City’s K-Bar Ranch Park Will Likely Include A Cricket Pitch
K-Bar Residents Also Offer Suggestions Regarding Traffic, Safety, Lighting & Natural Preservation
By Gary Nager
District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera told a crowd of 50-60 people — most of whom were K-Bar Ranch residents — that he has been working to build a city park in K-Bar Ranch almost since the day he first took office in 2016.
Viera hosted yet another of his ever-present New Tampa Town Hall meetings on Aug. 7 to discuss the park, which is located completely in K-Bar and which the city now has about $1 million in its fiscal 2025 budget for the park’s design.
In addition to Viera, Brad Suder, the superintendent of the city’s planning design natural resources division, and city manager Heather Wolf-Erickson also were on hand, representing Tampa’s Parks & Recreation Department. Co-hosting the meeting with Viera was Dist. 67 State Representative (and Florida House minority leader) Fentrice Driskell, who will try to secure some state funding for when the park is ready to be built.
The meeting was held at the Mahadevia Education Center on Highwoods Preserve Pkwy., in the West Meadows community.
“Now that we have the design in the budget,” Councilman Viera said, “the next step will be to get community’s input, to see what facilities the residents want to see included in the park.”
One of the features Viera said was already being talked about being included in this park is a cricket field, “and now is the time to push for that issue.”
To that end, many of the residents who attended the meeting were there in support of cricket, a sport that originated in England that is hugely popular not only in India, but with New Tampa’s sizable Indian population, which Viera said has been pushing him to include a regulation cricket pitch and facility in the K-Bar park’s design “basically since I was elected.”
Among those in attendance were Nagesh Nayak and Prahlad Madabhushi, the president and managing director, respectively, of the Tampa Premier League (TPL), which currently is based at the Wesley Chapel District Park on Boyette Rd., but which doesn’t have an actual cricket pitch.
See “K-Bar Park” on page 4.
OLYMPIC RANTS & RAVES
Our editor recaps the highs and lows of this year’s Summer Olympics in Paris & the TV coverage.
See page 3
The planned City of Tampa park in the K-Bar Ranch community is adjacent to neighborhoods in the community, so the city will be including two access points (in purple) with a gate at the western entrance for neighborhood access & emergency use only to keep the park traffic coming in & out of the main (east) entrance only. See the map on pg. 4 for more information (Source: City of Tampa)
CONTROVERSIAL TRAFFIC LIGHT?
Grand Hampton residents applaud the new signal on County Line Rd. Others...not so much.
See page 6
NORGAARD WINS SOCCER AWARD!
The 4th Wharton alum to win the José Alvarez Memorial Award is headed to England to play. See pages 28-29
HAVE YOU VOTED YET?
No, not in the Primary Election, but to tell us your favorite restaurants in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel? See pages 42-45
Recapping The Highs & Lows Of This Summer’s Paris 2024 Olympics Coverage
An Editorial by GARY NAGER
Although the United States again dominated the overall medal count, the deep American squad ended tied with China for the most gold medals (40) won at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games held in Paris, France. But, for someone who has passionately watched every Olympiad since 1968, the obvious highs of this year’s games also were matched by some lows.
In the swimming pool the first week, Katie Ledecky won her record-tying 8th gold when she broke her own world record in the 1,500m freestyle, but finished a disappointing 2nd in the 800m. Clearwater’s Bobby Finke defended his 2021 Olympic title in Tokyo with a new world record in the men’s 1,500m. The U.S. women’s 4x100m Medley Relay team also set a new world record in winning the gold. And, Caeleb Dressel won his eighth career Olympic gold with the men’s 4x100m free relay, but finished a disappointing sixth in the 50m free and failed to qualify for the 100m butterfly final, as hometown French hero Leon Marchand grabbed the headlines in men’s swimming with four golds and five medals overall, even the U.S. haul of eight golds and 28 total medals led the world.
On the women’s side, American Torri Huske won gold in the women’s 400m fly, in the mixed 4x100m medley relay and the women’s 4x100m medley relay and led the U.S. squad by winning five medals overall at age 21.
In gymnastics, the great Simone Biles took home the gold in the women’s vault and both the team and individual all-around competition, but lost the gold in the floor exercise to Rebeca Andrade of Brazil and didn’t make it to the podium in the balance beam or uneven parallel bars. Even so, her eleven Olympic medals are the most won by any U.S. gymnast in history. There were other great performances by the U.S. men (who won the bronze as a team in the all-around) and women in gymnastics, but no other golds.
On the track, the U.S. men’s and women’s teams dominated both the total and gold medal count, with seven golds each and 34 total medals between them, but there were still some disappointments. Sprinter Noah Lyles came back to win the 100m in a photo finish but finished third in the 200m after reportedly contracting Covid between the two events. But, favored Sha’Carri Richardson took only silver in the women’s 100m when she was beaten by Julien Alfred of St. Lucia, the first-ever Olympic medal for that country.
Meanwhile, Harvard grad Gabby Thomas dominated the women’s 200m and also won gold in the women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams, while the men’s 4x400m relay team set a new Olympic record in winning gold. The favored U.S. men’s 4x100m relay team, which ran without Lyles, was disqualified due to a botched baton handoff. The still-dominant Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone broke her own world record in the women’s 400m hurdles to defend that title and also was part of the 4x400 relay squad that won gold.
Other U.S. winners included Masai Russell in the women’s 100m hurdles, Rai Benjamin (who led off the winning 4x400 relay team) in the men’s 400m hurdles, Grant Holloway in the men’s 110m hurdles, Quincy Hall in the men’s 400m, Tara Davis-Woodhall in the women’s long jump, Valarie Allman (who defended her Olympic gold) in the women’s discus, the dominant Ryan Crouser, who became the first-ever three-time Olympic gold medal winner in the shot put (with teammate Joseph Kovacs taking the silver) and the incredible
surprise, come-from behind win by Cole Hocker in the men’s 1,500m. Also notable was Kenneth Rooks, who came out of nowhere to fall just short of the gold in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase.
Among the disappointments in athletics was the U.S. mixed 4x400m relay team, which set a new world record in qualifying, but finished 2nd to Norway in the final. Alexis Holmes anchored the gold-winning 4x400m women’s relay team but didn’t reach the podium in the individual 400m, finishing 6th. And, if high jumper Shelby McEwen had agreed to split the gold medal with New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr, instead of losing the jump-off between the two, the U.S. would have broken the tie for overall golds to go with our 126 total medals (to 90 for China).
Meanwhile, China won all 8 diving golds (the U.S. had just one silver medal) and every table tennis gold to achieve the gold medal tie.
But, while both the men’s and women’s basketball teams won gold (the women’s was a recordsetting 8th straight Olympic win), both in thrilling finals over the host nation, and the women’s soccer team redeemed a disappointing performance in Tokyo to claim the gold 1-0 over Brazil, there were other U.S. athletes who fell short. None of our favored indoor and beach volleyball teams finished first, nor did our men’s or women’s water polo squads. We did earn one rowing gold — in the men’s fours — but earned zero boxing golds and only one bronze medal. What I didn’t understand was
why we didn’t see any of the boxing matches (see below) or rowing finals live. The most controversial thing at these games was the boxing gold won by Imane Khelif of Algeria, who had previously been banned from competing because she had both men’s and women’s chromosomes, a rare condition — even though she had been born and lived her whole life as a female — but we never saw her fight.
NBC-TV and its Peacock streaming service, in my opinion, did just an OK job overall, and fell short of showing all of the events of these Olympics, despite having multiple channels to show them.
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U.S. Olympic gymnast Simone Biles took home 3 gold medals from Paris.
To start the discussion, Viera touted the $9$10 million total he has gotten for recreation facilities in New Tampa since taking office eight years ago, including the expansion of the New Tampa Recreation Center, the expansion of the recreation facilities behind Liberty Middle School (working with the Hillsborough School District) and the City of Tampa All-Abilities Park. Viera said, “I couldn’t have done this without the help of these folks — Brad Suder and Heather Wolf-Erickson.”
Wolf-Erickson said that designing a park is, “a long process that won’t get accomplished tonight, but when it’s built, that’s when it gets handed over to my team and we do the operations, to keep the park beautiful and packed, and handle the waiting lists and all that we do for the (city) parks here in New Tampa.”
She added that, “The design phase is such fun, so I hope you all will sit back, relax and enjoy that design phase, but just realize that whatever you think (the park) is going to be, it’s going to be a hybrid of what everybody wants. That’s the beautiful part about it. It will represent the whole community.”
Wolf-Erickson also said that Suder, who was involved in the design of every city recreation facility in New Tampa, also was responsible for the design of the Tampa Riverwalk downtown and so many other facilities city-wide.
“Luis didn’t mention the New Tampa Nature Park (near I-75), but it is one of my favorite parks that I’ve designed,” Suder said, “but these are all labors of love. And, I’ve been working on the KBar park since 2012.”
Suder added that the K-Bar park started out as a county-city cooperative. It was supposed to be in the northern portion of the community, “but we ran into some issues where we couldn’t accept what the developer wanted to give us. The county went to a different site and the [K-Bar] park went silent for a while. I knew K-Bar was building and building, but we were promised park land. We were originally only offered a donation of 15 acres with an option to purchase 15 more at market value. But ultimately, we were offered this 65 acres, which was originally a borrow pit, but because of the lakes that were dug in K-Bar, we ended up with hundreds of thousands of cubic yards of soil — and we tested every truckload of that soil — and we ended up with a suitable park site to start the design process.”
What About Cricket?
“We have heard that cricket is a very popular and desired amenity to have at this park for New Tampa,” Suder said. “The problem is that most of our parks don’t support the square acreage that’s needed for cricket. But, in this case, we believe we have the acreage to make it work in this park, along with the other needs that we hear about tonight.”
He added, “Councilman Viera calls me a friend, but he did fight to get this going and I applaud him for that. And now, we’ve got it going.”
Suder also noted that once the money for the park’s design becomes available and the city can hire a consultant to work with, “We will start the public participation process, so we can hear all of the elements the community wants — the community as a whole. It can’t focus only on K-Bar residents, but that is a part of the discussion.” He did say, however, that the design funds probably won’t be available until late November, or several weeks after the fiscal year begins on Oct. 1. “Then, it will take several more weeks to hire the consultant. And, the actual design phase will likely take a little more than a year to complete.”
Viera noted that there is no money in the current city budget for construction of the park. “We really need that half-cent Community Investment Tax to continue,” Viera said. “That’s where the money to build the park would most likely come from.”
Suder then mentioned that, “We envision asking for about $5 million, maybe a little bit more, in a couple of years, when the design process is done, for what will essentially be Phase 1 of the park.”
And, even though the county had envisioned a sports megaplex, Suder said that with the new site, “We realized that a megaplex for sports probably isn’t the idea here, for many reasons — one is public safety, including concerns about getting fire rescue in there if anything happens and clogging up the roads with, say, 18 teams for a tournament. That just wouldn’t work — we don’t want that much traffic going through there.”
So, Suder and his team came up with what he calls a “hybrid” model, “with one part neighborhood parks with passive uses like picnicking and enjoyment of nature, one part active, essentially sports, and a really nice playground for all of the families that live near here.”
The fourth component of the park Suder said he envisions is conservation.
“A lot of this property is old pasture land for cows, and we hope to add a lot of trees, with walking trails, to make something really nice.”
Viera then asked Prahlad Madabhushi to speak about cricket, “because Tampa is a very pluralistic city and the fact that we have many people asking for cricket speaks to that. And, the fact that the HOAs and CDDs in New Tampa are all supportive of it is another reason why New Tampa is so awesome.”
Madabhushi first gave a brief description of cricket and its origins in England, dating back to the 16th century, that is similar to baseball, “and a lot of people love it. If you ever come to watch a game, you will fall in love with it, too.”
Madabhushi also mentioned that with Florida’s climate, “We can play 11 or 12 months a year, which you can’t do in the northeast and other places.”
He also said that the TPL that he and Nayak run also has hosted tournaments, with players even coming from other countries to play, “Which could really put New Tampa on the map.”
Several of the K-Bar residents in attendance mentioned that they hoped the cricket pitch at the K-Bar park would not be used for tournaments, because of the neighborhood safety and traffic concerns Suder had mentioned.
Wolf-Erickson asked about what the needs would be to have the “proper” cricket pitch Madabhushi talked about during his presentation.
He said that the total size needed for one field would be about five acres. “If you can imagine two full-size football fields next to each other and draw a circle around it, that’s the size of a cricket pitch, Madabhushi said. “Soccer could be played there when it’s not being used for cricket. If you have enough flat ground and possibly lights, that would work.”
Having lights for playing cricket at night was a concern for some of the K-Bar residents.
But, Suder countered that the LED lights being used in new facilities being constructed today would not shine into the nearby houses.
K-Bar Ranch Homeowners Assn (HOA) president Patrick Leduc said that his community does support cricket at the park, “but if you could keep it low-density, without lights and without fencing it in, that would be fine. I think a fitness track around the outside would work. The thing that’s unique
about this piece of land is that it’s open. There’s actually an absence of trees, which I call ‘Big Sky Country.’ You could widen the lake out there and use the dirt to make hills for the fitness track for kids to ride bikes and skateboards. I think it could be a unique place in the city’s park system.” He also noted that his ideas came from HOA discussions, “I didn’t come up with them myself.”
Leduc also mentioned that it would be important to control ingress and egress, especially at dusk. “All of the communities near the park are gated except Bassett Creek,” he said. “So, we’d like it if you could gate it and keep the ‘look’ of the park entrance similar to the community’s gated entrances.” He also said that if the lake could be widened and allow fishing, since no fishing is allowed at other lakes and ponds in the community, “I think the kids who live here would love it.”
One K-Bar resident, who said his home backs up to the park, said he appreciates that the park will be low-density because of the nature and animals that are out there now.
“I can look out at that property and see bald eagles and 20 deer at a time,” he said. “That is so special in an area that is growing so quickly. It needs to be preserved.”
Another resident asked about the possibility of tennis or pickleball courts being included at the park, but Leduc said that K-Bar is getting pickleball at its Amenity Center, “and we want there to be a synergy between what we have in K-Bar and this city park.”
Other residents expressed concerns about the traffic, but Viera promised that before the design is improved, Tampa’s Mobility Dept. will be brought in to assess the ways to control the traffic at the park. “That’s all a part of this process.”
Suder added, “The signage will emphasize the main entrance (see pg. 1), so that the other entrance will be for residents and emergencies only.”
And, although she spent most of her time at the meeting just listening, Rep. Driskell aid, “We will get this project over the finish line together.”
(Left photo) Brad Suder (left) & Heather Wolf-Erickson of the City of Tampa attended the meeting to get input from the residents in attendance about the K-Bar Ranch park’s design at a Town Hall meeting on Aug. 7, (Right photo) State House minority leader Fentrice Driskell (4th from left) and Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera (5th from left) were joined for a picture by local residents interested in adding a cricket field to the city’s planned park in K-Bar Ranch.
Cheers & Jeers For Grand Hampton’s Main County Line Rd. Entrance Signal
Grand Hampton residents hail the new traffic light as a much-needed safety improvement; while others complain about its timing.
By Joel Provenzano
Back in the spring of 2004, left and right turn lanes were constructed on County Line Rd, leading into the then-brand-new, 600-acre community of Grand Hampton. Even back then, news reports talked about the delays and “bothersome” lane closures along County Line Rd to accommodate these changes, and the “rapid growth” of the area was causing inconvenience for a few long-time locals. Sounds like some things never change, right?
Well, some 20 years later, the residents of Grand Hampton (which today has a little more than 1,000 homes) got something new out front on County Line Rd. — a traffic signal. The signal was recently constructed, and then put into full operation on July 30. The county put it in “flash mode” for a week prior, and put up temporary electronic signs to alert motorists to the change in the traffic pattern.
When the new signal became fully operational, some local residents on social media expressed their frustration with it — citing long initial backups. Others, especially people living in Grand Hampton, countered that they saw the new signal as a necessary safety improvement and defended the county’s decision to put one up at that location.
Several local residents said that there have been serious crashes at that intersection over the years, and with the growing population in the new and existing communities along County Line Rd., including Woodside Trace and Belle Chase (see map), plus The Hammocks townhomes and the North Tampa Christian Academy and Creative
The map shows the new traffic signal at the main entrance to the Grand Hampton community on County Line Rd., the location of the Grand
the existing traffic signals at Northwood Palms Blvd.,
Times Academy of Wesley Chapel, that risk would just continue to grow with an increasing number of cars passing the intersection everyday.
Why NOW?
A signal was first installed less than a mile down the street at Northwood Palms Blvd., at the entrance to the Northwood community (in early 2015), which helped in the interim, because when that signal turned green for the Northwood side street, it would create some gaps in the westbound traffic in front of Grand Hampton.
That was important, because in order to find a gap to make a left turn out into traffic at the Grand Hampton Dr. entrance to the community, both the east and west approaches have to be clear at the same time, and that can be challenging and tricky for motorists to safely judge on a busy two-lane “rural” road. That’s why the engineering signal warrants for a two-lane undivided road are traditionally lower, than say for a four-lane divided road that might have a median opening cars can pull into, pause, and check if the other direction is clear is safely proceed.
As more support businesses have been getting constructed to the west, including places like the Tampa Premium Outlets, Costco, Aldi, etc., residents began making more lefts out at Grand Hampton Dr. than they used to, gradually changing the traffic pattern over time, reducing the effectiveness of the “down stream” signal at Northwood Palms Dr. to provide relief. This also increased the through volumes on County Line Rd. In 2018, in an effort to try and help make it a little easier to get out of Grand Hampton, the county reduced the speed limit along the
Hampton back gate &
Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., Imperial Oak (IO) Blvd. & Aronwood Blvd. (Google map modified by NN)
corridor from 55 miles per hour to 45 mph. This was around the same time that the North Tampa Christian Academy finished construction.
