, “Dr. Mac made me feel so comfortable and adjusted me while I was pregnant. When my son was born, he kept leaning his head to the left side. I knew I could trust Dr. Mac to adjust him when he was only 4 weeks old and he had instant relief.”

Dr. Mac works alone, so you will always talk to and receive care from him directly. But, on some days, especially Saturdays, you may also see his part-time “receptionist” — his eight-year-old son, Sebastian. Often dressed up as Wolverine (after giving up his Spider-Man persona), Sebastian will greet patients and works hard as the “face of the practice” to get his $1-per-hour paycheck that he’ll cash with his dad later at the bank.

Dr. Mac loves to get involved in the community as well. “My son plays hockey, so I am always supporting sport fund raisers for kids,” he says. “I also am enthusiastic about helping those who are struggling with addiction.”

Dr. Mac’s “receptionist” Wolverine is really his 8-yearold son Sebastian. (Photo provided by Dr. Mac)

If you visit the office’s Facebook page, you will see that Dr. Mac loves to help out, from promoting various donation efforts to offering assistance to local families needing extra help during the holidays.

No matter how you interact with Dr. Mac, his patients say he’ll always try to help you.

“The one thing that was a constant in my life was chronic back pain for 20+ years,” says patient Jay Forsythe. “Dr. McNamara is the FIRST to really help me instead of just saying ‘surgery or prescriptions’ and for that I am very grateful.”

McNamara Health & Wellness is located at 27453 Cashford Cir., Suite #101. The office is open Mon.-Fri., 7:30 a.m.-11 a.m., and 2:30 p.m. - 6 p.m., and on Sat. by appointment. For more information, call (813)343-1680, see the ad on pg. 27 or visit LutzChiro.com to schedule an appointment today. You also may visit “McNamara Health & Wellness” on Facebook for the office’s latest updates and special offers.

If You Think Your Business Can’t Afford An IT Department, Call My Tampa IT!

By Gary Nager

Photo by Charmaine George

As a business owner who can only use the technology available to me enough to keep my business running, anytime there’s a glitch — and believe me, there have been many — that affects my ability to complete the work I have to do, there is no way for me to fix that problem myself.

In other words, when you consider that I need to use a computer to write stories, help my graphic designer create ads, edit stories written by others, lay those stories and ads in on digital pages, transmit those pages to our printer, create invoices and sales receipts for our advertisers, Auto-Pay the credit cards and communicate with dozens of local businesses every day, etc. — well, let’s just say that there are a lot of glitches that can happen during that process that can prevent me from being able to complete an issue every two weeks.

So, even though I know absolutely nothing about Information Technology (IT), I understand enough to know that I need someone to handle my IT needs so I can focus on my business.

That’s why I feel fortunate to have met (and become friends with) Linwood Wright, the owner of My Tampa IT, and his marketing/sales director Peggy D’Alessandro. My Tampa IT has a convenient office located in the Windguard Professional Center off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Wesley Chapel, but even if Linwood was operating out of a home office (like Jannah and I do), I would still recommend him and his team of IT experts that keep me and the Neighborhood News glitch-free.

When we first decided to utilize My Tampa

IT’s services, Linwood had to get our email back up and running when our primary email account was hacked. Not only were we completely shut down, the hackers sent fake messages to all of our email contacts that looked like they came from us. He and his crew got us back up and running — within 24 hours or so — and implemented new security protocols to protect us as best as they could going forward, which was done remotely.

But next, he and his team came to our home office to check out the computers and programs we were using to figure out where we were most vulnerable to possible future hacking — since everything we do, every program we use, is connected to the internet. They determined that because of the age (close to 10 years old or more) of our computers, they couldn’t provide the type of security we needed unless I would invest in new comput-

ers. But, even though ours had gotten slower over the years, I worried about how I could afford that significant investment in new computers.

And, even though he didn’t sell me my new computers (I bought them directly from Apple but My Tampa IT does also sell computers to its clients), I knew Linwood was right (pun intended).

He and his team again came to our home office to set up and protect all of our new gear, so that if any part of our operation is hacked in the future, his computers receive an immediate notification and they are normally able to immediately get to work to correct the problem, usually within ten minutes of its detection.

“We have to be able to act quickly,” Linwood says. “If it ever takes us more than twelve minutes to call you after a threat is detected, well, let’s just say that is unacceptable to me.”

I receive a “Quarantine List” of potential threat emails every day and go through that list so I can determine if each is a legitimate email from either an existing or potential advertiser or from a member of the communities we serve before I even consider opening it. Months after My Tampa IT set me up, our operation has continued to run smoothly, and just knowing I have proper backup helps yours truly sleep soundly every night.

“There are literally millions of hackers around the world — some of whom are basically unpaid slaves — so if you think your business is too small for anyone to try to hack into your computers, smartphones and bank accounts, we have proof that you’re playing a dangerous game.”

Meet The My Tampa IT Team

Linwood admits that even at a young age, he was always something of a technology “geek.”

“I think my first IT job was in 1997,” Linwood says. “I was actually introduced to computing in high school in 1985— at a small town in the middle of Illinois, which was surprisingly advanced for computing at the time — and I excelled at it and really liked it. But, back then, there was really only one thing you could do in IT and that was programming, which didn’t really do it for me, so I went to business school. But, when Microsoft came out with one of their first servers ever — the Windows NT4 — I put myself through Microsoft training because I saw that people really liked the Windows system. and that really kind of set the stage for everything for me going forward.”

Linwood moved to Florida and got a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology and a Master of

Peggy D’Alessandro and Linwood Wright of My Tampa IT, located in the Windguard Professional Center in Wesley Chapel, are happy to be the information technology department your small business needs.

Science degree in Information Studies from Florida State University in Tallahassee.

“I worked for quite a few companies,” he says, “including the Florida Department of Labor, and as a consultant to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Police Department of San Juan, Puerto Rico. I had a one terabyte drive in 2001. It was 20 feet long, 8 feet tall and 3 feet deep. No one had ever even heard of a terabyte back then.”

He was consulting with FDLE when 9-11 happened. “Things got crazy real quick after that,” he said. “I had to log every single person and photo the computers tagged as a possible threat.”

From there, Linwood says, he was working as an IT director for a company, when some people he used to work with had started their own engineering firm. “They said, ‘We don’t have any IT support. Can you help us?’ I said, well, I can only help you nights and weekends because I work full time,’ but they said ‘OK.’ That was in 2009 and I still have that customer to this day.”

And, although it was just Linwood at the time and wasn’t yet called My Tampa IT, “that was how I started this business. Every year, someone else would come to me with a similar problem. By 2014, I had founded My Tampa IT.”

“As an IT person, I’m like the opposite of a sales person, so I helped found a BNI (Business Networking International) chapter to get my ‘elevator pitch’ down and, by 2021, Peggy agreed to handle sales and marketing for me.”

Peggy says she worked for Sears for 30 years. “I went from a part-time sales associate in the tool department for one year, and then in appliances, in Flushing, NY.”

But then, when she moved to Florida, she

says, “I moved into commercial sales and I started reaching out to home builders asking, ‘Who needs appliances?’ Instead of one house at a time, I was now selling 300 sets of appliances at once to multifamily builders, which became my niche. I ended up in the top 1% of sales for the entire company and did that for about 20 years. But, after Sears eventually shut down my division, I ended up asking Linwood if we could team up. He said, ‘Oh my God, yes.’ And that was it.”

Peggy says she then immersed herself in learning enough about technology to translate Linwood’s ‘tech speak’ into everyday English for business owners, “so it’s really been a great partnership between us.”