But, even with those improvements, the corridor still retained its original high speed rural characteristic; as a two-lane undivided road with narrow lanes, no shoulders, no curb and gutter and, most critically, no sidewalks or bike lanes. Unfortunately, because the road still “felt” the same, speeds stayed on the higher side, and even though it’s been six years, some online commenters joked (at least we hope they were joking) that they didn’t even know the speed limit was ever reduced to 45 mph.
Accordingly, those who live in Grand Hampton had been reaching out to Hillsborough County
for years about adding a signal for themselves, due to growing and continual concerns. And in his June 10 town hall meeting at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (as we reported in our June 25 New Tampa issue), County Commissioner Ken Hagan said he was pleased that he was able to get funding for that need and mentioned that construction (of the now active signal) would be completed at the end of June.
Although County Line Rd. serves both Pasco County and Hillsborough, any issues or problems with the new signal can be reported to Hillsborough County, the entity that is responsible for monitoring and adjusting the signal’s timing and detection.
Traffic does back up on County Line Rd. at the new Grand Hampton signal. (Photo by Charmaine George)
Community Received Crime & City Budget Updates At Second Public Safety Meeting
By Gary Nager
by Charmaine George
Thankfully, the short, but scary violent crime wave that rocked New Tampa in June has calmed down.
That fact was evidenced by the muchlower attendance at the second New Tampa Public Safety Town Hall meeting held at Compton Park in Tampa Palms on July 30, nearly five weeks after District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera and the Tampa Police Department (TPD) co-hosted the first New Tampa Public Safety Town Hall meeting at the New Tampa Recreation Center on June 24.
As we reported in our July 23 issue, the first Town Hall was attended by about 200 people, many of whom expressed fear after three separate shooting incidents in four days that left four people dead and one seriously injured in zip code 33647.
At the July 30 meeting, new TPD Deputy Chief Brett Owen and recently promoted TPD Dist. 2 Major Leslie “Les” Richardson provided an update on one of the three cases, while acknowledging that one case, which was being handled by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) because it took place on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (a county road), was still not resolved. An arrest had already been made in the third case, as we also reported last issue.
Just to review: The case that is still open was the first one, on June 17, when 24-year-old Wesley Chapel resident Kyle Prisco was shot and killed in broad daylight on BBD at Regents Park Dr., in front of the Chase Bank. Sadly, just as at the June 24 meeting, no one from HCSO attended the July 30 meeting to answer questions about that case.
“Unfortunately, the Sheriff’s Office has not yet made an arrest in that case,” Dep. Chief Owen said, “but they are diligently working on it and hopefully in the near future, we’ll be able to give you some positive information on that case.”
The case where TPD made an arrest was the one we reported last issue, when the body of 35-year-old Andre Dyke was found riddled with bullets on the morning of June 21, near the Metro Self Storage adjacent to the New Tampa Nature Park. The man arrested was 29-year-old Andre Aris, who TPD said dumped Dyke’s body, and was charged with first-degree murder.
Dep. Chief Owen said that the third case, which happened a little later on June 21,
was “solved.” Although he didn’t identify any of the people involved, Dep. Chief Owen said that after a man’s body was found on the ground near the entrance to the Portofino Apartments on New Tampa Blvd. in West Meadows, a suspect got into the back seat of the victim’s vehicle and pointed a gun at the driver. “They met up for a narcotics transaction and the two exchanged gunfire and ultimately the two suspects both succumbed to their injuries.” One suspect was pronounced dead at a crash site on Bearss Ave. near I-275, and the other later died after being transported to a hospital.
(Above, l.-r.) State Rep. Fentrice Driskell, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, City Councilman Luis Viera, TPD Deputy Chief Brett Owen & TPD Maj. Les Richardson were in attendance at the Town Hall meeting in Tampa Palms on July 30. (Right) Raquel Thompson (in tank top) asks for a crime update.
One of the attendees at the July 30 Town Hall, Raquel Thompson, expressed her concern that even though she had scanned the QR code to receive TPD media releases in June, nothing had been reported about the “solved” case, “and I think people in this community have been so on edge about the recent crimes that I would think the police would want to let us know the case was resolved. But, why wasn’t that communicated to us?” Owen agreed and said he would look into why nothing was posted about it, but at our press time, no updated information had been released by TPD about the case.
Owen did mention that, “we’ve had a lot of good work going on here in the neighborhood recently. Just in the last month, on June 26, we had five young men go into the parking lot at the Mezzo at Tampa Palms apartments. They were trying car door handles, but there was a citizen sitting in his car who blew his horn and scared them off, but not very far. They were at Building 3 when the citizen blew his horn, but they ran to Building 8, where our officers made contact with them responding to that call for service. It just goes to show that if you see something that looks out of place, call us and let us know and we can respond to it quickly and actually make something happen.”
The new Deputy Chief also mentioned that
on July 19, some suspects who came up from south Florida that were involved in a motorcycle theft ring, “stole two motorcycles up here in New Tampa and they were ultimately linked to a case that the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office had and another that Osceola County was working. Osceola had some good information that led to these suspects being arrested and the return of one of the motorcycles stolen from New Tampa.”
He also mentioned that overall, “Our self-initiated activity is up over 55% year-todate. Just in the last month alone, it’s up 66%, so that makes almost 7,000 calls year-to-date that were self-initiated, which means officers doing something in the community that weren’t called in by citizens. And, just this last month, we’re talking 1,000 self-initiated calls, so we are visible in the community and we’re working diligently to keep you all safe.”
Next, Maj. Richardson said he just got promoted when Owen became Deputy Chief and he said, “I’m actually looking forward to working here in District 2. I’ve spent the majority of my career in East Tampa (TPD) District 3, which includes downtown and Ybor, and I’ve only been here about two weeks now. But, after looking at the numbers in District 2, I’m excited to be working here and I look forward to working with each and every one of you.”
In response to a question from resident Al Fernandez about speeding on BBD, Owen
said that, “Our traffic unit is doing an initiative
one of our problem areas.”
Another local resident asked if the west side of Tampa Palms Blvd. could be repaved, now that the repaving on the east side of Tampa Palms Blvd. has been completed. Mayor Castor said she would have to look into it, and that passing the continuation of the half-cent Community Investment Tax would help, while Viera also mentioned that there is $550 million sitting in Tallahassee from the overturned Transportation Sales Tax referendum, “some of which will come back to the city, and zip code 33647 voted overwhelmingly for that tax.” Viera also noted that the city’s road repaving budget is only about $5 million a
on Bruce B. Downs in New Tampa this month because this is
Photos
and “just to keep our roads the way they are now is about $16 million. That’s what that penny sales tax was for. But, Tampa Palms Blvd. and New Tampa Blvd. repaving are first in my mind for repaving, so we’ll get there eventually.”
Mayor Castor added, “It’s important to get these repaving projects done as quickly as possible so you don’t have to tear the entire road up, which will cost three times as much as repaving.”
About The Budget
After Viera introduced everyone sitting in front of the 50 or so people (photo above) in attendance at the July 30 meeting, Mayor Castor provided an update on the City of Tampa’s Fiscal Year 2025 (which begins Oct. 1) budget.
“We recently presented our 2025 budget to City Council, which is about $1.8 billion,” Mayor Castor said. “We very conservatively estimate what we are going to receive in property tax revenue, and that is the majority of our operating budget. But, where we’re at is sort of a
status quo budget. We are maintaining our high level of service, we’re taking care of the issues that need to be taken care of, but there aren’t going to be any major projects (funded) that weren’t already on the boards. We’re in great shape financially; we have one of the best credit ratings for a city in the U.S. We have so many ‘As’ and ‘A+s’ on that credit rating that I wish I had those grades in high school.” She added that public hearings on the Mayor’s proposed 2025 budget will be held in September.
She also mentioned that, based on a Community Values Survey the city conducts every year, “to ensure that we’re doing what you want, I’m very pleased to say that we have over a 90% approval rating on the citizens’ trust in city government.”
At the end of the meeting, Mayor Castor lauded Councilman Viera for his efforts on New Tampa’s behalf. “This guy really fights for you,” she said. “Your needs in New Tampa are very well represented.”
• Recommendation of non-toxic materials
• Sedation dentistry (nitrous oxide) and Sedation
• Invisalign First for children & Invisalign Teen
• Relaxed environment, so your children can enjoy their visit
2023-24 School Grades Are In — So, How Did New Tampa’s Schools Fare?
By Celeste McLaughlin Neighborhood News Correspondent
As the 2024-25 School Year gets under way, schools are learning how they fared last year, according to state measurements.
The Florida Department of Education (FDoE) released school grades for the 2023-24 school year on July 24, assigning a “B” grade for Hillsborough County Schools as a whole. Hillsborough has maintained a B rating since 2016.
All of New Tampa’s schools earned either an A, B, or C grade.
While eight of the 11 New Tampa public schools maintained the same grade as last year, Liberty Middle School improved from a B to an A. Two schools dropped a letter grade, with both Heritage and Tampa Palms Elementary (TPE) schools moving from an A to a B.
TPE principal Angela Gluth explained the disappointing letter grade change.
“While we look forward to the results of state testing, we were disappointed to have missed an A grade by 1 percentage point,” she says. “However, the scores that make up the state grade do not fully represent the growth and progress we have seen our students make throughout the course of the school year.”
She explains that TPE actually showed gains in proficiency for math students in grades 3-5 and also in 5th grade science, when compared with the previous school year. She says the school also, “celebrates the growth of student learners in primary grades, which are not reflected in the school grade report.”
Florida Department of Education 2023-24 Letter Grades for New Tampa’s Public Schools
and students at Benito, and the support of families, is what helps the school continue to grow and improve every year.
Hillsborough County Superintendent of Schools Van Ayres echoes this sentiment in a statement about school grades.
“We couldn’t have done this without the Hillsborough County community,” he says. “We are excited with our momentum and are ready for the new year to start so we can continue our work.”
More information about school grades not just in Hillsborough County but across Florida is available online at FLDoE.org/ accountability/accountability-reporting/ school-grades.
Gluth adds, “We are excited to start this new school year and can’t wait to build on the achievements our students have made.”
Five New Tampa schools maintained their A status, including Benito Middle School, Chiles Elementary, Clark Elementary, Hunter’s Green Elementary and Pride Elementary.
Benito’s history of As goes all the way back to 2002.
Principal Brent Williams says it’s definitely a team effort that helps create such consistently excellent performance.
“I’m extremely proud of the kids,” he says, “and we also have an awesome staff here. They work extremely hard and we always try to provide opportunities for kids to think
outside the box and make school fun.”
Williams says a new opportunity for student growth this year is that Benito is now a Cambridge Lower Secondary School. This is an affiliation that already had been established at Liberty.
The Cambridge Lower Secondary designation helps prepare students to take Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) courses in high school. Upon completion of an AICE diploma, which is offered at both of New Tampa’s high schools, a student receives a Florida Bright Futures scholarship, which can pay for up to 100% of college tuition.
Williams says the hard work of teachers
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The chart above shows the letter grades received by all eleven public schools located in New Tampa after both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years.
Just A Reminder — Our Local Schools Are Back In Session! Please Drive Carefully!
Bartels K-8 School principal R. LaMarr Buggs (left) and assistant principal Jacqueline Enis greet the buses dropping off students on Aug. 12, the first day
If you’re the parent of a student in any of New Tampa’s eleven public schools, you know that Aug. 12 was the first day back to school in Hillsborough County.
But, in addition to new clothes, new teachers and new books, there also are some new rules you and your children need to be aware of as the 2024-25 school year begins.
Mobile Phones — This school year, students must silence and stow away their devices throughout the school day, unless a teacher or staff member allows phone use for educational purposes. The district policy does allow for
some exceptions. For example, high school students will be permitted to use their phones before and after school and during lunch, while middle and elementary school students can only use their devices before and after school.
School Buses — School bus cameras are being utilized by the District to catch dangerous drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses. Starting Sept. 12, drivers who pass a stopped school bus can be fine $225 for the first offense. School bus drivers also now have “panic” buttons that will immediately notify a school leader. — GN
Turner
of school in Hillsborough County
Photo by Charmaine George
AdventHealth Expanding With Resident Program, ER & Additional Floors
By GARY NAGER
If anyone thought that Advent Health Wesley Chapel (AHWC), the first hospital to open in our area more than 12 years ago, was going to sit back and rest on its laurels and let newcomers BayCare Wesley Chapel and Orlando Health Hospital at Wiregrass take the lead in local health care, they were sadly mistaken.
Not only did AdventHealth cut the ribbon on a new 13,000-sq.-ft. space for its AdventHealth Medical Group in the hospital’s adjacent Wellness Plaza on July 16, AHWC president Erik Wangsness also announced the start of a new Family Medicine residency program in the new space.
As if that impressive new office, with its eight new Family Medicine residents and state-of-the-art technology wasn’t enough, the hospital also broke ground on July 9 on a new freestanding emergency room in Meadow Pointe and also is getting ready to break ground on the expansion of the hospital itself.
In other words, when it comes to AdventHealth in Wesley Chapel, to quote Bachman-Turner Overdrive, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”
that the
Family Practice residency program that will train eight
More than 100 people attended the ribbon cutting for the new AdventHealth Medical Group office on July 16, including District 54 State Representative Randy Maggard and Pasco County Commissioners Seth Weightman, Jack Mariano and Lisa Yeager.
“I understand we have a County Commission quorum here,” Wangsness quipped. “We genuinely appreciate the support.”
Also on hand were several of Wangsness’ colleagues, including several of the hospital’s Board members, AHWC Foundation Board members, President & CEO of Administration David Ottati, chief clinical officer Dr. Rajan Wadhawan, Family Medicine founding program director Dr. Omari Hodge, Dr. Robert Rosequist, and AHWC CFO Jonathan Fisher, as well as the eight new residents themselves.
The new facility includes an in-house labora-
tory, procedure room, classrooms and eleven exam rooms, 4D ultrasound, preventive care, minor procedures and chronic disease management, as well as the residents and their supervising physicians.
“Each year, we will bring in eight new residents into the program, so in three years, we will have 24 new doctors who will be serving the community in the clinic and in the hospital in outpatient settings and it’s going to be a powerful way to serve the needs of not only this growing community but throughout Florida.”
He added, “Across Florida, there’s a dearth of physicians. This new residency program is a way that we can bless this community through health care. And, we hope and believe that many of them will choose to stay here when they complete their three-year residencies and continue to serve this growing community.”
(Above) When AdventHealth cut the ribbon at the new 13,000-sq.-ft. Medical Group office in the AdventHealth Wesley Chapel Wellness Plaza on July 16, the event was much more than just a ribbon cutting, as the hospital announced
eight Family Medicine residents who cut the ribbon would be the first to participate in the hospital’s new
new residents a year for three years at the new Medical Group location (Below left) One of the new treatment rooms at the new AdventHealth Medical Group office. (Below right) Dr. Rajan Wadhawan. (All photos on this page by Charmaine George)
Dr. Wadhawan mentioned that the new family medicine program, “is one of three GME (graduate medical education) programs we launched this year in our West Florida division.
On July 1, 2024, we had 40 new doctors join these programs as trainees.”
Dr. Hodge (left), who will be in charge of the resident program, said he was hired by AHWC two years ago.
“I took a drive out to one of the beautiful Pinellas beaches and told my wife, ‘I think I can do this.’” He also said he was excited to be starting this program with an outstanding crop of young residents.
For more info, visit AdventHealth.com.
AdventHealth Breaks Ground On ER In Meadow Pointe
A week before the new Family Medicine residency program was announced, Advent Health and Pasco County officially broke ground on the new Meadow Pointe off-site Emergency Room on July 9. This new ER, now under construction, will be more than 13,000 sq. ft. and will cost $26 million. It will be strategically located in the rapidly developing area between AdventHealth Wesley Chapel and AdventHealth Zephyrhills at 5170 Chapel Commerce Dr. The new ER will have 12 patient beds, two triage rooms and will offer imaging and lab services.
Construction is expected to be completed in the first half of 2025 and will create more than 30 jobs in the Pasco County community.
“Pasco County is growing quickly, and we want to make sure we’re meeting the needs of our community,” said Mike Murrill, president and CEO of AdventHealth Zephyrhills, AdventHealth Dade City and AdventHealth Connerton. “We are committed to expanding our footprint of emergency care services and making it easy for our neighbors to
access AdventHealth’s robust network of care.”
The AdventHealth Meadow Pointe ER joins the organization’s eight other freestanding emergency rooms across Tampa Bay, which also includes an EMS fleet of 21 ambulances and AdventHealth AirStar 1, a medical helicopter dedicated to critical patient transport across the Tampa Bay region.
“I’m excited to see this built,” said Ryan Guynn, Assistant Fire Chief of Pasco County Fire Rescue. “This facility is going to provide us with another place where we can get our Pasco County citizens timely, professional health care.”
AHWC Expansion
Since the hospital first opened in 2012, it’s always been known that the plan to add more beds at AdventHealth Wesley Chapel was for it to be expanded upward. That expansion from its current 169 beds to the ultimate goal of 300 began with a groundbreaking ceremony on Aug. 15. We will tell you all about that event in our next issue. — GN
(Above, l.-r) Pasco County Commissioner Lisa Yeager, State Rep. Randy Maggard, AHWC president Erik Wangsness & County Commissioners Jack Mariano and Seth Weightman. (Below) Dr. Omari Hodge.
(Photos by Charmaine George)
AdventHealth & Pasco County broke ground on a new 13,000-sq.-ft., $26-million, freestanding emergency room in Meadow Pointe on July 9. (Photo provided by AdventHealth)
PHSC Porter’s Campus Adds Nursing & Allied Health Advancement Institute
By Gary Nager
I was proud to attend the Nursing & Allied Health Advancement Institute’s Grand Opening and ribbon cutting on July 17 at Pasco Hernando State College (PHSC)’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch (where the Institute will be housed), where the room selected was so crowded (with probably in excess of 100 people in attendance) that I couldn’t get close enough to sit down and take notes (or record the proceedings). My story in the August 6 Wesley Chapel issue is therefore drastically different from what you’re reading, as I didn’t receive the video of the actual proceedings until after that Wesley Chapel issue went to press.