She adds that even people who buy the absolute top-of-the-line computers still have problems, “and when they do, they’re upset. They’re not mad at us, they’re mad because they’re shut down. It’s up to us to have empathy and solve their problem.”

And for that, Linwood needs capable techs and he says he is proud that, “all of my techs are local — not in a foreign country — and have been with me for at least three years now.”

So, whether the business you own is a CPA, law, engineering or architectural firm, a manufacturing business, home service company (HVACs, plumbers, roofers, etc.) a health care or any other type of small business, My Tampa IT can help — not only keep your computers up and running, but also make sure you stay in compliance with the laws and rules of the business.

Still think you can’t afford it? I say you can’t afford to not give My Tampa IT a call!

For more info about My Tampa IT (2816 Windguard Cir., Ste. 101), call (813) 513-9849, visit MyTampaIT.com or see the ad on pg. 32.

Start 2025 Strong(er) With The Unique Training Options At Euro Pilates!

By Iris Vitelli

Neighborhood News Correspondent

The new year is here, and if your resolution is to prioritize your health and start 2025 on a strong note, Euro Pilates has the expertise and community support you need to improve your flexibility, strength and overall well-being.

Euro Pilates, established in a different loca tion in 2007 and now located behind Walgreens at the southeast corner of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and County Line Rd, is a studio special izing in Pilates and flexibility training. Owner Maria Ivanova brings a wealth of experience to her role, having a background as a professional gymnast, as well as a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Sports Education & Movement from Moscow University in Moscow, Russia. Maria also has served as a USA Gymnastics National Team coach and national judge, working with elite athletes both in the U.S. and internationally.

Maria is an advanced Stott Pilates certified Master Instructor, a TRX trainer and was the first Total Barre-certified instructor in Florida. Stott Pilates, which was created in 1988 by actor/ entrepreneur Lindsay and former dancer Moira Merrithew (Stott was Moira’s maiden name), is designed to restore the spine’s natural curves, rebalance muscles, and improve core stabilization. TRX (which stands for “Total Resistance Exer cise) training, developed in 2001 by former U.S. Navy SEAL Randy Hetrick, utilizes suspension equipment to build strength and flexibility. And, Total Barre combines ballet barre exercises with Pilates principles, strength training and yoga for a full-body workout.

In addition to her Pilates expertise, Maria also is active in the dance community, particularly in Kizomba — a sensual social dance that originated in Angola. You can view videos showcasing Maria’s passion for Kizomba (@ Kizombachick on YouTube).

Maria takes pride in the unique combination of training disciplines she offers at Euro Pilates.

“My clients get more personalized training than at some of the other Pilates studios out there,” she says. “I believe that helped us survive Covid.”

During the pandemic, Maria and her daughter Ania, who also worked at the studio at the time, pivoted to offering Zoom classes.

family at age 15.”

Maria began her Pilates studies in 2001, after moving from Australia to Tampa. She says she was looking to improve the performance of the athletes she was working with through specific strength and conditioning exercises when she found Pilates.

“I wasn’t as involved in doing gymnastics myself at that point,” she says, “so when I decided to try Pilates, I immediately felt its benefits. Two sessions later, I was hooked. I wanted to do more, so I became certified.”

Euro Pilates offers both individual and group Pilates classes utilizing a variety of equipment. Unlike many Pilates studios, Maria’s group classes are capped at five participants, allowing her to provide nearly individualized attention.

availability and to secure your spot.

“Euro Pilates doesn’t sell memberships,”

sions, which come with a discount. Maria’s goal is to make Pilates safe, fun and accessible for all. She explains that she has three types of

clients. “Most of our clients are either athletes who have had an injury and need rehabilitation, or someone who has had surgery and needs rehabilitation, although we also have clients who participate in Pilates to strengthen their bodies, so they can prevent injuries in the future. Regardless of how they get here, I give them 100%. I try to help them, and in most cases, if they do the work and stick with it, the results are amazing.”

Speaking of amazing, here is what two of Maria’s clients are saying:

“I have been going to Euro Pilates for seven years and have gone from constant back pain to almost no pain. I credit Maria with this transformation. Everyone who trains there is welcoming and the classes are genuinely fun.” — Kathleen C

“The reformer, chair, barre, yoga and combination mat classes offered at Maria Ivanova’s

Euro Pilates studio in New Tampa are my favorite antidote to aging. Since I began Pilates exercises, my posture is improved, my core is strengthened and my muscle tone is coming back. Combined with the mental focus required to maintain balance and correct form, Pilates has become my most reliable weapon to combat fatigue and stress. Maria is Stott Pilates trained and you’ll be in good hands with her and her professional, dedicated and expert staff. My husband was so motivated by my positive experience that he has also started Pilates in search of relief from years of back pain. We tell everyone we know that they will love their time and effort at Euro Pilates.” — Lisa D

What is Stott Pilates?

Developed by Lindsay and Moira Merrithew and their team of sports medicine, fitness

experts and physical therapists, Stott Pilates was created to be a more modern version of traditional Pilates, which was first developed and brought to the U.S. by German-born Joseph Pilates in the late 1920s; he patented 26 different apparatuses to use during Pilates training.

While it follows the principles of regular Pilates such as breathing, concentration, and movement, Stott Pilates focuses more on the alignment of the posture. Regular Pilates training will have you work with a flat back, but Stott Pilates uses the natural curvature of your back and several specialized pieces of equipment are integral to the Stott Pilates practice.

The “Reformer,” for example, features springs, ropes, and pulleys to provide a versatile full-body workout. Adding a “Jumpboard” to the Reformer offers an enhanced aerobic experience. The “Barrel,” another common tool, is a curved, padded structure designed to strengthen the core and improve spinal alignment. Among the variations, the “Ladder Barrel” and “Stability Barrel” cater to different levels of challenge.

Another noteworthy apparatus at Euro Pilates is the “Cadillac,” a piece of equipment designed by Joseph Pilates himself. Named after the luxury car brand, the Cadillac comes in two forms — a full version and a more compact wall unit. Both support a wide range of movements and exercises. In addition, the “Chair” is perfect for those who prefer or require seated positions but also is adaptable for advanced, high-intensity workouts. And finally, “Mat” Pilates can be done while using only a mat and various other gym equipment such as fitness balls, weights, resistance bands, etc. This is typically used when someone doesn’t have Stott equipment at home and is taking an online class.

The staff at Euro Pilates also is highly trained and certified. For example, Cecilia Little, who was diagnosed with Cervical Spondylosis in 2013 and was advised to try Pilates as part of her treatment, says she quickly fell in love with the method and pursued Mat and Reformer courses. After moving to the U.S. in 2016, Cecilia furthered her education by completing additional courses on Pilates equipment such as the Cadillac, Chair, and Barrels. She is now a fully certified instructor with eight years of teaching experience.

Fellow Euro Pilates instructor Allison Martin first joined the studio as a client. She became an instructor through Maria’s encouragement.

“Allison has a background in dance, track and cross country, as well as powerlifting,” Maria explains. “I saw her love for Pilates and approached her to become one of our trainers.”

Allison holds an American Council of Exercise (ACE) personal training certification and became a certified Stott Pilates instructor in 2021. She says Pilates has taken her body and her fitness to a new level.

Among the different individualized classes provided at Euro Pilates are “Silver Group Classes” which include Stretch and Reformer Express, focusing on control and precision. The “Gold Group Classes,” such as Reformer and Combo, are ideal for clients familiar with Pilates principles and equipment. All classes are 50 minutes, except for Reformer Express, which is 25 minutes. More information about each of these options, along with scheduling and pricing, can be found on the studio’s website.