At any rate, PHSC received $1.5 million in state appropriations in Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ most recent state budget to fund the establishment of the new Nursing & Allied Health Advancement Institute and the event on July 17 brought together local healthcare leaders, community stakeholders and PHSC staff and faculty to celebrate the establishment of the Institute.
According to Lisa Richardson, Ed.D., PHSC’s VP of Advancement, Innovation & Strategic Partnerships, this innovative and collaborative institute will address the well-documented allied healthcare and nursing shortage in the state of Florida and can be used as a model nationwide.
“We are committed to building strong relationships, driving innovation and making a positive impact on the lives of those we serve,” Richardson said.
Through a multi-pronged, comprehensive and collaborative approach, the institute will increase nursing and allied health pipelines on both sides of the equation — increasing the talent pipeline for faculty as well as for future nursing
and allied health employees.
Andrea Brvenik, PHSC’s General Counsel and VP of Government Relations, said that, “There really was a lack of harmony in trying to address our workforce issues. Synergy is what we hope to achieve with this Institute, with the idea of bringing funding to a problem that is needed. We do get state funding to buy equipment, but we don’t get state funding to truly address the workforce issues. But, this whole thing started to come together when (District 54) State Representative Randy Maggard called to ask me, ‘What are the things we can do here?’ And then, this whole thing started to come together.”
Rep. Maggard said he was proud to get the ball rolling for the state appropriation for the new Nursing Institute at PHSC.
“Well-trained nurses and medical staff are needed over the next several decades not only for our community, but for our entire state,” said Rep. Maggard. “I was honored to sponsor this funding request for my Alma Mater, so that we can ensure our best and brightest have the opportunity to study nursing right here in our community. Through this program, these future nurses and medical professionals will have the tools they need to prevent a crisis level nursing shortage in the future.”
Rep. Maggard also noted that, “It’s no secret that this area is becoming the medical hub of the
state. We have doctors calling us from Europe and Asia wanting to come here.” He added that he and District 20 State Senator Danny Burgess, who appeared at the meeting via Zoom, are committed to trying to get additional funding for the new Nursing & Allied Health Advancement Institute in next year’s budget, too.
“We both asked, ‘What’s our next step to keep this growing and growing?,’” Maggard said.
The Institute will be housed at the college’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel. The first step in establishing the new institute will be to develop a strategic plan.
“This isn’t going to be a new building,” PHSC President Jesse Pisors, Ed.D., said. “This is an effort to solve a problem. [This nursing
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Among those who spoke at the Grand Opening of the Nursing & Allied Health Advancement Institute at Pasco Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch on July 17 were (top left) PHSC President Dr. Jesse Pisors, (top right) State Senator Danny Burgess (who appeared via Zoom) and (below) Dr. Lisa Richardson, PHSC’s VP of Advancement, Innovation & Strategic Partnerships. (All photos on these pages by Charmaine George)
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shortage] is one of the major workforce problems our entire nation is facing and in the Tampa Bay area, with our growing and aging population, it is particularly acute.”
Pisors pointed to PHSC’s 47-year history of adding nurses to the workforce — including more than 160 last year alone — “In fact,” he said, “NursingProgress.org listed PHSC as the best online and in-person LPN (Licensed Practical Nursing) program in the state of Florida, but the shortage has still grown, so we still need to do more.”
He added, “Higher education institutions, including PHSC, desperately seek highly qualified faculty, and institutions of health services struggle with significant gaps in nursing and allied health employees. The circumstance is amplified because improved retention and development strategies are critically needed, and without a plan in place, a real threat exists in the health care system. The Nursing and Allied Health Advancement Institute will provide these plans and focus on solutions in collaboration with significant stakeholders.”
Pisors also noted that the state budget was tight at the State level his year, “So I am grateful to Governor DeSantis for preserving this particular initiative. This wasn’t an easy year for him to do that, but I think this [allocation] is indicative of his commitment to workforce in the health care industry.”
In addition to Dr. Pisors, Rep. Maggard, Dr. Richardson and Brvenik, other speakers at the event included PHSC Trustee Becky Schulkowski and Billie Gabbard, Ed.D., the Dean of Nursing & Allied Health Programs at PHSC.
“I am here wearing two hats today,” Schulkowski said. “As a Trustee for the Board of PHSC and as a member of the health care community. As the president of BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel, I can tell you that this institute is greatly needed by our community and our entire state.
Hiring and retaining qualified nurses and allied health care professionals is a top priority for not only our hospital but for hospitals across our entire state. We simply can not provide the quality of care that our patients deserve without a qualified pool of candidates from which to hire.”
Schulkowski also noted that since so many nurses and allied health care workers left the workforce during the Covid-19 pandemic, “the industry has been slow to recover. But, through this new institute, we hope to find solutions to facilitate greater engagement among those who may be interested in pursuing a medical career and provide a clear pipeline from education to employment.”
She added that it is estimated that Florida will need “an additional 59,000 nurses over the next ten years to meet [the state’s] demand. That is why this Institute is such an important need in this community and our state.”
Meanwhile, Gabbard hailed the establishment of the new Institute as a “major accomplishment. This Institute will further strengthen the symbiotic relationships that already exists between PHSC and our community health care partners. Together, we can move forward and ensure that the health care needs of Pasco and Hernando counties are met. It is an honor to be part of such an innovative endeavor.”
Among the many dignitaries who attended the Grand Opening event in person was County Commissioner Seth Weightman, whose District 2 includes the Porter Campus.
The ribbon at the Grand Opening was cut by Schulkowski, Dr. Pisors and Rep. Maggard.
For more information about the Pasco Hernando State College Nursing & Allied Health Advancement Institute, contact Lisa Richardson, Ed.D., VP of Advancement, Innovation & Strategic Partnerships, at (727) 816-3404.
(Above) The ribbon at the new Nursing & Allied Health Advancement Institute was cut by (l.-r., all holding scissors) PHSC Trustee & BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel president Becky Schulkowski, State Rep. Randy Maggard & Dr. Jesse Pisors. (Below) The room for the Grand Opening event was packed to standing room only.
Curley Rd. Is Expanding — And There’s So Much More Still To Come!
The Road Connecting Wesley Chapel To San Antonio Is Rapidly Becoming
By Joel Provenzano
While growth is inevitable when you’re anywhere along the outside edge of Tampa (the third largest city in Florida), the explosive growth in Wesley Chapel has been pretty much unfathomable, and northern Wesley Chapel (along Curley Road) has been no exception.
In fact, the area near Watergrass and the Epperson Crystal Lagoon (see map) has already grown so much, and so quickly, that the state and county realized a new interstate interchange was needed at I-75 and Overpass Rd. to handle all the current and future traffic this area will produce.
To give an example of the amount of growth we’ve seen, two years ago, Pasco County finally surpassed Hillsborough County in the total number of development permits requiring state approval. In 2013, there were just a handful of these new permits, but each year since then, the number grew almost exponentially, and anyone who’s been here that long (or longer) has been able to see it with their own eyes. Even someone who moved here just three years ago could easily see massive changes around them — and not everyone is a fan of the growth.
If you go back 20 years or so, Curley Rd. featured unobstructed rolling hills, green pastures (many with cows) and spectacular countryside. There was a sense of calm and serenity many couldn’t find anywhere else. Curley Rd. was like a gateway to peace and freedom. Today, when you turn off S.R. 54 heading north on Curley, things have changed quite a bit.
First, the road itself needed to change. A number of roundabouts were added, and Curley Rd. was redesigned to be easily expandable to a 4-lane divid-
ed roadway in the future, without much reconfiguration. Eventually, the road also will be realigned at its south end through the Chapel Crossings community, where it meets up with Meadow Pointe Blvd. (as we’ve reported before).
But, if you drive in the new neighborhoods, past the houses on the western edge of Epperson, you can still catch glimpses of sprawling vistas between houses, especially near King Lake, which is visible from a section of recently completed M/I Homes. Those few lucky home owners now get to enjoy those million-dollar views for far less. But, long before now, this part of Wesley Chapel has been growing new communities to take advantage of this beautiful landscape.
Along Curley Rd. itself, Bridgewater was the last community that was completed during the pre-recession boom. Watergrass was started soon after, still before the Great Recession of 2008-09, but sat stalled for nearly six years, before finally picking up steam again. Then came Epperson. Then came the Sentosa Epperson Apartments, literally centered on the area. Then came the pressing need for more “stuff.”
With the growth in population inevitably comes the need for support businesses like grocery stores, gas stations, medical offices, restaurants and schools. Some of these have already been added along Curley Rd. — such as the new Publix with its drive-through pharmacy and sit-down bar, Starbucks, Circle K and Florida Medical Clinic — and are a joy for most local residents. For entertainment and relaxing, the Epperson Lagoon and the even larger Mirada Crystal Lagoon (just north of Wesley Chapel) have proven to be very popular.
Note - Each of the developments mentioned on pages 17-19 corresponds to a number on this map.
A Unique Destination Of Its Own
The map shows the portion of Curley Rd. from S.R. 54 on the southern end to where the northern portion meets S.R. 52. The numbers on the map correspond to the numbers in the story on pgs. 17-19. (Source: Google map modified by Neighborhood News; numeric locations on the map are approximate & map is not to scale)
1. Apartments & Commercial — On the northwest corner of the signal at S.R. 54 and Curley Rd. is a 26-acre wooded site (adjacent to the community of Pine Ridge; photo) that has caused quite a stir for both the county and residents alike, for a few different reasons.
In the fall of 2021, the first proposed mixed-use development at this site, called “Oakview,” was submitted by Heidt Design for a pre-application meeting with the county, but after many delays, Heidt contacted the county and canceled the meeting and the project itself. Oakview would have included an adjacent parcel (for a total of 42 acres) and would have required a county plan amendment to make it work.
The next proposal came in early 2023, for a corner medical facility with garden apartments in the back. This development also required a
plan amendment and the county issued comments, but no further action was taken. The thing that made many local residents excited (except for the county and the state) was the proposal that came less than one month later (in March of 2023), this time for a Lowe’s Home Improvement store with a gas station in front and multiple other commercial outparcels. The announcement caused quite a stir in local social media communities, with many excited for the possibility of a Lowe’s being built.
But, this was only a concept proposal and both the county and state were very hesitant about it, due to the Lowe’s causing major traffic concerns, as the property didn’t have the appropriate access to handle the heavy traffic a Lowe’s and additional outparcels would generate. The pre-application meeting with Pasco ended up being canceled by the
developer a month later (in Apr. 2023), but people were so excited that they didn’t realize the plan was withdrawn, and the story about Lowe’s kept getting shared on social media well into the beginning of 2024, causing a little confusion, because the next development proposal for apartments came in Aug. 2023. It’s unknown if a Lowe’s is planned to built anywhere else in Wesley Chapel.
As we reported in our Dec. 26, 2023, issue, the “Woods at Wesley Chapel” ended up proposing apartments for the entire 26-acre parcel (with one acre for an access road), which lessened the major traffic concerns (as apartments are much lower traffic generators than a major commercial development), but ended up creating new concerns for the county.
Pasco still wanted to see at least a lower intensity commercial use on the property — like medical/dentist offices or something similar — for job creation and to keep the land use diverse (not all residential), but the developer strictly wanted apartments, and even invoked the recently created “Live Local Act” (a state mandate that allowed “workforce” apartments on land not necessarily set aside or zoned specifically for that purpose, as long as it met certain affordable housing requirements).
Well, as we reported in that June 11, 2024, issue, the county has since opted out of the “Live Local Act,” which required the developer to go back to the drawing board, and they did. The most recent proposal (submitted on July 17) for a new pre-app meeting has now integrated commercial and retail in a very unique and slightly odd way, by “vertically integrating” and setting aside the ground floor of the apartment buildings facing S.R. 54 entirely to commercial use, and also have two traditional commercial outparcels on the east and west corners of the development (totaling 2.5 acres).
The vertical integration is what’s also being
proposed for the apartments next to Sam’s Club on S.R. 56, again to appease the county’s desires for land to be used for jobs and businesses. When it’s all said and done, these “Woods at Wesley Chapel” apartments on Curley Rd. and S.R. 54 will have a total of 51,600 sq. ft. of commercial space. There will be eight apartment buildings of four stories each, with ten units per story, for a total of 300 units. Remember that for two of those buildings, the bottom floor will be entirely commercial (what would have previously been 20 additional residential units). Of the 300 units, 90 would have just one bedroom, 150 would be two-bedroom and 60 would be three-bedroom rental apartments.
There’s a proposed connection to Rotella Dr. in Pine Ridge which will give users of this site access to Curley Rd. It’s unknown when the developer for this current plan will be meeting with the county, but we’ll keep an eye on the status and see what the county decides.
2. Gas Station & Small Grocery Store — On the opposite side of Curley Rd. from the proposed Woods apartments, on the northeast corner of the signal at S.R. 54 and Curley Rd., are five connected parcels totaling about five acres that are currently sitting with just a couple of older houses on them.
Back in June of 2023, Solid Rock Property Group submitted a preliminary concept plan for a pre-app meeting (covering these five parcels) that proposed a 6,000-sq.-ft. gas station with 18 fueling positions and an adjacent 20,000-sq.-ft. small grocery store, consistent with something like an Aldi or even (but don’t even think it!) a Trader Joe’s?
Comments were submitted by the county in Aug. 2023, but no further action has been taken, no site plans or other documents have been resubmitted by that developer or any other, so it’s still up in the air what development will be on this property.
See ‘‘Curley Rd.” on pg. 18
The sign shows the location of the wooded 26-acre lot (one acre is for the access road) where a mixed-use apartment & office/retail development is proposed north of S.R. 54, on the west side of Curley Rd. (#1 on map) (Photo: Joel Provenzano)
‘Curley Rd.’
3. Storage Facility — Immediately north of the proposed gas station (on the east side of Curley Rd.), on a 4.5-acre lot, is a proposed two-story self-storage facility, totaling approximately 110,000 sq. ft. Plans for this facility started back in spring of 2023, but a rezoning of the property was required, and the plan ended up changing from three stories to only two, but still retaining the same total square footage. In addition, the original two driveways were reduced to only one, to satisfy access management requirements.
The developer (Public Storage) is still actively working on getting this facility approved. The most recent plans were submitted in June, but those were denied on a really odd technicality — due to the developer already having plans submitted only a month earlier in May that hadn’t been fully reviewed yet. And, since those plans were still active (not yet withdrawn), the county, according to its staff’s notes, must finish its review on the earlier plans first before starting review on the second set. The first plans (from May) show a minor widening of Curley Rd. to allow for a left turn lane into the driveway. The newer plans were not yet viewable in the county’s system.
4. Townhomes — Immediately to the north of the proposed storage facility (on the east side of Curley Rd.) was a planned 87-unit townhome project (by Resibuilt Homes) on a 13-acre lot, but that plan was withdrawn in Apr. 2022 before the developer even met with the county. It’s likely that the developer was just doing preliminary due diligence as the property has not been purchased yet and is still with the owner from that time (MRM Family Trust). No other plans have been submitted to the county since then, but the property is currently listed for sale by Doyle & McGrath for $13 million.
5. Single Family (Depue Ranch/Vida’s Way) — Immediately to the north of the proposed townhome site (still on the east side of Curley Rd.) and extending north past Wells Rd. to the southern edges of the Bridgewater and Watergrass communities is the massive Depue Ranch Master-Planned Unit Development (MPUD), which encompasses approximately 930 acres. The first community being built in Depue Ranch is Vida’s Way, a 332-acre single-family-home community by Pulte Homes.
One of the most noticeable parts of this community for Curley Rd. will be the eastward extension of Wells Rd. (photo at the top of this page), which is a Pasco Vision Road. Today, Wells Rd. serves primarily the Wesley Chapel school complex, which consists of Wesley Chapel Elementary, Thomas Weightman Middle School and Wesley Chapel High, although there also is an entrance to Bridgewater from the already-built portion of Wells Rd.
There’s currently a signal at the T-intersection with Curley Rd., where (at some point) Wells Rd. will be extended to the east for almost four miles, to eventually connect with Eiland Blvd., providing residents another way to get to Zephyrhills. Along the route, Wells Rd. will pass through and intersect the Watergrass Pkwy. extension (which currently is under construction) and the future Zephyrhills Bypass extension. The developers along this route will be responsible for building their respective sections of Wells Rd. and then conveying it to the county.
6. Standalone Emergency Room in Epperson
On May 13 of this year, Epperson submitted a zoning verification letter request to Pasco, stating, “I hereby request a zoning verification letter that a Free-Standing Emergency Department is a permitted medical office use in the Epperson Ranch CC-MPUD and is a permissible use in the Service Ready Site Acreage portion of the MPUD. The proposed FSED will NOT allow for overnight stays. See LDC Section 522.9.I.4.c(1). Parcel ID Nos. 34-25-20-0000-00100-0012 and 35-25-20-000000300-0020.”
The two parcels mentioned in this request (totalling 35 acres) make up the entire (and currently vacant) southwest corner of the signal for Curley Rd. at Overpass Rd., across Overpass Rd. from the new Publix. A freestanding emergency room would only take up a small portion of the 35 acres, but this is the very first hint at what might be coming to this corner.
7. Retail & Medical Offices — Immediately to the north of the existing Florida Medical Clinic office building on the east side of Curley Rd. (photo, below left) lies an empty grass field of ap-
proximately 2.4 acres, where a single sign installed by the developer, Rave Commercial, currently says “Medical Office Retail For Lease.” This is where a proposed two-story retail and medical office building, totaling 28,000 sq. ft., is going to be built. The site plan received approval on Feb. 12 of this year and the developer has since requested additional development documents to get started with construction, so the moving of dirt may begin soon.
8. Nail Salon — Noire Nail Bar is planning to develop 2,100 sq. ft. of space next to the new Publix in Epperson, as part of the Epperson Commercial-Phase 1 plan, which was started in 2022. Leaders Construction Inc. has been planning the build-out, and has been busy securing all necessary permits, appearing to have received final plan approval on July 24. Noire Nail Bar currently has 180 locations in Florida, including one next to the Mellow Mushroom on S.R. 56. Keep an eye out for it, as it was announced it will be opening with a staff of 20 in the fourth quarter of this year.
9. Dentist, Veterinarian, Spa, Car Wash & Chick-fil-A? — Immediately south of the new Circle K gas station (on the east side of Curley Rd.), lies roughly 4.5 acres of land that are currently being developed with five potential different uses (three of which are under the same roof). The most recent was a permit taken out last month for the build-out of the 4,137-sq.-ft. Heartland Dental. The Goodvets and Ann’s Spa & Nails would occupy the remainder of this 9,220-sq.-ft. building (although the exact size of each business was unknown) that’s currently under construction (photo, below right).
The most exciting part of this
land for most local residents was the Chick-fil-A that was reported to be coming as early as last year. Well, Chick-fil-A did submit a preliminary site plan on Oct. 25 (SITEPLN-2023-00234) for a pre-app meeting and the chicken sandwich chain also submitted a plan for permit approval of a 5,333-sq.-ft. restaurant on Feb. 28 of this year, which appears to have extra-long dual drive-through lanes. Time will tell if and when the Chick-fil-A might be built, as no sign announcing its arrival was yet on the property at our press time for this issue. What was on the sign out front was “Clean Freak Car Wash Powered by Circle K” which is assumed to go next to the 9,220-sq.-ft. Promenade Retail building. Unfortunately, plan specifics for the car wash were not viewable on the county’s permitting site.
10. Wendy’s, Bank & Drug Store — Just north of the new Starbucks (on the east side of Curley
Vida’s Way (#5 below & on map) is a new single-family development that will be built on the eastward extension of Wells Rd. from Curley Rd. (All photos on these pages by Joel Provenzano)
Rave Commercial is planning to build a new medical office on a currently vacant lot next to the Florida Medical Clinic on Curley Rd. (#7 on this page)
Although it’s not shown on the sign, local residents are excited that the site above also is expected to include a Chick-fil-A. (#9 on this page)
Rd.), at the northwest corner of the roundabout with Victory Crossing, sits an empty parcel that is just under four acres. There are a few things in the conceptual planning stage for this parcel. Closest to the Starbucks is a 3,000-sq.-ft. bank that just came in for a pre-app meeting with the county on July 8. Pasco staffers seemed generally favorable but listed a number of requirements for developments in this area to achieve the specific look the county wants.
Immediately north of the bank, on the same parcel, a new 2,239-sq.-ft. Wendy’s is being proposed. Preliminary plans were submitted on July 9 for the county’s consideration. North of the Wendy’s, a new 10,000-sq.-ft. Walgreens Pharmacy has been proposed, but the meeting for Walgreens was back in Oct. of 2023 and nothing additional has been submitted to the county since then.
Many more “support” businesses along the Curley Rd. corridor are currently under construction, in the planning stages, on hold, or may not be coming at all. We listened to the rumors and investigated the facts and will try to continue to bring you more answers about all of these in the future.
11. Education Facilities — But, “more” is definitely still coming, as would be expected with an area of so many residents. Two that are opening now are thankfully education and child-care related.
On July 25, the Amazing Explorers Academy (photo below left) held the Grand Opening of a new 12,110-sq.-ft. building, located on the southeast corner of Curley Rd. at Overpass Rd. The preschool’s sign says that Amazing Explorers caters to “Infants, Preschool, & After School,” while offering ‘a “STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math) Investigations Curriculum.”
The other new educational facility — which
5344 9th St., Suite 105 • Zephyrhills, FL 33542 For appointments, call 808.342.1042 Or email: LLorik808@gmail.com
(Above) The new Kirkland Ranch K-8 Magnet School (#11 on map) opened with the rest of Pasco County’s schools on Aug. 12. (Below) The Amazing Explorers Academy celebrated its Grand Opening on July 25.
The Hub At Lexington Has Gone Vertical; No Tenant Announcements Until Early 2025
By Gary Nager
If you’ve recently driven by the Sentosa Lexington Oaks Apartments on Wesley Chapel Blvd. (in front of the Lexington Oaks community), you may have noticed that The Hub at Lexington — the 40,000-sq.-ft. dining and shopping center we first told you about back in October of last year, has started to go vertical.
But, don’t get too excited just yet. Co-developer Courtney Bissett-Hayes of Center Connect Development, says that although the walls are now up on Building One and all six foundations for this six-building project are now in place, she still doesn’t expect The Hub at Lexington to open until October of 2025.
“The project will open as a whole, not in pieces,” she says. The build-out will take about 13 months and then the tenants will have six months to build out their spaces.”
Sadly, Courtney, who operates Center Connect with her brother Paul Bissett, also says that no announcements will be made regarding tenants until the end of the first quarter or the beginning of the second quarter of 2025.
Even so, she says The Hub at Lexington, like its predecessor, The Hub at Bexley off S.R. 54 near the Suncoast Pkwy., will provide, “Experiential dining & entertainment,” including 15-20 local and regional restaurants and retail shops. And, as we previously
reported, there will be twelve artificial trees (photo from Bexley below) providing shade for the complex, twice as many as at The Hub at Bexley.
Courtney also says that even though Shanks Indoor Golf & Bar’s website still says the indoor golf experience is coming to the complex, she can neither confirm nor deny that at this time.
“What I can confirm,” she says, “is that our 6.5-acre, $24-million project has been designed as a neighborhood amenity, like the Lexington Oaks community’s clubhouse, so we are serious about providing something special for the area.”
She also says that Center Connect plans to build 10 “Hubs” in and around the tri-county area (Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough), with Bexley and Lexington being just the first two. “We will probably announce the third location fairly soon,” she says. “All of the Hubs will be in front of wellestablished master-planned communities.”
For leasing info at The Hub at Lexington, call Courtney Bissett-Hayes at (813) 340-7936.
Business Briefs — Rise Dispensary, FiCare & Laceleaf Med Spa Cut Chamber Ribbons!
By Gary Nager
Photos by Charmaine George
Despite the fact that it’s been a long, hot sum mer, the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce (NTBC) stayed busy with several ribbon-cutting events in Wesley Chapel.
The first (which we didn’t have room to write about in our July 23 issue) was held in June at Rise Dispensary (top left photo), the second medical marijuana dispensary to open in Wesley Chapel.
Located at 28053 Wesley Chapel Blvd. (in the former Russell’s Western Wear building), Rise (which has nearly 100 dispensaries in 14 U.S. states, including 18 in Florida) sells “flower,” edibles, vape cartridges and live resin in Indica, Sativa and Hybrid strains (and some CBD, too) for those ages 21 and older with valid medical cannabis cards and offers both in-store pickup and delivery.
For more information about Rise Dispensary, visit RiseCannabis.com or call (813) 612-6120.
Next up was the July 10 NTBC ribboncutting event at the new Wesley Chapel branch of FiCare Federal Credit Union, located at 26444 Silver Maple Pkwy.
As explained by president and CEO Denelle Miller (with microphone in lower left photo), FiCare started as the credit union for employees of St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa 60 years ago. But today, FiCare also has branches serving health care professionals in Lutz, Clearwater and Gainesville, with standalone ATMs in hospitals in Dunedin, Clearwater, Bartow, Riverview, St. Petersburg and Safety Harbor. The credit union’s “Contact Center” for all of its branches is now at the Wesley Chapel location.
“FiCare exists to serve our members,” Denelle
said. “We are the credit union tailor-made for healthcare professionals na tionwide. We serve you with complete financial services, competitive rates, and per sonal care extending beyond your financial health.”
For more informa tion about FiCare FCU, visit FiCareFCU.org or call (813) 600-5920.
And, last but not least, was the NTBC ribbon-cutting at the beau tiful new Laceleaf Med Spa on July 11. Owner Lisa Rezvan (bottom right) and her staff (top right) showed attendees how they
treatments such as chemical peels, hydrafacials, RF microneedling and treatments for acne scars and sun damage.
der veins; a variety of injectables (Botox®, Dysport®, Juvéderm® and Restylane®); laser pigment removal, skin resurfacing and skin tightening; regenerative medicine such as peptide therapy, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and vitamin B12 injections; and skin
For more information about Laceleaf Med Spa, which is located behind (but in the same building as) the new Moe’s Southwest Grill (at 5490 Post Oak Blvd.), call (813) 7057277 or visit LaceleafMedSpa.com.
Hillsborough Clerk & Comptroller Cindy Stuart
Speaks
At North Tampa Bay Chamber Breakfast
Former Hillsborough County School Board member Cindy Stuart (photo), who has served as the Clerk of Court & Comptroller for the county since Sept. of 2020, says that she is proud the clerk’s office has been voted as a 2024 national (by USA Today), local (by the Tampa Bay Times) and woman-led “Top Workplace.”
“We use this designation to help recruit new employees,” Stuart told about 50 attendees at the North Tampa Bay Chamber breakfast, which was held at Pasco Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch on Aug. 6. “We’re very excited to have earned these awards.”
Stuart, who is running for re-election in November, will face the winner of the Republican primary between former County Commissioner and State Representative (and Tampa Palms resident) Victor Crist and retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Melony Williams in the Republican primary on Aug. 20.
Even so, Stuart’s appearance at the Chamber breakfast was an opportunity for Chamber members to learn what this two-title position actually does. As Clerk of the Court, Stuart’s office is responsible for jury duty (“about 3,000 people each week,” she says). She said the Clerk’s office also processes all civil and criminal court documents.
“We have 68 judges currently in our courtrooms and will have two more appointed judges in the next couple of months,” she said, adding that her office also is responsible for tracking and keeping trial evidence, storing all Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) and county records, recording deeds, handling passport
applications (for Hillsborough only) and recording marriage licenses and performing marriage ceremonies.
“As Comptroller, we’re also the Chief Financial Officer for the BOCC,” she said. “We manage the county’s investments and handle all of the receivables and accounts payable for the county and its $8.5-billion annual budget — about 1,000 transactions a day — and my office has about 700 employees.”
She also noted that, for the past two years or so, Hillsborough has had a program called “Generous Jurors,” where people who say they’re not being paid by their employers when they have jury duty can have the $15 per day jurors receive as compensation donated to nonprofits like Voices for Children and The Spring of Tampa Bay domestic violence shelter.
“We collected about $45,000 for The Spring last year,” Stuart said. “And this year, we’re on track to do the same for Voices for Children and the Guardian ad Litem program.”
She also noted that there were about 6,000 domestic violence injunctions filed last year. “We try to give these victims everything they need to file that injunction and get it approved by a judge,” she said. — GN
‘Singin’ In The Rain’ Was Another Hit For The New Tampa Players!
By Gary Nager
Photos by Charmaine George
I I don’t know if I’d agree that it is (as some have called it) the “Greatest Musical of All Time,” but I do know that the New Tampa Players (NTP)’s production of “Singin’ in the Rain” at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC, located at 8550 Hunters Village Rd., Tampa) was undoubtedly super-fun entertainment for everyone who saw it during its two-weekend run.
The Neighborhood News was on hand for the opening night of “Singin’,” which concluded its two weekends of performances July 28, and there’s no doubt that the talented cast and crew of NTP’s production of the show — which originally was one of the first great movie musicals starring Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O’Connor and Jean Hagen — definitely did justice to this story of two Hollywood stars trying to transition from silent films to “talkies.”
With great singing and dancing by Kyle Billington in Kelly’s role as Don Lockwood, Olivia Carr in the Reynolds role of talented starlet Kathy Selden, Rhett Ricardo as Lockwood’s best friend Cosmo Brown (the role made famous by O’Connor), and the scene-stealing Melanie Bierweiler absolutely nailing the Oscar-nominated Hagen role as Lina Lamont — the silent film star who can’t sing or dance — plus an outstanding ensemble cast, 12-piece orchestra (a record for the Players) and crew, “Singin’ in the Rain” gave you plenty of value for your entertainment dollar.
NTP producing artistic director Nora
Paine directed the show and fellow Players veterans G. Frank Meekins (musical director) and Sarah Walston Pilllips (choreographer) delivered a toe-tapping, tap-dancing, rollicking good time.
The title song, of course, is a timeless classic, but we also loved Ricardo’s “Make ‘Em Laugh,” Kyle and Olivia’s “You Were Meant for Me,” NTP vet Kyle Fisher crooning “Beautiful Girls,” Olivia’s turn on “Good Morning” and the full company’s take on both “Broadway Melody” and the reprise of “Singin’ in the Rain” that closed the show.
And, the Players recently finished up the auditions for the next fun show — “Little Shop of Horrors” — the silly story about a man-eating plant named Audrey II and the nerdy flower shop employee who keeps feeding the ever-growing predatory plant.
“Little Shop” will be performed October 11-13 and October 18-20, also at the NTPAC.
(Top) The company of “Singin’ in the Rain” gets ready to take a bow. (Above, l.-r.) Rhett Ricardo as Cosmo Brown in “Make ‘Em Laugh,” Olivia Carr as Kathy Selden & Melanie Bierweiler as Lina Lamont sing “Would You?” & Kyle Billington is “Singin’ in the Rain” as Don Lockwood.
For more info about the New Tampa Players, visit NewTampaPlayers.org. To find out what shows and events are coming up at the NTPAC, visit NewTampaArtsCenter.org.
Upcoming Events — North Tampa Bay Chamber Events, Fun Nights At The KRATEs & More!
Wednesday, August 21, 9 a.m.-10:30
a.m. — North Tampa Bay Chamber Coffee Social. At Hyatt Place Tampa-Wesley Chapel Hotel (26000 Sierra Center Blvd., Lutz). Free to attend. For more information, visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com/events or call the NTBC office at (813) 994-8534.
Thursday, August 22, 4 p.m.-7 p.m. — Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting, Emorys Rock Realty. At Signature Workspace (formerly Forever 21), 28210 Paseo Dr., Shops at Wiregrass mall. Join Realtors Chad and April Emory as they celebrate the official Grand Opening of their office. Free to attend. Light bites will be served and there will be raffle prizes given away. For more info, visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com/events or call the NTBC office at (813) 994-8534.
Saturday, August 24, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. — “GiGi & Friends Family Fun Day.” At The Shops at Wiregrass, in Center Court. This FREE event will feature fun with the popular GiGi and Friends, including My Gym Children’s Fitness Center, karaoke, face painting, glitter tattoos, circus workshops, a balloon artist, backyard games, putting greens, crafts, and so much more. For more info, visit TheShopsatWiregrass.com.
Sunday, August 25, 4 p.m.-8 p.m. — Nico Brown Productions Presents Chinchorreo. At The KRATE at The Grove container park (5817 Wesley Grove Blvd.). Sponsored by El Nuevo ZOL (97.1 FM radio). For more information, search “Nico Brown” on Facebook.
Monday, August 26, 7 p.m. — New Tampa Democratic Club Monthly Meeting. At New Tampa Regional Library (10001 Cross Creek Blvd.). For more info, see the ad below or visit NewTampaDemocrats.com.
Friday, August 30, 4 p.m.-6 p.m. — Final Friday Networking Event.. At Treble Makers Dueling Piano Bar & Restaurant (6034 Wesley Grove Blvd., Village at The Grove at Wesley Chapel. For more info, visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com/events or call (813) 994-8534.
Friday, August 30, 7 p.m.-11 p.m. — Nico Brown Productions Presents R&B Only Night’s “All White Party.” At The KRATE at The Grove container park (5817 Wesley Grove Blvd.). Dress code for this event — all white. Performing live will be The Beatdown Band & multiple guest DJs will be announced. Advance Tickets cost $5 until August 25, or $10 after & at the door & are non-refundable. Kids 12 & under get in free. No outside coolers, food or drinks allowed; bring your own chairs. For tickets & more info, visit https:// tinyurl.com/krate726.
Thursday, September 5, 4 p.m.-6 p.m. — Ribbon Cutting, Eden Chiropractic. At 29141 Chapel Park Dr., Brookside Professional Park, Wesley Chapel. Celebrate with Eden Chiropractic at this free event that will include food, drinks and raffles. For more info, visit NorthTampaBay Chamber.com/events or call (813) 994-8534.
Friday, September 6, 5:30 p.m.-9 p.m. — The Market Elaine Wesley Chapel. At The Vil lage at The Grove (Wesley Grove Blvd.). Join 150+
vendors at this monthly event, with FREE admission and parking. For more information, visit TheMarketCulture.com.
Saturday, September 7, 7 p.m. & Sunday, September 8, 3 p.m. — Ampersand Theatre & the New Tampa Players present “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” At the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (8550 Hunters Village Rd.). Ampersand Theatre is a theatre troupe for adults with disabilities, guided by the New Tampa Players. Charlie Brown and the entire Peanuts gang explore life’s great questions as they play baseball, struggle with homework, sing songs, swoon over their crushes and celebrate the joy of friendship. “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” is presented through the generous support of the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County. Tickets cost $20. For tickets & more information, visit NewTampaPlayers.org.
Wednesday, September 18, 9 a.m.-10:30 a.m. — North Tampa Bay Chamber Coffee Social. At USF Federal Credit Union (20610 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.) For more information, visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com/events or call the NTBC office at (813) 994-8534.
Thursday, September 19, 4 p.m.-6 p.m. — Grand Opening of Downtown I at Avalon Park Wesley Chapel. The community is invited to attend the Grand Opening of Downtown
Avalon Park Wesley Chapel (4424 Friendly Way, Wesley Chapel) for a ribbon cutting and to meet the businesses that make up the downtown area’s first building. Free to attend, but reservations are requested. For more info, visit AvalonParkWesleyChapel.com or RSVP to Marketing@ AvalonParkGroup.com.
Friday & Saturday, September 20-21, 7 p.m. — Powerstories presents “Celebrate the Power of the Arts.” At the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (8550 Hunters Village Rd.). For more information, see the ad below.