Euro Pilates is located at 20743 Center Oak Dr. For more information, visit EuroPilates.com, call (813) 756-4000 or see the ad on pg. 41

Totally Blu Pool Builders Will Have You Swimming In Your New Pool In 60 Days!

By Celeste McLaughlin Neighborhood News Correspondent

Sunil Mohammed, the owner of Totally Blu Pools in Wesley Chapel, has been in the pool servicing business for more than 17 years. Just last year, he and his wife, Rashmi Maharaj, opened a pool supply store by the same name, located at the corner of S.R. 54 and Eiland Blvd. in the Publixand Home Depot-anchored Summertree Plaza. At that time, he decided to venture into pool building, as well, and established Totally Blu Builders.

The community was suffering from a number of failed builders who left behind unfinished pools, and Sunil saw an opportunity to help.

“We started off by finishing pools that were started by Staycation,” he says, referring to one of the pool companies that went out of business.

“We’ve built more than 100 pools in about 18 months,” Sunil says, “including finishing about 60 Staycation pools. We just do one pool at a time, and we just kept finishing them.”

Sunil hired former Staycation and Olympus Pools installer Doug Griffith and other staff mem bers who have experience in the industry, including at those failed companies.

He says that while Doug’s knowledge of construction is vast, Sunil brings a new approach to managing his company’s finances that will protect Totally Blu’s customers.

“Doug’s knowledge in construction is amaz ing,” Sunil says. “Now that I’ve dug pools with him for more than a year, I can say he backs it up by also being a good person. He came from two failed companies, but he had no part in the finances of those businesses that went down.”

Sunil explains that there’s not a lot of profit margin in pool construction, so, he says, “you have to manage your finances well.”

With Sunil’s nearly two decades in the industry, he already has established good relationships with vendors and customers.

“We’ve made a good name for ourselves, which is difficult in this day and age because of the bad reputation of pool builders overall,” Sunil says.

In fact, his fairly new business has a perfect 5-star (out of five) rating on Google. While there are only a little more than a dozen ratings, they’re all 5s.

One of the keys, Sunil explains, is not to overpromise, but instead to over-deliver.

“Once we get county approval, which usually takes about a month,” Sunil says, “we finish pools within six to eight weeks. We also call every customer every Friday while their pool is in process. When someone is spending $75,000 to $125,000 on a pool, it’s a huge investment. We reassure them as constantly as possible that we are not running away with their money. At every stage, we are being careful with what we do, and are always

Whether you want a pool with a beach entry and a waterfall (above left) or bubbling jets (top photo on next page), Savir and Sunil

Water Pools store, located north of S.R. 54 on Eiland Blvd., and Blu Water Builders is one of few pool builders that have established a

customers. (Below) If you want your pool to also include an outdoor kitchen, Totally Blu Builders uses grills and accessories made by

tion business, knowing how nervous customers are to trust a pool company these days and knowing that the profit margins are thin and, potentially, how hard it can be to please customers making such a large purchase?

He says first, it’s about serving the community and helping people who have been put in a difficult position by other pool builders or who have heard the horror stories?

“More pools being built in the community means more customers for our pool service and supply businesses,” he says. “We are servicing nearly all of the pools we’ve built. If we can build the pools and keep the customers happy, then we can also provide their pool services, and that’s how we will make our money for the next 10 years.”

In other words, Sunil is in this for the long term, so Totally Blu’s reputation is of the utmost importance to him.

Building That Reputation

As Totally Blu continues to complete pools, the word is spreading and customers are referring their friends.

The Neighborhood News spoke with Ami Rivera while her pool was being filled, just a few hours before it would be ready for swimming.

“Our goal was to have the pool ready for my daughter’s eighth birthday,” Ami says. “It’s been in

in 2020, she was content to swim at the commu nity pool, but as it became obvious that she, her husband Lorenzo, and their daughter Anabel would be staying in their home long-term, they wanted to have their own pool.

“Everyone’s heard the horror stories,” she said, referring to lost deposits and unfinished pools, “so we had a lot of questions and concerns.”

As a Realtor, Ami also is a business owner who knows the importance of supporting the local community.

She says she interviewed four pool companies, and that all four had very similar pricing. But, she says, her conversation with Sunil stood out. Since he also lives in Watergrass, she saw a neighbor and a fellow business owner who expressed his commit ment to the people of Wesley Chapel.

“Customers are valuing communication and transparency, and doing a lot more due diligence,” Ami says. “We had such a great conversation and I felt such ownership from him. I love being able to use someone in my own community.”

of

While Sunil knows his long-term success depends upon his company’s reputation, he’s building his business not only for now, but also because he says Tru Blu will be a legacy for his son, 17-year-old Savir, who is a senior at Wesley Chapel High.

“Savir came to work with me this summer,” says Sunil. “This kid has taken off and really become my right hand. He has even started designing pools, he goes out on the construction sites, and he has increased sales in the store by 20 percent.”

Savir plans to study electrical engineering in college, while living at home. He is already a Certified Pool/Spa Operator (CPO), a national certification by

Mohammed

the Blu

great reputation with

Bull Outdoor Kitchens.

part of my business and, for that, I’m very proud.”

While Totally Blu also has offered lawn service in the past, Sunil says he is moving away from that business, although he can still help people who are looking for landscaping services.

With a focus on pool service, supplies and now construction, Sunil believes Totally Blu is in a good posi tion to serve the community and provide for his family for years to come.

And, with Totally Blu’s happy customer list growing, it seems Sunil is on the right

pool supply store or pool service, call (813) 7887665 or visit TotallyBluH2O.com. To get started with a free digital design for your new pool, call (813) 550-2023, visit TotallyBluBuilders.com, or see the ad on page 33 of this issue.

The Totally Blu Pools store also serves as the Totally Blu Builders showroom.

Ellie Mental Health Provides Compassionate Care For Children, Adults & Couples

By Iris Vitelli Neighborhood News Correspondent

The New Year, usually celebrated as a time of hopefulness following the joy of the holiday season, also can be especially challenging for those coping with the loss of loved ones, financial hardships and other personal struggles. The clinicians at Ellie Mental Health, located on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel, recognize these unique emotional dif ficulties and provide accessible outpatient services to support individuals in emotional need during these times and beyond. The clinic encourages both therapists and clients to be their true selves throughout the therapeutic journey.

“At Ellie Mental Health, the focus is on pro viding a comfortable, judgment-free environment where clients can be authentic and receive the care they need and deserve,” says clinical director Dina Hargrave. “We want both the clients and the therapists to feel they are in a safe space.”

Ellie Mental Health is a franchise with more than 200 locations nationwide and 20 in Florida, including New Port Richey and Wesley Chapel. The Mendota Heights, MN-based company opened its first franchise in 2022.

Dina is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in both Florida and Utah who has worked with children with significant behavioral concerns and their families for more than 10 years. She brings that experience to her role as the director and supervisor of the Wesley Chapel location of Ellie Mental Health.

Originally from Georgia, Dina earned a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.)

Having previously lived in Tampa, Dina feels a connection to the region and is passionate about making a difference here.

“This opportunity was unique,” she explains. “I enjoy managing people and helping them grow to their full potential. It’s rewarding to see both the clinicians and clients thrive, so when this position became available, I quickly said ‘Yes.’”

Ellie Mental Health offers a wide range of therapeutic counseling services to meet diverse mental health needs provided by two Registered Mental Health Counselor Interns (RMHCIs).

clinical director Dina Hargrave and therapists Engy Eskander & Chailee Snyder.

sure as an LMHC in Florida can be submitted.