Sunday, September 22, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. — “Auto & Truck Showcase.” At The Shops at Wiregrass, on Paseo Dr. Stroll along palm treelined Paseo Dr. to check out the area’s best cars and trucks, while enjoying live music, family activities, shopping and 30+ eateries to choose from for a quick bite, brunch, or sit-down dining. Trophies will be awarded to all makes, models, and vintages. Brought to you by Unhinged International, Florida. To register a vehicle or for more info, visit TheShopsatWiregrass.com.
Friday, September 27, 4 p.m.-6 p.m. — Final Friday Networking Event.. At Top Shelf Sports Lounge (3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd., Wesley Chapel. For more info, visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com/events or call the NTBC office at (813) 994-8534.
Saturday, September 28, 8 p.m. — The Tampa Jazz Club presents “James Suggs: A Miles Davis Tribute). At the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (8550 Hunters Village Rd.). For more information, see the ad below.
Brendan Norgaard Wins José Alvarez Award & Heads To England To Play Soccer!
By Gary Nager
Photos by Charmaine George
Congratulations to Brendan Norgaard, the 2024 Wharton High graduate who, on Aug. 7, received the José Alvarez Memorial Award as the top Male Soccer Player of the Year in Hillsborough County for the 2023-24 season, after breaking five high school records and scoring 32 goals in 18 games for the Wildcats last season.
Brendan received his award from Steven Alvarez, the son of the late José Alvarez, at a surprise (at least for Brendan) dinner meeting at Florida Ave. Brewing Co. on S.R. 56.
“Yes, Brendan is a great soccer player, but not everyone who has received this award the last 40 years has been a great scorer,” Steven Alvarez told the Neighborhood News. “The award considers everything — leadership, academics, volunteer work and soccer ability and Brendan was nominated by his coaches (Wharton head soccer coach Scott Ware and his assistant coach Jason Doughlin) and a committee of local high school coaches votes for one male and one female Player of the Year each year (since 1985).”
Brendan’s mother, Ann Pereira (who invited us to the dinner), says her son completed Cambridge Assessment International Education qualifications and four Advanced Placement classes while at Wharton and also played club soccer locally for the Florida Premier FC.
“We’re just so proud of Brendan,” Ann said, with her husband Edward by her side. “I’ve never had to ask him ‘Are you practicing?’ or ‘Are you doing your homework?,’ he’s just always excelled at everything and soccer is definitely his passion.”
“He has wanted to be a professional soccer player since he was four years old,” Edward added. “He’s done nothing but eat, sleep and play soccer since we moved down here in 2013.”
Brendan said that the award “ceremony” at Florida Ave. Brewing Co. completely took him by surprise. “I thought we were just coming here for a family dinner,” he said, “but I am very honored and excited to have received this award. I have a lot of friends that I think were very deserving, too, so this is pretty cool.”
Ann added that after being named All-County and All-State and taking Wharton to the 6A Regional Tournament (where they lost 1-0 to Ft. Myers High in the Regional Quarterfinals in Feb.), “We thought he was all done receiving honors, so we were so excited to hear that he had won this award as well.”
She added that Brendan leaves Sept. 2 for England, where he will play for Macclesfield FC in Macclesfield, Cheshire, where he has participated in
the club’s summer residency program the last two years. He played in Spain with the club for 10 days, where he played for Macclesfield’s first team in two international tournaments.
“I also am going to attend the University of Central Lancashire (in Preston, Lancashire) and work to get my Bachelor’s degree in Sports Business,” Brendan says. “I just wanted to give this (soccer) a shot and see how far it takes me.”
About The Alvarez Award
Steven Alvarez, a director of the The Alvarez Company, an Certified Public Accounting firm based in Apollo Beach — and the executive director of the José A. Alvarez Memorial Fund — says that his father, long-time soccer coach José A. Alvarez, wondered way back in the 1980s why there were Player of the Year awards for football, basketball and baseball in Hillsborough County, but no such award for soccer.
“Dad was told by the county that if he wanted to have a soccer award, he should start — and pay for — it himself,” Steven said. “So, that’s what he did. And, unlike the awards in those other sports, he decided to give his award to both a top boy and girl high school soccer player each year.”
He added, “And he didn’t just want it be about stats or scoring, that’s why it hasn’t always been forwards winning the awards. We’ve had goalkeepers and even defenders win it before. He really wanted it to be an all-around award. Brendan didn’t just win it this year because he scored a lot of goals. He won it because of his academics and leadership, too. He was the team’s captain and he was all about the team, not himself. We have followed not just the soccer careers but our past winners’ lives, who they are as people, which is what my dad wanted.”
Unfortunately, José Alvarez passed away
in 2015 at the age of 66 from what is known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, or CJD, a rare neurodegenerative disease that has no treatment or cure. Sporadic CJD is similar to dementia in presentation but progresses much more rapidly, with the median duration of illness being only 4-5 months. There also is a genetic form of CJD that can sometimes linger for a year or more, with the person who survived the longest living 16 years after diagnosis.
The CJD Foundation is based in Akron, OH, and, as it says on the JoseAlvarezMemorial.com website, “We would love to continue his giving and good deeds by allowing us to continue this great award, have the ability to help others who may be in need through sport, and help the CJD Foundation continue to help find a stop to this progressive, fatal disease that took José’s life much too early.”
“We started this foundation shortly after my dad passed away, to keep his name. his memory and his award alive,” Steven said. “He — and we — wanted to put the spotlight on the good kids because, hopefully, they’ll be our leaders in a few years down the road.”
Alvarez also mentioned that Brendan is the fourth winner of the award from Wharton during the school’s 25-year history. There also have been two players from Freedom High who have won the award (see chart, right).
The Coaches’ Perspective
Wharton head boys soccer coach Scott Ware and assistant coach Jason Doughlin were on hand for the dinner with Brendan, his parents, his girlfriend Kacy and his brother Grayson, and they agreed that Brendan was the right Wharton player to be nominated for — and win — the award.
“Even as a freshman, he was an immediate impact player for us,” Coach Ware said. “He started
New Tampa’s Jose Alvarez Male & Female Soccer Player Of The Year Award Winners
2024 - Brendan Norgaard, Wharton
2018 - Caroline DeLisle, Wharton
2017 - Clifford Adjei, Wharton (tied for award)
2009 - Monique LaMotte, Freedom
2008 - Bobby Huertas, Freedom
2006 - Ogi Perucica, Wharton
2005 - Nick Zimmerman, Wharton
all four years for us. His stats don’t lie. He was a true striker on the field, but he also creates opportunities for other players to succeed. Plus, he improved every year and we could see the quality of his leadership develop and he held other kids accountable, but in a proper way. Great team player, great coach’s player, so for us, hands down, he was the guy. He will be missed. If there’s such a thing as a fifth-year senior, I’d take it.”
Doughlin agreed, “Brendan definitely left a legacy, some big shoes to follow. But honestly, it was a no-brainer. Even as a freshman, we could see he was going to be something special. A lot of kids with his ability venture off into the soccer academies, but he stuck around all four years and it’s just an honor for us to be here to see him receive this award. He exceeded our expectations as well.”
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Steven Kessel, REALTOR®
(L.-r.) Edward & Ann Pereira, their son Brendan Norgaard, his girlfriend Kacy Hauck & Grayson Pereira
Brendan proudly shows off his José Alvarez Award.
(Above) Brendan with Steven Alvarez, the exec. director of the José Alvarez Memorial Fund. (Below) Wharton assistant coach Jason Doughlin (left) & head coach Scott Ware were on hand to celebrate Brendan’s award with him.
Dana Carter’s Wellness Consulting Can Help You Get ‘Happy Healthy Hormones’
By Celeste McLaughlin Neighborhood News Correspondent
Dana Carter, APRN, MSN, WHNP, has worked with countless women who had visited their healthcare providers looking for relief from pain and other symptoms. In typical, corporate medicine, she says these women all too often feel unheard.
To help women in that situation, Dana launched Happy Healthy Hormones, a virtual consulting practice where her primary focus is listening to women and helping them make certain changes so they can feel better, once she understands why their experiencing their symptoms.
Dana is a nurse practitioner who has prac ticed in Wesley Chapel and north Tampa since 2008. That’s when she earned her Master of Sci ence (M.S.N.) degree in nursing with a specialty in women’s health from Emory University in Atlanta, after earning her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in nursing from the University of Florida in Gainesville in 2006.
The initials after her name in this story’s first paragraph mean she is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse with an M.S.N. degree and is a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner.
As a nearly lifelong resident of Wesley Chapel, Dana moved back after graduation and began working in gynecologic care.
“Within a couple of years of working as a new graduate, I realized there’s a huge issue with listening in the corporate medical and nursing field,” she says. “It’s very cookie-cutter. It didn’t take long for me to realize people aren’t being heard and aren’t getting the help they need.”
While struggling with her own personal health and fertility issues, Dana started doing her own research to better understand both her issues and those of her patients.
“I took the knowledge and great education I had received, along with the things I learned from doctors, other nurse practitioners and a compounding pharmacist I worked closely with,” Dana says. “Plus, I got a bunch of books and read a bunch of things, and I developed a much more holistic approach, specifically to help women with hormonal issues.”
Patients would come to her with symptoms such as feeling anxious, having low energy, as well as having irregular bleeding patterns and an inability to lose weight.
Dana says she got a reputation of taking more time with patients than her corporate practice allowed as she talked through these and other issues with women. She told her practice that although patient appointments were only scheduled for 10 minutes, she needed 30. She also encouraged patients to do their own research.
“It was an honor, but I would be booked out for months,” she says. “I realized that corporate medicine wasn’t allowing me to do a great job of doing what I love.”
Dana decided to make a change, leaving the security of practicing in a traditional setting to take a leap of faith and offer the kind of treatment she wants to give patients on her own terms.
Today, she works one-on-one with many women, including Laci Stokes, who says her busy life as a mom, wife to a firefighter and business owner had left her feeling run-down.
“I felt ‘off,’” says Laci. “I felt like something wasn’t right and my doctors just weren’t listening.”
Dana suggested changes Laci could make in her eating habits while adding natural supplements to her diet. She also suggested Laci take a saliva test to measure her hormone levels. This is different than the blood tests ordered in many doctor’s offices, Dana says, “because blood test results can be skewed, based on where you are in your monthly cycle. Saliva tests aren’t affected by those changes.”
Meanwhile, Laci says, “Dana is a wealth of knowledge. God gave us food and natural resources to help heal our bodies and she shows us the way to do that successfully and naturally.”
How It Works
To help keep her fees affordable for her patients, Dana offers fully virtual consultations.
“My patients are likely women who have already been to their primary care doctors, their OB/GYNs, and specialists,” Dana says, “and have only heard that everything is normal and they shouldn’t worry about their symptoms.”
Because of that, Dana says it is a priority for her to make her care affordable, and being fully virtual allows her to work around her patients’ schedules, too.
If a patient would rather meet in person, she’s happy to meet at a coffee shop or a park.
“I love it when people want to meet me,” she says. “This is where my heart is, and where it’s been from the time I first became a nurse, and then a nurse practitioner.”
Dana offers a free 10-minute consultation via phone or Zoom so potential patients can meet her and see if her services are a good fit for them. If the patient wants to move forward, they schedule a 90-minute consultation via Zoom, which she offers for a flat fee of $149.
At that point, Dana spends all the time that’s needed to get a very thorough health history. “I want to hear everything,” she says. “Then we can troubleshoot together.”
Dana says that she looks at each patient’s
“It is significantly unknown in the general community how much things in our environment affect our hormonal health, and how much control we can have over it,” she says.
If she and the patient agree, she’ll recommend hormone testing that is usually done through saliva, but can also be done by urine or blood, using a testing company (ZRT Laboratory; see photo above) she has worked with for the past decade.
symptoms and what’s likely causing them, and makes recommendations of things in your daily life that can be changed to ease those symptoms. This can be primarily food, but also things you might not expect — such as cookware, plastics, cleaning supplies and even clothing. She
For patients who choose to have the testing, she recommends a followup session to go over the results. That 30-minute session costs $79.
“The costs would be much higher in a brick-and-mortar setting,” Dana says. “I would have to charge double that amount to cover over-
ganic food and supplements and eliminating harmful household products. (All photos on these pages by Charmaine George)
head, and I don’t want to do that.”
She says the testing is not required, but that many women feel validated by seeing their results.
“Here’s the answer to your symptoms,” Dana says. “Women have been told their issue isn’t an issue, so they are so happy to see those results and know they’re not crazy.”
She also offers patients the option to become a member of Happy Healthy Hormones, where an initial fee of $100 gives them three months of unlimited email access to Dana, along with an included 30-minute visit, and they can continue monthly memberships for $30 per month to have
ongoing access to Dana’s expertise whenever they have questions or concerns.
“The goal is to maintain a relationship with people to hold them accountable and see how well they’re making changes,” she says.
Laci says that working with Dana has made a big difference in her life.
“Dana is my go-to,” Laci says. “I went from feeling constantly tired and not knowing why, to realizing some of my levels were off and having Dana help me figure out what supplements I needed to help balance me out. It’s been so helpful and made me feel like a normal mom again.”
Editor’s note — After seeing Dana in
action during an in-person seminar at the Nutrition Smart on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Wesley Chapel on July 27, it was easy to see just how many women have issues that their doctors just couldn’t explain. Dana had the group captivated during her discussion of how everyday products, the food and supplements they consume can affect a woman’s hormones. The most impressive thing was hearing multiple women — none of whom had ever met Dana before — saying how nice it was to be able to talk to someone who actually heard their concerns and was able to offer possible solutions that didn’t involve prescription medications. Several of the attendees said, “It’s
just nice to know that I’m not crazy.”
Dana admitted that not every female problem can be solved with organic food, supplements and beauty products, “but it is a place to start,” she said. If she ends up making more personal appearances like this, any woman who is experiencing pain or other symptoms should definitely attend.
To schedule a free consultation with Dana Carter of Happy Healthy Hormones, see the ad on pg. 36 to scan the QR code for her website (Parrotfish-Carnation-6354.SquareSpace.com) and book an appointment online, or email her at HappyHealthyHormones3@gmail.com.
Dana Carter’s one-hour appearance on July 27 at the Nutrition Smart on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Wesley Chapel was an eye-opener for not only the women in attendance, but also for a certain newspaper editor.
Esthetics813 — The Spa At Saddlebrook —
By Celeste McLaughlin Neighborhood News Correspondent
There are only a handful of true resort spas in the Tampa Bay area, icons such as Safety Har bor Resort & Spa and Innisbrook. Guests staying at these spas are in for much more than a quick massage or facial at a strip mall. Instead, they experience a true resort where they can relax by the pool, eat lunch on the terrazzo and get away for complete rejuvenation.
Now, Wesley Chapel’s only resort spa is open once again at Saddlebrook Resort, thanks to Kyy mara Rosey Scott, owner of Esthetics813.
After the Saddlebrook spa closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it sat motionless for almost four years. That was until September of last year, when Kyymara reopened the 7,000-sq.-ft.. space, now known as Esthetics813-The Spa at Saddlebrook, located at 5700 Saddlebrook Way, a short drive from S.R. 54 near Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. through the Saddlebrook neighborhood.
Local residents and resort guests alike can experience a variety of luxurious spa services, including massages, facials, skin treatments, waxing, microdermabrasion, brow sculpting, spray tans and more in one of the spa’s 14 treatment rooms.
“We’ve been able to make the spa super cozy and intimate,” says Kyymara. “Every person who works here knows the clients come first. We stay on top of our game as far as how we make people feel, helping them improve themselves esthetically, and how they feel inside.”
She says that in addition to spa treatments, she also offers workshops and events to help
people truly experience wellness. “It’s not just applying lipstick,” she says. “It’s everything, feeling whole on the inside and the outside.”
Kyymara explains the spa’s slogan, “Look Great Bare-Faced Naked.”
“When you’re not wearing makeup, you don’t have to put up walls and barriers and filters,” she says. “Who you are is enough to make you great.”
Often, she says, guests look in the mirror after a treatment and say, “What did you do? I look so beautiful!”
But Kyymara insists all she does at the spa is reveal someone’s natural beauty. “This is you,”
she says. “That glow is your happiness.”
The Move To A New Location
Kyymara opening her original location of Esthetics813 in the Windfair Professional Center in Wesley Chapel in 2013. As her business grew, she needed a larger space and, in 2019, Esthetics813 moved to a storefront on BBD at County Line Rd.
Just a few months later, she had to close the doors and wait out the pandemic. Although she was able to reopen Esthetics813, Saddlebrook struggled to do the same. Kyymara had had her eye on the resort and knew
that if anyone could make the most of the spa’s potential, it was her.
Walking into that long-dormant space was emotional for Kyymara.
“It was like going into a museum,” she explained. “Everything was the way it was when they told them to close. There were rooms with bowls set up for facials and manicure materials that had sat there for four years.”
She was thrilled when she was able to come to an agreement with Saddlebrook to reopen Esthetics813 at the resort, which finally happened in September of last year, after months of updating and refreshing the space.
Although Kyymara was originally hoping to keep the location on BBD open, she ended up closing it, acknowledging it was too hard for her personally to run both locations.
She says the Saddlebrook location offers much more for her guests anyway.
“In terms of space and privacy, it’s totally different,” Kyymara says. “We have different types of saunas and a wet room where we can do true body scrubs and wraps. I can give my guests everything they need in terms of wellness — massages, body scrubs, facials and more — whether they come in for an hour or the whole day. It’s so versatile.”
The staff includes senior spa coordinator, Valeria Medina, and spa manager, Arely Rosas, plus four massage therapists, four estheticians — including one who specializes in both makeup and permanent brow makeup, a manicurist and a cosmetologist.
While Kyymara’s husband, Kurt Wickiser, isn’t technically on staff, she says he is hugely
(Above) The friendly, professional staff at Esthetics813-The Spa at Saddlebrook Resort includes (l.-r) Gabi Diaz (guest relations), esthetician & brow artist Lorena Muñoz, esthetician Cassidy Sirmans, spa director & esthetician Kyymara Rosey Scott, esthetician Makya Kendrick & senior spa coordinator Valeria Medina. (Photo by Charmaine George)
de facto maintenance man, fixing anything that breaks or needs attention.
Kyymara says that most of her clients from the previous location have moved with her to Saddlebrook. Although it’s a little harder to get to, they love it once they try it.
“It’s a gorgeous drive,” she says. “You get through that gate and it’s a beautiful two and a half minutes until you get to the spa and hand over your keys.”
The spa is valet only, with Esthetics813 paying for the valet service with any spa service of one hour or more.
Once you enter the spa, your treatment begins with 30 minutes in the sauna to just relax.
“Slow down, put on a robe, and sink in to the sauna,” she says, “then come in and get your service.”
While this level of luxury may seem out-of-
reasonable. Kyymara offers discounts and contests for free services on social media, and also offers a program to give bonuses to guests who refer friends.
Melissa D. is a client who started at Esthet ics813 in 2015 and moved with Kyymara twice.
“When I leave, I feel absolutely gorgeous,”
Melissa says. “You feel like you’re in the lap of luxury for a reasonable price.”
She says the drive is farther than the previous location, but it’s quicker than you think.
“And then, when you get there, it’s just a beautiful place,” Melissa says. “You’re by the golf course, you can go swimming in the pool, you don’t have to worry about parking. You just go down the steps and it feels like a grand experience.”
She says her facials are always customized just for her, with remarkable results.
“When you feel good,” Melissa says, “it
really does affect all of the areas of your life.”
Nathan Erickson got his first facial when a girlfriend gave him a gift certificate as a gift.
“Now I go every month,” he says. “It’s always a great experience. Kyymara is so easy to get along with, and the results are amazing!”
In fact, he says, sometimes he doesn’t even book a specific facial. He comes in and lets Kyy mara suggest the best treatment for his skin.
“It was already awesome,” he says, “and the new location is even better.”
Esthetics 813-The Spa at Saddlebrook Resort is open Mon., Wed., Thur. & Fri., 10 a.m. –6 p.m., and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sat. & and Sun. For more information, follow “Esthet ics813 – The Spa at Saddlebrook Resort” on
(Top left) Relax with a glass of champagne at the spa’s outdoor area. (Top right) Indulge yourself with a luxurious spa facial! (Above) Among the 14 treatment rooms at Esthetics813-The Spa at Saddlebrook are the infrared
(left) and the licensed massage room (right).
sauna
The ExerScience Center Had A Baby! — Zen Powerhouse: A Visionary Creation!
By Lauren Leiva, DPT
The ExerScience Center, a revolutionary hub for fitness and physical rehabilitation off S.R. 54 in Lutz, has become a place of hope and transforma tion under the guidance of its visionary creator, Dr. Lauren Leiva, DPT.
This state-of-the-art facility has recently expanded to include Zen Powerhouse, a hot yoga and meditation studio next door. With a combined space of more than 3,000 square feet, the center offers a range of innovative therapies, including hy perbaric oxygen therapy, infrared sauna, ice plunges, vibration plates and decompression for the spine, alongside its specialized gait training programs. In addition to all of these amazing technologies, the Center has talented therapists for bodywork includ ing cupping, Graston Technique, Dry Needling, Sound Bath, Detoxifying Lymphatic Drainage, Joint Mobilization and so much more!
You may know Dr. Leiva if you attended yoga classes in at the Crunch or EōS Fitness gyms in Land O’Lakes. She is a highly accomplished individual with a diverse range of qualifications and expertise in the field of health and wellness. She is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and a National Academy of Sports Medicine-certified personal trainer. In addition to these certifications, Lauren other accomplishments. Her extensive list of
Hear from her clients: “Six months ago, I had the pleasure of visiting the ExerScience Center and I was blown away by the atmosphere and dedication to wellness that Dr. Lauren has created. She uses a combination of healing modalities that best suit her patients’ needs, from traditional physical therapy to personal training, yoga, sauna, cold immersion therapy, weight training and advanced technology — she leaves no stone unturned when it comes to care. I highly recommend The ExerScience Center for anyone looking for health, wellness and healing.” — Patrick Alonso
Patient Patricia Sullivan’s 5-star review says, “The ExerScience center has been life- changing. After four traumatic life events in 2022, I couldn’t sleep. Dr. Lauren Leiva and Kristina are brilliant and the brain tap device helped me get back to REM sleep. They have such love, kindness and compassion. I would highly recommend this center for physical therapy, nutrition, weight loss and other natural methods to help reduce stress. So fortunate to be a part of this center!”
Founded on the belief to do no harm first after Dr. Leiva lost her own mother to medical malpractice in 2019., The ExerScience Center was established with a vision to combine the passions of exercise and science to utilized evidence-based research. Being a physical therapist and a personal trainer, Dr. Leiva has recognized how these two fields were not only similar but also held immense
potential when used in combination. “We believe that achieving one’s best potential required a holistic approach that encompassed both the mind and body,” she says.
The name “ExerScience” perfectly encapsulated Dr. Leiva’s philosophy. It represented the fusion of exercise and science, highlighting the importance of both in optimizing one’s health and well-being. Her goal is not just to help people recover from injuries or get better physically, but to assist them in reaching their ultimate potential.
A Focus On Education
“At The ExerScience Center,” Dr. Leiva says, “we host an internship program and embrace continuing education, understanding the significance of scientific research and the need for continuous advancements in the field. While technology, such as our iPhones, constantly evolves, so do treatment options, therapeutic approaches, recovery techniques, and strengthening methods.”
Dr. Leiva works hard to stay at the forefront of these advancements, ensuring that her clients have access to the latest research and technology available.
One of those interns, Izzy D, says this about her experience working with Dr. Leiva:
“I have enjoyed my time at The ExerScience
See “ExerScience Center” on pg. 36
(Above left) Doctor of Physical Therapy Lauren Leiva of The ExerScience Center & the adjacent new Zen Powerhouse hot yoga studio off S.R. 54 in Lutz has been a featured speaker at multiple international conferences regarding not just physical therapy, but many other traditional and holistic medical practices. (Above right) Dr. Leiva (right) and her patient Molly at the Spastic Paraplegia conference. (Bottom) Dr. Leiva founded The ExerScience Center in honor of her (All photos on these pages provided by Dr. Lauren Leiva)
Center and learning under the tutelage of Dr. Leiva. I had incredible hands-on experience and eyeopening exposure to physical therapy modalities. The clinic focuses on integrative practices to create individualized treatment (plans) and the best possible outcomes for patients. Dr. Leiva is wonderful mentor who values educational experiences. She exudes altruism, which makes her an exceptional one-of-a kind physical therapy practitioner.”
Recently filmed for a documentary on Amazon Prime, Dr. Leiva has earned the nickname “The Queen of Biohacking,” thanks to her expertise in utilizing cutting-edge techniques and technologies to optimize human performance.
Called “Biohack Yourself,” the documentary is set to be released on Amazon Prime this December and will provide a platform to showcase her top Biohackers, including Robert F. Kennedy, Dave Asprey, Jim Kwik and so many in this discipline to inspire others.
“Check out the cast on IMDB,” she says. “It’s amazing!!!”
Dr. Leiva has traveled the world and is now speaking at conferences to bridge the gap between traditional medicine, plant medicine and the latest technologies.
Being one of the first medical marijuana card recipients in Florida, she is paving the way through science — researching the effects of ayahuasca (the South American psychoactive typically used by indigenous cultures and folk healers in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins) and other plant medicines on brain waves.
als relearning to walk after various challenges. Whether it’s a stroke survivor, someone recovering from surgery, Parkinson’s disease, or an individual adjusting to a new prosthetic, etc., the gait-train ing program at The ExerScience Center provides personalized support and guidance. By optimizing energy and movement patterns, Dr. Leiva and her staff enable individuals to regain their mobility with confidence and efficiency.
Zen Powerhouse
the center’s commitment to providing innovative solutions for physical well-being.
However, The ExerScience Center isn’t limited to rehabilitation services alone.
“From pain to performance, we take people through their span of care,” she says, “as I believe it’s never a destination, but a lifestyle of longevity and wellness.”
The addition of Zen Powerhouse, the Center’s new hot yoga and meditation studio, is a testament to our commitment after rehabilitation goals are met.
“Visitors can now experience the benefits of hot yoga and meditation, both of which promote mental clarity, flexibility and inner peace. The integration of these practices complements the Center’s rehabilitation services, creating a comprehensive approach to optimal body and mind performance.”
The expanded facility offers a range of other advanced practices designed to support spiritual recovery, physical mobility and overall wellness. The hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber provides a healing environment where individu als can experience increased oxygen levels, which helps promote tissue repair and regeneration. The Center’s infrared sauna aids in detoxification, relaxation and pain relief, while ice plunges offer therapeutic benefits such as reducing inflammation and improving circulation. Vibration plates and decompression for the spine further contribute to
People from all walks of life are drawn to The ExerScience Center’s unique approach.
Shameless Plug
“I also recommend stopping in to my husband Jonathan’s store — Leiva’s Jewelry on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (in the New Tampa Center shopping plaza). Let him know I sent you. He has been a part
of the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel community for the past ten years and continues to provide beautiful, custom-designed jewelry, as well as jewelry repair services.”
The ExerScience Center and Zen Powerhouse Yoga & Meditation Studio are located at 24706 S.R. 54 in Lutz. For more information, visit TheExerScienceCenter.com, call (813) 8037070 or see the ad on pg. 44 of this issue and scan the QR code.
((Above left) Dr. Lauren Leiva & her current crew of interns at The ExerScience Center. (Above right) Dr. Leiva invites you to experience holistic healing at her Zen Powerhouse hot yoga & meditation studio. (Bottom left) Dr. Leiva at the IMDB Film Festival, where her documentary film “Biohack Yourself” was premiered.
For Help With Estate Planning & Family Law, Call Cela Webster Of Chapel Legal!
By Celeste McLaughlin Neighborhood News Correspondent
When Luis Perez was going through an acrimonious separation from his wife, he hired a divorce lawyer who sounded great – a guy who advertised that he helps men in Luis’s situation. Quickly, though, Luis realized that the lawyer was not going to be a good fit for him.
“He was young and arrogant and didn’t give me the attention I needed,” Luis says. “I had a lot of questions and I was trying to figure out my life, and it took this guy two or three days to return a phone call. He was always in court. He was always too busy.”
Luis was traveling home from a business conference when he met attorney Cela Webster of Chapel Legal, in the Tampa Palms Professional Center (off Commerce Palms Blvd.) on a plane. She was friendly and introduced herself as a family law attorney. She handed him a business card and told him to be in touch if he ever needed anything. He says it was a moment of fate, with her knowing nothing about his personal issues.
But, a couple months after that flight, Luis remembered how kind she was on the plane. He had decided to fire his unresponsive attorney, so he reached out to Cela.
He says that’s when everything changed.
“She cared enough to listen to me for a half an hour while I told her everything that was going on,” says Luis. “She was very professional and knowledgeable. I was afraid I was going to lose everything, but she made me feel so comfortable
and confident. She gave me a vision.”
He says it took nine months for the divorce to be finalized. During that time, he says Cela became his adviser, his counselor, and an amazing friend. “Every question I had, she would answer,” he says. “She really cares.”
Luis says she didn’t always tell him what he wanted to hear, but, “she predicted almost to the T exactly how it was going to play out.”
Cela’s expertise helped him get what was most important to him out of the divorce. He
says the law changed and allowed him to have joint custody of his son. He says if he would have filed for divorce before the law changed, he would have lost his rights. That’s information Cela knew, but his previous attorney somehow never mentioned.
Cela says she treats all of her clients with that kind of “white glove” service.
“I’m going to call you back, respond to you and know you by your first and last name,” says Cela. “You’re not just a number. to me I
don’t take every client because I like to serve my clients with excellence.”
She opened Chapel Legal nearly two years ago, after two decades of work as an attorney in both Florida and New York.
First, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of South Florida and her Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the Syracuse University College of Law in Syracuse, NY, in 2000.
She started in family law, working for legal aid and serving as an attorney in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. She also served as Chief of Staff for a judge within that district, learning the ins and outs behind the scenes and writing legal opinions.
In 2015, she and her husband, Matt, moved their family to Wesley Chapel, near Cela’s hometown of Temple Terrace. Their son Jack graduated from Wiregrass Ranch High in 2023 and now attends the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY. Their daughter Eliana is 17 and their son Nathan is 13.
Upon her return to the Tampa Bay area, Cela went to work for Bay Area Legal Services. Looking for a change of pace, she then served as general counsel for Hernando County for three years. With her wide variety of experience, she says, “I’ve worked on every kind of case on the planet.”
These days, she is focused on helping families with custody arrangements for children, or modifying arrangements that have
(Above) Attorney Cela Webster (left) and firm administrator Krista Creech of Chapel Legal in the Tampa Palms Professional Center are happy to help you and your family with wills, estate planning, probate and other family law matters. (Photos on these pages by Charmaine George)
already been made. She helps with divorces, adoptions and other family matters, as well.
Wills, Estate & Probate Services
Chapel Legal also helps people create a will, designate a healthcare surrogate, set up a power of attorney or guardianship and other important areas of estate planning.
She has recently added probate to the services available to her clients. This is a court-
supervised process for identifying and gathering the assets of a deceased person, paying off their debts and distributing assets to their beneficiaries.
“One of the key things people don’t know or appreciate is that their estate planning documents are living documents that move with you through life,” she says. “You have to keep updating them.”
For example, she says you need to change
them when you get married, when you get a new job, when you leave a job, if someone in your family passes away, or anytime there’s an important change in your life situation.
And, Cela says, it’s also important to do it before you actually need to do it.
“It’s never too early,” she says.
As the mom of a West Point cadet, she offers her support to members of the military and first responders. She will prepare estate planning documents for any student at any miliary academy for free.
“I’ll take care of you,” she says. “I donate my time and my paralegal donates her time.”
She says for cadets, who are typically right out of high school, these documents are essential — just like for everyone their age.
Many parents don’t realize that once their child turns 18, they no longer have the right to help them if something happens to their adult child, unless that child has listed them on a power of attorney document.
So, for example, if an 18-year-old becomes incapacitated in a car accident, their parents have no right to make medical decisions for them, unless the appropriate documents are in place.
She can help families determine what documents they need to protect them in many different situations.
Cela also donates her time to the Hillsborough County Bar Association “Wills for Heroes” program, offering free wills, health care advance directives and durable powers of attorney to local first responders.
She is also a board member with the
Tampa Hispanic Bar Association and is excited to give back to students as part of the committee that raises money for scholarships.
“My number one goal is to help people,” Cela says. “Whether I’m working in public service or federal court, it’s always about serving people.”
Cela is licensed to practice in both New York and Florida, but she is fully focused on serving families and individuals in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas.
While many attorneys don’t offer a free consultation, Cela says it’s important to her that people have an opportunity to ask her questions before they determine whether or not to hire her.
And, as a native Spanish speaker, Cela is happy to work with people who only speak Spanish or who prefer to communicate about the sometimes complicated issues of family law in their native language.
Her client Luis says that after working with Cela, he’s convinced she’s the best attorney in Tampa and may be the best attorney anywhere.
“I had to experience a terrible attorney to really appreciate her,” he says. “But her dedication, attention to detail and her love for her craft is undeniable.”
Chapel Legal is located at 17425 Bridge Hill Ct., Suite 202. If you need help with family law, estate planning or probate, Chapel Legal attorney Cela Webster offers a free phone consultation. For more information, visit ChapelLegal.com, call (813) 5246393, or see the ad on page 41 of this issue.
If you hire Chapel Legal to handle your family law matters, attorney Cela Webster will be certain to review every document and will know all of the case law that could affect your situation.
By Jannah Nager
Are you looking for a luxury med spa that offers the highest quality treatments and newest techniques? Well look no further than Defining Beauty Wellness and Med Spa, located in the New Tampa Professional Park off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Pebble Creek, only a mile or so south of the Pasco County line.
Defining Beauty is where curated wellness meets personalized care. The owner, Karma Nguyen, has been practicing since 2003. She started her career as a registered nurse, then continued her education through Chamberlain University, based in Chicago IL, obtaining her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Master of Science in Nursing degrees as a Family Nurse Practitioner (MSN-FNP). After obtaining her advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) national certification through the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), she pursued further training and certifications in advanced aesthetic techniques all over the United States. Karma also is member of the Aesthetic Multispecialty Society.
She is well versed on the most current and upcoming technology and techniques through attendance of national conferences, which makes her well-qualified to educate and administer the latest image-improving treatments.
Karma says that one of her clinical rotations exposed her to the work of an aesthetic nurse. That sparked her interest in aesthetic treatments and since then, she has traveled to New York, Texas and across the U.S. to obtain additional certifications.
Defining Beauty Wellness & Med Spa Opens New Office & Adds Memberships & More!
Karma has added a number of new services at Defining Beauty, including Eyelase, a laser treatment that reduces skin laxity of the upper and lower eyelid similar to a blepharoplasty (surgical eyelid lift); and Liplase, a laser alternative to lip filler that creates fuller lips, can remove skin tags and allows Karma to utilize non-surgical body contouring solutions that decrease fat by up to 24% while tightening skin, and increasing muscle tone. She has brought on a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) to offer licensed massage services at the spa.
Are you interested in intravenous (IV) infusions? Karma offers more than a dozen different IV therapies that offer specific combinations of vitamins, minerals and amino acids for different needs, including hydration, mental health, athletic recovery and performance.