Those requirements include a Master’s degree or higher in mental health counseling, a minimum of 1,000 hours of supervised fieldwork and a minimum of 1,500 hours of face-to-face psychotherapy work under the supervision of a qualified LMHC with a minimum of 1,000 hours of that being direct supervision.

RMHCIs must pass the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) and participate in continuing education. After fulfilling the internship requirements and passing the NCMHCE, an application for licen-

At the Wesley Chapel office of Ellie Mental Health, RMHCI Rebekah “Chailee” Snyder received her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Psychology from the University of South Florida in Tampa and her Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a Trauma Certificate from Antioch University. Chailee works with children as young as age two. She also works with adults.

Fellow RMHCI Engy Eskander received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from USF Tampa and her M.A. degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. Engy focuses on clients ages 15 and older and she provides couples counseling, including services in Arabic.

The Wesley Chapel office offers play therapy for children as young as age two, plus therapy for adolescents, adults, couples and families, including Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). The clinicians also work with people with autism and those suffering with posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

Also offered are Psychoeducation and Psychological Testing for kids, gender-affirming care, as well as faith-based counseling, which is available upon request. Dina says she currently is working on hiring more therapists so the available services can be expanded.

The Right Fit For Your Care

“We don’t offer a one-size-fits-all approach,” Dina emphasizes. “If a therapist isn’t the right fit for a particular client or lacks the necessary specialty, we can easily connect them with someone else, which ensures personalized care.”

She adds, “Wesley Chapel was a natural choice for the clinic’s location. The area’s rapid growth and the rising demand for mental health services made it an ideal spot. And so far, we’ve received positive feedback from the community. People are glad we are here because there aren’t many options like us in this area.”

Dina also has been communicating with the Pasco County School District and says she looks forward to working with the District’s schools in the near future. She says she hopes to be able to offer services not only to the school children but their families as well.

She also says that having flexible hours available for clients and therapists is a feature that makes this Ellie Mental Health office stand out. If the clinician is willing to work during the hours requested by the patient, Dina says those

hours will be approved. Once the sessions start, if the clinician is not sure where the problem lies, a psychological test can be used to help provide clarity in diagnosing and treating complex issues.

The team also ensures a secure and confidential environment for clients. “All communication is HIPAA-protected,” Dina explains, “and even during training, we don’t use real names to maintain confidentiality.”

Even though Ellie Mental Health Wesley Chapel only opened in September, the clinic has already seen several success stories. Dina says one client made significant progress in just three sessions, while another, after six sessions, left with renewed hope despite having to relocate.

“These are the moments that remind us why we do this work,” Dina says.

Ellie Mental Health accepts most insurance plans, including Medicare, and Dina says, “We are working to finalize our Medicaid contract to better serve children and people with disabilities.”

Recognizing the importance of accessibility, Dina says the clinic also offers online therapy services. This allows clients to receive care from the comfort of their homes, breaking down barriers such as transportation issues or time constraints.

But, Ellie Mental Health is more than just a clinic — it’s a place of understanding and acceptance. With its commitment to authenticity, diversity and personalized care, Ellie Mental Health is not just helping individuals but transforming the way the community views mental health.

Ellie Mental Health (30792 S.R. 54) is open Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-6 p.m., with other hours available upon request. For more info or to schedule an appointment, visit EllieMentalHealth.com/locations/wesley-chapel-fl, call (813) 701-5250 or see the ad on pg. 32.

PROVIDED IN OUR OFFICE:

•Wellness Dentistry for kids and teens

•Holistic nutritional counseling for teeth and gums

•Ozone therapy for oral care

•Recommendation of non-toxic materials

•Sedation dentistry (nitrous oxide) and Sedation

•Invisalign First for children & Invisalign Teen

•Digital 3D scans, ITERO (no goop) and digital X-rays

•Laser dentistry (release of tongue tie for infants, children and teens)

•Relaxed environment, so your children can enjoy their visit

or questions, email

Scarlette Owens, APRN, FNP-C (right) & Megan Dudley, APRN, FNP-C

SOAR Co-Working In Tampa Palms — New Location Has Affordable Spaces & Perks!

By Celeste McLaughlin Neighborhood News Correspondent

If you’ve outgrown working from home or miss the camaraderie of being in an office with other people, SOAR Co-Working offers not only affordable workspaces for small businesses and remote employees, but a sense of community, too.

SOAR Co-Working, located in the Tampa Palms Professional Center near I-75, just off of the Bruce B. Downs Blvd. exit, brings workers together in an environment that provides many of the benefits of working in a traditional office, but at a much lower cost, and with some unexpected advantages.

“It’s a quiet, professional, serene space and has a beautiful deck that looks out over Primrose Lake,” says Tampa Palms Professional Center partner Gar Urette. “SOAR is about 4,500 square feet and is probably our premier space in the whole place,” which has a total of 140,000-sq.-ft. of mixed-use office space in 26 buildings.

While many think of the co-working model as shared space where people drop in as needed –and SOAR does offer that option – Gar says this location has turned out to be much more popular for people who want to rent an exclusive space on a monthly basis.

Clients can choose a private office with a door, a cubicle with locking filing cabinets and even a shared “hot space” (with an array of smaller cubicles). The private spaces can be personalized by the tenants for as long as they are leased, which could be for as little as a month or as long as a year, and those leases can be renewed.

That flexibility has created a comfortable office dynamic among people who go to work every day in the same office, grab coffee in the break room

“It’s designed for people who want to get out of the house,” says Gar. “as well as for those who get tired of staring at the same four walls working from home and want a sense of community, or for those who have a road job and need someplace to sit and work or conduct meetings with clients, and don’t want to be meeting in their living room or at a Starbucks.”

For Jacey Feiler, an executive assistant for a marketing firm called Grow Nearby, coming to work every day at SOAR has been ideal. With a global team supporting the marketing firm’s operations, Grow Nearby’s U.S. team works out of SOAR.

COMPTON & SMITH, P.A.

we don’t have to pay for, like coffee and snacks, a beautiful deck outside, a free printing station, mailboxes, utilities and high-speed internet. All we have to worry about one small monthly payment and everything gets taken care of.”

Tampa Palms Professional Center marketing manager Amber Peterson oversees the co-working space. Jacey says that Amber goes above and beyond to ensure a positive environment.

Amber plans events to build community among the co-workers at SOAR, such as a pizza night or inviting everyone to share their favorite cookies for National Cookie Day.

“I feel like we’ve fostered a sense of community here,” Amber says. “I’m working hard to make sure everyone’s comfortable talking with me about issues or requests that come up. We can talk on a professional level, and I like connecting and getting to know people, too.”

There are currently three private offices with windows that overlook the lake, with two more to be added soon. There also are 18 large cubicles referred to as “dedicated desks,” as well as the shared “hot space” for eight more people on a first-come, first-served basis.

There also are two meeting rooms available by reservation, a break room with coffee and tea, bathrooms and the wraparound deck outside, which Amber says is great for taking a phone call or for eating lunch.

“Every membership has mail included with a business address at our space,” Amber adds, “and even our lowest tier includes use of the conference room for a couple of hours a month.”

She says clients love that the month-to-month commitment isn’t a long-term obligation.

But, in the few months since Aug. 1, when SOAR moved into the Tampa Palms Professional Center, Amber says, “We haven’t had anyone leave.”

Prior to the move, SOAR Co-Working had been located just down the road on Commerce Park Blvd., across from Freedom High. When that lease expired and the building’s owner didn’t allow SOAR to renew, SOAR’s founder and former owner retired. Instead of closing, SOAR moved into and became managed by the Professional Center.

It was a move that made sense. The Professional Center previously offered only larger spaces and longer-duration leases, with a minimum of a one-year rental.

“We used to have a symbiotic relationship, where if someone only needed a space for a couple of months, we’d send them to SOAR,” explains Gar, “and if someone at SOAR was growing and needed more space, they would send them to us.”

He adds that his team was already experienced at moving people around Tampa Palms Professional Center, upscaling and downscaling clients as needed, but couldn’t accommodate a part-time desk or monthly lease. That flexibility is available now.

And, of course, as SOAR co-workers’ busi nesses grow, if they need their own space, they can move seamlessly into the office park.

“I don’t know of any other coworking facility that is able to do that,” Gar says.

While Jacey says the dynamic is friendly and community-focused, it’s also respectful. “Seeing everyone being super passionate about what they do makes me want to work harder,” she says. “We all kind of feed off each other’s productivity.”

She adds that she feels lucky to work in a place where she likes to come to work every day.

And, Amber sees the dy namic in the space every day and wants to keep it that way.

“It’s so much like working in a traditional office,” she says, “but with people working for different companies. Sometimes I walk in and see people from three or four different businesses laughing in one person’s cubicle. It’s very uplifting.”

SOAR Co-Working is located at 17425 Bridge Hill Ct., Suite 100, in the Tampa Palms Professional Center. For more info, visit SOARCo-Working. com, call (813) 498-1932, or see the ad on page 37.

Dr. Lou Cerillo Proudly Welcomes Dr. Danielle Jones To Somerset Dental Care!

By Turiya Autry Neighborhood News Correspondent

Helping patients smile is a priority for the dentists and staff at Somerset Dental Care, located in the Somerset Professional Park in Tampa Palms. The long-time practice of general dentist Louis Cerillo, D.D.S (it was previously known as Cerillo Family Dentistry), has expanded and now includes Dr. Cerillo, Danielle Jones, D.D.S., and Tamara Tavakoli, D.M.D. The trio has nearly 60 years of combined experience and offers a wide array of services that includes corrective, restora tive and emergency dental services, as well as pro fessional teeth whitening and cleaning. Whether you need a regular check-up, a crown, Invisalign® aligners, dentures, oral surgery or cosmetic dental services, Somerset Dental Care can help.

Dr. Cerillo earned his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Psychology from Creighton University in Omaha, NE, and his Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) degree from the Creighton University School of Dentistry. He then did a general practice, hospital-based residency at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Lincoln. Dr. Cerillo’s first job out of dental school was in New York City, but in 1988, he decided to move to Florida for the sun and warmth.

in the service of others, and potentially changing their lives, is a huge motivator for Dr. Jones. “My goal is to always provide long-lasting, quality care for patients, make them comfortable and to serve and impact as many people as I can,” she says.

stepping into the welcoming environment at Som erset Dental Care and working with the office’s friendly and caring staff will help put them at ease.

very seriously. Smiles can influence first impressions, success, relationship satisfaction and even our own moods and confidence. Dental health also plays a bigger part in our overall health than most patients realize.

“The mouth is the gateway to the rest of your body,” says Dr. Cerillo. “So obviously, the healthier your mouth is, the healthier the rest of your body will be, too.”

Dr. Jones adds that there are multiple benefits to consistent dental visits and maintaining oral health. “A lot of people think it’s just the aesthetics,” she says, “but everything is intertwined. I think educating patients on the impact of your overall dental health and how it impacts your body is extremely important.”

For example, she says, people who have issues with blood sugar and diabetes are more prone to gum disease and, in some instances, these problems have even been linked to stroke.

He opened his first private practice office in the City Plaza at Tampa Palms shopping center in 1993, which means he has been taking care of some of his patients for more than 30 years. But, it is not just patients who have stuck around with him. Dr. Cerillo has several employees who have been working with him for 10-25 years, and several that retired after working their entire careers with the practice. That longevity has helped foster what Dr. Cerillo describes as a “relationshipbased” versus a “transactional” practice.

That long-term connection to the community, and his love for the work, were top of mind for Dr. Cerillo as he looked to add to his team.

“I always want to make sure I have the right people in here to address the patients and care for them like I care for them,” explains Dr. Cerillo.

A shared philosophy towards patient care, and her 15 years of experience, makes Danielle Jones, D.D.S., a terrific recent addition to Somerset Dental Care. During her time as a practice owner for Affordable Dentures & Implants in Clearwater, she provided services to veterans and the unhoused and gained valuable implant dentistry experience. She then transitioned to Heartland Dental, where she gained recognition for her outstanding veneer work.

Throughout her career, Dr. Jones also made time to volunteer to provide dental care to under-

After earning her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Health Science from Truman State University in Kirksville, M), she earned her D.D.S. degree from the Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry in Nashville, TN. She completed her General Practice Residency at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY, before starting her career in public health. For five years, Dr. Jones worked for a Medicaid office serving the Florida panhandle communities of Fort Walton Beach and Crestview. Her experience working in public health showed her first-hand the rampant decay that can happen when dental issues go untreated.

“Because of dental anxiety and financial strain, [many] people unfortunately neglect their teeth,” explains Dr. Jones.

Both Dr. Cerillo and Dr. Jones see helping patients through that fear and anxiety as an important part of their role as dentists. They know that many people strongly dislike and avoid going to the dentist and, for that reason, they both put in extra effort to make their patients feel comfortable.

After nearly four decades of private practice, Dr. Cerillo has seen his fair share of nervous patients. “I’ve dealt with a lot of phobic patients,” he says. “A lot of times they think they are going to come in and have a train wreck but it wasn’t as bad as they thought it would be.”

Working over so many years has given Dr. Cerillo the opportunity to see patients move from that fear to finally being comfortable with dental visits. He encourages people who have been avoiding the dentist to take the initiative and meet

Both dentists see humor and fun as a way to help put patients at ease and minimize their stress. They understand that laughing and joking with them can help ease their tension and keep the atmosphere fun and inviting.

“I’m literally cracking jokes all day long,” Dr. Jones says, “because I’m trying to take you away from focusing on something that is, for one, outside of your control. A lot of anxiety is driven by trying to control something that you can’t. If I can make you more relaxed and kinda laugh through a dental appointment, then I have done my job for the day.”

While they utilize humor to ease patients’ fears, Dr. Cerillo and Dr. Jones take their work

“When patients don’t take care of their mouths,” Dr. Cerillo adds, “that bacteria can actually cause systematic [health] problems.”

Advances in technology also are making visits to the dentist more efficient and patientfriendly and Dr. Cerillo says the practice has been highly technology-driven from the beginning.

For example, Somerset Dental Care uses three-dimensional X-ray technology that utilizes a high-speed video scanning camera to take digital impressions of the mouth. This means that patients can receive crowns or Invisalign® aligners without the trays and goopy material that tastes terrible and can make some patients gag — and with better precision. It also enables dentists and patients to see how the teeth are oriented in the jaw. With this information, the dentists can

plan out implant surgeries ahead of time and show their patients where the implant will be placed preoperatively.

virtually do a surgery before we even touch a patient,” explains Dr. Cerillo. “As the technology advances, it helps create a new stand ard of care.”

for Dr. Cerillo, who also leads San Antonio Dental Care north of Wesley Chapel, and who says he personally had to undergo a lot of dental work himself. He adds that not all dental issues are a matter of care and upkeep — some are hereditary. There are people whose teeth are skeletally not a good match. If the upper and lower jaw are incongruent sizes, that can create issues over time from constant wear and tear.