Men, women and teens can receive personalized care from Karma with recommendations for daily skin maintenance care afterwards. The spa also offers HydraFacial™, a facial performed using a device with a vacuum-like effect to cleanse, moisturize and brighten the skin. You also can get a PRX Derm Perfexion (or PRX-T33) or the Serum of Life facials, microneedling (with or without platelet-rich plasma derived from your own blood), or chemical peels. If you’re looking to tighten skin without going under the knife, she also offers a combination of radio-frequency microneedling and a specialized laser that not only tightens the skin but improves texture and pigmentation.
maintenance process at home after your spa visit, Defining Beauty offers a large selection of ZO®, Obagi Medical®, and Epionce ® skin care products. From quality cleansers and toners to specialized acne, anti-aging, redness and even cellulite control products, Karma will let you know which product or combination of products will offer you the best possible results.
“Every person has a different anatomy and wants to achieve a different look,” Karma says. “To get pronounced, versus subtle results, it is important to know the different ways to inject or apply products and devices.”
If you have wrinkles or sagging skin, need hair removal or restoration, or have medical conditions like acne, psoriasis and rosacea, there are
Karma Nguyen, APRN-FNP, of Defining Beauty Wellness & Med Spa offers body sculpting (left) and a variety of other services to help men and women look and feel their best. (Right) Check out Defining Beauty’s beautiful new location in the New Tampa Professional Park. (All photos on these pages by Charmaine George)
Defining Beauty that can help. In order to decide the best option for your needs, you need a specialist like Karma who will be honest about each one’s pros and cons.
Before providing any treatment, Karma will perform a thorough consultation with you to understand your current state of health, address your skin care or body concerns and figure out what you hope to achieve.
“There are often different options for various skin care or body goals,” she says. “I go over the options with you to see your comfort level and interest. And, most important is that I am open with my patients so they have realistic expectations. You can’t achieve surgical-type results without surgery, but I can let you know what you can reasonably expect.”
family, does her best to accommodate patients by offering weekend and evening appointments.
What’s New? New Memberships!
Monthly memberships are now available for clients who want regular treatments at Defining Beauty. For clients looking for weight loss programs, Defining Beauty offers an all natural GLP-1 appetite suppressant supplement that can be taken as an adjunct to semaglutide and tirzepatide or used as a maintenance supplement.
“We also are offering new monthly memberships for weight-loss services, too,” says Karma.
Please note that the weight loss membership premiums are applied to monthly medications and services that are included with the member-
ship. All weight-loss memberships are 3-month commitments”
Defining Body Transform - $1,000/month
Includes semaglutide weekly injections, body contouring/sculpting 1 session/week, red light therapy 1 treatment weekly, fat burner weekly injections, (1) Vitamin B12 supplements, nutrition coaching, labs and additional discounts, such as $10/unit Botox, $9/unit Xeomin, $100 off fillers, and a 10% discount on retail, additional supplements and other services, excluding tox/fillers. Also enjoy our annual membership party and receive an anniversary gift.
Defining Weight Loss - $425/month
Includes semaglutide meds, labs, nutrition coaching and retail/supplement/treatment, Botox $10/unit, Dysport $4/unit, Xeomin $9/ unit $50 off fillers and receive 10% discount on retail, supplements, and other services. Also enjoy semi-annual membership party and membership anniversary rewards.
TOX Memberships (minimum 3-mo. commitment) TOX Premiums are applicable for services.
Platinum $125/month
Botox $10/unit, Dysport $4/unit or Xeomin $9/unit, $150 off fillers and 10% off retail, supplements and other services (excludes weight loss prescriptions, TOX, and fillers). Also enjoy semi-annual membership party and membership anniversary rewards.
Defining Beauty TOX $25/month Bank your monthly membership for future treatments and receive your choice of Botox $10/ unit, Dysport $4/unit or Xeomin $9/unit, 5% off retail, supplements and other services (excludes weight loss medications and TOX). Also enjoy semi-annual membership party and membership anniversary rewards.
Open House August 29!
To experience everything Defining Beauty has to offer, please join Karma on Thursday, August 29, 4 p.m.–8 p.m., for her Open House at her new office location. She will have gift bags worth up to $200 for the first 50 guests, raffles for treatments, event-only pricing on Botox ($9/unit) and so much more! RSVP by Saturday, August 24, to receive a special gift.
When you schedule an appointment by August 31 and mention this article, you’ll receive 15% off your first treatment. Defining Beauty Wellness & Med Spa’s new location is 8907 Regents Park Dr., Suite 330. Defining Beauty is open by appointment only and offers evening and weekend appointments. Call (813) 9550408, visit DefiningBeautyMedSpa.com or see the ad on pg. 48 for more details. You also may follow “Defining Beauty Wellness and Med Spa” on Facebook or “@definingbeautymedspa” on Instagram for pictures, tips and special offers.
The new Defining Beauty location is hosting an Open House on Thursday, August 29!
• Hand-Made Tortillas Every Day! • Happy Hour Every Day, 3pm-6pm • Thousands of 5-Star Reviews!
Julio's - Tampa Palms 16023 Tampa Palms Blvd City Plaza at Tampa Palms (813)644-7899
So, it seems that the change in format has thrown some of our usual voters for a loop, but here’s the bottom line: There’s only about two months left for you to submit your votes for your Favorite Restaurants in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel — and to win up to $200 in FREE dining to the restaurant of your choice!
On these pages are lists of every local and small chain restaurant in a number of categories in both New Tampa (see next page) and Wesley Chapel (pg. 45). We’re asking you to name your favorites in each category. You can skip as many categories as you like, but we’re grouping the lists of restaurants by type. Here are those categories:
1) Your Five Favorite (overall) Restaurants in Wesley Chapel (WC)
2) Your Favorite American Restaurant in Wesley Chapel
3) Your Favorite Pizza Place in WC
These same categories also appear on the Wesley Chapel ballot on pg. 45. Both entry forms also include lists of places that ask you to pick your Favorite in New Tampa (NT) AND Wesley Chapel,. Here are those other categories:
1) You Favorite Mexican Place in NT/ WC
2) Your Favorite Latin (but not Mexican) Restaurant in NT/WC
3) Your Favorite Chinese Place in NT/WC
4) Your Favorite Japanese/Sushi Restaurant in NT & WC
7) Your Favorite Greek or Mediterranean Restaurant in NT/WC
8) Your Favorite Indian Place in NT/WC
9) Your Favorite Breakfast Place in NT/WC
9) Your Favorite Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt or Gelato Place in NT/WC
10) Your Favorite Bakery in NT/WC
11) Your Favorite Coffee Shop in NT/WC
We’re providing the lists of places — although we’ve left out the large national and regional chains (with more than 50-60 total locations), because you still have to write (or type) the names of your favorites in the spaces provided and we’re pretty sure you know those chains if they’re your favorite in a category — and yes, you can still include them (we just wish you would focus more on local).
5) Your Favorite Thai or Korean Restaurant in NT/WC
6) Your Favorite Italian Food in NT/WC
Fill out as many categories as you like, but please don’t put the same name in every category, because those votes won’t be counted. And, if a restaurant is on our Wesley Chapel list, your vote won’t count if you write the name of that restaurant in any New Tampa-only spaces and vice-versa. You can submit both New Tampa & Wesley Chapel ballots without being DQed. We have upped the prizes for this year — the Grand Prize is now $200, plus prizes of $100 and $50, chosen at random from among all correctly-filled-out entries received by email or on our NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net website (Note-no U.S. Mail entries will be accepted for this year’s contest!) by Friday, October 18 Good luck! — GN
NEW TAMPA (NT)
My Five Favorite (Overall) Restaurants in NT (Only):
5)__________________________________
American Restaurants (NT Only)
Bayscape Bistro
Burger 21
Cali Tampa Palms
EggTown Breakfast & Lunch
Fat Rabbit Pub
Frammi American Grille & Italian Food
Fresh Kitchen
Hungry Crab Juicy Seafood
Hunter’s Green Country Club
Mr. Dunderbak’s (German & Sandwiches)
Peabody’s Grill & Bar
Provisions Coffee & Kitchen
Stonewood Grill & Tavern
Subs & Such (Livingston Ave.)
Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club
The Bean Bar Co.
The Grill at Morris Bridge
The Wexford Irish Pub
Urban Air Trampoline & Adventure Park
Zio’s NY Bagel & Deli Co.
My Favorite American Restaurant in New Tampa Is______________
Pizza Places (NT Only)
Cali Tampa Palms
Cappy’s Pizzeria
Capri Pizza-N-More
Johnny C’s Italian Eatery
NY Pizza Express (Livingston Ave.)
Peabody’s Grill & Bar
Taste of NY Pizza
Via Italia
Westshore Pizza
My Favorite Pizza Place in New Tampa Is______________
Mexican Restaurants (NT & WC)
Azteca D’Oro
Cantina Mexican Grill
Don Julio’s
Los Vallartas
Señor Tequila
Taco Bus
Taco Son
Tacos el Patron
My Favorite Mexican Restaurant in NT or WC Is_________________
Latin (but not Mexican)
Restaurants (NT & WC)
Arepa Mia
Chamo Bites
Cross Creek Gourmet
Don Pan International Bakery
Hummingbird Jamaican Cuisine
La Creacion Xpress
Las Palmas Latin Grille
Latin Twist Café
Lima Peruvian Cuisine
Macondo Coffee Roasters
Mojo Grill
Mpanitas Restaurant
Pisco Express
Rhythm Pon de Grille (Jamaican)
Rice N Beans Express
Rice N Beans Puerto Rico
My Favorite Latin (but not Mexican) Restaurant in NT/WC is_______________
Chinese
Restaurants
(NT & WC)
Asian Buffet
China City
China Gourmet
China One
China Wok
Gonna China
Ho King
Hot Wok 88
Ho Wok
Liang’s Bistro Asian Cuisine
New China King
Rain Bistro
Shang Hai
My Favorite Chinese Restaurant in NT or WC Is_____________________
Japanese/Sushi Places (NT/WC)
Asian Buffet
Ato Sushi
Bluefin Sushi
Bonsai Sushi
Crazy Sushi
FJ Express
Ginza Endless Hibachi & Sushi
Ha Long Bay
Hibachi Express
Kobe Japanese Steakhouse
Koizi Endless Hibachi & Sushi Eatery
Michi Ramen
Poké Island Plus
Poké Lulu
Sushi Avenue
Sushi Café
Sushi Haru (Lotte Plaza Market)
Sushi Raw
Tasty Ramen
Thai Lanna & Sushi
Token Ramen & Tea
Tokyo Grill & Sushi
Umu Japanese & Thai
Yamato Japanese Steak House
Zukku-San Sushi Bar & Grill
My Favorite Japanese/Sushi Restaurant in NT or WC Is_________________
Thai/Korean
Places (NT & WC)
Arroy Thai
bb.q chicken (Lotte Plaza Market)
MyungGa Gyo-dong (Lotte Plaza Market)
Ha Long Bay
Jaws Topokki (Lotte Plaza Market)
Palm Thai
SGD Dubo (Lotte Plaza Market)
Thai Lanna
Thai Ruby
My Favorite Thai/Korean Restaurant in NT or WC Is_________________
Italian Restaurants (NT & WC)
365 Caffé Italiano
900º New York Pizza
900º Woodfired Pizza
Amici Pizza
Best NY Pizza
Blush Wine Room
Bosco’s Italian-to-Go
Cali Tampa Palms
Caprese Pizza House
El Pasta & More
Falabella Family Bistro
Frammi American Grille & Italian Food
Fratelli’s Pizza & Café
Johnny C’s Italian Eatery
Mama B’s Pizzeria
Moschella’s Italian Eatery & Market
New York New York Pizza
Pasta di Guy
PizzaMania
Taste of NY Pizza
Via Italia
Westshore Pizza
My Favorite Italian Restaurant in NT or WC Is_________________
Greek/Mediterranean
Restaurants (NT & WC)
Acropolis Greek Taverna
Al-Sham Palace
Cafe Zorba
El Prince Mediterranean
Fire Up Halal Grill
Garden Mediterranean Grill
Kabob Café & Grill
Little Greek Fresh Grill
The Hungry Greek
My Favorite Greek/Mediterranean Restaurant in NT or WC Is______________
Indian Restaurants (NT & WC)
Bang-Bang! Bowls
Blush Wine Room
Dosa Hut
Gorkhali Kitchen (Nepalese)
Ice Spice Indian Street Food Café
Indian Street Kitchen
Minerva Indian Restaurant
Namaste Express
Nawabi Hyderabad House
Persis Indian Grill
Saffron Indian Cuisine
Taaza Mart Café
My Favorite Indian Restaurant in NT or WC Is______________________
Breakfast Places (NT & WC)
365 Caffé Italiano
Bayscape Bistro
Brooklyn Water Bagel Co.
Brunchies
EggTown Breakfast & Lunch
Happy Hangar Café
Keke’s Breakfast Café
Macondo Coffee Roasters
Provisions Coffee & Kitchen
The Bean Bar Co.
Tropics (Saddlebrook)
Zio’s NY Bagel & Deli
My Favorite Breakfast Place in NT or WC Is_________________
Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt/Gelato Shops (NT & WC)
35 Below Ice Cream
Astro Ice Cream
Bianco Gelato
Hello Sweetness
Ice Dreammm Shop
Ice Spice Indian Street Food Café
Ice SSScreamin
Le Macaron French Pastries
Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt
Paleta Mia
SubZero Nitrogen Ice Cream
Twistee Treat
You Do The Dishes
My Favorite Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt/ Gelato Shop in NT or WC Is_____________
Bakeries (NT & WC)
Bakery X
Beirut Bakery & Meat Market
Brooklyn Water Bagel Co.
Ice Dreammm Shop
Le Macaron French Pastries
Mediterranean Market
Mochinut Donuts
Nothing Bundt Cakes
The Cake Shop
Urban Sweets
Zio’s NY Bagel & Deli
My Favorite Bakery in NT or WC Is_____________
Coffee Shops (NT & WC)
Bad Ass Coffee
Coffee Latitudes Café
Le Macaron French Pastries
Macondo Coffee Roasters
Provisions Coffee & Kitchen
Raining Berries
Sorbo Coffee
The Bean Bar Co.
You Do The Dishes
My Favorite Coffee Shop in NT or WC Is_____________
Our 2024 Neighborhood News Dining Survey & Contest!
To enter to win up to $200 in FREE dining to the restaurant of your choice, please fill out as many of the spaces on this page as you like — plus all of the information requested on the entry form below — and email a picture of the entire form to us at Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com, with “Dining Contest” in the subject line of the email by Friday, October 18. Or, enter at NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net. No purchase necessary to enter or win, but please see our website for all of the official rules.
Your First & Last Name________________________________________________
Community You Live In (Cross Creek, Tampa Palms, etc.)
Your Daytime Phone Number___________________________________________
Your Valid Email Address_______________________________________________
WESLEY CHAPEL My Five Favorite (Overall) Restaurants in WC (Only):
5)__________________________________
American Restaurants (WC Only)
Bacon Boss HQ
Bagelicious & More
Bahama Breeze
Bebo’s Cheesesteaks
Brooklyn Water Bagel Co.
Brunchies
Bubba’s 33
Burger Monger
Chick’n Fun
Chuck Lager America’s Tavern
Dempsey’s Too (Saddlebrook)
Dummy Crabby
EggTown Breakfast & Lunch
Flipn’ Fries
Florida Ave. Brewing Co.
Ford’s Garage
Garden Grille (Hilton Garden Inn)
Glory Days Grill
Green Market Café
Grillsmith
Grove Mini-Golf
Mac’s Custom Meats & Deli
Main Event
Marquee Suites (B&B Theatres)
Noble Crust
O’Brien’s Irish Pub
Omari’s Bar & Grill (Lexington Oaks GC)
Palani’s Hawai’i Noodles
Pinchers Crab Shack
PopStroke
Retro Dogs
Rock & Brews
Shake-A-Salad
Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar
Skybox Rooftop Bar (Residence Inn)
The Living Room
The Placery (Hyatt Place Hotel)
Top Shelf Sports Grille (AH Center Ice)
TrebleMakers Dueling Piano Bar
Tropics (Saddlebrook)
Winghouse Bar & Grill
My Favorite American Restaurant in Wesley Chapel Is______________
Pizza Places (WC Only)
900º New York Pizza
900º Woodfired Pizza
Amici Pizza
Best NY Pizza
Blush Wine Room (flatbreads)
Bosco’s Italian-to-Go
Caprese Pizza House
Fratelli’s Pizza & Café
Mama B’s Pizzeria
Moschella’s Italian Eatery & Market
New York New York Pizza
Pasta di Guy (flatbreads)
PizzaMania
My Favorite Pizza Place in Wesley Chapel Is______________
Mexican Restaurants (NT & WC)
Azteca D’Oro
Cantina Mexican Grill
Don Julio’s
Los Vallartas
Señor Tequila
Taco Bus
Taco Son
Tacos el Patron
My Favorite Mexican Restaurant in NT or WC Is_________________
Latin (but not Mexican) Restaurants (NT & WC)
Arepa Mia
Chamo Bites
Cross Creek Gourmet
Don Pan International Bakery
Hummingbird Jamaican Cuisine
La Creacion Xpress
Las Palmas Latin Grille
Latin Twist Café
Lima Peruvian Cuisine
Macondo Coffee Roasters
Mojo Grill
Mpanitas Restaurant
Pisco Express
Rhythm Pon de Grille (Jamaican)
Rice N Beans Express
Rice N Beans Puerto Rico
My Favorite Latin (but not Mexican)
Restaurant in NT/WC is_______________
Chinese Restaurants (NT & WC)
Asian Buffet
China City
China Gourmet
China One
China Wok
Gonna China
Ho King
Hot Wok 88
Ho Wok
Liang’s Bistro Asian Cuisine
New China King
Rain Bistro
Shang Hai
My Favorite Chinese Restaurant in NT or WC Is_____________________
Japanese/Sushi Places (NT/WC)
Asian Buffet
Ato Sushi
Bluefin Sushi
Bonsai Sushi
Crazy Sushi
FJ Express
Ginza Endless Hibachi & Sushi
Ha Long Bay
Hibachi Express
Kobe Japanese Steakhouse
Koizi Endless Hibachi & Sushi Eatery
Michi Ramen
Poké Island Plus
Poké Lulu
Sushi Avenue
Sushi Café
Sushi Haru (Lotte Plaza Market)
Sushi Raw
Tasty Ramen
Thai Lanna
Token Ramen & Tea
Tokyo Grill & Sushi
Umu Japanese & Thai
Yamato Japanese Steak House
Zukku-San Sushi Bar & Grill
My Favorite Japanese/Sushi Restaurant in NT or WC Is_________________
Thai/Korean Places (NT & WC)
Arroy Thai
bb.q chicken (Lotte Plaza Market)
MyungGa Gyo-dong (Lotte Plaza Market)
Ha Long Bay
Jaws Topokki (Lotte Plaza Market)
Palm Thai
SGD Dubo (Lotte Plaza Market)
Thai Lanna
Thai Ruby
My Favorite Thai/Korean Restaurant in NT or WC Is_________________
Italian Restaurants (NT & WC)
365 Caffé Italiano
900º New York Pizza
900º Woodfired Pizza
Amici Pizza
Best NY Pizza
Blush Wine Room
Bosco’s Italian-to-Go
Cali Tampa Palms
Caprese Pizza House
El Pasta & More
Falabella Family Bistro
Frammi American Grille & Italian Food
Fratelli’s Pizza & Café
Johnny C’s Italian Eatery
Mama B’s Pizzeria
Moschella’s Italian Eatery & Market
New York New York Pizza
Pasta di Guy
PizzaMania
Taste of NY Pizza
Via Italia
Westshore Pizza
My Favorite Italian Restaurant in NT or WC Is_________________
Greek/Mediterranean Restaurants (NT & WC)
Acropolis Greek Taverna
Al-Sham Palace
Cafe Zorba
El Prince Mediterranean
Fire Up Halal Grill
Garden Mediterranean Grill
Kabob Café & Grill
Little Greek Fresh Grill
The Hungry Greek
My Favorite Greek/Mediterranean Restaurant in NT or WC Is______________
Indian Restaurants (NT & WC)
Bang-Bang! Bowls
Blush Wine Room
Dosa Hut
Gorkhali Kitchen (Nepalese)
Ice Spice Indian Street Food Café
Indian Street Kitchen
Minerva Indian Restaurant
Namaste Express
Nawabi Hyderabad House
Persis Indian Grill
Saffron Indian Cuisine
Taaza Mart Café
My Favorite Indian Restaurant in NT or WC Is______________________
Breakfast Places (NT & WC)
365 Caffé Italiano
Bayscape Bistro
Brooklyn Water Bagel Co.