Then, by the time these patients reach their 40s and beyond, the problem may require corrective surgery. Dr. Cerillo was one of those patients. He had to have corrective surgery at age 39 and braces to fix his bite, because it was so far off that it was causing him extreme jaw pain.

“I’ve actually had more dental work done

Somerset Dental Care is located at 15277

Amberly Dr. and is open Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-3 p.m., and 8 a.m.-2 p.m. on Friday. For more information, visit SomersetDentalCareFL.com, call (813) 971-1688 or see the ad on pg. 40 of this issue. Dr. Cerillo’s San Antonio Dental Care is located at 11938 Curley St., off C.R. 52. For more info, call (352) 668-4819, or visit SanAntonioDentalCareFL.com.

Vanessa Ng & CommLoan Can Provide The Funding You Need To Expand Your Business!

By Celeste McLaughlin Neighborhood News Correspondent

Commercial lender Vanessa Ng (photos) knows that busy entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses don’t have time to call a bank, apply for a loan, wait to hear back and then call a different bank if they’re turned down by, or just not sure they like, the first option.

That’s why she works for CommLoan, a company that allows her to help business owners apply for a loan through a streamlined process that provides many options to meets their needs quickly.

“CommLoan is really efficient and can provide a quote to the borrower within minutes,” Vanessa explains. “We have a database of 750 lenders we work with through a proprietary system called CUPID, and, in some cases, it will give us back 300 options.”

CUPID, which stands for Commercial Underwriting Pricing Index Data, is an innovative platform developed by CommLoan, a company that was founded in 2014 in Scottsdale, AZ, by long-time mortgage banker Mitch Ginsberg. CommLoan lends nationwide, except in Nevada and North and South Dakota.

Vanessa joined CommLoan about a year ago, adding commercial lending to her 12-year career as a residential lender.

She currently works with business owners all over the country and says she is hoping to increase awareness of CommLoan locally in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas.

Vanessa is originally from South Tampa and graduated from the University of South Florida with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Finance in 2012. She went straight into the

mortgage business out of college and first moved to New Tampa for five years, and then, to Wesley Chapel, where she now lives in Estancia at Wiregrass Ranch.

“There is a lot of expansion and growing businesses in Wesley Chapel, Dade City and Zephyrhills,” she says, “and I’m trying to help out those entrepreneurs.”

She says she often provides loans for new commercial properties, such as gas stations or car washes, multifamily properties and single-tenantuse buildings, such as medical offices.

Vanessa also helps business owners who have equity in their current properties refinance their existing loans to get cash out, or help those who have a maturing loan and want to refinance.

Vanessa says her loans are for a minimum of $300,000 and can go up to as much as $100

million. She notes that some of these loans are as low as zero percent down.

“CommLoan provides tailored solutions,” Vanessa explains. “So, whether a buyer is looking for no prepayment penalty, a non-recourse loan, or some other specific criteria, I’m able to filter the search for that. Within seconds, I can get the best rates and the best programs for my buyer.”

CommLoan’s hundreds of lenders include everything from large national, commercial and regional banks to midsize banks, credit unions and debt funds.

Easing Frustrations

Vanessa explains that, sometimes, clients come to her feeling frustrated and overwhelmed.

“If someone goes to a bank for a loan, but then gets turned down, it can leave them scram-

bling if they’re already under contract to buy a property,” Vanessa explains. “Once I understand the scenario, I can send it to a dozen lenders at the same time and, sometimes, I’ll get offers the same day. It’s very different from waiting a week to just get turned down by one bank. These are busy entrepreneurs who don’t have time to waste hours or days trying to get a loan.”

She says her job is to remove the frustration from the process. “I do all of the legwork so you can keep running your business.”

Steven Sockwell and his wife, Lindy, have several investment properties near Rockville, IL. A few months ago, they were working with a Realtor® to purchase a new rental property and the Realtor recommended Vanessa and CommLoan as a lender. Even though Vanessa was far away in Florida, Steven decided to reach out to her.

“Ever since then, she’s been great to work with,” Steven says. “We’ve had several things she’s helped us with, including two transactions from start to finish. She’s very helpful and the transactions have been smooth.”

He adds that Vanessa has, “a wealth of knowledge” and credits her experience with helping them get the properties they wanted.

“She’s a very hard worker,” Steven adds. “Anything I have questions about, she’s able to answer them.”

He says he’s in the process of buying another rental property and that he will continue to work with Vanessa and CommLoan because it’s been such an easy process.

“One thing I’ve noticed about CommLoan is that everything is very streamlined,” he says. “The information in documentation is very

nessa Ng of CommLoan can help streamline the process of securing funding. (Photos by Charmaine George)

everything is very orderly and tells you want to do next, step-by-step. And, anything we don’t understand, we ask and Vanessa answers quickly.”

Steven says Vanessa also helped him look at his current portfolio of properties and figured out how to use the equity in those properties to, “seize the moment” to buy other properties.

“I didn’t know how to go about doing that and she walked us through it,” Steven says.

He also says working with Vanessa has been so easy, even if he wasn’t in the process of purchasing a property and needing a loan, he would still feel comfortable reaching out to ask her questions.

“She would answer,” he says. “I’m sure of it. She’s a great person to work with.”

For more information, contact Vanessa Ng via email at vng@commloan.com, call or text her at (561) 310-4720, visit VanessaNg. CommLoan.com, or see the ad on page 42.

New Barcelona Wine Bar Brings A Taste Of Spain To South Tampa!

By Gary Nager

by Charmaine George

It’s not every day that the Neighborhood News gets invited to restaurant openings in South Tampa, but when we got invited to the official Grand Opening of the new Barcelona Wine Bar (at 2907 W. Bay to Bay Blvd.) a month or so ago, Jannah, Charmaine, Charmaine’s boyfriend Brendan & I decided to go check it out — and what an amazing place it is!

First of all, this location is one of only 22 Barcelona Wine Bars in eleven states (South Tampa is the only one in Florida) and it has a true South Tampa vibe and crowd and already has been packed every day since it opened.

But, Barcelona is definitely worth a visit from our area if you love an authentic, fine-dining Spanish tapas restaurant with a huge variety of options — including lots of veggie tapas, everything from charred broccolini (below) & crispy Brussels sprouts to roasted carrots & crispy oyster mush rooms — plus charcuterie and cheese plates, seafood paella (top right) and other large plates, an incredible wine list and a full, ultra-pre mium liquor bar.

Our favorite dishes so far include the garlic NY strip steak with potatoes (far right),

bravas, as well as the tasty Paella Salvaje (Barcelona’s all-meat paella with sausage, chicken, chorizo, pork belly, short rib and chickpeas). We ended up taking most of the paella home because the small-size version of it we shared alone was big enough for the four of us to fill up on for dinner if we hadn’t tried so many of the tapas options.

For dessert, I enjoyed the Basque “burnt” cheesecake with orange mermelada (2nd from right below), while Charmaine preferred the traditional olive oil cake.

And, although I savored an outstanding glass (or two) of Bardos Viñedos de Altura ribera del duero tempranillo, Jannah, Char maine and Brendan all sampled a variety of craft cocktails, including a tequila-based Dos Peninsulas and Brendan’s favorite spicy Pica Pica (bottom far right) vodka cocktail. The bar area is beautiful, but packed, and reser vations for dinner tables are pretty much a must. But, I can assure you that Barcelona will not disappoint!

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Box Of Cubans Now Open In Former New Tampa Mochinut Location!

In our Oct. 15 issue, we told you that Box of Cubans restaurant was getting ready to open in the space previously occupied by Mochinut’s New Tampa location at 17512 Doña Michelle Dr., off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (just north of the BBD exit off I-75), in the area known as Highwoods Preserve.

Well, owners Marcos and Oni Silverio and their son, Marcos Jr. (MJ) have now opened their second Box of Cubans location (the other is in Riverview) and everything we’ve sampled so far has been pretty great.

In addition to tasty pressed Cuban sandwiches (bottom left photo), Box of Cubans also offers 14 different varieties of empanadas — from beef & cheese and chicken to banana nutella and guava & cream cheese. My current favorite sandwich is the “pan con bistec,” with mojo-marinated Palomillo steak, Swiss cheese, sautéed onions, crispy potato straws, mayo and a house cilantro sauce (below right). There also are Cuban rice bowls with black or red beans and your choice of protein, garlic toast and sweet plantains that I haven’t sampled yet, although I did also enjoy Box of Cubans’ black beans and rice.

The restaurant also serves a variety of breakfast items, even though it doesn’t open until 11 a.m. during the week and 10 a.m. on Saturday & Sunday. “We sell our breakfast all day,” Marcos told me. “And we already have customers coming in at 6 p.m. on a Tuesday ordering our breakfast sandwiches.”

The bacon, egg & cheese on pressed Cuban bread is delicious and I also enjoyed the ham, egg & cheese empanada. But, my surprise favorite for breakfast so far are the torrejas, or Cuban-style French toast (top photo), which is topped with powdered sugar and served with both breakfast syrup and a warm strawberry dipping sauce. Incréible! The café con leché is excellent, too, and other hot and cold coffee drinks are available.

To place an order online, visit BoxofCubans.com, or call (813)632-9021 and please tell them I sent you! — GN

As previously announced, the last remaining New Tampa Winn-Dixie supermarket, located at 6425 County Line Rd. (in the same plaza as Fitness), closed on Dec. 8 and is in the process of being converted to the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area’s third ALDI grocery store.

At our press time, we didn’t know how long it would take for the new ALDI to open, but this Germany-based international brand already has nearly 2,500 U.S. supermarkets and more than 200 stores in Florida, including at 18002 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. in New Tampa and at 2215 Sun Vista Dr. in Lutz (in front of Costco).

Sindbad To Replace Bang-Bang!

Although the tasty Bang-Bang! Bowls store in the Pebble Creek Collection (at 19651 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Suite C-2) lasted less than a year, coming soon (maybe even by the time you’re reading this) to that location is the second Sindbad Tampa restaurant, which features smoothies, juices, crepes, desserts, cakes and ice cream.

The original Sindbad location is at 10933 N. 56th St., Temple Terrace, and even though the shop has a Middle Eastern-sounding name (Sindbad the Sailor is a fictional character from Baghdad), the sign now posted in the Pebble Creek location would seem to

New Tampa’s Winn-Dixie To Become Another Aldi; Sindbad Gets Ready To Open

(Mexican street corn), Mangonada (a Mexi can frozen beverage), Aguas Frescas (Mexican fresh fruit juice smoothies), Frutas con Nieve (water-based Mexican ice cream) and more Latin fare. However, the New Tampa Sindbad, like its Temple Terrace counterpart, also will feature some delicious-looking Sindbad Waffles (above) 443-9692 & please tell them I sent you!

Shake Shack Opens On S.R. 56; What About Chicken Guy! & Cane’s?

One long-awaited fast-casual restaurant — Shake Shack — has opened on the north side of S.R. 56 (across from the Tampa premium Outlets), while another will hopefully be open by the time (or a day or two after) you receive this issue in your mailbox.

Shake Shack, which features a large variety of burgers, including the limited-time black truf fle burger shown bottom right here (Charmaine added the optional avocado to go with the crispy sweet onions and real black truffle oil), as well as both crispy chicken sandwiches and bites, plus crinkle-cut fries and thick, hand-spun milk shakes, has been open for about two weeks.

The Lutz/Wesley Chapel location has the only drive-through (below) of any Shake Shack in the Tampa Bay area (and only the second of the 22 Shake Shacks in all of Florida) and the location has proven to be extremely popular since opening day.

Meanwhile, the other hotly anticipat ed fast-casual eatery (located within walking distance of Shake Shack, also on the north side of S.R. 56) that still was not open at our press time was Chicken Guy! — the spicy chicken sandwich chain named for and co-owned by

day (or a day or two after) this issue hits your mailbox, so check our “Neighborhood News” Facebook page for updates.

Chicken Guy!, course, is the latest entry into the Wesley Chapel area’s ongoing “Chicken Wars,” but it definitely won’t be the last, as ing Cane’s Chicken Fingers is now expected to open at 25952 S.R. 56 (next to Rock & Brews on or around Tuesday, January 28.

Again, we’ll keep you posted. — GN

2 & 2 Restaurant — The ‘2 Minute’ Zephyrhills Tradition Expands To Wesley Chapel!

Unlike most of his already-large contingent of regular customers — many of whom attended the Grand Opening and East Pasco Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting event on Dec. 12 — I first met owner Kruth (Kurt) Sombutmai and his beloved wife of 48 years, Sa-Ang (Suzie) a few weeks ago, as they were getting ready to open their 2&2 Restaurant on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel, less than a mile west of Morris Bridge Rd./Eiland Blvd. Even so, it’s hard not to love this couple, who have been serving down-home food to the Zephyrhills community for 35 years and are now hoping to attract a lot of new customers in Wesley Chapel and even New Tampa, too.

The ribbon-cutting event wasn’t your usual show-up-stay-for-a-bit-&-go-home affair. Most of the people in attendance, many of whom were, like Kurt, military veterans, stayed for at least a couple of hours to be regaled by stories of how Kurt moved from California, purchased the

few years ago, too.”

If you’re like me, you’re prob ably wondering where the name “2 & 2” came from. It’s basically an homage to Kurt’s original restaurant, which often had lines wrapped around it for Kurt’s $1.99 “Eye Open er” breakfast and “all you can eat” fried fish special on Fridays. Whenever anyone asked Kurt how long the wait

About The Food?

In the few short weeks since 2 & 2 opened, I’ve been able to sample quite a bit of the menu, especially for breakfast because, unlike some other diners, where the full menu is served all day, you can only get breakfast at breakfast time and lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.

My favorite breakfast item so far is the cheese omelet, which I got with large chunks of grilled ham and thick slices of crispy bacon inside. And, if you order the hash browns (there’s also home fries and grits and sausage links or patties available as sides) extra crispy, like I do, they really do come out super-crispy. So good.

browns or home fries or grits, plus toast AND refillable coffee, all for just $12.99! The pancakes were light and fluffy and even though they’re not on the menu with blueberries, the kitchen added fresh blueberries at Charmaine’s request and all I can say is that it should become part of the menu!

There also are veggie and western skillets (the western has ham, green peppers & onions with cheese, hash browns or home fries and egg on top).