Brunchies
EggTown Breakfast & Lunch
Happy Hangar Café
Keke’s Breakfast Café
Macondo Coffee Roasters
Provisions Coffee & Kitchen
The Bean Bar Co.
Tropics (Saddlebrook)
Zio’s NY Bagel & Deli
My Favorite Breakfast Place in NT or WC Is_________________
Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt/Gelato Shops (NT & WC)
35 Below Ice Cream
Astro Ice Cream
Bianco Gelato
Hello Sweetness
Ice Dreammm Shop
Ice Spice Indian Street Food Café
Ice SSScreamin
Le Macaron French Pastries
Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt
Paleta Mia
SubZero Nitrogen Ice Cream
Twistee Treat
You Do The Dishes
My Favorite Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt/ Gelato Shop in NT or WC Is_____________
Bakeries (NT & WC)
Bakery X
Beirut Bakery & Meat Market
Brooklyn Water Bagel Co.
Ice Dreammm Shop
Le Macaron French Pastries
Mediterranean Market
Mochinut Donuts
Nothing Bundt Cakes
The Cake Shop
Urban Sweets
Zio’s NY Bagel & Deli
My Favorite Bakery in NT or WC Is_____________
Coffee Shops (NT & WC)
Bad Ass Coffee
Coffee Latitudes
Le Macaron French Pastries
Macondo Coffee Roasters
Provisions Coffee & Kitchen
Raining Berries
Sorbo Coffee
The Bean Bar Co.
You Do The Dishes
My Favorite Coffee Shop in NT or WC Is_____________
Valid Email Address_______________________________________________ To enter to win up to $200 in FREE dining to the restaurant of your choice, please fill out as many of the spaces on this page as you like — plus all of the information requested on the entry form below — and email a picture of the entire form to us at Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com, with “Dining Contest” in the subject line of the email by Friday, October 18. Or, enter at NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net. No purchase necessary to enter or win, but please see our website for all of the official rules.
Las Palmas Latin Grill Adds New Entrées, Cerveza & Sangria!
By Gary Nager
Photos by Charmaine George
I have been a fan of Ramses Garcia’s authentic Cuban and Latin cuisine since he first took over the original Las Palmas in the Pebble Creek Collection more than a decade ago.
Like so many of their loyal customers, Jannah and I followed Ramses and his wife Ana to the relocated Las Palmas in the plaza at the intersection of County Line Rd. and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. that also includes LA Fitness and Five Guys Burgers & Fries.
And yes, we also frequently took out from the Las Palmas food truck in the same parking lot after the restaurant had to close following a major kitchen fire three years ago.
But now, ten months after Ramses and Ana sold the food truck and reopened the new Las Palmas Latin Grill in the same space in the plaza last October, they are happy to announce that they are now also able to serve cerveza (beer) and homemade sangria and Ramses and many of his loyal customers couldn’t be more excited about it.
“People have been asking me, ‘When are you going to serve alcohol?’ from the day we first opened,” Ramses says. “We would love to be able to sell full liquor, but we’re happy to have cerveza and sangria and believe it will help business.”
The long-time local mom-&-pop favorite — which has consistently finished in the top three Favorite Latin Restaurants in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel in our annual Reader Dining Survey & Contest (see pages 42-45) — should definitely get a boost from beer and wine.
“Right now, we have Corona, Presidente, Coors Light and Heineken beer,” Ramses says, “but we will add more in the future. And, our customers tell me our sangria is pretty awesome, too.”
New Entrées, Too!
Although I still have some old favorites that I will order forever at Las Palmas (see below), Ramses has added a couple of new entrées that will now be in my regular rotation whenever we visit (or take out from) the restaurant.
Although I know a lot of people (including Jannah) won’t eat anything that’s looking back at you, if you’re already a fan of whole snapper, you honestly can’t beat the crispy outside, flaky inside whole snapper at Las Palmas.
I’m also a big fan of the recently re-added churrasco steak, served with Ramses’ homemade chimichurri sauce.
The flank steak is tender, with just the right amount of garlic and the tangy chimichurri is a perfect complement.
“We had to take the churrasco off the menu until I found the right supplier with the right steak,” Ramses says. “The new churrasco is fire.”
the “Fan Favorite” golden brown fried yuca sticks served with creamy, tangy cilantro sauce.
And, like all of the entrées at Las Palmas, the whole snapper and churrasco are served with your choice of two delicious sides, from black or red beans, yellow or white rice, boiled yuca, French fries, sweet or savory plantains, green beans or salad with Las Palmas’ signature creamy herbal dressing.
Start your meal with beef or chicken empanadas, deviled crab, ham croquettes, savory tostones bites (crispy green plantain bites stuffed with your choice of beef picadillo or mojo pork) or
Many of Ramses’ customers still come in for his award-winning pressed Tampa Cuban sandwich, with ham, Swiss cheese, roasted pork, salami, mustard-mayo sauce and pickles. Or, try the Miami Cubano (with no salami and mustard only), or the slow-roasted pork sandwich cooked with onions and garlic-lime mojo.
My favorite entrées are still the merluza a la Rusa — a tender basa filet in panko-spiced blend and served with the traditional “Russian-style” sauce — and the vaca frita (tender beef, marinated in garlic and lime and “grilled-fried” until crispy).
There’s also ropa vieja (Spanish for “old clothes), with shredded beef slow-cooked with to-
rice (arroz con pollo), grilled pork chops (chuletas) and fried pork bites (masitas). Jannah also loved the huge “crumbed” pan-fried chicken breast coated with a seasoned panko-crumb mixture. and topped with sautéed onions (called pechuga empanizada). There’s also a golden seared chicken fillet with fresh herbs and spices if you’re looking for a delicious chicken dish that’s grilled.
I also should not forget to mention to the slow-roasted “lechon asado” mojo pork. Yum!
And, although I still can’t eat shrimp, Charmaine flipped for the shrimp in garlic sauce (gambas al ajillo) in a fragrant garlic-lime and butter sauce, with a touch of white wine and fresh herbs.
Your kids will love the chicken nuggets and
yellow rice and sweet plantains). The “crumbed” pan-fried chicken fillet. All entrées at Las Palmas are served with your choice of two sides. fries, which are served with ketchup and savory dipping sauces.
I also recommend saving room for coffee and dessert at Las Palmas. Try any of the flaky guava or guava and cheese pastries in the display case by the cash register. And, don’t forget to try the Cuban-style vanilla flan and Ana’s homemade tres leches cake — a delicious, light and airy sponge cake soaked in a luxurious blend of three milks. And, definitely enjoy any of these desserts with an authentic café con leché.
Catering also is available from Las Palmas,
which has an extensive catering menu, with many more available options than what’s on the restaurant menu, including a gourmet mixed seafood paella (minimum of 20 servings per order).
Las Palmas Latin Grill (6431 E. County Line Rd., Suite 104) is open every day except Sunday for lunch and dinner. The hours are Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., and 11 a.m.9 p.m. on Friday & Saturday. For more info, visit LasPalmasLatinGrill.com, see the ad on pg. 53 or follow them on Facebook or Instagram and please tell Ramses, Ana and their crew I sent you!
Coffee Latitudes Café & Wine Bar Opens On County Line
We told you in our June issue that the owners of the Coffee Latitudes kiosk in the Shops at Wiregrass were planning to open the Coffee Latitudes Coffee Café & Wine Bar in the former location of Juice Factory (at 6431 E. County Line Rd., Suite 110, next to Max’s Pets).
Well, owners James and Olga Frank of Coffee Latitudes opened the brick-&-mortar location earlier this month and not only do they feature the all-organic, house-roasted, delicious coffee you grew to love at the mall (and at events like the monthly Market Elaine at The Grove), but also fresh sandwiches, baked goods and more — and the early reviews have been excellent.
James, who has culinary training and has previously owned other restaurants (including the Café Liberty on N. Dale Mabry Hwy. and Caffe Connection in Spring Hill), has brought those skills to this super-cute new café with delicious “Deluxe” bacon (or ham), egg & cheese breakfast sandwiches, as well as house-baked bagels imported from New York, flaky fresh-baked croissants and mini-waffles with syrup for breakfast.
For lunch, try “The Giacomo” Italian sub, chicken Caesar wrap or salad, “Not Your Mama’s Tuna” and “Turkey Do.” sandwich (with turkey breast, bacon, avocado and James’ own spicy Spartacus sauce) or grilled cheese (with bacon, ham or tomato), plus rotating fresh soups — Jannah recommends the creamy tomato bisque when it’s available.
Save room for dessert, as items like NY crumb cake, cinnamon rolls and bread pudding are housemade. Or, try a delicious fresh fruit cup with homemade marscapone cannoli cream (the cream also is served with crisp cannoli chips) and so much more.
But, considering that James has been home-
roasting that delicious Coffee Latitudes coffee for 30 + years, you definitely need to try a cup.
“Ask what country we are brewing today when you do,” James says, with Guatemalan, Nicaraguan and Indonesian roasts served the days we’ve visited. There’s also cappuccino, hot or iced lattes and Chai lattes, Matcha green and other assorted teas, as well as tasty flavored hot chocolate (left). And, Olga and James say they should also be selling wine in 6-8 weeks.
“Once we get the cafe menu perfect, we’ll be adding unique wines,” James says.
Visit CoffeeLatitudes.com or call (813) 575-8000 for more info. Or, just stop in and please tell James and Olga I sent you.— GN, all photos by Charmaine George
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Updates On Steak n’ Shake, The Alley,
free value meals at the restaurant and more.”
Todd, who has owned more than 30 different businesses, says he is as excited about Steak ‘n Shake as he has ever been about any previous business.
“I just want to get it open,” he says.
For more info about The Palms Car Wash, go get your car washed or visit ThePalmsCarWash. com. Until the Wesley Chapel location actually opens, visit the Steak ‘n Shake at 17509 N. Palms Village Pl. in New Tampa or SteaknShake.com. New Food & Beverages At The Mall
If you’ve been hoping for some new food and beverage options to open in our area, the Shops at Wiregrass is getting ready to welcome two new places to replace two that closed.
Although some folks online will try to convince you that it’s going to be a different restaurant, I can say with full confidence that the building directly west (southwest?) of The Palms Car Wash will indeed be a Steak ‘n Shake (top right photo).
Owner Todd Webb and general manager Jason Good were hoping to have the new restaurant open at 5542 Post Oak Blvd. (off Wesley Chapel Blvd.) by the time this issue reached your mailbox, but Todd says they are now hoping to open sometime around the first week in September.
“It’s definitely been tough,” he says. “But we are confident we will get this place done and open, hopefully soon!”
Todd, who also owns the adjacent Palms Car Wash (at 5550 Post Oak Blvd.), says that in addition to Grand Opening specials at Steak ‘n Shake, he plans to do cross-promotions between the two businesses. “We do full detailing at The Palms Car Wash,” he says, “so while your car is being detailed, you can go next door and enjoy a Steak & Shake burger, those famous fries and a milk shake. And, we will have promotions like buy a car wash membership, get a coupon for Steak ‘n Shake.”
He says he and Jason also plan to do kids specials on Thursdays afternoons at Steak ‘n Shake.
“On Thursdays, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., we’ll have a balloon artist and face painter. We’ll also do a Facebook Live from Steak ‘n Shake every week, with drawings for about 10 prizes, like a $30 gift certificate for The Palms for a free Car Wash Club,
The first is The Alley Tea • Café • Life (top left photo) at 28211 Paseo Dr., Suite 180, in the former location of PhoLicious. But, where PhoLicious was more of a fast casual restaurant with Vietnamese cuisine, The Alley is strictly a place for a variety of boba (bubble) tea drinks (although some locations of the 17-store West Coast-based chain do list desserts on their menu, too). The Alley is expected to open on or around Aug. 15.
Speaking of beverages, the former location of Clean Juice (and a previous juice/smoothie place) at 28216 Paseo Dr., Suite 170, in the mall is getting ready to reopen as 3 Natives Açai & Juicery, which is a Florida-based chain with more than 30 current locations. What appears to be promising about 3 Natives is that in addition to the usual pressed juices and açai bowls, the online menu also includes nice-looking wrap and pressed sandwiches, as well as salads (photo below right).
According to 3Natives.com: “We source the finest and freshest ingredients possible for all of our menu items...Whether you’re on a lunch break, looking for a quick snack, or just in the mood for sweet and healthy — we’ve got you. Our diverse, fresh and extremely delicious menu items are made to order and hand-crafted to satisfy.”
3 Natives also is expected to open later this month but is looking for members to join the team.
There’s a sign out in front of the place with a QR code to scan if you’re interested.
But of course, the new restaurant many people are excited about is Bosphorous, the Turkish cuisine eatery with six existing locations (including one expected to open soon at 714 S. Howard Ave. in Tampa). Unfortunately, according to a spokesperson for the mall, Bosphorous isn’t likely to open much before the end of this year.
We also just found out that the replacement for Irish 31 in the mall will be Dave’s Hot Chicken (photo below left), a chain with more than 200 locations in 30+ U.S. states, including one on E. Fowler Ave. near USF. We had no additional information at our press time as to when it will open. For info, visit DavesHotChicken.com.
Sweet Krunch To Replace FJ Express
Market
chicken places are all the rage here now. With one successful Florida location in Bradenton, one in Ybor City and the newest one in front of the Ballantrae community in Land O’Lakes, Sweet Krunch Korean Fried Chicken & Boba Tea will look to capitalize on this crunchy new craze when it opens in a couple of months in the former location of FJ Express the Shoppes at New Tampa at 1832 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. just south of S.R. 56.
Featuring authentic Korean fried chicken, bibimbap bowls, Asian fusion appetizers (like pork potstickers) and boba teas, Sweet Krunch (photo, right) could have a future in our area. For more information, visit SweetKrunch FL.kwickmenu.com or the Ballantrae location at 17788 Aprile Dr., Land O’Lakes. — GN
WESLEY CHAPEL
Wesley Chape�
Chamber Scores Big Again, Despite The Rain, At Annual
By Gary Nager
Photos by Charmaine George
Congratulations to Florida Penguin Productions and the North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC) for hosting a super-successful third annual Summer Rum & Seafood Festival.
Despite heavy rains that delayed the start of the event, this year’s Summer Rum & Seafood Festival on July 13 at the Tampa Premium Outlets was four hours of tasting samples of rum (and other spirits), great bands, local vendors and, of course, lots of seafood.
More than 1,000 patrons came out to enjoy samplings from nine different Florida-based distilleries including: St Pete Distillery, Everglades Distillery, West Distilling, Tarpon Springs Distillery, 90 Miles South, Lugo’s Craft Distillery, Preez Distillery (photo below), Reif Rum Spirits and American Freedom Distillery.
Entertainment this year included popular southern rock & country band Southbound 75 and Turn It On Again, A Tribute to
Phil Collins/Genesis. Turn It On Again did an amazing job of covering the catalogs of Collins and his former Genesis bandmate Peter Gabriel.
Among the fun returning events were the hermit crab races (above left), a live mermaid tank (photo, right) and 10 different seafood vendors offering everything from crab legs to crab cakes, shrimp skewers, whole snapper and more.
Among the favorite seafood trucks were crab cakes from New Tampa’s own Charm City Eats (top right photo) and From the Soul to the Sea’s shrimp bowl (near right).
Major sponsors of this year’s event were Universal Roof and Pasco County Recycling ,with a media shout out to
According to Drew Cecere of Florida Penguin Productions, admission fees and sponsorships for the Chamber’s Rum & Seafood Festival raised $2.600 for the North Tampa Bay Chamber Foundation. — GN
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