I also sampled Charmaine’s pancakes when she ordered the Kurtski Breakfast, which you basically could call the “Kitchen Sink,” because

For lunch and dinner, appetizers include everything from bacon-wrapped shrimp smothered in honey BBQ sauce and battered gator bites to soft pretzel bites and Philly egg rolls served with beer cheese. Sandwich options include battered or grilled “2 Mins Fish,” a double decker turkey, ham

(Left) Owner Kruth (Kurt) Sombutmai thanks everyone for attending the Grand Opening & ribbon-cutting ceremony (right) for the 2&2 Restaurant he owns with his wife, Suzie (also holding scissors) on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel. (Photos by Charmaine George) So, What

and roast beef club and “Suzie Spicy” chicken sand wich with melted cheddar, tortilla strips, avocado and sriracha mayo. There’s also a fresh salad bar. I can vouch for the 1/4-lb. Kurtski burger and you can sub a short rib, brisket and chuck patty for only $1 more. Tasty fries, too. My favorite lunch/dinner entrée so far are the grilled garlic pork chops, served with mashed potatoes (or you can choose baked potato or fries), plus soup or salad, ice cream and a soft drink, all for just $14.99. I plan to try the slow-cooked pot roast, breaded veal cutlet and fried chicken dinners on future visits. There’s also seafood dinners (catfish or haddock, coconut shrimp, fried clams or grilled salmon) for just $15.99. And yes, the All You Can Eat fish fry is available on Fridays only, for just $13.99! For more information about 2 & 2 Restau rant (33835 S.R. 54), call (813) 355-4829 or visit 2and2Restaurant.com. — GN

Kurt, Paula O’Neil & Suzie at the Grand

Opening.

3 Natives Cuts A Chamber Ribbon At The Shops At Wiregrass!

Congratulations to local franchise own er/operator Rick Orosco (top right photo), who celebrated the Grand Opening of the 3 Natives Açai & Juicery at 28211 Paseo Dr. (in the Shops at Wiregrass) on Dec. 5 with a North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC) ribbon-cutting event.

Orosco and his happy staff gave away a number of free samples of his popular açai bowls and fresh fruit smoothies and of course, the always-hungry Neighborhood News crew couldn’t resist ordering a couple of 3 Natives’ pressed wrap sandwiches (like the tasty Hawaiian wrap shown below, center, with grilled chicken breast, spinach, purple cabbage, julienned carrots, pineapple and a zesty ginger dressing) and a full-sized Tequesta Dragon (named for Tequesta, FL, where 3 Natives was founded) açai bowl (bottom right), with drag on fruit, granola, fresh blueberries, raspberries and strawberries and chi and hemp seeds). We also wolfed down the chicken Caesar and chicken salad wrap sandwiches.

On previous occasions, I’ve also enjoyed the Thai chicken and Cobb salad bowls and 3 Na tives even offers a variety of avocado toast sand wiches, from a Mission Beach bagel with tuna salad and avocado to protein (with hard-boiled egg) and avocado toast on multigrain bread.

The 3 Natives chain now has 45 locations (including Lakewood Ranch and several in Sara sota) and at least five more coming online soon

To order online or for more info, visit 3Natives.com. Or, stop in or call (813) 8386491 & please tell Rick we sent you! — GN

Aussie Grill On S.R. 56 Closes; Is Portillo’s Coming To Replace Rock & Brews?

Considering that long-established eateries like Red Lobster and TGI Fridays have shuttered many of their stores, it wasn’t a big shock that Bloomin’ Brands — which also is the parent company of Outback, Carrabba’s and Bonefish — made the decision to shutter most of its U.S. locations of Aussie Grill.

Among the stores that already are permanently closed is the Lutz/Wesley Chapel location on the north side of S.R. 56, across from the Tampa Premium Outlets, which closed its doors earlier this month. We had no news at our press time as to what might replace Aussie Grill, but we’ll keep you posted.

see the ad, right).

Portillo’s Is Coming...But Where?

Meanwhile, Portillo’s — the Chicago-based hot dog and Italian beef chain — originally announced on Portillos.com on Dec. 4 that it was opening “later this year” and even gave the address of the new Portillo’s as 26000 S.R. 56. That announcement was later changed to what is shown below, but the spark had been lit, as many midwesterners rejoiced, many locals who had tried but weren’t overjoyed shrugged their shoulders and everyone else tried to figure out how Portillo’s could open a huge (6,200-sq.-ft.) sit-down restaurant in just a few weeks time, in a location that already has a huge (actually closer to 8,000 sq. ft.) sit-down restaurant — as that address is where the Rock & Brews on the

As soon as I saw the original announcement, I headed to the nearest Portillo’s location — on E. Fowler Ave. in Tampa — to ask what the management of that location knew about the new store, but I was referred to corporate, which still has not yet responded to my very detailed email, even though the revised press release at Portillos.com shown below deleted the planned address and time frame in the original (Note-26000 S.R. 56 is still listed as the Lutz address when you click on the “Locations” button on the site).

Of course, I also took the time to sample my first Portillo’s Italian beef sandwich, with added mozzarella cheese and extra Italian gravy/au jus on the side, and I’ll admit it was pretty tasty.

Good crinkle cut fries, too.

Our contact at Rock & Brews

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If you no longer see your long-running Classified ad on this page anymore, call (813) 910-2575 to renew your ad today!

MISCELLANEOUS

PHOTOGRAPHERS & CREATIVES looking for a photo studio space in New Tampa. We offfer a weatherproof & luxury experience for your clients in this 705-sq-ft creative space. Natural light, white walls & light laminate floors make the space bright & airy. Studio lighting, props, furniture, paper & cloth backdrops & more avail. Book/inquire online: Jessicabuttererphoto.com/rent-the-studio or call Jessica 914-844-2894

Were you self-employed during 2020 and 2021? If so, the IRS is giving out refunds — get your money in only 2 weeks. It takes only 10 minutes to find out how! Call 813-784-2243.

SHARPENING SERVICE. Knives, Scissors & Garden Tools. Prices/Svcs & Calendar of venues avail @ mmsharpening.com. Every Fri, 9am-4pm & 1st, 3rd & 4th Sat, 9am-4pm, thru March 2025. NEW LOCATION: @ Harvey’s Hardware (Case Knives), 5400 Land O’Lakes Blvd., LOL. Contact M&M SHARPENING, Mark Bertsche @ 518-260-5916.

CNA/HHA & Companion. Will provide private care in your home. 25+ years of exp. References available upon request. Call Rhonda at 850-586-1868.

Prof’l Resume Guru & Consulting Services LLC. Ready to unlock your full career potential? At PRG, we specialize in resumes, cover letters, residency statements, editing & much more! Transform your documents into a powerful tool that gets you noticed! Contact us today @ 813-405-5065 or email resume_guru@outlook.com.

Equip yourself with the skills to stay safe! Register for 2A Rated Training for self-defense training classes. Our NRA-Certified Instructors provide training to help you gain confidence & proficiency to protect yourself & loved ones responsibly. Don’t compromise your safety. Train w/us! Visit 2ARatedTraining.com or Email: info@2ARatedTraining.com to get registered.

RAYSPHOTOGRAPHS LLC! Do you have a special occasion/moment you’d like to capture? Specializing in weddings, engagements, portraits, headshots & events, let me capture the moments that matter most to you! Visit raysphotographs.com for samples. Call/text (813) 380-2655 or email ray@raysphotographs.com. Mention this ad & receive 20% off! Hughes School of Music accepting new students! Study Saxophone, Piano, Music Production, Composition or Theory w/a Master of Music. Zoom sessions also avail.! Contact us at 813-748-3216.

Seeking Housekeeper (one person, not a cleaning service) once a week. Good pay. References required, for a lovely, clean environment inside Saddlebrook. Call 941.445.0719.

FOR SALE: Brand New, Complete Boy Scout Uniforms for Sale. Boys clothes size 10-14, shoes, plus new roller skates & ice skates. Dishes & many household articles. A 10x30 shed full of flea market items, will sell all very reasonable. Cartop carrier, professional bicycles, kayak, doggie furniture, crates feeder & much more. Call 813-297-1456.

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